Eleven: Reassign

Sakura was fairly certain that the universe hated her when she arrived at the Hokage's office. She arrived almost at dawn, as per the written summons, miserable and bleary-eyed and hungover. Her head ached and her throat hurt and all she wanted to do was go back home and crawl into bed. But of course the world wasn't through with her yet; when she opened the door and stepping into the office, she found Ino waiting for her.

The blonde was standing in front of the Hokage's desk, all severe posture and crossed arms, the epitome of avarice and too much perfection. When Sakura let the door close behind her she half-turned, casting a morally vapid glance at the other girl before turning away again. She hadn't given anything of herself away in that brief moment of ocular contact, but Sakura suddenly felt naked and ugly and judged. Such was the new viciousness the blonde was capable of.

Tsunade glanced up at Sakura briefly before returning her gaze to whatever disordered documents were laid out across her desk. She, too, seemed newly gifted with the ability to make Sakura feel unimportant and very small.

The doors opened again and Shizune hurried in, followed by Tenten. The brunette gave Sakura a cheeky grin for the fleeting moment it took her to realize that Ino was there, and then her grin suddenly became hollow and humourless.

"You have a mission for us, Tsunade-sama?" Tenten asked, trying to recapture the Hokage's fragmented attention.

Godaime Hokage didn't answer for a long time. Instead, she flipped through the documents hurriedly, searching. As they waited, Sakura found herself trying to guess what the assignment would be, but found herself instead agonizing over the pitiable position that Tsunade was in, over the fact that she had been forced by circumstance to summon herself, Ino and Tenten to do the job. Sakura had no doubt that Tenten was just as gung-ho and capable as she had always been, but Sakura herself, with her ill-health and perpetually shattered concentration, was all but useless and Ino hadn't taken on missions for nearly a year. Sakura had heard from Tenten about her last mission and its spectacular failure, about the deaths of comrades that weighed heavily on her conscience, and she wondered if Ino would be able to pull herself together this time around.

Tsunade cleared her throat, and Sakura suddenly realized that she had been staring at Ino. She looked away quickly and found herself staring back at Shizune, who looked grim and uncertain. The Hokage pressed her fingertips into her temples and sighed heavily. "We've received word from Suna that Iwagakure has sent shinobi to attack Konoha."

Tenten looked startled. Sakura was still looking at Shizune. Ino was staring at some point in space between herself and the Hokage's desk.

"Apparently diplomacy has failed, and the Earth country is no longer willing to tolerate Konoha's interference in their war with Wind. Unfortunately, Konoha has overextended its military resources in response to Suna's increasingly desperate demands for support. Thankfully, this expeditionary force is somewhat small, and was diverted from existing forces placed in Wind, and so we can expect their numbers to have dwindled since Suna's report. But…" Tsunade trailed off, her breath rattling with frustration.

"Suna estimated their numbers to be just under forty," Shizune filled in. "But we have no idea how many will make it to the border, if any."

"We've already organized a provisional civilian watch along the border," Tsunade was still shuffling through the papers on the desk, and Sakura guessed they were reports from these civilian watchmen. No wonder she can't seem to find whatever she's looking for, no doubt none of them know how to write an official report. "We need you three to head up to the border and join the sentries. If the enemy shows itself, you are to engage them in order to protect the sentries against possible reprisals and to prevent them from reaching Konoha." Tsunade looked up from the papers in apparent defeat. "If the enemy shinobi do not appear, you are to remain at the border until you're summoned back here. Understood?"

The three kunoichi nodded silently.

"Good. Tenten will be group leader. Tenten, I leave the organization of any weapons or provisions to you. You're to leave for the border immediately." Tsunade paused, trying to think of whether or not she missed anything. "Dismissed," she added curtly.

Tenten was the first out the door, with Ino stalking haughtily after her. Sakura turned to leave, but Tsunade's voice stopped her in her tracks. "Sakura, Ino, wait."

Sakura glanced back over her shoulder, and Ino stopped at the door.

Tsunade gave them both a severe look in turn. "Whatever is going on between you two," she said, "fix it. I don't need to tell you what could happen if you allow some personal vendetta to compromise this mission."

Sakura nodded, shamed. When she turned to leave, she found that Ino was already gone.

Sakura tried not to think of her own potential uselessness as they walked. It was a beautiful day, and though she found the breeze to be uncomfortably cool, the slanted rays of the sun that filtered through the foliage were enough to warm her, though it wasn't nearly enough to allow her to cope with Ino's cold demeanour. They had been travelling in complete silence for almost the entire day, the blonde giving Sakura mercifully wide berth, with poor Tenten caught in the middle. Sakura found herself staring at Ino's back for long periods of time, gritting her teeth and clenching her fists at the unbridled arrogance that seemed to blanket the other girl in an aura.

The sun was setting before Tenten called for them to stop and rest for the night. The brunette dutifully began setting up her tent, meanwhile chattering away as if to fill the gaping social hole that had opened up between them. "It really is awful how spread out we all are," she was saying. "I mean, it's a bit frightening that we were the only three shinobi at Tsunade's disposal."

"The only thing frightening about it is that we have to trust a coward to watch our backs," Ino muttered darkly.

Sakura dropped her pack at her feet and turned slowly, rising to Ino's challenge. "But it is pretty awful that Tsunade was forced to send a whore to do a shinobi's job," she shot back.

"Please," Tenten began, exasperated, trying to cut off the argument before it began.

"I hope you're not planning on running away from all your responsibilities again," Ino sniped back. "Just know that I'll be there to bury a few knives in your spineless back when you abandon us.'

"Why would I have to run away?" Sakura asked her, her voice heavy with unrestrained malice. "Tenten's in command, so I don't have to worry about you botching the mission and getting us all butchered."

Sakura felt smugly satisfied when all the blood drained from Ino's face. The blonde simply pivoted on her heel and walked away from Sakura. "I'll take first watch," she told Tenten quietly, and her voice was strained.

Sakura was still grinning when she turned and faced Tenten. The brunette was staring at Sakura in horror and vague disgust. "I can't believe you just said that," she muttered quietly.

"You should hear some of the things she's said to me," Sakura defended lamely.

"That wasn't right," Tenten told her. "That wasn't right at all." And she turned her back on Sakura, focussing on putting up the tent.

Sakura put her back to a tree and slid down into a sitting position, suddenly feeling sick with guilt and simultaneously indignant and angry. Fuck Ino for picking a fight and losing. And fuck Tenten for judging me.

But it still wasn't right. It wasn't right at all.