Four: Fork in the Road

Jiraiya followed Kakashi, easily catching up to him and matching his pace as he left Hokage Tower. Kakashi looked over at him as he fell into step beside him. He'd been expecting the white-haired sannin to follow.

"I'm not suicidal," Kakashi said, putting Icha Icha back in his pocket. Normally he would have just kept on reading, but he remembered the last time he did that when Jiraiya was the one he was talking to.

"You know, Kakashi, the author of that book you're reading is standing right here, and I know for a fact you've memorized every single line of that particular installment."

Kakashi looked over at him, but slowly lowered the novel and put in away.

"There, that's better," Jiraiya said, smiling. "Most people would be ecstatic that they got to meet Jiraiya, the real life author of the Icha Icha series in person."

Kakashi snorted. "Well, they're not missing much."

Jiraiya pretended to look offended, and the two fell easily into conversation, like they had so often in the years after the war. Even if it was a little late, Kakashi had finally opened up to the older sannin, and the two shinobi found themselves conversing much more often.

They talked about anything. From the new main characters in Jiraiya's upcoming Icha Icha novel—which Kakashi advised him not to base of himself and Tsunade, for fear of bodily harm—to Minato to Kakashi's current team.

Jiraiya had been one of the few who never questioned the five-member dynamics of Team Seven. After all, he had trained Naruto, so he knew no team could ever be normal if that boy was on it, and he knew Kakashi could handle his younger teammates.

Because of that, Kakashi had begun to feel like he could trust the man, and had started to confide in him much like he had done with the sannin's former student, his teacher, Minato.

"I know," Jiraiya said. "Believe me, I know the feeling of needing to get out. I left the village for a long time, remember? And I wandered around in my youth even before that. But you have to also understand, Tsunade is a lot like us. She worries about the people closest to her. You can't blame her for feeling like that."

"I'm a ninja, Jiraiya. It's my job to go on missions."

"Which is why she didn't deny you the opportunity. But that doesn't mean she won't still worry, especially now that she has the luxury—or burden—of choosing who to send out on missions."

Kakashi remained silent as he let Jiraiya's words sink in. He realized his general lack of openness with people outside of his close friends and teammates could cause the Hokage to think something was up, and he knew with the casualties Konoha had taken during the war that he was now one of the highest-ranking jonin in the village, and one that the Hokage trusted most.

He could understand her concern. After all, the mission he was on was recon and not particularly dangerous for someone of his skill level, but he knew most ANBU solo missions were almost suicidal.

"Just remember you have plenty of comrades back home waiting for you now," Jiraiya said, patting him on the shoulder. "Speaking of which, you should probably tell them you're leaving. You could be gone for months, and it would be better if they heard it from you."

"They'll be mad at me anyway," he shrugged.

"But they'll be more mad if they hear it from me or Tsunade."

Kakashi sighed. "I suppose you're right. Although Naruto will beg me to take him with me. I wonder who he could possibly have picked up that habit from?"

The sannin smiled and shrugged. "He was your student first."

"Yeah, but he takes after you more."

"Mmmm," Naruto sighed, patting the enormous growth that was his stomach. "More ramen please!"

"Don't you think you've had enough, idiot?" Sasuke questioned, rolling his eyes at the blonde's antics. This was the man he'd chosen as his best friend? The Uchiha decided he really needed to reevaluate his life choices.

"Never!" Naruto yelled, causing the few others sitting at the stall to look over. However, most of them being regulars, they ignored the orange-clad future Hokage and went back to their bowls.

Sasuke grumbled something about him being an idiot, but his heart wasn't really in it. After all, he wasn't the one paying tonight, so he didn't really care how much his idiot of a best friend ate.

"Yo," a familiar voice called, lifting the flap and coming to sit down next to Sasuke.

"Kakashi," Sasuke said, nodding at their silver-haired team leader.

"Hey Kaka-sensei!" Naruto said with a full mouth, waving enthusiastically.

"Hey Naruto, Sai." Kakashi looked around. "Where's Sakura? She's not with you guys?"

Sasuke shook his head. "We haven't seen her since this morning."

"Yes," Sai said. "We haven't seen her since Naruto made an apparently insensitive, but true, remark."

"What did you say?" Kakashi asked tiredly, turning to his idiotic former student.

Naruto's eyes widened as he stuffed more ramen in his mouth in and attempt to get out of answering his team leader's question.

"Naruto, what did you say to Sakura?"

Kakashi sighed. His former students-turned-subordinates were nineteen, and he was still having to act like their babysitter. Or maybe that was just Naruto.

"We were just joking around," Naruto whined in an attempt to defend himself. "She knows I didn't mean it. Besides, Sai's the one who started it!"

"I simply observed that we are very fortunate that Sakura is a medical ninja with all of the injures that our team seems to sustain. You are the one who blamed all of Sasuke and Kakashi-sensei's injures on her."

Kakashi's eye widened. "You didn't."

He looked over to Sasuke for confirmation. The ebony-haired shinobi just shrugged.

"Naruto."

"It was a joke, Kakashi-sensei, I promise! It just came out wrong!" Naruto looked like he was really upset.

"I'll say," Sasuke muttered. "Idiot."

His comment only served to make Naruto even more depressed. He even stopped eating to look sadly into his bowl, and Naruto looking into a half-finished bowl of ramen like a drunk looking into a cup of sake was more than the Uchiha could handle.

"Look, she's not even mad at you, remember? Hinata talked to her and she said she wasn't upset."

"Then why didn't she come hang out with us this afternoon?" Naruto moped.

"Were you even listening to your girlfriend?" Sasuke asked, exasperated by his best friend's antics. "She said she had to talk to Kakashi about something, remember?"

Naruto perked up at this. "Oh yeah, I forgot. What did she wanna talk to you about Kakashi-sensei? And hey! Sasuke! Hinata's not my girlfriend!"

Jiraiya shut the door behind him after Sakura's petite figure disappeared around the hallway.

"What was that all about?"

Tsunade looked up at him. "Have you been with Kakashi this whole time?"

"Yes."

"So she hasn't spoken to him since he learned of his mission?"

"Who, Sakura? No…" His curiosity was starting to get the best of him.

Tsunade shifted in her seat. "Because she's just asked me to approve her joining the ANBU Black Ops."

Jiraiya's mouth dropped open in surprise. "Sakura asked to join ANBU?"

Tsunade nodded. "It surprised me as well, but she's an excellent candidate."

She glared at Jiraiya, as if daring him to disagree when he remained silent.

"I don't doubt that she's fully capable, I'm just surprised. When was the last time you got any requests to join ANBU?"

"It's been awhile. There hasn't been much need for many S-ranked missions lately, so there hasn't been much need for ANBU agents."

"Hm," Jiraiya said. "With Kakashi going away for who knows how long, who will you get to train her? I assume Kakashi would have been the first choice for both of you."

Tsunade frowned. She hadn't even thought about Sakura's training when she'd told the girl to fill out the paperwork.

"It doesn't really matter," Jiraiya said. "She's a talented shinobi. Any of the current ANBU would feel honored to teach her."

"Yeah, I suppose," Tsunade said, wishing for the second time that day that Kakashi hadn't agreed to take that mission.

"What did Sakura want to ask you about anyway?" Sasuke asked Kakashi once Naruto had calmed down about the girlfriend comment.

The blonde was now in a deep discussion with Sai over whether Hinata's actions were typical of someone who wanted to be in a relationship with him. As soon as Sai pulled out one of his numerous books on human behavior, Sasuke knew it was time for him to get out of the conversation.

"She just wanted to check up on me," Kakashi told him, although after hearing about Naruto's comment earlier that morning, he was beginning to wonder himself if there had been another reason behind her visit.

"So it wasn't anything urgent, then?" Sasuke asked, the intensity of his eyes betraying his real concern for the pink-haired kunoichi.

Kakashi almost smiled at how fond the Uchiha had grown of their only female teammate. It was a far cry from the days of her fawning over him and him calling her annoying.

He still remembered the day, not too long after the war, when he'd teased her about messing up his team dynamics again by going after Sasuke. She'd surprised him by saying, with total confidence, that that part of her life was over, and that all she wanted was to be Sasuke's friend. At first he hadn't believed her, but after seeing the sincerity in her eyes, he knew her feelings for her teammate would never be a problem again.

He didn't pick favorites on his team anymore—he'd made that mistake when they were his genin team—but if he had to pick one, it would probably be Sakura. She'd changed the most—besides Sasuke's obvious switch from good to evil to back to good. She'd worked hard over the years to catch up with her male teammates, but she was at a disadvantage from the start considering Sasuke's powerful kekkei genkai and Naruto's jinchuriki status.

So he could understand why Naruto's comment would bother her, even if it was a joke. It wasn't her fault that she just happened to be on a team full of freakishly strong people. Hell, he wasn't even the strongest anymore. He was probably still the most skilled and experienced, but Sasuke and Naruto far outreached him in terms of raw power.

He tried to remember the last couple missions Team Seven had gone on. Over the years, Kakashi had taken his fair share of hits that were meant for her, but to him it never seemed like a big deal if she could just patch him up. It was by far the better alternative than seeing their team's only medic get injured. He knew Sasuke thought the same way, which was why the dark-haired ninja was also quick to throw himself in front of any attack headed her way.

He never said it out loud, but Kakashi also thought that the problem wasn't that Sakura was too weak to defend herself, it was that her boys were too quick to shield her from harm. They were all—himself included—guilty of that.

"Kakashi?"

He looked up, realizing that he still hadn't answered Sasuke's question.

"No," he said, giving his teammate his eye smile. "Nothing urgent. It was just a friendly chat."

"That's good. I was worried it might've been bothering her. The fact that I got hurt protecting her, I mean."

Sasuke looked over at Kakashi, silently warning his former teacher never to tell another soul that the last Uchiha was admittedly worried about one of his friends.

Kakashi sighed. "I think we're all guilty of being a bit too protective of her, Sasuke."

The black-haired shinobi cracked a smile. "Yeah, but we're the worst, Kakashi."

Kakashi supposed it was true. He just couldn't help himself. He'd throw himself in front of every attack aimed at his team if he could. He promised himself long ago that he wouldn't lose any more comrades.

"I guess."

"Hey! What are you two talking about?" Naruto asked. He and Sai were apparently finished with their conversation.

"It's nothing," Kakashi said, waving him off. "But there is something I came here to tell you all. I was hoping Sakura would be here, but I guess this'll have to do."

"Ooh! Do we have a mission?" an overly eager Naruto asked.

Apparently learning the duties of a Hokage wasn't as exciting as Naruto thought it would be. The silver-haired jonin couldn't help but smirk at the thought of Naruto wearing a ridiculous hat and sitting behind a desk all day long.

"Not exactly," Kakashi said slowly. "I can't give you all the details, because we don't know much, but I'm going to be going on a recon mission to the Land of Silver."

Always sharp, Sasuke picked up on the meaning in his team leader's words and narrowed his eyes.

"Alone," Kakashi finished.

"So you're back with ANBU," he observed levelly.

Naruto's eyes widened, and Sai looked as surprised as he was capable of as the pair realized what that would mean.

"You're leaving us?" Naruto asked, giving Kakashi a sad look.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "It's not like ANBU can't take regular missions, loser."

"But what are we supposed to do while you're gone?" Naruto asked, ignoring his best friend.

"Sasuke is perfectly capable of being team leader," Kakashi said. "Besides, there's always Yamato."

"Fine," Naruto grumbled. That was when Kakashi realized that maybe Tsunade was making progress with him. The old Naruto would have kept arguing with him until he was dragged away kicking and screaming.

Kakashi gave the blonde a smile, his visible eye crinkling. "Don't get so mature you become Hokage while I'm gone, okay?"

Naruto glared at his former sensei as Kakashi ruffled his hair. The Copy Ninja then stood, taking his leave of his three teammates, promising to be safe and to come and see them as soon as he returned.

He hadn't bothered giving them a date, because they all knew that no one could predict when an ANBU mission would end. They simply wished him luck and told him they'd see him when he returned.

Sakura cursed herself for the umpteenth time that night, wrapping her coat tighter around her body. Why she'd decided to come outside in this cold weather, she'd never know.

After talking with Tsunade, she'd gone straight back to her apartment and stared at the ANBU application for an hour without touching her pen before she decided she needed to get out of the house. She couldn't think cooped up inside, and she thought maybe some fresh air would do her good.

She had been wrong. The only think Sakura had been able to think about for the past twenty minutes was how cold she was. She was fairly sure she couldn't feel her toes anymore.

She sighed. She had no choice. She would have to find Kakashi and tell him she was joining ANBU. Then she would ask him to train her. That would be better than some random shinobi she'd never met, right? Even if he acted like he didn't want her to join?

She vaguely recalled that Tenten and Shino had joined ANBU after the war, but she was sure that they were too new to the program to be considered an acceptable mentor for her.

Sakura had finally worked up enough courage to go over to Kakashi's apartment and ask him that night when the man in question suddenly appeared in front of her.

"What are you doing walking around in the cold?" he asked, taking in her shivering appearance. When Sakura just shrugged, he continued. "I went by your house, but you weren't home. Mrs. Yamamoto saw me knocking and said you'd gone out."

Sakura smiled. Mrs. Yamamoto was her kind, if not somewhat nosy, elderly neighbor. The old woman was sweet, but she never seemed to remember that Sakura was a shinobi, and always thought that her teammates were her many boyfriends. It had caused many an awkward conversation.

"I just wanted some fresh air," Sakura said, wondering how to tell Kakashi that she'd gotten the ANBU application from Tsunade. Then she took in his appearance as he stood before her.

In all her years as his teammate, Sakura could count on one hand all the times that she'd seen Kakashi Hatake in something other than the standard-issue jonin uniform.

Seeing him now, in full ANBU attire, was one of those times.

"You're going on a mission?" she asked, noticing that his mask and katana were also present.

"Yes."

"When?"

"I leave tonight. I just told the boys at Ichiraku's, changed, and came to find you. I figured you guys should hear it from me."

"How long are you going to be gone?"

Kakashi ran a hand through his silver hair. "I'm not sure. It's a recon mission in the Land of Silver, but I don't really know what I'm looking for, so it'll probably be months."

"Oh. I see." Sakura's gaze fell. If he was going to be gone for that long, then someone else would have to take over her ANBU training.

He smiled, giving her that signature eye crinkle. "Don't be jealous. I'm sure Tsunade will assign you guys a mission soon."

Sakura forced a smile onto her face. Perhaps this would work out in her favor. He could go on thinking that she was sad she didn't get to go on a mission, and then, when he returned from the Land of Silver, she could surprise him by being in ANBU as well.

"Let's hope so!" she said, smiling when he patted her on the head. Sometimes she wondered if Kakashi still saw them as the little twelve-year-olds he'd basically raised as his own for a few years.

"I'll see you later, Sakura."

"Bye Kakashi."

He left with a wave, causing Sakura to question what she was going to do now that her choice teacher had left the village. Her face brightened when she suddenly realized exactly who her teacher would be. Kicking herself for not thinking of it before, she headed towards Ichiraku's to tell her boys the news, head held high with a newfound confidence.