Bug related missions and training like that lasted for a solid month for Team Seven, and during this time Shino was conflicted, he didn't know whether to tell Sakura that he cared about her that way or keep his feelings secret while they worked hard on their missions and training.
Until one day "Two of you will be going on a C Rank Mission, Sasuke, Sakura you'll be joining Team Eight temporarily for the next month, Shino, Kiba and Hinata will be your replacement teammates for the time being" Shibi informed them.
"What who the heck decided that it was a good idea to split us up, even if Naruto the Knucklehead is our friend we've never been able to get in sync with him" Sasuke grumbled not happy in the least about the sudden change.
Or the fact that they'd be going off on a mission without Shino and their sensei "Come on Sasuke we might be able to now, we've been genin for a month after all, he might have improved" Sakura soothed patting Sasuke on the hand gently like she use to and haven't had to do for awhile.
Not since he'd let go of his anger towards Itachi after finding the true culprit that had dragged his family name through the mud, Shino clenched his hands into fists "Just make sure to come back safe, why because we're teammates" Shino grit out.
It was hard separating from his teammates now that they'd finally established a good foundation of teamwork with each other, but it was harder letting Sakura out of his sights since he'd figured out his feelings for her.
Shibi grimaced behind his high jacket collar cursing Kakashi Hatake within the safety of his mind "It's only a month now I suggest you get home and start packing the mission starts tomorrow at 0800 hours" the Aburame Patriarch ordered of his students.
Sasuke grit his teeth but turned and began trudging off "Guess we'll see you in a month, take care of yourself Shino, Sensei" the Uchiha grunted with a wave until he was out of sight, Sakura passed a hand through her hair and sighed.
And took a step forward to go home as well and do as told "Hold up Sakura" the Aburame Heir grabbed her by the wrist in a panic, suddenly fearing that he wouldn't see her again, she was strong but C Rank Missions could turn dangerous in the blink of an eye.
Emerald orbs shot towards him "Everything okay Shino, you seem a little pale" the pinkette frowned concerned that he wasn't doing well and without really thinking it through pressed a hand to his forehead checking his temperature as she was being taught.
Medic training was going very well for her at this point and she'd even earned herself a spot as an intern at the hospital "I'm fine, why because I have faith in you, however I'd like you to take this for good luck" Shino rambled so unlike himself.
While holding out a little pouch "Female Kikaichu scent bag wow thanks Shino" Sakura smiled wide immediately knowing what the good luck charm was and threw her arms around Shino hugging him tight.
To which he returned the hug "Should anything happen send word with Shiruki-san" Shibi cleared his throat, reluctant to ruin the moment and the two teens jumped away from each other as if they were on fire.
Cheeks red "Right and with that I'm off take care Shino, Shibi-sensei" Sakura waved hurrying off as her heart beat harshly against her ribs, face flushed in embarrassment because that was the first time Shino had ever returned one of her hugs like that.
Not to mention it had lasted for several minutes longer than she was use to "Are you okay Sakura, your face is all red" Sasuke asked when she finally caught up with him, Sakura nodded in answer as the blush went away.
And they finally arrived home "Back already, did your sensei fail you or something" Kizashi laughed boisterously as they were use to and the two preteen's shared an amused smile at the older man's antics.
"Outside the village mission actually, Sasuke and I were assigned temporarily to Naruto's team for his C Rank Mission" the rosette explained to her Father, then vanished up the steps to her room to get started on packing.
Lots of preparations needed to be done before she would consider her ready to go on her first outside the village mission ever "Understandable I guess, Sakura-chan is the only medic of her generation" the pink haired male mused.
"Don't worry Kizashi-san I'll make sure nothing happens to her on this mission alright" the ebony haired preteen bowed low before one of the adults that had taken him so long ago that they were practically a second set of parents to him now despite not being adopted by them.
Then did as Sakura did and disappeared to his room "This is going to be one lonely month huh Kizashi" Mebuki sighed realizing that all three of the children would be flying the coop so to speak and she wasn't sure how she'd cope without them there as she was use to.
Kizashi pressed his lips together and joined his wife on the couch so they were sitting side by side "Let us hope they come home to us alright" the blonde prayed, nothing was ever simple with her daughter after all.
"Can you believe it Sakura-chan, Sasuke, we're going on a mission together" Naruto burst out when he caught sight of his friends padding back and forth between their rooms, a pile of things in their arms with each pass.
He frowned when they ignored him "You guys even listening" the blonde sulked a little put out that they weren't even acting excited that they'd been slated for a mission, the three of them all at once due to his own sensei's request.
"Sorry Naruto and yes we were listening, but packing properly for missions is very important as you know" Sakura reminded gently looking over the medical tool in her hand before tossing it in the trash, pulling out a notebook to make a list of things they'd need from the market.
Now even more put out "Aren't you guys even a tiny bit excited, I know I am, even though the guy we're escorting is a drunk and called me short" Naruto ranted and raved not wanting to be excluded anymore from their close friendship.
Sakura sighed "Naruto as much as we want to placate you and tell you we're excited, we're not really, Shino is our ideal teammate, how can we be sure that our teamwork will be flawless with you added in the mix, we can't and we didn't ask for this mission anyway" Sasuke scowled.
Already irritated and Naruto wasn't helping things in the least by behaving like the child he still was, Naruto's mouth opened and close "Geez what's your problem Teme, no need to take it out on me you know" the blonde snapped and then slammed his door shut.
"Oh bother way to go Sasuke, I'll deal with him, you just take this list and five hundred ryo, and go to the market please" the pinkette sighed looking exhausted as she headed for the shut bedroom door that belonged to the sensitive Uzumaki.
"Right I feel like such an ass, tell him I'm sorry will ya" the ebony haired preteen groaned, he could have said that in a different way but no, he had to be blunt and to the point which resulted in a negative reaction.
With that he was on the way to the market to get the huge list Sakura had scratched down for him while she knocked on Naruto's door "Leave me alone" Naruto called from within sulking from his blowup with Sasuke.
She crinkled her nose "It's me Naruto and you probably don't want to hear this but Sasuke is sorry for saying all that in a way that hurt your feelings" Sakura called back leaning with her back against the door and staring at the ceiling as she talked.
For a few moments she thought that he wouldn't come out until the door knob clicked and she leaned forward hastily to avoid falling "Just don't understand how you two can't be excited about our first ever C Rank Mission" the blonde sniffed.
Cringing Sakura attempted to find a way to placate her friend over that "A C Rank Mission is something to be excited over sure, but with how sudden it is all we get is a bad feeling from it" the rosette settled on simply telling the truth.
And the Uzumaki boy looked curious "Bad feeling like how Sakura-chan" Naruto frowned loosing a little of his enthusiasm for the mission he had wanted so badly, his friend tapped her lip in thought trying to figure out the best way to explain to him what she felt.
"Like trouble is headed our way it's an innate feeling Naruto, Sasuke picks up on that due to our closeness and the last time I felt this bad feeling nothing good came from it" Sakura said omitting the rest because it was forbidden to tell.
Maybe someday but it wouldn't be that day or any time soon, thirty minutes later the missing preteen returned carrying an abundance of things in his arms "Took forever to find all this stuff" Sasuke grunted glaring at Sakura.
Who smiled innocently not that he believed it for a second really "Can you guys help me pack to, you said it was important to know how to pack for a mission properly right and I'm sure I didn't do it right so will you help me" the blonde asked.
Determined to not be a burden on his temporary teammates, they both looked at him and then shared grins "Of course we can Naruto, get your pack and bring it to mine" the pinkette clapped her hands disappearing into her room.
"Go on I'll join you in a moment" the Uchiha shooed him off and he zipped back into his room to grab his pack then hurried next door into Sakura's room where she had a pile of stuff on the floor to his absolute amazement.
He wondered what most of that stuff was for as Sasuke joined them and they all sat on the floor "First empty your pack Naruto, let me see what you've got so far" Sakura instructed her and Sasuke's packs completely empty right now.
"We might have to get more just in case" Sasuke frowned eyeing the scattering of objects, a half a roll of ninja wire, dulled weapons, a few smoke bombs and a couple of exploding tags, no clothes, no food or water supplies, or medical supplies in the least.
The blonde caught his expression immediately "I'm guessing I'm terrible at packing you'll just have to teach me" Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly feeling like the idiot he was always being called.
Sakura patted his arm gently "Pretty horrible, anyway what you want to do first is make sure you have plenty of clothes so take this scroll, Naruto, Sasuke and seal a couple weeks worth of clothes into it along with some laundry detergent and an extra pair of sandals" the fuscia haired preteen said.
Ushering the two boys off to their rooms as she did the same, raiding her dresser for mission appropriate clothes "Allow me Sakura-sama" Mibojin popped into existence in a plume of smoke having the ability to summon himself at will for his summoners sake.
Quickly he set to work, upgrading her clothes by weaving his silk into them, Sakura watching him work with a fond smile on her lips until he was finished giving her clothes a small level of protection, they'd be harder to destroy now and as a reward he was given some nice juicy flies.
Before he disappeared in a plume of smoke right as the boys returned "What do you think Sakura-chan did I do alright" the blonde asked as she checked over the amount of clothes that he'd sealed within, nodding in acceptance and sealing it all back up with a bottle of detergent.
Sasuke was next and soon their clothes supply scroll was placed in their empty packs "Okay now what Sakura" the raven haired preteen questioned still unsure if they were going about this the right way, the mission might not even last a whole month after all.
"Essentials for grooming, a couple of towels, body wash, shampoo, conditioner and a couple of rags for washing, toothpaste, toothbrush and hair brush or comb that's it" Sakura listed off and the three of them traipsed off to their bathrooms for their personal stuff.
That scroll was added to the pack once they returned to Sakura's bedroom "Are you really gonna take along all those medical supplies" Naruto asked when Sakura started loading up her medical pouch with a ton of stuff.
Five rolls of bandages, chakra, energy and blood replenishing pills, antidotes to common poisons in pill form, medical tools of all varieties, herbs of all kinds, and a mortar and pestle to complete the pouch which was set off to the side.
"Medics have it rough don't they" Sasuke grimaced as they started on their own medical supply scrolls, thankfully having enough to split with Naruto since he had none whatsoever until it was added to their quickly filling packs.
Next to be added to the pack was an extra weapons scroll, whetstones, kunai, shuriken in the case of Sakura her favorite throwing needles, makibishi spikes, smoke bombs, a couple of full rolls of ninja wire and tags of all manners, exploding, genjutsu, illusion and elemental.
Pouches were refilled as well, weapons were sharpened and soon the trio moved onto their food/water supply scroll, along with a survival kit scroll for extra "Kami this is ridiculous, are you sure we really need all this stuff Sakura-chan" the blonde stared in horror at the amount of stuff they were packing.
But Sakura nodded seriously "Yes Naruto packing for a mission properly could be the deciding factor between life or death for us" the pinkette said while Sasuke grimaced thinking maybe they should go see Inoichi for another therapy session after the mission was over and done with.
"It's better to over-prepare and not need the stuff than to not prepare and need it basically is what Sakura is saying" the Uchiha added explaining a little better to the knucklehead why they were taking such pains to ensure they were properly packed for their mission.
The answer was accepted as they moved on to adding other essentials they thought would be useful, fuinjutsu books, elemental books and after asking Naruto where the mission was taking place a book on herbs was added to Sakura's storage pouch until she deemed them done.
Only then did they relax on her bedroom floor just lounging about really until it was dinner time "Did you three get done packing" Mebuki inquired of the children, one her own daughter and the other two were like her own sons despite that not being true.
Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to ask again after they came back from this mission "Yes Mom, everything from grooming essentials, to clothing, food, water, medical supplies, extra weapons and some books as well" Sakura ticked off her fingers.
While the boys held their heads and groaned "Poor Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun, it's hard being around a girl isn't it" Kizashi grinned only to get whacked over the head with the spoon his wife loved to carry around for exactly that reason.
"And don't worry I'll make sure we come back safe" Sasuke added glancing to Sakura who was humming and lost in her own little world right now, he had to for their sake and Shino's who wouldn't admit that he liked Sakura like she liked him.
"So please don't worry about us to much okay Mrs and Mr Haruno" Naruto piped in impatiently waiting for dinner to be set before him so they could all eat and then after taking a late shower or in Sakura's case a bath the three of them went to bed early after setting their alarms.
~Following Morning~
Exactly at 0600 hours Sakura was the first one awake and seeing her chance to commandeer the kitchen took it so she could make breakfast for once it wasn't more than five minutes later that she was joined by a half awake Sasuke.
Who sat and plopped his head on the table watching her pad about the kitchen until he was fully functional "Dope probably forgot to set his alarm" the ebony haired preteen snorted lightly in amusement as Sakura cracked some eggs and whisked them with salt and pepper.
"Nu-uh Sasuke, Sakura-chan made me do it last night before we went to bed remember and since when could you cook Sakura-chan this is the first time I've ever seen you working the kitchen" the blonde sat at the table and stuck his tongue out already awake and full of energy.
He'd just taken a little longer to get ready because he couldn't find his sandals "Since we had that day at the Akimichi Compound where we looked how to cook, I've been practicing" the pinkette admitted lightly.
Finishing up by making a freshly squeezed pitcher of orange juice for them, then went about dividing up the food and leaving plenty enough for her parents as they dug in after giving their thanks for the meal.
And they even got in some last minute preparations, going to the market and buying extra food and water supplies before it was time to head to the gates when they arrived there was an extra person waiting for them there.
"Thought I'd see you off, why because friends do that for each other and wish them good luck on missions" Shino greeted at their appearance, each of them sporting packs, he looked them over critically and frowned, the packs weren't even halfway full.
"Is that going to be enough for your mission" the Aburame Heir gestured at the packs only to get grins, he should have known that they'd make use of the storage scroll to pack their things and still have extra room in their packs.
Before he could really get into it Team Eight's Sensei arrived with the Client for the C Ranked Mission "Good you three are here, Naruto already knows but this is Tazuna, the master bridge builder we're escorting home" Kakashi jumped right in to introducing Tazuna to the other genin.
Tazuna who eyed them with extreme suspicion "Maybe we could leave girly behind, she looks completely unreliable like that short one with the stupid look on his face and don't even get me started on that one, he looks like he'd kill me himself if given the chance" Tazuna grumbled.
Completely and utterly drunk, Kakashi grimaced behind his mask "If I were you Tazuna-san I'd watch what you call us if you don't want to find yourself abandoned and facing down a bandit I don't take kindly to insults and I especially don't appreciate you insulting Naruto and Sasuke either" Sakura snapped.
"Sakura-chan is right, we were chosen as your escorts, if you can't give us a little respect then it's not worth it guarding you" Naruto crossed his arms over his chest sticking up for himself and Tazuna paled because he hadn't thought these mere brats had guts like that.
And the last one was silent "We should probably get started on this mission" Sasuke sighed as the five of them signed out, Sakura waving to Shino as they headed in the direction of the Land of Waves to ensure Tazuna made it home alright.
Even if a couple of the genin wanted to punch his daylights out for his insults to their skills "You've changed Sakura-chan, you use to be so polite to people" the silver haired Jonin commented when they were approximately two miles away from the Leaf Village.
Viridian orbs flashed in his direction "Still am Kakashi-sensei only to those that deserve it as it is I don't trust him in the least, why so afraid that you'd need a shinobi escort unless there were more than bandits after you" the pinkette narrowed her eyes on Tazuna.
Who went completely rigid and started sweating at the accusation and the Jonin in charge of the genin honed in on that perhaps there was some validity in what Sakura said as they continued walking in the direction their mission dictated.
"Don't be preposterous what would I have need to lie for, I'm just a simple bridge-builder trying to get home to his family without getting mugged by bandits" the old man tried to defend himself but his efforts were lackluster with that pale look on his face and fear in his eyes.
Sasuke picked up on the lie at the same time Sakura did "Now, now even if the Old Man did insult us there's no need to be so suspicious of him right Sakura-chan, Sasuke" the lone blonde tried to reign everyone in without little success.
"That's all the more reason to be suspicious cause without a doubt he's lying about something I can say that with certainty" the Uchiha on the team narrowed his own eyes and Tazuna paled further proving his point.
Where even the knucklehead could figure it out that they'd been lied to right from the start "Okay kids lets leave the speculation for later" Kakashi clapped his hands and spoke sternly in hopes to have order among their group again so that he could think.
Should he turn them around or continue the mission since nothing had happened so far "Up ahead Kakashi-sensei about forty meters there's two chakra signatures lying in wait for us" Sakura said not a moment to soon when he thought they'd get away scott free.
"How can you tell Sakura-chan" Naruto asked in confusion shuffling closer to the lone girl in their group as they edged closer to the chakra signatures that were unknown to them, a lone puddle lay in their path but they went around it and Sakura kept casting subtle glances back at it.
As the other member of the team spoke up "Advanced sensory skills, Shibi's been giving her lessons on detecting the chakra of small creatures like insects and plant-life" Sasuke announced also sensing the chakra on a lower level than Sakura could.
Just then when it seemed like everything was nice and peaceful chains wrapped around Kakashi and ripped him to shreds "Oh god we're going to die" Tazuna muttered in horror as Naruto let out a scream of terror for his sensei.
Then his arm was gripped "Calm down Naruto and don't lose focus, there's an enemy before us, Kakashi-sensei will be fine" the rosette instructed releasing him from her hold and charging forward at the enemy who had Chunin level chakra reserves.
Flying through a set of hand signs before kicking a powerful wave of water at the rogue-nin since it was clear what he was "Raiton: Lightning Stream and Dope duck" the lone Uchiha on the team added his own element into the mix before instructing his remaining teammate to duck.
Who did as asked, dropping to the ground and rolling out of the way of the second enemy then back onto his feet as the first one went down due to the combined elemental attack from Sasuke and Sakura, then Sasuke turned and lunged at Tazuna.
Stopping the second in his tracks with a tackle "Shadow Clone Jutsu" the blonde decided that he wouldn't be the only one not contributing to the fight as he made a few shadow clones to help hold down the rogues and get their client out of the way of a chain attack.
"Good work you three, excellent teamwork I would say" the silver haired Jonin returned in the nick of time, taking over by tying up the rogue ninja from the Hidden Mist Village with ninja wire that the lone girl on the mission handed to him.
And Tazuna fell on his ass relieved to even be alive "But how I thought you were completely unreliable, you didn't even hesitate girly, freak out or scream like that goofy one" the bridge builder rambled in confusion.
Until the girl stomped her way towards him "First off my name is Sakura stop calling me girly, looks can be deceiving, second if I reacted to every little thing I wouldn't be able to call myself a shinobi and third do you want to tell us the truth now" Sakura bared her teeth angrily at the man.
Itching to punch him just once as her hands clenched and unclenched repeatedly to calm her temper realizing he was completely outed their client hung his head in shame "Very well" Tazuna nodded it was the least he could do.
"Follow me then Tazuna-san" Kakashi cleared his throat just glad that the two genin that he'd requested to join this mission had their heads on straight as he led the bridge builder away so they could talk about the true reason this mission had been requested.
"You okay Naruto, that scratch looks painful" Sasuke said in the ensuing silent and Sakura snapped to, body flickering to their side in a swirl of cherry blossoms to take Naruto's injured hand and stare at it with fury in her gaze.
Sasuke shuddered and Naruto wanted to edge away from her as well "Nah it doesn't hurt all that bad really Sakura-chan" Naruto assured lying through his teeth because it was actually pretty painful and he even felt weird now that attention had been drawn to it.
She grit her teeth "Liar and if I'm not mistaken there's poison in your wound to, don't worry though Naruto I can fix it up and make you feel better" the pinkette smiled kindly, hand glowing a light green as she pressed it over the scratch on Naruto's hand.
Then to his awe the scratch started fading away leaving behind a small pink scar before she reached into her fully stocked medical pouch and pulled out a jar of pills and handed him one, he swallowed it without question, feeling better in seconds.
"Nice seems like you've really improved on your medical ninjutsu huh Sakura" the ebony haired preteen smirked pleased to see her in action for the first time since she'd started training, the medic must have given her the okay to start using the mystical palm without instruction.
"Is that why you keep going to the hospital every other day, you were learning that, that was so cool Sakura-chan, can you teach me please" the blonde burst out in excitement only to have a hand slapped over his mouth.
While she looked around warily "Won't guarantee that you'll understand Naruto or even get this down but I'll teach you, also try not to be so loud from this point on, whoever sent them has to be watching and waiting for us to lower our guards" Sakura scolded lightly, relenting to his request.
Paling slightly the boy nodded in understanding wanting to do his absolute best not to mess up anymore on the mission than he already had "Okay Sakura-chan I promise and thank you" Naruto nodded seriously.
"Might as well learn as well, could be useful" Sasuke shrugged knowing it would be a handy skill to have in his arsenal down the road someday in case of emergencies, though he didn't dare think it would be easy.
Just then the Jonin in charge and their client returned "Seems like this little C Rank Mission has turned into an A Rank Mission" Kakashi confessed and Sakura wanted to really hit Tazuna now because this was not what she signed up for.
Not that they'd had any choice because of Kakashi himself requesting them for this mission "I am so sorry I didn't think things would turn out like this" Tazuna bowed apologizing for endangering the genin on their very first outside the village mission.
Sakura let her shoulders drooped "Why did you lie in the first place, if you'd made a request for a mission with the appropriate rank other Jonin could better protect you than us, who are genin" Sasuke scowled unhappy with how this mission was slowly turning out.
"Going back is simply out of the question, we'll just have to deal with whoever comes our way right" Naruto piped in looking determined, he wasn't going to fail no matter what, his dream was to become Hokage after all so that he could finally be acknowledged by people.
Tazuna grimaced listening to the shinobi talk amongst themselves so they could agree on some sort of plan the fact that they were still willing to protect him a little had him in awe over their loyalty to a mission client.
"I think Sasuke and Naruto are both right, though we could send a message and inform Hokage-sama of the situation" Sakura added her own opinion divided, Tazuna wasn't really all that bad, she just hated people who lied that was all.
Peering at Sasuke who nodded while Kakashi simply looked confused "That would take hours even employing the use of a summons, we can't afford to waste time waiting Sakura" the silver haired Jonin stated.
Before the girl smiled "Don't worry Kakashi-sensei I've totally got this alright, Ninja Art: Red Legged Spider Summoning Jutsu" the pinkette sped through a set of hand signs, bit her thumb, swiped the blood down her palm and slammed her hand on the ground.
And in a puff of smoke Mibojin was in front of her "You summoned me Sakura-sama" the spider asked staring around with his eyes spotting something rather worrisome then focused his attention fully on his summoner.
"We have a bit of a problem Mibojin-sama, see Tazuna-san there lied about the rank of the mission, but we're to far away from the village to just turn back, so could you inform Hokage-sama that we plan to continue the mission for me then come back" Sakura requested.
Kakashi looked intrigued as the spider poofed away "Since when the heck could you do that Sakura-chan" the blonde of the group burst out moderately severely confused, he was seeing another side of his friend that he'd never seen before.
"Since before we became genin Naruto, a couple days before actually, it was a gift from someone" the ebony haired preteen admitted, glancing around warily because the longer they stood there, the easier it would be to off them.
Just then Mibojin returned "He said that he won't be sending any back up and that he hopes you know what you four are getting yourselves into by continuing this mission, now what else can I do for you Sakura-sama" Mibojin explained what the Hokage had told him.
"How cruel he's just leaving you to fend for yourselves" the bridge builder gaped in horror they were being abandoned by the very village they loved and worked for all because they decided to complete the mission despite the difficulty it now presented.
Emerald orbs shot towards him "Can you add your silk to everyone's clothing here I have a feeling they'll need that little extra bit of protection, also I'd like to set up a communication system with my summons" the pinkette turned to face the others at the second part.
Sasuke nodded use to this while Mibojin set to work on weaving his silk into everyone's clothing "Communication system what do you mean Sakura" Kakashi was completely lost on what was going on anymore.
"Basically each of you, yes you to Tazuna-san, will carry one of my summons with you at all times in case something happens to us or we're separated my summons can still communicate and inform us of the situation whatever it may be" Sakura explained.
Now he just felt tired "If you feel that's for the best Sakura then do it" Tazuna grimaced unsure of how he felt about this idea as Sakura summoned five much tinier spiders calling them each by name, Shiruki, Ashi, Kafu, Irome and Hitomi.
Hitomi who crawled onto him and attached herself to the underside of his bamboo hat, Irome went over to the Jonin, disappearing while making himself comfortable under the man's headband, "Cool" Naruto murmured quietly as Ashi perched on him.
Then as Sasuke had come to expect Kafu was his partner "Hello Kafu, I look forward to working with you again" Sasuke gave a small smile to the spider as the rogue Chunin from Mist were killed, a lethal dose of poison from Mibojin who finished his task then was gone in a puff of smoke.
And with that they started down the path again, much more wary than before "So how come you lied anyway old man" the lone blonde questioned carefully, looking around cautiously just in case because he didn't want to be caught unaware ever again.
"My village is poor thanks to Gato of Gato Corps but I knew that asking for a mission that was way above the limit of what we could pay was out of the question, that's why I have to build the bridge to save my home and free us from his rule" the bridge builder admitted.
Sasuke and Sakura gravitated towards each other as they were use to "No matter who stands in our way Tazuna-san we'll stop them" the pinkette nodded though she still had a bad feeling, she didn't feel as if any of them were going to die.
Which was a huge relief to her heart as they boarded a motor boat to cross the ocean, hiding in the mist "Sakura is right, we'll beat them down no matter the circumstances" the ebony haired preteen pounded his fist into his hand, speaking in a determined tone of voice.
Off to the side Kakashi chuckled under his breath "And I'll be there to make sure none of you get killed that's a promise" the silver haired Jonin stated seriously, thirty minutes later they were stood on land again.
Immediately the lone girl went rigid "Is something wrong Sakura-chan" Naruto shifted in her direction when it seemed like she was frozen in place by something for a couple of minutes she stood there debating on whether to say anything until Shiruki piped in a calm voice that she should.
"Right, I sense a foreign chakra, it's really slight almost completely hidden but it's there hiding in a tree waiting for us fifteen meters straight ahead" Sakura murmured quietly to Shiruki, who relayed the message to the others.
To their surprise "Guess you really know your stuff huh Sakura" Tazuna grimaced pleased the girl had suggested this idea in the first place because they could communicate on a near silent level with one another without revealing anything to their enemy such as the fact that he'd been outed.
"We've used this system before with Shino and Shibi, it's been certified for missions and a lot more comfortable than the radio communicators" Sasuke piped in as they started their trek forward relaxing as best they could so they didn't out themselves.
So when an attack came they weren't completely off guard as the Jonin in charge shouted at them "GET DOWN" Kakashi ordered in a brusque tone, shoving Tazuna to the ground while Sasuke dived and Sakura tackled Naruto.
Just as a giant butcher like sword flew through the air at them, narrowly missing as they all dropped to the ground then embed itself into a tree, where immediately after an unknown man to them appeared on the handle.
"Zabuza Momochi a rogue from the Hidden Mist Village huh guess I'm not to surprised" the silver haired jonin glared, wondering if this had really been the best idea to continue the now A Rank Mission as a higher ranked rogue appeared.
The man tilted his head in their direction "And your Kakashi of the Sharingan eye did I get that right" Zabuza as he'd been called growled in a gravelly sort of sounding voice face wrapped in bandages the only thing really visible his eyes and his hair.
Sasuke clenched his hands into fists at that "Sasuke calm down, now is not the time" the rosette at his side grabbed his arm and squeezed it gently in warning, speaking in a low voice, while keeping her eyes forward watching their enemy critically.
"Right got it, Dope over here now, we need to protect Tazuna at all costs now" the Uchiha blew out a breath forcing himself to not think about what he'd just learned about his temporary sensei as they made a formation around their client.
Holding out their favored weapons "Understood Sasuke" the blonde gulped shaking lightly in fear that something was going to go wrong despite all their preparations but he was resolved to get through this mission no matter what like they were.
Zabuza eyed them curiously, with a hint of murder in his eyes and Tazuna paled "I'm going to die aren't I" the bridge builder whimpered seeing his death in that gaze until Sakura pressed a hand to his arm and with a jolt he snapped out whatever it was he'd just been put through.
"Girly fancies herself an expert on breaking out of genjutsu's eh, enough talk" the Mist Rogue growled grabbing his weapon and charging before the Jonin could even react he had broken through their formation and went to swing his sword through the bridge builder.
Only to be stopped as a clone from the blonde came up out of the ground stopping him in his tracks for a moment "Like we're going to let a freaky bastard like you hurt old man Tazuna" Naruto scowled pulling the bridge builder out of the way as Kakashi reached the enemy.
And placed a kunai to the man's neck while the blonde boys clone poofed out of existence, their relief was short lived as a short water style clone battle ensued before Kakashi was kicked through the air into the water and captured in another water style jutsu.
"Run get out of here you'll only get in the way" Kakashi ordered cursing himself for being careless like this, now the genin had no chance to survive, it was going to be all his fault, that's if he lived long enough that was.
Naruto clenched his hands into fists "Oh intending on fighting are we" Zabuza mused rumbling out a dark laugh that send shudders down their spines as he noticed the genin gearing up to Kakashi's absolute horror.
Then made another water clone with a one handed hand sign "We aren't abandoning you Kakashi so forget it, where's Irome" Sasuke shook his head before glancing to Sakura and whispering the question under his breath.
"On Zabuza of course, Irome bite now" Sakura instructed not afraid to have her summons bite someone if it meant saving another person's life, it wasn't a lethal bite sure, but the venom would make for a hellish few days once the poison kicked in.
The water clone wavered as Zabuza was distracted "The hell did you do to him" Tazuna gaped in horror as the man lost control over his chakra, both jutsu's failing but still being able to keep himself atop the water was a feat for sure.
Sakura smirked as the four of them stood back watching until came and took the dead Zabuza away, she wasn't stupid of course the placement of the senbon needles, a pressure point in the neck that let one fake their own death.
But Kakashi was her top priority now as he collapsed "Don't think you're getting out of a scolding Sakura for being reckless like that" the silver haired Jonin groaned before losing consciousness after using his sharingan.
"Yeah, yeah whatever you say Kakashi-sensei, anyway it's not safe to treat him here, how far away is yours Tazuna-san" the pinkette rolled her eyes not to worried about the scolding seeing as how she'd only commanded her summons to do his job.
"Not far come on you three, I'm sure your exhausted and ready to eat something" the bridge builder sighed exhausted himself as he helped to practically drag the Jonin to his house where he was laid on the couch for the time being.
His daughter stood back wringing her hands "Is the poor man going to be alright, what happened tell me Father" Tsunami asked nervously as the young girl knelt and placed her hands over the unconscious man and they started glowing a soft green.
"We were attacked ma'am, the names Sasuke Uchiha, that's Sakura Haruno, the one on the couch is Kakashi our sensei and that's Naruto Uzumaki and yeah he'll be alright, just overdid it really during his fight" the ebony haired preteen snorted.
Naruto as she'd been told nodding his head "Sakura-chan will patch him up though, she's been learning to be a medic for a month now after all" the blonde grinned eager to try his own hand at medical ninjutsu to see if he had a talent for it.
Probably not but he still wanted to give it a try "We'll I'm Tsunami, I do have a son, Inari but he's out playing right now" the blue haired woman introduced herself fidgeting until the green glow faded and Sakura stood brushing her knee's off.
Then the Jonin was taken up to a spare room to rest properly "Zabuza's not dead, that Hunter Nin was a fake, also Tsunami-san would you mind if I borrowed your kitchen to cook" Sakura informed the minute she and Tazuna returned back downstairs to the living room.
Said man choked on spit "But we saw it ourselves and your sensei even checked to make sure so how can you say that he's not dead and that it was all a ruse" Tazuna spluttered in confusion, Sakura slanted a look to Sasuke.
"It was the placement of the throwing needles, that spot he was hit in is a pressure point that temporarily stops the heart allowing one to fake their own death" Sasuke reeled off a textbook answer for everyone in the room.
Remembering only because he read that book on pressure points Sakura had "Kami would it kill you two to be normal for once" Naruto sighed not sure what to expect anymore from his two friends, it was clear though that they were far out of his league.
"Of course you can borrow the kitchen sweetie so long as you clean up after yourself and put everything back the way you found it" Tsunami relented to Sakura's earlier request and the girl vanished into the kitchen to get started on an early dinner.
Even cooking extra for the civilians that were hosting them during this time of strife, she didn't dare use any of their supplies, instead pulled out her food supply scroll, cracking it open for the first time since they'd left the Leaf Village behind.
By the time Tsunami's son had returned from playing outdoors, dangerous sort of thing to do especially in these circumstances, dinner was done "Who the hell are you guys" Inari frowned as he entered the kitchen smelling delicious food.
And not liking the strangers seated around the table "Inari don't be rude, these shinobi protected your grandfather, now sit down and eat, Sakura-san was kind enough to cook dinner for us with her own food supplies" the blue haired woman scolded harshly.
Inari flinched and did as told for once to her relief "Thank you for the food" the raven haired eight year old murmured keeping mostly to himself as he ate only to vanish from the dinner table to his room when he was done.
Making his mother sigh "Do you mind if we set up traps to ensure your protection during the night Tsunami-san" the rosette questioned while doing the dishes with some help from Sasuke, who knew better than to make her do all the work.
Tsunami shook her head and hurried off to the living room leaving the genin alone with her Father "What all do you intend on setting up as traps" the bridge builder inquired curiously because he hadn't thought they'd go this far for an old man like him.
"Mm most likely a bit of fuinjutsu, traps all around the house, genjutsu, barrier jutsu and the like, ninja wire to I guess" the ebony haired preteen mused glancing to Sakura who nodded in acceptance already planning out several things in her mind no doubt.
While Naruto grimaced "Yeesh you two do nothing by halves do you" the blonde crinkled his nose up in frustration, he could only get better sure but like he'd thought earlier Sasuke and Sakura were leagues ahead of him.
In the next moment he found that statement to be true, Sasuke and Sakura went above and beyond, laying all manners of traps inside and outside to his horror "Should anyone try to break their way in, they'll get a nasty shock from this" Sakura snickered heartlessly.
Placing seals all over the doorways and windows to which Sasuke sealed his lightning nature jutsu inside of them "Scary" Naruto whimpered frightened of his friends, who were ruthless to people who weren't their own.
"Consider it this way Naruto, better to be safe than sorry" Sasuke shrugged, drawing out another layer of seals over the original, for the barrier then activated it, creating a blue glow over every window and door-frame.
That wasn't the half of what they did, despite the barriers, genjutsu tags was put up under an illusion outside, along with a timed weapons tag that would go off at the first sign of an intruder, then at every corner, ninja wire was strung up, more genjutsu was placed, and lots of weapons.
Setting up all the levels of traps took an hour "Well goodnight" Tazuna huffed when the kids trudged back inside and bid him goodnight once they were finished ensuring their protection during the night, then they trudged up to a spare bedroom and went to sleep for the night.