Note from author:

The chapter statistics say people skipped Ch: 22 Bad Guy Philosophy by accident.

I updated CH 22 & 23 at the same time, so if you usually skip to the latest, you might've missed important clues. Go back to make sure you didn't :)

Ch: 23 Foreign Comfort


Sakura

Sakura needed a signal. Anything. She knew it was a crime to attack civilians in other countries — especially ones like Iwa who were already wary of foreigners — so they were either going to high-tail it out of there or allow themselves to be captured. She tried making eye contact with the Jinchuriki or Sasuke, but with them at her back, the small window of opportunity closed faster than she could manage.

The Iwa-nin began leading them toward the castle, where they'd slept the night before. However, this was an entrance different from the one they arrived the previous night. Sakura wondered if this was the route that new prisoners took before they found their forever homes.

They passed by two more Iwa-nin guarding a stone and iron gate with an archway so high that it towered above them, higher than any building she'd seen before. It took the full might of both guards and some earth seals to heave it open. This revealed two great doors behind the gate, and a pathway that snaked from Sakura into the castle with hundreds of flickers from candles lighting the way — beautiful in any other context, but at the moment they more resembled hissing from a den of snakes waiting to catch their next prey.

Inside, Sakura saw shimmery silk curtains suspended from the ceiling, flowing like a river into the ground on all sides. But a pointed nudge at her back reminded Sakura that she was in no position to be marveling at the beauty of inanimate objects.

"Walk," the Iwa-nin said behind her.

Sakura didn't know towards what she was walking to. But as she got closer, she began to notice the ornate gold engravings in the stone walls, stretching from floor to ceiling about three stories high. They were the same gold engravings she'd noticed in the poster in downtown Iwa just a couple hours prior. The setting seemed more appropriate for political affairs and formal events, not where prisoners would go. The elite Jounin stationed at the end of the hall made it more obvious now — they were in a formation typically associated with protective maneuvers. They were guarding the Tsuchikage's chair, which sat atop steps at the end of the hall like a throne, although hidden behind curtains for reasons Sakura did not know.

From behind the curtain veil, a voice ricocheted off the arched ceiling. "The last time a Leaf-nin set foot in this very room marked the beginning of the Third Shinobi War, almost twenty and five years ago."

Sakura heard anxious breathing. She looked to Naruto and Sasuke before realizing that the sounds were coming from her own body. The sounds almost swirled with the reverberation of the Tsuchikage's words, traveling upwards, dancing through the hall and roaming freely until diminishing completely.

The Tsuchikage's voice was slow and gravely, cautious and rehearsed, as if every word was chosen carefully to convey a very precise message. And unlike his younger self which was depicted in Iwa's downtown poster from earlier, every quake and tremor in his breath made apparent his ripe age, aligning more with Sakura's expectations of the Tsuchikage based on literature she'd read back in Konoha.

It was otherwise quiet in the room, and Sakura waited in anticipation for what the Tsuchikage would say next. Her anticipation was made worse without being able to see or read the expressions on his face.

"Today, the Leaf Village has dared to set foot in our land once again," he continued. "Children will speak of this moment decades from now."

A good thing or a bad? Sakura wondered. Had she and her teammates been brought here for punishment, or celebration? It was like a cloud of obscurity rested heavy on everyone's shoulders, and Sakura still didn't know why that was. But surely they would've been turned to dust by now, by the Tsuchikage's particle release if he intended to kill them?

A familiar face emerged from behind the curtains, and it unexpectedly did much to quell feelings of panic at the pit of her stomach. As Jun marched to what appeared to be his rightful place at the top of the stairs, he exchanged glances with Sakura before looking away. She recognized his two teammates behind him, a blonde female and stocky male who Naruto had almost gotten into a fist fight the day they first met.

All of a sudden, the Iwa-nin balled up their fists and their bodies went rigid. The abrupt motion caused Sasuke's hand to snap into his famous lightning hand sign, but that was before he realized what they were doing. In one synchronized motion, the tens of Iwa-nin around them beat their fists into their chests as they cried, "Ei! Ei!" The official salute lasted about five seconds, and then silence overtook the room once again.

Sakura couldn't help but notice that Jun brought the authoritative and almost militant-like atmosphere to the room, and she was almost intimidated by it. It was a stark contrast to the way he left their last interaction when he said 'catch you later, Haruno'. But when Jun's eyes caught Sakura's a second time, he gave a lazy smirk that indicated he was indeed the same person she'd spoken to that morning, her ally. And as if by magic, any worries that she and her teammates were in trouble had vanished. It was clear now — they were just handing over their scroll, about to complete their mission after a long few weeks.

The Tsuchikage's voice continued, and his words only confirmed it. "Today, we let bygones be bygones."

From the corner of her eyes, she could almost visibly see the tension draining from the Jinchuriki's and Sasuke's shoulders, putting them at ease for the first time since the three of them walked in.

"You have Iwa's gratitude," the Tsuchikage's voice boomed, "for your venture here, and for the generosity of the Hokage to share the Hidden Leaf's medical knowledge. This marks the birth of an alliance between our countries, one that I hope is repaired and forged to great strength during my lifetime, and one that permeates our future generations."

"You are most gracious, Tsuchikage-sama." Sakura replied, speaking for the first time. The Jinchuriki and Sasuke on either side of her hadn't moved, so she put two hands to the small of their backs and used a little chakra to force them to bow with her. Upon rising again, Sakura reached into her pocket to pull out the scroll and walked up the steps towards the Tsuchikage's voice. "I present this scroll to Iwa, on behalf of Konoha."

Jun stepped forward and met her halfway to take the scroll. The back of his hand brushed against Sakura's fingertips, and she could've sworn the twinkle in his eye was almost childlike in spite of his full athletic form towering over her on the steps.

"I've asked our chefs to prepare a rich meal with the best herbs and spices our country has to offer," the Tsuchikage said. "My hope is that it fuels you well for your return tomorrow. Tonight, we celebrate!"

Murmurs erupted amongst the Iwa-nin behind her, and it did not go unnoticed by Sakura that there was no clapping despite the positive words. As she turned around to descend the steps, she spotted Sasuke's gaze on her and Jun. It was only momentary before he looked away. She joined the Jinchuriki at his side.

"Mmmm, sounds delicious," the Jinchuriki said, rubbing his stomach. It appeared he'd forgotten the events earlier, albeit temporarily.

"You're so easy to win over with food," Sakura replied with an eye roll. But at least you seem to be in a better mood, she thought.

A hush overcame the crowd once more as a few Iwa-nin motioned to the Tsuchikage. "My sincerest apologies," he began to announce, "but I am to retire to my quarters early tonight. This should in no way impede the celebratory mood; please allow Captain Jun Yashin, my closest confidant, guard, and dearest family friend, to keep you company in my stead."

"Yech, that guy again," the Jinchuriki said, making a face as sour as his tone. "Way to ruin it, ya know?" he muttered to her and Sasuke.

"Quit it," Sakura nudged him with her elbow. She noticed that Sasuke held a steady gaze on the approaching Jun, in a way that let her know he was also less than enthused. "Both of you," she whispered in warning.

"Evening Haruno," Jun greeted. He nodded to the Jinchuriki and Sasuke. "Evening, gentlemen. I hope you like curry — tonight's special is made with shikimi, one of our most fragrant spices here."

Behind them, Sakura could hear the shuffling of furniture. Servants appeared from behind the curtain, rushing out on both sides. From a hidden corridor they brought in dining chairs from the left, and steaming, freshly-cooked dishes from the right. They ushered her to a seat at the round table with Sasuke, the Jinchuriki, Jun, and the two other Iwa-nin whom she recognized to Jun's teammates.

Gado was stocky and red-nosed, with a prominent square face shape that did not match his facial features well. His head was wrapped in a red bandana, with bits of his hair poking out the sides. Yui looked immaculate, with her shoulder-length platinum blonde hair parted neatly to the side, and a kimono-style mesh armor that hugged her waist and reached her mid-thigh. Yui wore it with such confidence that Sakura was certain Yui's taste for high fashion in no way interfered with her ability as a kunoichi.

As soon as they sat down, six waiters appeared behind each seat carrying plates of food, neatly placing them in front of each guest with perfectly-timed choreography. Despite the extravagance, there was still a clear animosity souring the air, mostly between four of Sakura and Jun's teammates — Gado, Yui, Naruto, and Sasuke. The Jinchuriki took violent bites of his food, never ceasing his glare at Gado across the table. His body language very much said, 'I'm attending this because I have to, not because I want to.' For a minute or two, the only sounds for a long stretch of time consisted of metallic pangs of forks and the scrapes of knives across ceramic. Then, Sakura could've sworn some kind of farm animal had gotten out and started eating right next to them, like an alpaca or goat chewing and smacking its lips loudly.

"Keep your mouth closed, will you?" Yui muttered. "It's embarrassing."

Oh, Sakura realized. It wasn't an animal; it was just Jun's teammate eating.

"It's how I eat, Yui," Gado replied gruffly with his mouth full, not one bit self-conscious.

"Too bad," Yui said. "I could've been eating beside Kurotsuchi right now, but instead, it had to be you."

Gado snorted and it sounded so strangled that Sakura thought a few grains of rice made it down the wrong pipe. "Unfortunately for you, princess," Gado said, shoveling more food into his mouth, "your actual Highness went and made herself a living—"

"Keep Kurotsuchi's name out of your filthy mouth," Yui said sharply. "And she's still twice the kunoichi most could ever hope to be." She looked at Sakura for the first time that night as she said the last sentence.

"Gado, Yui," Jun interrupted from beside them. "Please."

Sakura shrank in her seat at Yui's comment and touched the invisible scar on her throat, assuring herself she'd survived much worse than this dinner. But putting her own self-image aside, Sakura realized this was the second time someone was hushed about the Tsuchikage's granddaughter, and it only emphasized how little Konoha actually knew about Iwa. And so the question began to press in her mind — what exactly happened to Kurotsuchi?

"The food is to your liking, I hope?" asked Jun from across the table, tearing her from her stream of consciousness.

"Yes, absolutely, this is more than we could have imagined," Sakura said.

But her response hung in the air, unrequited because Jun wasn't asking her. Jun's eyes were fixated on Sasuke, who was eating his food neatly beside her.

"Ahem," Sakura coughed, masking the sound of her foot hitting Sasuke's underneath the table. The gap between her chair and the Jinchuriki's was too great; otherwise, she'd kick him too.

Neither Sasuke nor the Jinchuriki cared to respond, even after her encouragement. The Leaf-Iwa alliance was pretty much theirs for the taking if the two of them didn't screw things up for Konoha, like how she felt they were doing by ignoring Jun. As far as Sakura was concerned, Jun might prove to be a powerful ally for her — a compelling reason to stay on his good side. "Please excuse us," Sakura said to the table apologetically. "We're a bit tired."

"Tired?" Yui echoed with raised brows.

Gado shook his head disapprovingly as he swallowed his latest mouthful.

"Well in that case, do eat up," Jun said, raising a hand to placate his teammates. "You three have quite a long journey home tomorrow. We wouldn't want you to arrive in pieces."

"The fewer the better," Sakura said, smiling to make up for her teammates' lack of manners.

If Jun were hot-tempered, he could've ordered for them to be escorted out the hall by this point and it would've been well deserved. But much to Sakura's relief, Jun seemed to be enjoying himself, entertained even, and not in the least bit fazed. Afterwards, the table fell into another period of silence.

Sakura observed as Yui took another modest spoonful, setting her fork down again as she had done between every bite since the start of dinner. The blonde dabbed the corner of her lip and then folded her napkin neatly across her lap underneath the table. In all her years, Sakura couldn't remember if she'd ever seen such grace. The only person who might've ever come close was, annoyingly, the man sitting beside her, the man who chose this moment of all to be uncharacteristically talkative in the worst way possible.

"It was you, wasn't it?" Sasuke said to Jun. "You're the one that took our scroll outside of Yukkao."

Under the table, Sakura slammed a hand on Sasuke's thigh and squeezed hard, intentionally digging her fingertips into it as painfully as she could so that he'd feel it through his pants.

Sasuke's closest hand jerked to hers, holding it in place under the table as he held Jun's steady eye contact. "We crossed paths right before our scroll was stolen," Sasuke continued. "Or are you saying it was just a coincidence?"

Gado leapt to his feet so violently that his chair skidded across the stone floor. "Why you—"

Naruto sprung up beside her, equally heated. "Make the first move. I dare you."

Sakura was reminded of the dozens of Iwa-nin watching them, probably itching for the first excuse to unleash a torrent of violence onto their unwelcome presences. Great, she glared at her teammates. Rile up their whole damn shinobi force, why don't you?

"Gado, be at ease," Jun said, waving a hand. "I've no feelings about what gave you that impression," he said to Sasuke, "but whatever uncertainty you have about the scroll is a thing of the past, isn't it? Your mission was a success. Your objective was achieved. Otherwise," Jun continued, "if I've said or done something to offend, you can say so. I do aim to please."

"There is one thing," Sasuke replied. "You dodge questions when asked. Is the rhetoric of all captains as poor as yours, or do you just lack basic manners?"

Sakura doubled down on her fingertips, putting enough pressure into Sasuke's thigh to know for a fact she was hurting him. When this only caused him to tighten his hold over her hand, she glared at the side of his face in a I'll-kill-you-while-you-sleep type of way.

"Odd sense of humor you have," Jun said, smiling.

But this time, Sakura noticed his smile did not reach his eyes.

X

Sakura laid in her bed gazing at the ceiling. She didn't know how, but by some gift of the universe she'd made it through the dinner without losing face. It wasn't without help from zoning out completely, because the active choice to not remember anything was the preferable plan over gouging her eyes out. Meanwhile, her teammates did their worst by existing. Whatever good grace she managed to earn from Jun might've been completely eradicated just by association. And this was exactly what she wanted to avoid; getting sucked into Leaf's affairs like the fiasco from earlier that day, when the Jinchuriki tried to attack that man's family.

She sighed. That was a whole other question she had yet to address. Whatever possessed the Jinchuriki to do that, she didn't know. On one hand, that man was clearly wretched and evil. It should've been impossible for any human to contort their neck in that way, so was he some result of a fatal medical experiment? But had she not been there to stop the Jinchuriki, what would've happened to that family? Sakura resisted the urge to dive into that thought, because she didn't want to start unpacking the feelings swirling within her. Why was she spending her free time away from Team 7 thinking about them? A gentle knock at her door came, freeing her from the thought.

"Coming!" Sakura leaped off her bed to answer it.

It was Kahako. "Pardon the interruption," she replied with a curtsy. "Captain Yashin wanted me to take you to your new quarters now."

"I hope it was no hassle," Sakura said genuinely. Afterall, they'd brought enough trouble to Iwa in one day. "If it's easier, I can just stay here. We're only here for one more night anyway."

"U-uhm actually, Captain Yashin said he knew you'd say that, and to not take no for an answer."

The corner of Sakura's lips tugged at a smile, and it was a relief to know that Jun couldn't have been all that upset. "I'll grab my things then," she replied.

Kahako nodded. "Right this way."

She was escorted through a series of halls which put them approximately on the opposite side of the castle to the first night they arrived. This wing was completely made-over, featuring bright lanterns through the walkways which glistened in the dark like stars, rich decor fit for royalty, and it so lively with pitter patter as if it breathed life itself.

As they reached the door, Kahako curtsied again. "I hope you find this to your liking. Your teammates should arrive with their belongings soon, and their rooms will be adjacent."

Sakura almost snorted — a full upgrade with a massive bed fit for kings? There wasn't anything about the new arrangement she didn't like. It was also evidently recently prepared, with the floral scent of a perfumed cleaning agent still in the air. Sakura set her things down on the quaint bench located at the foot of her bed.

Suddenly, she heard yelling. It seemed to be coming from outside her door, so she got up to check what all the commotion was.

"I was perfectly fine with the room I had before, ya know!" a familiar voice shouted.

"P-please, Naruto-san," Sakura heard a more timid voice reply. "This is a much nicer room! Captain Jun Yashin insisted you stay here instead!"

"And that's exactly why I don't want it!" she heard the Jinchuriki reply.

Sakura opened her door and poked her head outside. "Naruto, I don't think anyone in the castle can hear you right now," she said to him. "Can you be any louder?"

Just then, Sasuke appeared from down the hall with his hair sopping wet, in one hand holding a towel to cover his lower half and a bundle of what looked like used clothes in his other hand. His walk-by seemed to catch the attention of some of the servants. As if he couldn't have been bothered to put on a shirt before exiting the bathroom like a decent person. He shut his room door as if nobody else in the world existed. Sakura also didn't know how he could so nonchalantly ignore the commotion, even going as far as enjoying a shower after he basically insulted Jun at dinner.

"Naruto, shut up, or I'll kick you out myself," Sakura hissed.

"But Sakura—ugh, fine!" he said, closing his door.

"Sorry," she muttered to the staff. "He loves the room, thank you."

After shutting her door, Sakura jumped on her bed to enjoy her freshly-pressed Egyptian cotton sheets. But try as she might to remain thoughtless, she only knew the Jinchuriki was acting out for attention and it was somehow related to the incident earlier, with the man and his family.

A few minutes passed and, after realizing she could still smell the strong scent of the cleaning agent, Sakura decided to open the windows for fresh air. As soon as she did, a most welcome rush of wind grazed her face, and she reveled in the cooling sensation against the heat of her cheeks. It was a full moon tonight, and the way the moonlight reflected and danced along the stone windowsill made Sakura want to perch herself by the window all night to bask in its beauty.

Outside, beneath her, Sakura had a direct and open view of the courtyard. She spotted the same mutt from earlier, trotting along quietly, pawing at the gravel for food scraps. Then the sound of heavy footsteps emerged, breaking the quiet with its loudness in comparison. Sakura noticed a hooded figure approaching it. A man. Sakura expected the mutt to start yelping and backing away as it did with her. But oddly enough, it approached the man wagging its tail.

She raised an eyebrow. She didn't remember not being an animal person, but the dog was definitely not friendly towards her earlier that day. Or maybe that was the dog's owner?

"Hey boy," the man chuckled lightly, crouching down to pet him. "What's your name?"

The dog started to get excited, his tail wagging faster than before as he pushed his head into the man's hand.

Sakura tried not to take it personally, although now it just seemed so.

"You're a good boy, aren't you?" the man asked. "I'm Sasuke."

Sakura sprang up, completely caught off guard. She hadn't recognized his voice, but maybe it was because she never heard him chuckle like that, at ease and unguarded.

The mutt brought a stick over and nudged Sasuke's hand with it.

"What's that?" she heard Sasuke say in a gentle tone that was as tranquilizing as it was foreign. "You want to play fetch?"

After all these years, who would've thought her brooding asshole of a teammate was actually a softie? It almost made her forget how difficult he was. Now that Sakura's eyes had adjusted to the dark, she could make out more details about Sasuke, like the outline of his bangs sticking out from under his hood and the color of the buttons on his shirt that peeked out from his cloak when he threw the stick. But the thing that made Sakura's breath hitch was the smile on Sasuke's face. She'd never seen him like that before.

As soon as the dog picked up the stick, Sasuke whistled. The high-pitched sound sent the dog flying back, rushing over so Sasuke could throw the stick again. "Atta boy," Sasuke whispered, patting the dog on the side.

Sakura couldn't bring herself to look away, knowing that she was stupidly being bewitched by the sight of Sasuke playing with a damned dog. But it was a side of Sasuke he didn't often show, and she felt an urge to relish in every second that it lasted. On the other hand, she also almost felt guilty, like she was spying when she wasn't supposed to. But Sasuke should've thought about that before he went and made himself seen under her windowsill after all, and what kind of shinobi was he if he didn't know exactly where he was?

An influx of chakra approached her door, accompanied by a knock that sent Sakura springing off her perch as if her polarity to the windowsill had been reversed. She grabbed the crossword puzzle off her backpack to make it seem like she was doing something other than being a creep.

It was Jun. He was dressed casually in a plain back muscle tee and camo pants, which were tucked into his boots neatly. His hair was still damp and he smelled like fresh cologne, which meant he'd just showered. Was he always dressed like he was prepared for duty? Sakura wondered.

"Hey Haruno — sorry to barge in like this, but you received a message from the Hokage tower," Jun said.

"Thank you," Sakura said, taking the folded paper. She noticed it wasn't sealed. "Did this get in just now?"

"About 15 minutes ago, using one of the fast-tracked birds," Jun replied. "I suspect it would've been sent late last night."

"Ah. Got it," Sakura said. She glimpsed at the note and read:

NOTICE FROM HOKAGE TOWER

Sakura. Things are well.

For Iwa to be gratuitous may prove advantageous. See to contribute your team's abilities while we work consensus on the shinobi alliance. 3-4 weeks in Iwa should work.

Sakura tried not to show a reaction, but she was absolutely floored. An unplanned stay, for three to four weeks? She hoped the Princess hadn't done something reckless to promise free labor, but losing a bet with the Tsuchikage would've been right up her alley.

"Good news or bad?"

"Oh—uh, it depends. Hokage-sama made arrangements with Tsuchikage-sama for us to stay a bit longer than anticipated," Sakura said.

"Do you know how long?" Jun asked.

"Three weeks? Maybe four?" Sakura shrugged. "The three of us are supposed to help, but she didn't say what."

Jun broke out in a huge grin. "What was your specialty again? Cake decorating?"

Sakura bit the inside of her bottom lip to prevent herself from giggling like an idiot. "No. Cupcakes. Big difference."

"We'll have to put you right to work then," he said. "And if you're sticking around, I kind of have to show you around, don't I?"

"What?" Sakura asked, "Captain Yashin is offering to spend his free time with me?"

"Key word Haruno, have to."

Sakura laughed. "Remember when you used to be nice to me?"

"Yeah, but why would I do that when this is so much more fun?" Jun asked.

Sakura liked this — their natural, playful banter, and the way Jun could make her forget about her problems.

"Your neck okay?" Jun asked.

"Oh…" She hadn't realized she'd been touching it until now. "Yeah, just an old scar."

"You want me to take a look at it? I know a little bit of first-aid."

The thought brought a little heat to Sakura's cheeks. "I'll manage. I'll refer to the cupcake manual if I have to," she replied.

Jun's demeanor suddenly shifted from casual back to business. "I'll let our Ops know about your stay and we'll work something out," he told her while checking his watch. "Report to the dining hall tomorrow morning to review assignments."

"Understood," Sakura said, a little put off by how quickly he'd changed personalities. "I'd better find my team and let them know."

Jun nodded. "It's getting pretty late, so try to rest up after. Later, Haruno."

X

"Psssst! Naruto," she whispered. Sakura's voice fluttered into the dark, eerily empty hall, where not a soul could be seen despite how lively it was just a couple hours ago. It was late, she knew, and given these quarters were inhabited by the Tsuchikage, it was likely that everyone was on the same sleep schedule. "Pssssssst," Sakura whispered into the door again. "Naruto, you awake?"

No response. It was odd, seeing that he typically had ears like a fox. When Sakura didn't get a response after calling a second time, she snuck her way towards his door. She gave one faint knock before seeing it was unlocked and let herself in. His room was smaller than hers, yet just as pristine, with high ceilings and velvet lining the walls.

The sight of the Jinchuriki was amusing, to say the least. He was awake, but he was situated cross-legged in the middle of his bed, facing away from the door, meditating. Sakura reached out to touch his shoulder.

"AH!"

Sakura jumped backwards. "What?!"

"Jesus, Sak—what do you mean what?! Ever heard of knocking?" the Jinchuriki cried.

"SH!" Sakura hushed him with her index finger over her mouth while she hastily shut the door. "Do you always have to be so loud?" she hissed.

"What if I was—was, like, doing something embarrassing, ya know?" the Jinchuriki.

"Like what?"

"I dunno," the Jinchuriki replied. "I'm just glad I was meditating and not masturb-"

"Ew," Sakura interrupted. "I don't want a visual so please do not finish that sentence," she blurted, before desperately moving onto the topic she intended. "We should get Sasuke. I have something to tell you guys," she said.

"Actually, he's not here," the Jinchuriki replied, yawning.

"What? Why? Where is he?" Sakura asked. Surely he wasn't still playing with that mutt from earlier?

"Said somethin' about finding clues about Akatsuki in Iwa. Don't know what he thinks he's going to find, seeing that nobody here likes talking to us."

Sakura guessed she couldn't be all that surprised, but she wondered if Sasuke had already found something and if she could get him to tell her if he did.

"Don't worry about Sasuke; he's over it," the Jinchuriki said. He probably took her extended silence as a deep dive into the animosity between her and Sasuke.

"Thanks," Sakura replied, "but I'm pretty sure he hates me."

"Nah. Hold on, lemme change." The Jinchuriki went to his pack to collect a fresh change of clothes and began to take his shirt off.

Sakura turned to look at the wall as if it had suddenly become fascinating. It was ironic that the Jinchuriki's first instinct was to comfort her, considering he probably needed some counseling after almost killing a woman and baby because of a man he thought he saw. She'd seen signs of his agitation all day, like his crankiness during dinner, the scene he made in the hallway when they changed rooms, and now, as he fluffed and fluffed his pillow to the nth degree.

"Man, I can't wait to leave tomorrow," the Jinchuriki said, now fighting with the sheets on his bed to make it messy like he usually had them in Konoha. "I miss my bed, I miss my ramen, and I hate that guy Jun for making me sleep here. And why would anyone have a name that rhymes with 'June'?" he ranted, seemingly without pause for breath.

And there it is, Sakura thought, as the Jinchuriki began his rant. It probably wasn't a good time to be the bearer of bad news, but she had to let him know at some point. "About that…" She began, taking the note from her pocket and handing it to him. "This came in a few hours ago from shishou."

The Jinchuriki skimmed the note, his expression turning from confused to concerned to disappointed as the comprehension sank in. "We're stuck here for three weeks?"

"Maybe more," Sakura replied, pulling out the chair from the desk and taking a seat beside his bed. "Does something about it seem funny to you, though?"

"What do you mean?" the Jinchuriki asked. "You think it's fake or somethin'?

"Well, the seal. Shishou uses it to send messages privately to me and Shizune, which this didn't come with," Sakura began.

"But why would anyone fake that? It's not like Iwa wants us sticking around, ya know."

"And it's not encrypted, either," Sakura added.

"Well, who gave it to you?"

"Uh, Jun."

"Yech. Would he have any reason to make you stick around?"

Sakura felt her cheeks threaten to flare, and she quickly backtracked. "No. Course not."

"Well there ya go. And that's definitely granny's handwriting," the Jinchuriki said. "I see her writing those apology letters to people she owes money to."

"I guess you're right," Sakura replied.

"And she wouldn't need to encrypt it since we're buddies with Iwa now, or so we say. That's how we do it with Suna. I wouldn't think much about it," said Jinchuriki. "We've got more important things to worry about."

"Things like what?" Sakura asked. It was the perfect opportunity to segue into why he'd been so riled up lately.

The Jinchuriki collapsed on his back, putting his arms beneath the pillow under his head. "Nothing."

"It's not nothing Naruto," Sakura said. "Be honest. Are you okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Who was that man with the family?" Sakura asked. "Actually—let's start with the obvious. Was he even human or was that just some kind of illusion?"

"He's definitely a real person," the Jinchuriki said.

"Well, then who was he?"

The Jinchuriki looked hesitant but relented. "Remember back in Yukkao, when we visited that carpet store?"

"I do," Sakura replied. "And?"

"Well my clone found one of his associates. He said the owner was trying to skip town. At first, I thought I saw him here, in Iwa. That's why I approached him."

"That was the carpet store owner?" Sakura asked.

"He fit the exact description. He had brown wavy hair like his associate said he would, and I saw a stack of rings on his index finger," the Jinchuriki explained.

"But what did he do to make you so angry?"

The Jinchuriki shook his head to indicate no. "You know what's crazy? When I got closer to him, I recognized a briefcase that belonged to Dr. Jaaku," he began.

When he saw the look of confusion on Sakura's face, he added, "I did some digging in Yukkao when you and Sasuke were taking a breather and found out that the briefcase was supposed to go to Dr. Jaaku. And the closer I got, I felt this feeling of like, pure evil. So when I saw it, I knew."

Sakura nodded. Even she felt the evil radiating from that man's body like the stink of sour milk. "So you thought you saw the carpet store owner, but because of the briefcase, you think you actually saw Dr. Jaaku, and they somehow look alike?"

"I don't get it either," he muttered. "All I know is that he was responsible for Mrs. Yasumichi's son."

"And a lot more people than that," Sakura said, remembering the list of transactions they discovered before the explosion. She didn't like criminals like Dr. Jaaku. They were in it only for themselves, for their own satisfaction. They created chaos for the world, not order.

"He takes innocents away from their family," the Jinchuriki said. "That's not even the worst part. Everyone in Yukkao knows it but can't do anything to stop it. No one's protected."

"Even the police?" Sakura tried.

"No," the Jinchuriki said. "The police especially."

Sakura didn't know much about the civilian world, but she did know one thing. They had their own rules and regulations, their own justice system. It wasn't like the shinobi world. And the Yukkao might've been a cesspool, but it was a civilian one. How could these criminals be getting away? And as she began thinking about Mrs. Yasumichi, suddenly, she didn't feel so good. It felt like a weight had been placed somewhere inside her chest.

"I'm going back to that place," the Jinchuriki finally said. "I've got to stop him."

"But why?" Sakura asked. "Why is it your job to do that?" Though she was asking a question, somewhere within her was a sense that the Jinchuriki should stop Dr. Jaaku, as if things wouldn't be set right in the universe unless he did. What she didn't understand was why she felt that way, and she hoped the Jinchuriki might give her some of those answers.

The Jinchuriki smiled, remembering something from the past like he'd had the answer to this long before it even happened. "It's pervy-sage," he said. "Right before our mission, he told me about how during the war, before he became my dad's teacher, before he became famous for Icha Icha, before he was anything, he met some orphans that changed his life."

Sakura kept quiet, listening to every word. Sitting near his warm, bright chakra, she felt comfortable with him, and it stirred a feeling of light within her to hear him talk.

"He was around our age. He'd seen war. He'd killed Konoha's strongest enemies. As a shinobi, he knew what it meant to live and die. That's pervy-sage for you, ya know? Yet… meeting these orphans and teaching them, giving them something to live for—that was the defining moment of his life."

"I'm gonna find my own defining moment," he declared, "and it starts way before the day I become Hokage, ya know. I have to set out and try to make a difference wherever I can. Hell if I'm gonna let pervy-sage beat me when he was only half as cool."

Sakura never once gave a rat's ass about the hermit, only thinking of him as the pesky old man who had a thing for the slug Princess. She also never truly thought about the Jinchuriki's dreams to become Hokage, because at the time it was just something he often repeated like a mantra. Now, she learned that to him, it wasn't about being powerful enough for the Hokage title — it was about bringing positive change into the world so that he could give the Hokage title its true meaning. And even though the idea of one person improving the world was a stretch — and even though Sakura was questioning if she wanted a world-class organization like Akatsuki to be able to do it — Sakura wanted to believe that the Jinchuriki at least could.

"When I met Mrs. Yasumichi, I just knew I had to help her," the Jinchuriki continued. "She was really kind to us, especially when you, you know…"

"When I got hurt," Sakura finished. "She was kind."

"When you were at Mrs. Yasumichi's, I went to find him. Dr. Jaaku's dirty," the Jinchuriki explained. "He has the government on his payroll. The mayor. The cops. That's why Mrs. Yasumichi couldn't get any answers. And if anyone gets close, he gets rid of them."

"It was rigged from the start," Sakura said.

"Anyways. I'll get him," the Jinchuriki declared. "And when I do, pervy-sage will have to admit that I'm cooler than him."

Sakura smiled. "I hope you do get him."

And she meant it. Until now, it was easy to objectify the Jinchuriki, to continually refer to him as just a vessel of chakra she could lure out for Akatsuki to take. But now it was a different story. He wasn't just a vessel of chakra. He was his own individual, and she would no longer be calling him a Jinchuriki in her head.

When she looked at Naruto again, he was drifting off. She could see that the muscles around his brows had softened as if getting this off his chest had released a burden for him. She pulled his blanket over him and left quietly, shutting the door behind her.

On her way into the hall, Sakura noticed a dim light coming from the far end where she knew the Tsuchikage's family quarters were. She was just about to head into her room to mind her own business when she heard a loud, strong female voice slurring and hiccupping. "I just -hic- wanted 'nother shot. They're coming-hic! For us. The end world! Fuck YOU!"

What the hell? Sakura wondered. It sounded like someone was probably just piss drunk, but her curiosity got the best of her. Sakura crept a little closer to poke her head around the corner. She almost gasped when she saw the girl's face. It was the same face on the sweaters she just bought. It was the granddaughter of the Tsuchikage, Kurotsuchi.

Kurotsuchi swiped her hand at something by her ear, and it almost hit one of the maids in the face. "I said SHUT UP! Get-hic! Out of my head!" She kept pointing at an empty spot on the floor, where there was nothing except air. "Fuck. YOU!"

"Hush now," the servant said, holding Kurotsuchi's arm to her side. "Get to bed, dear."

The other servant was shaking her head, tsking in shame.

Sakura got the impression that this was more than drunk. Kurotsuchi seemed fearful of things that weren't there, angry to the point of rage, and paranoid like there was someone in her head. She seemed to not recognize her own servants. It was like Kurotsuchi was mentally unstable, and this was incredibly unsettling to Sakura. Weren't they supposed to be around the same age? How could a kunoichi from a prestigious family be in such a state?

Sakura suddenly felt it was inappropriate for her to linger any longer, as this was a sensitive matter, and she was most definitely trespassing. And if someone had found out she was invading the Tsuchikage's privacy, things would not look good. But before Sakura could turn around, her vision started to go sideways. She felt the floor beneath her flip onto its side, as if the walls were bending forwards and backward as they began to cave in.

Her eyelids became heavy.

The last thing she remembered was hitting the floor.


To be continued…