Pulling My Weight

by Invincible Shadow

During the mission to Wave, Sakura realises that she has to become a better ninja for her teammates' sake and be someone they can depend on. She vows to take her training seriously, and receives help from the most unlikely of sources; Genma Shiranui. The two form an unlikely bond and stick together through thick and thin, while Sakura improves and meets other people along the way.

7. Chapter 7

Sorry for the delay! Hope you enjoy this one! (it's another monster chapter)

---

"So, Kiri, huh?" Genma-san asked, leaning against her doorframe, watching as Sakura packed for the mission. "Not quite what you were expecting, was it?" he grinned and the rosette paused in her tracks long enough to send him a miffed look before she sighed.

"I didn't expect to be saddled with a diplomatic mission, no. I was expecting something simple like a courier mission or infiltration or something that I was prepared for in the Academy. I have no idea how to convince the Mizukage that this treaty is a good idea and I'm not sure Shikamaru does either, despite being from a clan." She admitted, shooting the tokujo an inquiring look. "Would it be too much to hope that you'd have some pearls of wisdom to pass on that might prove useful?" she asked hopefully though didn't look up from her task.

Genma shrugged, though the rosette didn't see it with her back to him. "I might have some." He murmured at which Sakura perked up, turning round to face him curiously. "It's not really classified information so they shouldn't have a problem with you knowing it – in the last decade, there were serious bloodline purges in Kiri under the previous Mizukage. The Village orchestrated a coup d'état and overthrew him, but the Godaime Mizukage is still struggling with converting or getting rid of all of those who were in favour of the purges. She seems a lot more lax and tolerant in her approach and I've heard rumours that she herself has a bloodline ability. That might be something you could use in your favour, spin something about how Konoha's doujutsu users are clearly integrated into our society, but if you want more concrete information then hold on a second." The brunet disappeared while Sakura pondered over the information she'd been presented with, slowly working out how she could twist it into a persuasive argument if the Mizukage actually agreed to hear them out. She snapped out of her reverie only when two books landed in her lap and she raised her eyes to meet Genma-san's smug gaze then focused on the titles.

"'The Shinobi Nations and Kenjutsu'?" she questioned incredulously, staring up at Genma-san in confusion. The tokujo shrugged.

"There's a nice little section in there about the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist which you might find useful seeing as it was Kiri's pride and joy a few years back. Oh, and along those lines, it would be a good first impression if you had a katana or something of the sort when you arrived there: Mist-nin seem to respect people who know their way around a blade." Genma-san explained and Sakura nodded, grateful for the pointers. Her eyes fell on the other book;

"'Kirigakure: Politics, Economy and Population'?" her eyes rose to meet the amused gaze of the tokujo. "Genma-san, why do you own this?" she asked incredulously, knowing that the brunet must've already had these books in his possession for him to be able to procure them so quickly.

Again, a shrug was her immediate answer. "You forget that my genin teammate was an even worse bookworm than you. Some of his habits rubbed off, so sue me. Besides, it's good to be prepared." He grinned when she nodded and stored the books in her pack to be read on the way. The rosette cast an assessing glance around her room then smiled, satisfied that she didn't seem to have missed anything major. "Done?" Genma-san asked, and when she nodded in confirmation, he gestured for her to shuffle up. "Then you won't mind me checking?" Sakura shook her head; she was actually glad that he offered to check as his experience would be great to reassure her that she really hadn't missed anything vital. The tokujo carefully shifted through everything she'd packed: clothes to last her at least two weeks, scrolls containing extra sets of kunai and shuriken, a map, enough food rations to last for the estimated week-long journey, some money, the books he'd offered her and a scroll on a new genjutsu she'd found in the chunin section of the library. Genma-san nodded, seemingly satisfied.

"Do you own a travelling cloak?" he asked once he zipped up her pack and when Sakura shook her head, no, because she hadn't needed one before, he held up a hand in the universal 'wait a moment' and promptly disappeared again. When he came back, he had a charcoal grey bundle in his arms, and when he unfolded it, it revealed a full-length cloak made of flowing, soft-looking material. "This should fit you – I was a twerp when I was on the Guard Platoon till I hit my growth spurt at seventeen. I hope you don't mind the fact that it's a little used?"

But Sakura just stared at him, disbelieving and more than a little touched. "I- Genma-san, are you sure?" she asked, not missing how significant the garb must be to the man if it was from his days guarding the Yondaime.

The brunet scoffed. "I wouldn't have offered if I wasn't, brat. Now try it on." He held it out to her and Sakura obediently stepped forward, a small smile playing at the corners of her lips. When the cloak fell around her, held together by a clip that rested at the hollow of her throat, Sakura burrowed her face into the softness and promptly turned away, sneezing. Genma-san laughed at her. "Ah, yeah, I probably should've mentioned it might be a tad dusty – it lived in my closet for the last decade or so, but I just couldn't bring myself to throw it away. You might want to shake it out a little at first." He told her between chuckles, and Sakura shot him a glare when she recovered from her coughing fit and stubbornly kept the cloak on. It was fine as long as she didn't burrow into it: the material enveloped her whole form in a cocoon of warmth and fell to just above her ankle so it wouldn't get in her way while she ran. If she didn't know better she'd say it was custom-made for her and she did a little twirl, unable to resist the action. She shot the tokujo a grateful smile once the material settled and glanced at the clock then promptly blanched. She was supposed to meet Shikamaru at the gates in fifteen minutes. Carefully pulling out the scroll that held all of her weapons out of her pocket, she selected the daito, safe in its sheath, and secured it to her belt, letting the sheathed blade rest comfortably along the outside of her left thigh, ending just above her knee so it wouldn't interfere with her jumps. Taking a deep breath, she shouldered her pack and faced Genma-san.

"Any last minute, potentially lifesaving tips?" she asked teasingly, but was surprised when the tokujo levelled her with an uncharacteristically serious look.

"There is an old… custom, if you will. If they try to give you a hitai-ate, accept it, but never replace your Konoha headband with it." He gestured to where the proof of her loyalty to her Village sat comfortably around her head. "Wear it round your neck if you have to, but always make sure everyone knows which Village you belong to." Struck by the seriousness of his gaze, Sakura nodded wordlessly, storing the information over to digest at a later date. At her easy acquiesce, Genma-san grinned yet again and patted her head. "Other than that, don't die."

And Sakura couldn't help herself, she snorted. "Wouldn't dream of it." She teased. "No way am I dying before you get the chance to teach me about the Hiraishin."

The brunet groaned. "Why did you have to remember that of all things?" he despaired, but smiled. "Now shoo." He waved her off. "Travel safe." And Sakura jumped forward, wrapped her arms around his middle, squeezed and was off and out the door before he even had the chance to draw a breath and voice his indignation.

When she met Shikamaru at the gates, he did a quick once-over of her outfit but remained silent. Sakura was pleased to note that he too exchanged his trademark short-sleeved jacket and mesh shirt for something a bit better suited for Kiri's climate. He kept the brown pants, but his torso was now adorned by a long-sleeved beige shirt and what looked to be a brown vest underneath his chunin vest, and he too had a large pack slung over his back.

"Ready?" he asked in lieu of greeting as they made their way towards the gates. "Yeah." Sakura replied, looking past the great red gates of her home to the unknown that lay beyond. "I'm ready."

She was surprised when the gate guards turned out to be none other than the Terrible Twins. "Sakura-chan!" Kotetsu called, grinning, and Sakura didn't miss how Shikamaru's eyes widened, surprised. "Congrats on your promotion! Do you have a mission now? Where you going? I'm surprised Genma let you out of his sight, he's damn protective- ouch!" the raven was cut off by his partner digging his elbow into his ribs.

"Let her breathe, idiot." Izumo admonished before he turned to the rosette with a smile. "But congratulations nonetheless, Sakura-chan, and here, this reminds me," he dug into one of his pockets and produced a thin, baby-blue scroll. "I did say I'd teach you my Water Release when you made chunin." was his answer to her questioning glance. "But since you're going on a presumably long-term mission," he eyed her and Shikamaru's packs, "then there's no harm in letting you get acquainted with it by yourself and just come to me if you have any questions when you're back in the Village."

Sakura positively beamed and hugged the brunet before shooting them both a grateful grin while she handed Izumo their mission scroll. "Thank you, Izumo-san, Kotetsu-san." She finally murmured when she was confident her voice wouldn't break. "I'll seek you out for a spar when I'm back." she promised and delighted in their twin nods.

"By the way, kid, you could really do with dropping the honorific. You're no longer our adorable little kouhai as we're now the same rank and besides, having –san attached to my name makes me feel old." Kotetsu grouched and Sakura shot him a faux-innocent expression before she spoke,

"But you are old." She teased, grinning unapologetically. "You've got a good decade on me, Kotetsu-san, that's ancient." The raven spluttered while Izumo laughed before his partner caught his breath enough to retaliate.

"I'll not hesitate to add another ten more laps to your daily circuit around Konoha if you don't take that back right now." He threatened, but the rosette waved him off.

"Genma-san threatened me with a hundred, Kotetsu-san, you really need to work on your intimidation tactics." She informed the chunin, but blanched when he shot her an evil grin.

"Ah, but Genma would never actually make you run them cause he's fond of you." He told her gravelly. "You don't have me wrapped around your little finger just yet and I will not hesitate to make you run even if I have to chase after you to ensure you do it." There was an evil glint in his eyes that hadn't been there before. "So, what was it you said about my age?"

"I s-said that twenty-three is clearly a shinobi's prime, springtime of youth and all that." She stammered, inching behind Shikamaru when the raven stared her down.

"Exactly!" he suddenly brightened before peaking over his partner's shoulder at their scroll. "You're being sent to Kiri? Ew." He pulled a face and winced when Izumo dug an elbow into his other side. "I mean, have fun, travel safe, yadda yadda. And get me a souvenir!"

Sakura laughed, accepting back the scroll from Izumo and stashing it along with the water jutsu one in her flak jacket beneath her cloak. "Thank you. I'll see you soon!" she called then turned to Shikamaru and nodded.

And they were off.

---

"I didn't realise you had such an extensive network in the upper ranks." Shikamaru murmured once they made camp for the day, the journey thus far having gone in almost complete silence.

"Network?" Sakura echoed before she connected the dots. "Ah, you mean Izumo and Kotetsu?" when Shikamaru nodded, she shrugged. "It's hardly a network – they trained me in the last two weeks of the month we had to prepare for the third stage and after that we somehow stayed in touch because they're friends with Genma-san. We sparred, like, twice since I got out of the hospital."

"Are they the reason you know bukijutsu?" he asked at last and Sakura stifled a snort.

"Got it in one." She replied, stretching lazily. "Genma-san arranged for them to train me once it became clear that he wouldn't be able to do so after he was named proctor." She explained, at which her temporary partner frowned.

"I meant to ask about that, actually." He admitted and Sakura was a bit thrown by the sudden interest from the usually private genius. "How is it you suddenly live with a tokujo instead of in the chunin apartments where orphans normally go?" he had the grace to murmur 'sorry' when Sakura winced at his blunt question and offered to set up their tent while the rosette got herself together. Finally, she sat on a rock and smiled grimly.

"I can tell you the whole story if you'd like." She finally told the Nara and waited till he made himself comfortable and nodded.

So she told him of the events that had led up to this point, her resolve after the mission to the Land of Waves, meeting Genma-san, working with him on genjutsu, the Chunin Exams, working with him during the month off and finally being told of her parents' passing and being offered to stay with the tokujo. When she finished, she found Shikamaru looking at her assessably before he stood up. "You say you were average and nothing special, but 'nothing special' wouldn't have caught and held the attention of a tokujo and two chunin regardless of any favours they may have owned. You're skilled, Sakura." And so saying, he shot her a final lazy wave before he disappeared in his tent, a quiet 'goodnight' drifting over to her as she took first watch.

Sakura blinked owlishly, thrown off, before she settled more comfortably against the rock and fell into a meditative trance, stretching out her chakra coils and bringing them back in, all the while trying to wrap her head around the words the Nara had left her with.

Huh, she mused when she finally realised what Shikamaru said had been a roundabout compliment, who'd have thought.

---

Sakura read the scrolls and books Genma-san had gifted her with in the breaks they took between travelling and in the evenings before the sun set. It took them three days to cross the border of the Land of Fire and find themselves in the aptly-named Land of Water and when Sakura looked at the map, she estimated another two days at least to cross the water and get to Hidden Mist Village proper, a prediction Shikamaru glumly agreed with.

There were two or three moments over those three days that had Sakura snorting in rather unladylike manners; the cause of them all?

Shikamaru.

The teen was grouchy and lazy and stupidly smart, but he was also quirky and had a wickedly sharp sense of humour that reminded her somewhat of Genma-san. The first time Sakura ended up snorting water out of her nose when she took a sip from her canteen was when they paused for a water break and the brunet crumpled onto a rock and pulled out a vaguely familiar board.

Then, the said snort happened and Sakura nearly hacked up a lung trying to catch her breath; when she was done, she managed to choke out, "You brought a shogi board to a diplomatic mission? The hell's wrong with you?" she demanded incredulously, half amused, half genuinely stupefied.

Shikamaru merely sighed and shrugged, setting up the board on the flat surface of the rock he was slouching on. "I get bored, the road's long and it's something familiar." At Sakura's questioning look at the admittedly vague explanation, he rubbed his neck somewhat sheepishly. "The furthest my team's been was to the Hidden Valleys Village. Asuma-sensei recommended I bring something familiar in case… y'know." He trailed off, somewhat awkwardly. Sakura quirked an eyebrow.

"In case you get homesick?" she offered and smiled slightly when he nodded, not quite meeting her eyes. It was times like these that Sakura was reminded that despite the other teen's overwhelming intellect, they were still the same age and they were still children. Perhaps not in the eyes of their fellow shinobi nor their kage, but Sakura's mother was always saying that the reason she scorned the ninja ways so was because they 'started too young and died not long after'. And looking at Shikamaru, who for once looked like a little lost boy out of his depth and not the genius Sakura had come to know, the rosette found that she finally somewhat understood her mother. So she smiled a little sadly and perched on the same rock as the Nara, on the other side of the board to him.

"Want to play a game?" she asked instead of voicing her thoughts, earning a surprised glance from the brunet. "What? It's not like we have any set time we have to arrive there and we could use a break." She explained when he raised an eyebrow.

Shikamaru's face made it clear he didn't buy her explanation in the slightest but there was a hint of relief in his eyes that told Sakura he wasn't going to argue.

So they played.

One game morphed into two and two became four and suddenly the night was upon them but the rosette couldn't find it in herself to care that they essentially wasted a good three hours of travel time, not when the tension Sakura didn't even realise was there before disappeared from his shoulders.

A wry grin pulling at his lips, Shikamaru finally put the board away. "Thank you." He murmured at last and Sakura knew it wasn't for the games themselves but rather what they allowed him to do. So she grinned and waved cheerfully then started setting up her tent. "I really don't think I was enough of a challenge for you to thank me for a couple of games," she teased, rejoicing when she heard a snort and the familiar grumble of troublesome woman before she continued, "but you're welcome nonetheless." And so saying, she climbed into her tent and settled in for a few hours of sleep, wordlessly nominating Shikamaru for first watch.

She'd spent the last three hours perched on a rock and hunched over a shogi board in near-silence. She felt perfectly justified to treating herself to a semblance of comfort as a reward.

(Inwardly though, Sakura could freely admit that seeing the unease at being so far from home gradually leave the Nara's hunched shoulders during their games had been reward enough. But it would be a few more weeks before she could admit that to Shikamaru's face and not want to hide afterwards, so she kept up the pretence of sleep in return for helping him out and fell asleep with a smile on her face.)

---

The Land of Water was… wet.

The fact wasn't quite so obvious after they crossed the border separating it from the Land of Fire, but the moment they got to the very edge of the peninsula and saw the sheer amount of water that separated them from their goal, that fact was hammered home.

Not to mention the humidity was killing Sakura's hair.

She and Shikamaru debated the pros and cons of simply walking over the water and hoping to reach one of the islands before their chakra ran out, but they decided that no Mist shinobi would take kindly to two Konoha-nin walking willy-nilly to what was essentially Kiri territory. Not to mention that they doubted their diplomatic mission had been made common knowledge, so there really was nothing that kept any potential shinobi from assuming they were there for less than honourable reasons. It was during the time they took to come to a decision whether they should stay put or attempt to cross the water regardless that Sakura became aware of a new presence close-by.

The pair of ninja who appeared from what seemed to be thin air when she finally noticed them was both a blessing and a curse.

A blessing, because they turned out to be their ticket into Kiri as, after the taller of the two demanded Shikamaru show him their mission scroll, the duo stepped aside and revealed a rather large sampan boat and gave curt instruction for the Konoha-nin to get the hell on board. A curse because, well. Both men seemed to be in their late thirties or early forties, a feat in itself when one considered their line of work, but that also meant that they had survived long enough that they were largely distrustful of anything not Kiri anywhere near them. A pair of baby-faced Konoha chunin of all things requesting safe passage to the very heart of their land was near enough blasphemy for the two.

Sakura had to bite her lip to resist fidgeting when their escorts' eyes bore into her and she made a point of looking around, hoping to find something to focus her attention on instead of the two clearly hostile Mist shinobi. Given that they were currently surrounded by mist and water as far as the eye could see, that wasn't working out all that well for her.

She nearly jumped when the shorter of their escorts finally snorted. "So it seems Konoha does teach its brats something of value." the bluenette commented idly, sharp green eyes trained on the two chunin.

"Yuki, shut up." His counterpart snapped, big, burly and intimidating the hell out of Sakura by simply being there as the man seemed to almost radiate power.

"It's boring as fuck and we've still got at least an hour on this damn boat and I'll be damned if I have to spend it in silence." The other man bit back then smirked. "Though it is funny watching the brats jump out of their skin every time one of us so much as breathes louder, it's not quite good enough to tide me along."

Just when it seemed the bigger man wouldn't hesitate to strike his partner, Sakura gathered her courage and piped up.

"E-excuse me, but what did you mean by your earlier comment?" she asked bravely, though she hated herself for stuttering.

The man addressed as 'Yuki' smirked, but it was more aggressive than a display of amusement had any right to be. "You waited." He told her cryptically, baring sharp teeth in his grin when the rosette frowned. "There had been others before you who tried to cross the water by themselves. Needless to say, it was the last thing they ever did in this life."

When Sakura blanched, Shikamaru was kind enough to take over from her. "We would've been attacked the moment we neared the shore, wouldn't we?"

'Yuki' seemed almost giddy at the question. "'Attacked'?" he echoed, laughing sharply. "Boy, you'd have been destroyed. If the sharks didn't eat you, then the people living on the islands would've made sure you wouldn't manage to come within a mile's radius from the shore. We do not take kindly to intruders, even if they are children from the 'nice' Village." He smiled at the end, and it was that expression more than even the threatening words that made Sakura shudder, an action she was sure wasn't missed. When the burlier man's eyes shifted over to her, still cold and hostile, the rosette's hand tightened unconsciously on the hilt of her daito and she shifted her weight so it rested more on her feet rather than the small bench. She regretted the action not too long after;

"Oh-ho-ho!" the green-eyed nin crowed, reaching into Sakura's personal space and tugging the edge of her cloak aside, revealing her white-knuckled grip on her weapon of choice. The rosette flushed, embarrassed at her unease being discovered, but didn't loosen her grip. "A Konoha-nin knows her way around a sword? Well, this I've got to hear!"

Curious, Sakura chanced a glance at the sullen nin, wondering if she understood his partner correctly. When all she got was a blank stare, the rosette capitulated and told the man dubbed 'Yuki' how she came to wield the daito and a handful of other weapons as well, making a point to leave out the names of those involved. They weren't that friendly with Mist yet, after all. When she was done, the man laughed.

"Well girlie, if the honoured Mizukage-sama doesn't give you the boot, I'd like to see how that versatility of yours fairs against a mastery." He announced, pointing to his own swords which criss-crossed across his back. Sakura was about to retort, but the glare the man's partner sent her way before directing it at the younger nin silenced her.

"You are a hardened shinobi not some brat fresh out of the Academy who gets excited with a shiny new toy." He hissed, glaring in a way that sent shivers down the rosette's spine. "Behave like it."

"Ne, Tsurugi-taicho, you need to ease up. The kids are here to play diplomacy so some playing nice from us is required if you want them to stay long enough to see Mizukage-sama and not high-tail it out of here the second they get the chance." The raven commented, brushing off his partner with the ease born from long exposure, seemingly easing up a little.

Sakura turned to Shikamaru, her eyebrow nearly disappearing in her hairline. Taicho? she mouthed, thrown off. The Nara shrugged, but the rosette could see the cogs turning in the brunet's mind.

"So, what d'you say, pinky?"

Sakura smiled faux-innocently, absently noting that Shikamaru froze when he noticed her expression but she decided to puzzle over that reaction at a later date. Instead, she turned to the Mist-nin. "I'd be honoured to have a spar, Yuki-san, as long as you drop the diminutive." She replied sweetly, the corner of her mouth twitching up when he threw his head back and laughed. The hint of a smile disappeared a moment later when the movement revealed a thin but jagged line running all the way from the left side of the nin's neck to the right. Almost… almost like his throat had been slit.

The rosette forced her gaze away from the unusual scar and focused instead on the path ahead of them. She gasped when the mist cleared enough to reveal jagged mountains and between them a smattering of tall, cylindrical buildings which Sakura estimated were the centre of Kirigakure.

"Impressed?" Yuki asked rhetorically, but Sakura answered anyway.

"It's just… there's no green." Shikamaru snorted from beside her and even their escort grinned wryly.

"You won't be seeing much of that here." He snickered, gracefully rising and jumping out of the boat when it neared the shore. Sakura and Shikamaru followed at a more sedate pace, Tsurugi bringing up the rear. The two Konoha-nin marvelled at their surroundings, the grey and stone of Kiri proving a great contrast to the green and woodland of their home. The four walked to the gates in silence and Sakura's eyes fell on two figures who awaited them before the entrance to the Village.

"Ao-san!" Yuki crowed cheerfully, waving. One of the men at the gates sent the raven the same long-suffering look Tsurugi had and didn't deign it with a response other than a nod, but it was the other Mist-nin who caught and held Sakura's attention.

He couldn't even be called a man.

The boy was probably not much older than her and Shikamaru and he cowered behind his partner, avoiding the gazes of both Konoha-nin and his comrades and looking so skittish the rosette had no doubt he'd rather be anywhere else but there. He had pale blue hair and rectangular-rimmed glasses yet despite his seemingly timid demeanour, there was a massive bandage-covered sword strapped over his back. The other man was taller, clearly older and had greyish-blue hair spiked in a way that distinctly reminded Sakura of a shark's fin, but it was his eyes which drew the rosette's gaze – or rather, eye. There was a dark eyepatch covering his right eye and Sakura had to wonder whether he'd lost it or it was a stylistic preference.

"I am Ao, and this is Chōjūrō." Ao greeted the two Leaf-nin, gesturing to himself and the teen beside him. "We will be your escorts around Kirigakure."

Sakura bowed, a polite smile on her face. "Pleased to meet you, Ao-san, Chōjūrō-san." Beside her, Shikamaru echoed her words and bowed as well. Taking point for the time being, the rosette took care of the introductions. "I am Haruno Sakura and my partner is Nara Shikamaru. We'll be in your care."

Ao nodded at them before turning his attention to their previous escorts. "Your part here is done. We're taking her to Mizukage-sama." He announced, inclining his head to the taller raven and scowling slightly at the younger man who merely grinned at him before both he and his partner seemed to melt into the mist and when Sakura blinked, they were gone.

"Come." Ao commanded imperiously before he turned on his heel and stepped through the gates to Kirigakure proper, Chōjūrō following closely behind.

Shikamaru ambled up beside Sakura, bending over to murmur in her ear. "What are you willing to bet that the two we travelled with were Kiri's ANBU?"

The rosette frowned, sending the brunet a measuring look. "I wouldn't say ANBU, but definitely not normal jounin. But… there's something else." She responded, taking care that only Shikamaru heard her. "I don't know what just yet but… something about him seems familiar." She explained, inclining her head towards Ao's kimino-clad back.

Her first impression of the man was far from favourable, but she didn't dwell on it. Genma-san had warned her that not many would be too happy at the prospect of playing nice with Konoha, especially if the treaty they were meant to be signing was being delivered by children. It was Ao's partner who caught Sakura's attention, and she had to wonder what someone so clearly timid was doing in Kiri of all places. Then her gaze fell on the sword on his back and she froze. Shikamaru sent her a questioning look but the rosette ignored it in favour of leafing through 'The Shinobi Nations and Kenjutsu' that Genma-san had gifted her with before she found the page dedicated to the Seven Swordsmen of Mist and she sighed.

Hiramekarei. There was no doubt about it when she looked back at the bandaged shape across their escort's back and Sakura stifled a snort. Of course Mist wouldn't let a shy boy guard a foreigner. But still, for him to be one of the Swordsmen even though he's so young…

Shikamaru nudged her, wordlessly demanding to know what she'd found but Sakura shook her head. She could use this.

It was then that she realised they'd approached the widest and largest building of them all and it didn't take a genius to divine it was the Mizukage's office. After being led upstairs through a confusing number of stairways and corridors, Sakura and Shikamaru were instructed to wait while their two guards stepped through the steel-reinforced double door that shut behind them.

Shikamaru blew out a sigh. "Well, this was eventful." The dry tone surprised a snort out of the rosette and she sent the Nara a measuring look.

"We knew this wasn't going to be a walk in the park." She told him evenly, though even she could admit to being a bit unsettled by all the stares they got walking through Kiri. "An idea of an inter-village alliance is nigh revolutionary. There will be a lot of opposition, both to the idea and to us."

"Easy for you to say when you can essentially blend in with the buildings." The Nara grouched. "Did you know Kiri was going to be all rocky and grey? 'Cause if you did then you could've seriously passed some of that info on, y'know."

Sakura was about to point out that no, she hadn't known, but then she thought of Genma-san and his 'it pays to be prepared'. She wouldn't put it past the man to have known that and the reasoning behind him gifting the rosette with the cloak was suddenly much clearer. But before she could explain that to Shikamaru, the double door opened and Ao stepped out. "Mizukage-sama will see you now."

The rosette had heard the whispers, the gossips, the words 'young' and 'feminine' and 'beautiful' that were attached to the Godaime Mizukage, but seeing her in person was still a shock.

The woman was a beauty.

It seemed improbable that she'd been the one to overthrow the Yondaime Mizukage from the shadows and take over his seat. Seeing her behind the desk, her hair styled almost meticulously and Tsunade-worthy cleavage on display behind a flimsy mesh shirt, Sakura despaired at her own non-existent figure even more. Then she shoved that thought into a box in the corner of her mind and smiled politely.

"Honoured to meet you, Mizukage-sama, thank you for having us." Sakura proclaimed as she dipped into a bow, considerably lower than to Ao but making sure it was still shallower than to her own kage.

The Mizukage waved a dainty hand, urging her and Shikamaru to straighten. "No problem, Haruno-chan, was it? And Nara-kun?"

Surprised, Sakura nodded, at which the brunette smiled. "Tsunade-sama sent me a letter informing me of the estimated time of your arrival." So that I could arrange ANBU-level escorts went unsaid, but one glance at Shikamaru told Sakura that he'd read between the lines too. "Though when your Hokage told me to expect baby-faced chunin, I didn't quite expect you to actually be so… baby-faced. When did you graduate?"

Sakura absently noted Shikamaru's slight scowl and could freely admit that the same irritation was building within her, but she kept on the polite smile regardless. "We graduated the Academy six months ago, Mizukage-sama."

"And you're already chunin?" the brunette asked, surprised. "Why, your Tsunade-sama must've forgotten to mention that Konoha was desperate enough after the Invasion to send greenies on A-Rank missions." The rank of the mission wasn't surprising – Tsunade had told them that due to the delicate nature of the mission more so than the danger its rank would be upped, but the slight against their Village's decision making was not appreciated. To Sakura's surprise, it was Shikamaru who made their displeasure known.

"Our age does not affect our ability, Mizukage-sama. And we would appreciate if you kept your opinions on Konoha's decision making to yourself, as this is meant to be an attempt at hashing out a treaty between our Villages, after all." Sakura closed her eyes for a second, sure that Shikamaru had crossed the line between polite and aggressive. Ao's hand drifting towards his kunai pouch reassured her of that. But then, the Mizukage laughed, the sound bell-like but pleased.

"It clearly doesn't, indeed." She agreed, smiling. "I apologise if I offended, Tsunade-sama requested that I haze you a bit before agreeing to anything. Needless to say, you passed with flying colours."

Shikamaru had a lazy smirk on his face and Sakura belatedly realised that he knew and wasn't so aggressive because he was insulted but because he wanted to show the Mizukage that he saw through her slights. The rosette was yet again overcome with the realisation that the boy beside her was a genius, and as much as that stung her pride, it was also reassuring.

"I didn't think you would be openly hostile, Mizukage-sama. I believe that was our escorts' job." Shikamaru pointed out and the brunette laughed again.

"Oh, I like you." She grinned, steepling her fingers under her chin. "But stop with this 'Mizukage-sama', it makes me feel old. Just Mei-sama will suffice. That goes to you too, Haruno-chan."

Sakura nodded obligingly, slightly stunned at the turn of tone and conversation. Mei must've noticed because she smiled. "I don't doubt that you're exhausted after your travels. I'll have Ao and Chō-chan show you to your lodgings and we can approach this treaty business tomorrow when you're well-rested."

The rosette ignored the bizarre honorific attached to the guard's name as her mind scrambled to piece together a polite refusal. "Actually, Mizu- Mei-sama, if you don't mind, we'd prefer to get started on the terms of the treaty now."

Shikamaru seemed to read her mind and stepped in, adding, "We'd like to know if there's a point to unpacking." He added with a small smirk, getting a similar one sent his way from the Mizukage in response.

"Very well," she obliged, smiling as she waved to the two chairs before her desk. "take a seat and we can get started."

---

Sakura was struggling.

This was not what she had in mind when she thought of having to convince a kage of an alliance. The fact that Shikamaru had been casual and relaxed was to be expected, he was a Nara after all, but the fact that Mei allowed it and reciprocated baffled the rosette.

She was almost hoping to go back to the stilted silence of Ao's company – at least then she knew how to behave.

"So," the Mizukage began, and suddenly the comfortable air seemed to vanish and she was all business. "what is this treaty Tsunade-sama is so desperate I agree to? What could you possibly offer my Village?"

Finally. Sakura thought, relieved. This I can do.

She offered the brunette the scroll Tsunade had entrusted them with, the one that detailed the outlines of the terms of the treaty that Sakura had become familiar with over their days travelling and waited while the Mizukage familiarised herself with the text.

"Agree to mutual aid in times of need? Increase in trade and permission passes for merchants? No treaties with our respective Villages' enemies? Kiri does not involve itself in mainland conflicts, we do not have any enemies. This is all looking to be only beneficial to Konohagakure, I'd like to know what Mist would get out of this before I agree to anything." Mei finally stated, pushing the scroll away from her and levelling the chunin before her with a sharp stare.

Shikamaru stayed silent so Sakura took the reins.

"It is mutually beneficial, Mei-sama." She stressed, ignoring the shivers that ran down her spine from Mei's sharp gaze on her. "You may say Mist does not have any enemies due to keeping out of mainland countries' business, but it lacks allies for that same reason. True, you have managed to avoid most wars thanks to your position on the side-lines, but that also meant you had no-one to turn to when events in your Village took a turn for the worse. Had you had any allies on the mainland, you could've asked for their aid and ended your predecessor's reign of terror that much sooner. You might say you're safe from outside attacks due to the geographical isolation of your country, but what happens when the attack comes from within? Civil wars are just as disastrous as normal wars, as I'm sure you're aware, and though you might have been criticised initially for getting foreign powers involved in Kirigakure's business, I would've thought the sheer number of the lives you could've saved would've outweighed the critique of the die-hard autonomists."

Sakura suddenly became aware that she had more than one pair of eyes trained on her with varying degrees of surprise mixed with suspicion, but she was far from done.

"Moreover, Konoha is far superior to Kiri in terms of population, as despite the wars we have been involved in, we treat our civilians well. More civilian merchants and more customers would be beneficial for Kiri's economy as it is one of the worst amongst the Five Shinobi Nations. Only Sunagakure has worse stats than your Village, and in light of recent events, I'd dare say that's hardly a point of pride. So trade with Konoha, and the Land of Fire by extension would help rebuild your economy and might stop some of your shinobi from leaving. I've heard that Kirigakure has had so many of its shinobi go rogue that it has an entire ANBU division dedicated to hunting them down. Hunter-nin, if I recall correctly. Now, I'm not saying that they hadn't had good reason to leave, because if my kage decided to purge all the doujutsu users and clans with kekkei genkai I think I might've been tempted to leave too, but word is that you're trying to distance yourself away from that ideology. Admirable and commendable, but it might be a bit hard to believe you're successful if your shinobi keep on leaving the Village, not for the lawless crimes and acts of terror but for the fact that your economy is in such a bad place that you simply can't afford to pay them for missions. So a trade partner in Konoha is essentially a way to ensure your shinobi will have something to come back to." Sakura paused for breath, having an almost staring contest with the Mizukage and wilfully ignoring Shikamaru's slightly widened eyes and Chōjūrō's gaping mouth. Seeing the Mist-nin, another idea popped into Sakura's mind. "Since, y'know, it's hard to keep your ninja loyal when the Village's pride and joy are either missing-nin or dead. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe Chōjūrō-san is the last of the Swordsmen who's still loyal to his Village." The fact that the temperature in the room dropped by a good ten degrees assured Sakura that she was not wrong. She managed to turn her victorious smirk into a casual shrug.

"And, if nothing else, an alliance with the 'nice' Village – as that's what most people seem to think Konoha is since we don't make our Academy students kill each other to graduate – would be another step away from the marks your predecessor left on this Village. A complete 180, if you will." Finally, Sakura stopped, and she became aware that Ao was staring at her with narrowed eyes while Chōjūrō seemed to be in a permanent state of shock, his mouth opening and closing yet no sound came out. Mei was the calmest of them all, her eyes narrowed contemplatively but there was a small smile on her face.

"I'll be honest, I'd like to know where you get your information from, because I know jounin who don't know half of what you've just told me." The Mizukage announced casually, but Sakura saw beneath the easy admission and into the unease, so she rifled through her pack and produced the two books Genma-san had gifted her with.

"Two easily-accessible books, a bit of common sense and some imagination, Mei-sama, that's all." The rosette explained, sending Shikamaru a reassuring smile.

"Aa, I see." The Mizukage allowed, her eyes flickering between the titles. "Chō-chan," she called suddenly, startling the two Konoha chunin. "I want you to take notes." She pointed a manicured finger at Sakura. "This is how assertive I want you to become. Convince me that my Village is struggling even more than I already know it is, show me that you know things you really shouldn't know, prove to me that I am an idiot for not seeing the obvious signs and wrap it up and stick a bow on it so that it seems like you're merely advising me and not insulting my Village to my face. Then, and only then will I let you try out for the jounin exams."

Sakura paled. Was the Mizukage angry at her? Should she-?

Just as she was about to rattle of a thousand apologies, Mei turned in her seat and shot the rosette a brilliant grin, not in the slightest angry. "I'll sign the treaty. Everything you've said is true. It will take a while to convince the more die-hard elders, but I'm certain that it'll work out. Are the terms you've presented me final or is there some wiggle-room?"

The rosette opened her mouth, but the words refused to come. This was easy. Too easy.

Noting her speechlessness, Shikamaru took over. "We could send a letter to Hokage-sama, telling her of your acceptance of the initial terms and getting her input for any last minute changes. The time between the letters should also provide a large enough time-frame to convince your elders that a treaty with Leaf is a good idea." He offered easily, earning a smile from the brunette and Sakura herself.

"You two may be new to this role, but you're frighteningly efficient. You're the smooth-talker," she gestured at the Nara, "and your partner is the one with the sharp tongue and the ability to piece together loose facts into convincing scenarios. I've got to admit, I'm impressed." Mei grinned at the two stupefied chunin before she made a shooing motion with her hand. "Now go, rest up, go sightseeing, visit a hot spring, what have you. Just relax, because it'll take me at least a week to convince the Elders and send a letter to your kage, and at least another week for any potential reply to reach us. Ao and Chōjūrō will be your guides and escorts for the duration of your stay, so you better get used to them." She winked at the rosette when she noticed Sakura's gaze lingering on the swordsman which made her blush at being caught and avert her eyes. "Off you go."

Sakura and Shikamaru allowed their guides to usher them out of the Mizukage's office and lead them to where they would be staying for the duration of their time in Mist. At some point, Chōjūrō drew level with Sakura who was lagging behind slightly and admiring the buildings around her, and spoke for the first time since she saw him.

"A-ano, e-excuse me, Haruno-san?" he murmured and it took the rosette a few seconds to realise that he was addressing her.

"Hm? Yes, Chōjūrō-san?" she inquired, quirking a brow curiously.

"I-I was wondering… how d-did you know I-I was one of the S-Swordsmen?" he asked, looking anywhere but at her before he quickly added "Y-you don't have to a-answer-!"

"It's no problem, Chōjūrō-san." She reassured the bluenette, smiling gently. "My…" she paused, searching for a word with which to describe Genma-san. "guardian gave me a book about kenjutsu and its variations around the Shinobi Nations. It had a fairly descriptive section on the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, including diagrams of what each respective sword looks like. Seeing how yours is… well, forgive me for pointing it out but hardly inconspicuous, it was quite easy to piece that together. Hiramekarei, right?"

Chōjūrō nodded slowly, as if processing what she told him before asking again, "And… it didn't strike you as w-weird that I-I'm, well, m-me?" and he gestured towards himself in a very self-depreciating manner, a small scowl twisting his lips. Sakura wondered who managed to destroy the teen's self-confidence so much, but hastened to explain.

"My jounin sensei once told my team that there are people in this world who are younger than us but stronger than him." she recalled, smiling at the bluenette when he shot her a surprised look. "So no, it wasn't that shocking. Not to mention that it's not as if you don't have a swordsman's build." She gestured at his height which stood at a good foot taller than her and the breadth of his shoulders.

Chōjūrō seemed to mull that over, his scowl gradually fading out as he offered her a slight smile. "Thank you. I-I didn't mean t-to pry, but most people even h-here are h-hesitant to believe I'm one of t-the Seven. It was… surprising, w-what you said to Mei-sama."

"Sometimes," Sakura murmured back, her eyes trained on Shikamaru and Ao who walked ahead of them, her thoughts casting back to the Chunin Exams. "people underestimating you is the greatest weapon you can use against them." She told the chunin with a secretive grin.

The bluenette seemed thoughtful before he once again nodded, seemingly satisfied. "Thank you, Haruno-san."

"Just Sakura, please." The rosette corrected hastily. "We're the same rank and I'm younger, Haruno-san just sounds weird."

To her surprise, Chōjūrō blushed. "S-Sakura-san, then." He corrected himself awkwardly, the blush spreading to the back of his neck, clearly uncomfortable with the familiarity.

But Sakura grinned, unrepentant and pleased. "Much better!" then, a thought struck her. "Ah, Chōjūrō-san, would you mind… going to the Village with me tomorrow?" she asked him hesitantly. "It's just- Mist is the only other Hidden Village I'd been to outside of Konoha, so I'd like to do a bit of sightseeing. Maybe you could show me your favourite eateries?"

The blush on the bluenette's neck adamantly refused to fade. "I-If that's what y-you want, Har- Sakura-san."

The rosette smiled brilliantly. "I'd very much like that, Chōjūrō-san."

---

The first night in five days that Sakura got to spend in an actual bed was blissful.

Her and Shikamaru got an apartment to share between them, not enormous but functional and all that they really needed between the two of them – two bathrooms, a lounge area, two bedrooms and a kitchen. The fridge had even been filled for them which Sakura was incredibly grateful for. Trying to find a grocery store at seven in the morning in an unfamiliar Village was not her idea of fun.

After she made them breakfast, Sakura and Shikamaru played a game of shogi while they waited for their escorts for the day to arrive. The Nara had been less than ecstatic about the prospect of shopping he was even less inclined to spending the day by himself indoors or wondering off somewhere with Ao. The man seemed to grate on both of their nerves and even looking at him seemed to annoy Shikamaru though why the Nara was so put off, Sakura didn't know.

The rosette lost the first game, predictably, but the next match – which she actually seemed to be winning somehow – was interrupted by the arrival of their escorts. Grinning, the rosette jumped up, grabbing her wallet and Shikamaru's arm in one go and yanking him to the door.

"Chōjūrō-san!" she called when she opened the door, revealing the bluenette standing there, all but twiddling his thumbs. Glancing over his shoulder, she nodded at their jounin attachment. "And Ao-san. Good to see you again, thank you for escorting us today."

Ao nodded, but his raised eyebrow gave Sakura the impression that he was saying as if we had a choice. The rosette shrugged, not too fussed with the jounin's long-suffering approach to essentially babysitting what he saw as a pair of foreign children. Her and Shikamaru had discussed their first impressions of Mist quite extensively the previous evening and the Nara had disclosed what he'd seen from the jounin during their talk with the Mizukage.

"He looked at Mei-sama as if she were an idiot for even letting us in." he told her. "I thought he was going to snap at her when she agreed to the treaty. He certainly looked ready to fight us."

When they were finally led to the main street of Kirigakure, Sakura was gawking everywhere. It was almost… silent in comparison with Konoha. The people seemed quiet, withdrawn, only a handful casting suspicious glances at the Konoha-nin but largely keeping their peace. There was none of the hustle and bustle Sakura associated with her home, no friendly smiles or eager vendors trying to sell their produce. Everyone was just minding their own business, the stalls all blending into each other, the gloom of the place only exaggerated further by the ever-present rain.

"Um, Chōjūrō-san… what happened here?" Sakura asked at last, pitching her voice softer so none of the civilians would overhear. "I mean… I know roughly how life was like before Mei-sama took the Mizukage's seat, but I thought that was years ago."

"You know nothing of what it was like." Ao shot back, without breaking stride or even looking at her. "But these people do. They were oppressed for years until the Godaime came along, and now they are weary, tired and distrustful of any drastic change."

"Our sole presence here signifies change, we know, Ao-san. But Sakura's question, I believe, was why they're still like that. Or is the economic situation in your Village even worse than her prognosis suggested yesterday?" Shikamaru cut in, his voice surprisingly sharp.

Ao all but bristled, causing Chōjūrō to shrink in on himself at the jounin's blatant hostility. Frowning, Sakura pulled on the bluenette's arm, dragging him a safe distance away from her partner and the older man.

"Ne, Chōjūrō-san," she mused, thinking of where she wanted to go first. "do you know where a good weapons shop is?"

The bluenette perked up and offered her a hesitant smile. "I-I do. I-it's where I go to get a-all my weaponry. I think… I think y-you'll find it a-adequate."

The rosette shot him a grin, pulling on his arm, resolving to make that shyness disappear by the time they had to leave. "Then lead the way, Chōjūrō-san!"

---

Sakura pried the door open, made a bee-line for the sofa and collapsed.

Shikamaru groaned, making a similar beeline for the kotatsu and crawling under, a long groan escaping him. "Never… again." He swore making Sakura chuckle tiredly.

"Who would've thought Mist was so damn big?" she mused, exhausted.

The clock on the wall read 21:14 and the two Konoha-nin only just got back to their temporary quarters after a whole day out in the Village.

"I am never going shopping with a girl ever. Again." Shikamaru grumbled, turning over onto his stomach to prop his chin on his arm. "How did you even buy so much?"

Sakura snorted, pushing herself into a sitting position. Her eyes fell on the multitude of bags she hauled in and she grinned wryly; she had bought quite a lot but really, most if not all of her purchases could be easily justified.

How?

Because mainly, she got souvenirs.

The second she lay eyes on them, Sakura fell in love with a pair of twin kodachi and immediately got them for Izumo and Kotetsu, her favourite, knuckleheaded (at least Kotetsu was) weapon freaks. When she took them to the cashier, it was with the expectation of a steep price – not only were they beautiful and good quality, but the blade was strengthened and chakra-conductive. Imagine her surprise when the shopkeeper asked for a third of the price she had been predicting; she was a bit stupefied as she handed over the money and looked to Chōjūrō for an explanation. The blunette looked a bit embarrassed as he explained that it was because of the poor economic situation Mist had been in before Mei-sama took over. He said that the state of the economy had one of two effects on the small businesses – it either made the prices increase to ridiculous levels, though that was mostly for food produce, or it made them drop, but that was mainly seen in the one-man businesses which were ran by masters of their trade, such as the small weapons shop she had found her kodachi in. Feeling a bit guilty for not insisting on a higher price for the – clearly worth it – kodachi, Sakura resolved to return to that shop the next time she had some time to herself.

Next, Chōjūrō led her to a clothing store. He pointed out some of the – frankly horrendous – leg warmers some ninja insisted on wearing and they shared a grin at the thought of the painful fashion faux pas. But Sakura's opinion of the place skyrocketed when she spotted a familiar bundle of grey and she flashed to the rack and pulled out a cloak painfully reminiscent of the one she arrived in, with the same soft material and shade of grey as her own. When she unfurled it, it became clear that it was much longer than hers and she all but begged Ao to humor her and try it on as she reasoned he was a very similar height to Genma-san. When it fell just above the jounin's ankle, Sakura was sold. Thanking the man profusely and getting a weird look from Shikamaru, the rosette rushed to the till to buy the cloak. She had no doubt that Genma-san would appreciate it, seeing what he one he gifted Sakura with had reminded him of. Pleased, she set off again, a grin on her face and the bundle of cloth lay carefully folded in a bag that she clutched to her chest with her right arm while the bag housing the kodachi dangled from her right wrist.

After Sakura managed to persuade Shikamaru that if he got his mother a gift, she'd stop 'nagging him' as the brunet called it, the group made a beeline to the closest jewelry store. The rosette laughed as her partner groaned and complained about the variety of pins and clips and necklaces and bracelets there was to choose from, but her laughter was cut short when her eyes fell on a particular pin. It was a small, silver hairclip embedded with jade stones and small, green sequins that twinkled merrily when the light fell on them. It looked just like what Sakura's mother used to wear in her hair before she went on stage, but the one the rosette remembered from her childhood had been lost in the fire. This one, Sakura thought as her trembling fingers moved to pluck it from its stand, this one was almost a carbon copy of the pin from her memories, and she ached with the need to bring it home and show it to her mother with a smile, and maybe get a rare smile back from the woman. But that was no longer possible.

Wasn't it?

After a short time spent pushing back the tears that sprang to her eyes at the thought, Sakura got the elaborate hairclip and resolved to place it on her mother's grave. Mebuki would not be able to appreciate it as she once might have done, but the action would make Sakura feel like she was keeping her parents in the loop of her life despite the fact that they were no longer with her.

Brushing away the last of the traitorous tears that had escaped her and ignoring Shikamaru's concerned glance in her direction, Sakura walked out of the shop, Chōjūrō trailing behind her like a faithful shadow while Ao and Shikamaru brought up the rear.

"Ne, Chōjūrō-san?" the rosette began carefully, hating her voice for how it wobbled slightly, but she barreled on when she was sure she had the bluenette's attention. "Are there any bookshops nearby?"

At that, Chōjūrō offered her the closest to a smile she had seen from him. Turning on his heel, he gestured for her to follow and she did, sharing a curious glance with Shikamaru as they trailed after the two Mist-nin. The Nara had a look of chronic long-suffering, but he had listened to her advice as he too was clutching a small bag with two accessories – a hairpin much like the one Sakura had bought for his mother and a small, thin silver bracelet with a single charm of the kanji for 'sight' dangling from for Ino. Sakura resolved to tease him for it later on, but for now, she had some books to hunt.

When Chōjūrō led them to the bookshop, the rosette immediately knew she was going to spend a long time in it. She send an apologetic glance at Shikamaru who merely sighed and waved her off, strolling away towards something that caught his interest. Glancing around, Sakura gravitated towards the bookshelf helpfully labelled 'swordsmanship' – there was really no greater place to deepen her knowledge of the art than the place renowned for their sword techniques. In the end, Sakura walked out of the shop with an armful of books and scrolls – she'd found a book on the basics of supplementary Water Release, two books on kenjutsu with very helpful diagrams to illustrate some of the more complex movements, a scroll on metal maintenance, a book that was more of a journal than a technical text on the basics of fuinjutsu – the only reason Sakura even picked it up was because of the red swirl on the book's spine that she recognised from the uniforms of the ninja of her Village, so she had bought it to inspect at a later date. And if she was being fully honest with herself, the realisation that the hiraishin (or what she knew of it anyway) was seal-based had also greatly influenced her decision to buy the book. And lastly, because she was truly feeling a bit domestic, she got a cookbook with typical Kirigakure recipes, fully intent on making Genma-san her guinea pig.

The rest of the day was spent simply walking around Kirigakure's streets and popping into various eateries and essentially sightseeing, something which Sakura had never been able to do before, but when the evening rolled around and a deep chill settled into their bones once the sun disappeared behind the mountains, the rosette decided to call it a day.

Which led to the situation at hand – her and Shikamaru spread out in their apartment, one draped over the sofa and the other curled up under the kotatsu like a cat might.

"Oh, quit your grumbling, at least your mother and Ino-pig will be off your back for a few days after we get back." She teased despite her fatigue.

Shikamaru cracked one eye open to give her the stink-eye. "What you said better work, or I'd have literally tired myself out for nothing." He warned and Sakura couldn't help but laugh.

Rolling off the sofa with no small degree of effort, Sakura rose and gathered her shopping only to dump it in the room she'd claimed as hers before she trotted over to the kitchen. "I don't feel like cooking tonight but if you want anything, there's sponge cake, umeboshi and anmitsu which I might be kind enough to bring you!" she called over to the Nara, getting a put-upon groan in response. "I'm going to take that as 'yes, thank you, Sakura, please bring me some sponge cake', just so you know!" she teased and pulled out a small plate and filled it with the sponge cake she'd found in one of the cupboards at the same time as she filled a bowl with her favourite plums. She trekked back to the lounge area, leaving Shikamaru's plate by his head as his face was currently buried in one of the cushions, while Sakura herself nibbled on her umeboshi in between setting up the Nara's travel shogi set.

"C'mon, lazy ass, I don't feel like sleeping just yet so how about you destroy me at shogi again?"

To her upmost surprise, that actually got Shikamaru to react.

He raised his head to shoot her a glare, mumbling under his breath about troublesome women and whatever did he do to deserve this fate. But even Shikamaru couldn't deny that the corner of his lips had twitched upwards into an amused smirk when he finally took his place opposite her, with the board between them. In response, Sakura felt an answering grin form on her own face.

For the first time since they left Konoha, she felt content, and it was with that contentment in mind that Sakura later sat at the desk and wrote a letter to Genma-san.

---

A week had gone by fairly uneventfully. Some days were spent lazing about their quarters, others were spent sightseeing and getting to know Kiri and its people, with Chōjūrō and Ao as their faithful albeit varyingly enthusiastic guides. The day before, Sakura had dragged her partner and their guides onto a crazy trek around Kiri and all but killed Shikamaru, so she decided it was justified when the next morning the Nara adamantly refused to even get out of bed. That left Sakura to get ready and go sightseeing by herself. She was kind enough to leave some breakfast on the counter for when the Nara eventually decided to crawl out of his bedroom while she waited for her escorts to arrive. Fifteen minutes later, there was a tentative knock on her door and Sakura rushed to open it. To her surprise, she could only see Chōjūrō waiting for her, his usual grumpy companion nowhere to be seen. Her expression must've betrayed her thoughts because the bluenette fidgeted nervously before explaining.

"Ao-san's presence has been requested at the Council meeting. I-I hope you don't m-mind that I'll be your sole escort for today?" he stammered, not meeting Sakura's eyes.

When she finally managed to process the information, Sakura grinned. "That's great!" she enthused, startling Chōjūrō. "I mean, between you and me, I much prefer your company to that of Ao-san." She divulged, delighting in the blush that her words caused.

"I-I-I-! T-Thank you…?" the bluenette finally stammered out, as, despite her best efforts, Sakura had not been able to get him to overcome it yet.

Suddenly, an idea popped into her mind and she mulled it over, glancing at the teen then back at the door to her room as she thought it through.

"Ne, Chōjūrō-san?" she asked, deciding to hell with it. When she had his attention again, she smiled. "Would you mind terribly sparring with me?" she inquired, trying to keep herself from sounding too hopeful at the prospect. Chōjūrō seemed… shocked, for the lack of a better word.

"A-Are you sure t-that's how y-you want to spend the day?" he queried, sounding unsure.

Sakura shot him her best, most persuasive smile. "Most certainly, as long as you're not averse to it." She assured him. A new glint entered Chōjūrō's eyes and Sakura knew she had him hooked.

When he shot her a grin, cautious but still the most open she'd seen from him thus far, Sakura knew she'd won.

---

Correction: Sakura had won the verbal battle. In the actual spar itself… well. She was far from victorious.

The rosette had known, prior to requesting that they spar, that she'd probably be absolutely destroyed if she actually faced Chōjūrō on a battlefield. Nonetheless, suspecting something and having it painfully shoved in your face were two completely different things.

Once they made their way onto one of the less frequented training grounds that Chōjūrō had recommended, Sakura proposed a no-chakra, no-ninjutsu spar. Purely kenjutsu. The bluenette seemed surprised and a bit hesitant, but Sakura assured him that what she wanted was a friendly spar, not an actual fight.

Even with those restrictions, Chōjūrō managed to essentially wipe the floor with her.

It didn't help that his Hiramekarei was easily the width of her torso at its thinnest, and all Sakura had to combat that was her daito. What also didn't help was the fact that she'd become so used to fighting Kotetsu and Izumo from two sides at once that she couldn't fully focus her attention on Chōjūrō and kept glancing behind her, fully expecting someone to pop up and launch a joint offensive against her. That habit earned her a multitude of hits, even if the bluenette always ensured that he hit her with the flat of his bandaged blade.

Finally, Chōjūrō paused. Sakura straightened out from her dodge, gripping her side where a stitch burned her and panting heavily, absently noting that even her bruises had bruises. A mere hour of play-fighting with Chōjūrō was a hundred times worse than her spars with Kotetsu and Izumo, and the rosette was struck with how lacking her skills in bukijutsu actually were when compared with a master of the art.

"Ano, Sakura-san," Chōjūrō started hesitantly, eyeing her bruised, panting form. "I-I think it would be fairer i-if I switched to a katana." He proposed, putting his hands up when she automatically scowled. "I-I'm not implying you're not handling y-yourself well, I-I just think you're expending a l-lot more energy than I am simply parrying because of the disproportion of our blades and, well… I'm enjoying myself a-and I-I'd like to continue, if you're willing."

Sakura blinked owlishly for a moment, letting go of her aching side and staring at the teen in awestruck silence before a blinding grin bloomed on her face. "I'm enjoying myself too, Chōjūrō-san, and I'd love to continue. But… I don't want to inconvenience you into swapping your blade." She demurred, at which the bluenette waved her off.

"You wouldn't inconvenience me, Sakura-san, and besides, I offered." And the rosette was struck by how the teen didn't stutter even once. But, instead of pointing it out, she just grinned and nodded, waiting. Chōjūrō laid his Hiramekarei on the side by the tree line and produced a beautiful katana from one of his scrolls which Sakura hadn't even noticed he'd had attached to his person. The rosette settled back into a crouch, drawing her daito before her, but Chōjūrō still seemed hesitant.

"I… couldn't help but notice how you kept glancing back." he observed, and Sakura winced. She really needed to work on that habit. "It seemed like y-you were u-used to sparring with more than one person." Ding-ding, got it in one. Sakura thought irritably, but was floored by what followed. "I could create a clone if you'd prefer to f-fight… like that."

Slightly stupefied, Sakura nodded, not quite sure what more to do. With a quiet pop, a second Chōjūrō sprang into existence behind her and settled into a fighting stance. Slowly, gradually, a grin began pulling at Sakura's lips as she adjusted her stance into something a lot more familiar and called forth a second blade. Turning to the real Chōjūrō with the full force of her grin, she curled two fingers into the universal 'come here' gesture and delighted in his momentarily surprised expression.

Then, he sprang, and their dance began anew.

---

Unbeknownst to the sparring duo, they had an audience.

Ao, Shikamaru and the Mizukage were perched on the outskirts of the clearing, Mei's ANBU guard keeping wisely out of sight but still there.

Shikamaru had been astounded to open his door in mid-afternoon to find the Mizukage and his less favourite escort on the other side, and had wordlessly agreed to following them when Mei led them to the outskirts of the Village, far from any prying eyes or gossiping villagers.

He was beginning to get a bit ansty and apprehensive when he sensed a chakra signature that had become familiar to him over the days. Sakura?

His temporary teammate had indeed soon been revealed, and Shikamaru nearly face-palmed when he realised what she was doing. Challenging people to fights, she's better suited to be Naruto's teammate than she realises.

The Nara was even more surprised when the Mizukage seemed content to perch herself on a rock and watch, unseen, as her guard engaged in a friendly spar with a foreign diplomat. Cautiously, Shikamaru leaned against a similar outcrop of rock, while Ao mirrored him against a tree. Then, their attention focused back onto the sparring pair.

Sakura was losing.

She was outclassed, clearly, but not because of lack of trying or skill, no. She kept… getting distracted?

Shikamaru noted how self-satisfied Ao seemed and hoped that Sakura would manage to somehow have an ace up her sleeve, just to wipe that smirk off the man's face.

He did not expect for Chōjūrō to suddenly pause the fight and say the 'fighting two people' part. After a quick glance at Ao, it seemed the jounin was equally stumped, but Mei had a secretive smile on her face as she watched. So Shikamaru turned back to the fight, watched as a clone appeared behind Sakura, how she adjusted her form so she was side-on to the swordsman and his clone, keeping them in her peripheral vision, and summoned a second blade, something between the katana that both Chōjūrōs gripped and the blade in her right hand. Shikamaru most definitely did not expect for the rosette to transfer the new weapon into her left hand and settle into the most comfortable position he'd seen from her since he'd been watching the fight.

Being ambidextrous was not unheard of, but certainly unusual for someone still relatively fresh from the Academy, Shikamaru was sure. He wondered, absently, how long it had taken her to be confident enough with her left hand to be able to handle two blades at once.

But that thought process was shoved to the back of his mind when the two teens sprang back into motion and he noticed how Ao's scowl only intensified.

The main reason?

Sakura was doing better.

And Shikamaru could not quite help the satisfied smirk at that fact, something which did not go unnoticed by Mei, who laughed soundlessly.

Chōjūrō and Sakura kept up their fight for another half an hour, then finally finished, bowed, and collapsed on the ground, tired but with grins on their faces.

Moving gracefully like the water she manipulated, the Mizukage rose and strolled into the clearing, startling the two.

"M-Mizukage-sama!" Both jumped up, startled, and hastened to bow.

Mei waved them off. "Good fight." She praised, earning a blush from both teens and a stuttered thank-you from her guard. "Now, Haruno-chan, Nara-kun," she beckoned Shikamaru over and he joined the rosette on the clearing, ignoring her raised eyebrow. "I apologise for not being able to find the time to speak with you between our introduction and today, but I am certain that you will find what I'm about to tell you as fair recompense: the Council had finally agreed to the treaty between our Villages, though they did demand a slight change of terms. I already sent the missive with the updated terms to your Hokage, along with a letter in which I conveyed my personal commendations for how well her young diplomats had handled themselves. I expect a reply will come no sooner than in a week's time, so you should prepare for another two weeks stay in my Village at the least. I hope everything has been up to your satisfaction so far?"

Both Konoha-nin blinked at her, equally stupefied.

"The Council… agreed?" Sakura murmured, perplexed. Genma-san said that those from the older generations would be the most difficult to convince as they may still remember the times when relations between Kiri and Konoha were far from ideal.

Shikamaru, on the other hand, concerned himself with responding to the Mizukage's question, making her laugh at his grouchy complaints of 'shopaholic teammates' and praises of their accommodations and Kirigkure eateries.

"I'm glad, then. You can go, Nara-kun, thank you for accompanying me today and your kind words. Haruno-chan, I'd like to speak with you, if you have a minute."

Sakura froze, shooting a perplexed glance at Shikamaru who merely shrugged but sent a slightly suspicious glance at the foreign kage before he slunked away. Left with no choice but to acquiesce, Sakura followed the woman to the Village, until they were on top of what the rosette belatedly realised was like the Kirigakure equivalent of the Hokage Mountain, only without the faces in the rocks – in other words, it was the highest point in the Village, and blissfully isolated.

"Mizukage-sama…?" Sakura questioned, unsure of what could possibly warrant such a location. But the brunette merely patted a boulder beside the one she was perched on, so Sakura carefully sat down, not taking her eyes off the woman which made her laugh.

"You can relax, Haruno-chan, I'm not here to chastise you or anything of the sort. If anything, I'll admit to being a little bit… curious." Then she mock-glared. "And I thought I told you that 'Mei-sama' is just fine."

Sakura frowned, confused, but corrected herself nonetheless. "Curious about what exactly, Mei-sama?" she asked, careful not to appear too apprehensive.

Then, Mei's eyes turned to her, and the rosette was startled by how sharp they seemed. Sakura was suddenly reminded that here was a woman who had almost singlehandedly led a rebellion against a kage. The thought was enough to get her to look away.

"I'm curious about how a girl from a civilian family knew more about the history and inner workings of my Village than her partner from one of the main clans in Konohagakure. So much more, in fact, that I was able to use some those arguments against my very own Elders. I'm also curious as to how that same girl managed to advance from Academy student to chunin in the space of less than a year. I cannot call myself an expert in regards to Konohagakure's society, but I'd assume it is equally as easy for a civilian to make themselves known in the shinobi ranks as it is in any other Village – that is to say, not easy at all." And though Mei's tone was conversational, friendly, even, Sakura could not help the distinct impression she got that she was being interrogated.

So she straightened her back, squared her shoulders and met the Mizukage's gaze, despite how tempting it was to look away and cower. "What I told you on our very first day here was true – most of my information came from books. The books, as well as some of the more, ah, sensitive information came from my… guardian who is a veteran of the Third Shinobi War and thus knows enough about our world to pass on some of that knowledge to me." Referring to Genma-san as her 'guardian' was both off-putting and strangely… reassuring as it finally gave her a clear box to shove him into. Then, she got back on track. "It was that same guardian who ensured I had the skill necessary to perform well when my own sensei seemed… unconcerned by the obvious skill-gap between myself and my teammates, but he was still thorough enough to assure me that skill was not all that the Chunin Exams were about. As for my civilian background, well, it certainly made things a little more difficult, but I would not have it any other way." There, Sakura thought, pleased, nothing too revealing, while still personal enough not to seem dismissive. Sakura: 1, sneaky interrogation tactics: 0.

Mei, it seemed, was also aware of the rosette's essential non-answer, but she seemed amused more than anything. "Your sensei being Hatake Kakashi?" she queried, but by the twinkle in her eyes, Sakura already knew it wasn't a question and she blanched.

Sakura: -1, sneaky, sneaky Mizukage: 1

"Ah, I was not aware that was common knowledge." Sakura evaded carefully, stalling. She didn't know where her hesitance to outright reveal things came from, but she wasn't about to question it now.

The Mizukage's bell-like laughter reassured her, somehow. "That's because it's not." She replied, and Sakura stiffened. "See, I wasn't quite honest with you when I said I didn't know much about you. Tsunade-sama had indeed informed me that she'd be sending a couple of 'freshly-minted baby chunin' over to present a peace treaty which she proposed in one of our earlier correspondences," Mei explained, seemingly unaware that Sakura's head was spinning. "but she also told me a bit more. She gave me a rough outline of what to expect from you and Nara-kun, nothing too incriminating, don't worry, but enough for me to get the general idea of what to expect." The rosette forced herself to meet Mei's amused gaze. "Imagine my surprise when, instead of getting a 'lazy genius', I got a boy with sharp wit and knowledge of situational management, who seemed to take it upon himself to act as a mediator between my convoluted welcome designed to keep you on your toes and your particular brand of accusatory persuasion." Sakura flushed, remembering how direct she'd been in her attempts of persuading the Mizukage and hating herself for her lack of tact. "Please don't regret that!" Mei interrupted her sulking, laughing. "It was a breath of fresh air to see someone so secure in their knowledge that they had no qualms against butting heads with a kage. Though I don't suppose Tsunade-sama quite expected you and Nara-kun to succeed."

Embarrassed, Sakura buried her face in her hands and tried to will the furious blush away. Then, the Mizukage's words fully registered in her mind and she brought her hands down in favour of blinking owlishly at the brunette. "If Tsunade-sama did not 'expect us to succeed' then why did she send us on this mission?"

"Ah," and here, Mei looked even more amused. "I believe she referred to it as 'hazing'?"

Sakura stared at the woman for a few seconds, her brain struggling to plough through the new information before she snorted and muttered something very unladylike. Mei's startled, gleeful laughter rang through the air, but Sakura couldn't find it in herself to feel embarrassed at the blunder.

"Well, I'm not sure if that helps you at all, but I think she'll get a right shock out of my letter then." Mei said, and Sakura's eyes narrowed before a smirk bloomed on her face.

"Oh, yes, Mei-sama, that helps a lot."

---

Tsunade choked on her sake.

Ignoring the burn in her throat, she shot the messenger hawk an accusatory glare, as if it was somehow responsible for her reaction. The bird just stared back unflinchingly and Tsunade sighed, glancing back at the letter.

"Shizune!" she called, and her assistant scurried to her side.

"Yes, Tsunade-sama?"

The Godaime thrust the letter at her assistant, a scowl on her face. "Read it, then tell me what it says." She ordered.

Confused, but already used to her shishou's moods, Shizune obliged, her eyes widening. "The Mizukage has agreed to the treaty you proposed, Tsunade-sama! That's great!" when Tsunade's scowl didn't fade, Shizune kept reading. "She asks if some of the terms can be modified slightly as per her Elders' request, but she's very happy for the treaty to be in effect immediately. She also says…" Shizune frowned as she kept reading, her eyes growing ever wider. "She also says that she's been very impressed by our chunin's conduct, that Haruno-chan has been very persuasive in her arguments while Nara-kun has a real future as a diplomat with his acute understanding of how to diffuse tension. Tsunade-sama, this is incredible!" Shizune enthused, but her mentor's scowl only grew.

"It wasn't supposed to be great!" she snapped. "I meant to send them on a mission way out of their depth so they'd taste failure early on, then send a couple of more experienced diplomats after Mei would inevitably kick them out of Kirigakure. I wasn't counting on them to succeed."

Shizune gaped. "Tsunade-sama… you can't possibly mean that."

Tsunade sighed, pulling out a very familiar bottle. "If they get overconfident, they die." She stated bluntly, pouring the alcohol into her cup. "The sooner they learn that they're not infallible, the longer they'll live."

The Godaime could see how her assistant struggled to process that, how she clearly did not like her train of thought, but prolonged exposure to her mentor's moods had long ago taught Shizune when to drop a subject. "Are you going to respond?" she asked at last, at which Tsunade snorted and waved her off.

"I may not like it, but I'm not going to let this opportunity pass. The more allies Konohagakure gains, the safer she'll be." She replied and pulled out some paper and the official Hokage stamp. "Now off you go, I've got a treaty to rewrite."

Shizune obligingly stepped out of the office, trying to ignore the soft thud of Tsunade's forehead impacting the desk that followed her out.

---

Genma spat out his sake.

Aoba, who was sat opposite him and therefore in the direct line of fire barely managed to dodge but still ended up getting some of the spray on him, resulting in some very colourful insults being directed Genma's way. The terrified teen from the Genin Corps who brought him the letter made a strangled squeak and promptly shunshin'ed away.

"Genma?" Raidou asked, concerned. "What happened?"

Genma's eyes scanned the text one more time before wordlessly shoving it in the direction of Raidou and Iwashi while he mulled it over.

Hey Genma-san!

Just writing to tell you that I'm still alive! It took us four days to get to the Land of Water and one more till we got in Kiri itself. We've only been in Mist for two days, but Shikamaru and I have already been shopping and sightseeing so much that our legs nearly fell off. We also got positive confirmation from Mizukage-sama that she agrees to the treaty we proposed. That's great, right? Mizukage-sama also said that it'll be at least another two to three weeks before we're able to return home, but I really don't mind - Mist is wet and my hair hates the humidity, but it's exactly what I needed.

Hope everything is going well on your end,

Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone,

-Sakura

Raidou raised his eyes from the paper and stared at Genma in disbelief. "She got sent on a diplomatic mission to Kiri as her first mission as chunin?" he asked incredulously.

But Iwashi was grinning. "Forget that, she was successful." He also looked up, meeting Genma's long-suffering glare. "I've got no idea where you found her, Genma, but make sure she sticks around."

Genma merely sighed again and shoved the letter into his pocket. "I'll go prematurely grey if she sticks around, Iwashi."

At last, Aoba had recovered from being sprayed with sake. "Oh, is this the little chick that our very own mother hen has taken under her wing?" he teased, waggling his eyebrows and getting Genma's favourite finger flashed at him in response. "Don't pretend as if we haven't noticed you sulking over the last week like you've got separation anxiety worthy of some helicopter parent." He snorted.

Iwashi sighed, sharing an exasperated look with Raidou. "And he still wonders why so many people want to kick him where it hurts." He murmured, drawing a snort from the tokujo while he subtly edged away from Aoba. And not a moment too soon, for just as Iwashi got out of the way, Genma vaulted over the table and tackled Aoba out of his seat, throwing insults back and forth. "If that's who Sakura-san will have as her role model, heaven only knows how she'll turn out."

---

Sakura sneezed, drawing a concerned glance from Chōjūrō but she waved him off.

A week had passed since her conversation with the Mizukage and Sakura had spent nearly every day of that week with the bluenette. They sparred, talked about books and their adventures so far. The only break in the routine came about two weeks into Sakura's stay in the form of one of the ANBU who'd been on the boat with her – Yuki-san. Sakura could see Chōjūrō's worry when the raven unceremoniously seized her wrist and dragged her to the training grounds, but the rosette remembered their conversation on the boat, so she merely settled into her stance, summoned her daito and beckoned. Yuki-san smirked, unsheathed the two swords that crossed over his back and jumped at her.

Working with Chōjūrō for hours every day had allowed Sakura to gradually get used to focusing on only one person, and it brought one more issue to the forefront of her mind – her lacking speed. Whereas with Chōjūrō she could get away with dodging and employing the same barely-there method she'd used against Temari, Yuki-san was on another level entirely. She struggled to keep up, and the man was a blur of colour to her eyes more often than not. Finally, Sakura got annoyed and, deciding that no rules as such had been laid out, she began layering a genjutsu over the area.

A little bit at a time, layer by layer, but after about ten minutes she managed to distort reality enough that she snuck under Yuki-san's guard. Only his senses saved him from getting the hilt of Sakura's blade to the chin, a sensitivity no doubt born out of years of experience in the field. He jumped back, shut his eyes and murmured 'kai!' but when he opened his eyes, rather than angry, he looked predatory and Sakura felt a chill run down her spine.

"Good." He commented, and Sakura suddenly felt afraid. "I didn't notice the optical illusion at all." Then he was behind her, and the rosette had no time to react, feeling frozen in place, defenseless, vulnerable. But instead of decapitating her like Sakura knew he was more than able to, Yuki-san gently lifted a lock of her hair to his face and sniffed. "But your shampoo gave you away. Strawberry, I believe?"

Sakura blinked. Awed or horrified, she couldn't quite decide, but the fact of the matter remained that this man had sensed her by the smell of her shampoo.

"When you create illusions, you have to ensnare every sense." Yuki whispered into her ear, the basic rules of propriety and personal space seemingly lost on him. "The art of tricking the mind is a gruesome one: you have to live in your illusions, you have to believe them just as much as you want your enemies to believe them. Sometimes that might mean spending hours with your hand against the bark of a tree, trying to replicate its texture, and sometimes it might mean learning the smell of blood and how the artery gushes when you slit open somebody's throat." When Sakura shuddered, repulsion and fear warring within her, Yuki-san laughed and stepped back, letting Chōjūrō rush to her while he faded into the mist, only his voice echoing in the clearing. "I'll be interested to see what you become, little leaf, when somebody finally makes you let go of those last strands of morality you cling to. Well fought."

And then he was gone.

"S-Sakura-san!" it took Sakura a moment to realise that the only thing holding her up was Chōjūrō's arm around her waist. "Do you want t-to got to h-hospital? You're awfully pale."

The rosette shook her head, not realising how cold she'd been until warmth came rushing back in, making her feel like she was shaking off a layer of snow. It wasn't a natural reaction, that much she was sure of. "What was that?" she finally croaked out, grateful that Chōjūrō seemed to clock on immediately.

What she didn't expect was for the bluenette to scowl and glare at where Yuki-san had once been standing with the angriest expression she'd seen on him in their fortnight of acquaintance. "That was Yuki-san's personal brand of killing intent." He told her, scowl never fading. "I should report him to Mei-sama, that was unbecoming of him to get so-"

"-don't, Chōjūrō-san." Sakura interrupted, testing her balance even though Chōjūrō's hand did not leave her waist. "I provoked such a reaction with my admittedly underhanded tactic. It was well within Yuki-san's right to respond as he did."

To her surprise, Chōjūrō remained unimpressed. "Yuki-san is a hunter-nin, Sakura-san." He told her, surprisingly viciously and Sakura had a sudden 'lightbulb moment', thinking back to why Ao had seemed familiar to her when she first met him. He was dressed the same as Haku. "He should not have been caught in your technique in the first place, and even then, such a strong reaction should have been conditioned out of him long ago."

For once, the rosette had no problem with linking Chōjūrō to shinobi in her mind. He seemed to ooze frosty disapproval and anger, though at what, Sakura didn't know. Still, she felt responsible and took it upon herself to diffuse the sudden tension. She stood, stumbling only a little, and hooked her arm through Chōjūrō's, leading him away from the training grounds and trying to ignore how cold sweat made her shirt stick to her back.

"How about desert? I'm calling for ice-cream, my treat!"

---

It was another four days till Tsunade's response came through and Sakura and Shikamaru were summoned to the Mizukage's office.

"Well, it looks like this is it." Mei greeted them, Chōjūrō and Ao standing guard by the door. "Your Hokage sent back an updated treaty that pleases both parties. There are also plans in place for a graduate exchange program to strengthen inter-Village relations, but for now, we'll concern ourselves with lowering the number of people who react negatively to the notion of the alliance."

Sakura grinned. "You could always tell those who are the most against the treaty that this is merely a ploy on your part, that you're merely stringing us along and waiting until we provide the funding necessary to rebuild your economy and assure them that you'll turn your back on us once that's done." She valiantly ignored Shikamaru's put-upon sigh and counted Ao's wide eyes as a personal victory. "That way, if Kiri-nin ever encounter Konoha-nin during a mission, they'll be more inclined to behave civilly even if they despise us, simply under the guise of maintaining the farce." When silence followed her words, Sakura shrugged. "Just a suggestion."

Then, the Mizukage laughed as if it was startled out of her, shoulders shaking as a snort escaped her. "I can freely admit I've never heard that one before." She took a deep breath to steady herself and shot Sakura a grin. "You rarely get shinobi who advise you to pretend sabotage. What caused such an out-there idea?"

Again, Sakura shrugged. She's had a long time to consider why she was so hell-bent on the idea of having the treaty in the first place, and admitting her motivations stopped bothering her quite soon afterwards. "I've never been in a war. I don't know what that's like. But the recent Invasion was enough of a taster for me to know that I want to avoid the real thing if at all possible, and I'll do everything in my power to ensure that it is possible. Besides, as long as you and Tsunade-sama would know that the treaty is not a ploy, what's a little white lie here and there?"

And in the silence that followed, Sakura had a brief moment of self-awareness when she realised how her Academy self would sooner die than admit what she had just said – the idea of lying was still not her favourite way of resolving or preventing conflict, but her current self had something the Sakura of the Academy times didn't – she had perspective.

People change after they experience loss, and losing her parents and nearly losing her entire Village to the ideals of a madman had been enough to alter the way Sakura viewed the world. Though, judging by Shikamaru's slightly stupefied expression, only Genma-san was aware of the full extent those changes ran to. Oh well. That's an issue for another time.

She tuned back in and realised the Mizukage was regarding her intently, and the rosette subconsciously straightened her back. "I'll keep your suggestion as a worst-case scenario, how about that, Haruno-chan?" Mei murmured, then smiled. "Well, in any case, your stay in my Village is nearing its end. I hope you've had an enjoyable time and, again, congratulations on your exceptional conduct on your first mission as chunin. If there's anything you need for the return journey, we'll happily provide it."

Sakura nodded and Shikamaru inclined his head to the kage. "We are grateful for your aid, Mei-sama. Thank you for the offer."

Mei smiled, and Sakura inwardly despaired that she would never fall into the same category of femme-fatale as the brunette seemed to pull off so effortlessly. "It was certainly an experience to have you here. I do hope you can visit soon."

And with that, they were dismissed.

Once all their bags have been packed and all their belongings sealed into various scrolls, Sakura surveyed the apartment that had become their home over the last three odd weeks. "How do you feel about going back?" she asked as Shikamaru finally emerged from his bedroom, his pack slung over his shoulder.

The Nara shrugged. "I miss Konoha's clouds." He replied vaguely, but Sakura had enough experience interpreting vague communications to see through it clearly.

She laughed. "It is difficult to perform your favourite past-time when it's almost constantly raining, isn't it?" she teased, slinging her own pack over her back and fastening her cloak.

"How about you?" Shikamaru turned the question back on her, so Sakura mirrored his response and shrugged.

"I suppose I will miss Chōjūrō-san a bit, but I really am a bit homesick. It'll be nice to see Genma-san again, or have dinner with the Terrible Twins." Neither of them mentioned how Sakura didn't say anything about Team 7. Shikamaru had since learned that it was a touchy subject, and the rosette simply had nothing to say.

A knock on their door cut the subject short, and Sakura smiled when her eyes met Chōjūrō's on the other side of the door and she nodded to Ao as well. "Last time you're picking us up, hm?" she teased lightly, nudging the blunette in the ribs with her elbow.

"Indeed." He nodded, looking a bit sad. "Mei-sama r-requested we escort y-you to the gates."

"Mmhm." Sakura acknowledged, then lapsed into silence, falling into step with Chōjūrō while Shikamaru walked on her other side. When they reached the gates, the rosette was not surprised to see the familiar figure of Yuki-san and his partner and she nodded respectfully, ignoring how Chōjūrō stiffened beside her. When their group came to a stop, Sakura gave in to the urge that had been plaguing her for the length of their walk and threw her arms around Chōjūrō's neck, hugging him. The teen froze for a second, whether at the contact or the wolf-whistle from Yuki-san that accompanied it, but after a moment, his hand came up to tentatively pat at her back.

When she drew back, Sakura offered the bluenette a small smile. "Keep in touch?" she asked. "I promise that I'm an excellent pen-pal."

And when she got a small but genuine smile in response, and a slight nod, Sakura counted her stay in Kiri a success, treaty be damned.

"Take care, Chōjūrō-kun." And she turned on her heel and walked over to Yuki-san, and away from the Village, not giving the bluenette a chance to reflect on the sudden change of honorific. She could hear Shikamaru giving his own stilted goodbyes to their escorts before he caught up with her, huffing exasperatedly.

"Did you have to leave it like that?" he grouched. "He looked shell-shocked."

Sakura sent him a devious smirk. "Better he get used to it now than when puberty hits properly and he has girls doing that to him every day."

Shikamaru sent her an incredulous look before he snorted. "Troublesome women, you and Ino both." He grumbled, but Sakura's raised eyebrow put an end to any more whining.

The boat ride back to mainland was strangely uneventful, Shikamaru seemed to mull over something while Sakura chose that as an appropriate moment to whip out one of her books and start to read.

She absently noted that Yuki-san began scribbling furiously the second he noted the title of her book, but she dismissed it. Until, that is, they were saying farewell and, when shaking her hand, she felt Yuki-san press a scrunched up piece of paper into her hand. She sent him a curious look but he shook his head minutely and gestured at his sullen partner who was staring at them suspiciously.

'Apologies?' Yuki-san mouthed to her, and Sakura smiled and nodded, hiding the paper in her pocket.

"Thank you for escorting us." She chorused with Shikamaru, bowed, and turned on her heel and ran back towards the path they came from almost a month ago, Shikamaru falling in step with her with every leap.

It took over four days for the red gates of Konoha to come into view, but when Sakura and Shikamaru were finally admitted into the Hokage's office, it was not to a warm welcome and a 'well-done' but to a sour-faced Godaime and a twitchy assistant.

Tsunade levelled them with a flat stare. "Uchiha Sasuke has defected to Otogakure."

Sakura felt her insides freeze, her world tilting on its axis but Tsunade barreled on, unconcerned for the impact of her words. "I've sent a retrieval squad after him, but they lack a leader. They left two hours ago. Nara, you can still catch up to them if you leave now. Ideally this would be an A-Rank for the ANBU tracker division, but we're painfully understaffed and the Elders want action now so I've been forced to shift that responsibility onto four genin." Then, the Hokage's resolve seemed to crumble before their very eyes. "I just- make sure nobody dies?" she directed her plea at Shikamaru, who seemed too shell-shocked to respond so Sakura took over.

"Tsunade-sama, I could-!"

But she was interrupted by a figure leaping through the window and kneeling in front of Tsunade's desk. "Tsunade-sama, my apologies, but there's been an incident! The group we believe to be the Sound Four attacked my team. Genma and Raidou are out of it and in critical condition and Shizune has too little chakra left to stabilise them both. They're about a third of the way to the Valley of the End, not far at all but please, Tsunade-sama, we need assistance-!"

Tsunade's eyes hardened and she turned to address the chunin before her, "Haruno, go to the Jounin HQ and see if anyone can be spar- huh?"

The Hokage looked around her office, flickering from Iwashi to Shikamaru and searching for the rosette.

But Sakura was long gone.

---

dun-dun-DUN!

sorry for the cliffhanger but it was necessary ;)

as always, thank you for the lovely feedback and if you have any comments/criticisms do not hesitate to drop me a PM or REVIEW!