She stepped gingerly into the large circular room being used for mission # 67778234. Her eyes, now brownish with her contacts, opened wide to see through the eye slits of her mask; the mixed colors of black and silver scattered across the room. There were about fifteen shinobi in the room, all dressed in the standard ANBU uniform.
Fifteen?
Hadn't she been told that there was only going to be two other people?
"Ah!" the Hokage said, stepping in front of her. "We've had a change of plans, the other mission can wait until you return from this one. It's a simple mission, so I assigned you to it. You were coming anyway, and maybe it will give you a chance to get used to your fellow ANBU." Tsunade said hurriedly. "Take a seat, I'll explain everything." And with that she quickly walked away.
She didn't see a single familiar looking person in the room. Although... it might have been because they were all wearing masks. One couldn't be judged from hair color and body stature alone.
"Ahem." Tsunade said loudly in the front of the room, a signal for them all to shut their mouths. The room quickly hushed, and Sakura slid slowly down into a cold metal chair next to a brunette male shinobi." This mission was put together in a hurry, all I basically ask that you all do a sweep of the border, check the situations in the towns along the way, and such. I have asked fifteen of you because, well, I want a very thorough update." She said, in a rather humorous tone. Sakura had studied with that woman for a few years, and knew her better than most. "It should take a maximum of a week. I want this done quickly, but thoroughly." She repeated, trying to get the point across. With her tone of voice Sakura could tell that someone had reported trouble in some of these towns. Although, she could not understand why she would need the ANBU to do it. "You're dismissed." The Hokage said, with a quick wave of her hand.
Sakura stood. Here she was, in a room full of people, none of which she knew, and apparently, she was supposed to spend a full week with them.
Standing, she moved with the majority of the crowd towards the door, and joined them all in a mass exodus towards the North gate.
She relaxed slightly as the soft Konoha breeze rushed through her hair as she leapt from tree to tree. This was what she loved, above all things. She'd spent about a year and a half abroad, and with that experience, learned to appreciate Konoha for it's natural beauty. That time away must have been when she'd started to be annoyed by her teammates again, more than when she'd been younger even. She was appreciative of them being there for her, but sometimes more than not, she was annoyed at their prying. Not to mention the constant bickering.
"Hi. You're the new girl, right?"
Sakura returned from her thoughts to see a male shinobi leaping in sync with her.
"Uh ... yeah." She said in a voice different from her own. Sasuke was an ANBU and she didn't want him recognizing her voice... "How'd you know?"
"There aren't many female ANBU."
Sakura looked around and saw that this was indeed true, at least on this mission. There were only two other women. At least, as far as she could tell.
"Well, every one calls me Hiroki. It's a fake name, but ... that's what I'm called in ANBU." The man called Hiroki said, sounding a bit amused.
"Oh... Well, Hi." She said a bit awkwardly.
Of course she'd have to use a fake name! Why didn't she think of that before!
"Didn't make up a name yet, did you?" He asked, noticing her lack of speaking.
"Heh. No. Ummmm... Achika..?" She said, saying a name that she'd liked since her childhood days.
"Good choice. Nice to meet you Achika. Listen, in ANBU it becomes quite lonely when you don't make any friends, believe me, I remember. So, I figured that I'd introduce myself to you and make it a bit easier for you."
"Thanks... "
"No problem. So if you'd follow me, I'll introduce you to some people." He said, darting to their left.
Sakura reluctantly followed him. Truthfully, she was thankful that someone had spoken to her first, because she didn't think that she could make it through this without someone to talk to.
XXXXXXXXXXX
Sakura looked around at the people sitting near her. They were talking before making camp.
Beside her, a woman sat talking into her ear. She reminded Sakura vaguely of Ino. The woman's name was Takako. As she talked, her dark, shoulder length, green tresses swung with the soft breeze. Sakura had found out after being introduced, that Takako was Hiroki's wife.
Next to Takako was Hiroki, who was speaking with the man sitting on a log across from him, named Kiba.
Although their names were the same, the shinobi Sakura knew of that name was nothing like this ANBU. His silvery hair flowed out behind his mask, reminding her of the masks with fake hair connected at the top. He was also very toned, she knew this because at the moment he had his shirt off revealing his chest. Sakura, noticing this decided that she would have to make sure to flirt with him a bit before this was over...
She shook her head. She'd been around Ino way too long.
And beside Kiba, there was a silent ANBU with deep black hair, (like her own) who was nodding in agreement with whatever the other men were talking about. His name was Tatsuya, and oddly enough, he seemed to only be around thirteen years old.
Sakura thought back to when she'd been thirteen. Foolish as she had been, she hadn't really committed herself to her shinobi talents until late in her twelfth year.
"I'm so glad there's another woman on this mission! Well, there is Toki, but she's really rather ... stern." Takako said beside her, practically glowing with joy.
"I don't understand why here aren't more kunoichi..." Sakura said wonderingly.
"Well, most just want to have a family and let their husband's do all the work. Me? I couldn't stand doing that. I'd rather be beside my husband in battle, and every once in a while I even get a chance to save his ass. Speaking of which..." She trailed off, leaning over to Hiroki she asked, "Don't you think we should set up camp? Then we can take off these damned masks." Sakura noticed that she'd been fingering her own mask as she'd been thinking. Sakura also realized that Takako was referring to putting on their small cloth masks, similar to her old sensei's, that they'd been supplied with.
Sakura sighed as she realized that she'd have to share a tent with someone. Unfortunately for her, it wouldn't be Takako, she'd be in the same tent with Hiroki. Sakura was a little saddened by this, she'd actually taken a liking to her.
So that left either Kiba or Tatsuya.
XXXXXXX
Sakura stepped out of the tent to see that everyone except Kiba had taken off their masks. She felt a bit of disappointment, but also found his mysteriousness mildly attractive.
Takako had pretty deep brown eyes, to match her own contacted ones.
Hiroki had dark blue eyes, and Tatsuya had brown eyes as well.
She yawned softly as she sat next to Takako, only to realize that she was too deep in conversation with Hiroki.
"I hope your not too disappointed that you have to share a tent with me." A low masculine voice said to her left.
"Oh, no. Of course not." She said, a deep magenta covering her cheeks as she turned to face Kiba. "I trust you, you're an ANBU after all." The fact that he had a drawing aura had nothing to do with it. Of course not.
"I don't advise that. Many ANBU aren't trustworthy in that respect."
"Oh ... okay."
"Most of the people on this mission aren't too bad about that though. The only reason we didn't put you in the same tent as Tatsuya is... well ... he never talks and quite frankly, we don't know what he's capable of. He seems like a decent person though." He said, shoving his hands in his pockets.
"Oh." She said, understanding a bit. Then, feeling a little more able to ask questions now that he'd spoken to her, she asked, "May I ask, how come you didn't take your mask off?"
"I didn't want to." He said simply.
"Why not?" She asked, as her flirtation skills started kicking in.
"How old are you?" He asked back.
"Twenty-nine." She lied. In realization she was only twenty-four, but that was only a few years off.
"You ask a hell of a lot of questions for someone who's twenty-nine..."
"Please? Can't you just wear a mouth cover?" She asked sweetly. Flirting was her specialty after spending her teenage years with Ino.
"Someday." He said, indicating her to leave it at that.
"Before this mission's over?"
He studied her for a second, or at least she thought so because his mask was facing her and he was silent, "Possibly."
Sakura smirked slightly.
This was working.
What? She asked herself. She had a right to act a bit more open from her normal self, her identity was hidden anyway, so she had nothing at stake with her outwardness.
