A/N: Well hello everyone, this is the third chapter. I'm glad you're enjoying it so far, and I hope I can continue to write as expected of me. Anyway this chapter isn't as action-packed as the last, hopefully you don't mind. Well, here goes, enjoy.
Disclaimer: I still don't own Naruto but maybe 27654 disclaimers from now I will.
"It was this way." The young girl called to the group of comrades she had assembled as they raced through the steadily burning forest, illuminated by the sunrise, in search of their leader.
"I had a feeling this little excursion would prove to be a bad idea." Shizune spoke with a somber, doubtful tone.
"It's unwise to doubt the Hokage, you should know that. Racing into a burning forest, it makes more sense to be doubtful of our own survival." A bored sounding Kakashi Hatake, spoke resolutely.
"I know that, The Hokage's probably fine, but we still need to hurry and find her. We have to do everything in our power to help her. Just because she's the Hokage doesn't mean she's immune to fire." Shizune replies in an irritated yet concerned manner.
"I'm sorry this is all my fault. If I were stronger, then Tsunade-sensei wouldn't be in danger." Sakura spoke once more with a tearful, longing tone.
"Sakura, its ok, were all here now, there's nothing you could have done beyond what you already have." Kakashi said in a calming manner to the young girl.
"Yes it's not your fault. If anyone's at fault here it's the Hokage, for being so reckless and irresponsible." Shizune said angrilly with a hint of sadness.
"There, someone's in the distance." One of the three ANBU members who accompanied them called out.
The group approached the figures at rapid speed. Soon the scene came into clear vision. Tsunade was standing, burn marks and cuts riddled her body, and her clothing was torn and charred all over. On the floor was the figure of Tousou Kaseiyari who looked to be in even worse shape. When Tsunade saw the approaching group she moved to greet them.
"Lord Hokage! You are badly injured; have you been fighting all this time." Shizune called out to her master.
"Yeah, that guy was pretty tough. He kept me busy 'till you all got here. Good work Sakura, I'm not sure I 'd have the energy to get out of here had you not got back here as quick as you did." Tsunade spoke with a bitter smile as if pain was still gripping at her wounds.
"Oh Sensei, I was so worried. I hated leaving you behind. If I was stronger you wouldn't have gotten injured like that." Sakura spoke once more tearfully as she wrapped herself around Tsunade in a strong embrace.
"Well if you feel that guilty about it, I'll let you practice your medical techniques on me. I've expended too much chakra to do it myself right now anyway." Tsunade spoke tenderly, a smirk hidden on her lips.
Suddenly the group turned from the recovered Hokage, as the evil assassin that was her opponent recovered consciousness. He gave a quick look around, and with a panicked expression rose and cast off at lightning speed into the distance.
"Damn, how could he possibly awake so soon, after I gave him that beating? You three, after him." Tsunade ordered the ANBU men who nodded in reply and proceeded to chase after the enemy ninja.
"Alright then, we should be heading back to the village now." Shizune said simply.
"In her current condition the village would be too far, for the Hokage. It makes more sense to rest close by and return to the village later." Kakashi rationalized.
"Right! In that case, I'll return now and inform the village of the Hokage's safety, if that's alright with you lord Hokage." Shizune spoke dutifully.
"That sounds like a good plan, Shizune. I'll be fine with just Sakura and Kakashi protecting me for now." Tsunade replied with a smile as her older apprentice vanished into the darkness.
The three of them headed into the distance, Kakashi supporting the wounded Hokage as they raced out of the blaze. They soon found their way to a small nearby village at the outskirts of the forest, and secured a room at the local inn. Kakashi was to stand guard and make sure Tousou did not return whilst Sakura and Tsunade rested.
"This is pretty nice, we should be able to rest pretty nice her... I suppose it makes sense that they would give their best room to you." Sakura spoke, calm sanctity finally returning to her lips as she admired the large but simple room.
"Yeah, this should be fine for now… Now, Sakura, did you want to help me here." Tsunade said with an odd grin.
"Um… alright. I never thought I'd be the one healing you though." Sakura said staggering as she began to apply chakra to wounds on Tsunade's arms and stomach.
"Perhaps this would be easier for you if I take my clothes off, that way you can get to everything better." Tsunade said with a delightful smile.
"No!" Sakura said in alarm.
"Oh, why not? It's a medical procedure, it would be the perfectly rational thing to do, unless there's some other reason you don't want to see me naked." Tsunade spoke in a mockingly inquisitive way.
"N-no, it's just that… that I think you deserve your privacy, I mean it's not okay to have someone touch you in some places unless they're really close to you." Sakura was blushing a shear, intense red as she searched for a viable excuse.
"Well, aren't we really close by now?" Tsunade chimed in, now overtly sexual.
"Yeah, I suppose, b-but what…" Sakura started awkwardly, her heart racing.
"Perhaps we should get even closer." Tsunade continued in her oddly sensual manner as she moved in closer and closer to the young girl.
"How do we do…" Sakura spoke with a panicked excitement.
"Like this." Tsunade said seductively as she pressed herself against the young girl while joining their mouths together in a deep kiss.
In moments Sakura could feel the warmth of the woman's tongue flicker across her lips, before finding it's place deep in her mouth, which it explored excitedly. Sakura gave a deep moan into the blonde's open mouth; she could feel the warmth of Tsunade's body pressed passionately against her own. That body, with it's pure, perfect beauty was something Sakura knew in her heart that she always desired. Tsunade was her mentor, and a woman, but despite this, the young girl couldn't deny this to herself, no matter how hard she tried. In fact as of late scenes like this in her dreams kept her awake more often than similar scenes with Sasuke. This was just like her dream, down to the last detail: the strong grasp that Tsunade held her with, the soft movements of her tongue, the warmth of her breast; it was all as perfect as that dream. Then a painful thought entered the young kunoichi's mind and she realized that this scene might have more in common with nightmares than dreams. With the full force of her fist, Sakura forced the woman off her, sending her hard to the ground with a loud thud.
"What? Sakura, I-I'm sorry I really didn't think you'd mind if I kissed you... I shouldn't have done that without asking you first." Tsunade said apologetically after spitting up some blood.
"You are not her! So you can stop pretending." Sakura yelled.
"What? Sakura, what are you saying? Of course I'm me." Tsunade said with a soft smile.
"The real Tsunade would never misjudge her opponent and expend all her chakra carelessly so that she had to rely on someone else to recover her. She would also never place the burden of a fight she started onto others so hastily and unassumingly. Moreover, as much as I may wish otherwise, the real Tsunade would never kiss me like that." Sakura spoke with a deep passion.
"I liked you, and I was going to let you have this body as much as you liked while I enacted my plan, beautiful Sakura. It's a real shame now that I will have to send you to join you're beloved Hokage in hell." The transformed Tousou Kaseiyari spoke angrily with Tsunade's voice.
"Someone like you could never defeat Tsunade-sensei, so whatever you say I won't believe it." Sakura spoke with a sharp disgust in her eyes.
"Then be content with your disbelief as you die!" Tousou shot furiously as he unleashed a fierce kick at the girl, mimicking Tsunade's trademark technique, down to the last detail. Sakura thrust her fist at the evil ninja's foot countering his strength with her own, and sending both of them back in recoil.
"Damn, you're stupid. You take the time to even master Tsunade-sensei's fighting style, but for some reason you overlooked the fact that she isn't sexually attracted to much younger females. This plan of your's must not be that important if you're willing to hinge it on something as stupid as that." Sakura said in a curt, mocking way, anger and disappointment still entirely evident despite her laugh.
"Hmm… I suppose you are right. I should have been more careful, or at least waited for it to build up with time. Young girl's like you are just the kind I desire the most, and with you so close to me, I couldn't help but lose sight of my ambition. You're death will rectify that." Tousou spoke lightly but venomously.
"The only one who might die here, is you." The voice of Kakashi came from the room's door.
"Ah, the master of the sharingan eye. For my plan's success, you would have had to die anyway. I suppose this really is convenient." Tousou spoke in a bitter tone.
"Whatever you're planning, it's doomed for failure. It's not just me who is adept at seeing through tricks like that. So don't think that just because you fooled us for a few hours that you've secured any sort of victory." Kakashi said unwaveringly.
"You think you can defeat me where your Hokage failed?" Tousou reply came in question.
"Yes, considering the amount of chakra you must have expended fighting the Hokage, and the fact that the ANBU squad you sent chasing blindly after your clone has returned and is stationed in the room next door, I think we have a pretty good chance of defeating you." Kakashi answered in a relaxed manner.
"Damn you! I suppose retreat is the only option then. I will re-calibrate my strategies and be back though, you just wait." Tousou exclaimed as he vanished through the window.
"Is it okay to let him just get away like that, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked, concerned.
"We have few other options, Sakura. He said he would return and we'll just have to wait to take him out when he shows again. Anyway, we have more pressing matters to attend to: we must locate the Hokage at once." The jounin said determinately.
"You don't think that she's… t-that she's not okay, do you, sensei?" Sakura spoke in a somber tone.
"Tsunade is a strong woman, believe me she's probably fine, Sakura. Still, we have to find he quickly to make sure." Kakashi said to his young student with a smile through his mask.
"I'll help you look for her." Sakura exclaimed regaining her face.
"No, it'd be better if you wait here and rest. You've been through enough tonight." Kakashi replied.
"I may not be a jounin or an ANBU like you guys, but I'm a ninja too, and I want to help, especially if it's for Tsunade-sensei." Sakura added with prideful enthusiasm.
"Alright then, I give you the mission of guarding this village while we search." Kakashi said with a slight laugh.
"That's not fair sensei. But if it's really important that I stay here, I guess I will." Dissapointment was clearly evident in Sakura's eyes.
"Good." Kakashi said simply before making his exit and leaving Sakura alone.
Sakura knew rest probably would be the best thing for her. She had been awake since early the previous morning, and had had a hard day of training, before that nightmarish night. The fight with Kaseiyari, the nighttime race to the village and back, it was all vivid in her mind. Now the events of this day had been piled on to that. She couldn't keep from her mind the thoughts of that kiss, despite how it turned out it was so perfect and wonderful an experience, that Sakura couldn't help but relive the experience over and over again in her mind, knowing that it might be the closest she would ever get to the real thing. The sun was still high in the sky and the adrenaline of the previous night and morning had yet to subside, but the thoughts of Tsunade's gentle, warm embrace soon lulled the young kunoichi to sleep.
A/N: So there you have it, chapter three. I hope I didn't trick anyone there, I tried not to. With the end of the last chapter I tried to make it where you could see it coming. So I hope no one's too disappointed that it seemed this close to the sex and yet didn't happen. Speaking of which, Sakura and Tsunade still will be having sex (in the next chapter, in fact), and Tsunade is not dead. What else, oh, I include Kakashi in this chapter just because I needed someone for Sakura to interact with while Tsunade wasn't there. I had originally planned to use Shizzune for that role, but I decided that if I had Shizune have a more prominent role in a Tsunade fic, I would undoubtedly run into some Tsunade X Shizune elements, and that would be counter to the point of writing Tsunade X Sakura; so I gave Shizune a smaller role. I didn't like making Tousou so stupid in this chapter. It's kind of ridiculous that he would risk everything for Sakura (who's cute, but nothing really special in my opinion), but it was necessary for him to make such mistakes in order for the focus of the story to be shifted onto Tsunade and Sakura's relationship, so I think it worked out. Anyway, I hope you liked chapter three; chapter four next week, so keep on reading.
