Chapter 16: New Long Term Mission

Tsunade yawned in her bed, lipstick half faded, hair frizzed, and a thumping headache. "What a night." She breathed out before laying her arm across the chest of the person next to her. PERSON?? Her eyes shot open as she found a sleeping Jiraiya right next to her. She looked down at her bare body and shrieked. Jiraiya woke up and sat up in bed looking around.

"Wha? What is it?" He looked to his left. "Oh, morning Tsunade….wait a second…Tsunade???" He asked in disbelief. The Fifth pulled the sheet over her breasts and stared frantically at the Sannin.

"What the hell happened last night??" She yelled.

"Well, we had a few sake's, began talking about old times, and then…and then…Hehe I forgot!" Jiraiya said sheepishly. Tsunade's eyes widened.

"You don't think we…"

"Actually that part I remember quite clearly," Jiraiya began with a smile, "Ahh after 40 years I finally fu—" WHACK! Tsunade punched Jiraiya in the jaw causing him to fly out of the bed. Luckily he had his boxers on.

"GET OUT!" Tsunade roared. Jiraiya gathered his belongings and dashed out the door. Tsunade looked down at the bed and shivered. I had sex with HIM?!?! She quickly got up and ran into the shower, where she stayed for 45 minutes scrubbing her body all over.

Kakashi and Sakura walked down the circular corridor in Hokage Tower. "Hopefully she's awake." Sakura said. Suddenly, the door of Tsunade's bedroom opened with a half naked Jiraiya running out. The two nins froze as they watched the old Sannin dash down the hall. Sakura paused for a second then gasped in shock. Kakashi stared impassively. "You don't think they…" Sakura began. Kakashi looked through the open door and blushed as he watched a naked Tsunade dash into the shower. He straightened up and stared ahead. Sakura stared at the Copy Nin. "What is it?" She asked. Kakashi blushed furiously.

"Hokage-sama…"

"What about her?"

"…"

"What is it???" Sakura asked impatiently.

"…They're bigger without the shirt on…" Sakura was confused then she heard the shower turn on. Her eyes widened and she clenched her fist. She shot a finger underneath his nose.

"PERVERT!!!!!!!" She screamed. Kakashi stood lazily at the kunoichi. He sighed.

"Guess we have to wait till she's done." They sat in the lobby outside of her office. 45 minutes passed and Tsunade still hadn't come back yet. Sakura had her head on Kakashi's lap staring at the ceiling, while the silver haired jounin was reading his Icha Icha book.

"Kakashi?" Sakura asked, breaking the silence.

"Hn?" He asked, face still buried in the book.

"Do you love me?" Kakashi was confused. He looked down at the kunoichi and smiled with his exposed eye.

"Of course I do."

"Do you really love m?" Kakashi was starting to worry.

"I love you more than anything in the world Sakura," he responded, "what's bugging you?" Sakura's face turned as pink as her hair.

"So even though…my body isn't up to par with other women…you still wouldn't leave me for someone with a better figure?" Kakashi's gaze softened. He sat her up and gave her the deepest kiss he could through his mask.

"I wouldn't have any other woman, and I wouldn't have you any other way." Sakura smile and gave him another kiss. Kakashi sensed Tsunade's chakra approaching down the curve in the hall. He moved Sakura from his lap and put his book away. The blonde bombshell Sannin appeared rubbing her head.

"Kakashi! Sakura! What do you guys need?" Kakashi and Sakura stood up addressing the Hokage.

"Just last night, we were ambushed by hunter nins wishing to retrieve a bounty for my head. The leader of the Lightning Country, Yusuke Tanaka, set the bounty." Tsunade's eyes widened at the information that was just disclosed to her.

"The leader of Lightning Country?" She asked bewildered, "Do you know if the Village of Clouds have anything to do with it?" Kakashi shook his head.

"Not that I know of." Tsunade walked into her office, pondering. The two jounins followed in step. Tsunade sat behind her desk, stacked with papers. She folded her hands in front of her and stared at the two over her interlocked fingers.

"I want you to go to Lightning Countr," Tsunade said, addressing the Copy Nin, "it will be an information gathering mission. I expect it to last at least 6 months." Kakashi's eye widened.

"6 months?" Kakashi inquired. He had plans set for Sakura's birthday, which was less than 2 months away. Sakura stared at the Copy Nin worried.

"Any problems?" Tsunade asked with a hint of annoyance in her voice. Kakashi sighed.

"None whatsoever," He responded, "but I do request a teammate."

"Gai is free. I will have him over here."

"If it is alright with you, I would like to choose my teammate." Tsunade looked suspiciously at the silver haired jounin. Kakashi kept his face impassive.

"And who do you choose?"

"Sakura." The pink haired kunoichi's eyes widened and she looked back at Kakashi. Tsunade thought about it a moment.

"Very well. If anything does happen to you, Sakura could help you out. She's the best medical nin in the village second to me." Sakura smiled at Kakashi. Thank you Kakashi. She thought. "Alright. You two should pack, and head out tonight. It takes about a week to get to the capital of Lightning Country." The two nins bowed and walked out of the office.

"Thanks Kakashi." Sakura said, hooking her arm with his. Kakashi's eye curved in a smile.

"Well it was either you or Gai." Sakura pouted and ripped her arm from his and folded her arms across her chest. Kakashi chuckled and pulled her into his side. She rested her head on his chest and continued walking back to the house. "Also, I didn't want to miss your birthday. I've got an extra special present planned." Sakura blushed and snuggled into his vest. The two reached home and began to pack accordingly. Sakura pulled out different colored tank tops and a few pairs of shorts. She packed a tooth brush, soap, hair brush, and plenty of tampons. Missions don't stop my period. Kakashi pulled out a few jounin outfits, toothbrush, soap, and plenty of Icha Icha books. Missions get pretty boring. The two zipped their bags shut and placed them on the ground next to the door.

"Umm.." Sakura began.

"Hn?" Kakashi asked. Sakura blushed again.

"Can I read with you again before we go?" Kakashi's eye widened, and his face turned pink.

"Sure…if you want." She sat on the bed and Kakashi sat next to her. He pulled out his orange book and turned to his favorite section.

"Keitaro slid his hand up her shirt…"

It was dark outside, and everybody was about to sleep for the night. The pink and silver haired jounins walked with their bags towards the gates of Konoha. "Ready Sakura?" The silver haired jounin asked the other. Sakura nodded. She gripped his hand and walked out the large gates on the path through the forest. Nearby on a large oak tree, two Cloud ninja watched the Konoha nins leave.

"They walked right into it." One said to the other.

"Raikage-sama will be happy."

"The Copy Nin is as good as gone." The two nins melted into the shadows and disappeared.

Kakashi halted abruptly looking over his shoulder. He looked to a large oak tree that casted a large shadow over the ground. Are we being followed? He asked himself. He turned back around and caught up with Sakura. Better keep my guard up. "What's wrong?" Sakura asked.

"Nothing." Kakashi said with a smile. The two continued down the path. The sun shone brightly in the midday sky. There was a small breeze that kept the temperature at a moderate level. Sakura was enjoying the nice weather, relishing the feeling of the breeze blowing through her silky soft hair. Kakashi was too busy reading his book to notice anything around him. Sakura looked up at the jounin. The sudden urge returned. What is under that mask?? She fell back just a few feet and performed a few seals. She formed a bunshin that went around and reached for Kakashi's mask. He side stepped the clone while the real Sakura came out from underneath and took the book from his hands. Kakashi grabbed out for it, but another clone caught her fingers in his mask. Realizing the ploy, Kakashi grabbed the clone's wrist and yanked it from his face. The first clone tried again but failed as Kakashi sent it flying into a tree. The real Sakura hopped onto a tree, book in hand and a rasengan charged in her right hand.

"Show me your face, or I tear this book to shreds. As I recall, this is the newest edition." Sweat poured down Kakashi's face.

"Don't play games Sakura." Kakashi said from behind the kunoichi. She whipped around and saw his shadow clone take the book and hop back down to the real Kakashi. He took the book, called off the jutsu, and continued walking. Sakura pouted and hopped next to the shinobi.

"Let me see your face!" She whined.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because."

"Because what??"

"Just because." Sakura became angry.

"LET ME SEE!!!!!" She leapt into his face, causing the Copy Nin to fall backwards. Sakura went in a fury of trying to hook her fingers in the mask, but Kakshi kept moving his head around. Out of frustration she slammed her fists into the ground on either side of his head. The ground split beneath them and they fell between the newly made cracks in the ground.

"Sakura enough!" Kakashi finally yelled. The kunoichi flinched at the magnitude of his voice. "I'm tired of being ambushed by you to see what my face looks like. Has it occurred to you, that I'm not ready?" Sakura looked down. He's right, she thought to herself, it's still his personal life. I have no right to intrude.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. Kakashi's gaze softened and he sat upright. He gave Sakura a warm hug and rubbed circles on her back.

"It's alright." They sat there in the middle of the giant crack for about 3 minutes before getting up and dusting off. Kakashi looked around and checked the map. "I think we should camp here for tonight." Sakura nodded in agreement and pulled out her blanket settling underneath a shady corner. Kakashi did the same, close to her blanket and took out a couple of packets of cup ramen. Sakura picked some sticks and made a fireplace in the middle of camp. Kakashi performed a few seals. "Fire missile jutsu!" a small stream of fire blew from his mouth and lit the sticks. Sakura pulled out a kettle and began walking towards the trees.

"I'm going to get some water." She called from over her shoulder. Kakashi continued preparations for their midday meal. He pulled out his orange book and continued from where he left off.

Sakura was walking through the forest swinging her kettle. The stream should be just ahead now. Sure enough the fresh water stream was in sight. She took the top off of the kettle and filled the metal pot with water. Everything was quiet. A bit too quiet for Sakura. Something caught her attention, and she ducked slightly. A kunai whizzed over her head. She dropped the kettle beside her and pulled out a kunai. "Show yourselves." She demanded. Two shinobi bearing the cloud hia-ate emerged from the shadows. "We're hear for the head of Hatake Kakashi. And you will take us to him."