The Turning Point
Naruto had never liked hospitals in general but the Intensive Care ward was something he never wanted to visit again unless he was a patient himself. At least the granny lady Tsunade had the sense to put his two teammates together in the same room so Naruto could sit between their two beds and watch over them carefully.
Sasuke was the first to wake up, he had come around the very next day after Naruto and Jiraiya had returned to the village. The pervert Sanin had postponed the training he had scheduled for Naruto and had made himself very happily acquainted with the bath houses in Konoha. Sasuke seemed defeated and didn't have much to say to Naruto, his mind continually played back the fight between Itachi and the sickening realisation that he wasn't enough. Looking over at Sakura's bed made that realisation all the more truthful.
They began to grow concerned when the days passed by and Sakura still hadn't woken. Hearing what Sakura had been through and how she had experienced the same thing he had, Kakashi worried the most. Sasuke had still not been permitted discharge from the hospital and a part of him was glad that he was able to keep watch over Sakura morning and night. But if some harm was to come to her what could he possibly do to protect her? His own teammate not even of the Uchiha clan was able to repel the tsukyomi, from what his father had told him the technique could only be repelled by an Uchiha.
"Oh hey there granny-chan!" Naruto exclaimed as Tsunade entered the room. By now it had almost been a week since the incident with Itachi and Kisame.
"Don't call me that unless you want a beating" Tsunade replied and walked past Naruto to examine the chart at the end of Sakura's bed.
"Has there been any change?" Kakashi asked looking up from his book.
"No she's the same" Tsunade said concern leaking into her voice.
"So you don't know when she'll wake up then?" Sasuke demanded feeling annoyed with the whole situation.
"No I don't. Like I've said before it's a self-induced coma. Sakura's mind has suffered a severe amount of trauma from the tsukyomi. It's trying to protect itself but I'm confident she'll wake I just don't know when" Tsunade snapped back.
"And when she does? Can the damage be repaired?" Kakashi asked quietly.
"From what Naruto has told me the attack on her mind didn't last long. I should be able to repair the damage to Sakura like I did for you Kakashi" Tsunade replied and put the chart down.
"There is a button next to her bed, if she wakes all you have to do is push it. It's connected to my office so I'll hear it first thing"
With that Tsunade left the room and Naruto clenched his fists in anger. "What so that was it? A few short words and she just leaves again!? She doesn't have any sympathy for Sakura at all!"
"Don't be stupid Naruto of course she does. Sakura works here Lady Tsunade promoted her to head nurse. She's just being professional. Now I have to go, there is a lot to discuss about security and the election of the Fifth Hokage and all Jounin need to be involved" Kakashi said and stood up.
"Wait sensei what if Sakura wakes up and you miss it!?" Naruto demanded unhappily.
"I'll be informed of any change by Lady Tsunade. Besides Sasuke is here with Sakura he'll keep good watch over her. I heard Jiraiya wanted to resume your postponed training today" Kakashi said.
"Alright it's about time that Pervy Sage figured out his priorities! But Sakura-chan I can't go while she's still like this" Naruto trailed off looking sadly at his teammate.
"Hn it's fine they won't let me leave for training anyway, somehow that blonde woman knows exactly when I'm going to leave and stops me. I'll be here with her" Sasuke said swallowing the resentment he felt.
"Right don't let anything happen to her teme or you'll have to answer to me" Naruto exclaimed and lept out of the hospital window, at the same time Kakashi disappeared.
Sakura shifted a little in her bed and Sasuke looked across at her hopefully but she didn't wake. Sighing loudly Sasuke slid down into his bed and rested his hands behind his head staring up at the ceiling. It wasn't that he didn't want to be here for when Sakura awoke but it felt as though he was trapped while Naruto was allowed to roam about freely training with the Sanin Jiraiya.
When Sakura awoke it was pitch black and she immediately sensed she wasn't in her room at home, this was somewhere completely unfamiliar. Then she saw it again, the image of her parents and their nearly headless corpses advancing towards her pleading for her help. Sakura screamed as loud as she could as she began sobbing uncontrollably.
"Sakura! You're awake. Why are you crying? Calm down!" Sasuke said and lurched from his bed over to where Sakura had curled herself up into a ball sobbing and screaming. It was the middle of the night and Sasuke had been
Vaguely Sakura could hear someone calling to her and it sounded like Sasuke but she couldn't see him. All she could see was her parents they took up every space in the room and continued to advance towards to her.
"N-No stay back!" Sakura yelled fearful and immediately began to pull her fist back and hit the images of her parent's corpses but every time she would hit one another would appear instantly.
Sasuke ducked quickly to avoid a chakra infused punch to the head as he watched his teammate hit out at completely invisible enemies. Bitting down on his lip Sasuke reached out and attempted to restrain her as Sakura thrashed around on the bed before lying completely still.
"Sasuke?" Sakura asked keeping her eyes closed tightly, fearing what she would see but she sensed his chakra and tried to relax.
"Sakura. You can open your eyes. We're in the hospital and there is nothing here" Sasuke said and grabbed her wrists firmly in case she should try and hit him again.
"Itachi and he and all I can see are my parents and they're dead and I have to go and find them!" Sakura exclaimed panicking and struggled against Sasuke's grasp.
"It's the effect of the tsukyomi. Itachi can make you see things that aren't real. It plays with your mind. You're safe and your parents are alive and in the village" Sasuke said trying to reassure her.
"No they're not that's just it. My father he's gone he was on a mission and he never returned and my mother she went to find him and I have no one left" Sakura replied shaking violently.
"What do you mean? Your parents are missing ninja?" Sasuke questioned and Sakura nodded still shaking.
Sasuke looked at the red button next to the bed; he knew Tsunade would want to know that Sakura was awake so she could begin the reparation of her psyche. But Sakura looked scared, more terrified than he'd ever seen her before in his life. He felt guilt and responsibility if he had just been strong enough to beat Itachi.
Should I comfort her? Hold her? But he said these attachments make me weak. The fondness for my teammates allowed me to stray from my true path, Sasuke thought completely confused about what he should do.
But I'm not like him. I'm nothing like Itachi is that why I couldn't beat him. But Naruto could have, Naruto is stronger than I am but he has so many attachments to different people. What does that mean?
"Sasuke? What are you doing?" Sakura asked watching her teammate through fearful eyes.
"Hn nothing move over" Sasuke instructed and Sakura moved to allow Sasuke to sit in the small hospital bed next to her.
"Don't tell anyone what I told you about my parents" Sakura said sitting up a little, calmer than before.
"I won't. Go to sleep and I'll call for the nurses tomorrow" Sasuke instructed.
In a matter of minutes Sakura was asleep and Sasuke figured she must be drained from the visions caused by the tsukyomi. Once he was certain she was asleep Sasuke lay down next to her and shut his eyes hoping sleep would come easily for him this time.
Unconsciously Sakura felt the warmth from Sasuke's body and moved herself closer into his side to benefit from it. Sasuke froze at the contact and was half tempted to get up and return to his own bed but something compelled him to stay. He couldn't leave Sakura alone in her state prone to the horrible visions caused by Itachi's sharingan.
But his attachment to her was strong and seemed to be growing stronger; it was getting out of hand to the point where he would put her wellbeing before his own. Revenge against Itachi was all he had wanted, all he had trained for in life and suddenly that was ripped out from underneath him. Itachi paid more attention to Sakura, someone who wasn't even of the Uchiha clan and dismissed him. Beat him up as though it was nothing and everything Sasuke had worked for seemed completely irrelevant.
Clenching his fists in anger Sasuke removed himself from Sakura's bed and went back to his own. The images flashed through his mind, the connection to his teammates and how it could have made him weak. Jiraiya training Naruto, Sakura standing up against Itachi and his brother speaking of how his attachments made him weak.
What do I do now?
Sakura had been in psychiatric treatment with Tsunade for what seemed like hours, trying to shut out or destroy the visions completely. Inner had disappeared somewhere again into the recesses of her mind and Sakura was half glad of that. She didn't want Tsunade to find her.
Once the treatment had been completed Sakura was ushered back to her room to rest despite her urging that she was fine and ready to start her head nurse duties. But Tsunade had insisted and Sakura trudged back to the room she shared with Sasuke to find him gone and the bed made up.
I guess he's been discharged. It's a shame I was hoping to talk to him about last night. I shouldn't have said anything about my parents that was foolish of me. I guess he'll want to know about the tsukyomi attack and how I repelled it. A lot of people will including Tsunade-sama. How do I explain it?
"Yo" Kakashi said from his spot in one of the visitor chairs.
"Oh it's you Kakashi-sensei. I swear you shouldn't sneak up on people like that" Sakura said trying to calm down.
"Right uh sorry about that. How are you feeling?" Kakashi asked concerned.
"I'm alright just really tired is all, Lady Tsunade managed to repair most of the psychological damage caused by Itachi but I'll be prone to relapses as my mind recovers" Sakura replied sitting on the edge of her bed.
"That's good to hear then. She was able to repair most of the damage he caused me as well. Although in truth I was worried more for you because you are much younger and have had no experiences with the Sharingan" Kakashi said evenly.
"You were affected by it as well? That means you must have fought Itachi" Sakura exclaimed absorbing the new information.
"Yes I did. I think you know what I'm going to ask you next" Kakashi said focusing his eyes on his student.
"You want to know how I stopped it. Just like Naruto and Sasuke and everyone else in this damn hospital probably wants to know, I could do without the questions I'm supposed to be in recovery" Sakura said feeling frustrated.
Kakashi simply sat patiently waiting for her response and Sakura narrowed her eyes dangerously. At that point she wanted nothing more than to punch a hole in the hospital wall, partly because of her frustrations but partly because she wanted to leave.
"I don't know okay I don't know what happened. One minute I saw the horrific visions that I don't even want to revisit and the next minute there was this blinding white light and then everything went black" Sakura huffed leaving out the parts about Inner.
"I see. Interesting, did you know the tsukyomi cannot be stopped by anyone other than an Uchiha. More than that it has to be a blood relative of the person using the technique so if we're to go on theory Sasuke is the only person who could have stopped it" Kakashi mused aloud.
"Well it looks like I'm the first then" Sakura remarked a little snarky. Kakashi glanced at her reproachfully and Sakura looked down feeling a little ashamed.
"I should be off then. I'm glad to hear you're feeling better. Apparently Lady Tsunade believes you'll be fit to start your head nurse duties in a matter of days" Kakashi said cheerfully.
"Wait sensei I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap but there is something I want to talk to you about. It involves Sasuke" Sakura said hurriedly before Kakashi could do his disappearing act.
"Go on then"
"I've noticed ever since the fight with Gaara, Sasuke has been acting strangely and I don't think this fight with Itachi has helped. I think Sasuke feels inferior or weaker than Naruto because of Naruto's training with the Sanin and his new abilities. Add to that this whole business with me being able to do something no one but the Uchiha clan can do I think Sasuke is starting to question his purpose and motives" Sakura explained.
"You fear he'll go to Orochimaru" Kakashi concluded and Sakura nodded vigorously.
"What other option is there that he can see if he believes he is not getting closer to his goal here in the Leaf Village. Itachi beat him senseless and tossed him around like Sasuke was some weak genin with nothing to offer. Orochimaru promised him power and Sasuke needs that to beat Itachi"
"I see. So what do you propose we do about it?" Kakashi asked.
"I-I don't know. But we can't let him leave because I know there is no way he'll come back willingly. Maybe you could work with him more sensei? Teach him some more techniques" Sakura suggested feeling as though she didn't really have a solution at all.
"Ultimately the decision will be Sasuke's. He'll leave the village seeking Itachi now that he knows he's out there and after Naruto. Who he goes through to get to him is another matter entirely. All we can do is keep watch over him and try to prevent it if he does" Kakashi concluded.
"So we're to sit around and wait for him to leave is that what you're saying?" Sakura demanded and Kakashi sighed.
"It seems like the only option we have. Forbidding it only makes it more enticing but maybe a little holiday might do us all good. Away from the village for a while to somewhere new and exotic to get our minds off all this trouble that's happened" Kakashi said cheerfully.
"A holiday?" Sakura asked sceptically, ninja holidays were few and far between.
"Not so much a holiday as a holiday mission. In three days' time the new Princess Gale movie comes out. I want you and Naruto and Sasuke to go and see it, here are your tickets" Kakashi said and reached into his jacket pocket.
"Wait so our holiday mission is to go and see a movie?"
"That's not the mission exactly but the movie is good background plus it should be entertaining. I'll see you in three days" The silver haired Jounin said before disappearing.
The next three days past slowly for Sakura as she attempted to get back to things as normal. Her first day as head nurse was a complete disaster. She forgot medicine and patient forms and suddenly all the medical training she had received seemed pointless as she continually doubted herself and her abilities. Not to mention all the talk behind her back about what went on with Itachi made some of the nurses completely fearful of her. She ended up sitting with her head on the desk of the nurse's station in defeat when Tsunade happened to find her.
"Sakura what are you doing? You're supposed to be in surgery!" Tsunade demanded angrily as her apprentice looked up at her with defeated eyes.
"You're right this was a mistake. On the first day alone I've screwed up more times than I can count and everyone perceives me to be so weak after the tsukyomi attack that they refuse to listen to a word I say" Sakura complained.
"The solution is simple you need to be more confident. Your mind has recovered and all is as it was before. It's just you that needs to fix the attitude you have right now" Tsunade declared.
"Easy for you to say" Sakura mumbled staring at the incomplete paperwork before her.
"People used to perceive me as weak. They thought it was stupid that I was a medical ninja one of the best in my field and yet I was terrified of the sight of blood" Tsunade replied sitting down next to her student.
"Fear of blood? You suffered from haemophobia?" Sakura asked completely shocked.
"I do still suffer from it. But it's not as bad as it was before, I can stay in surgery for longer periods of time. I saw some very important people die in front of me and since then it's never been the same. Shizune has helped me greatly; I am in debit to her for helping me overcome the crippling part of my fear gradually" Tsunade explained.
"I'm sorry to hear that, your loss must have been great" Sakura said quietly feeling embarrassed for sulking.
"It still hurts yes as all loss does but it gets easier with each passing year. The lesson for you to learn is to not let a fear stop you from doing what I know you're capable of. You fear because of the effects of the tsukyomi that you are not as skilled as you were before. But that's nonsense you remain the same. Like I said you just need your confidence back" Tsunade repeated and got to her feet.
"The paperwork needs to be on my desk tomorrow morning. I can cover you in surgery but you have patients to attend to"
Sakura listened to Tsunade's footsteps head off towards the surgery section of the hospital and let out a sigh as she focused back on the paperwork in front of her. Determinedly she picked up a pen and began filling out each sheet. Tsunade was right, she needed to get her confidence back and that was exactly what she was going to do.
She trained hard with Tsunade at night practicing the techniques she had been taught, especially the crater punch she had used against Gaara. It was getting much stronger and Sakura was pleased. Gaining her confidence back took a little bit of a push but soon enough she was barking orders at the nursing staff, attending patients, performing well in surgery and filling out page after page of paperwork efficiently. She even managed to spend time with Shizune learning more about the different kinds of poison learning slowly how to treat someone who has been poisoned but also how to use poison efficiently.
Naruto returned from training and was happy to find Sakura awake and feeling much better. Kakashi had informed him of the 'holiday mission' too and Naruto was excited to be leaving the village again. He babbled about a new jutsu Jiraiya had taught him and it seemed he had a taste for travelling. Sakura couldn't deny her excitement either, a chance to leave the village and see another land plus potentially be able to do some of her own reconnaissance about the whereabouts of her parents was very appealing.
Yet the lack of communication from Sasuke troubled her greatly. No one had heard from him since he had been discharged from the hospital, with Naruto away from the village and Kakashi making arrangements with the other Jounin about the next Hokage Sakura felt very nervous.
Could he have gone already? Slipped out in the night and left to find Orochimaru he promised he wouldn't but how much does that promise to me compare to the one he made himself to kill Itachi, Sakura thought anxiously as she packed her bag for the mission.
Taking all necessary medical remedies Sakura locked the door to her empty house and walked towards the village gates. It pained her to think of the last time she'd left home for a mission her mother had still been there. She had to change her story again word finally got out that her mother was no longer in the village. The ANBU had called and Sakura was forced to lie saying her mother had gone to visit relatives they had although Sakura was unsure where. That would buy her some time at least.
Approaching the gates she spotted Naruto and standing next to him was Sasuke. Sakura let out a huge sigh of relief and hurried over to her teammates.
"Alright Sakura-chan! Now you're here we can get going! Oh man I can't wait to see the new Princess Gale movie!"
"Hi Naruto, Sasuke I was beginning to worry I hadn't heard from you since you were discharged" Sakura said anxious to hear Sasuke's response.
"Hn I was fine. Now let's get moving for some reason Kakashi picked a small cinema in a village just outside Konoha to see this stupid movie" Sasuke said abruptly making no eye contact with Sakura at all. Stuffing his hands in his pockets he walked off.
"I don't understand" Sakura mumbled. Just when things were going well with Sasuke he shut her out again. After she told him a secret she'd been hiding for so long.
"Don't worry Sakura, Sasuke-teme is in one of his moods again" Naruto said cheerfully but he was too excited about the movie to pay any attention to what was really going on.
"Yeah a mood sure" Sakura replied and trudged after her teammates towards the small village.
"That was totally awesome! Princess Gale was so cool and that rainbow chakra! I wish I had a girl like her to fight for" Naruto exclaimed staring up at the movie promotional poster outside the back of the cinema.
"We didn't even get to see the end no thanks to you. How hard is it to keep quiet?" Sakura huffed recalling Naruto's loud comments that ended up getting them thrown out.
"Hn it's hard if you're him" Sasuke added and Naruto glared at him viciously.
"Trust you not to enjoy the movie Mr I'm Too Cool for Everything. What's with the bad attitude you're worse than usual!"
"Mind your own business dobe" Sasuke snapped back with more anger than necessary.
"Sasuke what is wrong with you? You seemed fine at the hospital" Sakura asked cautiously trying to quell the frustration mounting within her.
"Well things change don't they?" Sasuke retorted.
"Is this about Itachi because I can't exactly explain what happened kami knows I've thought about it long enough" Sakura began but Sasuke glared at her.
"How hard is it for you to mind your own business and stay out of matters that don't concern you? Itachi is my brother it's my fight against him and all I hear is how you stood up to Itachi Uchiha and survived the tsukyomi. They make you out to be some kind of hero but you're not, it's not your clan you have no part in it!" Sasuke spoke his voice rising.
"I did it to help you! I don't want any part in your clan and I know the fight is between you and him but did you honestly think I was going to let him continue hurting you to the point where you could have died!?" Sakura snapped her anger breaking through.
"I didn't ask for your help but you gave it anyway didn't you. Of course you had to help me because I was too weak and useless to fight him on my own. I needed you and the dobe to save me from him" Sasuke spat back sarcastically.
"Hey! Don't talk to her like that teme!" Naruto exclaimed but he was ignored.
"Did I say that Sasuke? Did I give even the slightest implication that I thought you were weak? Itachi is an S-ranked criminal and neither Naruto nor I could beat him in a fight none of us could you know that. I thought things were different with us now and that somehow our friendship was growing stronger but I guess that was something only I saw" Sakura said looking at the ground in defeat.
Sasuke looked at Sakura and then at Naruto's disapproving face and felt the urge to punch something. But the sound of horse's hooves quickly drew everyone's attention to the large gate behind the cinema. The gate burst open and a woman who looked exactly like Princess Gale flew past them on a white horse and followed a path leading into the village.
"Hey was that?" Naruto asked but his reply was drowned out by another lot of horse's hooves, sensing that there was more than just one Sasuke and Sakura moved out of the way but Naruto wasn't so quick.
The men seated on top of the horses were dressed in black plated armour and helmets their faces completely obscured. They were dressed like the minions of the lead villain in the movie. Naruto stood up rubbing his back.
"What the hell was that? Who were those guys? They were after Princess Gale right! We have to stop them!" Before Sakura or Sasuke could say anything Naruto had gone taking off into the village.
"Hn Sakura" Sasuke began annoyed that he was going to have to apologise to her again.
"We can't let him go alone there's too many of those guys" Sakura said cutting him off and running after Naruto into the village.
Great just great, Sasuke thought and followed his teammates.
Sakura followed Naruto leaping onto the roof of a house keeping her eye trained on the woman and the body guards in hot pursuit of her. Naruto threw a couple of oil balls to slow down the men and shredded a net that they used to capture her but the men were persistent. Sakura quickly got Naruto's attention and through a quick series of hand sign communications she told Naruto she'd perform a clone jutsu and switch herself with the woman allowing her to escape. Naruto looked concerned for her safety considering Sasuke was nowhere to be found but he agreed communicating back that he would go after the princess.
Sakura performed the switch effortlessly and soon enough all the men were pursuing her. They seemed to be just normal people and were definitely not ninja. The horse she was on all of a sudden reared up and Sakura fell straight on the ground. Immediately the men jumped off their horses and tackled her, they were strong and had managed to restrain her completely pulling her arms behind her back.
Standing up Sakura saw another man on a horse ride up and seemed satisfied at the fact that she had been caught.
"Well done men" he began adjusting his glasses, but the jutsu disguising Sakura disappeared and he stared in shock at the pink haired teenager who had replaced Princess Gale.
Sasuke materialised behind him and sent a quick blow to the side of his neck knocking him unconscious and he fell from his horse. The men who had restrained Sakura looked fearfully at Sasuke who glared at them. Sakura was able to slip out of their grasp just as the men decided to bid a hasty retreat.
But Sakura stood at the other end blocking their only point of escape between her and Sasuke. The men quickly stopped in front of her unsure of what to do, seeing the headband on her forehead told them she was a ninja. But she appeared so small and petite, what damage could she possibly cause to them? It was the boy with the dark hair that scared them more.
"Don't think I'm going to let you get away with what you did to me" Sakura said cracking her knuckles for emphasis.
"Alright let them have it!" Inner said and Sakura gathered the chakra in her fist.
Within a few seconds all the men had fallen to the ground and Sasuke appeared next to Sakura to begin the arduous task of tying them all up.
"Who are these guys anyway and what did they want with that woman?" Sakura wondered aloud as Sasuke tightened the rope around one of the men.
"What in the world are you two doing?" Kakashi asked appearing out of nowhere.
"Hn waiting for you to show" Sasuke replied and immediately all the ropes around the men fell to the ground.
"I'm really sorry about this" Kakashi said sheepishly bending down to help the man with the glasses up.
"Why are you sorry? What's going on?" Sakura asked.
"This is Sandayu the man who hired us for our mission" Kakashi explained.
"I'm glad to see you've arrived safely. I suppose the best place to take you is the lot where everyone is getting ready. I'll explain things from there" Sandayu said.
"What about them?" Sasuke asked jerking his head towards the men who had chased them.
"Stunt doubles. They know where to find us besides I don't think some of them will be getting up for a while thanks to your friend"
"Uh right sorry about that bad day bad people" Sakura said and shot a pointed look at Sasuke.
Those two are fighting again? Kakashi thought and sighed at the thought of another mission with Sakura's bad temper and Sasuke's brooding.
"Naruto went after that woman dressed like Princess Gale. Is he going to be alright?" Sakura asked immediately remembering her teammate.
"I'm sure he'll be fine if he's as qualified as you two are. Besides we'll be tracking her down soon enough so I'm sure we'll run into him" Sandayu replied cheerfully.
The film lot was very busy filled with people packing boxes and costumes and taking down sets. Sasuke, Sakura and Kakashi were led to a corner of a huge warehouse where the director of the Princess Gale movies sat with his assistant director.
"This is the first of the Princess Gale movies that we'll be shooting abroad if you're wondering why everyone is packing up. A lot of stuff we need to take" Director Makino said as Sakura looked around interestedly.
"But our lead actress happens to be quite the diva" the assistant director piped up.
"So you're saying the woman who was dressed as Princess Gale on that horse was actually the real actress?" Sakura asked.
"That's correct and I do apologise for her behaviour on set" Sandayu said bowing slightly to the assistant director.
"You two were impressive the Leaf Village sure has some strong ninja. Those stunt men double as bodyguards for us and they're pretty big guys" Director Makino commented gruffly.
"Well thank you" Kakashi said pleased with the compliment.
"We're headed to the Land of Snow to shoot the next instalment. Those glaciers are perfect for us" the assistant director said.
"Hn that's a long way to go just for a movie" Sasuke commented.
"Sandayu recommended it, he's Yukie Fujikaze manager. Apparently the rainbow glacier turns seven different colours in the spring!"
"No that's just a legend spread to attract tourists. The Land of Snow has no spring it's constantly in winter" Kakashi said.
"I hope they have central heating then I'm not too cut out for the cold!" One of the three supporting actors said coming over followed by the other two.
"Well maybe you should run away just like Yukie huh?" Another actor taunted and they all laughed.
"So is she always like this? Running away?" Sakura asked looking at the different pictures on the wall of the actress.
"I guess you could say that. She wouldn't really understand things like dreams or aspirations. Off camera she's a little odd I suppose" One of the actors said giving Sakura a wink which she ignored.
"I don't care what she's like off camera all that matters is that she gives it her all when she's on camera. She's a born actress and no one else can play this part like she can" The director said abruptly.
"That's not entirely true what you said Hidero, Yukie's only been running from the set ever since she found out we were going to the Land of Snow to shoot" The assistant director said.
"Is that the time! We've got to be at the dock by early morning to get all the equipment and staff on the boat to the Land of Snow! Alright everyone move it out!" Director Makino yelled into his megaphone and Sasuke shot him a glare as he covered his ears.
"Sandayu we need to locate Naruto and Yukie. Do you know where Yukie would go?" Kakashi asked as the actors and directing staff scrambled over one another in their hurry to get everything organised.
"Yes there is a bar that she frequents I just hope she hasn't had too much to drink otherwise she'll be less than capable of shooting tomorrow. Follow me"
Sandayu burst through the back entrance to the pub running as though his life depended upon it. Sakura was close behind him mostly because she was afraid on the way over that he'd trip and fall in the dark. Sasuke followed hands shoved deep in his pockets annoyed at all the hurry over some movie actress and Kakashi brought up the rear keeping his eyes open.
"Miss Yukie!" Sandayu called out finding her at the bar with a bottle of sake and a blond boy standing next to her.
"Naruto you okay?" Kakashi asked.
"Yeah I'm fine. The lady is drunk though" Naruto said thoughtlessly.
"Shut up!" Yukie said and tossed down another shot of sake.
"Our boat to the Land of Snow is getting ready to leave and you need to be on it" Sandayu instructed his tone turning serious.
"Oh haven't I told you I'm giving up on being an actress" Yukie slurred waving the bottle around.
"What! There is no one else on this planet that can play Princess Gale but you! If you decide to pull out now you'll never work in the acting business again do you understand!?" Sandayu yelled slamming his fist on the table.
"Whatever, you can't change my mind" Yukie said looking at her manager disinterestedly.
"You leave me no other choice then" Sakura said quietly and reached into her ninja pouch, pulling out a strip of cloth and a vial of clear liquid.
Dampening the cloth Sakura walked over to Yukie and covered her mouth with it. Within a few moments Yukie collapsed into Kakashi's arms completely unconscious.
"What was that?" Naruto asked peering curiously at the bottle.
"Chloroform" Sakura replied tucking the bottle back into the pouch and disposed of the cloth.
"Well it did the job so thank you Sakura. Now let's get moving we need to be on that boat to the Land of Snow within the hour" Sandayu said helping Kakashi escort Yukie out of the bar.
Hi everyone!
Hope you enjoyed this weeks installment. I think it was a little bit of a bridging chapter but nonetheless I hope you liked it ^^ I have big plans for the Land of Snow chapters so I can't wait to change up Sakura's role in all that. Please review/follow/favourite if you like what I'm putting out there ;) I'll see you all next Wednesday! :) x