Chapter 5

Guilt was a stomach churning emotion, one that was currently leaving her to fall back against Sai's apartment building, gaze drawn to the sky.

She shouldn't have snapped at him. She shouldn't have lashed out the way she had. She should have taken the time to explain herself, especially since it was so painstakingly obvious Sai was trying his best to understand her. It wasn't his fault he didn't understand her emotions, or the motivation behind her actions.

For the umpteenth time, she pushed away from the wall only for her hand to hesitate over the handle of the door to his building. A second later and Sakura was groaning in aggravation, throwing herself against the wall again. Soon enough, someone would come out to shoo her away, growling about loitering delinquents.

Green eyes hardened.

She dared them to call her such a thing when her mood–

No. Damn it. She had to get the hell over herself.

"Well, what do we have here?"

Her eyes lost their hardness and she spun, grinning. "Kakashi-sensei!"

The smile was returned with a familiar eye crease and he lowered his book, revealing his ever-present mask. "Not that I'm not happy to see you, but what are you doing here? I've already spoken to Hokage-sama about our mission, so it can't be that."

Oh, that was right. Kakashi lived in the same complex as Sai. Huh, she wondered how that had slipped her mind, but then again, none of them really frequented each other's homes for fear of overstepping boundaries. Of course, that didn't really apply to Naruto who was always forcing his overbearing presence on others, but more often than not, they intercepted him somewhere on his journey.

Wait.

"Mission?" she repeated lamely. Even though Sakura knew she'd look foolish for blinking so owlishly, she couldn't help it and continued to do so, staring up at her former sensei in barely constrained excitement. "We're going on a mission together?"

He smirked. "Have you guys really missed me that much?"

Without a doubt. Yamato was a great captain and all, especially with his generous gifts to the team of luxurious inns and hot springs, but… Well, he wasn't Kakashi. Sakura had found (after the acceptance of many gifts, of course) that bathing in a hot bath, relaxing and knowing a feast was being prepared for her, had nothing on camping out in the woods and sitting at a fire, enjoying one another's company and truly bonding as a team.

Although he was slippery as hell when it came to his life, Sakura was confident in her declaration of knowing Kakashi a hell of a lot better than she knew Yamato – and it had nothing to do with time spent together, either. After all, Kakashi hadn't really been around that much and when their team fell to pieces, he was given other missions, leaving Sakura to study under Tsunade instead.

"So?"

She blinked. "So?"

Concern flashed through his eyes, soon followed by suspicion and Sakura didn't fail to notice the way he glanced upwards, no doubt assessing his balcony to ensure nobody had meddled with his traps. Was he expecting Naruto to suddenly fling himself over the edge, intent on seeing beneath the mask?

Sakura almost smiled at the bittersweet nostalgia that washed through her, reminding her of the original Team Seven's antics.

"What brings you here?"

"Oh." Gesturing behind her with returning guilt and frustration, she said, "I was talking to Sai."

"Oh, that's right. He lives here too."

He'd forgotten too? In his own damn building?

Another pause. Then, with a sigh, he closed his book with a snap. "Want to talk about it?"

His offer reminded Sakura of how far each team member had come in terms of wanting to understand one another.

…including Sai.

"I think it's just a misunderstanding," she murmured unsurely and once more looked to the handle of the complex. Would Sai even want to talk with her after more or less accusing him? "Or maybe a breakdown in communication. I don't even know at this point," muttered Sakura with a frustrated rub of her forehead. "He thinks he knows me and I got…"

"Defensive."

When had they even started walking? Sakura frowned at the street around them, but even though it annoyed her that she was following him blindly, she continued to do so anyway, sighing.

"Maybe, I guess."

"Maybe, or definitely?"

She rolled her eyes. "Definitely."

Kakashi hummed thoughtfully and she quickened her pace to walk alongside him, curiously peering up at his eye. Sadly, she was on his blindside, meaning she had absolutely nothing to go on. If she wanted any hopes in guessing at what he was feeling, she would have to discreetly position herself on his right side. Or maybe Kakashi had done that intentionally?

"Is there any particular reason why you're suddenly taking an interest in what Sai-san thinks of you?"

Messy red hair and intense blue eyes flashed through her mind.

"Nope," she answered much too quickly.

Straightening when Kakashi finally turned his head to look down on her disbelievingly, she smiled shyly, pretending like she hadn't been preparing to slip to his other side.

Dropping the bashful façade, she sighed. "He found something out that he shouldn't have and keeps digging to try and see if there's some kind of deeper meaning to it all an-and–"

"It frustrates you having someone bulldozing their way into your life."

"Precisely!" she groaned, only to narrow her eyes suddenly and glare up at her former sensei, coming to an abrupt halt after jumping in front of him, forcing Kakashi to stop too. "Why do you sound like you're speaking from experience?"

He smiled placatingly. "No reason."

That man was equally as frustrating as Sai, damn it.

Folding her arms over her chest, Sakura continued to glare up at Kakashi suspiciously, wondering if she could possibly wait him out.

But, as always, he weaselled his way out of the difficult situation, smiling cheerily at the fast approaching messenger. "Ah. Looks like you're being summoned by Hokage-sama."

Did it? When the messenger could possibly be going to anyone in the freaking street? How did Kakashi know that it was–

Green eyes widened and snapped back to where he'd been standing, only to narrow dangerously when she found the spot empty save for the smoke that slowly drifted away with the light breeze.

That man…

"Haruno-san, Hokage-sama wishes to see you."

Her eyebrow began ticking.

That was just a coincidence.

How was Sai already there?

Never mind that, she scolded herself.

Coming to stand before her shishou, she squared her shoulders and tipped her chin up fractionally, inwardly grinning with joy when a small smile of pride briefly shone in those amber eyes as they assessed her critically.

The pride dropped instantly.

"Where is Hatake Kakashi?"

The question sucked the joy straight out of her and caused her to grow rigid, fists threatening to clench.

If he was about to anger her without being there to suffer the repercussions, leaving it to their team…

"I just saw him, Tsunade-sama," Sakura explained carefully. "He seems to be under the impression that you have both already discussed the mission."

"Oh?"

She swallowed hard.

Then, Tsunade huffed and leaned back in her seat. "That man will be the death of me. Shizune!"

Instantly, the door behind them was reopening, but Sakura didn't look behind herself to see her sibling disciple like Naruto did, instead keeping her attention on Tsunade, knowing that a fickle attention span aggravated her.

"Yes, Tsunade-sama?"

"Find me Kakashi," she ordered, amber eyes narrowing. "Use whatever means necessary to bring him to me."

She heard Naruto gulp.

She silently begged of him not to try and defend their sensei.

Going off the basic assessment of there being no sake within arms reach of her shishou, Tsunade was definitely going to be in a foul mood – that thought was confirmed by Tonton's deflated oink a mere second after Shizune's startle at the blonde's glare.

No sake meant no patience. No patience meant watch your fucking step.

"What's all this about, Baa-chan? Are we being sent out already?"

Her brow began its warning tick.

Don't complain, idiot!

"Is that a problem?" questioned Tsunade in a lowered voice.

Before the moron could get them all into trouble, Sakura lunged and secured him into an unbreakable headlock that immediately had his face turning a deep shade of red, all the while smiling at her shishou with a nervous apologetic look.

"Please forgive us, Tsunade-sama," she told her, waving the other hand in front of her face. "Naruto hit his head while on our last mission – it must still be hurting."

"What?" he rasped, trying to straighten up but he was no match for her strength. "My head doesn't hurt–"

She thumped him unashamedly, still smiling even as he went limp in her hold. "See?"

Sai was watching her closely, but she paid him no mind. The guilt for snapping at him the way she had continued to grip at her stomach. So, what did one do to alleviate the pressures of their problems? They very, very healthily swept it under the rug, leaving it to fester until it was a much bigger problem to tackle.

No, Sakura thought with a sigh. She couldn't do that to him. At some point possibly before their mission, she would talk about it with him and make a real effort to understand where he was coming from.

"What will our mission entail?" he questioned on behalf of the team.

At least she could rely on Sai to not piss Tsunade off – well, for now. He had a tendency to irk people with his cluelessness at the best of times, though only because it often had him saying the wrong thing and offending people (not including Naruto, who he purposely offended).

"You will be escorting the client to her betrothed," said Tsunade with a huff, tossing the mission scroll in his direction. Effortlessly, Sai caught it though made no move to open it. "It's an arranged marriage and according to the mission details, she has been difficult."

Meaning they had to make sure she didn't run away.

Sakura's stomach sank, but she said nothing. It wasn't her place to and she knew her shishou would disagree with forcing someone into marriage too, however because she was professional, she didn't let it show. There was no way to refuse the mission request either, because then they would earn a bad reputation for turning people away, essentially giving the other villages their business.

She couldn't imagine what it felt like being trapped in an arranged marriage and her heart went out to the woman.

"Make sure she gets there in one piece, on time," Tsunade ordered. "She's a relative of the daimyō and he's paying triple to ensure this marriage is a success."

Oh, Gods. The freaking daimyō?

"I don't want to hear about any incidents," she continued in a warning tone, gaze trailing to Naruto and narrowing, causing Sakura to instinctively straighten them both up. "Do whatever you have to, to keep him under control. Understand?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

"For the safety of the client and her betrothed, once the captain of the team has read the scroll, it must be burned."

Was that solely due to her being the relative of the daimyō? Or was her betrothed also someone important?

"Do not take any risks that could potentially disclose her identity to outsiders. She could be used as a bargaining chip."

Ah. Probably just hers. "Yes, Tsunade-sama."

"It is essential that this mission is a success," added Tsunade and she leaned forward, planting her elbows on the desk and folding her hands to hide her mouth behind them. Sakura had learned long ago that it was a nervous habit of hers, when Tsunade wanted extra protection to hide her emotions. It unnerved her to know her shishou was anxious. "Remain professional at all times."

They both nodded.

"You're dismissed. Sai, take that scroll straight to Kakashi. You will probably see him before I do."

"Wake up, damn it," hissed Sakura, splashing the blond with water. "I didn't even hit you that hard – you're just being lazy!"

She'd already packed his bag for him, tossing his dirty clothes out uncaringly and replacing them with fresh ones. Then, she added a couple of home comforts, knowing Naruto appreciated them when he was away for a while (although their mission shouldn't last more than eight days maximum, they'd only been back in the village for an hour or two).

Groaning when he mumbled her name, she grabbed the bag and threw it at him, beating the air from his lungs. "I'll be back in fifteen minutes," Sakura informed him. "You better be ready by then or else."

Just as she left and prepared to slam the door, she heard his gulp.

She smirked.

Slam.

It didn't take long to ready her own bag seeing as it was still full from their previous mission. Like with Naruto's, she tossed out the dirty clothes as quickly as possible, using her spare five minutes to shave her legs. Shaving them while on a mission wasn't impossible, just a pain and using a henge to cover the hairs wasn't only draining, but also pointless and obvious. It was why many women chose pants and fishnets nowadays. Hell, it was why she wore boots rather than sandals or ordinary heels (that and her boots were adorable).

Worrying about Naruto's tardiness was pointless, she found when leaving her home, coming to a halt at the top of the stairs to admire the sight of him waiting anxiously at the bottom.

"S-See?" he said with a nervous chuckle, hand coming to the back of his head. "I'm even here to escort you to the gates."

Oh? He was after brownie points? Putting on an air of arrogance despite the warming of her heart, she descended the stairs, tipping her chin upwards slightly.

They were the last to arrive, shockingly. However, Sakura was fairly certain Kakashi's reluctant earliness was thanks to Sai, who stood off to the side, smiling. She wondered what transpired to cause such a heavy expression of tiredness on their former sensei's face, but knew it was more than likely due to Sai's endless questions that often went way too personal for people's likings. He'd probably asked about the erotic novels Kakashi cherished so dearly.

"Let's try and complete this mission without any disruption," muttered Kakashi as he turned towards the gates, heaving a sigh. "It'll take us a day to reach the client, then roughly a week to reach the other village."

Meaning she was probably a civilian, though that wasn't too shocking considering she was a relative of the daimyō. She had to agree with Naruto's sudden whine of aggravation – travelling as civilians was a drag.

"Let's go."

The groom was going to be a hell of a lucky man.

Once more glancing in the client's direction, she took in the sight of her shapely legs and hips, envy curling in her stomach when her gaze continued to travel upwards. Hiding her pout was difficult and so Sakura looked away grumpily as soon as she saw the generous bumps on her chest. They were enough to give Ino a run for her money. How the hell was that fair? The client was at least a year younger than herself, yet she was so well endowed, leaving Sakura to feel like the younger of the two. Even in her travelling yukata she was stunning.

It wasn't all it was made out to be, however. She supposed she would much rather have a flat chest than be forced into an arranged marriage, to marry a complete stranger.

It'd become painfully obvious when they were leaving the client's luxurious home that she was against the marriage, her tearful eyes continuously soaking in the place she'd called home. Chances were, she wouldn't see it for the longest time, if ever again.

"So, you don't want to be married?"

Suddenly zoning back in on the conversation and out of her own self-pity, Sakura frowned between the client and Naruto, hoping he would stop asking so many questions. From the backwards glance Kakashi gave him, she knew he wanted him to shut up, too. Asking too many questions of a woman already teetering on the edge was asking for trouble and they had to complete the mission without any issues.

"Of course I want to get married," she replied with a deep sigh, brown eyes trailing up to the cloudless summer sky. "But not to someone I have never met." Then, more quietly, she confessed, "Not when I am already in love with another."

Oh.

Sakura winced, briefly meeting the gazes of her teammates, though quickly looked away again when she realised instantly that she was the one who had to continue the conversation now. Stupid men, she wanted to grumble. Always starting stuff but never finishing it.

Instead, she stepped a bit closer to the client, offering a small, understanding smile. "Being without the one you love is painful," she admitted and ignored Naruto's saddening expression. "But sometimes… Sometimes talking helps?"

She really was beautiful, her features warming. "I wouldn't want to burden you–"

"Nonsense," Sakura assured her. "I've always said women have to be strong in order to survive, but I also believe that women should stick together and support one another in their weakest moments. That way, when the time comes to be strong once more, we can kick ass."

The client chuckled lightly, covering her mouth with her sleeve to try and hide her mirth. "I may stick to that motto."

She grinned. "Would you like to talk about the person you're in love with?"

There was a falter, her laughter fading away to a saddened look.

Sakura's heart went out to her, so painfully loud that she was surprised she couldn't physically feel it. "I'm in love with someone I can't be with," she admitted, much to the shock of her team. Pretending not to notice their startled reactions, she continued, saying, "We're two completely different people, with two completely different lives that just can't connect, yet…" She smiled, glancing down to the dirt road, watching as she kicked up dust. "I still love him."

A hand fell to her shoulder heavily and she felt emotional all of a sudden as she locked gazes with Naruto, his expression downcast. "You do connect with Sasuke, Sakura-chan. He's just lost right now."

That wasn't…

"And we know he cares about you deep down, too," he continued unhelpfully. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate his comforting words, she just…

Briefly, she met Sai's stare, his eyes showing nothing of what he felt (or didn't feel, she supposed).

"He always stood by you during missions and protected you with everything–"

"Enough, Naruto," ordered Kakashi quietly, his pace slowing. For that, she was grateful, because the sudden weight on her chest was too much for her to handle.

What would Naruto think of her if he knew the truth?

"He sounds wonderful," the client murmured despite Kakashi's order. "I can only hope that the man I am marrying is half the person I love. However, from the things I have heard about him…"

Sighing, Kakashi faced forward once more, resuming their pace. Sakura didn't miss the backwards glance to ensure she was able to keep up and it brought a faint smile to her lips.

"You have nothing to worry about – he's a changed man now. Nothing like the rumours you've heard."

"Do you know him, Hatake-san?"

He hummed thoughtfully and pocketed his hands. "More like I know of him. The best person to ask about him is Naruto."

Sakura's stomach twisted uneasily and she felt Sai look to her at her brief falter.

A week's travel to another village…

The daimyō wishing to strengthen ties…

"Eh? Why me?" questioned Naruto cluelessly, scratching at his head.

Don't say it.

Don't you dare say it.

Please, don't say it!

"You're friends with Kazekage-sama, aren't you?"