A/N:

Amazed. Inspired. Grateful. That's how your interest in this story makes me feel.


Chapter 8

Trust


The inside-the-waistband sheath holster at his right hip supported a 9mm pistol, a detached 8" suppressor, and an extra magazine. With a choreographed raise of both arms, he slid on the white button down shirt over the body armor that hugged his bare torso. He took the time to work with the buttons, and then left the shirt untucked to conceal the gun's peeking hand grip.

The black silk tie was the next article that clung to him, followed by the black jacket that completed the standard suit. He double-checked the coat's inside pockets for the stun gun, pepper spray, and the small LED flashlight.

All the while, he was standing before a full-length mirror. With a last fix of his tie and a few brushes of his hair, Uchiha Sasuke was set for another complicated day as a personal bodyguard.

"Hey teme, a little help please?"

Sasuke's eyes shifted to the left and detected Naruto's reflection, which was still half naked with only the trousers on.

"Uh… How do I put this suppressor in my holster? For goodness' sake! This is too long! Where did you hide yours? Up your ass?"

Why did he have to be my roommate? "Dobe. There's a space for it beside the gun barrel."

Naruto twisted his torso to the right and inspected the holster inside the trousers' waistband. "Oh! Found it!... I've never seen holsters like this before."

"It's customized."

"Remind me again why we need to carry this stupid suppressor? It's just an added weight!"

"I thought they briefed you about that."

"Well, yeah… they did. Maybe I went to the bathroom when they explained that part."

"You really live up to being a dobe, huh?"

"Hey! I asked you first, teme!"

Sasuke shook his head. "My charge has a PTSD. Her panic attacks could be triggered by loud noises like gunshots. That's why a silencer was required to all the bodyguards."

"Sakura-chan has a what?!"

"Didn't you at least read her profile? That's a prerequisite."

"Well, yeah… I did. Maybe I… accidentally used it in the bathroom?"

"Dobe."

Naruto was still busy with the holster, so he let the comment pass. Then he paused for a moment and met Sasuke's eyes through the mirror. "Hey Sasuke, why do I have to keep quiet about Itachi?"

Sasuke glared at him. The invisible daggers bounced off the mirror's surface and headed straight to Naruto's direction. "Don't. Ever. Say that name again."

"Alright, alright. Chill man… I'm on your side. I just wanna ask why."

"Then don't."

"…Are you still on that revenge thing?"

"Shut up."

"It's too dangerous, man. The guy's a freakin' criminal–"

"Do you want me to inform Sakura about your 'expired milk' incident at third grade? I still have the picture."

"NO! That was embarrassing! You wouldn't, teme! I promised to keep quiet, didn't I?"

"Hn."

"Okay, I get it!" Naruto fixed his holster once again, muttering something along the lines of bastard and some hole. "Hey teme! I can't put the suppressor in the slot. I think something's stuck in there. Could you give me a hand, my bestest friend?"

Sasuke sighed, forced his feet to move out of their place, and walked towards the dobe. He reached for the holster at Naruto's side and examined it. "Even a child could do this."

"Oh yeah?! Let's see you try!"

BAM! BAM! BAM!

They both turned to the door.

"Hey! Are you two finished yet? I don't wanna be late!... What's taking you so long?!"

The knob rattled before the door flung open. And the clock paused.

Sakura stood at the hallway, with wide eyes and an almost disconnected jaw. Naruto was standing in the middle of the room, half naked. Sasuke was crouched beside him, both hands hooked at Naruto's waistband.

The female's hair color dispersed to her cheeks, as she lunged for the knob once more. "I-I'm sorry."

SLAM!

"Wait! Sakura-chan! It's not what you think!" Naruto threw a look at Sasuke. "You see what you did, teme?! You could've at least kept your hands to yourself when she knocked. What were you thinking?!"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth, before he let go of the waistband and started walking to the door. "That's it. Fix that holster yourself. I'll wait in the garage. Hurry up."

"H-hey! I was just joking, teme! Ts' not like you don't know me. Hey man, come back here!"

The door leaf swung open then closed within a beat. The dobe had to be Sasuke's roommate since the vacant rooms weren't enough for the added security personnel. And because that wasn't frustrating as it was, Naruto had to be assigned as Sakura's private driver. Sasuke cursed his luck, if that even existed.

He paced along the hallway as the dobe's suffering scream echoed in the walls.

"TEME!"

Ah… Such music to his ears.


*RIIIIIIIIIING!*

"Hey forehead, mind if I walk with you to the parking lot?"

"Actually yes… if your intention isn't pure."

"I assure you forehead, it's pure. Purely because of your bodyguard!" Ino squealed on her seat while packing up her school supplies like the rest of the students in the room.

"He could hear you, you know." Sakura glanced at the open door and sighed. Just a step away from that door, the ex-temporary waited.

It was like kindergarten all over again. No. This was worse. Her dad insisted that Sasuke should not only guard her on the campus grounds, but also inside the school buildings. Just how absurd was that? According to her dad, it was part of the 'security precautions movement'. And after a doomed-from-the-start argument with him, Sakura was left with no choice but to deal with it.

Even the teachers and the school principal were paranoid enough to have agreed with her dad's idea. Now, she had yet to get over the embarrassment of practically having a baby-sitter at school. Most boys – since the girl population was ecstatic for a walking eye candy at the corridors – were making her a laughingstock.

"Could you hurry up forehead? Sasuke-kun's probably tired from standing there the whole day. Poor Sasuke-kun…"

Sakura's friends flocked around her desk, as she shoved the last notebook into her bag and rose from her seat. "And here I thought that you're MY friend, Ino-pig. Why don't you just go ahead and stand there with him if you're that concerned?"

"Yeah Ino, get outta here. Me and Hinata here will walk with Sakura, 'cause we're her true friends."

"Ten-ten, Ten-ten, Ten-ten… The drama queen title doesn't fit you."

"Heh, silly me. Of course! I couldn't beat the title holder, who I'm currently staring at by the way."

"Why, you…"

Sakura and Hinata halted their steps in front of the teacher's table, and looked back at the two arguing girls at the other side of the room.

"Sakura-chan, I think we should tell them that we're ready to go."

"Nah… I wouldn't want to spoil their fun. Besides, I think Sasuke could manage to wait a little longer." Oh, how Sakura missed showing off her victory smirk.

After a few minutes, Ino and Ten-ten finally realized their two friends weren't around. They raced to the board with irritated faces, especially Ino. And all four of them walked straight to the door, and to the parking lot. Along the way, Ino kept on looking behind as Sasuke trailed after them.

The parking lot was filled with wandering students and different kinds of vehicles. But among all these, one red convertible screamed for attention. The door at the driver side opened, and a mop of golden blonde hair showed itself with an extra human body in black suit.

"Ooh… Hello ladies…" Naruto smoothed back his hair, only for it to spring up again, in that spiky fashion that resembled a ten year old's drawing of the sun's rays.

Ino spoke, "Save it, blondie."

"I'm not talking to you, blondie!"

Before Ino could retort, another voice joined in. "H-Hello, N-Naruto-kun…"

"Hi there, Hinata-chan! Great day, isn't it?" Naruto grinned.

Hinata let her two indexes meet, and looked down at them with a tinge of pink on her cheeks. "Y-yes… it is."

Almost everyone in the group could tell the reason behind Hinata's body language. Almost. Since one particular male blonde didn't appear to have any idea.

"Well, that's because all you people are having the exceptional opportunity of seeing the great Uzumaki Naruto!"

Ino snorted. "Forehead, I think your driver's stoned."

Naruto gasped, blue eyes narrowed at another set of blue. "What did you call me?! I'm not a driver!... I'm a chauffeur."

"Duh… That's one and the same."

"No, it's not! Hey, teme! Back me up here!"

"Hn."

"Thanks a lot, man…"

They said their 'goodbyes' and 'take cares', then scattered to their respective destinations. Sakura settled at the backseat of the convertible, while Naruto slid back to the driver seat and the ex-temporary took the shotgun position.

No one dared to disturb the silence at first, until Naruto turned the radio on and sang along with a natural volume louder than any speaker there was. Although it annoyed Sakura, she was secretly grateful that the awkward silence ended.

Naruto's bright personality was the complete opposite of his sorrowful childhood. Sakura learned that both of his parents died when he was just an infant. His mother, like hers, died of child birth. And his father, who had also been a bodyguard, was killed on a mission to protect a member of the royal family in another country.

His parents hadn't gotten the chance to marry, so he initially followed his mother's surname. He had no other relatives either, aside from Kenshin Uzumaki, who had unfortunately rejected Naruto to be a part of his own family. Sakura wondered why, and guessed that it was most likely Mrs. Uzumaki who hadn't wanted Naruto around. But how could Mr. Uzumaki let that happen? That wasn't like him at all.

Probably to keep Naruto away from his evil wife.

On the other hand, he had left Naruto in the custody of Jiraya, a good friend of Naruto's father. Mr. Uzumaki had also offered financial support until Naruto finished high school. After he graduated, he started the formal bodyguard training right away. Naruto said he didn't mind having grown up without any relatives, since he had already found a family with Jiraya.

Sakura admired his optimism. Here she was with a breathing father, whose presence was only implied by all the bodyguards around, and she still wanted more from him. Was it wrong to want her dad's attention every once in a while? To wish that he were the one who stayed at her side and not some strangers he appointed to take his place? To crave for even just a little bit of affection? Maybe. Especially if all those things were way passed the impossible in the first place.

Another antonym of Naruto's personality was his chosen friends, or to be more specific, friend. The ex-temporary himself, or whom Naruto labeled as teme, Uchiha Sasuke. Enough said.

"Sasuke-teme." Naruto's voice put her back on the backseat. What caught her was the unusual seriousness in his tone, and the silence that had yet again accompanied them.

When did he turn the radio off?

Sasuke looked at the blonde. "I know."

What did she miss? "What is it?"

Naruto glanced at her through the rearview mirror. "We got this, Sakura-chan."

"What's happening?"

"We're being followed."

Sakura's lungs expanded. "What? By who?"

She was about to turn around when Sasuke's voice cut her off.

"Don't look back. Act natural."

An argument about the windows being tinted lay at the tip of her tongue, but she kept her mouth shut. Sakura took a peek at the passenger side mirror and noticed a silver sedan among the cars behind them. Naruto spun the wheel to the right, and sure enough, the same sedan turned at the intersection and was right after them.

The drive started to become a roller coaster ride in complete horizontal, as Naruto did overtakes and beat the red lights. The car rotated to the left, and her right shoulder collided with the door. The car whirled to the right, and the left side of her neck pressed against the seatbelt. The car picked up speed, and her insides were left a few centimeters behind; before another round of distinguish-left-from-right began.

Thanks to Sakura's seatbelt, she managed to stay in place… as of now.

Naruto did a series of taps on the GPS. "Sasuke, where's the other one?"

What? There are two?

Sasuke squinted at the side mirror. "Shit. They're trying to corner us. Just keep turning at every block."

"Got it!"

Just as the red convertible performed a drift to one street, a black van approaching from the other end came into view. Sakura remembered that van very well, with the extended arm, and the gun, and the ambulance, and everything.

Sasuke shifted on his seat and pulled something out from his side. "Go back!"

"It's too late! The other one's right at the intersection." Naruto glanced at the GPS. "Leave this to me."

The black van drew near as a steady drum beat increased its volume in Sakura's ears. Then she was thrown to the left, with much force and without warning, as they abruptly turned to a service road between two buildings. Naruto stepped on the accelerator and Sakura's stomach stayed at one spot on the road, before it had to catch up with the car's speed as well.

"You okay, Sakura-chan?"

"Y-yeah…"

They emerged on the main road and maneuvered their way passed other vehicles while skillfully avoiding the pedestrians. Naruto took another glance at the rearview mirror and stepped on the gas.

"Fuck! They're still at us, teme!"

"I have an idea… Head to the Root District."

"What?! Are you insane? That place was like a ghost town! We'll be perfectly visible to them in that area."

"Exactly. Just do as I tell you."

"You better know what you're doing, teme." Naruto tapped the GPS for the said location.

"The objective is to keep Sakura safe. Dobe, could you lose those cars on your own?"

"'Course… I'm just concerned about Sakura-chan here at the backseat."

"I can hear you." Sakura frowned while the two continued talking like she weren't there at all.

"Good. Then, we'll just have to get her off this car and call for back up."

Naruto's brows furrowed. "What are you suggesting, teme?"

A pair of charcoal eyes met a pair of blue ones. "Drop us at the Root District."

The Root District was exactly how Sakura imagined it to be. The streets were littered with ripped cardboard boxes, plastic bags, tin cans, and everything considered as trash. The buildings were one to six storeys high, and if not covered with moss, they had broken windows, had faded paint finishes, or stained with graffiti. She registered all these as they travelled the streets at approximately 200 kph.

Sakura risked a look behind and wasn't surprised that the two cars were still following them. But unlike before, Naruto was successful in gaining a great distance ahead.

BANG!

Sakura shrieked as the loud noise echoed throughout the area.

"Duck, Sakura-chan!"

Sakura lowered her head and put two hands on either side to cover her ears. Her heart was starting to race, and so was her breathing. She thought of ocean waves hitting the shore… of its peaceful melody combined with the chirping of birds.

Inhale… Exhale… Inhale… Exhale…

A similar noise came from the front seat. But it was different. Just like the one with Genma, and the masked man, and blood, and more ambulance.

"Turn here." Came Sasuke's voice.

For… she lost count how many times, she swayed to the left as the car drifted to an alley, wide enough for the car to fit through.

Sasuke unbuckled his seatbelt. "Naruto, stop here. Sakura, get out of the car. Let's go!"

While still struggling to compose herself, Sakura worked with the seatbelt and opened the door in a hurry. She had to focus on their plan.

Focus, Sakura… Focus.

With one step, she was out of the car and beside Sasuke.

"I'll pick you up later. Be careful, you two." Then Naruto sped off to the rest of the alley and to another street.

Sasuke faced the nearest door and kicked it open. "Get in."

Sakura wasted no time and ran inside the building. She stood against the wall, just beside the glass window that was more like a dust trap bordered with rust. The door closed, and Sasuke settled on the other end of the window as he peered through the glass.

After a few seconds, the black van raced through the alley. It worked! They were able to separate her from the chase without the knowledge of the ones after them. Now, they would just have to wait for the backup to aid Naruto and scare those cars away.

"Something's not right."

Sakura turned to Sasuke, her breathing function in pause. "What now?"

"The sedan's missing."

Oh right, the silver one! It should have been following the van. She was certain the two cars had been right next to each other on the streets. But how come the sedan didn't pass by the alley?

Sasuke took a few steps further into the room and checked the hallway. It was dim over there, since the natural light through the windows didn't reach that area. Then the hallway lit up; Sasuke was holding a small flashlight.

Wow. Mr. Boy scout.

He paused and turned to her. "Follow me."

They crossed the room in silent steps as Sakura held onto the hem of Sasuke's coat. This room had dusty counters and barely distinguishable cooking appliances. They continued to the narrow hallway, walked passed a concrete staircase, and stopped in a room with a number of wooden tables and chairs.

So, this building used to be a restaurant.

Sunlight could also enter this room, and that only meant they were at the other side of the building, at the area immediate to the main road. They neared one of the tall windows, staying close to the wall. Sasuke peered through the glass and cursed. Curious, Sakura did the same.

The silver sedan was parked across the street, and two men were talking on the sidewalk. The men split up; one strode along the sidewalk, the other one crossed the street and headed to their direction. Sasuke and Sakura backed away from the window as the man paused in front of the building they were in.

Silently, they took a few steps back, far enough from the main door. Sasuke loaded his gun and waited; his back to Sakura.

Footsteps. One. Two. Three. Four. Five.

Eyes fixed at the door.

Rustle. BAM!

The door remained closed.

Sakura let out the breath she had been holding, as she realized the man had entered the building right next to them.

"Let's get out of here." Sasuke grabbed her wrist and started running back to where they'd come from. They passed through the service door and dashed along the alley. With the adrenaline rush from the possibility of being spotted and shot, they ran all the way to the main road, to the stretch of one sidewalk, across the street, and turned to another alley that was narrower than the previous one. Trash bins, dumpsters, and old carts scattered against walls that were filled with graffiti.

They stopped at one of the dumpsters, and then Sasuke pulled the metal lid up. "Hide in here. Quick."

The inside was almost empty, with only old cardboards and a few plastic bottles. Sakura ignored the stench, stepped on the bins and barrels at the side, and jumped into the dumpster. Then she sat down and hugged her knees.

Sasuke reached for the lid once again, his face stern as he looked at her. "Stay there. Don't get out until I come back."

"Where are you going?"

"Around. Just stay put."

The metal lid swooped down before Sakura could say another word. The sudden darkness added to the uneasiness of being alone. So, she closed her eyes, controlled her labored breathing from the run, and imagined a water fall in the middle of a forest. Of the music it created as the water splashed at the bottom and continued flowing to a stream.

*Tick Tock Tick Tock*

Her watch screamed in the confined space, distracting her concentration. Why didn't he just hide in here with her? Those two men could be anywhere around this place. Although Sakura gave him credit for his quick thinking, the situation was still too dangerous. What if he got lost? No… That was very unlikely. Based from his directions a while ago, it looked like he was familiar with the place. She briefly wondered if he had been memorizing all the streets within the city.

*Tick Tock Tick Tock*

Why does time always appear to go slower when you're waiting?

Sakura listened for any kind of noise outside. None. What if he had saved himself and had escaped on his own? What if he had left her there and wouldn't really come back? What if he had been lying?

From the short time that Sasuke had been her bodyguard, Sakura was always rude to him. He had no reason to protect her other than his salary. And now that his life was at stake, he could easily neglect the job.

Oh no… He did leave…

Anger bubbled at the pit of her stomach. Yes, this was anger… It better be. She didn't need him; she could survive this chase without his help. With a renewed determination, Sakura raised the metal sheet above her head and stood up.

She blinked a few times and adjusted to the light, before turning left then right to check if anyone's around. Clear.

Sakura climbed out of the dumpster and landed on the concrete ground. There was a rustle to her left, she turned, and found a little boy staring at her. She'd read once in the newspapers that a few people also lived here. Maybe she could ask those people for help.

"Hi there, what's your name?" Sakura took a step toward the boy, but he stepped back, his eyes widened in shock, and ran off to another direction. "Hey! Wait!"

Sakura was about to follow the boy, but then a hand gripped her shoulder from behind. She froze.

"Gotcha'… To think some kids played a trick on us." A masculine voice growled, followed by his snigger. "Well, you're not the only ones with tricks up the sleeves. Now be a good girl and go with us, if you don't wanna get hurt."

Green eyes sharpened with resolve. Not a chance.

Sakura grabbed the hand on her shoulder, turned around, wrapped her free hand around the man's arm and hooked his elbow. His knees bended as he shouted a curse, and she twisted his elbow even further.

The man took advantage of the position by pushing her until she crashed against the dumpster, making her loosen the hold on his arm in the process. His hands balled into a fist, and then he threw the right at her. Sakura stepped sideways to the left and avoided the hit, before she pushed his arm away and poked his eyes with two fingers. He took a few steps back, and she used the time to pick up one barrel.

The man quickly recovered and she cursed herself for leaving the pepper spray in her bag. Just as the man straightened his back, Sakura threw the barrel at the side of his head. The barrel dropped to the ground in one piece, but it left a cut on the man's cheek.

While he was still disoriented, Sakura found the perfect timing for her specialty.

"HYAAAAAA!"

The man's head swayed to the side upon the impact. His face was beaten, but the look on his eyes suggested otherwise. The punch might have just aided him to get a grip. He glowered at her, one hand moved behind him and returned to view with a black metal Sakura knew all too well.

"No more mister nice guy." He stepped directly before her at arm's length, as he pointed the gun to her forehead.

Sakura stared at the muzzle, the dark pit mocking her. Her heart increased in tempo, but she couldn't let it get to her. You control your thoughts, Sakura. Inhale… Exhale…

The man snorted. "Not so tough now, are you?"

Sakura remained silent as he pulled a phone from his pocket. While his eyes stayed on her, he pressed a speed dial button and raised the gadget to an ear.

Less than a second passed before his eyes flickered behind her, and his arm jerked to the side, just inches to her left.

BANG!

Sakura's spine stiffened and every control left her body. The box of bad memories opened and everything came crashing back towards her.

The dark surroundings. The blood on the floor. The blood on the mouth. The blood on the head. The dull, lifeless, black eyes slowly hiding from her view and from the world. Would it happen again? What if it would? It would. It would. That was the signal. She was sure that was the signal. That was it. Would it happen now? At this moment? Who would it be this time? No! No! She couldn't let that happen again! No!

Another noise.

Liquid sprinkled onto her face. And the man before her must have seen a ghost. Because that was what he looked like before something red covered his face, starting from the center of his forehead. Something gooey. Something fluid. Something like… NO!

The man dropped to the ground. Why was she shaking? Would she be next? She desperately wanted to flee, but her feet were stuck on the ground. Her heart wanted to do the same; it kept on knocking at her ribs, trying to free itself from her chest. Her breathing wanted to play catch, and it was like she had been running for twenty-four hours straight.

"What part of 'stay put' don't you understand?!... I told you to stay in there!" A furious shout from behind.

A hand grabbed her shoulder and turned her around. Two narrowed eyes greeted her. Then a raised brow. And the same eyes widened.

"Shit. Shit. Shit."

At that moment, something about those dark eyes changed. The softened look offered some kind of comfort… an assurance that she wasn't alone.

"Hey…" Sasuke murmured, tucking his gun behind him.

Sakura continued to stare at his eyes, two circles of very dark brown that could pass as black… like coffee. Somehow, she was glad to see those eyes at this moment. Without thinking, Sakura leaped forward and wrapped the black covered body in her arms.

She clung to him, still trembling. And he didn't move; he didn't hug her back, but he didn't push her away either.

"The other guy's down. They were only two. We'll just wait for the dobe."

Yes, she was safe. There was nothing to worry about now. He didn't save himself. He didn't leave. She wasn't alone. And she let herself relax.

She didn't know how long they stood there, or how long she was in panic. She just held onto reality… literally.

The sound of an approaching engine cut the silence, followed by an opened car door, then footsteps, finally…

"AAH! Teme! What are doing to my Sakura-chan!"


10:30 PM

Sasuke dropped his left arm and repositioned it at his lower back. Even the hallway was asleep. And it wouldn't be long before he did the same. It was a long day…

The events replayed in his head. The car chase, the Root District, and the brat… Sakura. The fear shown in those green eyes reminded him of one helpless little boy. Vulnerable. Lost. And from experience, nothing else could be more comforting than having someone who would be there for you all throughout. And that was what he tried to do.

He hadn't expected her to engage in a hug. But if that was how she coped, then so be it. From all the research he had done about panic attacks, nothing could compare to seeing an actual one. As for how other people should respond to these attacks, he took note of what not to say or do. It turned out soothing and too sweet words were forbidden, which was very acceptable on his part.

All the symptoms were there; and just looking at her in panic almost made him feel the same. The brat asked for it. If she stayed hidden, that wouldn't have happened in the first place. But being the brat that she was, she did the opposite of what was told.

Although the 'kidnapping attempt' wasn't successful, what matters now was that he gained Kizashi's trust. Because that was what all of these was about.

The door to his left creaked open and a head of pink peeped through the crack. Green eyes widened for a second before wavering to the floor.

"Um… I just… I want to… get a glass of water!"

"Hn."

"Right." Sakura stepped out of the room, walked to the hallway, down the stairwell, and to the kitchen. All the while, Sasuke followed her.

Sakura pulled the fridge door open. "Do you always stand outside my room all night?"

"Only until eleven."

"Aa…" She reached for the pitcher and poured water into the cup she had grabbed from a counter drawer.

More silence. Sasuke was leaning against the counter when Sakura turned, lips pursed and firm eyes to him.

"Look, I just wanna say thank you… for… earlier… and I'm sorry… that I doubted you."

"Hn."

"I'll take that as 'you're welcome and it's fine'."

Sasuke stared at vivid green. "You have trust issues."

"Excuse me?!" The guarded facial expression was replaced by an all-out look of surprise in horror movies.

"You doubt everyone."

She returned the stare with pure wrath this time. "And you're a jerk! You don't know who I am… So, don't you dare judge me!"

Oh, I know you. You're a brat… only with a hint of something else… "Hn."

A loud gasp made them turn to the doorway, and there stood a person with another horror movie look. Naruto pointed an accusing finger at…

"Teme! Are you dating Sakura-chan behind my back?!"

"No."

Naruto released a long breath and walked towards them. "Oh, thank goodness. I thought you'd have the guts to compete with me in winning Sakura-chan's heart. I mean… puh-lease, who other guy would like Sakura-chan? Obviously, we're destined to be together…"

A pink eyebrow twitched. "Na…ruto…"

"Yeah, Sakura-chan?..."

"HYAAAAAA!"

So, this is her way of welcoming new bodyguards.

Sasuke crossed his arms in front and bore witness to the dobe's induction ceremony. He smirked. He wasn't running out of luck after all. And he could only hope that more things would keep falling in his favor.