Warning. This chapter contains graphic scenes. Rated M for mature audiences.
Chapter 5
The date
Konaha 2.5 years ago.
Swinging through the trees like a bat out of hell she pulsed and pushed from branch to branch. Her system finally relaxing the closer she got to the gates. Only an hour left and she'd be reporting in to her shishou. Mission accomplished bad guys dead. Assasinations were a walk in the park. A sudden gut wrenching feeling had her pause. Pulling to a stop on a branch.
Before she could even turn around, two kunai wizzed past her head, slinking into the tree to her sides. She crouched on the tree she was standing on. Cat mask still in place, arm guards shinning bright in the moonlight. If the dark of her anbu gear couldn't disuade the incoming nins, she guessed she would have to show them first hand what it meant to get on her bad side.
Twenty. Twenty signatures came into focus as she spread her chakra out, feeling for more on the edges. Ambush. Twenty to one, I'll bet they feel real lucky right now. She cracked her nuckles. Ooooo if they wanted a fight, she'd give them a fight.
Then they were there, stopping on branches in front, on top and to the side of her. Ganging up. "What fun!"She giggled.
"Pink hair, and a cat mask, looks like we found her guys." One nin said from behind her.
Another to her left poked at her with a large naginata, she smiled under her mask.
"I'm sure it's her!" She tweaked her head to the side, observing the shorter nin with a black book sizing her up. She slowly reached for her katana, gripping the hilt. As soon as her fingers touched everyone around her tensed. She had been mostly masking her chakra. Now she was letting it leak out slowly.
"No funny moves little girl!" The one with the book said to her. "We know who you are and we are authorized to bring you in with force, or dead!" He pulled two sai out of his wastband. She actually snorted at this.
"One." She said looking around at her would be opponents, "I am not a little girl." She quirked her head, letting her killing intent leak out of her form as she stood straight up hand still clutching the katana tightly. "Two, I don't know who the fuck sent you to your deaths, but I'll be willing to find them for you, and give them a first class ticket to meet you in hell if you'd wish?"
She was turning on her heel as a storm of senbon and kunai tore through the air at her, whipping her katana out she knocked them out of the air one by one, in a whirlwind of clanging metal.
One senbon did make it through her mess of metal and sound, piercing her shoulder. A cackling laugh came out of her throat as she fished it out. Two fingers grabbing and tearing it out. Looking at the tip she seen tons of tiny spikes that released when inside the intended target. Smart. She dropped it to the ground, pooling chakra into the torn muscle.
"No use!" The nin who threw the senbon stated, "that poison will take effect soon! Healing it will only cause more issues and a quicker death unless extracted!" He must be their med nin.
"Well I'll be, I might actually get to break a sweat today" she yawned under the mask and held her sword straight up and over her head, bringing it down in an arc, flowing green chakra through the tip, "since you all have been so sweet In showing your throwing skills, let me show you mine." Swinging it in a flash, thousands of chakra bullets flew through the air.
All but two avoided the bullets, and the two who did fell to the branches and immediately started screaming. Legs, and arms melted off. Her bullets contained an acid like compound. Thanks to many trial and errors with shizune.
Sakura dove to the left sidestepping another Barrage of kunai, hands coming up form seals faster than most eyes could catch. She knew this one better than most. Her foreheads purple seal glowed bright with black markings trailing down and around her body, the poison in her system burning off as if it were drops of water on a hot surface. As she body flickered between shinobi, she placed seals in the shapes of cherry blossoms on a few unnoticed backs.
"Yin seal release, Mitotic Regeneration!" She called slapping more hand signs as she flowed chakra through her palms. Slamming a fist into the yari that pierced through her nuckles and shattered into dust. Blood slipped down her hand as the wounds healed instantly. Pulsing chakra through to her feet she flickered, appearing behind the shinobi, a slight smile on her manic face hidden behind the cat.
"Chidori!" Her hands glowed bright purple as a birdsong erupted over the trees, sparking out like electricity and burning through the nins chest. She dragged it accross the other two standing near before blowing it out into the ground, efficiently ending the fourth hidden shinobi in the ground. More shirikin flew across to her, but before they could hit she popped into a log. Six down, Fourteen to go.
She was too fast. As the last remaining nins stood back to back in a crouched defensive position. Ready for the strike. Looking up, and side to side scanning for her chakra presence.
The hollow shaking of earth gave them moments heads up, as she burst out, swinging her katana up and bursting through one nins eye, impaling him like a bug on a pin board, eye hanging out.
She ripped her katana back, forcing the body off.
"Thirteen." She whispered to the nins all crouching. Then she flew through more hand signs and twelve of them burst like over filled balloons. "One." She caressed the word. Blood dripping off of her in sheets as it rained down from the trees. "Tell me boy, what do they call me in that bingo book of yours?"
He had fallen back and was backing up fast on his hands. She flashed in front of him and stepped on his hand. Leaning down to get to face level with him, rocking back on her haunches, katana splitting the ground to the left of them. Effectively snaring the nin. "Going so soon?" She purred. "But you didn't even answer me." pouty giggles could be heard ringing around.
"They-they-they call you, b-b-blossom of death" he studdered out.
"It has such a nice ring too it doesn't it?" She sing-songed. "Tell me. Little boy. Who sent you?" She raidiated heat, like a nuclear bomb.
"I-I-I- I can't ma'am!" He sucked out. Streaking as she prodded his back with a clawed fingertip. The metal slicing into his back above his shoulder blade and searing into the flesh. He screamed, blood curdling cries.
"That's a fun one. I wonder what would happen if I snapped your tibia? Would you talk then?" She mused aloud, the nin paled.
"I-I-I I can't ma'am! I really-I I can't!" He hounded out.
"Tell me then. How much am I worth in that bingo book of yours?" She stated, wiping blood off her katana and sheathing it. Lowing her self to look him in the eye. He was backed up to a boulder.
"22..." he whispered.
"22 what?" She spoke with monotone. Feigning boredom.
"22 million..."he croaked.
She stood, then, swiping senbons out of her hip pouch and pinned him in place two going through his hands, and two more pinning his shirt to the ground. A cry of angus ish erupted. "Still don't want to tell me who sent you though?" She twirled another senbon in her hand.
"I-i-i-i" she cut him off.
"That's ok. I know how to make birds sing." She leaped and pushed chakra into her heel, snapping his shin like a twig.
More screaming. This was going to be a long night.
Ino met her at the gate, her mask in place. Blood covering half her gear. Her black marks still covering her body. Deadly intent radiating off of her.
"Well sunshine. Good thing you made it back, you look like hell." Her friend and ANBU partner appraised her outfit. Torn and tattered. Per usual. Especially on solo missions. It wasn't uncommmon to see her come back ripped to shreds. This wasn't so bad. But her seal was activated. Something had gone wrong.
"I need to report." The pinkette said walking the dark path blonde in tow.
"I know, I know." She said observing her friend as they made the mad dash. Ino on her heels. "But your seal is activated. Everything go ok?"
"Can't talk about-"
"I know, oh my god I know." She said with a sassy under tone. "I just want to know who I need to alert at the hospital."
Sakura smiled under the mask. "Get shizune. Tell her an unknown posion is in my blood stream. Tell her it's burning my chakra reserves and it's destroying any new blood cells I create."
Ino blanched. "What??" She sped up, "what do you think it is???!" She called out.
"Uncertain." She said aloud. "But whatever it is she's going to need to take this-" she threw a blood vile out to her friend "and figure it out quick. I'm down to a quarter of my reserves and still burning quickly. I have maybe 2-3 hours before I'll Succumb."
"Hai." The blond darted off to the direction of the hospital.
Sakura hit the wall of the hokages tower and bolted to the open window. The ninja freeway some called it.
Dashing through the window, she landed with a quite step. Finding two chakra signatures. Kakashi stood in front of Tsunade in his usual jonin get up, Hitai-ate covering his left eye. They both took in Sakura appearance. She stood and bowed getting to one knee.
"You look like shit." Tsunade said. "Your seal is activated."
"Hai. Planning on getting patched up after this." Sakura said. "Unknown poison in my system. Trying to keep it at bay whilst they work on an antidote."
"We'll make it quick then." She said, waving her hand, allowing kakashi to stay put. His face hardened at her state.
"Little too reckless. Hn?" He said. Stern. She stayed bowed.
"Mission accomplished. Ran into some trouble on the way home. 20 rougue nin ambushed me. On fire borders." She stood and made her way to the desk. Digging out two scrolls. "This is the detailed report on the mission. This is the detailed report on what the last said, and the battle." If you could call it that.
"Oi. 20?" His face fell. Reckless? No. Suicidal more like it. "And What level would you rank them?" Kakashi said. A bit perturbed that rougue nin would ambush an leaf nin, ANBU at that, at the border of fire. "Why would you take them all at once." He added. Much to his upset pride still radiated out of him. Still, he would lecture her later on this one.
"Chunin at best." She said ignoring his jab. She then pulled a hitai-ate from her bag as well. "I don't recognize the Symbol however." The forehead protector had a shape like a spider on it, a slash through the middle but not like a normal one.
"I don't think they were rougue. Not like that." Tsunade took the band from her. Observing it.
"I think that we have more hostile nins showing up, creating new villages again." Kakashi said, also looking at the symbol.
"We will look into this blossom. Good work." She looked her over again. "Get to the hospital. Shizune should be there. Dismissed."
With that Sakura leap out the window in the direction of konaha general.
"What do you think hokage sama?" Kakashi said, taking the hita-ate.
"I think I'm going to have you do some digging."
"Mah. I guess it's time to call in Genma and yugao." He said. Pocketing it.
"Keep it quite for now. Just us five." She nodded. "Depart in a few hours."
"Hn." He nodded and headed for the window.
"Kakashi." She called out circling back to her desk.
"Hn?" He turned to her, one foot on the window frame.
"Don't be too hard on her."
He dashed out of the tower.
Present day konaha
"Ah! Morning markets!" Sakura stretched her arms above her head. The sun bright in the sky. The market was always a blessing this early on a Thursday, if she made it to the herb stall they might even have white willow. The vender only sold it before eight. She hoped he had some left. Her watch said 7:30.
"Oi! Sakura-Chan!" Naruto's loud voice sprang from atop the crowds of people in the market. She turned her bright green eyes in his direction.
"Naruto." She nodded her head at the blond as he skidded to a stop in front of her. "What brings you out here this early in the morning? Especially after passing out drunk as a skunk last night." Turning back to the produce and picking out a few vegetables that would make for a good stir fry and plopping them into her basket.
"I just wanted to see your bright smiling face Sakura-Chan!" He grinned micheviously at her. 'Sure. Sure you did naruto' her inner voice spoke up.
"No." Simple. Exact. With meaning.
"Sakuraaaaa-chaaaan" he howled, "you don't even know what it isssss." His puppy dog eyes shined in the morning sun. She shimmied her basket to her hip.
"Whatever it is, no." She side eyed him, his pout growing.
"But….but….sa-ku-raaaaaaa" he enuciated, "it's only a little tiny itty bitty thinggggg." His voice was whiny now. It rambled her brain.
"Fine. I give. What is it?" She handed the merchant some money and headed to the next stall selling nin-gear. Handing her basket over to naruto who took it willingly.
"I'm going on a date with hinata this weekend…and if you don't have a mission…." He trailed off.
"Last time I checked you didn't have animals naruto." She said blatantly.
"What?" He looked at her confused.
"Well, I have nothing to watch so i don't see why rubbing it in my face that you have a date and I don't makes for any request." She picked up a wicked looking katana. One with gold markings and a deadly double edge.
"No! No no Sakura-Chan!" He laughed, eying the katana with her, "that suits you. No what I was asking is would you tag along? Maybe I could get kiba to come with us? I'm nervous an-"
"No." After looking at the price she set it down. It would take her months at the hospital, and possibly even then, it wouldn't cover that bad boy. Maybe when she got back to doing missions again...Picking up some senbons she paid the man and put it in her basket on Naruto's arm.
"Ok ok! How about neji?" He asked
"Double no, he's with ten-ten anyways. Oh!" She declared. "Why not ask them?" Her voice monotone.
"Naw, I don't actually like neji. How about lee?"
"Why even ask then naruto?" She scoffed. "Not in this lifetime." She paused. "or next."
"Cause I know you think he's cute." He picked up the katana. "How much?" He asked the man, who told him and naruto paled a bit. Turning back to her while balancing it. "Look, you don't even have to bring someone! I just dont…I don't want hinata to feel nervous either….and you guys are friends…" he sighed.
"But me that katana." She stated paying for a box of kunai and shuriken.
"What?" He looked at the sword in his hand.
"But me that katana and I'll go." She put the boxes with the senbon in the basket.
"Sakura?! It's 100,000 Ryo?!" His mouth dropped.
"How much is this date worth to you naruto?" She batted her eyelashes at him. He paled. "That's what I thought." she turned to head to the herb stall.
"Ok! Ok!" He scrambled to pull out his wallet, depositing the correct notes into the man's hand whos eyes seemed to sparkle as he wrapped the katana in a long fancy box with a black bow. "But your naming it after me.." his brows furrowed together as he took the box and walked towards her.
This time her mouth dropped. "Wow. Your…your serious." She leaned against the wooden stall post. "About hinata, I mean." She put a finger to her chin, comptiplating the last time that trick had worked.
"Well…" he turned bright red and scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah. I mean. She stutters a lot and is super shy…." He looked down at the basket and box in his hands. "But she makes me feel…idk like I ate too much ramen and drank three bottles of sake.." he beamed up at the clouds.
She sighed. "I'll see what sasuke or Kakashi sensei is up too." Turning back to the herb stall and going through her mental list. Picking out a few bunches of items and weighing then paying the man, who smiled at her.
"Really?! Yes! Thanks Sakura Chan!" He punched the air. "I knew I could count on you!"
Only one question was in her mind though. "Where are you taking us on this date of yours naruto." She grabbed a few other pre pakaged items and handed over more cash.
"Um….." she didn't need to even look at him.
"Not ichiraku." She stated plainly.
"No! No. It's a fancy pants place on the upper district. They supposedly serve the best sushi and have hibachi tables avalible. I booked one so she could make any choice avalible…" he walked along side her, Sakura, having finished her shopping was headed in the direction of her appartment.
"Wow. Not bad naruto." She nodded in approval. Her pink bangs falling over her eyes as she pushed one back over her ear. "Next you'll say they have dango."
"Oh, they do. They also serve too knotch sake." He smirked. "But you get whatever you want Sakura Chan! The whole thing is on me!"
"Naw. I'll pay for me and my date naruto," she glanced at him. His smile infectious. "Especially since you just bought me my new katana. I've decided to name it kokana hidzuke."
"Well. Yeah. For sure it is. Name it whatever you want Sakura Chan. Thanks again." He turned to her now standing in front of her appartment building. "We'll me you there Saturday at 7 sharp! The place is called okawa!" He handed her the box and basket. Filled to the brim with her purchases.
"Sounds good naruto!" She smiled. "Can't wait." She waved at him as he dashed off, looking at her watch, noticing time before she had to meet for the spar she promised sasuke. Maybe enough time to unload and take a quick shower. She made her way up to her little appartment.
"Gomen!" She versed. Yelling out to her dark haired team mate. The one she had accidentally sent flying backwards into the trees. Not dropping her defensive pose however. She wasn't that sorry.
"Hai! Sakura Chan…" he picked himself up off the ground, irritation maring his features. "Calm down with the chakra punches…" with that he dove at her, flickering in and out of presence. Sharingan activated. The genjutsu falling into place.
She flicked her hands to the ready, "release" she chanted as she avoided his charge. Diving backwards in a pirouette. Surging chakra into the soles of her feet she flickered back. The heel of her foot coming in contact with his katana, successfully matching his strike.
"so," she breathed. " what are you up to Saturday night?" Her heel kicking the sword out of reach. Child's play. "Gomen." She apologized. Once again. Not really sorry. You don't get to anbu rank without the necessary skills.
"Possible mission." He chocked out, dodging her fists as her body swirled into motion. Faster than him. He gritted his teeth, blocking what he could as she pummeled him with Proficient taijutsu. Her lessons with lee really showing.
"Well if you happen to be around, naruto grew some balls and asked hinata on a date." Her foot connected with his torso, his breath leaving his chest with a whoosh, as he flew backwards into another tree. "Since you haven't been around, I figured it would be nice for all of us to catch up," she breathed. Huffing with the exhaustion of their spar.
"Sa….Sakura.." he coughed. Clutching his chest. She popped one foot in the air and dropped her knee, pushing one palm forward and bringing one arm over her head. She wiggled her fingers at him. A challenge. "Give…give me a second." He choked out. Still gripping his chest. When had she gotten so fast?!
"Had enough? Already? We're only an hour in…" she dropped her pose, and walked over to him. Palms already glowing green. Checking him over. "Well, yeah, your done. You have a lung contusion and two broken ribs." She started the healing process.
"How?" He breathed.
"Gomen. It seems I shouldn't use so much chakra when sparring with you. I'll hold back more." She sighed.
"You held back?" He eyed her in disbelief.
"Yes, Gomen. I'll kick it back to twenty two percent." She sighed again, his eyes widened.
"Twenty….twenty two?!" He scoffed. "Sakura?"
"Yes, Gomen, I thought since you trained with itatchi kun you could handle more than that." She shook her head.
"Stop. Apologizing. Now." Sasuke fumed. "Twenty fucking two percent. What do you mean twenty two percent???" He seethed between gritted teeth.
Green orbs met coal, chakra laden hands still trailing over his abdomen.
"Go-"
"Don't. Fucking. Apologize."
"Go- ok. Um. Well, I mean…I was training too sasuke." She bowed her head to check her work. One rib to go. "With tsunade shishou, guy senpai and lee San. Kakashi tenchou as well taught one on one." She glided her hand over the top of the rib. Targeting the main break, halfway done. "It's how I made ANBU...Itatchi kun said he wanted to spar with me on Sunday… I thought it would be fun to test out my control first and you were training with him…"
Sasukes mouth dropped open. "Your ANBU?! But your only eighteen?!" He paused "your supposed to keep that on the down low I thought."
"Sasuke kun, I made ANBU four years ago." She finished up and stood. Offering her hand. Without thinking he took it, and stood as well. Sizing up the pinkette. "I have different views on that now." She paused again. "I'm semi retired right now as it were."
"I thought…." He put his hands in his pockets. Turning to glare at the ground. "…I thought you were just a med nin. What do you mean semi?"
"I refuse to be the weak link anymore, Sasuke kun." She scratched the back of her neck. Nervous Jitters for her ex crush. "You've been gone awhile. Once your in, your in. I guess I'm just coming to terms with that."
"I have…but does that mean naruto…?" His eyes went wide. "Am I that far behind?!"
"I have only used twenty percent to spar with naruto. He still loses though I don't know if that's because he can't focus for long." She laughed. Her long pink bangs blowing into her face. "Anyways, about Saturday?" She smiled.
"…I'll know by today if I can. With us returning my kaachan has a family event scheduled out. You hungry? Maybe we can go get some lunch, just you and I?" He slightly blushed. Sakura blinked.
"Oh. Um." She chewed her lip. "Actually, I have a shift at the hospital soon. Remember?"
"Oh." He blinked. Did she just…reject him?
"Yeah. Rain check?" She smiled again pulling her gloves off.
"Um. Yeah?" He stood in confusion as she turned waving at him.
"Well, I'll see you around. Maybe Saturday?" She waved, "well hopefully. I don't want to be a third wheel." With that she leaped off towards the konohas general hospital.
What happened to the weak little girl? The one he and naruto swore to protect. Still breathing heavy, he turned and made his way back to town. He had a lot of training to do. ANBU. It was his turn to catch up with his team mate.
She glanced at her watch. Eleven thirty three. Wow. Her shishou would be pissed to see she just pulled a double. The overtime would be nice however. She checked over her charts one more time while taking over her white coat. Everything in order she filed it behind her desk. Leaving out the critical patience's for shizune to look over later and headed for the changing rooms.
Stripping off her scrubs and nitril gloves and pulling on her black spandex shorts and red tang top. She reached back with one arm to pop her back and stretch, a yawn coveting her features.
The door opened and she continued dressing as a loud voice came down the hall.
"A double. Really. This girl is going to give me a stroke." Tsunades voice bellowed. A bit slurred. Oh fuck. Drunk tsunade was never good. Sakura pulled her white med nin skirt in place, slipping her thigh bandages into place and tightening them around her knees.
"Sakura!" Her voice bellowed.
"Hai, shishou. I'm here." She raised her voice and stuck an arm up. Pulling her elbow braces into place, and pulling out her black sleeveless zip top. Shrugging it on just in time to narrowly avoid the sake cup thrown at her head.
"Sakura!" She spat at her, "how long have you been here?" Tsunades face was red, maybe not in anger but in intoxication.
"Hai, shishou." Sakura started, bowing her head in acknowledgement. "I came in at 11." She stood and grabbed her knee high nin boots, turning to put a foot into them.
"Sakura!" She pointed her finger at her face. "I told you! No doubles anymore!" The alcohol smelled strong, Sakura stood more intently.
"Gomen, shishou. We had two major surgery's today. A group of ANBU came back. Both are still in critical, and I wanted to make sure they made it through to shizune." She bowed low.
Tsunade blinked. Slowly. "Your chakra levels?" She versed looking at the nails on one hand.
"Hai, I'm about 10 maybe 15 percent ma'am." Sakura raised out of her bow, and gave a quick glance at her hokage and mentor.
"Fine. Your dismissed…but your off tomorow and Saturday for your own good. I still expect to see you training both days. Also, your needed in the tower at noon on Sunday." I guess that was as close to punishment as ever. No work. Sakura sighed. "Also, this was left with the front desk for you." Tsunade pulled a letter out of her Haiti sleeve. With Sakuras name written on the front.
"Arigato, shishou." She took the letter. She didn't recognize the handwriting, but it was very elegant. Opening it, she scrolled it quickly.
'Sakura, I apologize for leaving this at the front desk. You were in surgery. I have a family affair, so I will not be avalible for Saturday. Sasuke.'
'Well. I guess I'll ask Kakashi.' Sakura sighed. She looked forward to teasing naruto with Sasuke, And catching up with him. It had been awhile. Oh well.
"Shishou, I think I'll-" Sakura started
"Oh no you don't!" Tsunades green painted index finger touching her nose. "For giving me a hard time and working late, your buying me a drink."
"Shishou, don't you think-"
"Don't even finish that sentence." She smiled big as she grabbed sakuras arm. Pulling her into step with her as they left the locker room. "I'm thinking it's a good day for expensive sake!"
Sakuras wallet was going to hurt from this. There goes all the overtime.
