"What is this?"
Somehow during the dark hours of the night, someone had slipped past the gate guards. As the morning guards relieved the late night guards of their duty, they noticed a body lying at the gates.
"Alert the Hokage!" One ordered his partner while he investigated the body. His partner nodded and disappeared. The guard, a newly made chunin, had to wonder what he did to deserve this. It was too early for any crisis to happen. It really wasn't fair.
"What is this?" He wondered aloud as he approached the body. His eyes were met with pink. "Pink hair?"
Sure enough, the body was a small girl with medium-length pink hair and a black cloak wrapped around her delicate body. Face down in the dirt, what skin the chunin could see was scuffed and scratched. She looked as if she had gone through hell.
"Hey, are you alive?" he asked hesitantly, pushing the body over so that the face was exposed.
Her eyes were closed, and blood trickled from her forehead where something had pricked her. The red liquid ran down into the creases of her nose and onto her small lips. There was a pained expression on her face, and there were multiple bruises on her face.
"Report."
The chunin's head snapped up at the order. He turned her head so that he was able to glance at the Sandaime.
"Hokage-sama." He greeted. "Unknown girl, around six to eight years of age, medium length… uh, pink hair. About thirty-nine inches tall, looks to be about forty pounds. Eye color, unknown. Background and affiliation, up between 4:30 to 5:00 AM. Extent of damage is unknown, but she has multiple bruises and scratches, and her clothes show several blood prints."
The Sandaime's eyes became shadowed. "Hm… bring her to the hospital. I want her checked thoroughly. Her body may be booby-trapped."
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
(((o)))/ _\(((o))) It's in her eyes
He didn't like this. Not one bit.
"Hokage-sama." The nurse came up behind him.
Turning away from the window that allowed him to watch the sleeping girl, Sarutobi nodded to the nurse to continue.
"Her body is clear of traps, although there is an extremely strong seal placed on her forehead and one on the middle of her back. We believe these two seals are connected somehow, but we have been unable to determine the purpose of these seals, nor how they would react should they be tampered with." The nurse told him.
"So any experimentation on these seals could be potentially be harmful?"
"We have reason to believe that there might be a suicide jutsu attached to the seal."
Sarutobi's aura darkened considerably. Only scum could do something so heartless. It saddened the Hokage that people could consider life, especially that of a young girl, so unimportant. She must have only been six or so! How could someone risk her life so easily?
"May I continue?" the nurse murmured, wary of the angry ninja.
"Yes, please do." Sarutobi answered.
"We found multiple bone fractures on throughout her body, especially her shoulder blades. We suspect her arms were restrained, and harshly. Four broken ribs, and a small crack on her skull- she had a concussion." The nurse took a breath. "Bruising on her neck in the shape of a hand- someone attempted to suffocate her."
Sarutobi's aura darkened and grew cold with each word. He had always had a soft spot for kids. This- This was brutality. He wanted to find the culprit of this abuse and kill them!
"Sir."Sarutobi glanced at the nurse. "What should we do once she is released? Would you like us to write her down as an orphan or a prisoner of Konoha?"
The Sandaime scowled. "She is hardly a prisoner." He huffed. "Write her down as an orphan. I know a friend of mine who would gladly adopt her."
The Harunos had been looking for a child ever since their matriarch had found herself unable to conceive. Now the Harunos were looking to adopt- bloodline did not matter to their clan.
"Yes Hokage-sama." The nurse bowed as she went to make the arrangements.
Sarutobi turned back to the window and continued to watch the girl, questions about her identity swirling through his head. After about one or two minutes the girl began to stir. Sarutobi quickly entered the room.
(((o)))/ _\(((o))) It's in her eyes
"Stay strong, Sakura-hime." A vaguely familiar voice whispered. "Escape this clan. Make a name for yourself, and forget this misery."
The lights blinded her as she opened her eyes. The smell of disinfectant assaulted her nose and beeping sounded from her right and left. She lifted her head and looked down at her body. She was sitting up in a hospital bed.
Sakura groaned and attempted to move her hands. When her arms were restricted, she looked down to realize that numerous wires were attached to her. Attached inside her.
"Whoa." She wondered aloud and stared. It was slightly fascinating. She wondered what exactly everything was attached to. She began to poke the wires and needles.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." A wizened voice sounded.
Sakura gasped and jerked her head up as she finally noticed the older man sitting beside her bed.
"But… How do they work? Why are they inside me?" Sakura took a moment to consider the man before her. "And who are you? Why am I here? This is a hospital right? I don't like the smell."
The man laughed softly. "Curious little thing aren't you? You'd make a great medic someday."
"A… medic?" Sakura wrapped her mouth around the word. The dialect of this place was different from how she had previously spoken… what had she spoken again?
"What is your name?" the man asked her.
"Sakura." She answered without hesitation.
The man's eyes flickered to her hair and smiled. "I see. I am Hizune Sarutobi."
"Nice to meetchya!" Sakura quipped, smiling brightly.
The man, Sarutobi, smiled back at the cheerful young girl. "Where are you from, Sakura?"
Sakura looked into her memory but found nothing. Her entire world came crashing down. Sakura's eyes widened as she looked down at her hands in her lap. She tried to remember… She tried so hard to remember!
Who was I?
Did I have parents?
Where am I from?
I am from… from…
Nothing is making sense! I am Sakura… what's my last name? I like to eat… what do I like to eat? My favorite color… I don't know that either!
Her breathing became faster as her heart began to beat erratically. The machines in the room began to give off loud noises she assumed were alarms of some kind, which only set her even more on edge.
Sakura cried out as she gripped her head with her hands.
"Whoa whoa whoa!" the man's hands came up to soothe her. "Hey are you alright? You don't have to answer if you don't want to! Calm down, little girl. Calm down."
Sakura's breathing slowed as she squeezed her eyes shut and imagined herself floating. The beeping calmed down and she felt her muscles relax. Vaguely Sakura heard Sarutobi shoo away the nurses that had been alerted by the machines.
"What do you remember about yourself?" Sarutobi asked her softly.
Sakura lifted her head and gazed at him with forlorn eyes. "I… I-I don't know… I don't know… I don't… re-remember…"
Sarutobi sighed.
Something glinted in the sunlight as Sakura shifted to face the window overlooking the gardens outside. Sarutobi's eyes narrowed.
"What is that?" he asked her.
Sakura glanced down to see where he was looking and picked up the locket that had fallen out of her shirt.
"I-I don't know!" she breathed, excitement in her eyes. "Maybe it has something to do with who I am!"
Sakura lifted the locket and gazed at it intensely. Nothing.
A sad look fell across her eyes and Sakura allowed her head to fall to her chest.
"Ow!" she cried as the bruises on her neck made themselves known.
The Hokage's eyes narrowed in anger as Sakura's hands flew to her neck. His fists clench for a moment before his face softened again.
"What… happened to me?" Sakura asked as she finally seemed to notice the bruises around her body and the pain in her ribs.
Sarutobi sighed. "I don't exactly know. But… we assume someone attempted to kill you. Someone, at least, beat you until you lost consciousness and you memories as well. At least, we assume you lost your memories due to your concussion."
Sakura went quiet and her face paled. "Someone… wanted to hurt me?" she squeaked.
The man looked away and nodded.
Sakura's grip on her locket tightened.
"I-I see…" she whispered. "I… I must have been a bad person…"
"I doubt that." Sarutobi assured her with a gentle smile. "You seem like a nice person to me."
But Sakura was still quiet.
"How about we put on your necklace?" The Hokage asked her and stood, reaching for her locket.
As his body loomed over her and his body was cast into shadow, his face disappeared and was replaced by a pair of burning ringed irises. Primal fear coursed through her as everything around her faded and she was gripped with that sense of fight of flight. Adrenaline rushed through her veins, yelling at her to escape, to run.
NO!
Sakura's eyes became distant as she screamed and began to thrash in the hospital bed. "Nonononononono!" she yelled desperately. "Leave me alone! Go away! Father!"
Sarutobi froze as he realized Sakura was reliving a terrible memory. "Sakura… It's me, Sarutobi. Please, I'm not here to hurt you."
Sakura instantly calmed down and her eyes refocused on him. Her entire frame was trembling as she clutched the chain of her locket. "Chichi-sama…" she whispered fearfully, the tremor in her voice telling Sarutobi what had happened.
An angry look crossed his face. "I am not your father." He told her gently. How could someone be so cruel to their own child? The girl was obviously traumatized.
"Here, let me put on your necklace." He whispered. "You are safe in my village. Your father can't get in here."
Sakura nodded and handed it to him. The chain was light on her neck as he clasped the necklace on her. And for reasons unknown to the girl, it felt good to wear the necklace.
Sakura smiled up at him.
"Would you like a home here?" he asked her.
Sakura stared at him. "A… A home? Here?"
"Yes, in my village." Sarutobi grinned.
"Your village?" her eyes grew wide with child-like wonder.
The Hokage chuckled. "Indeed, I am the Hokage of Konoha."
The moment the word Konoha left his mouth her face darkened and she hissed angrily. "Konoha? This is Konoha?" the sudden venom in her voice surprised Sarutobi, and he glimpsed the innate hatred within the girl. Suddenly she no longer appeared to be a mere child, and he saw a part of Sakura that was scarred and filled with pain.
Sarutobi blinked at her change in demeanor. "Yes, this is Konohagakure."
Sakura hissed again, like an angry viper. "This place… A curse on this place!"-
"Why?" the Sandaime asked her curiously. Maybe she had some of her memories after all.
The flames in Sakura's eyes died down as a confused took over. "I-I'm not sure." She stated unsteadily. "But it… It's bad! Very bad!"
Sarutobi's eyebrows lifted at the sudden change to a four-year-old's vocabulary. "Bad how?"
"I don't know!" the girl snapped. "It's just… the name. Just hearing Konohagakure makes my want to hurt something. It makes me angry! And… It hurts…"
Sarutobi sighed, wondering why the girl's instincts were telling her that Konoha was the enemy.
"I'm sure if you spend some time here you will realize it's not that bad." He smiled. "In fact, there are many nice people in the village. It's a hidden ninja village, you know."
The girl's eyes showed doubt, but also curiosity. "Ninjas? That is so cool!"
"We would gladly welcome you to make your home here." Sarutobi told her comfortingly.
Sakura hesitated.
"I have a friend who is looking for a daughter to adopt. I'm sure the Harunos would be happy to have you."
The man's smile became to charming that Sakura couldn't help but smile back.
"O-Okay." She whispered.
The Hokage smiled. "Welcome to your new home, Sakura-san."
(((o)))/ _\(((o))) It's in her eyes
"Stay strong, Sakura-hime." A vaguely familiar voice whispered. "Escape this clan. Make a name for yourself, and forget this misery."
Eyelids flew open as jade colored eyes darted around the room. Her grip on the kunai under her bed loosened and she sat up, a cold shiver running through her body. Sakura groaned and got out of the bed, wrapping herself in a fluffy white robe that was striped with pink and red. Pulling her hair into a ponytail as she walked, the teenager of sixteen headed downstairs to the kitchen.
It's been a while since I dreamed about that… Sakura thought as she grabbed a mug and poured herself some coffee. Sarutobi-sama… I wonder if he knew more about my past than he let on... Sakura contemplated the voice from her dream just as it ended.
Sakura-hime? She wondered if she had been important before she lost her memory. The pinkette began cook some coffee, pouring the liquid energy into a mug and sipping from it as she was lost in her thoughts.
Another body joined Sakura in the kitchen as Misaki Haruno entered the room. Sakura's adopted mother had light brown hair, pulled into a bun at the top of her head, and hazel eyes that had enough green in them that she could sometimes pass as actually being related to Sakura. Misaki had been caught during a mission and tortured. The damage to her body left her body quite damaged, and she later found out she would never have children. After that she had retired, and soon adopted Sakura at the Sandaime's request.
"Morning Oka-san!" Sakura greeted as she began to fill a cup of coffee for her mother while Mrs. Haruno began to cook breakfast. "You're up early."
Her mother chuckled as she began to whip the eggs and turned on the stove to heat the pan. "I figured I'd see you off this morning. Lately you have been so busy with Tsunade-sama that I barely have time to see you!"
Sakura kissed her mother's cheek as she handed Misaki her cup. "I get to see you for dinner at least three times a week!"
Mrs. Haruno pretended to pout. "That's not nearly enough! I miss my pretty little blossom."
"Ugh, Oka-san you know I don't like being called 'blossom'." Sakura complained as she began to chop up vegetables and brought out the shredded cheese.
Mrs. Haruno chuckled and began to pour the eggs into the pan, letting the yellow liquid sizzle. "Okay then, Cherry-Pie, would you please get the leftover rice from the refrigerator?"
Sakura scowled at the dreaded nickname but complied. They worked the rest of the morning with silly banter as the two women cooked breakfast, with Sakura frying up the rice and Mrs. Haruno cooking the omelets. They had always gotten along; Misaki Haruno was only nineteen years older than her adopted daughter at thirty-five years of age.
"I smell breakfast." Kazuki Haruno walked in, thirty-three years old and still looking like he was in his late twenties (a fact that often made Mrs. Haruno complain about how unfair age was on women). Sakura's adopted father had light red hair, just a shade lighter than Gaara's, and eyes that shifted between green and blue. Kazuki was a civilian, but often worked in the offices at the Hokage Tower.
"I swear the only way to wake your father is to cook food. Honestly! Even with evolution, men are still driven by food!" Mrs. Haruno huffed and slid an omelet onto a plate, which Sakura snatched up before her father could reach for it.
Mr. Haruno pouted while Sakura stuck her tongue out at him and began to add some fried rice next to her omelet. She grabbed a knife and cut the egg before digging in with her chopsticks. Her father pouted and waited for Mrs. Haruno to finish another omelet.
"Thank you, Honey." Mr. Haruno kissed his wife's lips briefly before sitting at the kitchen table to eat. Mrs. Haruno quickly made her own breakfast and joined them.
"So how did you sleep, Sakura?" Her father asked.
Sakura put down her chopsticks and took a sip of her juice. "Actually, I had a dream."
"Really?" Her mother raised her eyebrows.
Sakura nodded. "I dreamed of the day the Sandaime found me. When I woke in the hospital. It's strange, I haven't thought about all that in so many years."
Her parents were quiet for a moment. "Do you want to find your real parents?" Her mother asked her softly.
With a laugh Sakura shook her head. "Oh no. I'm not interested. My birth parents abandoned me, and my real father beat me, at least that's what we gathered from my condition that day."
Kazuki Haruno gripped his chopsticks tighter. "NO man has the right to hurt my little girl."
Sakura smiled and kissed the top of her father's head as she walked by, placing her dirty dishes in the sink. "You guys are my parents, and nothing will change that."
She ran upstairs to change into her ninja clothes and put on her nin boots. Tucking her gloves into her back pocket and grabbing her headband, Sakura waved goodbye to her parents and headed to the door. "Gotta go or I'll be late for work! Bye Oka-san! Bye Otou-san!"
Her parents called their goodbyes as Sakura exited her house and made her way to the Hokage Tower. Taking her hair down from its ponytail, Sakura scowled at how long her hair was getting. It was about an inch or more longer than how she usually liked it, it was already passing her shoulders by half an inch. Quickly pulling her hair into a bun, Sakura entered the Hokage Tower without having to check in with the guards.
"Sakura I need those files!"
"Sakura-san, are you going to be work at the hospital this afternoon?"
"Sakura-san, Shizune is asking if you've seen Tonton."
"Sakura-senpai, an ANBU squad just came in to the hospital and they need you to lead the operation!"
"Sakura-san, where are the reports on the Wave Country located?"
"Sakura! Take these to Tsunade-sama!"
"Sakura!"
"Sakura-san."
"Sakura."
The girl in question groaned and slumped on the couch in the Hokage's office. "I don't want to see another file or even a piece of paper for the rest of the day! And I definitely DO NOT want to hear my name called for some emergency of whatever for the next hour!"
The Godaime laughed softly at her apprentice. "Imagine if you had Shizune's job."
Sakura groaned.
"You are getting blood on my couch." Tsunade complained.
"There was already blood on the couch." Sakura deadpanned. "Just imagine how many ninja have sat in this couch with still-warm blood on their blades, armor, hands, et cetera."
Tsunade grimaced. "Ew. Imagine the germs on that thing."
"Aiiiee!" Sakura squealed and leaped up from the couch. "Oh that's just nasty!"
"That's what you get for getting blood on my couch." Tsunade said while wondering whether she could pay the cost of getting a new couch with tax money.
"Don't blame me, blame the ANBU idiots that can't tell the difference between a fatal wound and a flesh wound." Sakura scowled.
Tsunade sighed and pulled out a sake bottle from her not-so-secret stash in the bottom drawer (that everyone except Shizune knew about). "Want some?"
"Yes!" Sakura sighed and took the cup of sake Tsunade handed her.
"SAKURA-CHAN!"
The pinkette groaned as she placed her empty cup on the desk. "Didn't I just say I didn't want to hear anyone else call my name?"
"Even worse." Tsunade snickered. "It's your teammate."
And with that said the door slammed open and a blonde, orange-clad ball of energy glomped onto Sakura.
"Oof!" Sakura barely stopped herself and Naruto from toppling onto the Hokage's desk. "Mmmrf… Can't... Breathe… Mmmph!"
"NARUTO GET OFF!"
"Sakura… chan…" Naruto slumped to the ground with a large bump on his head.
"Good day, Ugly." BAM! The sickly pale Sai found himself introduced to the floor as Sakura's foot grinded his face in the hardwood.
Yamato sweat-dropped.
A chuckle came from the window as Kakashi stepped in. "Those boys." He shook his head.
"Report." Tsunade ordered.
As Kakashi relayed the mission report, Sakura was busy taking her frustration out on Naruto and Sai.
"I missed you on the mission! It was too bad your mother was sick… Anyway! You should have seen me, Sakura-chan! Those nin didn't stand a chance!" Naruto began to flail his limbs wildly as he attempted to re-enact his 'epic battle'. "I was like 'you won't get away with this!' and then BAM! I Rasengan-ed his ass through the building! But then! Then! His groupies were like 'Oh no! How are we going to defeat such a powerful ninja?' and I go 'Yeah, take that pussies!'"
"NARUTO!" Tsunade yelled. "Watch your language!"
Kakashi sighed and pulled out his Icha Icha. "No one gives me any credit any more…" he muttered. Yamato patted Kakashi's shoulder sympathetically.
Tsunade rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on fast.
"Hokage-sama!" Shizune burst through the door looking quite worried.
Everyone went quiet as all attention was diverted to the woman. Shizune walked briskly to Tsunade's desk and deposited a scroll on the Hokage's desk. Sakura and Kakashi's eyes narrowed at the coloring of the scroll. The paper had a thick red line wrapping around its middle- meaning an emergency. Tsunade released the protective jutsus and ripped open the message.
Tsunade's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"What is it, Baa-chan?" Naruto asked curiously, oblivious to the severity of the scroll.
The Hokage growled and rubbed her forehead. "This… is very bad." She muttered. "Naruto, Sai, Yamato, you are dismissed."
"Nani?" Naruto asked incredulously. "No way! I want to know what is in the scroll."
"Naruto leave. That is an order." Tsunade said seriously.
The blonde boy pouted as he followed Sai and Yamato out the door.
"Shizune, get me Nara Shikamaru and the Hyuuga Neji." Tsunade ordered. "Neji should be training with his team at training ground 10. You know where to find the Nara boy."
Shizune bowed and disappeared in a puff of smoke.
"What's the problem?" Sakura asked as she closed the door and sealed the room.
Tsunade growled in frustration again, pulling out the sake. "I'll tell you when the others get here."
Her apprentice cocked her head. "Why do you need me, Tsunade-sama?"
The Hokage waved her hand. "All will be explained when the others get here. But while we wait…"
The two women made eye contact.
"Sakura, go get the forbidden scroll."
(((o)))/ _\(((o))) It's in her eyes
It must be serious… Sakura thought as she leaped across rooftops. Landing in front of her house, Sakura slipped in through her bedroom window and unsealed the many protective jutsus in her room. Flipping back the carpet, Sakura bit her thumb and unsealed the floorboards. Lifting up the wood, Sakura brought out the weapons that she had kept hidden along with other super-secret, uber-classified crap.
Slipping into the stretchy outfit that allowed maximum movement that most ninja wore under their flak jackets, Sakura took a moment to stretch so that the fabric settled into place like a second skin. Catching her reflection in the full-length mirror in her room, Sakura watched as the young woman in the mirror transformed into a deadly kunoichi. The long sleeves of her shirt were made of fishnet, as well as the top portion of her torso, just above the bust. Sakura slipped on her nin boots and began sliding knives into the top of the boots and in the heel. A kunai pouch was strapped to her right thigh, her medic ninja pouch hung on the left side of her hip, and a couple battle scrolls with various uses placed in her pouch
A flash of gold caught her eye. The pinkette lifted some other objects out of her stash and spotted a necklace at the bottom of the compartment. With a gasp, she remembered the pendant. Wow… when was the last time I saw this? I must have lost track of this necklace years ago!
For some odd reason, Sakura's hands shook as she pulled the pendant out of the compartment and held it in front of her face. The gold was as shiny and perfect as that day she had woken up in the hospital, not a speck of tarnish to be seen. It spun lazily in her face, and Sakura squinted to see a rearing lioness on one side.
"Wha…" she mumbled, grabbing the pendant and holding it still as she tried to make out what was on the other side. It seemed to be some kind of clan symbol… But it was blurry, scuffed out for some odd reason. If she looked carefully, it looked to be shaped like an eye of some kind…
With a shrug, Sakura clasped the necklace around her neck and slipped it under her shirt. Standing up, Sakura glanced around the room, for some odd reason, she felt as if the necklace was heavy, although it barely weighed a thing in reality. A sense of foreboding washed over her.
Sakura stared at her reflection for a moment, imagining the days she had been a genin and posing in front of the very same mirror, trying to look pretty for the boys instead of worrying over her training. Back when she had still been an innocent little girl. But the life of a ninja rarely left innocence untouched. Sakura considered herself lucky to have survived long enough to realize that.
"Today will be the day Sasuke-kun will ask me to be his girlfriend! I just know it!" the young girl declared, smoothing down her thick pink hair and placing a hand on her bony hip, smiling at her reflection. "Take that Ino!"
Sakura smiled grimly, reminiscing about those simple days when her team was whole and happy. Or at least, as happy as an emo Uchiha could get. Shaking her head to clear the thoughts, Sakura realized she had to get going. Casting a quick genjutstu that gave her brown hair and eyes, Sakura pulled her now brown hair into a messy bun. Transporting onto the roof next door to her house, a nondescript kunoichi made her way back to the Hokage Tower, no one realizing her identity.
Upon arriving, she leaped through the window of the Hokage's office, which was conveniently open thanks to Kakashi.
"I prefer pink." Kakashi murmured to her with a wink (which was really just a blink with his one visible eye).
Sakura didn't respond, but shook her head with a hidden smile. She took her spot between Shikamaru and Neji. Kakashi lazily came over to join the line of ninja facing the Hokage.
"Now that we are all here, time to get to business." Tsunade began.
"I assume it's a medical emergency?" Shikamaru yawned, the only person not affected by the tense atmosphere.
Tsunade glared at the lazy ass. "Yes. Now listen up." She tossed the scroll to Kakashi. "The Akatsuki are going after the Hachibi. Now they have already battled, and the Eight Tails managed to escape. But the Akatsuki will no doubt return for him."
Kakashi finished reading the scroll and handed it to the ninja on his left, Shikamaru.
"Now, the Eight Tails suffered from the Amaterasu. Haruno, this is where you come in." Sakura dipped her head in acknowledgment. "You are to not only heal the Hachibi, but also study the effects of Amaterasu."
"Hai, Hokage-sama."
Shikamaru's eyes were calculating as he passed the scroll to his left, to Sakura. The medic nin began to read while the Hokage addressed the tactician.
"Nara. Your job here is to figure out-"
"When the Akatsuki are likely to come back, what their plan of attack might be, what people they are most likely to send, how this will impact our political relations with Kumogakura, considering it was Uchiha Sasuke that attacked their Hachibi. Got it."
"Tch. Smartass." Tsunade muttered. "And don't forget to see if Uchiha Sasuke can be pardoned, although I doubt it. You know this is going to hurt Naruto."
Sakura handed the scroll to Neji.
Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Yeah, whatever."
"Hyuuga." Tsunade turned her attention to the long-haired prodigy. "You have exceeded expectations as a jounin. I do hope you try out for ANBU soon."
"Arigato, Hokage-sama." Neji bowed. "I will do my best."
Tsunade tapped her fingers together. "You and Hatake will be the firepower on this mission, should the Akatsuki show their ugly faces." Here the Hokage pinned all the men with a glare. "If you are wounded go to Sakura. I will not lose three of my best ninjas because they foolishly bled to death; being too proud to go to their medic nin. Let Haruno do her job, boys."
Kakashi's one eye creased as he rubbed the back of his neck guiltily, Shikamaru sighed, and Neji remained stoic as ever.
"Now go pack your things and meet each other at the gates as quickly as possible." Tsunade ordered.
The four-man cell disappeared.
They met up at the Konoha gate about twenty minutes later. Sakura was still unrecognizable with brown hair and eyes, and double the amount of weaponry she usually carried.
"Haruno-san." Neji greeted her, being the second to arrive.
"Neji-san." Sakura smiled.
The Hyuuga's eyes softened. "I have to agree with Hatake-san. You look better with the pink hair and green eyes."
Sakura chuckled. "Tsunade likes to keep me as her secret weapon." She joked.
"You're skills are hardly a secret." Neji told her, lifting an eyebrow.
The Haruno smirked. "Not all my abilities are well known."
Neji gave a hint of a smile. "Maybe I will be lucky enough to find out on this mission, Haruno-san."
"Don't count on it." Sakura teased. "And for the second year in a row, Hyuuga-san, call me Sakura."
The brunette man nodded with a small smile. "Then call me Neji."
Their bonding time was cut short when a certain lazy genius walked up, a bag slung over his shoulders.
"Let's go." He muttered, sticking an unlit cigarette in his mouth.
"What about Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked as Neji followed Shikamaru down the road. She glanced back at the gates before jogging to catch up with them.
"Your sensei is always atrociously late, is he not, Sakura?" Shikamaru asked her. Years of playing shogi with Sakura had led to many rants on her irresponsible sensei while the two unlikely friends challenged each other in battles of wit and strategy.
"Aa… but still, we should wait for him!" Sakura said.
Shikamaru stopped and faced the pinkette. "Sakura." He said. "I am not going to wait around for Kakashi-san. He will just have to learn to be on time."
Sakura's mouth fell open before turning into a smirk. "Okay." She shrugged. I tried.
The gates of Konoha were barely out of sight when Kakashi appeared before them in a puff of smoke, giving each of his team members the evil eye.
"You left without me." He deadpanned.
Sakura pointed at Shikamaru, who sighed.
"Blame him."
"Traitor." Shikamaru muttered at Sakura.
Sakura giggled at him. "I tried to stop you."
Neji just barely stopped himself from rolling his eyes. He was stuck on a team with the laziest ninja in the world, a pouting old man [Kakashi: Hey! I resent that!] and a distracting woman.
And yes, Haruno Sakura was distracting.
Very, very distracting.
"Neji-san." Kakashi's low voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Hai?"
Kakashi gave Neji a stern look. "Stop staring at my student."
Neji's eyes tore themselves away from Sakura and with a glance at Kakashi, he sped up to travel next to Shikamaru, hiding the faintest hint of pink on his cheeks. Sakura gave Kakashi a curious look, but her sensei just smiled serenely and waved.