A/N: NOW for the good part; the story! Sorry, this chapter's a little rocky, but it's been a while since I last wrote anything (because of my technological problems). Please forgive and I promise things will get better. AND I HAVE MORE KAKASAKU IDEAS.
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Princess - /Chapter 1/
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It started on a mission. Team 7, reunited. It was everything Sakura could have asked for. Sasuke was back, Naruto wasn't annoyingly in love with her, and Kakashi…well, he was the same, but that was the point.
It brought back memories, and she couldn't help but smile despite herself, in the middle of the Hokage's office during the briefing.
"…and the Daimyo wants bodyguards 'round the clock until the guy is caught. I don't want this to take more than a week, so you'd better buckle down once you get there. Surveillance at all the windows, doors, etc. Make sure you check the palace staff as well, and look for anyone suspicious. And don't kill him unless you have to."
"Yes, Hokage-sama," they all replied in unison. Kakashi accepted the mission scroll, and with a wave of one hand, the group was dismissed. They flew out the windows in a single leap, twirled in the air, and landed safely on the ground in front of the tower.
"Alright gang," the gray-haired sensei said calmly. "You've got half an hour to pack what you'll need. Meet at the gate when you're done. And pack light," he reminded them pointedly. "They'll provide us with food and clothes when we get there."
"How do you know that, sensei?" Naruto asked loudly, as usual. Kakashi only looked at him.
"Let's get going," Sakura said to Naruto and Sasuke. She could see that Kakashi's mood wasn't going anywhere good, so it was best to drop the subject. She led the boys in one direction, vaguely aware of Kakashi walking the other way.
As soon as their teacher was out of earshot, Naruto was at her side, asking her. "What do you think, Sakura? Why would Kakashi know something like that? And then why would he not tell us?"
"Well, Naruto," the girl replied, a little annoyed at her friend's volume. "If I had to guess, I'd say it had something to do with his genin team."
"But we're his genin team!"
"Not us, moron! I mean his other team! The one he grew up with!" She knew their names, but Naruto and Sasuke did not. He'd told her their story, but the blond was to busy training and Sasuke was off somewhere making trouble with Orochimaru. She was the only one he could talk to, and though she didn't know it, Kakashi was quite happy with that.
Now she stared at her feet as they shuffled through the dust, wondering if she could tell them what happened. She decided against it, and opted for the easy version. "They died. I'm guessing they had a mission at this palace before that, and now it brings back memories for him."
For once, the Kyuubi container was silent. She could tell he was thinking, and thinking hard, about what he would be like in that situation, and she left him to that. She turned the corner to her street with a little wave and a gentle smile. "I'll see you guys at the gate."
Her street was a small one, and her house lay at the very end of it. She walked down the sidewalk, past the cherry trees, and up the stairs to her porch. It was a small house, but it served its purpose just as well, and big houses were a waste anyway; she was rarely home.
The kitchen was a mess, as she'd had no time for household chores with all the extra training and work hours she'd been picking up. The dishes piled high to the ceiling, and the stove was crusted with burnt food.
In the living room, books were everywhere. There was no television, and only one lamp, a comfortable couch, armchair, and a loveseat. They all came together, which explained the matching upholstery. She walked to the stairs in the corner and started to climb.
Her room was the biggest one on the upper floor, naturally. It was lightly decorated to suit her tastes, med books everywhere, as well as romance novels. She moved the stacks of books out of the way and onto the plush carpet before digging into her drawers for a few days worth of clothes for the trip. She tossed them onto her bed and crossed to the closet for a dress to wear when they arrived. She silently prayed that she would not be the only one to think of looking nice in front of the employers.
She shoved everything into a bag and then headed to the bathroom to pack her toothbrush, hairbrush, toothpaste, razor, having cream, and other toiletries to a smaller bag that she then put into her pack. A spare pair of shoes and she was ready to go.
But just in case, she grabbed a few of those romance novels on the way out.
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By the time they made it to the gate, surprisingly enough, Kakashi was on time. Actually, he was half an hour late, but so was everyone else. But it was strange that he arrived at the same time as them, and his mood was once again back to normal.
"Ready to go?" he asked cheerfully. They nodded, though Sakura was curious as to his sudden turnaround. She said nothing, but narrowed her eyes thoughtfully at the man. He led the way out of the village and down the road into the forest.
"So," Sakura said, desperate for conversation in the earlier stages of the mission, when it was allowed. "Where exactly is the mission, sensei?"
"In the east of Fire country. Right by the border."
"That seems like a stupid place to put a castle, dontcha think? I mean, borders always see conflict. So the guy who put it there must have been kinda dumb, or he must have had some kind of motive, right?"
"Right you are, Sakura." He gave her his patented eye crinkle. "But unfortunately, I'm afraid it's a case of the former. The man who built it, fifty years ago or so, picked the location because of the view, and didn't pay attention to the location."
"And what kind of mission is this anyway?" Naruto asked, scratching the back of his blond head stupidly. Sakura growled in frustration.
"Weren't you paying attention when shishou was talking? We're going to the palace of Ryôshirô Suehisa to protect his daughter, Ryôshirô Yoriyo." As if quoting the mission scroll directly, she then said "Yoriyo has been having unwanted advances and even stalker-like behavior coming from an unknown male in the household, including love notes, gifts, and a few of her personal items have gone missing. It is believes that he is one of the servants, yet every time a search is ordered, there's no sign of anything suspicious, and—"
"Sakura! You know I can't understand you when you talk like that!" Naruto complained. "Speak plain English!"
The rosette sighed but obliged her sometimes less intelligent friend. "The daughter of the daimyo has a stalker in the palace who poses a threat. Our job is to blend in with the servants until we find the guy." That time, Naruto understood.
"I'll do my best! We're gonna get this guy for sure!" He leaned over to Sasuke and nudged him with his elbow. "I bet I find him on the first night."
"Hn. Yeah right. I'll find him with Sharingan the second we get there."
"If that was the case, Sasuke, then I'd go alone and none of you would be needed," Kakashi said cheerfully, still looking right ahead.
"Aw, sensei, you can't do that to us!"
"Well, we're all needed, so we're all going. There's no need to complain, Naruto."
There was silence for a few minutes and all that could be heard were the birds in the trees overhead. The wind rustled in the leaves, and the trickle of a far-off stream. Their footsteps shuffled through the dirt, and their breath could be heard every few seconds. Pure, blissful silence.
And then…
"AAAAWWW! How long till we get there, sensei?!?!"
"Shut up Naruto!"
A/N: OKAY. SO they're not there yet. This chapter was rocky. Sorry. The next will be better, and out in a few days. I had two tests back-to-back today, so I'm too drained to write anymore and I'm gonna go sleepy now. PLEASE ENJOY. REVIEWS MAKE ME SMILE. And make me write more.