Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto!

Hope you enjoy guys! A bit of a long one. :)


Chapter 9:

"Can we take a break please?" Kenshi readjusted his backpack.

"We aren't that far away from the border Kenshi, can't you wait?" Kakashi sighed as he stopped and turned around to look at him.

Kenshi looked at Yamato who was next to him. "Come on, back me up on this. We have been walking forever. We could just stop for lunch at one of these restaurants."

They had left about six days ago. They weren't making the best progress but they also weren't in a hurry. Kenshi had been able to keep up with the three far superior ninja but he was starting to lag behind the past day. Kakashi couldn't blame him either. It had been the most awkward start to a mission that he had ever been on. Yamato and Kenshi didn't trust Sakura and Sakura didn't care. She hadn't spoken a single word.

The border to Earth Country was only a couple hours away and this was one of the last towns they would see for a while. Still, they needed to keep moving.

"There is a good barbeque place here."

They all turned their heads to Sakura. She was a little ways ahead of all of them, usually taking the lead until Kakashi had to tell her she needed to turn east or west. But she always slept away from them, took first watch, and ate by herself.

"What?" Kakashi didn't quite believe what he heard.

Sakura turned around. "There is a good barbeque place in this town. It's near the end." She paused. "If we were going to stop for lunch."

Kakashi looked from her to Kenshi, who looked like he was going to cry with happiness. He sighed and shook his head. "Fine. Lunch break. But never again until the way back."

Kenshi nodded but he had a huge grin on his face. He raced up to Sakura. "So where is this place?"

"It's one of the shops at the very end. As we get closer you'll be able to smell it."

Kenshi squealed and raced down the street.

"Well, there is an interesting turn of events." Yamato walked with Kakashi behind Sakura. "I didn't think you would give in."

"I wasn't." Kakashi was staring at Sakura's hair as it swayed while she walked.

"Then?"

"She actually spoke. She actually took Kenshi's side."

Yamato chuckled. "I don't know if I would take it that far Kakashi. It could be as simple as she was tired of him complaining."

Kakashi shrugged. "At this point, I think she would have just killed him." He gave Yamato an eye crinkle. Kakashi didn't notice that Sakura had stopped and ran into her full force. His eye widened and he reached out for her arm and caught her before she fell. She swung her head to look at him but all that was looking at him were her bandages.

"Watch where you're going Kakashi." She growled.

Caught off guard by her anger, he stammered. "Sorry."

She ripped her arm out of his grasp and rolled her shoulders. "The barbeque place is right here." Sakura pointed to the door. Kenshi was hunched over reading the chalkboard sign that had the specials scrawled on it.

"Sakura-sama, I don't think we can afford this place."

Sakura waved her hand started to walk in. "It's fine. Kakashi is paying."

Yamato and Kenshi looked at Kakashi who was wide eyed as he watched Sakura disappear into the building. Kenshi was the first one who burst out laughing and followed after Sakura. Yamato patted Kakashi on the back with a smile and went inside too. After a long sigh, Kakashi followed his teammates in the restaurant.

There was a man and woman bowed low in front of Sakura. Kenshi and Yamato were looking at each other confused. Kakashi came in between them, looking at the two people bowed.

"Gekkabijin-sama, thank you for choosing our humble restaurant. Please enjoy, anything you would like." The man straightened a little and grabbed a very scared waiter next to him. "Yatsu will be happy to help you with anything you need."

"Thank you. My associates and I would like a table in the back. We are only stopping a short time. So we will have your best. And bring a bottle a sake as well as waters." Sakura had the same tone as she did when speaking with Tsunade. The commanding air that made it nearly impossible to speak against.

"Yes Gekkabijin-sama. Yatsu will show you to your table." The man and woman moved to the side and the waiter showed the four ninja to a table near the back. The restaurant was fairly busy and though the front was noisy, the back was far quieter.

"We will bring your food and drinks as soon as we can." The waiter bowed and nearly ran away.

Kenshi was the first to speak but he didn't say it louder than a whisper. "What was that about?"

"We used to visit this place on our way into Earth country. I'm a bit recognizable. If and when it happens, you will defer to me. Understand? Otherwise you guys just might end up on the wrong side of a battle." She leaned back in the bench. "One that has nothing to do with you or the village."

"But why did they call you Gekkabijin-sama?"

The rare smirk that graced Sakura's face made everyone at the table smile. She rummaged through her little bag that was about the third of the size as everyone else had and brought a small little book. Flipping through it, she turned to a page and gave it to Kenshi.

As he read the page, the smile fell off his face and his eyes got a little wider. His face turned to slightly afraid and his jaw started to drop. Then he turned the page. Still continued to read.

"Do not attempt to catch. You will die. If spotted, run."

Sakura's smirk grew a little. "That was added on recently. But I wasn't known as Sakura. That name was stripped of me. Instead they named me after another flower, the Gekkabijin. It blooms only once a year. Beautiful when closed, but when it blooms it is devastatingly gorgeous."

It took Kakashi a minute to realize that she was quoting someone else. He wondered if it was the leader of the compound that said that. Considering he was probably the one that renamed her. Four plates being delivered to the table interrupted his train of thought. The smell of the meat made everyone's mouth water.

"Your sa-sake and water." The waiter placed the bottle and glasses on the table. He bowed and ran away again.

"This is so good." Kenshi mumbled as he shoved more food into his mouth. "Seriously this is the best food I have ever had." He shoveled more but the next sentence was just mumbles between chews.

"Sakura, I'm glad you decided to say something. This is very good." Yamato was wiping his mouth with his napkin, his plate already empty.

"Order another Yamato if your still hungry."

Kakashi made a slight coughing noise.

"I was kidding about paying for this Kakashi. This is on me." Sakura took another bite.

"I'll take another one!" Kenshi's plate was empty but half of it was still in his mouth.

"Chew and swallow. I'll get it." Yamato motioned to the waiter to bring two more.

Kakashi leaned back, his plate empty. "That was very good."

"Tastes better when you know you aren't paying for it huh Kakashi?" Kenshi had finally swallowed and gave him a wink.

After three plates for both Kenshi and Yamato, one more for Kakashi, and a second bottle of sake for Sakura they headed out. The man and woman bowed and Sakura handed them an envelope. They looked like they were going to cry. Sakura gave a quick bow to the couple and walked out. They started to head out again but four gentlemen blocked their path, one with his hand on his hip.

"Gekkabijin-sama, its good to see you." He growled.

Sakura stepped forward. Kakashi was about to as well but she put her hand out.

"Gonzu, its nice to see you." Sakura's words dripped with venom.

"I'm surprised to find you alive. After what happened to the compound, we figured everyone was dead. I'm sure Musashi will be delighted to hear that you are alive."

Sakura walked forward. The men next to the man named Gonzu stepped back but he stood his ground. She was about a foot away from him before she stopped.

"I'm surprised you're still alive too. Considering it was your decision to let that Sand-nin out of the prison. Maybe I should just kill you now under the suspicious of working with him. Trying to take down the compound."

The color in Gonzu's face drained.

"You don't think Musashi already knows I'm alive? You are more of an idiot than I thought." Her hand rested on his shoulder and suddenly the air pressure dropped. The wind started to whip around Sakura. But the man in front of her started to turn a shade of blue. Kakashi watched as her hand started to grip his shoulder in a death grip, holding the quickly fading nin. Stepping forward, Kakashi cleared his throat.

"Gekkabijin-sama, should we not be on our way?"

The wind stopped and the air slowly went back to normal. Sakura's grip loosened and Gonzu fell to the floor. The other three nin came forward and lifted him up.

"Remember who you are speaking to next time Gonzu. I could tell Musashi exactly what happened. Or I could just kill you. Keep that in mind." She turned in her heel and walked back to Kakashi. "Don't get in my way again," she growled at him.

The four blocking the way half ran to the side of the road. The walk until Earth Country was done in silence. Kenshi stayed back with Yamato and Kakashi walked next to Sakura. She had pulled out her book and was walking with her head buried in it.

"Is that the special edition one Jiraiya wrote for you?"

She regarded him and sometimes he wondered if she could see him. Continuously she would turn her head to him as though she was looking at him.

"Yes, it is. He wrote and drew this one for me while we trained and worked on transferring his other works." She looked up at the sky. "I ran into him and he though what a pity someone wasn't able to read his wonderful works. So I showed him how I write and he thought what an ingenious way to get everything past the countries regulations. So I taught him how to work with it. We also put our heads together to not use ink and just chakra. In return he taught me a couple of jutsu's as well. He ended up writing a special book for me." A slight coloring came to her cheeks. "He is quite masterful with a pen."

"May I?" Kakashi was hesitant to ask but curious ever since she had mentioned that there was a one of a kind Icha Icha back in the bar.

Her fingers tapped the cover before she closed the page she was on and passed it over to him. He lifted his eye patch and activated his Sharingan. Starting at the first page he began to read and the color rose to his face. This might just be one of Jiraiya's best. The description was lovely and as he turned to the second page and the illustration on the pages were incredible. He was lost in the book as they were walking until he felt a soft hand touch the side of his face.

"Sakura, what…" He didn't finish as he felt chakra seep into the side of his head and wind its way to his eye. Kakashi closed his eyes as he felt the gentle massage of healing on his eye with the Sharingan. A noise escaped him, sounding like a moan but he bit his lip.

"You should take better care of your eye." Her chakra disappeared as well as her hand from his face.

He opened his eyes, to Yamato and Kenshi giving him rye smiles next to him. Sakura had already started walking again. He looked down and realized the book was gone from his hands. Sakura had her face buried in it again. Sighing, Kakashi shoved his hands in his pocket and continued behind Sakura, between Yamato and Kenshi who were taking turns waggling their eyebrows at him. He grabbed both of their heads and knocked them into each other.

But his gaze refocused on the back of Sakura. How did she know that Sharingan had been hurting him of late? As much as he felt like he had violated her personal being by reading her book, he realized there was much more than just what she put in the book. She was going to kill that man if Kakashi hadn't intervened. But she also began healing Kakashi without a second thought. Maybe Kakashi could get to the bottom of what was going on. But if she turned, he had no doubt she wouldn't hesitate to try kill him too. He sighed and scratched his head. What had Tsunade gotten him into with her request?