Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. This is just fan work for other fans and not for profit in any way.
Chronicle One: Shinobi in the Mist (Version 1.93)
Chapter 5
From her position on a second storey veranda, Sakura watched a number of dark clothed figures exiting an apartment complex in downtown Fukaku. She had noticed that the enemy ninja were all leaving and entering from this building. It seemed to be the base of operations for the hidden mist here. The secret plans were most likely inside.
Suddenly, footsteps alerted her to someone moving across the roof. Sakura quickly and quietly made her way to the top of the building. Looking around, she spotted a mist ninja making her way across town. The girl was jumping from building to building, her black ponytail flowing behind her as she moved. Sakura immediately gave chase, swiftly closing the distance between them. Seemingly intent on her destination, the mist shinobi fails to notice that someone is tailing her.
As Sakura followed the other girl, her thoughts went back to the Hokage's instructions. 'Find those plans at all costs. Once obtained, return them to Konoha immediately.'
The best way to obtain the plans was to infiltrate the base somehow. She needed to take this girl out silently so as not to draw attention to herself. Sakura wasn't confident enough in her shuriken skills to be able to take out an enemy ninja in one throw whilst moving at speed. Since that wasn't an option, she decided to try a different tactic.
As the mist ninja performed another jump, Sakura made her move. The black haired girl flew through the air and landed on the other rooftop. As her feet touched down, she heard an echo of a noise behind her. Startled, she turned around. Her eyes caught a flash of pink against the moonlight just before she tripped.
Sakura had executed a sweeping kick and knocked the girl's feet from under her. The black haired ninja hit the ground hard and the impact knocked her breath away. The leaf Jounin's hand shot out and jabbed the girl in the neck, hitting two key pressure points. The girl's body instantly went limp.
The pink haired ninja crouched down to check the vitals of the unconscious kunoichi. Satisfied, she picked up the body and carried it to an alleyway and out of plain sight. Placing the body on the ground, she searched the girl and found some keys and assorted pieces of paper. After pocketing those items, she stood up and looked down at the mist shinobi. Sakura's hands suddenly began moving, forming a sequence of seals. There was a blast of smoke and Sakura's appearance had changed to that of the ninja girl she had just knocked unconscious. Smiling to herself, she hid the body before leaving the alley and heading back towards the enemy base.
The disguised Jounin walked confidently towards her destination, her posture straight and unwavering. In reality, her heart was beating rapidly as she approached the building. Her anxiety always peaked whenever she was in disguise but she had learned to hide it well. Sakura walked up to a small side door that she had seen the mist ninjas enter and exit from. Finding it locked, she took out the keys she had found in the other kunoichi's pocket and tried them. The third key she tried unlocked the door. Behind the door was a long winding staircase that led about three stories straight down. After descending to the bowels of the building, Sakura found herself in a corridor. Continuing onwards, she kept her face impassive, not revealing the fact that she had never been there before. The corridor opened up into an anteroom where a slim man sat behind a large wooden table.
"Going to get some rest Kiara?" the man asked, "Any luck in finding the enemy ninja?"
"No, luck," Sakura quickly replied. "They're still searching."
"Well you take your rest; you look like you can do with a break."
"Yeah thanks."
Relieved that she hadn't blown her cover, Sakura continued onwards. She felt like she was in an industrial building. Many of the corridors were grey concrete and some were lined with pipes. The leaf Jounin wondered what they were for. Making her way along, she came across a spare store room and snuck in. Rummaging through the shelves, she found a bottle of energy drink and some chocolate bars. Taking them, Sakura wearily sat down in a corner and started eating her pilfered snacks. As she ate, she thought over her possible options. She could create a distraction and then find the place that is the most heavily defended as that would be most likely where the plans would be located. However, that would involve her getting past all the guards, finding the plans and then making it out. A hard task even while disguised. Another possibility is for her to wander about asking people, but that would quickly draw suspicious looks and her real identity could be easily discovered. She wasn't confident enough in her ability to talk herself out of situations to try and attempt such a plan.
Suddenly, she saw two people in medical attire rushing past the storeroom. Sakura took a peek through the small window affixed to the door. The two medical personnel seemed to be in a hurry. Suddenly, an idea came to her and she exited the store room and ran after them.