Chapter 19

In the two weeks that had passed she hadn't been up there again. They hadn't asked her to and she hadn't gone looking. As ashamed as she was to admit it, she locked what she'd seen away, behind the black door where she couldn't see it, it couldn't harm her and she could pretend it had never happened. The filthy pigs that ruled here made her feel sick to her core, and she was increasingly anxious for the mission to end, to kill them, injure them, make them hurt. Above everything else, she needed to leave.

They would be going into the village later, to meet Naruto and Sasuke, but that wasn't long enough. She wanted to go home. She needed Konoha, and her own familiar home where she'd raised herself since her uncle's death. She wasn't used to hearing footsteps in the night and not lifting a kunai to harm her attacker. She'd done this twice to Kakashi already; once when he'd bee late coming in and had woken her up, and once when she'd had a nightmare, and started from the feel of arms wrapped around her. Everything about this place made her edgy, and she was used to sleeping alone.

Though that could change quite quickly enough, with Kakashi being the man next to her. The smell and feel of him was comforting, and if she were honest, she immensely enjoyed waking up wrapped in his embrace, as well as the handholding and kisses that were 'for show'. Particularly when there wasn't actually an audience.

Sakura added a dab more brown to the winding staircase, then set down her sketchbook onto an easel that she'd pushed across the hall to keep out of the way. Most of the men were busy or 'busy', so it wasn't really likely that they would come passed, but she didn't want to take the chance of them starting conversation with her. Her current rule was stay out of the way or look busy.

She didn't think that any of them would feel the urge to go through her work, so she left it there and wandered as quickly as she could back to her and Kakashi's room without being suspicious. He wasn't back yet, but she hadn't expected him to be, and she had probably another 45 minutes to kill.

Today would be the first time that she left the house since they had got there, but Kakashi had been given free reign and had bought her some books on the second day when he and a couple of others had gone into the village for supplies. Sakura hadn't asked what they were. She was happier not knowing.

These books were very similar to the ones that she kept at home, only civilian. There were no chakra techniques or the like, or any positions that require absolute flexibility, and Sakura found that she even preferred these. They were more about love, and the need to look after a partner than sex in itself, and from searching for books herself she knew that Kakashi must have put some effort into finding these for her. The only downside was that they weren't illustrated, but Kakashi had also found her a book of erotic images, most of which were tasteful. The gift was beautiful, and incredibly thoughtful, and had definitely done its job of taking her mind out of the desolate pit that she had fallen into after seeing The Room. She could lose herself for hours in them, and paired with the art stuff that he'd given her yesterday she now had plenty to do while here. Nothing productive though, and she itched for a useful task. Her role wouldn't come into play until the end, and wished that she could aid Kakashi somehow in the meantime. She hadn't grown strong only to sit around doing nothing.

Sighing, Sakura pulled a novel out and sat cross legged on the bed to read it, her hair fanning out around her, and grazing the edges of the book as she bent over it. This is how Kakashi found her nearly an hour later when he returned from a rather boring meeting to organise tasks of no interest to him. Nothing new.

Kakashi smiled as he leant against the doorframe, watching the unknowing Sakura calmly read.

"Having fun?"

Sakura jumped, her head snapping up with wide eyes, and she dropped her book before relaxing as her eyes met his.

"Kashi," She smiled in relief, and got up off the bed to stand next to him, fiddling with the edge of her shirt. "We going now?"

"Yeah, one sec." He slung the bag he'd been carrying onto the bed and picked up some sunglasses from one of the drawers on the table that sat his side of the bed.

"Why the sunglasses?"

"The contacts, while covering the sharingan, aren't entirely foolproof when in intense sunlight. It's supposed to be quite bright out."

"….It's not summer."

"It'll be bright, trust me."

When they got outside, it was bright, so much so that Sakura shielded her eyes, and Kakashi smiled smugly. Once they'd ambled out of view of the house, they sped up, reaching the town in only a couple of minutes. They slowed down as the buildings came into view, bumbling hand in hand through the sparsely packed streets until they reached the hotel where they had stayed the first couple of nights. They avoided the receptionist, instead walking straight up to the room that Sasuke and Naruto had book while in henge and paid for in advance. As they walked up the stairs, Sakura frowned and leant into him.

"Isn't it odd for us to just go in like this?" She whispered quietly into his ear.

"No. It'll be more suspicious if we are followed and they see us henge and enter through the window."

"If we were followed then they would have seen us running!"

"Then it's a good thing that we weren't." Kakashi smiled at the fake red eyes glaring daggers at him. She did look comically a lot scarier than she had with green eyes. Very few people suited red eyes. Sakura didn't. "We're fine, Sak."

Sakura's glare melted slightly at the use of the nickname. Kakashi didn't use nicknames, and that he did with her was both uncharacteristic and endearing. He was being friendly rather than professional, and Sakura thanked the Gods that it was Kakashi on this mission with her. While he'd always been warmer towards her than the others, his Sensei mode had vanished completely sine he'd admitted that he loved her. It was like speaking the words had drawn a line, and he didn't want to go back to the other side of it. Sakura didn't want to either.

They let themselves in rather than knocking, and Naruto and Sasuke quickly finished their conversation before looking up expectantly, not at all perturbed by the intruders; Kakashi's chakra wasn't masked. He had told them that he was a ninja, and so there was no sense in then hiding it. Sakura's was dimmed though, to show a limited ability.

"Haha, you guys look so weird. It's odd you know…"

Sasuke shot him an irritated look. "Anyway, how are you two fairing with the nastys?"

Kakashi pulled off his glasses and switched into team leader mode, springing into action.

"I have managed to integrate myself into the organisation, but have not met with the leaders as yet. There are multiple other houses; five including the head base. While myself and Sakura can work in one, we'll have to have simultaneous action taking place in the other five. We already have the location of the one here, and I have also accumulated information on three more, unfortunately not the main base." Kakashi pulled out a map of the surrounding area from his pocket, and spread it out on the bed, smoothing out all of the creases "We are here. One base is said to be about 150km north of here, and we will have to send some people to locate it properly. There is another placed roughly the same distance North East, and the third is placed around 230km South West." He pinpointed the places using a blue biro and glanced over at Naruto and Sasuke. " You'll have to send this information to Tsunade. Recommend that she sends Team Asuma with a Jonin or ANBU, and Team Kurenai as both have a medic. The team that takes the North Bases will have to split to cover it. Also, ask the Hokage if there are any other reinforcements that she can send when necessary. For God's sake write in code." he looked pointedly at Naruto. "And use your fake names."

"Fake names?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Yeah, dobe. The names that we've been using whenever the villagers have asked us for names."

"Then how will Granny Tsunade know it's from us?"

"… That's why we're writing in code."

"Oh, yeah."

Even Kakashi was openly gawking at him now. "When are you going to stop thinking like a child, Naruto? This is a very important mission, and we can't risk any screw ups. Start thinking!"

Naruto flushed an embarrassed red. "Yes, Sensei."

"Have you guys found out anything new?" Sakura asked, quietly, taking the awkward gap in conversation. Usually Kakashi could continue like nothing had been said, but he'd finished explaining, and Naruto fell into mute mode after he'd been told off for anything, particularly in recent times, as he was passed the age where he would pointlessly fight anything.

Sasuke shook his head. "Nothing of interest."

Kakashi nodded and folded up the map before handing it to Sasuke. "Well, then, we're done for now. I'll send a signal sometime during the next week or perhaps the week after, though it wont be before Saturday unless there is something important." He pulled an arm round to rest on Sakura's lower back. "Take care guys…" He gave his signature eye crinkle, before covering it again with his dark glasses. "And don't forget to brush your teeth!"

Sakura sighed. "He doesn't forget, he just chooses not to."

And so they left the building, with Naruto's indignant shouts still ringing in their ears. "Anything else left to do?"

Kakashi grinned. "Well, we do have to find you a wedding dress."

A/N - Hello to you lovely reader, or lovely person who likes scrolling to the bottom. Very nice of you to give me some of your time :P I owe you one.

Little-Bad-Angel : Yup, they are absolute twats, and I couldn't help but put it in ^.^ Some things just have to be done!

MySoulIsYoursTakeIt: I shall see where we can find some really sharp ones :L

Unfortunately dear readers, I have three science GCSE exams this week, English after school tomorrow and a piece of coursework that I am redoing. I am uncertain of how quick I will be to update, but I shall try to fit it in!

R&R