"Shishou?" The pink-haired kunoichi called her mentor, her hand poised in the air as if to knock on an invisible door.

"Sakura? Why are you here so early?" The Fifth Hokage's voice was clouded with sleep.

Sakura made her way from the door to the large oak desk situated in the center of the office. As she moved closer, she took in the messy piles of reports stacked on and around the desk as well as the empty knocked-over bottles of sake littering the room.

"Uh…looks like you've been busy, Shishou." Sakura tried to smile, clearly making pains to avoid the previous question.

"Don't patronize me, Sakura. I know you better than that. What's wrong? Why are you really here?" Tsunade wearily looked up from her seat, her eyes searching for some kind of giveaway.

"Ah, well, you see…um…heh…" Her fingers found her leg pouch and began nervously snapping and unsnapping the cover.

"Did something go wrong? Are Sasuke and Naruto hurt or in trouble?" The Fifth's face filled with motherly concern.

"No, of course not! It's nothing like that. If anything, I'm sure those two can handle themselves."

"Then, what is it, Sakura? Your beating around the bush is trying my patience." Tsunade's painted nails impatiently tapped the wooden desk.

"Gomen, gomen. It's just that, something happened and I can't really explain it. The next thing I know, I have THIS on my wrist." Sakura lifted her wrist, spinning the delicate band.

"Wait. You're not making a lot of sense. This doesn't look like anything significant."

"I can't really explain it, Shishou. I'm not really sure what happened. But, I do know that whatever did, I got this as a present." Sakura's voice quivered with uncertainty.

"Let me take it off so I can get a better look at it." She reached for the silver bracelet.

"NO!" Her apprentice yanked back her arm, clutching it protectively.

"Sakura, don't be a child. What has gotten into you?"

"I can't take it off. I tried it already when I was trying to get back home. When I did, I thought I was going to die. It started burning some kind of strange tattoo onto my wrist. The agony was excruciating."

"Strange. Do you have any idea who might have given this to you?"

"Well…not really."

"What about Sasuke and Naruto? Surely they will have remembered something you might have overlooked."

"Um. I'm not so sure about that, Shishou."

"What do you mean? They were with you, so they'll have a fresh perspective on it."

"Ah, well, you see, that's just it…" Sakura trailed off, fingering the clasp on the bracelet.

"What?! Are you saying that they weren't with you? Did they leave without you?!" The Fifht exploded, rage simmering just below the surface.

"Hai."

"Whose idea was this? Did they leave a note? Oh, they are dead when they get back." Tsunade seethed.

Sakura averted her eyes, somehow feeling like the whole situation was her own fault. In her anxiety, she accidentally undid the clasp of the bracelet and it fell to the floor with a soft thud. Sakura gasped in horror and frantically snatched it up to put it back on her wrist.

She wasn't fast enough.

Agony lanced up her arm, radiating from her wrist. The curls of dark crimson were growing at a much faster rate, the pain racing through her more suddenly than the first time.

Tsunade swiftly closed the silver band around her apprentice's arm, observing the way the peculiar tattoo began disappearing as quickly as it had come.

"Sakura…This bracelet…is some kind of technique. It feels so familiar, yet I cannot put my finger on it."

"A technique?"

"Yes. A tracking device used to watch targets or something. I've definitely seen it before, but where, I'm not exactly sure. I think you should go rest up. I'll try to see if I can pull anything up." Tsunade helped Sakura to her feet, gently guiding her to the door.

"Okay."

Sakura looked back once at her mentor, smiling slightly at the way her forehead creased when she was deep in thought. Though, on the surface, the Hokage may look young, Sakura knew better. She could see her true age in her shishou's eyes and the wisdom in them.

- x -

A/N: Ah, I know how I said that I wouldn't have any more transition chapters xD Well, I lied. Here's another one to help give some background to the story! Teehee. It seems a little outrageous, I know, but read with an open mind :P I'll try to make the characters as canon as possible!