Vespertine
Chapter Five: The Message
If tomorrow I opened my eyes
And found myself somewhere else
I wonder who I'd be
"I'm going into town today," Sakura said as she set her plate down and took a seat. "I want to do it before the weather gets any worse." She glanced at the window, her eyes trailing the tiny spots of white as they fell through the opaque sky. The temperature had continued to drop over the last week and the snows had arrived. The first soft flakes melted away quickly, but in a few days, perhaps even hours, winter's advancing hard edge would overtake them.
Across the table, Itachi looked up at her and nodded faintly before continuing his meal in silence. Sakura had to smile a little. He could finally hold down a full solid meal, and seemed almost eager to consume his breakfast of eggs, rice and miso. "Is there anything specific you'd like me to bring back?" she asked, before taking a bite of her own eggs.
"A change of clothing."
Sakura gave a small, understanding chuckle. She was getting tired of wearing and rewashing the same thing over and over too, and she at least had an alternate set to change into. "Of course. Anything else?"
A long moment passed in which he seemed to debate admitting to wanting anything beyond basic necessities. "Perhaps…a book," he said at length.
"A book, huh? Are you implying my company is boring?" she teased.
Itachi seemed surprised for a second, as if he'd taken her seriously. "Not at all. I find you quite interesting."
Flattered, Sakura was tempted to ask why, but figured he wouldn't tell her. If he asked her the same question, she probably wouldn't admit it either. "I'll see what I can find, but I don't know how much luck I'll have. You may end up with a month-old newspaper. Seriously, what kind of town doesn't even have a library?"
Amusement flashed behind his eyes. "Indeed," he said, the slight teasing lilt returning to his tone. "A tragedy."
"It is," she attempted to retort seriously, before she lost to her own playful grin. "So you like to read?" she asked, curious to learn more about him as a person.
"Having reading material would be a more entertaining way of passing the long hours of the day than staring out the window, even if it is a month-old newspaper," he said, but a moment later admitted, "But it is one of my preferred pastimes."
"Mine too," she said amiably. "What sort of books?"
There was a short pause as Itachi realized he was involved in a personal conversation about himself with someone who was still a relative stranger. But there was no harm in her line of questioning. After all, he'd already told her much bigger secrets than what sorts of books he liked to read. "History, military tactics…philosophy."
"That doesn't really surprise me, except maybe the philosophy. I like sci-fi and murder mysteries," she offered, then smiled guiltily before admitting, "and sometimes those cheesy horror novels, you know, with the rampaging sludge creatures and brain-eating zombies."
Itachi raised one brow slightly. "You seem to have a taste for the morbid."
Sakura laughed. "I think you're probably right. I'm sure you can imagine all the weird and gross stuff I see as a medic."
"I'd rather not," he said dryly.
Sakura chuckled again, and they returned to their breakfast in easy silence.
Things hadn't been nearly as awkward as expected the morning after sharing the bed—which they hadn't shared again as the firewood had passably dried by the next day. Sakura would never admit it aloud, but she'd been tempted to anyway simply because the bed was vastly more comfortable than her meagercot.
In the week since, they had settled into a comfortable sort of routine, learning a little more about each other every day from general observations made through sharing living quarters, as well as conversation. Sakura had discovered one morning that Itachi detested oatmeal and anything with a porridge-like consistency. After noting the way he'd scratched at his three-day stubble after the fever episode and had been perfectly smooth ever since, she'd come to the conclusion that he didn't like not being clean-shaven. Itachi had learned that Sakura was a bit of a neat-freak and liked everything kept in the same place. He had also learned that she was not a morning person, which showed in both her grumpy attitude and shadowed eyes, and that she remained that way until she had caffeine in her system.
They talked idly over meals—which was really Sakura chattering about any number of subjects while Itachi listened and only occasionally offered a response, usually prompted by a direct question from his lively housemate. Healing sessions happened twice a day, one each morning and one after dinner. Sakura checked the perimeter and replaced her sensors daily, which was unnecessary, but it gave her something to do besides clean and cook, the latter of which she had never been very fond. She often napped midday to replenish her chakra and Itachi usually slept as well. In the beginning he slept a lot, but less frequently as his recovery progressed, and now he was awake most of the day. Sometimes Itachi was fatigued and would fall asleep right after the nightly healing, and Sakura would sit up a while before the fire, thinking, or reading from her enormous medical tome. Sometimes he would sit with her and they would talk quietly about harmless, impersonal things late into the night. The next day it would repeat again.
After breakfast and their morning healing session, Sakura cleaned up the cabin while Itachi went to shower. By the time he came out she was bundled up in her outerwear and ready to go. "I should only be gone a few hours," she said. "Try not to burn the place down while I'm gone."
Itachi looked at her blankly for a moment, and she wondered if he'd taken her literally again or maybe he just didn't find it humorous…but then he smirked faintly. She had a feeling he was more amused by her attempt to play with him than by the joke itself. When it was clear Itachi wasn't going to say anything, she wrapped her long scarf twice around her neck and turned for the door. "I'm going, then," she said lightly, and headed out into the cold.
The snow hadn't yet covered the ground, and Sakura remembered the way easily. It took far less time on her own two feet at shinobi speed than it had in the wagon, and she figured she'd reach the town in just under an hour.
The forests and moors were even more beautiful under the dusting of snow, like something she'd once read in an old epic novel. Silent and wild and haunting, a place where ghosts roamed for eternity and creatures from the spirit world lured unwary travelers to their doom. Isolated in such a place with Itachi for so long, it almost felt as though the rest of the world didn't exist, as if they inhabited some twilit, in-between place…as if all that mattered was him and her, and the strange connection that had formed between them.
Sakura pushed the odd thoughts from her mind. Of course the rest of the world still existed, and all of its troubles and darkness would come to meet them soon enough.
The chakra burning through her limbs kept her relatively warm as well as increasing her speed, but when she reached the outskirts of Moyama she was flushed and winded. She hadn't trained or exercised since she left Konoha on her mission to Kumo, which was nearly three weeks ago, and she already noticed a difference in her stamina. She couldn't imagine how Itachi must feel, physically deteriorated so far from his former peak condition.
She slowed down so as not to alarm the watchman, and walked at an easy pace into town. Even before she passed under the spiked wooden gate, her senses were assaulted by civilization. The sounds of rolling wagon wheels and the clop of hooves on cobblestone, voices chattering and laughing, the clang of hammers on a tiled roof as a crew made last minute fixes before the coming winter. The smells of chimney smoke and cooking food, as well as the odor of manure, and people.
It was a little overwhelming and rather unpleasant after the clean, crisp smells and calming quiet of the forest. She ignored it as best she could—along with the stares of the villagers—and made her way to the general store. The owner's son, who'd carried her things before, was there and scrambled to assist her, managing to look both extremely shy and ridiculously eager at the same time. Sakura might have found it somewhat charming, but he smelled so strongly of tobacco that she had to fight the urge to recoil from him. He followed her around the store as she collected the needed items, giving her a strange look but thankfully remaining silent as she browsed the meager apparel section for men's clothing, trying to guess Itachi's size by comparison. Again, it was all paid for out of pocket, and she knew she wouldn't be able to refurbish their supplies much longer without another mission allowance.
When finished, she headed over to the clinic.
Halfway there she felt the presence of chakra and, instantly alert, stopped warily and looked around for the source. It occurred to her that if Akatsuki had come looking for their stray she probably didn't want to be seen by them, so she quickly ducked into a narrow alley between buildings and stilled, concealing her chakra exactly how Itachi had told her. It may be too late; if she had felt them, they had probably felt her. Pulse pounding, she concentrated on locating the signature and found it again after a moment. They were less than fifty meters away, somewhere down the street to her left, which would put them just outside Junko's clinic.
They were looking for Itachi…or for her.
Sakura peeked out around the corner to try to locate them, hoping desperately that she wouldn't see a red and black cloak. When she pinpointed the source of the chakra she exhaled sharply in relief, for what she saw was a dark green flak vest. A Konoha shinobi. She left her hiding place and approached him. He was a chuunin by the cut and shade of his vest, a low-level message runner. He was about to enter the clinic when she called out to him. "Looking for me?"
He turned, started, and jogged over to meet her. He was of average height and build, with sandy hair that could use a trim and a spattering of freckles across his tanned cheeks; cute in a boy-next-door sort of way, and she wondered how she hadn't seen him around before. Probably because he was always out of the village running messages.
"Haruno Sakura?"
"Yes." She assumed he'd brought her a letter from the Hokage, who wouldn't want to waste time sending it through the post. "Do you have a message for me?"
The messenger nodded, pulled a scroll from his pouch and handed it to her. Sakura quickly opened it and read the unencrypted contents.
This must be discussed in person. Return alone to Konoha immediately.
Her brow furrowed in concern as she reread the single line written in her shishou's hand. Return alone…she wasn't sure how to interpret that. The Hokage hadn't sent hunter-nin straight off, so that was a good sign, at least. "You came here alone?" she asked the runner. "No ANBU are following?"
He seemed confused by that, obviously having no idea of the details of his mission. "No…it's just me. I'm to deliver this scroll and accompany you back to Konoha."
Sakura nodded, and thought for a moment before replying, "I need to take care of a few things first. There's a pub down the road over there, inside the inn. I'll meet you there in…three hours."
Again he seemed bemused, probably wondering what she could possibly need that much time for in a place this small, but he nodded acceptingly and headed off in the direction she'd indicated.
Sakura went into the clinic. Junko was in the lobby and greeted her excitedly. "Sakura! It's nice to see you again so soon." Her smile faltered slightly. "Is everything all right?"
She drew up to the counter. "Everything's fine. I'm just here for a few supplies."
"There was a young man outside a moment ago in a ninja uniform. I think he's looking for you." Her expression tightened, and she lowered her voice. "I was a little worried he might be one of those dangerous people you mentioned might come sniffing around. He doesn't look very dangerous, but you never can tell…"
"It's alright, he's from Konoha," she reassured. "I talked to him just now. He brought a message for me."
The doctor frowned slightly. "Seems an awful long way to travel just for a message."
"It was important." She wasn't about to explain in more detail, and though Junko obviously didn't understand the secret nature of shinobi operating procedure, she at least intuited enough not to probe further. Sakura pulled an empty pill bottle from the front pocket of her pack. "Could I get a refill of these multivitamins, please? And do you have any strong medicinal teas?"
"Of course, dear. Let's go to the back and get them for you," she said, indicating with a nod for Sakura to come with. They headed to the supply room, and Junko inquired about Itachi as she filled the empty bottle. "How is he doing?"
"Quite well, actually," Sakura said. "His coughing has decreased to only one or two episodes a day and there's rarely any blood, he's up and moving on his own and he can hold down solid food now." She smiled. "He's recovering rapidly."
"Amazing," Junko declared, shaking her head a little. "You're practically a miracle worker, my dear."
Sakura smiled proudly, but inside she hoped Junko was right, because it did seem like it would take a miracle to accomplish everything she hoped to on her return to Konoha. She didn't stay any longer than necessary, thanking Junko once again for her help and making an excuse about not wanting to leave Itachi unattended for long.
There was no admiring the scenery this time as she ran full speed across the moors, back to the cabin in the foothills. It was true that she didn't like the idea of leaving Itachi alone out there. It wasn't that she was worried he would take off; she knew he was serious about the deal he'd made with her. She would be gone a week at the very least, and was concerned he wasn't physically well enough to be taking care of himself yet. But she had to go. She had to speak with the Hokage personally if there was any chance of rectifying the past, bringing the elders to justice, and clearing Itachi's name so that he could live out his new lease on life in peace.
As she passed the perimeter Sakura let her chakra leak a little so Itachi would sense her approach and not be alarmed. He wasn't. In fact, when she entered the cabin she found him sitting at the table, chin leaning against his palm, reading her monstrous medical encyclopedia, which she'd left out the night before.
She smirked at him. "Find anything interesting?"
"There is a rare disorder that gives people an insatiable urge to eat non-food substances such as dirt, glue, paper, and clay," he said, still reading, his tone slightly mystified. "There are also conditions that inexplicably cause the skin to be striped…or blue."
Sakura grinned, finding his utter seriousness rather amusing in this case. "Thinking of anyone in particular?"
He made a noncommittal sound, choosing not to comment further about that subject, and finally met her gaze. "Did you acquire everything you needed?"
She sat in the other chair. "I did." She rifled in her pack and removed the pills and tea tin, a few more miscellaneous purchases, and a bundle of dark, nondescript clothing. "It was hard to find anything that wasn't hideous," she said dryly. "These mountain people have no sense of fashion, apparently." Itachi just looked at her, somewhat amusedly. Sakura didn't notice. "It was even harder to find books, but I did come across this…" She pulled a dark-jacketed book from the pack and pushed it across the table toward him, finally looking up.
It was a modern copy of a famous ancient text, a treatise on military strategy and the arts of warfare. Sections of it were used in the written portion of the jounin exams, and Sakura even had a copy at home, though she'd admittedly never read much of it. "You've probably read it before," she said a little sheepishly.
"Many times," he said, facing the book his way and running long, slender fingers over the embossed cover. "But it never gets old."
"It was all I could find that wasn't a guide on hunting, fishing, or quilting. Well, there were also corny romance novels and, um, Icha Icha…but something told me you'd be even less interested in those. You said you liked history, military tactics and philosophy, and well, this kinda has all three, so…"
"Sakura," he said quietly, cutting off her awkward ramble. She looked up at him, a little unsure. A faint smile crossed his expression. "Thank you."
Sakura blushed. "No problem." Itachi continued to watch her with a strange expression, almost as if he'd just come to some conclusion about her. But of course, as usual, he wasn't inclined to share it. Flustered, she pretended to be occupied with removing a nonexistent speck from her coat sleeve.
Itachi had noticed already that she still wore her outerwear, and he could feel her preoccupied anxiety. "What is it?" he asked.
She met his gaze again. "I have to leave," she said almost ruefully.
Understanding crossed his features. "You've received word from Konoha." She nodded. "I didn't think it would arrive so quickly."
"It does when it's carried by a runner," she explained. "He's waiting for me back in town." She reached into her coat for the scroll and passed it to him.
Itachi read the one line directive without any visible reaction, but when he passed it back to her his dark eyes were troubled. "What do you think this means?"
Sakura shrugged faintly. "She didn't send hunters or give me instructions to kill you, so it's definitely not the worst I'd feared."
"Do you think you will face discipline for your impulsive actions?"
It had crossed her mind more than once. "I hope not," she said, sighing quietly. "Tsunade-sama trusts me. I think she just wants the details directly, and doesn't want to risk unsecure—and slow—correspondence."
Itachi accepted her answer as the most likely outcome. "You're leaving now?"
Sakura nodded, and after a moment of hesitation, stood. To her surprise, Itachi stood with her. "I should be back in about a week, if all goes well. Since I won't be here for healing sessions, take your medication twice a day instead of once, and drink the medicinal tea I brought three times a day. Make sure you keep the fire going and stay warm, and there's plenty of easily prepared food in the pantry—"
"I'll be fine, Sakura. I've kept myself alive for many years through this illness."
Her expression fell slightly, and he realized his mistake. If the look she was giving him was any indication, her next thought was probably: '…and we know how that turned out.' Itachi really was grateful for her help, her expertise, her kindness, and so he quietly added, "I'm better today than I have been in months, thanks to you." Pacified by his quick recovery of what could have been an insulting comment, Sakura smiled softly.
The moment lengthened and his gaze intensified, leaving Sakura unnerved in a way that was entirely unrelated to fear. Hesitantly, Itachi reached out and brushed a stray strand of hair across her temple. His knuckles softly grazed her skin, and the slow, almost awkward action sent a fluttery jolt through her, familiar, but different somehow from what she knew of that feeling. Beyond surprised, she shifted uncertainly, her own body unsure whether it wanted to back away or move closer to him. Eventually her mind regained function and joined the debate, and 'back away' was the decided course of action. But there was no way for Itachi to mistake her withdrawal as distress or rejection, not with the shy, flustered smile on her lips.
Itachi seemed surprised by his own actions, and his arm dropped mechanically to his side. That studious expression returned, as though he'd just made a fascinating discovery.
"Um…I'll see you when I get back," she murmured, inwardly cringing at how lame she sounded. Still unable to erase or hide her smile, Sakura gathered her pack and walked out the door.
#
For a long minute after she'd gone, Itachi remained motionless, though his mind was far from still.
Why had he touched her? It was unplanned, which in itself was odd, as he almost never did anything impulsively. He'd been thinking how remarkable she was for facing such an enormous unknown head on, and somehow in the next moment his thoughts had shifted to how vibrantly colored she was; from her catlike, almost unnaturally green eyes, to her ridiculous but fascinating pink hair…and then he'd reached out to touch it. It was soft between his fingers, richly silken, and he'd had a passing thought that, had he been close enough, it would have smelled wonderful.
It was…attraction, he realized with a detached sort of wonder. It was such a foreign concept that it was actually rather amusing, and he smiled to himself. He had never been physically drawn to anyone before. Such things were useless and distracting in the life he had chosen to live, and so he'd never allowed those impulses to take precedence. Even having these thoughts now was a little disturbing, enough to experience an almost reflexive urge to wipe them from his mind.
Curious about the sudden resurgence of long-repressed notions, Itachi sat at the table, crossed his arms over his chest, and for once allowed himself to dwell on the matter.
Perhaps it was his newfound vitality that allowed his baser instincts to surface. He felt alive again. The cloud of depression and despair that had enveloped him as he lay dying in a remote nowhere, all his plans unfinished, all his hopes futile…had evaporated as though a fresh wind had blown through his life. With each new painless, untroubled breath, he felt his strength and sense of purpose returning.
Strange, then, that what his mind chose to focus on at such an important time was not the revival of his plans. He had to find his impetuous brother and make him see reason. That was not likely to be an easy task, as his brother was quite foolhardy. And then, together, they would destroy the one responsible for the ruin of both their lives. Itachi didn't have time for trivial, self-indulgent thoughts. Yet what mostly occupied his attention was not so much approaching these problems,but Sakura.
Itachi often found himself watching her, and had learned a lot about her that way; observing the way she moved, the way she appeared to organize in her mind before acting or speaking, doing everything with the utmost efficiency. That focus only slipped when she was flustered, embarrassed, or in danger of losing her temper, all of which he found weren't difficult to provoke in her with a choice word or action. Her emotions were easily manipulated, and it was rather amusing to do so, actually. He found her fascinating. Itachi was rarely interested in anyone on a personal level, yet he wanted to know more about her. With Sakura, he seemed unable to help it, and that was most unsettling.
Something had happened during those three nights when the fever nearly killed him. Something had passed between them, creating a strange sort of bond. Itachi was fairly certain it was because of the extensive, continuous transfer of her chakra into his cells, but his knowledge of medical ninjutsu did not extend far enough to be completely sure. He'd felt it the moment he awoke, on both a conscious and subconscious level. He'd felt that she no longer mistrusted him or feared being alone with him. He felt he understood her intentions, and therefore no longer mistrusted her. But the fact that they had so easily slipped into a comfortable familiarity was abnormal and disturbing—at least to him.
In addition to that, every time she touched him during their healing sessions, or when she assisted him in his embarrassing weaker moments, it was as if her chakra surged inside of him, through his pathways and along his skin in the places she touched, as if it longed to return to its source. He knew of chakra insertion as a tracking device, even as a way to gather information, but he knew this wasn't something she'd done on purpose. Sakura seemed just as unsettled by it, almost embarrassed. It was a nearly indescribable sensation, but not entirely unpleasant. Because of that, he'd made a deliberate effort not to touch her, and to not allow her to touch him unless necessary. Until today.
This outcome fell completely outside all his meticulous planning and assessments, and he was somewhat stunned to find himself here, with entirely new as he'd been when he'd chosen this path, he'd known what he was getting himself into, and had orchestrated everything to play out in a way that ultimately left him some modicum of control.
Itachi had only ever thought about saving Sasuke, never about saving himself. He had fully expected to die. He had wanted to. He had never once calculated the possibility that his life might one day be his own to do with as he pleased.
He had never anticipated this, that in his final, bleakly inglorious hour, this kunoichi—barely more than a girl—would come along and singlehandedly save his life. All she had known of him was what the world knew, and yet she had been willing to take an enormous risk, a leap of faith that he hadn't earned and didn't deserve from her, and had agreed to help him, going out to the middle of nowhere alone with a notorious criminal whom she had every right to suspect would kill her in the end. At first, he thought she might be a fool and a failure of a shinobi to be so careless, but he'd quickly realized she was too capable and intelligent to have not known exactly what she may be facing, and had taken the risk anyway. She was truly a surprising and remarkable person.
Sakura was spirited, exceptionally intelligent, and possessed a natural charm despite the temper he'd caught glimpses of when he didn't let her have her way so easily. And she was, if he allowed himself to reflect on it, strikingly beautiful. Itachi was never interested in anything typical or standardized. Sakura's exotic features, her coloring and slender, elegant form were far more alluring than the doll-like faces and voluptuous figures desired by so many men. Though he had learned to repress it over the years, Itachi was only human, just a man, and increasingly wondered about the possibility of acting on these newly rediscovered impulses.
A part of him was beginning to find her quite irresistible. It was as if something inside of him had been inflamed by her, almost from the moment he met her. Another thing he found somewhat alarming.
Itachi always planned ahead, always examined all likely outcomes. This situation was no different. As much as it might be premature to think about, not knowing what Konoha would ultimately decide, he still couldn't help but wonder what would happen if he were allowed to live quietly in exile…or if he were to be pardoned, as Sakura so adamantly supported. What would he do with the rest of his life?
However, there was almost no chance of that outcome. Sakura's enthusiasm was admirable in its own way, but it was also naïve, fueled by compassion and not entirely thought out. A hard fact she would learn soon enough. The Hokage wasn't going to tell her what she wanted to hear. There was no point in thinking of a future which wouldn't happen.
At any rate, it was probably all nothing. It was likely just the abundance of her chakra in his system that made him feel so drawn to her, that made her react to him in that way. Merely a chemical reaction that would fade and disappear in time as her energy was replaced by his own. She would be gone for the next several days; perhaps the physical distance would clarify the issue.
With a rare sigh, Itachi stood and walked slowly to the window, watched the snow fall lightly to the earth. Sakura's tracks were nearly covered. Itachi couldn't remember having ever felt lonely, indeed he enjoyed solitude. But over the last two weeks he had come to find her company enjoyable. He was accustomed to her presence, and surprisingly, now found himself thinking that the coming week would be long and boring without her there to talk to him.
The third journey across the wilderness that day was a blur as Sakura cleared her mind of everything but the mechanics of running, unwilling to dwell on what might happen once she arrived in Konoha, and afraid to think about what had happened in those final moments with Itachi.
She met the chuunin runner at the pub as promised and waited with a strange mixture of impatience and procrastination as he finished his meal. She was extremely nervous about her meeting with Tsunade, and so of course she was naturally inclined to delay. But at the same time, sitting there in the pub with nothing to do but think about the events of the last hour while the locals gawked at them made her particularly eager to get moving so she could zone out again.
She learned the runner's name was Shinji. He was a few years older and seemed nice enough; they talked a little about general things relating to ninja life: 'What year did you graduate?' 'Who was your sensei?' He already seemed to know a lot about her, which wasn't much of a surprise; that's what happened when your team was infamous and you were the apprentice of the Hokage.
Sakura decided to join him in a meal. It was sort of necessary, since she'd run a total of about forty-five miles in just under five hours and her chakra was over half depleted. She'd been pushing herself hard for the past couple weeks and it had taken more of a toll on her than she'd realized. She could really use a nap, she thought, and then realized that having a midday rest each day had spoiled her. The house stew was just as good as Junko had said, and once they were both fueled and ready, they left for Konoha.
The three-day journey home was mostly uneventful. They ran each morning until noon, stopped for lunch, then ran until sunset when they would stop in a town for the night. The weather warmed considerably as they left Lightning and traveled south, and by noon the second day Sakura's winter coat was stowed in her pack. She'd left her sleeping bag back at the cabin, so she was glad Shinji had a travel allowance that afforded them both single rooms at night. Her traveling companion was pleasant if not terribly exciting company, and they made good time, reaching the towering green gates of Hidden Leaf by late afternoon the third day.
Moving to the checkpoint inside the gates, Sakura wasn't surprised to find that Izumo and Kotetsu had been on alert for her, and were waving her over urgently.
"Hokage-sama left orders for you to go immediately to her office," said Izumo.
"She seemed awfully intense about it, even for her. You haven't done something naughty have you, Sakura-chan?" Kotetsu asked slyly.
"Maybe…I guess we'll see," she returned, smirking. The two aides always flirted with her, but it was harmless; they were notorious for flirting with anything with breasts. Except for the Hokage, which they obviously understood would promptly get them tossed out her fourth-storey office window.
Izumo glanced around her and acknowledged the runner with a tilt of his chin. "'Sup, Shinji. You know the drill: report in as usual."
Shinji nodded and gave a short wave to Sakura. "It was nice getting to know you a little, Sakura-san."
"You too. And I told you, Shinji: it's just Sakura."
He grinned at her. "Right. Well, see you around."
"See ya." She waved amiably as he leapt to the nearest rooftop and disappeared from sight.
"He 'got to know you a little,' eh?" Kotetsu teased, winking at her.
Sakura rolled her eyes. "Do you have to inject your perversities into every possible situation?"
He slapped his hand over his heart in mock hurt. "Sakura-chan! I'm just trying to figure out what your type is, since you already rejected both of us," he said, jerking his thumb at his partner.
"Yeah…what exactly is your type?" Izumo joined in, grinning impishly.
She tried unsuccessfully to preventthe image of a tall, dark-haired, smoldery-eyed man who'd run his fingers so softly through her hair from coming to mind. "I don't have a type," she said flatly. "What I do have is an urgent meeting with the Hokage that I need to get to right away. Unless you want me to explain to her that I was delayed here with the two of you, discussing things that are none of your business?"
Both men sobered at the idea, and Izumo exaggeratedly waved her through. "Proceed."
Sakura laughed under her breath, and set off toward the Hokage tower.
The weather was balmy and the afternoon sun shone pleasantly on her face and shoulders. She had missed the temperate climate of her homeland. But as she moved through the streets of Konoha, she couldn't help thinking about the things Itachi had revealed to her, about the twisted corruption at the village's foundations and the depraved intrigue its leaders had embraced in order to cover it up. Almost no one living here had any idea what horrible truths lay hidden in dark corners andlocked away under official seals. If they did, maybe, like her, they wouldn't be able to look at their village quite the same way anymore.
Sakura was determined to expose the truth and see the elders pay for their past crimes, but she was a medic and a soldier, not a politician. She had no idea how to make it right; she just knew something had to be done. She needed the Hokage's help, and hoped Tsunade would not only understand and see it her way, but that her more world-wise shishou would know how to handle the scandalous situation that was potentially devastating to Konoha's political and social infrastructure.
As she rounded a corner and the tall red building loomed ahead, Sakura's nerves returned. She'd practiced what she would say again and again on the trip back, but not knowing what sort of reception she would receive filled her with anxiety. Was Tsunade angry with her? What if the Hokage, not yet knowing what Sakura knew, told Danzou or the other elders and one or all of them were there? That outcome was unlikely, she knew, as Tsunade personally loathed and distrusted all three of them, and habitually excluded them from every decision she possibly could.
When Sakura reached the reception area on the top floor, Shizune looked up from behind a massive stack of files on her desk and smiled at her fellow apprentice. "Welcome back, Sakura. Go right in." Pleasantries were a good sign. Shizune usually knew what was up, and interacting with her first was a good indicator of what sort of mood the Hokage was in, and what to expect when entering that office. She took a deep breath and pushed open the heavy double doors.
Sakura was slightly surprised to find the Godaime already occupied. Shikamaru's voice trailed off as she walked in and both he and the Hokage looked her way. Tsunade's expression intensified when she saw Sakura.
"Ah. You're finally here. Take a seat." She glanced at her chief tactics officer. "Out," she said bluntly. "We'll continue later."
Shikamaru couldn't have looked more beleaguered if he'd tried. He straightened and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Right," he muttered flatly. "Because the report I worked on all morning isn't important at all."
As he passed her, Sakura sent him a small, apologetic smile. "Hey, Shika."
"Hey," he greeted unenthusiastically.
"Shut the door on your way out," the Hokage added.
From behind, Sakura heard a long, harried sigh, and a moment later, the doors clicked shut quietly.
Now that they were alone, the ominous weight of the information they both knew Sakura was there to deliver filled the air between them. The Godaime sat behind her massive desk and rested her chin on her interlaced fingers, fixing an expectant amber stare on her apprentice.
"Alright, Sakura. Tell me everything."
Next Chapter: The Mission
