This is a story not a journal so I won't go into all the many ways my life, time and money has been sucked up the past month. Also I've seen the Naruto Shippendou episodes(awesome!) and I've heard about the current manga so I know that some of the details here are obviously wrong now, but damn it, this is Fanfiction where anything is possible so enjoy the ride. . . . OR ELSE!
I tried to make this chapter a decent length so enjoy!
Chapter 15: Better Suna Than Later!
"Sakura!" called Ino running through the late afternoon crowd towards a startled pink haired Kunochi, " Where the hell have you been! I've been looking for you forever! You haven't been at your apartment all weekend! Here!"
Ino shoved the small bag that Sakura had brought with her to the bar what seemed like years ago into her arms.
"I've been trying to give that back to you forever! You left it on the counter at the bar! Yawara and I looked for you but the bartender said you left with a tall red head. Anything interesting happen that you should tell me about forehead?" Ino said coyly smiling widely at her friend.
Sakura felt like she had been slapped. The good mood that had been delicately balanced ever since she had her new outfit designed and purchased a really nice pair of black boot sandals evaporated. For a horrible instant she was back in that room shoving Ryu off of her as he-
"Sakura are you ok?" Ino asked instantly concerned as Sakura dropped both the pack she had just given her and a shopping bag that looked to be from a shoe store. What worried her most was the blank but scared look on her face, "Sakura? What's wrong? Sakura!"
Sakura came aware as Ino grabbed her arm and quickly stammered, "FINE! Fine, sorry, I just, nothing. I just remembered I have to go prepare for my mission tomorrow. Thanks for my bag Ino, I'll catch you when I get back ok?
Sakura quickly picked up her bags from the street and dashed off, transporting to her apartment after she turned the corner. Dropping them on the floor she barely made it to her couch as she dissolved into tears.
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"Kakashi! My fierce rival! You've finally joined us!" Gai said loudly tears pouring down his cheeks like little waterfalls, "Prepare to continue our battle for-"
"Hn, did you say something Gai?" Kakashi asked turning a droopy eye to the beautiful green beast.
"Your response once again is so cool! I don't get it!" Gai grumbled quietly continuing to cry.
"Late as usual Kakashi?" Asuma said relieved that he actually showed up this time and decided to let up a bit on Genma.
"Are the ladies coming tonight?" Genma asked winking.
"No Kurenai and Anko are still on a mission," Asuma responded lighting a cigarette and signaling the waitress to come over. She was tall, with wavy brown hair to her shoulders and deep brown eyes. She slinked her way over the group of men and proceeded to take their orders.
"What'll it be tonight boys?" asked the waitress smiling at the group of handsome ninja.
"Sake," said Kakashi.
"Sake," said Gai.
"Beer," said Asume.
"Same " said Genma.
"So all of you guys are ninja huh?," asked the waitress giggling.
"Space cadet," thought Kakashi rolling his eye and sharing a knowing glance with Asuma.
"That's right baby. We spend our days fighting to keep Konoha and Fire country safe," said Genma smiling lecherously at the girl.
"Or spying on people through windows," Kakashi muttered just loud enough for Asuma to hear.
"Wow! You're so heroic," replied the girl batting her eyelashes at Genma. "Can I get you guys something to eat too?"
"Just some kaki-pi," answered Asuma nudging Genma in the ribs trying to pry the jounins eyes off of the waitress.
"Some arare please," said Genma swiveling his senbon from one side of his mouth to the other.
"Do you ever hurt yourself doing that? It looks so sharp?" asked the girl leaning over to examine the senbon and revealing an appealing amount of cleavage in the process.
"If I cut my lip would you kiss it better?" Genma asked resting his arm on the table and leaning towards the waitress with a smoldering look.
"Maybe," giggled the girl as she turned and swayed her way back to the bar.
"How in the world do you get girls with lines like that?" asked Asuma constantly astonished at his senbon chewing friend.
"He goes after the girls on the same mental level as him," Kakashi replied.
"At least I actually go after girls, I don't just go through their-" Genma started then catching a deadly look from Kakashi changed what he was going to say with a gulp and finished lamely with," minds . . . for conversations. . . ."
Asuma and Gai both stared wide-eyed at Genma and Kakashi noticing the decidedly odd exchange.
"Has Genma been spying on you through windows while you go through girls 'minds' Kakashi?" Asuma asked trying not to choke on his cigarette as he laughed. He didn't get where he was as a shinobi without being able to put pieces together.
"I-" Kakashi began awkwardly.
"Yeah, I caught him over at HQ flirting with some new Kunochi over some scrolls. Pretending like he knew anything about them. It was so pitiful. You'll never get a girl showing off over a scroll," Genma covered, giving Kakashi a wink.
"I guess you're right, after all I'm here with you guys tonight," Kakashi answered relieved to have skewed away from the truth.
"Have no fear my rival, love will bloom even when in the summer of our lives!" Gai exclaimed enthusiastically.
"Look, here's our order," Asuma said nodding towards the waitress that was once again fixated on Genma.
"I love how colorful the arare are this time of year!" said the waitress as she set down the men's drinks and snacks.
"That's right it's almost the doll festival," Kakashi muttered contemplating as he grabbed a handful of the snacks and expertly maneuvered them into his mouth without letting anyone get so much as a peep at his face.
"Sure Kakashi you can have some!" Genma said loudly rolling his eyes.
The motion was wasted as Kakashi expertly took no notice of his needle chewing friend and proceeded to sip his drink, making plans for the future.
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Naruto stood at the door outside of the room where missions were assigned staring irritated at the clock on the wall and wondering WHERE THE BLOODY HELL HIS TEAM MATES WERE!! Honestly, it was already 10:00am and he was ready for a mission already. At long last his team was finally going to be together again and here he was the only freaking one here!
"Yo," Kakashi waved over his book as he poofed in front of the door beside Naruto. "Sorry I'm late I . . . Sakura's not here yet?"
"Kaka-sensei! You're late! But for once Sakura is even later. She's not here yet. Do you think she forgot?" Naruto asked scratching the back of his whiskered head. "Maybe we should go find her?"
Kakashi was about to agree, suddenly worried when the pink haired Kunochi in question stepped around the corner. Naruto and Kakashi couldn't help but stand there with their mouths open as the sight of their long time teammate took hold. Sakura suddenly looked every bit her age and no longer the timid boy crazy 12 year old. Her new outfit fit her to a T and subtly showed off the curves that the previous outfit had left lacking. Her sleeveless red shirt with the Chinese collar that still sported her family sign of the white circle went marvelously with the tight black shorts and cute little whitish pink skirt that went over it. New high heeled shinobi boots showed off her legs to great effect but would certainly serve another purpose as far as protecting her mostly bare legs, provide hiding spaces for weapons and would no doubt be quite painful to anyone she kicked with those heels. Most striking of all though was the black mask with white lining that covered her face from below her eyes to what looked like just where her jaw met her neck. All at once their Sakura looked fierce and womanly, the very picture of the perfect Kunochi.
That was what one would think of course if you hadn't known her for years and could see the tiny lines that indicate worry or upset at the very corners of her eyes. At least that was what Kakashi thought he saw. Naruto on the other hand was all cheers and proceeded to run up to her and give her a huge bear hug, or in his case "fox hug", and for once Sakura let him instead of punching his lights out.
"Sakura-chan you look great! Where did you come up with this outfit? And what's up with the mask?" Naruto asked letting go and stepping back to get a better look at his friend.
"I'll catch you guys up later, I think we've kept the hokage waiting long enough to get our new assignment don't you?" Sakura asked taking Naruto and Kakashi's hand and pulling them into the next room with her.
The two boys stumbled behind Sakura's strong grip on their wrists but righted themselves quickly and all three went to stand in front of Tsunade and Shizune who sat behind a great big desk piled high with missions.
"So you all finally decided to show up eh?" Tsunade asked arching her brow at the three in front of her doing her part to add to the guilt. "I hope nobody needs to depend on your sense of time to survive in this mission because I might as well just sign their death warrant now."
"Please excuse us hokage-sama," Kakashi said humbly, " Naruto and I were waiting just outside the door for Sakura but-"
"You mean I was the one waiting for BOTH of you!" Naruto yelled pointing a finger at Kakashi and Sakura.
"You try to blame it all on ME copy ninja!" Sakura shrieked, eye twitching above her mask.
"Enough!" Tsunade said forcefully, "I think we've wasted enough time don't you?"
"Yes hokage-sama," all three said in varying tones of voice from remorseful to justified.
"I have a very important mission to assign to you and for this mission your fourth will be Shirunai Genma," Tsunade announced, "Genma has already been appraised of the mission and will be waiting for you with the rest of your party the west gates when I am through with you."
"Rest of our party?" Naruto asked.
"If you'll let me FINISH Naruto!" yelled Tsunade glaring at the young blond haired demon fox. "This is a three part mission and I don't think I need to emphasize the importance of it in light of the news regarding Sasuke. I believe you have all been informed about his probable demise?"
Tsunade waited as the three nodded, Kakashi looking straight faced, Sakura a bit sad and Naruto defiant.
"The first part of your mission is to escort a party of four sand ninja back to Suna. One of their members has had a mysterious illness recently. I have checked on him myself and he seems to be sound in body other then some bruises but his mental state has been a bit unbalanced and he can't remember what happened to him. It is very dangerous that someone is attacking our allies in our own village at this time and I want you all to keep a close eye on him and the rest of his group on the way back to make sure that nothing happens to them. The injured one's name is Yamamoto Ryu, his team leader is Murakami Kenta, his teammates are Hashimoto Masaru and Hamada Takumi. After escorting them safely home you will report immediately to the kazegage. Gaara has been ill for some time and I want Sakura to inspect him and hopefully heal him. We need to cement our allies right now. The third part of the mission is to continue investigating exactly what is going on with Orochimaru and Akatsuki. There have been rumors of sightings around the borders of Fire and Sand countries and I want you to spend two weeks surveying the border to see what you can find. I have a lot of teams out there right now working on this already of course but since you'll be in the area I want to take advantage. After healing Gaara I will send you more details on that third part of your mission. I have mission scrolls for each of you. You need to meet Genma nad the sand team at the gates by 12:30, no later. This means YOU Kakashi!" Tsunade finished up turning the evil eye on the slouching copy ninja.
"Leave now and study you missions, Sakura stay behind for a moment," Tsunade said indicating that the others leave.
Kakashi poofed away and Naruto made his way to the door with a big grin on his face excited about getting a mission that had some meat to it.
"Sakura-chan," Tsunade began, "I have some separate scrolls for you to study regarding the kazekage's illness. I believe you also know the shinobi who was attacked don't you? Wasn't he the one-"
"Yes hokage-sama. I seem to recall meeting him," Sakura said calmly not letting any emotion touch her voice.
"I want you to keep a special eye on him and offer any healing that he may need. I think he's fine but this whole thing is a mystery that I have a bad feeling about and I want you to be on your toes,"Tsunade continued.
"Yes hokage-sama," Sakura replied.
"You are dismissed, Shizune has the scrolls pulled for you and they are waiting at your desk in the hospital. Oh, and Sakura?" Tsunade said as Sakura turned to leave. "I like your outfit. It suits you very well."
"Thank you very much Tsunade-sama. It's a new me," Sakura said sedately as she strolled through the doors and out to prepare for her mission.
Well hope you enjoy. I was planning on making the start of the mission a part of this chapter as well but I feel like I've already waited forever to update so I'm throwing you all a bone cause God KNOWS when I'll actually have spare time again.(really it shouldn't be as long this time!