Like the universe understood that she needed to be distracted from the ache in her chest, Sakura found her day filled with training that would exhaust her physically and mentally—exactly what she needed. The morning was devoted to training with Shisui while Tsunade no doubt recovered from a hangover, then the afternoon was focusing purely on becoming a medic.

Give it time and give it your all.

She wondered how far Itachi had managed to travel during the night, knowing that the last journey was dragged out significantly by her holding them back. Would he already be investigating the destroyed hideout for leads? Could he outsmart Orochimaru and bring their Sasuke home? How much convincing would Sasuke need to do so, or was Itachi willing to use force and physically drag him home if he had to?

A splash to her shoulder brought Sakura out of her musings and she looked to the training grounds with a touch of concern. Everything appeared so dreary under the gloomy grey clouds that denied them of the spring sun, muting the colours of the field that usually shone so vividly. To top it all off, it was starting to rain. Lightly and intermittently, for now. But Sakura knew from the threatening darker clouds up ahead that it wouldn't stay that way for long.

"Yo," Shisui called out, tone subdued.

Just yesterday they were all sat at those wooden posts and plotting how to go ahead with deciphering Mao's scrolls. Two years ago, it was Team Seven and they were awkwardly finding their way with one another, getting to know and accept one another.

Looking at them now worsened the ache in her chest by throwing the cruelty of loneliness into the deadly concoction of sadness and abandonment.

They all left her.

"You okay, kid?"

Shisui came to stand in front of her with an expression that was somewhat assertive. It took her a moment to realise he'd blocked her view of the wooden posts, standing tall like he was making a conscious effort to do so. Like he was saying without verbalising it: look, I'm still here. I'm not going anywhere.

"No," she admitted with an ease that had his brow puckering slightly with pained understanding. Understanding of what, Sakura was unsure. It wasn't allowed to matter for long within her depressed thoughts. "I was really excited to work with him too."

He filled his pockets with his hands and sighed. "You understand it's not personal, don't you?"

"Of course," Sakura shot at him, offended.

How the hell could she have taken his mission personally when that was his little brother's life in the hands of Orochimaru? Knowing that Sasuke had lost his way and needed reminding of their love for him? In that respect, Sakura was glad Itachi was gone because if anyone could get through to Sasuke, then it was the brother he respected and cherished above all else—Itachi was his most precious person.

Would that love be enough to bring him home?

"Just checking," Shisui assured lightly, but the smile didn't quite reach his eyes as they continued to search hers.

What was with that look? Gods, she couldn't even begin to describe what it was when Sakura knew she was only seeing a muted version. Shisui was too skilled at hiding how he was truly feeling; the only reason she even realised something was up was because of the interest taken in her own emotions, but it sounded too unrealistic for Sakura to assume he was waiting for something. What exactly could he be expecting from her?

…An emotional breakdown, she soon suspected.

With how susceptible to huge emotions she tended to be, as well as her inability to control them even on her best days, Sakura supposed it wasn't an unfair judgment on Shisui's part. However, she was used to a good old pat on the shoulder, a few words of encouragement or false hopes, then nothing. The book was closed on her struggles without so much as an "are you okay?"

It was strange having someone who wasn't her mother paying such close attention to her cues or struggles, never mind calling her out on them or making an obvious effort to make her talk.

Strange, but wholly welcomed.

Sighing, she looked back to her sensei and told him, "I just wish I could've kept my promise."

Next time, I'll be stronger.

I'll help bring Sasuke-kun home.

"Sakura," he said in a regretful exhale. "Itachi feels an immense guilt over what happened between you and Sasuke."

What? Why? Was he the one who cast the genjutsu? Who left her writhing and thrashing around the training room trying to put out an invisible fire, knowing full well that she wouldn't be able to? Doing so to test the wills of others, to force them to choose between relieving her or capturing him, if they happened to come across them?

"Although he would use whatever means necessary to reach Sasuke, he is not willing to put you in harm's way again," Shisui added at her questioning frown, his own slowly bringing his brows together. "He loves Sasuke more than anything, but he cares for you too."

That… "I love Sasuke-kun too," she contended, voice cracking under the weight of her emotions and his confession. "I'll do whatever I have to, to bring him home."

"It's different—"

"Because it's romantic?" she demanded. "Because I'm a kid?"

"Because you're not an Uchiha."

All she could do in the ensuing silence was stare up at Shisui in disbelief, heart shredding to sickeningly tiny pieces that had no hopes in ever being fully restored. She felt an overwhelming urge to lash out at him in whatever way landed the hardest, whether that be by screaming her hurt at him or unleashing what she'd learned so far of Tsunade's terrifying strength on him.

Instead, Sakura breathed deeply. Calmly. Trying her damned hardest not to show how powerfully the careless words broke her up.

"So, because I'm not an Uchiha, my love isn't valid?" she questioned quietly, shakily. "The way I feel doesn't matter because we're not of the same bloodline?"

Shisui's gaze saddened. "That's not what I meant—"

"Then explain to me," Sakura snapped—pleaded.

Impulse wanted her to decline the offer to sit together at the wooden posts that Shisui previously blocked from view, to tear them from the ground like that would take the painful memories with them. But instead, she followed her sensei's example and faced the past that left her winded, shoulders sagging beneath the weight of it.

It was only once she was sitting beside him that he started by saying, "I didn't mean your feelings weren't valid."

"Then what did you mean?"

"An Uchiha's love is—" Shisui paused and thought over the words carefully, the whole time watching Sakura's inquisitive expression. "It shouldn't be underestimated or interfered with."

She suddenly got the sense that he was withholding information; selecting what parts to share with her. It was aggravating and while already so annoyed, Sakura itched to demand that he explained in full because otherwise, what was the point? But rationality reminded her that he was likely finding loopholes to share enough to help her understand, if only a little. Delving too deep could land them both in hot water.

"Itachi loved Sasuke from the moment he was told of the pregnancy," Shisui continued with a gentleness that lured her in, eyes wide with wonder to witness such fondness creeping into his expression. "And he cherished his brother dearly growing up. Everything he did, in one way or another, was for Sasuke's sake. There was nothing he wouldn't give to ensure his safety or happiness." The fondness cracked and made way for a despair she had no hopes in understanding, and it only seemed to intensify when Shisui added, "There's also no telling how far he would go for him. But…"

There was a distance in his gaze like Shisui was thinking back on a memory, and she wondered if it was a painful one considering the briefest of twitches that looked so much like a frown. Moments later and he stunned her by sharing what upset him.

"You didn't see yourself coming out of that genjutsu, Sakura and knowing it was his own brother who hurt you? That he purposely chose a story about a legendary fire Itachi used to tell him as a bedtime story growing up? It broke his heart."

That fire… She shuddered involuntarily at the recollection. Just the mere mentioning of it had Sakura reliving those dreadful minutes that felt more like hours of burning alive, and she could tell it showed outwardly when Shisui's attention returned to her, expression falling.

"I-It was just a genjutsu, but…" She swallowed thickly and looked down to her trembling hands—hands her mind screamed were blistered and bloodied. "I really thought I was dying—didn't even occur to me that it was going on for too long."

"I'm not surprised," he validated her feelings by saying. "If I was below his level and trapped in that genjutsu, I would've believed it to be the real Amaterasu."

Speaking was difficult for several long minutes as Sakura fought against the trauma Sasuke inflicted. She was thankful for Shisui's silent but assertive presence by her side that allowed her to cement herself to reality, to take the time to draw in her own strength. There were a couple of false starts in her next question, but not once did he rush her.

Eventually, she managed to ask, "The story… Is that why Itachi-san feels so guilty?"

A quiet sigh and the stretching of Shisui's legs as they unfolded before him had Sakura shifting in her place. "We suspect Sasuke was tipped off about Itachi's being there—the genjutsu used being a twisted warning for him to back off." The pinching of his brow returned before it smoothed out determinedly and Shisui looked back to her, saying, "He was likely expecting Itachi to be the one to find you. Kid nearly shit himself when I got there first."

Sakura's eyes widened. "Y-You saw him?"

"Only briefly," came his aggravated mutter. His head fell backwards to the post with a frustrated thud. "Orochimaru made sure I didn't get my hands on him."

As controversial as it sounded even in her own mind, the clenching of her sensei's fists informed Sakura it was likely for the best that Orochimaru grabbed him when he did. There was an anger to Shisui's body language that was somehow kept from his expression, the tension in his muscles giving away his true emotions. What's more, she knew from training that Shisui wasn't one to go easy on someone—what was he like when infuriated?

Sasuke wouldn't have stood a chance.

"Was Itachi-san mad?" she questioned with her voice subdued by the possibility of Shisui choosing her over capturing Sasuke. "About missing your chance?"

"Not for a second," came his firm reassurance that left no room for doubt. If Sakura had any reservations then they were gone when she peeked up at his expression once more, shoulders falling at the sincerity she saw there. "Disappointed, yes. But he agreed from the moment I shared what happened that you were the priority in that moment."

"But—"

"Sasuke won't be harmed," Shisui interrupted swiftly, logically. "Orochimaru values him too much. You, on the other hand, were in extreme psychological distress and the longer you were in that state, the more damage could've been inflicted—we still don't know how deep that trauma runs yet, either."

Numbly, Sakura fell silent and offered nothing more than a nod as a response.

It must have been hard for Itachi to hear though, and she wondered if it made him dislike her lack of strength at all. If Naruto was the one to stumble upon Sasuke, then there was no mistaking how different the outcome would have been. Their fighting styles were hardly discreet, and Sakura knew it would have given their positions away, leading Itachi straight to them. He could have restrained Sasuke so easily.

Instead, she was the one to find him and just like the night he left, she was powerless to stop him.

"Oi."

Sakura didn't realise she was growing so emotional until Shisui knocked his knuckles to the top of her head, making her wince and look up to him agitatedly. "What the—"

"Think of it as the start of me beating that self-doubt out of you," he told her. While she knew the words were likely a joke, when he was as straight-faced as he currently was, Sakura couldn't help but shudder at the notion of him beating her up. "You're not weak, Sakura—you were faced with a tough opponent and were outmatched. It happens."

She pouted. "Even to you?"

His nod was easy, shrug untroubled. "I'm confident in my abilities, but I'm not arrogant enough to assume there's no one out there who may be better. For example, your left hook. It's deadly as hell and even without chakra, is stronger than anything I can throw." He offered a knowing smirk at her blush, the once abusive hand now ruffling her hair fondly even as she tensed up. "You'll get there, kid. I'll make sure of it."

Give it time and give it your all.

Sakura perked up considerably and nodded, reassured.

"How about we skip training today?" Shisui surprised her by asking suddenly. Gesturing to the clouds that were drifting closer faster than Sakura had anticipated, he added, "Today's depressing enough as it is. I don't feel like getting wet on top of it."

She deflated somewhat. "But you just said—"

"I didn't say I wouldn't be putting you to work," he said, snorting. Shisui stood with a stretch of his arms behind his back then in front of himself, alerting her to the pops and cracks of his spine from the move. "C'mon. We'll go investigate the archives."

She was following him without another word of complaint.

Due to being unable to decipher the Uchiha scrolls herself, Sakura busied herself with perusing the sparse scrolls available in her family's section. Aside from Mao's, they were uncoded but few and far between and weren't half as detailed as hers; they were clearly clamming up and offering fewer details in their rebuilding of the clan, seemingly only documenting it for the sake of it.

She wondered if that was because they were a part of Konoha now, and wondered if eventually Mao's scrolls would be in ordinary, everyday language. Gods, she hoped so. But if it turned out to be true that she was descended from Madara and Mao, then Sakura suspected anything involving him would be kept secret—if it was even mentioned at all.

"Sakura~"

Abandoning her dull task of reading through such plain histories with a skip of excitement, she threw herself down into the space beside Shisui and met his eye questioningly. He appeared nearly smug as he tapped a certain part of the scroll that he was in the process of scouring through, smirking at the instantaneous widening of Sakura's eyes and her squeal of delight.

Mao's name.

And it was in Madara's handwriting.

"What does it say?" she demanded excitedly, once more looking up at her sensei. "You don't have to give me specifics—just say if they're an item or not."

Shisui rolled his eyes at that and he gave a light, playful push to put more distance between them. "You really think a man like Madara is going to gush about his romantic life?"

When put like that, no. But where was the harm in allowing the hopeless romantic within to take the reins every so often? To long for it to be true? Sakura pouted and sat down beside him, calmly that time.

"So, does it match the calligraphy in the photo album?"

The smugness returned. "Aa."

It was the pick-me-up she needed more than anything after sad news and such a shitty night of sleep. Although no doubt miniscule in the eyes of others, to them it was progress. It was still a step in the direction she hoped it to go towards.

"Where do we go from here?" she asked curiously.

He hummed at that, acknowledging that he had heard her but taking several moments longer to respond. In that time, dark eyes skimmed through the scroll and Sakura was forced to make a conscious effort of not overcrowding him or trying to read over his shoulder.

"There is no difference in tone used," he noted quietly, attention remaining on the scroll. "Madara addresses each individual in the same fashion—distant, impersonal."

Damn it. That meant nothing of value to them would be shared. "Why is it so different from Mao's?" she wondered aloud. "Hers are personal and descriptive."

"His polar opposite," Shisui agreed and sighed. "He doesn't offer any details. Just basic sentences with what you can barely even consider to be must-knows. Madara will say they got from a-to-b but not how, when or what happened along the way."

Not all that dissimilar from her own family's scrolls then, Sakura thought miserably. If they were descended from Madara then they certainly got that tendency for secrecy aspect from him, although it clearly died out by the time it got to her. She was unintentionally an open book for the whole world to critique.

"Maybe Madara has a decoder for Mao's scrolls," she threw out there without much hope. Even though it was rude to do so in front of others, she plonked an elbow to the table before dropping her head into an upturned palm. Then, added in a displeased mumble, "Maybe that's the only concrete proof we'll find."

Quiet, then, "That's not a bad idea."

Sakura perked up instantly at that. "Wait, really?"

"Your ancestor was young when the Haruno clan was wiped out. What's more, Madara was ordered to return to the ruins to salvage anything that could be deemed useful," Shisui pointed out. Rolling up Madara's scroll now that they knew it wouldn't possess any significant knowledge, he glanced down at her and raised an eyebrow. "Madara was a man who prided himself on being a step ahead—according to those who happened to cross paths with him, nothing seemed to come as a surprise. His intelligence was part of what made him so formidable."

Basically meaning he'd likely taught himself how to decode the Haruno code, if only to keep tabs on Mao. The more romantic side of Sakura hoped that it tied in with Mao's tendency to switch between Haruno and Uchiha codes—that Madara was kindly teaching her the language her clan used (filling in the blanks with his own) so that she could keep it going to commemorate them.

Oh! Maybe he was even intertwining the two codes because he knew all along that he liked Mao—

No, even for her hopeless romantic self, that was too much.

Unless…

"Where would it be?" she questioned him curiously, standing when he did to return the scroll to its rightful spot. "Madara left the village, right?"

"Aa."

The response was distracted as Shisui thoughtfully peered through the other scrolls—why he bothered, she was unsure. To her, it seemed highly unlikely that snippets of his life with Mao would be dotted within the Uchiha clan's histories, or for the code to be muddled up with it all. Even though the archives were rarely touched and people required clearance to read a different clan's histories, it didn't mean they were never investigated at any point. Their own clansmen could read them whenever they wished to—they simply chose not to.

"The fact he left then attacked says Madara likely spent time plotting before the battle with Shodai-sama," Sakura added more to herself seeing as Shisui was distracted. She peered in the direction of the Senju scrolls, gaze narrowing fractionally. "That means he needed somewhere to hole up and prepare—somewhere unknown to the village and his own clan, since he essentially disowned them too."

Locating such a hideout wasn't going to be simple, Shisui's frustrated exhale informed her. However, the following meeting of their gazes had her growing giddy all over again as Sakura saw he was just as determined as she was to try anyway.

Weeks crawled by with no new leads on Madara's hideout; nothing cropped up as suspicious in his scrolls and obviously the documents stopped abruptly following his desertion. At that point, Sakura was willing to bet it was a literal hole in the ground out in the middle of nowhere—a rock that he crawled out from under to enact his revenge.

She hadn't expected it to be easy, but seriously? Nothing?

It was as Shisui noted while perusing his ancestor's scrolls: Madara stated that he travelled from a-to-b but refused to share what, how, why, and when.

Considering what could only be described as a paranoid mindset, Sakura wondered if Madara was ever fully devoted to the village or his own clan, seeing as it appeared neither knew of the hideout. Why would he want such a space? Why would he need such a safety net?

"Maybe it was a love nest," chimed the ever helpful Inner-Sakura, snickering behind her hand at the lewd thoughts she had popping into their head. "Somewhere to take Mao, if you know what I mean—"

She was losing her goddamn mind—no, Inner-Sakura was losing her mind, though that subsequently meant they both were, right? Either way, whatever was happening was annoying as hell and that was before she woke up to godawful cramps that upon announcing during breakfast (after being harassed about why she wasn't eating much) had her flustered father fleeing the room like a coward.

"Get used to it," was what her mother groaned with a shake of her head. "Men are immature when it comes to the menstrual cycle and unfortunately that doesn't change no matter how old they get."

It was with that delightful piece of information in mind that Sakura stomped her way to the main gates to meet with her sensei, who was non-the-wiser to her foul mood that was only worsening by the rampaging hormones and stomach cramps. What made it even more unbearable was that it somehow hadn't connected for her just what was happening until it was essentially spelled out for her, which was embarrassing as hell considering she was training to be a medic. Why the hell had she been so clueless suddenly?

"Because you're an airhead," snorted Inner-Sakura.

"That's because there's no room for anything else with your big ass head hanging around," Sakura mentally snapped back.

Displeased mutterings informed her she'd won that spat however she knew that was only because Inner-Sakura wasn't used to such replies. Most of the time, Sakura chose to ignore her snide remarks, but she was having a godawful day and to top it all off, it was the day. The one she'd been eagerly awaiting ever since Shisui officially took her under his wing.

Previously, the excitement for their first official mission together was impossible to dampen and Sakura had waited impatiently for the day one was finally assigned to them. Now it had arrived at the worst possible moment, and all she wanted to do was stay at home to suffer comfortably.

"Good morning," came the easy-going greeting of her sensei—that was, until he caught sight of the dark cloud that she was lugging around with her, and he offered a whistle while considering her. "…Or not?"

There were several methods of treatment for periods for kunoichi; it was mentioned briefly in training when they discussed how it could hinder their ability to complete missions. Being the moron that she so blaringly was, however, Sakura assumed it to be unnecessary for her until she had her first one. She so ridiculously believed that because most of them were tied to contraceptives (and always accompanied by the mentioning of seduction training) that she didn't need them.

Gods, she was so fucking naïve.

So, rather than having something to make her life just a tad easier for her first mission with someone like Uchiha Shisui, she was using up valuable space in her rucksack by carrying around several packs of sanitary products—products she needed to find time and privacy to change regularly.

Meaning she had to explain to her captain and sensei why they needed to make those regular, inconvenient stops that could affect the mission.

It was such bullshit.

Being a woman was unfair and bullshit.

"Sakura—"

"You're not in the asshole category," was how she decided to start the uncomfortable conversation, cheeks on fire and no doubt matching her vest in colour. "For now, depending on your response."

"I have so many questions," Shisui mumbled and looked to her like she'd grown a second head. "What's gotten into you?"

Sakura clenched her jaw so tight it caused her pain.

"Sakura—"

"Look, this is humiliating enough to talk about, so give me a second," she unintentionally snapped.

The sweeping glance downwards informed her he noted she was balling her fists, though Shisui seemed unconcerned for the most part. Instead, his main focus seemed to be her awful mood that left him utterly bewildered since when they last spoke a couple of days ago, everything was fine. They'd been laughing while eating after intense training, in fact.

Frowning, he folded his arms over his chest and reminded her, "I told you that we're on a schedule with this mission."

Yes, hence why she had to tell him why they were going to have to deviate from that schedule. Goddamn it.

Sakura quickly glanced around before stepping closer to her sensei, thankful that he appeared to understand she needed utmost secrecy, even if he did continue to frown in confusion. He leaned closer to allow her to whisper in his ear, hands covering her lips just in case, before informing him of her predicament.

Then he snorted and straightened up again. "That's it? You had me assuming the worst."

"It is the worst," she contended, scowling. "We're on a tight schedule."

"That allows for bathroom breaks," Shisui chuckled. Turning and making a point of signing out so that she would follow his lead, he waited until they were outside of the gates (and hearing range) before continuing more reassuringly, "It's nothing to be embarrassed about."

Nothing…

A little dumbfounded since his reaction was a complete opposite of her own father's (not to mention different to her mother's supposed words of wisdom), she could only walk behind her sensei silently as he took the lead with a laidback gait.

"Do you have enough supplies?" he asked conversationally after a few minutes, tone light.

Sakura pouted at the kindness, then cursed herself for the hormones that made her so absurdly emotional—but seriously, why the hell did she have such an asshole for a father? Why couldn't he have been more like Shisui? Damn it, she even believed Kakashi could have responded more favourably than Kizashi had.

"…Yeah," she mumbled, face still much too warm. "I think so."

"Well, we'll be passing through a couple of towns if you need anything." At the noncommittal hum, Shisui shot a glance over his shoulder before huffing in amusement, assuring her, "I've worked with a lot of kunoichi from a young age, Sakura. It's no big deal."

It only took a few extra minutes for the words to have their desired effect, her embarrassment fading as they fell into a more comfortable conversation. While they kept the talk of their mission to a minimum, Shisui did share his past experiences of the village they were visiting. With the description alone, he managed to paint a vivid picture in her mind that had her previous excitement for their first official mission returning tenfold, and Sakura eagerly skipped alongside him, his smile small and content.

Their travelling was unlike any she'd ever experienced before, including the one they recently took with Itachi to Orochimaru's hideout. Both Sasuke and Kakashi were always difficult to rope into conversations and Naruto's interest in her was too much to handle in large doses. Hell, even travelling with Itachi had been too intense due to the circumstances, meaning they weren't able to talk so freely. But Shisui made it almost fun and relaxing, even quizzing her on the different plants and herbs they passed (telling her he'd picked up a textbook or two to help her study).

Even with the extra bathroom breaks that weren't half as bad once she got the hang of using and disposing of the products, their journey breezed by them and in no time, they were coming to a gradual halt outside the village. Just as Shisui described, there was a distant gushing of a waterfall that complemented the village bathed in greens, browns and yellows, the vibrancy of the nature they lived amongst adding a serenity that welcomed them long before the escort did.

Their escort was a reserved man whose choice of clothing repeatedly captivated Sakura's attention—mainly his feet, which she noted to be bare. His skin had to be tough as hell, she thought idly to herself while walking behind him, blinking owlishly at the lack of reaction whenever he stepped on sticks or stones (for the most part he appeared to avoid stepping on anything too damaging, but they were in a forest, meaning he couldn't avoid it all).

He wasn't the only person to be barefoot, and Sakura only just kept the astonishment from her expression when taking in the rest of their appearances. So unlike her own vibrantly coloured, neatly stitched clothing, theirs were in earthy shades, clearly handmade and looked well worn—no, it was more than that, she noted with great admiration and wonder that had Shisui's expression softening.

They didn't just live amongst nature, they immersed themselves in it. Everything surrounding them was made completely out of natural materials; so untouched by their modernised world that oftentimes meant she could barely make out the stars some nights. It was so outside the realm of what Sakura was used to that she was certain they'd stepped into a different universe entirely.

"What do you think?" Shisui asked knowingly after they were shown to their single room cabin.

"Calling it beautiful doesn't come close," she answered in a loving sigh. It was in a dreamy haze that Sakura leaned forward onto the sill of the wooden window that was thrown open the moment she noticed it was shut and blocking out all natural light, head in hands as she looked out at the mostly undisturbed wildlife. "It feels wrong intruding but at the same time, I never want to leave."

Due to the placement and size of the quaint village, visitors were incredibly rare. They were mostly an untouched section of the forest, far off any paths—Sakura doubted she could ever find the clearing by herself. It was because of those facts that they only had spare rooms or tiny huts to hire out to visitors rather than inns, and she could tell from the distinctively woodsy scent that clung to the furniture that it was recently cleaned and dusted, no doubt with a natural cleaner since it lacked the usual chemical tang.

"Like we've been graced with a sneak peek of the great beyond," came his chuckled response, and Sakura nodded enthusiastically, chest warm when it became apparent Shisui wasn't making fun of her—he genuinely thought along the same lines as herself. "It's typically invitation only too," he then had the missing piece clicking into place by informing her. That explained why their room was so untouched. "Being so secluded, they rarely—if ever—have any unannounced visitors."

Which was why they were there. The villagers weren't paranoid per se, but they could essentially sense when there were disturbances in the nature they were surrounded by and lately, there was a concerning number of changes that were not welcome.

Two teams were assigned to the mission though it was split into two halves. While they were sent to the village, the others were escorting a diplomat to meet with the Daimyo of Fire Nation.

Knowing from Shisui's calling of her name that he wanted to discuss the mission, Sakura regretfully turned away from the picturesque scene and joined him at the odd stone table in the centre of their shared room.

The room itself was minimalistic, possessing only necessities that although rustic in appearance, seemed to be unused (perhaps the only downside of a place so immersed in nature, as she soon came to miss the luxuries belonging to a more modern home). One would look at such a space and believe it to be behind the times, but there was a beauty in its simplicity. Not finding their plant based living impressive or at the very least curious was impossible.

On her way to the table, she dropped her rucksack onto the hammock she decided would be hers and sent her sensei an innocent smile when he took in the actions with a pout.

It wasn't too unusual sharing a room with others—as shinobi during missions, anyway. In fact, for the majority if not all of missions with Team Seven, Sakura recalled sharing with Kakashi if there wasn't an extra room, though never with Sasuke or Naruto (she suspected that to be down to her blaring crush on Sasuke, and Naruto's on her, making it inappropriate in their sensei's eyes). To her, it felt little more than camping together during travels, since both Kakashi and now Shisui also ensured they had separate beds that were a considerable distance from one another. Most importantly, both men respected her boundaries and privacy. They respected her. Sakura strongly believed that to be the reason why she never thought twice about sharing with them. She was safe with them.

"Before getting into our mission, I suppose you have a few questions about what we've seen so far," was how Shisui started the discussion.

Oh, hundreds. Starting with how they made the table they were sat at, because she could clearly make out the unmistakable grains of igneous rock that only barely scratched at her skin when Sakura rubbed her hands up the stone. Rhyolite, she suspected though couldn't tell for sure. If she wasn't mistaken then it was one of the more common igneous rocks, though how the hell they managed to carry such a huge chunk of rock was beyond her. Just another of the curiosities of the village.

"Will they eventually warm up to us enough to speak?" she asked instead, looking away to meet her sensei's gaze with a minute frown of confusion. "I know I heard voices—they can speak—but they didn't seem too comfortable in our presence."

"I can't say for sure," he replied easily. Leaning back onto his hands, Shisui glanced around the room, prompting her to admire the odd furniture once more. In some ways, it felt like they were staying in a treehouse. "They're extremely close-knit here. Even if we're here to help them maintain their privacy, we're still strangers that make them uneasy."

That sucked. There was so much she itched to know about their lifestyle, though Sakura supposed it was for the best just in case she came across as ignorant. "What do you suggest? It feels rude keeping our distance."

"Just be respectful," was his simple response. "Work at their pace."

Yeah, because that helped a bunch, Sakura thought childishly and pouted up at him. How was she supposed to work at their pace if they wouldn't work with her? She wasn't a mind reader; couldn't guess what they wanted from her. What if they had certain practices or cultural norms and she accidentally intruded or worse, offended?

But apparently that marked the ending of accepting questions, for that was the point Shisui dove into their mission.

"As you know, our main purpose is to protect the village for the duration of the meeting with the daimyo," he reminded her while spreading out an edited map onto the stone. Had Shisui not marked it up himself then there would be no way of really knowing where they were, or what was surrounding them. Even the waterfall was scribbled onto the parchment. "There's been suspicious behaviour noted in the surrounding area—disturbances that are growing progressively closer."

Going off the reports sent to Tsunade and what was relayed to them: they suspected outsiders heard of their practices and what they entailed and were attempting to capitalise off them. Another major concern of theirs was the protection of and maintaining the sanctity of the waterfall—it was believed to possess healing properties that even retained youthful appearances, depending on how it was used.

That was their offer of payment. Being so far removed from their modernised world, they didn't possess the ordinary means to pay for their services, however Tsunade was secretly a superstitious person who strongly believed in the magical properties of the waterfall. She negotiated with the leader of the group until they came to an agreement that benefited her on a personal level (not that the council elders knew that—to them, she was using the waterfall's waters, herbs and rocks to progress medical treatments).

"If the meeting with the daimyo goes in their favour, then this village will be officialised," Shisui recounted with ease. "Although there will be downsides to officialising their village and getting it placed on the map, it does mean that the people here can avoid trespassers or opportunists attempting to capitalise on their way of living."

"Because Hokage-sama is creating a treaty as we speak, so they'll be under the protection of Konoha," Sakura added in a way that let him know she'd also taken the time to memorise the mission scroll. In response, Shisui offered a small, proud smile and nod of his head. "Do we investigate the suspicious activity or remain on watch here?"

His eyebrow quirked at that, impressed. "You picked up on that too, eh."

Of course. Only an idiot would skim through their mission details or fail to read them entirely. Each scroll Sakura had ever received was typically blunt—to the point. It left little room for error, that way. However, the one she'd memorised was hazy on what they were supposed to do regarding the trespassers. It simply read, 'protect the village and its practices.'

"Do we apprehend them and if so, under what grounds?" she questioned thoughtfully and leaned forward onto the stone table to better view Shisui's map. "As far as they're concerned—the daimyo too—this area is undocumented. On the map, it's blank. Nothing would stick, right?"

"Right," he agreed.

But the following lapse into silence prompted Sakura to look back to her sensei suspiciously. Nothing of significance was found in his expression and he offered no further input as to what was expected of them, leaving her mind to kick into gear attempting to figure it out for herself.

Fortunately for her know-it-all self's sake, Shisui remained unhelpful as Sakura carefully considered their map once more. The edits he made were what continued to catch her eye the most, and she leaned over the table curiously.

He smirked when her expression smoothed out.

"We sabotage," she realised.

"Why?"

"Anyone can claim this place." It was an uncomfortable thought and it had her hoping the other team managed the journey quickly for the sake of the villagers. "In the eyes of the daimyo, it's unchartered territory. Even the waterfall isn't listed on the map."

Being put on the map alone wouldn't prevent trespassers, but that was where Konoha came into it, Sakura thought with a burst of pride. They were going to ensure such a wondrous, untouched place would stay just that—undisturbed. The people there could continue to live in peace and enjoy the way they lived their lives.

Until then, it was up to them. They were chosen to make sure nobody tried to claim the village before it was officialised. Sabotaging their attempts to investigate, screwing with them when they tried pushing forward.

Sakura offered her sensei a mischievous grin that had him instantly suspicious. "I guess having that prankster knucklehead on my team is finally paying off, isn't it?"

A/N - Thank you to everyone supporting this story. I really appreciate the kind reviews!