Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Rise

Chapter 11

Sasuke's first mission since he returned to Konoha is A-rank and thus dangerous—exactly the way he wants it. True to her word, Sakura is placed as his partner for the mission. Apparently Kakashi trusts her to watch over him and make sure he doesn't try anything suspicious. Sasuke knows that this extra surveillance is just a precaution and knows that he deserves this and more for all that he's done, but it annoys him nonetheless.

Naruto, for one, is extremely unhappy when he hears that he won't be joining them.

"B-but Kakashi-sensei!" he whines, having followed Sasuke and Sakura to their mission briefing. "We're Team 7! We should be together, especially since it's teme's first mission since he came back!"

Kakashi's eyes curve up in his version of a smile. "I'm guessing going on the mission is more important to you than your Hokage training, Naruto?" he asks cheerily.

Naruto sulks and mutters under his breath something along the lines of, "Stupid training. All I do is paperwork anyway; can't catch a break from all this bullshit. Stupid Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi's eyebrow twitches and the ominous sound of cracking knuckles echoes throughout the room. Naruto doesn't complain anymore after that.

Their mission is a combination of planned assassination and intelligence gathering. A small nation nestled in the mountainous terrain on the northwestern edge of Fire Country reported a hostile group of high-level ninja in their area with no apparent ties to any ninja village. The mysterious group murdered key members in the nation's governing council, and the nation's leader sent Konoha a desperate call for help as a result.

Their mission goes smoothly. Although Sasuke guessed from his many training sessions with Sakura that they would work well together out in the field, he is still surprised with how easy it is for them to negotiate strategies, to discuss different outcomes and prepare backup plans just in case something goes awry. Sakura is intelligent and rational, the perfect compliment to his own calculating and straightforward nature.

They complete the mission without a hitch after having only arrived four days prior, enemies sought out and taken care of after careful reconnaissance, and peace restored in the small nation of Shofuku-shima once again.

Sasuke and Sakura prepare to make their way out of the nation's capital early in the morning on their fifth day. Shofuku-shima's leader—an older, grey-haired man named Ahiro—bids them goodbye along with the remaining members of their council and members of Ahiro's family.

They have just turned to make their way out of the capital's gates when Ahiro's grandson—no more than eight or nine years old, who instantly took a liking to Sakura upon meeting her—runs out from behind them and skids to a stop in front of the pink-haired kunoichi.

Sasuke raises a curious brow at the boy, who sports a light blush and shuffles his feet from where he stands.

"Ketaro-kun?" Sakura questions, surprised.

The boy proceeds to simply hold out a small pink flower to her. "I-it matches your hair," he stammers out. "I wanted to give it to you, Sakura-san."

Sakura's eyes are wide for a moment before a soft smile curves her lips and she drops to a crouch. She ruffles the boy's brown hair with one hand and takes the flower from him with the other.

"That's very kind of you," she says affectionately. Still crouching, she tucks the flower behind her ear and smiles widely. "How does it look?"

Ketaro flushes even more. "You look pretty, Sakura-san. You a-always look pretty."

Sasuke can almost see his teammate's heart swell from beside him as she sweeps the boy into a hug, and he has the strangest urge to roll his eyes. He nearly misses the half-smug, half-challenging smirk Ketaro directs Sasuke's way before his small arms wrap around the kunoichi's neck, hugging her tightly.

Sasuke's eyes widen. He tries to fight the annoyed frown that begins to curve his mouth—because is he really feeling jealous of a little kid?—but fails miserably. Mood significantly, ridiculously worsened, he proceeds to glare silently at the road ahead, more irked with himself for being so easily provoked than anything else.

It starts to rain when they finally begin making their way through the city's gates again. Sakura swears beside him and groans, "This would happen the one time I forget to bring an umbrella on a mission." Grumbling, she proceeds to pull a jacket out of her pack and hold it over her head as protection.

Sasuke glances at her, then at the grey sky above. With an inward smirk, he activates a small arm of his Susano'o and extends it so that it covers both of them from the onpour.

Sakura gasps and looks up at the translucent purple arm with wide eyes. Slowly she turns her awe-struck gaze in his direction.

"Come closer," he instructs. "You'll get wet."

The beaming smile she gives him stuns him into silence, and he has to turn his head away from her in order to hide the sudden heat flaring at his neck.

"Thanks, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura takes a few steps closer to him until he can feel the warmth of her body against his arm. He manages to clear his throat and give her a curt nod as they begin walking.

Before they get too far, however, Sasuke finds he is unable to help himself. He glances behind them and swallows a wave of satisfaction at seeing the bitter look on Ketaro's face before turning back around and continuing through the city's gates.

"Nice one, Sasuke-san!" Lee shouts, flashing a bright smile and a thumbs-up. "I was barely able to block that kick of yours!"

Beside him in his wheelchair, Might Guy beams, nearly sparkling with the force of it, and Sasuke vaguely wonders how he keeps his teeth so white. "You sure are Kakashi's student, Sasuke," Guy chuckles. "I expect nothing less from the disciple of my rival."

Sasuke shoots them both a puzzled look, panting from where he stands across from them. Although he is grateful for the challenge they pose, he still doesn't quite understand how two such incredibly talented shinobi ended up looking the way they do. With their identical bowl cuts and impressively bushy eyebrows, one would see them on the battlefield and find it hard not to laugh. However, there lies a vast amount of strength and deadly speed behind their comical appearances, something he is currently learning all over again.

Sasuke originally had no plans to train with anyone that day, and was even looking forward to a few hours of practice alone. He randomly passed by Lee on the streets on his way to the training grounds, and the green-clad ninja was ecstatic as he told Sasuke how nice it was to see him and asked where the Uchiha was going on such a "fine, youthful day."

Sasuke merely gazed at Lee, not quite knowing how to handle such direct, intense attention from him, and replied, "Training."

This prompted Lee to proclaim that he was heading to train as well—with his sensei, unsurprisingly—and that Sasuke should join them so they could compare how they'd grown over the years. The Uchiha barely had time to open his mouth to say no before Lee was herding him away.

"This is the perfect opportunity to see how your skills have developed, Uchiha Sasuke!" Guy yelled enthusiastically when they arrived at the training grounds. "Let's see how the taijutsu of the Uchiha Clan holds up against everlasting youth!"

Sasuke sighed. There was no arguing with Guy once he had an idea, and Sasuke figured he hadn't trained with someone as fast as him—faster, even—in quite some time, so no harm could come of it.

"Uchiha Sasuke-san!" Lee shouts, drawing Sasuke's attention back to their fight. The taijutsu user stands with his arm bent at a ninety degree angle, hand curled into a fist, brows pulled together in determination. "To make this battle even more worthwhile, how about we make a bet?"

Sasuke tilts his head, wondering exactly what Lee could want from him.

"I know that I have no chance against you in winning Sakura-san's heart," Lee continues without a pause, dark eyes flaring, "but if I win today, please allow me to take Sakura-san out on a date!"

Sasuke's eyes widen imperceptibly. He recalls the loud ninja's endless adoration for Sakura back in their genin days, and how she vehemently refused every attempt he made to woo her. He found the whole thing annoying back then, and figured that Lee's crush on his pink-haired teammate would have faded by now.

Staring at the conviction on Lee's face, he realizes he was very wrong.

Sasuke considers telling Lee that he has no control over who Sakura dates and that even if her admirer were to win, there's no way she would be forced into something she didn't want to do. But the fact that Lee is so adamant on winning stirs something inside him that has him ignoring that fact as he raises a brow and asks, "And if I win?"

"I will never interfere with your love again!" Lee cries. "I swear by it!"

"Hn." Sasuke doesn't know what information Lee received to make him believe that he and Sakura are romantically involved in any way, but he figures his victory will result in one less annoyance in his life, and so he nods in agreement.

Lee beams in return and lets out an exuberant, "Yosh!"

"Do not fail me, Lee!" Guy yells, and slaps his student across the back so hard he nearly topples over.

Tears well in Lee's eyes. "I will make you proud, Guy-sensei!"

Sasuke merely shakes his head—he will never understand their strange relationship—activates his Sharingan, and lowers himself into an offensive stance.

Lee does the same, and Sasuke attacks.

"So," Sakura begins casually two days later, "care to tell me why Lee came to the hospital two days ago apologizing to me for losing to you and crying because he said he was officially giving up on me so that you and I could be happy together? Oh, and if you could explain why he congratulated us on our 'everlasting' and 'youthful' love for each other and said that he would be cheering us on, that would be great too."

Sasuke lowers the book from his face and leans back in his chair. He's currently sitting at her dining table, posture lax, legs splayed out before him. Sakura doesn't look up from where she lazes comfortably on the couch, painting her nails a bright green color that matches her eyes perfectly.

Sasuke clears his throat. "Lee invited me to spar with him," he replies stoically. "He set up a bet between us and I agreed to it."

Sakura chuckles and shoots him an observing glance. "Since when did the great Uchiha Sasuke partake in bets? And with Lee of all people?"

Sasuke's lips twist into a shallow frown. He turns his attention back to his book as he flatly says, "He's been fawning over you since we were genin. It was about time he came to his senses and moved on."

There's silence, but Sasuke refuses to look up again lest he say anything else out of character.

Finally he hears her quiet laugh, and he pictures her shaking her head at him in amusement as she turns back to her nails.

Sasuke relaxes, safe from any more probing questions, and continues reading.

A/N: The scene where Sasuke covers Sakura with his Susano'o was inspired by a drawing by sekibeing (on Instagram and Tumblr). He's one of the animators for Boruto. :D

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! We're getting closer to more development between the two and I cannot wait to share the upcoming chapters with you all.

With love,

Shannon