Chapter 7: Staring into the Abyss

AN: Sorry for my atrociously long absence from fanfic writing. I promise that I'll be more regular in my update.

The red-light district of the city was perhaps the seediest place that any of them could have imagined. Besides the obvious clusters of brothels, one quick glance from the rooftops revealed an underworld of organized crime, "less-than legal" forms of prostitution, poverty and general social misery. Sakura shuddered from the thought of being alone and impoverished in this part of the city. This certainly wasn't home, not for her nor anyone who had the choice.

But she pushed those thoughts aside. Now was not the time to be bothered with such distractions. She had to focus on the mission at hand.

Team Kakashi bounded from rooftop to rooftop through the red-light district, carefully avoiding notice from anyone below. The route they took was long and meandering, but it kept them safe from detection. When they reached the roof of the All-Under Heaven, the last crimson sliver of the setting sun slipped beneath the horizon. The team quickly melted into what hiding places they could find to await the coming night, and the mission's target.

The pale twilight soon gave way to a seething sea of bright crimson and yellow lights. Neon signs of all colors flickered on, bathing the streets below in a sickly light. The pagoda style roof of the All-Under Heaven brothel was conveniently left in the dark; an island of shadows floating in a sea of hedonistic light. The first few stars started to twinkle into view, forming a small chain of sparkles attached to the pale glow of the waning moon.

Kakashi waited in silence, listening for the slightest disturbance in the serene shadows of the rooftop. Picking sounds out from the din of the bustling streets below would have been nigh impossible for anyone less skilled than Kakashi. About half an hour after sunset, the nearly silent footfalls of either a teenage boy or an adult woman emerged from the din, almost inaudible. "About ten meters away, moving towards me at a slow walking pace," Kakashi said to himself, "must have emerged through that hidden door on the west side of the rooftop. He will have to come around the corner, to the south side of the roof, where we are."

The footsteps moved closer, and casually turned the corner. From the shadows, Kakashi saw a robed and hooded figure come into view. The figure's robes were made of dark blue silk, and looked somewhat like a male kimono in the pale light. The figure's hood was also dark blue, and completely concealed the face that lay beneath.

When the figure was only a meter away from the shadowy crook in which Kakashi was hiding, Kakashi whispered, "The silent guest is here."

Sakura, Sai and Naruto, in their hiding spots further behind Kakashi, instinctively tensed up. The situation could become extremely dangerous in a microsecond. The figure stopped, and turned towards Kakashi. In a decidedly feminine voice, she said, "Is that any way to treat your host, Copy-Ninja-san?"

Kakashi emerged from the shadow, not betraying any hint of tension or suspicion. "Is it polite for the host to conceal her face to her guests?" he retorted.

"Very true, Kakashi-san," she replied. Long, slender hands emerged from the sleeves of the kimono, and gracefully pulled back the large silk hood. She was tall, with a long mane of raven-black hair, and lithe, delicate features. Her milky-white skin was as pale as the moonlight shining on her robes. She looked at Kakashi with her warm, inviting brown eyes, and teased, "Well, aren't you going to introduce your younglings to me?"

"I don't even know you, so I think your introduction is in order," he replied, cold and stern, "and even more pressing: how do you know who we are?"

"I have my sources," she chuckled. "Well, they did tell me you were a killjoy, and I see they were right. You can call me Hana Himeko. And the lovely little ones hiding in the shadows behind you, who might those be?"

Kakashi motioned for Naruto, Sakura and Sai to leave their hiding spots. "The blond haired kid is Uzumaki Naruto, the pink haired kunoichi is Haruno Sakura, and the black haired kid is Sai." The three stared nervously at Himeko, wondering if she could be trusted.

As if sensing their anxiety, Himeko spoke in a warm, inviting tone: "I assure you we are not enemies here, and that we are perfectly safe from harm."

Kakashi nodded in silent agreement, casually glancing around. Himeko casually pulled a scroll from the folds of her kimono, and handed it to Kakashi. "This scroll contains a map of the snake's travel plans. He will be leaving his eastern most hideout, traveling to Oto with all due haste. His path will take him along the river canyon at the border of the Land of Fire. I have plotted the best points of interception on that map, along with the approximate date and time that he should reach them."

Kakashi pocketed the scroll. "What kind of resistance can we expect?" he inquired.

"Orochimaru-sama travels with a sizable entourage of Oto-nin, enough to ensure the safety of his prize in this most critical of times."

Naruto cringed upon hearing her words. Sasuke, his best friend, was not someone's prize. He started to speak, but stopped upon feeling a gentle tug on his sleeve. He turned to Sakura, who shook her head disapprovingly.

"How many?" Kakashi continued.

"From the logistics documents I pilfered, I would estimate approximately fifty shinobi, at least a third of Chuunin rank or higher," Himeko replied, "Be wary, Kakashi-san. It is highly likely that some of Otogakure's most elite are travelling in Orochimaru's party."

"I have no intention of letting this get out of hand, Hana-san," he assured, his voice as calm as ever. "Is there anything else I should know?"

"Only that Uchiha Sasuke remains near to Orochimaru at all times."

Kakashi nodded, and turned to his team. "Alright, phase two begins now. Prepare to leave for the rendezvous point."

Within a flash, the four Konoha-nin were gone, leaving nothing but a flurry of leaves in their wake. Himeko chuckled as she drew the hood of her cloak over her head. "Kakashi-san…you go on a fool's errand. The Sasuke you know is already lost forever," she mused silently

Team Kakashi dashed out of the city, and darted into the forests leading inland towards the rendezvous point. Naruto took point, with Sai following close behind for quick reinforcement. Sakura followed about ten meters behind Sai, scanning the flanks of their formation for trouble. Kakashi had rear-guard.

This next part of the plan had already been rehearsed: a high speed dash through the countryside to the site of an abandoned ruin, where Team Ten, Team Guy and the Suna Siblings would be waiting to rendezvous for the final phase of the operation. If they could keep up their breakneck pace, they would reach the ruin by dawn.

Sakura took this time to finish collecting her thoughts. As much as she hated to admit it to herself, she still wasn't feeling quite right. Something troubled her, and she couldn't put her finger on it. "Maybe it's because I've been waiting for six years for this moment to come," she wondered, "now that it is finally hear, perhaps I'm not as ready as I should be. Either way, it will all be over soon."

The memories of the past six years had been little more than pain and struggle, fighting to be strong enough for the day when her dreams could come true, and she could have her Sasuke-kun back. But now what? "I've moved on, whether I like it or not. Sasuke will always have a special place in my heart, but I've found my place now. Come to think of it, Ino was right. They day would come when I would blossom, and now here it is."

"Sakura, if I may have a word with you quickly," Kakashi interrupted her thought train.

She slackened her pace, and fell back into a position running parallel to Kakashi through the tree canopy. "So what's up, Kakashi-senpai?"

"There is something you must know about our orders, Sakura. I was order by Tsunade-sama not to reveal this to you until after we began phase two of the operation."

A knot formed in Sakura's stomach. Whatever this was, it couldn't be pleasant. She steeled herself, and nodded.

"Our primary mission objective, as you know, is the retrieval of Sasuke. The assassination of Orochimaru, while desirable, is optional. However, there is something that we must do if we are unable to complete our primary objective."

"Oh no!" she muttered in horror.

"Unfortunately, yes. We cannot allow the Sharingan to fall into Orochimaru's hands. Should we be unable return him to us alive, our orders are to kill him and destroy his body." He paused, giving her a moment for it to all sink in. "I don't like it either, Sakura, but this is what we have to do should we fail. But I am confident in your abilities, Sakura. You've prepared for this day your entire life. I have faith in you."

The thought of having to kill Sasuke was utterly horrifying to her. After a long silence, she muttered, "I will not fail this mission, but if I should…then, well, I will…I will do it. I will…" she stumbled over the word, "k-kill him if it comes to it. I can't let Naruto go through that, it will destroy him." Still, she was unsure of herself. Kakashi nodded, and dropped back to the rear guard position, leaving Sakura alone with her thoughts.

Silent tears began rolling down her cheeks.

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