Sakura tried to stifle her growing anxiety with a mental recitation of all things that had gone right so far. Because of her advanced knowledge of ROOT, she had managed to stay away from Danzo, though she knew he had spies in the village that she couldn't always avoid. She had tried to create a better Team 7, one they always had the potential to be if the world hadn't broken them beyond repair. She reached out to as many of her peers as she could, knowing strong bonds of friendship could be the only way to see them through a war that might still be on the horizon.
However, there was one person Sakura was dreading to meet again.
Yakushi Kabuto.
If things went the way she planned, there would be no joint invasion of Oto and Suna next year during Konoha's Chunin Exams. As Misaki, she had put Jiraiya on the scent of the Wind Daimyo's chronic under funding of his own hidden village and once Tsunade had become Hokage, she had hammered out an alliance for the two villages. Sakura knew such treaties tended to be worth only the paper they were written on, so until Gaara became Kazekage, she would still tread lightly.
The lack of invasion also meant she was fumbling around blindly, wondering each day if it would be her last peaceful one before Orochimaru slipped into the village to find the last free Uchiha.
It was imperative that Sasuke be protected from the cursed seal. He was not the same psychologically fragile boy she knew in her own time; she knew that while he craved answers, it wasn't also paired with a craving for revenge. Sakura just didn't want him to suffer the emotional turmoil the seal would place him under, she needed to save him from that just like she needed to save Naruto and Kakashi and all their friends from their untimely future deaths. While she had been enjoying her second life, her primary mission was never far from her thoughts.
Kabuto was slippery. When she had known him before, she was always uncertain of his actions and his words, never knowing where his loyalties lay. Orochimaru had been Kabuto's master when Sasuke had killed the Sannin in her time, but the medic-nin had disappeared instead of seeking vengeance. He had popped up on Konoha's radar over the years, reports on the most vicious slaughters or strangest mission situations, never fully taking responsibility for any carnage, but never denying it either.
Kakashi had been sent out after him once and returned after a month, more haunted than usual and empty-handed. "I don't know if he's even human anymore, Sakura-chan." He had said it after laying in silence for several minutes while she was healing his Sharingan induced migraine, rubbing his temples soothingly. "The things he could do … It was like seeing death itself."
She had paused in her ministrations, chakra flow never easing and then resumed, running her fingers through his hair. "In that case, I'm glad you made it back to us, Kakashi-sensei." Back to me, she meant.
Sakura knew Kabuto's abilities couldn't possibly be as advanced in her new timeline as they were when he had already surpassed Orochimaru, but she still felt chills whenever she thought of him. If he was someone Kakashi had feared, even a little, she wasn't confident in her ability to take him on. She definitely didn't want to expose her boys to him ever, but for now she would settle for putting off the confrontation between them for as long as possible.
Apparently, as long as possible ended was today, because he had deliberately run right into her at the marketplace, even as she stepped to avoid him.
"Oops! Gosh, I'm sorry! I didn't see you there!" He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I didn't mean to tread all over your feet."
Her insides were ice, but she just smiled politely. "It's fine, really. It happens." She hugged her bag closer to her body and nodded at him, hoping to leave him behind as soon as possible.
"No, totally my fault! Look, I even made you drop some of your tomatoes." In her panic, she hadn't noticed that Sasuke's favorite food had toppled out of the top of her shopping bag. Shit. He's going to notice if I don't have those when I come back.
She quickly picked them up and dusted them off, shoving them back in the bag, still smiling politely as sweat trickled down her back. "No harm done, see? I must be going now."
Before she could turn, he was in front of her again, glasses glinting in the sunlight. "Nonsense, it was very unbecoming of me to essentially assault another Konoha shinobi. Let me make it up to you. Could I treat you to dango?"
If this were any other situation, Sakura would have laughed and called him a pervert preying on young girls. As it was, she didn't know how to gracefully extricate herself. If she said she had to leave to make dinner, would he "insist" on walking her home? She didn't want Kabuto anywhere near her house or the team that was currently waiting for her in it.
"S-sure. But only one. I can't stay too long."
"Excellent." He smiled at her easily, but Sakura still didn't trust him not to slit her throat with that same smile on his face. They walked toward the dango stand and he pushed his glasses up on his nose. "Oh! I've been so rude. My name is Yakushi Kabuto."
She was positive he knew who she was, but it wouldn't do to tense up or lie in this situation. For all intents and purposes, she was a normal, if gifted, eleven year old. "Haruno Sakura. It's nice to meet you, Yakushi-san."
He laughed, sounding just like any average teenager who didn't plot his village's destruction. "So formal, Sakura-chan. Just call me Kabuto."
"Of course." Sakura figured she might as well confirm that his cover information was still the same, at the very least. She couldn't trust much else he would tell her. "Are you a jonin, Kabuto-san? I don't think I've ever seen you around Konoha."
He laughed again, though this time it sounded embarrassed. He's so good at this game. I cannot slip up, even for a moment. "No, Sakura-chan, I'm just a genin like you."
Like me? Was he testing her? Tsunade had just promoted her last week when they had returned from Suna. Did he know? "I'm actually a chunin. But that only happened recently." She tried to look proud of herself.
He pounded a fist into his palm. "That's right, there were exams in Suna last month. I missed those. Congratulations, Sakura-chan." He smiled again, still creepily normal. "This can be an apologetic and a celebratory dango, then!"
They arrived at the stand and ordered, with Kabuto cheerfully pointing to a nearby bench for them to sit on. "So, Sakura-chan, how were the Chunin Exams? Did your teammates get promoted too?"
Ah, my teammates. Almost certainly your real target. You already know who they are.
"My teammates did not make it, but I'm sure they will next time." There, simple and vague, proud of her team but not bragging about how strong they were. If promotions were just about strength, Team 7 would consist of four jonins at this point. She didn't need the recognition. She definitely didn't need to give Kabuto any more information on them than she had to keep her cover as a normal kunoichi.
"Ah," Kabuto chewed on his dango. "I bet they were disappointed. I've taken part in five of them so far, but no luck. Were they very excited to go?"
"Five? Wow, that's very persistent of you. I hope you do well in the next one." So far everything is matching up. I wish I knew more about where he came from before the Chunin Exams.
Kabuto shrugged helplessly, not calling her out on her evasive reply. "If they handed out promotions for just perseverance, I would be Hokage by now. I'll gain the skills I need to advance eventually."
"That's a positive way of thinking." Sakura finished her dango in record time, the sticky sweetness not even registering on her taste buds. "I should probably go. Thank you for the dango, Kabuto-san."
He looked up from his own treat in surprise. "Already? We were just getting to be friends, Sakura-chan!"
She motioned to her bag of groceries casually, not allowing her anxiety to show. "I have to get started on dinner."
Kabuto smiled at her good-naturedly and Sakura fought her sudden nausea. "Of course, Sakura-chan. I'll make sure not to literally run into you when we see each other again."
She smiled at him and slipped away, his words echoing through her head. when when when we see each other again! What happened, what did I do to make him sit up and take notice now? Orochimaru must still be plotting to take Sasuke's body.
Sakura took the longest route possible home, with as many side-trips as she could fit in while looking like she was just shopping instead of evading any possible tails. She had honed her sensor abilities in order to detect most of Konoha's ANBU, but she would not fall into the trap of underestimating Kabuto. She had done it once, during her original Chunin Exam and it had been the beginning of the end for her team. Sakura would not make that mistake again.
She was on edge for the next week, snapping at the boys more frequently than usual and then apologizing profusely when they turned hurt eyes in her direction. She was thankful that they accepted her excuse of insomnia as a cover for her cranky demeanor, coupled with many affectionate hugs that were accepted happily (Naruto) and with feigned reluctance (Sasuke). Kakashi was not nearly as easy to fool, but she did her best with misdirection and sarcasm.
"Sakura-chan?"
"Hmm?" She was reclining on his back again while he did push-ups, watching Naruto and Sasuke make a mess of their third training ground in as many days. She was going to have to smuggle some more sake from Rice Country soon to keep Tsunade happy enough to turn a blind eye.
"Is there anything wrong?" He was disgustingly even-keeled, even as he approached his three hundredth push-up.
Sakura inspected her nails, wondering if they had ever looked this terrible when she was eleven the first time around. Taijutsu was murder on her cuticles. "Of course not, Kakashi-sensei. Except for the fact that you've hidden your Icha Icha from me."
He huffed in annoyance. "Just because you're entirely too smart for your own good does not mean I'm going to let you read adult material, Sakura-chan. I am responsible for your well-being."
He continued his exercise in silence and she turned her attention back to the boys, where she saw Sasuke flat out throw Naruto into an enormous fireball with glee in his eyes. His happiness morphed into a disgruntled frown when Naruto turned out to be a log with blonde pigtails. Idly, she puzzled over when Naruto had time to tweak the kawarimi jutsu for something so ridiculous and laughed at Sasuke's misfortune as Naruto tossed an excessive amount of wired explosive tags in his direction.
Kakashi paused as the explosion rocked the ground, but did not turn to face the boys. "They've still got all their limbs intact, yes?"
Sakura peered through the smoke to see the two of them still sparring, having now fallen back to basic taijutsu maneuvers instead of elemental attacks. "Yup. They didn't even stop. The springtime of their youth is blossoming beautifully!" She grinned at the back of his head and stretched out her legs. He grunted as one of her sealed leg weights made hard contact with his left kidney. "Do you miss being young, Kakashi-sensei?"
"Now you're just being deliberately irritating."
"It's one of my many talents, sensei. If I don't hone it on a willing participant, I could lose my edge."
His shoulders shifted as he switched to one-handed push-ups and she applied chakra without a second thought to readjust her hold on the back of his flak vest. "Who says I'm willing?"
"Your continued tolerance, mostly."
She was sure she could hear him hold back a laugh as he said, "Sakura-chan, you should take up a new hobby. Have you tried knitting?"
"When would I have time for knitting? I barely have time for sleep." Ah, shit. Should not have brought that up.
"Speaking of sleep, Naruto tells me you're having trouble."
She grumbled to herself. "Naruto has a big mouth."
Kakashi's voice was quiet. "Sakura-chan, I hope you know that you can talk to me if there's anything bothering you, right? I know you won't tell the boys, but you can let me share your burden in their stead."
Sakura let out a gusty sigh, knowing she couldn't share her suspicions with Kakashi yet. She had no proof and only an alternate timeline's worth of memories. Who would believe the excuse of a gut feeling? "Just a lot on my mind." She shrugged, knowing he could feel it against his back. "I do wonder if I was correct in taking the promotion."
"You deserved it. You have been chunin material since you graduated."
Praise from Kakashi as a teacher had been so rare in her past and even now he wasn't particularly forthcoming, for all that he was so much closer to them. She allowed herself to bask in the warmth of his compliment for a few moments before replying. "Maybe. But what about the boys? Who is going to be their third when it the next exam comes around?" What if Orochimaru still attacks, even without Suna's aid? I won't be around to help them. Was it a mistake to get promoted? Can I step down until next time?
"You let me worry about that, Sakura-chan. You don't have to shoulder everything yourself."
"Maybe." Sakura couldn't commit to more than that without deliberately lying to him. There was a lot she needed to keep to herself, but it was easier to tell most of the truth than create another deception. On the nights where she really couldn't sleep, she allowed herself to wallow in a deep sea of guilt for the calculated manipulation of her friends and makeshift family. Her benevolent intentions only assuaged so much of that shame.
Sakura could tell he was starting to wind down in his push-ups and she slid off his back onto her feet, wincing as gravity dragged at her weights. The extra mass she had sealed that morning was not making her feel any less sluggish, especially when Gai had only amped up their sparring when he had noticed hours ago. Has it already been that long?
She glanced up at the sun, surprised to see how much time had passed as she took her turn as Kakashi's personal dead-weight. She stretched and said, apropos of nothing, "I think today's a ramen day, Kakashi-sensei. Cooking sounds very tedious right now."
He rose to his feet, clapping his hands together to rid his gloves of the dirt. "Naruto will be thrilled." Kakashi looked at her, still trying to understand her strange emotional resonance after a year's time. "I'll pay for dinner if you tell me what's really bothering you."
"Resorting to bribery now, sensei? You know I'm just a worrier by nature. It's nothing serious."
He tapped his masked chin with a finger, ignoring her words. "It's not boy trouble, is it? I don't know how much help I can be, but I'll do my best."
Sakura sighed and rolled her eyes heavenward. Flatly, she said, "You caught me. I'm planning on tossing Shikamaru over my shoulder and running away to Mist, but I just don't know how to break it to the boys."
He made an indecipherable noise. "Don't joke about things like that, Sakura-chan. Shikaku might hear you."
"Good. While he's busy planning the wedding, I'll sneak away to my real target, the Kazekage's son. It's fool-proof."
Kakashi's shoulders slumped in defeat. "Why can't you be the cute little genin your Academy photo said you were?"
Sakura grinned at him. "Because I'm a chunin now." She whistled to the boys, who were startled into flinching as they flew at one another. They collided mid-air and landed in a rather undignified heap. "Wow. You need to train them about being more aware of their environment, Kakashi-sensei. You're really falling down on the job, here."
He called out to the boys. "Did you hear that? Sakura-chan has just volunteered you three for extra survival training tomorrow! We'll start at dawn!" Kakashi raised his visible eyebrow, challenging her to say something about it.
Inwardly she cursed him, but Sakura knew how to play this game too. She just smiled sweetly at him and said, "Dawn? It's so nice of you to include Gai-sensei in our training! I know he would love to see his Eternal Rival interact with his team since he'll be assigned his own genin squad soon!"
Sakura would swear that she saw his whole body twitch, but only for the slightest portion of a second. "Yes, that will be … something."
The boys had untangled their limbs and trotted over to join them, looking dubiously excited. Despite their extensive experience with Kakashi's training, they still enjoyed the thought of getting stronger with a single-mindedness that Sakura remembered from her own time. After all the things I changed, they're still the same people underneath. It's kind of a relief.
Naruto scrunched his face in thought,. "Sakura-chan definitely didn't say that, Kakashi-sensei. The last time we had survival training, she called you some pretty horrible things."
Kakashi perked up, looking very interested all of a sudden. "Oh? Like what?"
Sasuke snorted and recited a list while Sakura cursed his perfect memory. "I think 'insane sadist with a torture fixation' was said the most. There were lots of other, worse things." He smirked at her annoyingly. "We learned a lot of new words that day."
She refused to meet Kakashi's gaze as Naruto burst into badly stifled snickers. "Those were all meant in a completely friendly, affectionate way, Kakashi-sensei."
He just shook his head sadly. "I knew nothing good would come of your association with T&I and I was right. Such vulgarity from my precious little Sakura-chan!"
She pursed her lips. "It's better than punching someone every time I get annoyed, isn't it?" The three of them, having been punched by her many times, winced at the thought of Sakura on a rampage through Konoha.
Naruto grinned at her. "I don't mind, Sakura-chan! I'm always learning something from you!" Sasuke was still smirking at her, agreeing silently.
Sakura massaged her forehead. "When did I become the bad influence all of a sudden?"
Kakashi patted her on the shoulder. "You always were. It's just taken you time to see it." He turned to Naruto and Sasuke. "Sakura-chan said she would buy us all ramen for dinner. Are you boys ready?"
She grumbled to herself, not really annoyed. "I've apparently said a lot of things today, sensei. Don't you worry about the long-term effects of lying to impressionable young children?"
He stood, having grabbed both boys around the middle and tucked them under his arms like sacks of flour, much to their bleating protests. "Nah. Consider it extra training." Kakashi set off toward Ichiraku with Sakura following behind in amusement.
She poked at Sasuke throughout the walk to the ramen stand, laughing at the fact that he couldn't do anything more than attempt to swat her away. The boys were really too old to be dragged around like Kakashi was doing, but he seemed to derive some weird joy out of it. He probably just likes to embarrass them, like the world's worst dad. She sighed and poked Sasuke in the ribs again, snickering when he squawked in complaint.
Sakura froze for just a moment when she spotted a familiar silver head of hair sitting at the ramen bar, before falling into step beside her team again. Why is he here? I haven't seen him in three years and suddenly he shows up on my radar twice in one week?
Though she hated being anywhere near Kabuto, she slid into the stool closest to him to shield her teammates from his very presence. She tried to nod politely and dismissively. "Hello, Kabuto-san."
Her teammates all gave her variations of a questioning look, but it was forgotten once Sasuke and Naruto started squabbling over who would sit where. Kakashi silenced them by plopping them both down on stools before seating himself next to Sakura.
Kabuto looked up from his bowl with a sincerely pleased smile. "Sakura-chan! I didn't expect to bump into you here. Ramen doesn't seem to be your thing." How could he possibly know that?
She shrugged casually. "Cooking seemed like a chore today, so here we are."
He leaned forward to see the people she had come in with. "Ah, is this your team?" The boys snapped to attention, eyeing Kabuto with curiosity.
She forced a smile onto her face. "Yes. Kakashi-sensei, Naruto, Sasuke, this is Kabuto-san. I met him in the marketplace last week."
Kabuto chuckled. "It's more like I ran her down in the marketplace last week. I'm probably the clumsiest shinobi in Konoha." He poked through his bowl, snagging a piece of egg happily.
Naruto and Sasuke stiffened, but Kakashi decided to head them off before they went into overly protective mode by breaking into his own instead. "Sakura-chan, you didn't mention this at all."
Someone save me from defensive men. Sakura ignored him momentarily, smiling at Ayame as she ordered pork ramen with extra green onions. After she finished, she said, "Not a big deal, Kakashi-sensei. I would hope I could handle my feet being stepped on."
"Of course, but we worry anyway." He smiled at her through the mask, but all she could feel was numb. She was sick at the idea that Kabuto had a front row seat into their team dynamics, analyzing how they interacted with one another. She had no illusions that he was seeing and hearing everything, despite the fact that his gaze was still trained on his ramen.
Ayame set down their own steaming bowls, to Naruto's great pleasure. In an effort to seem like all was well, Sakura said, "No more than three bowls, Naruto. I mean it."
He pouted around his mouthful of noodles. Sasuke's disgusted face would have amused her at any other time. "But Sakura-chan! I'm a growing boy! I need ramen to live!"
"If you get hungry later, there's plenty of healthy food at the house. You already sneak enough ramen into your diet as it is." I sound like his mother. I am his mother. What is my life, sitting next to a potential psychopath and lecturing a ten year old boy on the nutritional benefits of ramen.
Kabuto apparently had similar thoughts. "You're like a little caretaker, Sakura-chan! How cute. Does your whole team live together? That's an unusual situation." She wished there was a socially acceptable way to tell him to get lost, but he was waiting on a reply. Every time I try to avoid answers, I end up giving him more ammunition. I'm surprised I haven't accidentally outed myself as a time traveler at this rate.
"We're an unusual team, Kabuto-san. Kakashi-sensei has his own apartment." She could tell that Kakashi was starting to pick up on her strange demeanor, but she was hopeful that Kabuto would assume she was always politely curt to unwilling acquaintances.
Kabuto looked them over as the boys busied themselves with their food, Sasuke apparently hungry enough to eat without complaint, picking out all his favorite parts first. Sakura had managed to get Ayame to add tomatoes to their ingredient list, because she knew their team would spend a ridiculous amount here no matter how she felt about ramen. "Are you all related? I don't see a resemblance."
A cold shiver raced down her spine. Sakura leaned toward Kabuto and spoke in a low tone, modulating her voice to sound secretive instead of threatening. "They do not have any family, Kabuto-san. I would appreciate it if you didn't question them about it."
His eyes widened behind his glasses and he nodded his head once, whispering back to her. "I understand. I didn't mean to make things awkward, Sakura-chan."
She turned back to her ramen, appetite entirely gone. "It's okay. Like I said before, no harm done." Yet.
Sakura ate her noodles mechanically, listening to Kabuto engage Ayame in light conversation as he finished his bowl. He stood and slipped some money on the counter, waving good-bye to them in a friendly manner. "I'll see you around, Sakura-chan! Maybe you can give me some pointers on how to finally pass the Chunin Exam."
Sakura nearly snapped her chopsticks in frustration, knowing this meant he was going to find more ways to see her around Konoha. Still, better her than the boys while she wasn't around. She managed to give him a civil nod goodbye. "Yes, maybe. Have a good evening, Kabuto-san."
He walked away whistling, not a care in the world. She stared down at her half-empty bowl, the broth growing cold and the noodles soggy. Lost in her doomsday thoughts, she was startled when Kakashi nudged her carefully. "Everything okay, Sakura-chan?"
She gave him a weak smile. "I guess I'm just daydreaming today."
He glanced over at the boys, who were discussing something seriously in hushed voices. Kakashi was surprised Naruto even knew how to whisper, but he didn't interrupt them. They had a way of making their plans and interests known eventually. Sakura was much more close-mouthed, for all her witty quips. He turned his back on them and faced her completely. "Did something happen with that boy, Sakura-chan? You seemed … off."
This time she froze visibly and his gut clenched, wondering if he was going to have to petition Tsunade to kill one of their own shinobi. Sakura shook her head distractedly. "No, I met him just as we said. He ran into me last week and insisted on buying dango as a way to apologize."
He wasn't satisfied with her answer. "And?"
Sakura pushed her bowl away, giving up on the rest of her food. "And that's it. I haven't seen him since then, until today."
He looked at her tense shoulders and sighed, wondering if she would ever trust anyone enough to share her whole thoughts with them. She was an excellent shinobi in that way, but he worried that she would become too much like him eventually, too damaged for normal relationships.
"There's something else."
Sakura leaned an elbow on the counter and propped her chin up on a hand, staring at him with an alarming intensity. "I don't trust him." She seemed to be trying to convey something with her eyes. "I have nothing to substantiate this feeling."
Kakashi vaguely wondered if he could go back to his student possibly having boy problems instead of a blossoming paranoia about the people around her. He went along with it, hoping to understand her feelings better. "Why were you so polite to him, then? Anyone who knows you would realize it was totally out of character."
She heaved a sigh so heavy the boys paused in their conversation to look at her in concern. She waved them off and they went back to whispering, with Naruto's arms flailing about. "I don't know how to act around him. I don't want him to know anything about me at all, including my character. Like I said, it's just a feeling."
"He's what, seventeen, eighteen? And still a genin? And from Konoha, no less. I don't think you have anything to worry about."
Sakura frowned at him, looking highly disappointed. "I don't think I need to remind you that there are some notable Konoha shinobi out there who are certainly cause for worry." She glanced at Sasuke for a quick moment, her eyes softening. "Though perhaps not in the same way."
Kakashi persisted, trying to assuage her concern. "Still, a genin at his age is no match for you or our team."
Sakura idly played with the black gloves she had taken to wearing over her bandaged hands, clearly done with the conversation. "Maybe you're right." Her flat tone made him feel as if he had failed something, though he still wasn't sure at what. Sakura called over to the boys. "What are you plotting over there, you two?"
Naruto's arms froze mid-flail and he whipped his head around so quickly, Kakashi winced. "Uh, nothing! We're just talking about … sparring?"
Sasuke slapped him upside the head and muttered, "Great, now they definitely think something's going on. You are absolutely the worst liar I have ever met."
Sakura smiled him fondly. "I'm thankful for that." She slid off the stool and tossed some money onto the counter, paying for the ramen just like Kakashi said that she would. He felt somewhat guilty, an emotion that happened far too often with this team for his liking. She threw an arm around both of the boys and said menacingly, "There won't be any property damage or broken bones from whatever you've got in mind, right?"
Naruto grinned at her. "Of course not, Sakura-chan! We're professionals."
She rolled her eyes and steered them toward her house, with Kakashi following quietly. He was still concerned about her mental well-being. Paranoia starting at such a young age could grow to be a terrible problem if left unchecked.
The three of them were now murmuring together and he could hear bits and pieces of the conversation. His name, "glitter" and "pants" were repeated often enough to make him feel slightly worried about the future state of his wardrobe. He resolved to tighten his apartment security tonight after he left, on the off-chance his mischievous team was up to something truly heinous.
Sakura unlocked the front door and the boys bounded inside, still whispering about their secret plans. While her back was turned, Kakashi lifted his hitai-ate and peered at the cheerfully painted red wood, noting the crackling of chakra that indicated something was there. Over the past year, he had questioned Naruto and Sasuke multiple times to no avail. Sakura turned to see him staring at the door forlornly and snorted.
"Why don't you just ask me?"
He covered his Sharingan with practiced ease. "Would you tell me if I did?"
She stepped over Naruto's sprawled form on her living room floor. "Probably." She nudged her teammate and then looked at Sasuke. "We should sleep, since I was nice enough to suggest survival training tomorrow." Naruto groaned and rolled to his feet and they disappeared upstairs to the rooms she had cleared out for them.
Sakura headed toward the kitchen and Kakashi drifted after her. She stood in the middle of the room for a moment, thinking and then finally grabbed her teapot and container of chamomile leaves. She shoved her little stepstool up against the counter to reach the cabinets and poured a cup for him without asking. "So? You want to know?"
He held the cup with both hands, feeling the warmth seep through his worn gloves. "If you want to tell me."
"There's a seal on the door. Actually, there's two seals." She motioned him toward the sunroom, where she sank down onto the futon there with a sigh, setting her tea cup aside in favor of removing her leg weights and gloves.
Kakashi settled on the opposite side of the futon, still feeling awkwardly out of place after a year's worth of visits. Sakura always seemed to be strangely serious when the boys weren't around to poke, prod or otherwise tease. He was never sure if this was because she changed for them or because of them.
"I know that much, Sakura-chan. I saw it once, as I'm sure you remember."
She sipped at her tea and stared at the floor, her thoughts a thousand miles away. "I had the idea for it bouncing around for a while, but when Sandaime-sama told me about Naruto, I knew I had to do something." Sakura smiled tightly. "It's important that they're protected. You too, sensei."
He ignored the unintended insult, knowing he could very well protect himself and that she was a chronic worrier. "What does it do?"
"If I have not added you to the seal's wards and you attempt to breach the walls of this house, you will be transported to the deepest chakra-blocked cell in T&I."
He hummed thoughtfully. "So I was right about Ibiki's bad influence on you."
Waspishly, she said, "Ibiki-san is a good man. You leave him out of this." Kakashi wondered how the fearsome torture specialist would react to being called a good man. If it was Sakura, he'd probably take it. Theirs was an odd relationship, from the little of it he had witnessed. "All I had to do was buy him barbecue for him to agree. Besides, it was Anko-san who helped me implement it."
Kakashi could feel a headache starting behind his eyes. "You know Anko? Of all the kunoichi you could choose to become friends with …"
"Anko-san is a talented woman, Kakashi-sensei."
"She's also quite possibly crazy." He felt the need to point it out, as if she wouldn't have noticed it within minutes of being in the woman's presence.
"She just has a very forceful personality. You know, calling a woman crazy just for acting like a man is encouraged to is very telling, Kakashi-sensei." Sakura did think Anko was probably a little unhinged, but she attributed that to her Orochimaru-induced trauma and not because she enjoyed fighting like a wild animal. That sort of thing was par for the course for shinobi, after all. Why not kunoichi too?
Kakashi knew he needed to change the subject very quickly, if he were to leave this conversation unscathed. "What if someone just tries to destroy the house with you in it?"
She blinked, taken aback by the question. "The wards strengthen the overall integrity of the foundation, but if someone is that determined, I have worse problems than my seal's effectiveness. I am mostly worried about spies and silent assassins."
He set his cup aside. "Sakura-chan, have you always been so suspicious of everyone? It's very … unusual for a girl your age, who has grown up in a time of peace. Take Kabuto, for instance. He seemed like a normal shinobi."
She sighed and lay her head back against the futon, closing her eyes. "I don't want to talk about Kabuto. I get that you don't believe in my feelings. I wouldn't either, if I were you."
He reached over and flicked her hitai-ate. "I don't not believe you. Hunches can save your life in the field. I just don't want you to see enemies every time you turn around. That's not a good way to live."
She didn't open her eyes. "Speaking from experience?"
Kakashi should have guessed she would turn the conversation back on him. She was not like Naruto or even Sasuke, who would just complain or grumble about his wise teaching moments. He hated to even think the term "old soul", but it fit Sakura like a glove. "Maybe. You don't want to turn out like your insane sadist of a teacher."
She snorted and rolled her head to look at him. "If I had to be like anyone, it would be you, sensei. Just punctual and with better hair."
He pouted at her through his mask and she laughed. They settled into lighter conversation, though Sakura knew it probably wouldn't be the last time he tried to broach the subject. It was difficult for her to hide everything from people she spent the majority of her time with. She hoped her candid expression of anxiety would make him think carefully about Kabuto and what he might represent. Sakura just hoped she hadn't pushed him into taking on something far more dangerous.
Note: kabuto might not be as physically powerful as some of the other antagonists in the naruto series (madara, kaguya, etc.), but to me he has always been the most interesting and the most lethal. he is a man who doesn't understand who he is and is willing to rip through others in his journey of self. his continued use of psychological warfare is a terrifying glimpse into how he views the world. this won't be the last time he appears.