OOC: Thank you for all the follows, reviews, and favourites. (: I always appreciate constructive feedback. KakaSaku and tsundere!SasuNaru
Tamaya* is what Japanese people say when they see fireworks (Kaori says this later in the chapter)
Just to clarify, NaruSasu will be a brotherly love side pairing, so it will not be full out shonen-ai or yaoi. Please don't kill me.
For Sakura, this day could not be more perfect. The sky was sunny as Team 7 set out for their destination, which, judging by the look of things, would probably take them five or so days to reach. Although the sun's rays were warm, there was an occasional cool breeze to relieve them of any major discomfort associated with the clear sky above. The medic nin smiled to herself, this natural blessing was one of the many pleasure of living in Konohagakure and the Fire Country.
As the group trekked ahead, smartly avoiding the baked roads below by sticking to the branches of trees, Sakura could not help but think back to the incident last night with another rosy blush on her cheeks. The gentleness with which Kakashi-sensei treated her was totally unlike anything that she had ever experienced before, and the small goodnight kiss that he placed on her head was potent enough to keep her heart racing inside her ribcage for minutes after he had exited the room. Casting a sideward glance at the handsome outline of his masked face, Sakura couldn't help but feel both nervous and excited at the thought of their budding relationship. They would be the talk of the village if they were not careful, just like Itachi-san and Kaori-chan. Yet, somehow, the pink-haired medic nin could not bring herself to mind at all.
Allowing the wind in her hair to cool her mind, Sakura carefully—albeit with some force and reluctance— pulled herself out of her thoughts. She was on a mission right now, and concentrating on its planning and completion should be her top priority. Having Kakashi-sensei here is just a bonus in case we get really stuck. The young woman vocalized to herself internally, content with the occasional glance at Naruto's and Sasuke's backs up ahead. We should think about a plan before we arrive and then ask sensei for feedback. Sakura thought with some determination. What good are we as shinobi if we can only follow orders but not think for ourselves as a team.
"Naruto. Sasuke. You've gone too far ahead." Kakashi called to the two teens, disrupting the concentration of the pink-haired female beside him.
"Now's not the time Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto's voice hollered back energetically. "Sasuke and I are having a race-attebayo!"
"Naruto!" Sakura's eyes suddenly widened as the group of four increased their speed to catch up with them. The blonde had turned around to speak to them, and so had not noticed that his foot was about to go right through a wasp nest. "Watch out!"
"Huh? Ah…AHHHHH!" the blonde screamed, only realizing the impending disaster a second too late. Ah shit I'm done for! I'm going to be swollen for days after they're done with me-attebayo!
"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!"
Red flames engulfed that particular section of the forest, annihilating everything in its wake: including the damned wasp nest. Naruto, attaching himself to the trunk of a tree with a kunai, was barely able to escape the force of the blaze that Sasuke had released just in the nick of time to try and save the blonde's life. Unfortunately, due to the young Uzumaki's proximity to the target of the jutsu, he had been barbequed like a giant piece of meat on a grill in the process.
"OI! SASUKE-TEME! ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME?!"
"Hn." The younger Uchiha folded his arms over his chest. "It's your fault I had to do this. Baka. Why don't you watch were you're going next time before you try to commit suicide."
Sasuke's snarky tone of voice made Naruto's teeth grind. Sure he was grateful that the Uchiha had saved his life, but did he have to be so damn arrogant over it?! "Oi! Who're you calling baka!"
"You!" Sasuke met the blonde's accusing gaze with an equally feisty glare. "And you better be careful next time because I'm not going to save your ass again!"
Sakura wanted to bang her head against the nearest tree branch. However, she couldn't help but stifle a small giggle. Naruto was probably the only one in the world who could bring this kind of amusing sassiness out of Uchiha Sasuke. She tapped her chin lightly with one slender finger, wondering just what on earth could have prevented her from seeing this kind of intimacy between the two before this.
Maybe it was your stupid dopey love. Inner Sakura chastised her mercilessly.
That immediately made Sakura wanted to punch someone. Shut the fuck up will you?!
Meanwhile, Naruto and Sasuke continued their lovers' quarrel.
"Baka!"
"Teme!"
"Baka!"
"Teme!"
"Boys…" Kaori began, but stopped short once she sensed that the two teens had no intention of complying. With an exasperated sigh, the silver-haired woman allowed her gaze to flicker to Itachi's face ever so furtively. He wouldn't mind if I hurt Sasuke-kun just this one time…right? "Raiton: Kuropansa!"
The sound of lightning cackles dominated the air for a few moments before the forest fell silent again. Two burnt crisps fluttered slowly to the ground below—flakes of debris trailing around them.
"Mah, Kori…" Kakashi began, teleporting himself to the ground so that he could confirm that the electrocuted teens were still alive. "I know that we needed to break up the fight, but I wasn't expecting you to use a B-rank jutsu on them."
"Eh…Kaori-chan…" Sakura turned to look at her friend rather timidly, carefully examining the two males for signs of life. "Isn't this just eh…overdoing it a little…?" However, Inner Sakura was literally jumping for joy. Nice one Kaori-chan!
Leaves rustled around them, and an eerie silence began to spread throughout the once gregarious woodland. Itachi turned, staring into the wind. "It seems like we've got company." Nonetheless, his relaxed demeanor indicated that he didn't think too much of the impending threat.
"We should have enough time to move to the clearing that separates these forests." Kakashi replied, hoisting Naruto over his shoulder while Itachi moved to take Sasuke. "It's about time that we took a break anyways."
"The chakra signatures are not very developed." Sakura remarked as they took to the trees again. "It doesn't feel like they would be very skillful jutsu users, although they have somewhat masked their presence."
Kaori hummed in agreement, keeping a careful lookout at their backs and blindspots. "They are probably roaming ninja, or bandits with limited knowledge of ninjutsus." She turned to the pink-haired medic with a smile as they arrived at the clearing. The grass was low and flat, with no to very limited coverage for anyone who wanted to conceal themselves. There was also a river with enough water to sustain water release not too far away. Perfect. "Your choice Sakura-chan."
As the bushes in front of them rustled noisily to reveal a group of rough looking men, Sakura grinned wolfishly. "Let's try offensive, Kaori-chan. After all this walking, I think I'm in need of a good stretch."
"Oh? Looks like we're in luck this time aniki." One spoke up, perversely looking the two women up and down. "They've got two girls with them."
"Oi! You there!" The head of the bandit group bellowed towards Kakashi and Itachi derogatively, an egotistical smirk on his scarred face. "Are you such cowards that you have to hide behind women?!"
Pulling out the special edition of Icha Icha Violence that he reserved just for these kinds of situations, Kakashi slowly turned to the page where he last left off before giving the Yakuza bandit a sideways glance. "Iei." The silver-haired jonin began, burying his nose in the book. "We'd just be insulting them if we didn't them have their fun."
"Fun?!" The man's eyes narrowed dangerously, and his companions drew their weapons. "How dare you to look down upon us!" He motioned for the rest of the bandits to attack, laughing manically. "I'll make sure you never open that trap of yours again!
That hit a chord within Sakura. Emerald eyes narrowed with evident displeasure. "How dare you…" The pink-haired kuniochi began, balling her right hand into a fist before slamming it down on the earth beneath their feet. "How dare you talk to him like that with that disgusting mouth!"
Trusting whatever was left of the bandit subordinates who had survived the forceful onslaught to Kaori, Sakura gracefully evaded successive several barrages of weapons that the bandit leader one was able to launch. Appearing suddenly before the man, startling him so much that he tumbled backwards, the young woman grabbed at the his collar before he was able to finish performing the handseals for a jutsu with so much force that his clothing began to rip at the edges.
"Worthless pieces of shit like you have no right to say such things." Sakura hissed. If looks could kill, then the man would have already died a hundred times over. "Kakashi-sensei is not someone who has to answer to the likes of you!"
"Tamaya!" Kaori hummed happily, watching as the human star streaked across the sky in broad daylight before vanishing into the distance. Looking back at the rest of the bandit group, most of them either wounded or battered, she smiled sweetly. "I guess it's only fair that you go join him, neh?" That was enough to get them to bolt like rabbits, dragging their injured and unconscious companions behind them like tails between their legs.
As the group resumed their journey to the Land of the Waves after they were fully rested, Sakura's frown was finally replaced with a bright smile as she felt both the warmth of Hatake Kakashi's arm wrapped around her waist and his husky voice whispering the words "thank you" tenderly in her ear