Yes! We gots the sequel back up yaaaaay! :D I have more I just gotta type it but this is all I'm doing for now. ToodleS!

- Belle

...

We were all sitting outside Lady Tsunade's office waiting for her to call us and I was sitting on Sakura's left, and Hinata was on Sakura's right. Sakura seemed to be holding her own, hands clasped together and staring at her knees.

Shizune leaned out the door. "She's ready for you guys."

We all packed into the room, and I sat Sakura down in a chair and stood beside it, Hinata on the other side. Everybody else stood around us.

Tsunade leaned forward slightly toward me.

"How's she doing?"

Sakura rolled her eyes. Tsunade looked at me and I pulled a face. Tsunade nodded.

I was trying not to let it show to anyone else, but I was worried beyond belief.

Tsunade never called us so suddenly unless it was important. Either it was an emergency mission...

Or somebody had died.

I was hoping like hell for the former. I don't think I could bear the news of a death on top of everything that's happened.

Tsunade narrowed her eyes at us all. "I'm going to put this bluntly. Stay on your guard. An attack is imminent."

TenTen gasped. "What?"

Tsunade abruptly stood and looked at everyone. "We're going to war. Tomorrow."

My heart began thumping in my chest. War? I couldn't even spar.

"But Lady 5th, our forces are so depleted; most of our jounin are out on missions..." Neji glanced at me in time to see me flinch.

"I'm aware." Tsunade said gravely. "That is why I'm making all of you jounin to replenish those... missing."

"What about the exam?" Kiba asked carefully.

Tsunade waved off his concerns. "We have no time to prepare and host a formal exam. All of you are exempted."

Shino spoke for the first time since I'd seen him. "This must be serious."

"It is." Tsunade confirmed. "A shinobi army from the village hidden in the mist is confirmed to be moving towards Konoha at an alarming rate. The reason for the pending invasion is unknow, but Konoha is preparing for an invasion. Now, before the army is fully mobile and prepared, as they have made a temporary post somewhere between our nations, they are going to need time to mobilize. If we can infiltrate and destroy that base before it properly mobilizes, we can proceed with an invasion of the Land of the Mist and eliminate any possible future threats."

"The success of this plan also relies on the number of jounin we have available besides us." Shikamaru strategized. "How many others are there?"

"Aside from the mandatory number needed here for defence... about 50."

"Lady 5th!" TenTen protested. "Those are horrible odds!"

"I agree." Shino stated. "Their army would be much larger... I'd estimate at least 200."

Naruto, who had been surprisingly quiet up until this point, jumped in. "I don't care what the odds are, I'll fight anyway!"

"Likewise." Kiba grinned. "Things have been pretty boring around here lately."

"What Naruto said applies to me as well!" Rock Lee proclaimed. "I will defend my village with all of my strength and do it proud!"

"Chouji is enough for 3 people!" Ino giggle. "The numbers aren't so bad."

"Hey!" Chouji said with disdain. "I resent that."

"Obviously not, otherwise you wouldn't weigh so much!"

Neji pinched the bridge of his nose. "I can't believe Tsunade-sama just made all of you jounin."

Kiba elbowed him. "What? Jealous you had to do it the old-fashioned way?"

Before Neji could reply, Tsunade brought our attention back to her.

"Meet at the Konoha gates at 3 a.m. We attack at dawn." She grimaced. "Dismissed."

It seemed everyone but Ino, Hinata, and I were gone instantaneously. They were all probably excited about tomorrow, especially Naruto. I half-smiled.

The 3 of us got up and exited the office, and I was surprised to see two more people I knew sitting outside.

"Sakura!" Temari jumped up. "I got called here by Tsunade, is something wrong?" When I took too long to respond, she looked to Hinata and Ino.

"Tsunade will probably fill you in." Ino rolled her eyes to the door.

"There is going to be a war." Hinata said softly.

Temari's eyes widened and Kankuro stood up behind her.

"Well that's definitely not what I was expecting, but that is definitely interesting." He turned to me. "Long time no see, Sakura." He murmured.

Temari looked at me sadly. "Gaara would have come with us, but you know, with him being Kazekage..."

I nodded, looking at the floor.

"Oh Sakura," Temari said, wrapping her arms around me. "What happened?"

Shizune leaned out the door we had just exited.

"Lady Tsunade will see you now."

"C'mon, Temari." Kankuro said with a sudden seriousness. "You can talk to Sakura later."

She let go of me and said, "I'll come see you after," and went into the office with Kankuro.

Sakura looked awful. And frankly, if I felt as bad as her, so would I.

She's just lost the one she loves, she's lost her ability to fight, and now she's been told she's going to war.

She was practically swaying on her feet, so I threw one of my arms around her to steady her.

"Let's get you home." I said quietly. "We still have to clean you up from your fight with Neji."

Hinata nodded and preformed the hand signs. Suddenly we were in front of Sakura's house.

I went and showed Hinata where Sakura kept most of her things so she could help Sakura get ready for bed, because by now she was exhausted.

After they were ready, I went and sat in the kitchen after making myself some tea. I noticed a frame had fallen on her table so I reached for it and stood it up. Shortly after doing this I realized why she had pushed it down.

Kakashi was smiling through his mask and had his arms around Sakura, who was blushing. There was a sunset in the background, and both were wearing traditional Japanese kimono-style clothes. It was beautiful.

I gazed at it for a moment longer, and then replaced it face down on the table.

Just as I did this I heard a knock on the door. It sounded loud, firm, and demanding.

I held my breath as I ran my fingers down my thigh and grabbed a kunai out of my holster, wrapping my fingers around it. I jumped over and wrenched open the door, kunai raised.

It was Temari.

She instantly put both her palms up and facing out.

"Whoa!" She squeaked. "Why is everyone so on guard around here? The army isn't mobilized!"

"Temari." I sagged against the doorframe. "Don't mind me; it's not the army I'm worried about."

"Oh." She put her hands down. "Then who?"

I straightened up and moved aside. "Come on in and sit down. I was just about to have tea."

She came inside and also noticed the picture frame down on the table. She looked at me. "Then who are you worried about?"

I jerked my chin toward the picture. "Lift that up and find out."

She lifted up the picture and her hand flew to her mouth as her eyes widened in shock.

"No..." she breathed. "What happened?"

"He left her. Without a word of goodbye."

Temari's eyes filled. "Why?"

"Tsunade gave him an S-ranked mission and he's going to be gone for who knows how long."

Temari sank into a chair, eyes still wide. "She can't be doing well."

"She's not." I said. "It's awful."

"I can imagine." Temari said as I set the two teas down on the table and sat down opposite her.

"What do you mean?" I asked as Hinata appeared at the end of the hallway at the end of the kitchen.

"Sakura's in bed." She said to me, and then looked to Temari. "Hi Temari."

"Hey." Temari raisied her hand in greeting, and then motioned her to come over with it. "Come on over and sit down. I was just about to tell Ino something."

I poured another cup of tea and gave it to Hinata.

"Thanks." She said, taking the ceramic mug.

And then Temari told me her side of the story for what had taken place since I'd been gone.

...

"She's not ready for this war." I said sometime later.

"She's going to get herself killed." Temari said fearfully.

"Most definitely. Neji was barely trying, and you should see some of the marks she has on her."

"You fixed that one on her cheek, I hope." Temari said.

Hinata nodded. "I did."

"Good." Temari said, and then turned to me. "So what are we going to do?"

"I'm going to help her as best as I can tomorrow and then if we both make it out we'll go from there."

"You will." Temari said. "I'll help too."

"As will I." Hinata promised.

"But 3 shinobi aiding one is wasteful and much more dangerous."I said carefully. "Maybe we could convince Lady 5th to let her stay he—"

A voice from the doorway interrupted me. "I'm going tomorrow. No help." Sakura stood at the end of the hall.

Temari's eyes widened. "Are you sure?"

"I can do this." She said, turning to go back to her room. "Trust me."

As we heard her footsteps padding softly down the hall, Hinata, Temari and I all looked at each other.

And surprisingly, I don't think any of us did.