„An ambush..." Tenten panted, still feeling dizzy and exhausted from the fight.
"They were ninja from another village."
Naruto raised a brow, seemed confused about the brunette's assumption.
"What?!" Ino asked angrily and more than alarmed.
"Are you all okay? Any injuries I need to heal?"
"No, no, we're alright," Sakura waved off with a calming smile and moved her eyes to the four bodies. Her green orbs narrowed when she eyed the blank metal of their headbands because she was aware what that meant.
"Why do you think they were ninja from another village?" Naruto asked the obvious question, didn't see how his friend would think that.
"Well…," Sakura started, looking at her best friend.
"Just look at their headbands, Naruto. They're blank."
The pinkette pointed at the covered head of one of the dead ninjas.
"Ninjas with blank headbands are known for being spies from other villages who travel to other places to gain information… or to cause trouble. Like beginning a fight or assassinate a prey. They didn't carve any symbol on their headbands to cover their heritage so they can hide where they're from."
The fox ninja nodded understandingly and heard how Ino slapped her forehead.
"Oh fuck!" she exclaimed. "And we totally killed those motherfuckers!"
"AAAH! Dammit, you're right, dattebayo!"
"It's alright," Tenten appeased, trying to calm everyone down whereas Kiba nodded.
"Yeah. 'Cause we know who's behind that sneaky shit."
"We do?" Naruto asked incredulously. "Who was it?"
"What do you think? Those Konoha-bastards, who else?", the brown haired ninja barked.
"But why?", the pinkette leader wondered and earned looks that basically screamed 'Seriously?''
"Uhm… because they're bastards..?" Naruto offered her, as if it were too obvious not no notice.
"I'm aware," the pinkette deadpanned dryly.
"I just mean… It's not like them. After all, Uchiha Sasuke declared war and even set a damn DATE, shannaro! Why would they attack us? Bastards or not, Konoha doesn't fight dirty."
Sakura really couldn't think of a plan that Sasuke might followed, as much as she tried.
"Why blank headbands though? Everyone knows that Konoha declared war, so why would he cover up an assassination mission? " she continued.
"There's no reason for them to hide, wouldn't you agree?"
"Maybe they did it so other villagers won't recognize them and warn us?" Tenten offered who still understood where Sakura was coming from.
"I think Kiba's right, though. Konoha-nins are known for being manipulative and sneaky fighters who like to discover their rivals weak points and disable them before a fight."
Ino nodded, made it obvious that she too shared her theory.
"Totally agree. They want to destroy us from the inside."
Her blue eyes lingered on the dead bodies and Ino scoffed smugly, folding her arms before her chest.
"Well, they tried, I'll give them that."
"I guess you're right," the pinkette sighed, accepting of the only logical explanation.
Of course Konoha would use dirty tricks to weaken Timea and demonstrate their power, of course they would try to kill the most powerful ninjas of her homeland.
God, that Uchiha was one hell of a bastard, shannaro!
"However, we need to make sure to keep unexpected guests outside Timea. I think we should send Rayo and his team to guard the borders."
"I'll tell him as soon as I can," Kiba promised, earning a thankful smile from his comrade.
"Thank you, Kiba."
"Okay guys, we should go back and rest, dattebayo"
A loud yawn escaped his lips and Naruto stretches his arms, making it more than obvious how tired he was.
"Naruto's right. Come on, tomorrow's a big day- MPH!"
To Sakura's surprise, Tenten covered the Yamanaka's mouth with her hand, choking her in the process which looked pretty hilarious to her, however, she raised her brows in astonishment because Tenten was actually a calm person in general.
"Well… yeah. We should rest. All of us need to sleep, the shades under our eyes look scary to be honest,", Kiba smiled before he and Naruto grabbed Sakura and pulled her towards the camp.
And Sakura could've sworn that she heard Tenten calling Ino a blabbering waterwall…
"But I'm hungry, shannaro!"
.
.
.
…
Sakura was a passionate , hotheaded fighter through and through, however, there were days were she worked as a medic in Timea-gakure. During those days, she worked with Rin Sensei, Ino and other medics to help injured and ill people who were far more important than training to her. But she still didn't understand why Naruto and Tenten forced her to spend her time in the hospital even though there weren't any emergency that needed her special attention.
Were they trying to get rid of her?
"Whooo, look who I found!"
The female leader turned to the sudden male voice and immediately recognized the attractive face of Leo, a good looking, brown haired playboy she knew for years.
That guy wasn't just an exceptional shinobi with impressive strength, he was also capable of handling every single surgery which required perfect precision. He was a master surgeon and saved thousands without breaking a single sweat which made him one of the most valuable members of Timea's army.
"Leo. Good to see you, I really need those chakra results of patient 233-"
"I already took care of him and told him he's free to go, pinky. I stitched him up so good, he even started his training session,", he interrupted with a big grin on his face.
"Oh wow, uhm… wow," the pinkette stammered impressed, making her way to the next patient with Leo by her side. "I mean, that's really impressive, Leo. You're a real pro."
"You know what else is impressive, pinky?", the latter asked.
"That a woman like you doesn't have good enough taste to spend a few nice hours with a man like me. I can't be the only one who feels the sexual tension between us."
Oh for God's sake, not again.
"Hey Leo? You like your penis, right?"
Hearing those calm words, Leo blinked a few times, looking totally surprised about that question.
"Yeah..?"
"Would you still like it If I cut it off and stuffed it down your throat?"
.
.
"No-"
"Yeaaah, that's what I thought. But that's exactly what's going to happen should you ever call me 'pinky' again, champ," she explained matter of factly.
"And by the way, I'm not your type," she waved off, looking unimpressed while she kept walking, earning a dumbfounded look from the brunette.
"Sakura. Women ARE my type!"
"Forget it."
"Ah, come on! One night with me and you're world will shake."
"I already told you, I'm not gonna sleep with you,", was her dry reply, sounding disinterested.
"More important, how did you manage all those surgeries? I mean… staying up for three days must be pretty hard even for you."
Sakura tried to change the subject, however, Leo snickered lowly, giving her a devilish grin.
"You wanna know what else is hard..?"
"Hey! Careful, Romeo. Shut it," Sakura warned.
"Sakura, come on. I find you really hot and you know I can't concentrate with thoughts like that. Give me one night."
"You know who else is hot? My girlfriend," the pinkette claimed whereas Leo looked comically surprised.
Wait… Did that mean..?
"You're right, Leo. I'm a lesbian. Totally gay," she confirmed Leo's thoughts.
"And my gay, mannish, rough girlfriend Earl -yes, her name is Earl- really wouldn't appreciate a man like you coming at me like that. She likes to get out her metal hammer and smash every guys head who approaches me. You know, after she started taking those pills and since she got that new penis and her voice started changing, she seems a little energetic. Such an attractive trait…," Sakura raved, acting like a girl in love.
Leo looked totally shocked, not knowing if his comrade was joking or not.
"Now If you excuse me, I gotta go. My patient is waiting."
Before Leo could utter any words, the kunoichi turned around and kept walking, leaving the tall shinobi behind who just stared at her retreating back in astonishment.
She shock was written all over his face because that was the last thing Leo could've ever expected. He then walked to his next patient, shaking his head disbelievingly.
.
.
"Earl..?"
…..
"Oh my God, Sakura, you're here. The only person next to Tenten I respect."
Yamanaka Ino was one of the most powerful kunoichis of Timea who possessed healing abilities that every ninja barely could dream of. The blonde joined the army a year ago and helped Sakura with her knowledge about medical nin-jutsu.
And right now, the Yamanaka was trying to take care of Shino who suffered from a severe injury.
"Goddammit, Shino! How in the world did you manage to ram that nail through your palm, shannaro?!"
The nail impaled his Hand completely and to all that, it was stuck in a big piece of wood which looked really painful.
"I just wanted to help building a new cottage…," was Shino's quite, apologetic explanation whereas Sakura nodded, noting every word down.
"It's okay, Shino. We'll deal with that..."
Fast and with perfect precision, Sakura pushed two specific areas on Shino's palm which caused his skin to glow in a soft green right before Shino felt no pain anymore which made Ino give Sakura a proud smirk.
"Seriously, forehead. Your chakra-blocking is fucking crazy."
"Heh, you're making me blush, Ino-pig. Thanks," Sakura replied with her cheeks indeed becoming a little redder.
To be honest, the sarcastic, moody, scaring Ino wasn't known for giving anyone compliments, moreover, the blonde kunoichi only shared her soft side with her female members if her group.
And her patients of course.
"Hey guys, you won't believe what just hap- Oh my God, this is disgusting."
Kiba suddenly appeared and he seemed caught off guard after he realized how grotesque Shino's injury looked.
"What the...-"
"Oh, don't worry, it looks worse than it actually is. I just blocked his chakra and numbed his pain and due to the fortunate fact that his bones weren't pierced in the process-"
Sakura stopped when Ino and her witnessed Kiba breathing heavily, his eyes becoming a little too… heavy as dizziness was making him weaker and weaker with each second.
"Oh Lord, she's losing consciousness. Let's show her the bloody side!" Ino smirked who just loved teasing the shinobi whenever she could which was the reason why she hold Shino's numb, injured hand and started to wave right in front oh his face.
"Well look at that, Tina, that's his palm nailed to this bloody piece of wood. Look close, it's bleeding like hell, it SNAPPED like a bitch! Look at it, touch it, LICK THE TIP!"
Kiba's dizziness worsened and not a second later, the poor ninja fainted and fall straight in the floor, not seeing Sakura's pitiful smile when Ino started laughing at him.
"Why are you always so mean to him?", she jokingly demanded whereas Ino simply shrugged.
"She's gotta learn how to deal with tough situations,", Ino answered, not showing any remorse as she grabbed her bloody glove and threw it at Kiba's head.
"Don't you worry about her, she'll be arlight."
.
…..…
"Rayo is up to something."
Naruto and Tenten were walking through the market, looking for a birthday gift for Sakura who had no idea that her team was planning to surprise her with a little party.
With the war coming nearer with each passing day, the group knew that enjoying their last days in peace and freedom were valuable, not to mention that Sakura would never think about her own birthday in times like this. She was a dedicated leader and didn't care about anything but building a beautiful village without any dangers from outside.
"Rayo? What do you mean?" Tenten asked with a raised brow.
"Did you two have a fight again?"
"No, not this time," Naruto grinned sheepishly, knowing that he had to be calmer and more mature. But Rayo made it really hard for him, so she shouldn't blame him for that.
"I don't know, he's really weird lately, dattebayo."
"He always is."
"I know. But I just… I don't know, I'm getting more and more bitch vibes from that. I just don't trust him, ya know?"
Tenten listened to him patiently, waited until he was done and tilted her head to look at him directly.
"Naruto, he's a timea-nin, a shinobi who fought with us against horrible enemies. He's a bastard, there's no doubt here, but you shouldn't think too much about him. What's the worst he can do? Shout and scream at us?"
Naruto scoffed and knew she was right. Maybe he really was reading too much into it.
"Come on, tell me what else is bugging you," she suddenly demanded, earning a surprised look.
"You've been acting really strange this morning. Is there anything you want to tell me?"
Naruto seemed a little off this morning which was uncommon for the fox ninja who's usually in such a good mood that even a war couldn't change it.
"You dodged Sakura's question earlier, Naruto, but I'm a little more persistent. Tell me."
"Heh. You ability to read people is getting better and better. Kinda scary," he joked.
Tenten didn't get distracted and folded her arms before her chest, waiting for Naruto to tell her about his problem without saying much.
"I'll take it as a compliment," she commented dryly, making him laugh.
"It was."
Naruto sighed because he knew that keeping everything bottled up wasn't actually his piece of cake. It just didn't suit him, so he gave up and started giving her the answer that he denied his pink haired best friend.
"Well, I had a few bad nights, is all", he started and didn't see the confusion in her face.
"What do you mean? Can't you sleep properly?" she pressed which caused Naruto to lool dejected.
"No. I'm having those weird dreams… about Sakura, dattebayo..-"
"Sex dreams?"
Immediately, Narutos entire face flamed of shame, his cheeks were a burning red and he looked like he saw a ghost.
"ARE YOU CRAZY?" he shrieked, making Tenten close her hurting ear.
He definitely knew how to hollow, really.
"I do NOT HAVE sex dreams of Sakura, of course! That would be disgusting, dattebayo!"
Seriously, they were like brother and sister, Naruto would never dare to see Sakura like… like a woman he could desire!
Disgusting!
"Calm down, calm down, it was just a question. Jeez…," Tenten shrugged off his screams of terror. However, it was kind of interesting to see that even Uzumaki Naruto could feel immense shame and the brunette made sure to remember that next time he would mess with her.
"What kind of dreams are haunting you then?" she asked the obvious question which made Naruto look dejected again.
"Well… I saw her crying," ha started thoughtfully.
"More than that, she was crying, sobbing as if someone ripped her heart out, Tenten. She didn't say anything, I just saw her crying her eyes out, she seemed so...-"
There weren't words accurate enough to describe the sadness and the bitterness in Sakura's eyes, not to mention the countless tears she shed.
"And she looked different, dattebayo," he added a little confused.
"What do you mean 'different'?"
"Her hair was much shorter than now. It reached her shoulders and-"
"She had short hair when she was 16, Naruto. Maybe-"
This time, Naruto interrupted her.
"No, that's not it."
Naruto knew that Sakuta preferred to wear her hair short when she was 16 because it didn't bother her during training sessions. Apparently, she found it more practical like that, but she let it grow again.
"This Sakura from my dream wasn't 16. I'd say she was about 23 or 24 years old. But that's not all," he said, finding those dreams even more suspect when he talked about them.
"Her clothes were also different. In my dreams, Sakura wore a green dress and… I don't know, Tenten, but it looked like this Sakura came from another… village?"
What really bugged him was the fact that seeing this version of Sakura kind of felt.. familiar.
"Sakura never wears dresses, Tenten. And the way she cried… It broke my heart, dattebayo..."
That picture, that showed Sakura who seemed so bitter, so horribly sad and broken had burnt itself into his brain, clouding his mind like a thick fog.
She was sitting on the green grass, her skin far too pale, her dry lips shaking and her orbs red and wet from all those burning tears she had shed. Her sobs were so intense, so loud and broken that it made it impossible for her to say a single word.
The young woman seemed alone, broken, as If someone burnt her whole world, taken everything and everyone that was important to her.
But he couldn't do anything to help her, Naruto couldn't reach out to Sakura.
"Hey, don't beat yourself up," Tenten comforted him, giving him a soft pat on his back.
"Sakura is stressed because of her secret leadership, not to mention that Uchiha Sasuke declared war. It's a fact that Sakura doesn't live like the average woman, that might be the reason why she wore a dress in your dreams", she offered him a simple explanation.
"I mean, we all are pretty worked up, Naruto. Try to relax once in a while and don't pay too much attention to your nightmares. They're just dreams that have nothing to do with reality."
Naruto took in a deep breath and sighed, finally accepting Tenten's comfort and gave her a thanking smile.
"Thanks, Tenten", the Uzumaki grinned.
"No need to thank me. I really don't like you being too serious and sad. Now come on, we have to hurry before Sakura finds out about the birthday party."
Oh. Right, that was happening right now.
"Ah, shit, you're right! Ino's gonna behead us if we don't make it in time!"
If there was one thin Naruto and Tenten feared from the bottom of their hearts…
It was Yamanaka Ino's temper.
.
.
.
…..
Soundless and secretly, a brown haired shinobi sneaked through the darkness over the borders in the empty land between Konoha and Timea, a land that belonged no one. However, the shinobi wasn't running away from the upcoming war for he was about to meet one of the most powerful ninja in the word, without paying a single thought to the horrendous treasure he was about to commit.
His eyes flashed angrily over the mere thought of the oh so mighty leader of Timea, which was nothing but a facade of a little, weak woman.
A girl.
He still couldn't fathom the mere idea of her being the great leader.
The dark haired ninja couldn't believe that it was Haruno Sakura who made herself the leader and actually acted like one. A weak woman had it in her to betray not only her own army, but also every other village who respected Timea's new power without giving even the slightest suspicions.
Who in the world would've ever thought a woman without any special traits or power could create a whole army?
He sure didn't.
It was a real challenge to sneak away from the others, however, the traitorous ninja didn't care at all. No, his goal lay right behind the borders of Konoha-gakure, the village that declared war without giving at least a single reason, much less an explanation.
"Behold!"
Suddenly, the shinobi was surrounded, facing three ninjas who seemed alarmed and ready to fight and it didn't take an expert to know that these men belonged to Konoha's guards.
The brown haired ninja showed no fear whatsoever nor was he scared in any way because he was here for a reason, a plan he had in mind.
"I am a shinobi from Timea," he introduced himself and he could saw their narrowing gazes.
After all, they were a few days left until war which made it more than understandable that his sudden visit was not appreciated.
"What do you want?", one of the guards hissed, making him roll his eyes.
God, that was so annoying.
"I have to talk to your hokage," the shinobi demanded without showing emotion.
"There is something I need to tell him. You could say… interesting information."
For a moment they seemed to consider his words but suddenly, the shinobi felt a strong chakra signature. Another ninja appeared, walking towards the new visitor as he watched him with light eyes that were shining in the same color as the moon.
Pearl colored eyes were watching him like a hawk, the man seemed to analyze him with obvious distrust. He wore white clothing, his blown hair was long and his skin pale.
However, his light eyes were enough for him to know who he was dealing with.
Definitely a Hyuuga.
Hyuuga Neji.
"What would a timea-nin possibly want from us?", Neji directly asked, analyzing the stranger with narrowed eyes to make sure this wasn't a hidden ambush.
"Or are you the mysterious leader of Timea..?"
"You are mistaken. I am not our leader," the brown haired ninja immediately denied.
"I came to talk to Uchiha Sasuke," he continued, not a bit backing down.
"For what reason exactly?", Neji asked with calm distrust.
"If you want to talk about the fight, then I have to disappoint you. Sasuke-sama won't change is mind, you would just waste valuable time."
"I believe what I have to say to your hokage is of high importance," he pressed.
"There is no reason for you to distrust me for I have left my homeland."
Neji saw no lies nor regrets in his eyes but for some reason he still believed him.
"What would your hokage say If I told him that the identity of Timea's leader is no longer a well hidden secret..?"
Hearing those words, Neji widened his eyes, seeming surprised for he was told that no one knew the real name of the all mighty leader of Timea, not even their own army.
Could it be a trap? A foul trick to attack Konoha?
No, he doubted that. Timea was far too powerful and smart to send a single ninja, that wouldn't make any sense.
That's why Neji finally nodded, accepting the ninja's offer.
"What is your dame?" Neji demanded with controlled voice whereas the stranger gave him a little smirk.
"My name is Rayo..."
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Alright… I did it.
I kicked my butt and I… well… yeah, I tried, okay?
I don't feel good about this, I don't like my english chapters but I still want to share my stories with my SasuSaku family and… yeah.
I know it's still a little boring and all but TRUST me-
Things are gonna be crazy.
Xoxo
Fifi-Uchiha!