Mission Impossible

Chapter 8

"She was such a lovely girl."

"What a shame she was taken away from us so early on."

"I told you it was a bad idea to start a family in Konoha, Mebuki!"

"Hana-san! Don't talk to her like that! She feels bad enough already."

"I'm sorry for your loss."

"You should move back here. Get away from the people who took her away."

"You're safer here."

Mebuki laid the bouquet on her daughter's empty grave just as the sky started turning gray. Around her, some of their relatives – both her side and from her husband's – were also paying their respect to their family hero. Kizashi was right next to her, preparing his umbrella should it start to rain. After all, it was a long walk from the cemetery to their neighborhood.

Despite her husband's silence, she could tell that he was not the happiest with her decision.

They had told their relatives and neighbors that she had died while on her way back from a mission, attacked by rouge ninjas who took no prisoners and brutally murdered her and the team of doctors she was assigned to guard.

Their families were distraught. Her daughter had been a favorite among their relatives, both for her pretty pink hair – a very rare gene – and for her fiery spirit.

It wasn't technically a lie. She didn't know when, but the daughter she knew had died right before her very eyes. Kizashi was always one to avoid confrontation but she wasn't just going to sit back and watch as the perfect daughter she spent years honing turned into some violent, barbaric murderer! She thought training with the Hokage would be good for her. After all, wasn't Tsunade-sama one of the finest women in all the Five Nations?

But no! She came back punching mountains and breaking boulders! And her little flower was proud! As if women had any business showing such brute force!

"Mebuki-san," one of her cousins called her. "Come, it's not good for you to be around here."

With one last glare at an empty grave in the cemetery, the Haruno family went back home.

Sakura woke up to the smell of searing pork and the distant sound of someone moving around her kitchen. Despite already knowing who it was, she still felt around the futon for Sasuke. Instead, her hand landed on a pillow still warm from his unnaturally hot body temperature and brought it closer for her to snuggle with.

It was a true testimony to how tired she was that she:

Allowed herself to fall asleep with him.

Let him do the kitchen work when it's her apartment and technically, he's her guest.

Her mother would have her head if word of this ever reached her. Although, admittedly, she'd probably be more upset with her lack of manners than her going – quite literally – to bed with her "boyfriend" of a day.

"You're up."

Before she could properly look at him, Sakura got a faceful of hoodie that her so-so-loving boyfriend threw at her.

"If you're going to tell me to put this in the wash, I'm burning it." she pulled the jacket off her face only to be met with the sight of Uchiha Sasuke not only shirtless, but wearing her pink cherry blossom apron.

"What?" He quirked an annoyingly perfect brow in confusion.

"You are so lucky I don't have a camera with me right now," she grinned. "Naruto would never let you live this down."

"Which is why he's never going to hear about this." The glare he gave her was probably the only normal thing that happened that morning.

"It's starting to rain and your heater's shit," he said. "Put that on before you catch something."

"Sasuke-kun, I am a medic. If I catch a cold, I'm pretty sure I'll survive." She put it on anyway although she's never gonna tell him it was because she was actually starting to get a little cold just as they heard a knock on the door.

"I'll get it," Sasuke volunteered, taking off the apron and putting it on her – a silent agreement that she was taking over kitchen duty now.

"Put a shirt on!" Sakura reminded as she went into the kitchen. "You'll give people the wrong idea."

Sasuke simply shrugged despite knowing fully well that she couldn't see him. Besides, it was probably just Naruto wanting to drag them out to Ichiraku's again.

Another set of knocks came, this time more impatient, narrowing down the possible guest. Sasuke glanced at the clock – it was way too early for this shit.

Neji and Hinata were just cleaning out the Hyuuga Dojo, just having finished their early morning training when Hinata told her cousin she was having team lunches with Team 7 and Team 10 and asked if he wanted to come along.

"I'll ask Tenten and Lee," he answered as he stretched.

"By the way, speaking of team 7…"

"Mhm?"

"I didn't know Sakura and Uchiha were dating."

Hinata, in the middle of tying her hair in a bun, stopped midway. She looked at her cousin over her shoulder trying to see if he was – by some miracle – joking.

But no. Neji-nii-san was as he always was, the only expression painted on his face being one of genuine curiosity.

"Where'd you hear that?" she asked, continuing to tie her hair. The heat of training starting to get to her.

Her cousin shrugged, gesturing for her to continue walking out with him.

"I saw them around the village yesterday talking to one of the Uchiha elders," he explained. "He had his arm around her, and her face was all flushed. But what was most interesting was that he actually called her his girlfriend." The next thing he knew his demure little cousin was dragging him by the arm across the compound.

"Hurry and freshen up, Neji-nii, we're going to Ino-chan."

"No way!"

Ino could only yell in disbelief. It was still relatively early in the morning and she hadn't expected customers but apparently, the Hyuuga cousins weren't here for flowers.

"Neji, I swear on Hashirama's grave, if you're joking…"

"What could I possibly gain from lying about this?" Hinata could only hope her cousin wasn't as frustrated as he sounded.

Ino-chan could be a little intense sometimes, especially when it came to Sakura-chan's love life. But then again, that could probably be due to the fact that she never really had one to begin with.

"Did you ask Naruto about this?" she asked, and Hinata had to stop herself from stepping away from her friend's intense gaze.

"N-not yet, but he should be here to meet with us before he and I have breakfast at Ichiraku's."

She could tell by the look on both her friend and her cousin's face that they were not too thrilled at the couple's restaurant choices.

Naruto was just on his way to the Yamanaka Flower Shop when he bumped into Shisui and Itachi-nii.

"Hey guys!" he greeted the cousins. "Where ya headed? Aren't you still on mandatory leave?"

"Hey Squirt!" Shisui greeted, slinging an arm around the blond. "You wouldn't happen to have seen Shrimpsuke around, have you?"

"Huh? What do you mean? Have you tried calling him?"

"He left his phone in his room," Itachi said, sounding uncharacteristically bothered. "Sakura-chan left too. We're heading to her place right now."

"Hm, well I'm meeting Hina-chan at Ino's right now, maybe Sakura-chan's with them," Naruto suggested. "The three of them have been hanging around a lot now that Sakura-chan's on leave, and if she's not there, then we can go to her apartment."

Itachi and Shisui looked at each other before the older Uchiha shrugged.

"Ehh, it's not like the kid can't take care of himself."

"We're supposed to be looking for Sasuke," Itachi reminded.

"Come on, it's not like he's 3 and trips over himself when he gets a little too excited," Shisui dismissed. "Besides, Sasuke's a neo-sanin in case you forgot. Wherever he is, he'll be fine. Now let's go see Ino-chan! I mean, Sakura-chan."

"Why do I get the feeling you're in this for a completely whole other reason?" Itachi groaned.

On the way to the flower shop, Shisui was more than happy to fill Naruto in on what happened at the clan meeting. For the mission's sake, he argued. By the end of it, Naruto was both livid at the thought of some snotty-assed old people thinking his Sakura-chan isn't good enough for their oh-so-precious clan, and absolutely loving Mikoto-chan for putting them in their place.

"Welcome to the Yamanaka Flower shop how may I – oh, it's just you guys." Ino greeted.

"Morning, Hina-chan!" Naruto greeted his girlfriend with a kiss on the forehead and immediately felt the weight of Neji's glare on the back of his head.

"Should I prepare your mother's usual order, Itachi-kun?"

"No thank you, Ino-chan." Itachi said, looking around. "We were actually hoping to catch Sakura-chan here."

"Oh?" A blonde eyebrow shot up before blue met lavender. "I think she's still in her apartment since she's off duty for the next few weeks."

"Why don't you call her?" Neji asked, speaking for the first time since the other arrived.

"We would, but she left her phone at the manor," Itachi explained. "She was supposed to spend the night there since – "

"You guys had Sakura-chan over and didn't invite me?!"

" – since she and Sasuke are going out now, but – "

"Aha! So they are dating!"

"Can people stop interrupting me?"

"Excuse him, kids," Shisui slung an arm over his cousin's shoulder. "You know how he gets whenever Shrimpsuke's involved. Anyway, according to some villagers, they were spotted leaving the Hokage Tower."

"So that just leaves Sakura-chan's apartment," Naruto said, absentmindedly playing with Hinata's fingers.

"Sakura's apartment for what?" Ino asked.

The grin Shisui wore already spelled trouble for the youngest Uchiha.

"Oh, he never came home last night." Shisui sounded way too happy about it than he had any right to be. The only thing rivaling the mischief in his voice was the smirk forming on Ino's face.

"Hey Hina, that reminds me, the book you came over here to borrow is with Sakura," the Yamanaka heiress said, already untying her apron. "She said she wanted to brush up on her Floriography."

"Oh," Hinata was quick to catch on. "Well since everyone's going there anyway, we might as well go get it."

Ino went to the back for a quick second to tell her mom she'd be back in an hour or two before they went ahead and made their way to Sakura's apartment.

They weren't stupid, each knew the other had their own not-too-innocent reason for wanting to go see the medic, but they were committing. They just about made it halfway when it started drizzling and it wasn't long before they were running to try and get out of the downpour.

"Can we just knock and get this over with?"

"I don't even know why I came with you," Neji mumbled, pushing stray strands away from his face. "I have to train with my team in less than half an hour."

"Oh hush." Ino rolled her eyes. "You know you're curious too!"

He didn't grace her with an answer, instead opting to knock on the door.

Itachi was more than a little worried when he called his brother only to find out that he was nowhere to be found in the compound. The logical part of him knew he wasn't in trouble, but no matter how old or how internationally renowned his little brother got, to him, Sasuke will always be that little kid dragging a stuffed dinosaur around trying to get him to train with him after classes.

Naruto knocked a second time, not extending the same amount of patience Neji had.

"Alright, alright, I'm coming."

Yup, that's definitely Sasuke's voice alright.

"See?" Shisui slung an arm around his shoulders. "You had absolutely nothing to worry about, Sasuke's all alri–"

"I swear to God, Dobe, don't you – oh."

Beside him, he could feel the Yamanaka heiress cover her mouth; from his peripheral vision, he could see the Cheshire grin that had taken over Shisui's face.

"Well good morning to you too, Squirt."

"Teme," Naruto was surprisingly serious. "You mind explaining why you're shirtless in Sakura-chan's apartment?"

"Sasuke," behind his brother, Itachi could see Sakura coming towards them from the kitchen, "what's wro– oh."

Knowing his brother, he knew it was unlikely. In fact, knowing Sakura-chan, he was willing to bet his entire inheritance that the minute Sasuke – uncharacteristically – tried something, he'd never see the light of day ever again.

But still…

It was hard not to go there when your baby brother, who spent the night with his supposed girlfriend, is half-naked in said girlfriend's apartment and she's wearing his clothes. He sincerely hopes she's wearing shorts under that hoodie because he didn't want to be the one to have the talk with his brother.

Naruto was having none of it. Shoving Sasuke aside, he let himself in; Ino-san and Hinata-san following closely.

"You mentioned you have training to get to?" Itachi asked the Hyuuga prodigy, who seemed both amused and confused at the scene unfolding in front of them.

Neji-san shrugged, turning to face the Uchiha cousins. "Seems like I can get a straight answer from you two."

"Are Sakura and Sasuke dating?"

Itachi and Shisui shared a look.

"Can you people not flock her?" Came Sasuke's voice. "She just woke up and she can't answer you if you're all talking over each other!"

"They've practically been dating since they were 12," Shisui shrugged. "Seems about time they finally got together."

Itachi watched as lavender eyes turned to the group before Neji himself shrugged.

"Bad news for Lee, then." He bid them goodbye and went on his way.

"Haruno Sakura I'm giving you 30 seconds to explain why he –" Naruto pointed at Sasuke " – is doing here half-naked!"

The Uchiha in question simply rolled his eyes at his best friend. This was all such a pain in the ass.

"You haven't even been dating for a week yet and you're already here doing the do!"

"Okay first of all –"

"Oh my gosh, so you guys are dating!"

"We're not – "

"Why didn't you tell us?"

"Can you people not flock her?" Sasuke finally snapped. "She just woke up and she can't answer you if you all talk over each other!"

It was rare to see Sasuke lose his cool – or to say so many words at once, but when he did, he could get even Naruto to do a double-take.

He walked up to her, wrapping his arm around his waist. Her brow raised in silent question, but he ever so slightly tilted his head over to Hinata and Ino before nodding.

"Okay, first of all, Sasuke's slept over a hundred times over the years so I don't see how this is any different."

Despite her stern tone, Sasuke couldn't help but smirk. That was exactly what he had said to her last night, and there was a little part of him that wondered if that was a conscious choice or purely out of coincidence. He could feel a smile fighting its way through his smirk and decided to hide it by pushing his face against the top of her head.

Ino caught Sasuke "placing a kiss" against Sakura's hair and almost – almost – lost it.

"And I've seen him shirtless a hundred times so – what are you doing?" she glared at the man beside her.

"Keep going, I'm trying to keep it together."

"Teme, stop being a pervert and get off of her!"

"Naruto-kun, please calm down."

"But he's touching her, Hina-chan!"

"You're all giving me a headache," Sakura muttered, shaking her head and passing the spatula to Sasuke.

"Sasuke-kun, you take care of breakfast please. I'll be in my room."

"Sakura-chan, Ino's book is in your room, right?" Before anyone could say otherwise, the Hyuuga heiress grabbed Ino's wrist and dragger her after the rosette.

Sasuke know who he felt sorrier for, Sakura or himself. The moment the door closed, he could practically feel the grin on Shisui's face.

"Someone took their assignment way too seriously."

"So not only did you not tell us that you and Sasuke were dating, but you also spent the night together and didn't think your two best friends should know?"

"To be fair, we've regularly spent the night together ever since he came back." It was a weak argument, she know it was, but it was better than nothing.

On second thought, with the look Ino and Hinata gave her, maybe nothing would have been better.

"Look," Sakura sighed, glancing at the door. "I'm gonna let you in on this, but mainly because I don't want you guys constantly breathing down my neck for as long as this goes on."

"What do you mean?"

"For as long as this goes on?" Hinata frowned. "You don't think you and Sasuke are gonna last?"

"No."

Both clan heiresses glanced at each other.

"So why get into a relationship?"

"Because we have to." Sakura went on to explain Sasuke's predicament, his clan elders' refusal to let go of ancient traditions, and how she had been assigned a mission that – admittedly – many would kill for.

"So he asked you to date him?"

"No, his mom did."

If it were any other person, that would have been utterly hilarious – bordering on pathetic – but there was something about Sasuke that made even that sound cool.

"So this whole thing is…"

"An intra-village A-class mission that will last for as long as Sasuke finds someone he actually likes."

Once again, blue met lavender.

"And what if he doesn't?" Hinata asked. Sakura simply shrugged.

"Then the Uchihas better put my payroll into their will because this job is apparently following me to my grave."

"And just what the hell makes you think he might not have feelings for you?" Ino huffed.

The scoff they got was more than enough to tell them what the rosette thought of the insinuation.

"Uchiha Sasuke," Sakura took off her Uchiha hoodie only to reveal an Uchiha shirt underneath, "has made it clear for years that he does not see me that way."

"But he doesn't really see anyone that way, Sakura-chan," Hinata argued.

"Yes because that makes me feel special." Sakura rolled her eyes as threw the hoodie into her hamper.

"I don't see anyone else wearing his clothes with their family crest on them," Ino countered. "And his mom loves you."

"Last time I checked, I'm not after his mom," Sakura retorted.

"Nor am I after him!" she injected before her best friend could even get a word out.

"Look, can we just have breakfast before Naruto drags us all to Ichiraku's?" the rosette asked as she rummaged through her drawer.

"What are you looking for?"

"One of Sasuke's shirts. Shisui's probably giving him hell right now and the least he can be is decent."

She failed to see both her friends roll their eyes.

"So you're telling me that this whole charade's gonna keep going until you," Ino points her fork at Sasuke from across the table, "find an actual girlfriend?"

Instead of answering, Sasuke simply looked at her for a second before nodding and continuing to eat.

"Well in that case," Ino shrugged, "can I choose her ring? You're gonna end up marrying her at that rate."

"Nope." Shisui shook his head, mouth still half-filled with food he has yet to swallow. "The main family has an heirloom passed down from every generation. Aunty's going to want him to propose with that."

"I beg to disagree," Itachi offered, swallowing his food. "Mother would want him to give it to her as an anniversary present."

"Like a promise ring?" Hinata asked.

"Seems a little cheesy," shrugged Ino. "Promise jewelry is so tacky these days, and besides, she's a doctor. She can't wear jewelry on her hands."

"You know we can hear you, right?" came Sakura's exasperated question.

"You know we can see the Uchiha crest on the shirt you're wearing, right?" Her best friend countered, earning a snicker from Shisui.

"This isn't my shirt! Tell them, Sasuke!" she elbowed the man next to her, making him spill his food over himself.

A normal person would have apologized a thousand times over under Sasuke's glare but had grown accustomed to it throughout the years and thus become immune.

"Yes, it's mine." He never took his glare off her.

"Yes because wearing each other's shirts is so platonic," Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Nothing they do is platonic," Ino injected.

"Just to be clear," Hinata inserted, sensing the growing irritation of the couple in question, "the only people who know about the mission are in this room?"

"Mother and Father know," Itachi answered.

"Kakashi-sensei too," Naruto added. "And of course, Grandma Tsunade."

"And the goal is to let people know? Because Neji-nii knows, and I think he might bring it up with Lee-san later."

The sigh Sasuke gave out was telling of his thoughts on the situation.

"I'm gonna have to fight him for you now, aren't I?" he groaned.

"Most likely."

"You're gonna give me hell if I beat him up."

"Most definitely. Although, I wouldn't be too confident. Lee-kun's a really tough opponent." She took a sip from her cup.

"I'm sorry, Lee-kun?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "So you're telling me I became Sasuke but Bushybrow got a kun?"

"You asked me not to call you that anymore, remember?" Sakura argued.

"Let me get this straight, you gave him a suffix, and you're implying I can't beat him?"

"I'm not saying you can't, I'm just saying that he's a lot tougher than you give him credit for."

He didn't realize he'd fallen into her trap until he saw the smirk on her face.

"And didn't he mop the floor with you back when we were genin?"

On the far end of the table, Shisui choked on his water.

Hello! Sorry for the long-overdue update, but guess what? Ya girl's graduating! Just in time for SS month too! So yeah.

By the way! I've been thinking about opening fic commissions to help with my expenses for my review for our board exams, but idk how much I can commit to it atm. Tell me what you think?

Anyway, hopefully I can start being more active here considering I'm free of academic responsibilities for a couple weeks.

/cue boss music as adulting responsibilities enter the room/