Sorry for being MIA lol it's been a long couple of months! I hope you enjoy the update and, if you don't, this is a FANFICTION written quite some time ago. My style has changed and I am very aware of the gaps but I don't have time to write atm, so get over it lol
Fanfic SL Chp 25
Sakura stretched and plopped down on the ground, ignoring the tense men around her. She placed her hands behind her head and watched Seto smack around some of his subordinates savagely.
"What do you mean you LOST the scroll that contained all the data we've gathered so far?!" Seto was purple with rage and it took every ounce of control Sakura had not to laugh.
"I swear I had it when we left! I even remember checking my bag before we took off," the man was cowering under the larger man's terrifying gaze.
Sakura stood as the arguing escalated. She cleared her throat, gaining everyone's attention. "Orochimaru does not take failure lightly, if you come empty handed you will not survive his wrath."
She inspected her nails as a sense of dread fell upon the men. She glanced up with a nasty smirk, reveling in their fear. "I suggest you all split up and make sure the idiot didn't drop the invaluable information on our path from the hideout."
Sakura watched the men scramble back down the dirt road, forgetting to watch their backs. She walked a little further away from them, her mind formulating a plan to dispatch them quickly when Shisui suddenly dropped down in front of her. Sakura glared at him intensely, noticing that he was perspiring and panting heavily.
She crossed her arms and blandly asked, "Why are you here? Has something happened?"
Shisui slowly wiped the sweat from his neck, giving her body a slow once over. "I'm worried about you. Plus, I came to check on the status of the mission…"
Sakura huffed at how glaringly obvious his lie was. "You aren't supposed to mix emotions with work, you hammered that into my head. Plus, I could have given you my report when I got back like any other normal mission."
He flinched, noting the anger in her eyes. "The sooner I get the report, the better. Sakura… I fucked up and I don't know how to explain things just yet. Also, as your captain, you're my responsibility and I take that seriously. You shouldn't have been sent on a solo mission with such a target on your back."
Sakura rolled her eyes so hard that she became dizzy. "Exactly how am I your responsibility?! As your girlfriend or as your subordinate? Frankly, I'm not sure it matters anymore, you clearly don't understand how to keep your personal life separate from your professional life." She stomped her foot, causing the ground to tremble beneath them.
Shisui flash-stepped in front of her, red eyes spinning wildly. "What's the fucking difference? I try my best to keep the two separate but you make it absolutely impossible by being so damn distracting!"
Sakura raised a hand, clearly telling him not to come any closer. "As your girlfriend, you have my heart. As your subordinate, you have my obedience. THAT'S THE FUCKING DIFFERENCE! Damnit, Shisui! It shouldn't be this hard! Why can't you talk to me like a normal person would. A freaking note or a quick kiss would have made things so much easier! But no! You had to run and avoid me like a coward!"
Shisui's brows drew together, shoulders dropping. He cleared his throat and wet his lips while choosing his words carefully.
"I know how to fuck and fluster women, I'm good at that. I've never had to worry about emotions before. All the women before you wanted one of two things: to say that they've been with me or they want to know if the rumors are true. I've only ever worked out issues with Itachi and we fight it out. I'm not beating my girlfriend to a pulp, that's not a fucking option."
Sakura's jaw clenched tightly and her eyes grew damp. She inhaled deeply, fisting her hands at her side. "Is that what you really think I want to hear from you?! To hear about all the other women before me? I don't want to know just how far down your list I am! I trusted you with my heart and you basically used it for target practice, not caring where the hits landed. AND I WOULD BEAT YOU TO A PULP! I DO IT TO TEAM 7 ALL THE TIME!"
She angrily wiped a tear from her cheek and gathered herself, letting her anger cool slightly. "I am not as strong as I lead people to believe! I may react explosively but my heart still bruises. It hurts, Shisui... I need someone who is my equal, my partner. Someone who would die for me and someone who would trust their life in my hands. Someone who will share this life with everything they have, without fear of the judgment of the world."
Shisui's head lowered in shame. He swallowed thickly as he looked at her through his thick lashes. "Well I'm here now, aren't I?"
Sakura's whispered words caused him to flinch, "You're not here for me—"
He interrupted her, taking her arm gently, "I'm here because of you. You don't get it! I have a responsibility to Konoha; to my people. To you! Plus… I may have come here by threatening the Hokage…"
Sakura tensed and pulled away, her anger returning in full force. "So, I am third on that list, huh? Can you even empathize? I'm tired of you pushing us one step forward and then pulling us ten steps back. We get nowhere and it's absolutely draining!"
Shisui gritted his teeth audibly, tilting his head to the side. His conflicted emotions flitted across his face so fast that she barely saw them before a careful mask of indifference closed her out. His next question froze her to the spot, filling her with pity and dread.
"If you had to choose between saving Konoha or me, which would you choose? I would expect any member of my team to choose the village."
Sakura allowed the tears to fall freely now, not caring if he judged her for them. "Well if it's too much for you to balance then don't worry about me. I can take care of myself."
Shisui audibly growled, "You stubborn woman, that's not what I meant and you know it! I'm bad at this! I care about you but we both have responsibilities. I would never ask you to drop those just to make me happy… I'm so sorry, Sakura."
He ran his hand through his hair in agitation, unsure of how to stop this train wreck of a conversation.
Sakura gasped when her surroundings suddenly changed. She blinked rapidly and then honed in on the pair of eyes looking at her through the leaves. Her shoulders slumped in defeat as tears cascaded down her face. She quickly tossed the stolen scroll towards him and walked off, shoulders shaking with silent sobs.
I should have known it wasn't going to work out. I've never been good at relationships and I've been fooling myself too long about how bad this one had gotten. I wanted his attention so desperately that I didn't even think about the real work that goes into building trust and rapport. Ugh, fuck me.
Sakura's state of despair made her completely oblivious to the man trailing above her, never more than a meter away.
The trip to the village passed in a blur for Sakura, she didn't even realize she was at the village gates until she was signing in. She looked around, noticing the name right above hers. Shisui Uchiha.
It seems he entered the village right before me. I wonder what took him so long. I honestly don't know how I should feel about any of this.
She rubbed her swollen eyes and straightened her back, making a beeline for the Hokage tower. She knocked on the massive doors, quiet voices filtered through. A muffled reply had her entering the room, steeling herself for the encounter.
Tsunade's sharp eyes zoned in on Sakura's face, not missing how the man next to her tensed. "Sakura, you're back early. Report."
Sakura nodded and cleared her throat. "The mission went smoothly, no complications. Uchiha Senpai has the stolen information."
Shisui placed the scroll gently on Tsunade's desk and bowed before disappearing in a poof. Tsunade tilted her head curiously. "Sakura, what happ—"
"Please, not now, Shishou. I can't do this right now, it's too soon," Sakura's voice cracked and she buried her face in her hands.
"I promise I can be professional. I just need a little time to deal with these emotions." Tsunade stood and wrapped Sakura in her arms.
"If you want me to knock that cocky bastard to Suna, I will. Just say the word. Plus, if it makes you feel any better, he wasn't acting himself."
Sakura hiccupped and shook her head, before completely breaking down into a puddle of tears. "I j-just don't get it! How d-do all my relationships e-end in failure?!"
Just then Naruto and Sasuke walked through the door. They took one look at Sakura and they disappeared, both looking furious.
A tired looking Kakashi walked through right after them. "Ah, Hatake, just the man I was looking for. Sakura is in need of a place to stay for the next couple of days… or months. Can she stay with you?" Kakashi took one look at Sakura's devastated face and he nodded, silently placing his mission report on her desk.
A tub of ice cream and a bottle of wine later, Kakashi sat and watched as Ino tried to comfort Sakura while waving a spoon around. "Sakura, don't even worry about him. He clearly doesn't know how to treat a good woman."
Ino gave Kakashi a pointed look and he nodded his agreement. He slowly hid his face behind Icha Icha Paradise again, sneaking a spoon of ice cream.
"I don't care about that! I really like him, Ino. I just don't even know where we went wrong! He seemed so different," Sakura comically rolled off the couch and landed flat on the floor. Ino peered over the edge of the coach and scrunched her brows.
"Hmmm, well forehead… then all you can do now is heal. Get back to your life and make yourself busy, just like you always have. It didn't work out this time but maybe he'll get his head out of his ass at some point."
Sakura gave Ino an incredulous look and then burst into loud, wheezing laughter. "What's so funny, forehead?! I just gave you awesome advice and now you're laughing in my face! What the hell?!"
A pillow hit Sakura in the face as she snorted, regaining her composure. "I just didn't expect that kind of advice, Pig. I thought you would at least want to gut him or make him jealous." A small smile spread across her face as Ino puffed out her cheeks.
"I never said Kakashi and I weren't going to rake him over the coals," a vicious smile spread across her face as Kakashi hummed in agreement. The smile left her face as the two started making plans.
"Guys, I think you should leave him be. He was pretty emotional during our conversation…" Kakashi's eyes narrowed when he leaned forward.
"Upset or not, he isn't my favorite student, history be damned. If he didn't want it to end, he should have treated you better. Don't worry, I have my ways and no, you can't stop me from berating him."
With that the silver-haired ninja disappeared in a puff of smoke. Sakura crawled back onto the couch and put her head in Ino's lap, allowing the blonde to comfort her.
Sakura jumped off of the bed in alarm, kunai at the ready. She blinked in confusion at the hushed arguing she could hear through her door.
"Don't go in there, Dobe. What if she isn't decent?"
"It's not like we haven't seen her like that before, Teme. She won't care!"
"I'm not letting either of you bother her, she needs her rest."
She flung the door open not even caring that she was in a sports bra and spandex shorts. Her puffy eyes burned slightly but the look in her eyes had all the men standing at attention.
"Someone make breakfast and then we are all going to do some team sparring. I need to kick someone's ass today." She closed the door back and smiled when the men started arguing again while she got ready.
Thirty minutes later found them all at the training ground farthest from civilization, deciding on teams.
"Ugh, let's just do rock-paper-scissors! The two winners are on a team and the two losers are on a team," Kakashi's solution was deemed appropriate. Sasuke and Naruto instantly paired against one-another, not wanting to miss an opportunity to fight the other.
In the end, Sasuke and Sakura stood on one side of the field facing Kakashi and Naruto. Sakura hummed and cut her eyes towards her partner, noticing his eyes were already glued on hers. A mischievous grin formed on her lips and Sasuke let out a huff, smirking right back at her.
"Sasuke, the advantage is clearly ours. Let's use our ANBU experience to have a little fun," he rolled his eyes which made her giggle.
They both launched forward, kunai clashing against kunai. Sparks were flying as they moved at top speed, invisible to the untrained eye. Sakura started a heated battle of Taijutsu, jabbing at Kakashi's side. Sasuke followed up with a roundhouse kick when Sakura ducked, swiping at Naruto's legs. Kakashi dodged and Naruto blocked, grunting as the force of the kick sent him skidding back.
Sakura launched off the ground, fist aimed at Kakashi's masked face. He started weaving hand signs, trying to catch her off guard but Sasuke countered him perfectly, the team working in perfect unison. Sakura backflipped as fifty blond shadow clones tested her ability to dodge. She flipped above Sasuke just as he covered the field in lightning from his Chidori, electrocuting the clones.
Sakura took advantage of the forced distance and grabbed Sasuke by the back of his shirt, launching him towards Naruto. She flash-stepped behind the flying body and punched Naruto in the face after he dodged Sasuke's attack.
Naruto flew across the field with Sasuke hot on his heels. Sakura found herself dodging Kakashi's jabs, only instinct saving her. She had no time to think, relying on her body to know how to dodge her experienced opponent.
A chakra loaded punch grazed his shoulder, spinning him violently away from her. He grunted in pain, arm hanging limp at his side, useless. Before she could capitalize on the advantage, Sasuke's heavy body was hurtling at her at an alarming speed.
Her brain short circuited and she let out a yelp when they both went tumbling across the training grounds. Naruto and Kakashi stood over the dazed pair, looking just as bad as they felt.
"What the hell?! How did you manage to get thrown, Sasuke?" Sakura's reply was mumbled as she gingerly untangled herself from under him. He grunted, holding a clearly broken arm. She rolled her eyes and placed a glowing hand on it while the others sat next to them, waiting their turn.
Once she was finished, she fidgeted at the expectant stares she was receiving. Sasuke huffed and pulled her in for a rough hug.
"Sakura, we're your team and you can talk to us about anything. Naruto and I confronted him but he didn't fight back. He just kind of disappeared." The silence was deafening as that information sunk in.
A watery smile from the pinkette had Kakashi rubbing the back of his head self-consciously. "You guys are amazing and I love you all; however, please leave him alone. I know he's hurting too and would appreciate the space. I mean, it's only been a week since we've last spoken. I honestly don't even know where we stand, nothing was ever verbalized."
Just as she finished talking, an ANBU appeared next to them. "Haruno-san, Uchiha-san you are wanted in the Hokage's office." The two looked at one another and quickly headed towards the tower.
Tsunade gave them a once over as ANBU Team 1 stood in front of her. "Sakura, Shisui, are you going to be able to work with one another professionally?"
The two nodded as her piercing gaze pinned them to the spot. "Hai, Shishou. It will not be a problem," Sakura's affirmation seemed to relax her a little.
"Sakura, you are all healed and have been released back for active duty. This means that the mission is back on and you will all need to leave tonight. Your objectives have only slightly changed. You will still be tracking Orochimaru and gathering data on his experiments. However, a new aspect has been added. Sakura, you absolutely cannot be captured," Tsunade's gaze was predatory.
"Understood," Sakura's response had everyone in the room tensing.
Sasuke growled out, "Sakura, I don't think you underst—" She cut him off, words sending chills down the Hokage's spine.
"I know what I have to do if I'm captured. I cannot be captured… alive. Every ANBU member is given cyanide pills." Tsunade drummed her fingers on her desk, eyes conveying everything she could not say aloud. The tension in the room was heavy.
The team left the office on edge, heading home to prepare for their long mission. Sakura packed her essentials and double checked her items before heading to the gates to wait on her team.
When she arrived Shisui was already there, leaning against the wall. She sucked in a deep breath and approached him while trying to act as natural as possible. His gaze never left her as she walked up to him, silently examining her.
She fidgeted under his intense gaze and he sighed, rubbing his hand over his face. "Shisui, I know I said I could be professional however, we need to talk this through a little. To make it less awkward." Her whispered words were barely audible but she knew he heard them.
He sighed again and grabbed her by the shoulders, crouching down to her level. "Sakura, this mission will be dangerous, especially for you since you're his target. We can't afford any distractions. I cannot afford any distractions. Your life is literally on the line here and I will not lose you. I trust you with my life, that should be enough for now. Once this mission is over then we can talk about… everything else. I promise to do better."
He released her as the rest of their team came into view. Her eyes never left his, a small bubble of hope blooming at the gentle yet protective glean she saw.