Sakura left the Hokage's office and was greeted by Ino. They began walking to the lobby while Sakura spoke.
"Kind of weird, you just standing outside like that. Why weren't you downstairs grabbing your mission?"

Ino looked down briefly, then flipped her hair out of her face before speaking in an overly confident voice.
"I just wanted to make sure you made it out of that office alive! We can't lose Konoha's best medic to a sake bottle in the head."
Ino flashed Sakura a cheeky grin and Sakura returned it with a knowing smile.

"It would take more than that to keep me down, pig." They descended the stairs and approached the lobby as Sakura continued. "I'm going to have to cancel dinner plans tonight. I'll be back in tomorrow, though. We can reschedule then."

Ino took a deep breath and nodded slowly while looking at the ground. She shrugged her shoulders and spoke, this time with a little less gusto.
"That's okay. I'll just make the boys take me out tonight."

Sakura gave Ino a sad smile, but spoke kindly to her friend.
"It must be nice never having a mission outside of the village."

Ino scoffed.
"No way! I never get to see any action, and the pay is totally weak. All I do are delivery missions, or escorting lame diplomats around the city. But you know, I still have to help dad with the shop, and I can't do that if I'm gone for weeks at a time."

They stopped at the edge of the lobby, beside the hall that lead to the briefing rooms. Ino flicked Sakura's nose lovingly.
"You be careful with what ever you're doing. I expect to go out with you when you get back and I'll be really upset if I don't get to do that."

Sakura smiled and pulled Ino into a firm hug.
"I'll be sure to make it back in one piece."

They pulled apart and Ino nodded before turning away down the hall. Sakura watched as Ino brought a quick hand to her face and straightened her posture. Sakura gave a long and quiet sigh to herself as she watched Ino round a corner.

A voice spoke behind her.
"Why does it always have to be so bitter sweet?"

Sakura sighed softy again.
"It's the life we choose to live. She stays in the village because she knows that every mission is a risk to our lives, she keeps saying it's for her father, but that's not the real reason. It always kills her to see one of us go, even if it's for a small mission like ours."
She turned to the man who appeared behind her.
"Our client is sitting on the bench at the entrance, are you ready to go?"

Kakashi gazed down at Sakura with his hands in his pockets. She stared at him with an expressionless face while waiting for him to answer. Kakashi said nothing but nodded and held out a hand to gesture for her to lead the way. Sakura strode in front of him and towards the entrance with Kakashi following beside her.

The man was sitting alone, apparently asleep, with a cane in between his legs.
Sakura called to him.
"Mr. Tsuneki?"

The man jumped slightly and took in a quick snoring breath as he looked for the voice that called to him.
"Yes?"

Sakura gave him a smile and waved.
"My name is Sakura, and this is my partner Kakashi, we're going to be your escorts today."

She gestured at Kakashi while introducing themselves then bowed in a formal greeting. The man bowed back to them without standing up.

"Lady Hokage told me that you would be here at noon, but you're early! We can leave right away, I have a cart out front with some stuff I'm taking back to the family. It shouldn't be too much trouble, I'm just worried about thieves, and the lot. The path to the checkpoint isn't exactly the safest, you know."
Tsuneki stood up without the aid of his cane, but he quickly grabbed the handle, and started walking out the front door.
"My cart is just this way."

Kakashi and Sakura walked behind the horse drawn cart as they made their way down the road.

Kakashi glanced to Sakura as she walked with her hands behind her head.
"Naruto is really rubbing off on you lately."

Sakura gave a bored look to Kakashi.
"It's just a comfortable way to walk."

Kakashi smirked under his mask.
"You leave your sides open for attack when you hold your arms up like that."

Sakura suddenly dropped her arms and looked at the ground, but continued walking. She looked up a moment later and took in her surroundings again.
"I'm going to move up to the front for a while."

Kakashi nodded as she slowly jogged beside the cart to walk beside Tsuneki, who was sitting in the front, steering the horse. Tsuneki smiled to Sakura as he saw her approach.
"I thought I would have to be up here all by myself the entire time, I'm glad you joined me."

Sakura smiled to him but didn't say anything. They continued on for about a mile in silence before Tsuneki frowned a bit and spoke.
"Is there a problem Miss Sakura?"

Sakura looked to him confused.
"I don't believe so, sir. Why do you ask?"

"You're just so quiet. I figured I may have done something to upset you."

Sakura chuckled.
"Ninja aren't much for conversations, you'll have to forgive me while I'm on duty."

Tsuneki flashed her a grin.
"Let's pretend like you're not working, then. I feel like chatting. We have a few more hours before the boarder, I don't want to spend it just staring at the ass of my horse."

Sakura smiled to Tsuneki then looked back to Kakashi who was watching her with an amused crinkle in his eye. She gave a hand signal telling him to switch places with her and Kakashi just shook his head in refusal. She then gave him a less pleasant gesture with her middle finger and looked forward again.

Giving an inner sigh, Sakura addressed the man pleasantly.
"Okay, Mr. Tsuneki, tell me about yourself."

Tsuneki almost bounced with joy as he began talking.
"Well, I am a farmer and I own my own land. I have a lovely wife and two beautiful daughters. We raise animals, mostly…." Tsuneki continued on about himself and his farm and where he grew up for almost an hour before he finally looked to Sakura, who had been nodding and giving acknowledging noises here and there, but not really paying attention to him.

It took Sakura a moment to realize that he stopped talking and was waiting for her to respond.
"That's very interesting Mr. Tsuneki, it seems like you have lived a very wonderful life."

He nodded "Yes, I am very happy to be where I am. Why don't you tell me more about yourself?"

Sakura smirked.
"I told you Mr. Tsuneki, I'm on duty."

The sun had set and it was starting to feel very late by the time they reached the checkpoint. The mission was completed without incident. Sakura and Kakashi said good bye to the client and were ready to start their journey back.

They headed out the door and Sakura stretched her arms above her head.
"Let's go North and make our way to the town that's up there. We can grab some dinner and a place to stay."

Kakashi stared at her then looked to her exposed ribs before she dropped her arms back down to her sides.
"That sounds like a plan. I know that area has a really good place we could gets some food at."

Sakura nodded as they began their journey down the road. Their walk was taken a bit slower than their pace when they arrived. The two walked beside each other for a few minutes before Sakura finally spoke.
"I can't believe you left me up there with him that whole time. The man nearly talked my ear off."

Kakashi looked to her and spoke in an amused voice.
"You were the one who wanted to be up there."

Sakura quirked an eyebrow.
"I only stayed up there because of the tactical advantage."

Kakashi tilted his head slightly towards her.
"Not just to get away from me? I was obviously under the wrong impression, Sakura."

Sakura smiled at him and playfully bumped into his shoulder.
"Oh, Kakashi Sensei, You know I can't stand you."

Kakashi took the opportunity to wrap his arm around her shoulder and squeezed her into him for a quick side hug. They laughed together and were about to pull apart when Kakashi grabbed her body fully and quickly leapt off the road and into a tree.
Sakura then felt the presence near them and masked her chakra beside Kakashi. He quietly let go of her and they crouched in the foliage together as three shadowed figures walked quickly underneath them. Sakura quietly nudged Kakashi and gestured for them to move away from the road. They quietly leapt further into the trees and were still moving when Sakura finally spoke.

"They didn't look dangerous, why did we move?"

Kakashi remained silent for a moment. Then he crinkled his eye at Sakura.
"They weren't dangerous, I just didn't want to take the roads any more."