Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto!
I figured I owed you guys for taking so long to update. Another chapter! Its a short one but those are good too! :D Hope you enjoy!
Chapter 6:
This time every month is always interesting. Everyone gathers around waiting for Musashi to announce who and what got updated in the bingo books. It's a running battle between the top agents for recognition. Musashi, however, hasn't been put into the bingo books. Or he has, he is just under "unknown" but no one knows exactly what he has done over the years. Most of us who are in the higher tier are the ones who do all the dirty work and get recognized for it. Which is fine by us.
This month there were about a dozen updates to the bingo books but I won. That meant I had three favors owed to me, two jutsus, and a month off of kitchen duty. I could feel everyone stare at me as he announced that I had been upgraded to 'Elite' in the bingo books of all the countries now. I am much stronger and I feel as though everything about me has changed but now I really feel like one of them. Maybe, I'll just send in this book. Don't even bother coming back. The elders would be so pissed but what could they do about it. I would be protected, not that it would matter. I don't even think all the ANBU in the village could bring me in anymore. I have two more years to decide. Still, sometimes I wonder how everyone is doing. On days where we can be lazy and lay out in the sun in the grass by the complex, I think about what's going on. Have Sasuke and Naruto finally just accepted that they are in love? Or had Tsunade married that Pervy-sensei? Has Kakashi finally started paying for meals since I'm not there anymore? Did Ino stop shoving her tits in guys' faces to get free drinks?
We hear big news here but no village gossip. There are moments where I miss it, but then Taku's son runs up to me wanting to wrestle (he wins every time) and I realize this has become my own village. Bunch of suspicious ninja but when the bastards trust you, you're family. They are my family. They have raised me and I love all of them in their own way. I would die for any of them and I would kill for them too. I guess that really is what it means to be a family village. They aren't like the Hidden Village. We make up the village, so of course we would protect each other. It's how a village should be and I feel like this is home now.
There is a new guy though. He was brought in with a new batch of prisoners. I have a bad feeling about him. Musashi won't be here for another few months according to the schedule. He is in Mist country right now. I have detailed the mission in the next page. But I think he is a Sand-nin, and not the ex-communicated type. I know allies are supposed to talk to each other about missions and if a mission might overlap jurisdictions but I don't know if I count as a mission or as a ninja for the village anymore. I just hope he's not going to cause trouble.
That had been the last entry that she had written and he shut the book. Kakashi felt like he had violated Sakura's inner mind by reading it. He hadn't put it down the night before. It was fascinating, in a morbidly curious way. She had changed so much. The things they made her do, that she did without question. Much more than Tsunade probably thought when putting her on the mission. It was supposed to bring her home to Konoha. Instead, it pushed her further away. Alienating her not only from the feeling that Konoha was her home, but who she was as a person. Absent mindedly, Kakashi ran his hand through his hair. Tsunade thought he could help Sakura. The last thing she needed was Kakashi. Hell, maybe it would be better for her to leave the village. Would she ever really fit in again?
He still slightly agreed with her. He was reckless on missions, always coming back half-dead. Sakura had become the one thing he had tried so hard to stop from happening. She had become him. Even without the war, she had been broken down, stripped, and rebuilt into a killing machine. He also still had the feeling there was something more to the story than her being fed up with village life.
Today, he was on the roof of the jounin building, Icha Icha Chaos back out. After that book, he needed some light reading.
"Look here, my eternal rival, basking in the glorious light of the day."
Kakashi flipped the page.
"My youthful flowers, before you is the Copy-nin. He is a sight to behold in action. You would do well to learn from him if given the chance."
"Yo." Kakashi waved without looking up from his book.
One of Guy's genin scoffed. Kakashi was saved from further humiliation when an ANBU member jumped onto the roof with them.
"Hatake Kakashi?"
"Hm?" Boy, did they have the greatest timing.
"This scroll is urgent. Read it right away."
Eying the scroll, he released the seal and opened it. Not really paying attention to the departure of the ANBU ninja he read Tsunade's handwriting.
Sakura woke. She's gone. Find her. You have four hours till I report it.
Well, Guy's students were going get a show after all. Whipping out a scroll from his vest, he bit his thumb and smeared blood across it. All thirteen of his ninken appeared. The students yelped in surprise. Kakakshi leaned down and growled, too low for anyone to hear other than the dogs in front of him.
"Find Sakura, and do it quick."
They were off. Kakashi left Guy and his students on the roof and followed Pakkun.
"Kakashi, I thought she was in the hospital."
"Apparently not anymore."
Pakkun made a sharp turn. "Shiba has picked up her trail."
Nothing else was said as everyone converged on Shiba, who was running through the forest under the hokage monument. Shiba skidded to a halt and a couple dogs yelped in surprise as they tumbled over each other.
"Kakashi, she's…" Pakkun didn't finish.
He knew exactly where she was. He continued up the mountain to stand on the fourths head. Sakura was sitting on the end, one foot dangling off the edge, the other was pulled close to her and her chin was resting on her knee. Her hair was pulled into a high ponytail, her long pink hair swaying in the wind.
"Yo." Kakashi gave his usual eye crinkle and small wave. He stopped midway, remembering that she was blind.
"You can tell Tsunade to reign her hounds back. I'm not leaving."
Kakashi's eye widened. It didn't even sound like Sakura. Her voice was harsh, on edge, no smile left in her voice. He had to gather himself. Her voice made him shiver.
"Am I not allowed to say hi to my favorite ex-student?"
Sakura didn't say anything. Kakashi walked over to her, leaning against one of the fourths hair spikes.
"There was a time you used to respect me."
"Yeah. Before you bit into a stone sandwich so Naruto could say you had buck teeth and that's why you wore a mask."
Kakashi chuckled. He was surprised to see her look up at him. Her hitai was covering her eyes. It had a sharp gash through the leaf kanji. Her mouth was quirked up, a smirk like he was used to seeing.
"Welcome home Sakura."
Her smirk disappeared off her face.
