Chapter seven
Bagels
Konaha 1.5 years ago.
Sakura couldn't stop, her katana in hand she swung slicing through another nin. This was too easy. Something was off. Something was wrong. She turned to see ino holding her own, both of them covered head to toe in blood and grime. Both feeling exausted. Something was off, the nin kept coming. All of them wearing the same head bands, all of them with spiders. Poison senbons kept raining down on them.
Fuck.
She gathered more chakra into her soles and lept, swinging her katana out and into two more nin. The signatures kept multiplying, she didn't even have a chance to take a breath, the worst part was it was like they were trying to wear them out. She didn't know what to do, who to hold responsible.
Kakashi Genma ino and sai were all filling her side peripheral, each keeping their heads barely above water with the amount that this army was producing. A fist impacted with her side, causing her to lose her balance for a moment, a searing pain as her mask cracked. Under the barrage of kunai that came from the trees. They were only aiming to incompasitate, not kill.
Fuck fuck fuck
She fell off the branch sending chakra back to her soles and catching herself upside down as a fierce wind ripped through the valley, she barely held on. Her mask shattered and she closed her eyes as the wind swept its pieces around her. Her face bare to the nin coming at her. Fuck it.
She wouldn't let them live to tell the details they seen. She pushed off the branch in a dive fist colliding with the ground, a shock wave sent trees and debris into the air, she used this moment to pummel a few of the air born nin into early graves.
Pushing up and swinging around her katana caught into the side of a rather large man standing at the base of the rubble.
It stuck into him, but he didn't even flinch.
"What the fuck?" She tried to pry it out when the man laughed.
"Well well pinky. Looks like you found me." He grinned sadistically at her. Letting go of the katana she pushed off the ground and flipped back. Watching in horror as it melted, and she meant melted, into the side of him. Becoming a hot pile of molten liquid.
"Who the fuck are you?" She snarled, hearing her comrades holding up she didn't have the chance to turn and check on them as he darted for her. She flickered back loosing sight of him. She scanned the area, catching sight of ino, who looked in bad shape.
"Should keep an eye on yourself." She turned around just in time to take a fist to the head that sent her flying through the air and into a tree.
Blinking rapidly she tried to get a hand on her senses and make the world come into focus. She was seeing double. Concision.
Barely avoiding another crushing blow as she pushed off the tree and it snapped in two. She landed upright but wobbly. Focusing chakra into her hand as the man came at her again she hoped she targeted the right one, when it collided and she felt a rubber like force kick her back with the impact, she knew she was in trouble. The crack she felt radiating up her arm told her she had just lost a wrist. Her hand came up to check the damage as she looked onwards to the man. He seemed made of something, unnatural.
Snapped wrist, and thumb, her ulna nerve was pierced with bone and the shock wave had fractured, no, shattered her radius. Right at the elbow. She had internal bleeding from her radial arterie. She had to end this. Fast.
"What the fuck are you?" She said between gritted teeth as she tried to fix what she could. Her left arm was out of the game.
He laughed. A bone chilling laugh. "My darling," he spoke low and gritty, "they call me Sanji toro. And my bloodline is shock absorption. I can also funnel it." She looked back to where her katana was, a puddle at this point.
"Let me guess, you can heat things up." She chided, trying to buy time to heat the chidori.
A bird song started to to sing loudly, as she used her right to compile it. "Well, so can I." She said as the lightning erupted through the clearing.
Kakashi heard the chirping in the clearing, watching sakura charge at the large man, he sliced through the shinobi that stood in his way, he dashed towards the pair. Instantly recognizing the missing nin as the infamous sanji toro of earth country's most wanted. His fame coming from his blood line jutsu Ribaundoteku turning his body into rubber and reflecting it back on a person. His eyes widened.
"Blossom stop!" He cried out flashing to deflect her chidori, throwing a clone out in front of it.
The chidori blasted through the clone like water. Defecting out as sanji laughed, sakura flipped back twice landing in a crouch as kakashi stood next to her.
"I had it hound." She gritted out.
"No. You didn't. He would have killed you with that strike." He barked. Anger lacing his voice.
"You two are very amusing, cheif will be pleased to hear I've run into you, 'blossom of death'." He laughed grabbing his stomach in a roar. "Good bye for now, sakura haruno. I suspect we will be meeting quite soon." Breathing in deep he made quick signs and exhaled. His body erupting into spiders that took off every which way. They jumped as the spiders made webs that brought them air bound. A wind sweeping them off.
"Fuck." She said grinding her jaw. "He fucking knows my name."
"Where the fuck is your mask." Kakashi turned to her and shook her shoulders. "Why the fuck would you put a target on your back like that?!"
"It got destroyed tenchou." She murmmered.
"This is not a fucking joke." Seething, he dropped his arms. "Check everyone over," he threw a spare face mask at her, one like his everyday covering. "And put this on." He turned on his heel to assist sai and Genma in body disposal. Sakura looked down at her arm. Bones still broken, pain radiating out and up to her torso. Adrenaline finally wearing off as she used her one good arm to pull the mask over her head and secure it in place.
Fuck. She had some work to do.
With her arm in a sling and two weeks off under Tsunades orders sakura made her way down to the headquarters to pick up another cat mask. She would have to see if sai could paint her another. His work was always top knotch. She sighed. She really liked her old mask.
The path was easy no uphill, it was good sense she had pulled her hamstring during the battle. Under Tsunades orders she wasn't to heal anything until two weeks was up. Pretty harsh punishment but apparently her name was out and the mask breaking set her in pretty hot water with the council.
Another deep sigh. Kakashi had been avoiding her since they got back. Maybe she would buy him the next icha Icha book to make up for it?
"SAKURA CHAN! BEAUTIFUL BLOSSOM!" She heard lee before she felt him running towards her. Great. No point in trying to avoid him, he loved the chase more than anything else.
"Lee-San." She stated turning a smile in his direction. She was in all black today, from her spandex bike shorts, to her Cheongsam shirt and med skirt. Her arm sling annoyingly rubbed against the fabric.
"Ah! My beautiful blossom!" Lee turned to see her arm. "What has happened?! Sakura Chan?!"
"Hai. Lee San I had a bit of a fall, embarrassing really…."she turned away in perfect pose to show she didn't want to talk about it, a though struck her, plan falling into place.. "Shishou was so upset with me. She wouldn't let me heal it." Turning her face back to him, with watery eyes. "And it hurts so bad." She let a single tear fall down her face. "She will hear nothing I say on the matter how ever, set in her way…"
"BEAUTIFUL BLOSSOM, FEAR NOT! I SHALL FIND HOKAGE SAMA AND VIDICATE IN YOUR STEAD!!" Fire in his eyes lee punched the air.
'Tsunade-sama is going to be so tired of him by the end of the day, either she's going to break all his bones, or agree.' She smiled inwardly.
"Oh lee San! So sweet of you! I think she just woke up! She should be in her office about now!"
"I shall depart beautiful blossom of spring! And return to you with joyous news!" He took off dust kicking up behind him. Sly grin on her face.
"I'm going to hell for that one." She said. Continuing forward to headquarters.
"Haruno San. That was mean." She heard shisui uchihas bright voice call as he fell into step beside her. "Hokage sama is going to be really peeved off for that."
"Oh! What an honor! Mr body flicker himself coming to chide me in place of kakashi sensei." The venom in her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Ah! Haruno San. Such a pleasure in the morning," he scratched the back of his head giving her a sheepish grin. "And to think I took all this time to make sure I was presentable for your highness." He ran a hand through his dark locks.
"Shut up 'uchiha San'." She said elbowing him in the rib. "Seriously. Shisui, what's up with mr grumpy?"
"Sakura, you really pissed him off this time. He told me what you did, by the way. Reckless." He scolded her.
"Learned from the master of reckless decisions." Her voice monotone.
"Ah. I guess you two just need to battle it out." He looked at her arm. "Not letting you heal it, eh?"
"Two weeks. Two weeks trying to live with half the bones in my arm shattered." She grimmanced. "You don't know true pain until you have a scratch under a cast and you can't reach it," she sighed heavy. "Or try to grocery shop with a basket and one arm.." she looked up to him with a sparkle in her eye.
"I am not lee, your little devious plans hold no power here." He turned his face away from her looking up at the sky.
'Challenge accepted'.
"Shisui…." She batted her eyes at him, putting on her best pout. "Shisui...please?" He risked a glance down at her, stopping mid step. "The baskets just so big…it's too big for me…" she stuck her pout out further.
"Ah…sakura." He put a hand under her chin and pulled her towards his face. "It's better when you beg, oh it's always better when you beg." He put an arm around her waist. "I may be able to be persuaded…" Her pout dropped. As she pulled her face back.
"Fine. I'll just get ino to help me." She huffed.
He laughed. "Don't come into the kitchen if you can't handle the heat."
"What does kakashi want?" She side eyed him turning the corner and crossing the street to the ANBU head quarters.
"He just wanted me to check in on you. Make sure your ok." He said opening the door for her.
"Hai. Tell him I've been severely punished, I've been whipped, and spanked. Also tell him if he forgives me, the new copy of Icha Icha medic in love will be his. Oh!" She turned back to him. "And all the salt-broiled sanma and miso soup he can eat."
"I'll pass it along." Shisui grinned. "I have to scram now, but please don't do anything stupid." She turned and threw a kick at him. He caught it and they both smiled wide.
"See you around Shisui." She laughed as he dropped her foot and flickered out.
"How can I help you?" The receptionist asked.
"Hai….I need a blank cat mask."
Konoha present day.
She sat down at the breakfast nook in the cafe lobby. Placing her bagel and tea down before opening the cream cheese. She spread a light layer over it and brought it too her lips when a movement caught her eye.
"Pakkun." She said looking down at the ninken. "To what do I owe this pleasure?" She laughed as pakkun watched her hand place the bagel back on her plate, smirking she tore a piece off and tossed it to him. Catching it mid air and swollowing it whole.
"Mah, boss lady. Thanks." He licked his lips, "kakashi told me to tell you he was running late."
Ah. The age old story. "What's keeping him today?" She smiled at him micheviously. "Run into a bandit? A mermaid?"
"No, he has been called to the hokages office." He replied. Tail wagging as she picked up the bagel again.
"Hai. Did he say how long?" She pulled off another piece and tossed it too, then took a bite herself.
He gulped it down happily. "20 minutes or so."
"Hai. So we will be lucky to see him before the date tonight?" She laughed.
"I think he will make it on time actually. He was looking forward to breakfast with you." Pakkun scratched his ear. Sakuras eyes widened.
"Really?" She said, voice quizzical.
"Mah. Have I ever lied to you pup?" She raised a brow.
"Um. Yes. Many times." She replied dryly.
"Mah. Pup. Fine. Have I ever lied to you when food was involved." She took a moment to think about that one.
"Alright, got me there." A slight chuckle left her lips.
"Haruno San." A tenor voice called. She turned in her seat to face the one and only Itachi uchiha.
"Uchiha San." She replied with a nod of her head.
"Sakura, good morning." Shisuis voice beckoned striding up to the two, with two cups in hand. His smile contagious. Sakura smirked to him,
"Shisui, good to see you." He looked down to the pair and handed Itachi the styrofoam cup, then pulled out a chair.
"Mind if we join you for a bit?" He grinned wolfishly.
"Go right ahead." She laughed. "Wouldn't have stopped you if I said no anyways."
"One day you'll say yes. And when you do, you'll say it again and again…." She smacked him playfully on the arm.
"In your dreams Shisui." Itachi, who was observing the actions between the two took the chair on the other side of Sakura.
"Looking forward to our spar Haruno San. Sasuke says your quite the challenge." He spoke low before bringing the cup to his face. Taking a sip.
"Hai. Uchiha San. It was a good warm up." She smiled softly.
"My brother has quite the temper on him, he was very angry at me after you two fought."
She blinked. "Why is that?"
"Because he thinks Itachi here went soft on him," Shisui thumbed at his younger cousin. "Truth is, the kid has a lot of growing to do still." He sipped his drink as well.
"Him and naruto both. Truthfully. I can see them becoming very strong." Sakura smiled sweetly into her cup. She took a sip then brought the bagel back to her lips before tossing the rest to pakkun.
"Well it's been awhile, how about we spar sa-ku-ra?" Shisui smiled at her sing songing her name.
"Oh, your on!" She beamed.
"Want to referee this round, cousin?"shisui looked at Itachi.
Itachi smiled to himself. "Hn."
"The uchiha brothers. Men of many words." He whispered loudly at sakura, causing her to erupt into laughter as she stood and grabbed her bag.
"Coming pakkun?" She said flashing him a grin.
"Naw, I'm going to find kakashi. Tell him to find you in the training grounds."
"Good idea!" She patted his head before turning to join the dark haired pair out the door, waving over her shoulder. "Tell him training grounds 3 and bring doughnuts!"
She huffed, blocking his strike with her arm as he flickered behind her, she shot out a roundhouse at his side. Barely touching him before he was in front of her again. She flipped back into the air, shooting senbon at him. He disappeared into a log, reappearing mid air to grab her around the waist and toss her into a nearby tree. She flipped mid grab and twisted his arm back and flipped him underneath her, slamming him down into the ground, a little chakra in her heel.
He coughed, and she pushed off him twirling into a dive as she braced herself on a tree branch. Shisui sat up, clearly out of breath. sharingan activated, Itachi watching from the shadows of the trees at the edge of the training Field. She was lithe, Toned, and very skilled with taijutsu. Weapons training was superb. He wondered where her ninjutsu stood.
Shisui ran through hand signs flashing forward,
"Fire Style! Phoenix Flower Jutsu! Crimson Dance." He called. Sakura jumped back as shurikin coated in fire flashed at her. Putting both her arms up in defense she threw out the hand signs for her own combatant.
"Water style, water dragon Jutsu!" She huffed back and a water barrage in the shape of a dragon rushed Shisui. He smiled.
"Fuck me." When the water smashed into him, he disappeared popping into a log. And lost sight of the pinkette. "Son of a bi-" she cut him off with a ground breaking punch from below sending him flying into the air. She flickered above him, sending him down into the now destroyed earth with a well placed heel to the stomach.
"Two Haruno San. None Shisui." Itachi called walking into the clearing with a smirk. Both hands in his pockets, striding towards the two, Shisui laying flat on his back, sakura crouch over him, kunai to the neck.
"The one time I go easy on you…" Sakura chastised. Still trying to catch her breath, wide smile on her face.
"Ha! You know I wasn't even using my sharingan." Shisui laughed, sakura held a hand out to the man, pulling him to his feet. "But I do have to say, you look real good covered in swe-" Itachi smacked him upside the head. "Ow! Itachi!" He rubbed the back of his head. Visibly pouting.
"Haruno San that was a wonderful performance." Itachi nodded, "even if he was using his sharingan, you could pose a real threat."
Sakura blinked. Did Itachi uchiha just complement her? "Well uchiha San, I think both Shisui know each other's fighting still so well…but thank you for the complement." She bowed.
"I think I know where you got the flicker technique from now." He shot his cousin a smirk. Under that smirk was aproval. "Your form is indeed exquisite." He smiled at sakura. "I'm indeed very excited for our spar."
Shisui visibly paled. Was Itachi….flirting?
"Hai!" Sakura beamed, "I am looking forward to it too uchiha San."
"Please, call me Itachi." He reached out and tucked a piece of hair back behind her ear.
She blushed furiously. "Gomen, uchiha San. That would be inappropriate." She pulled her arms behind her back and nervously fiddled with her med skirt.
"How is it inappropriate? We are friends now arnt we?" He laughed. Itachi uchiha laughed. Sakuras eyes shot up. His handsome face pulled up into a smile, he looked much younger with a smile, he looked his age.
"Hai. But you are sasuke kuns older brother, uchiha San." She started. Blush gone.
"I am, I am also giving you permission, sakura." Holy shit. His voice caressed sakuras name like a piece of candy on his tongue.
Shisui looked between the two. Oh. He was flirting. He shook his head. Might as well kiss that flirty relationship goodbye if he valued his head.
"Mah. Sakura. Can't believe I missed the fun." Kakashis voice called from the trees.
Itachi turned to look in his direction. Sharingan activated as he made his way to his student.
Both eyes trained on Itachi. Irritation flashed through the mens eyes as they came face to face.
"Kakashi!" She slapped his chest lightly. "Your so late." She put her hands on her hips, small smile in place.
"Sorry sweetheart. Got a bit delayed." Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck. Eye crinkle in place. "How about we get lunch instead? Tempura?"
She grinned like a Cheshire Cat at that. "Yes please!"
Itachi looked between the two of them. "You both seem very informal." He noted.
"Hai." Sakura smiled, "he was my ANBU tenchou, and our genin squads, naruto sasuke and I, sensei."
Itachi looked kakashi over. "Then it should be your place to correct this. But instead you instigate it."
Kakashi narrowed his eyes. "None of your buisness, uchiha San." He smiled sourly.
Sakura stopped. Refocusing on itachis words. "excuse me uchiha San, what is it your implying?
"Well, sakura, it seems your sensei here doesn't know his boundary's." The two men scowled at each other. Sakuras eyebrow twitched.
"Ex-sensei. Sakura graduated out of that team years ago. Uchiha." Kakashi dropped the honorifics.
"A little old for her arnt you? Hatake?" Itachi glared.
"Last I checked I was only a year above you uchiha. Also this is your younger brothers teammate." He barked.
"Um, you guys. Let's not do this in front of sakura, hn?" Shisui interjected.
At this point both men were dangerously close to blowing up, sakura put a hand on either man's chest and pushed them apart. The testosterone strong in the air.
"Both of you stop, your both acting childish. Come on kakashi. Let's head out, you promised tempura." She turned to Itachi, "and I'll see you Sunday uchiha San," Grabbing kakashis wrist she tugged him in the direction of the tempura booth she loved. "See you around Shisui."
Itachi watched them go. Burning holes into kakashis back as they walked. Shisui sighed loudly.
"Well that was a shitshow." He laughed.
"I want to know everything you know about her. Favorite book, movie, tea flavor, what she likes to eat. What she aspires to do in her life." Itachi turned to his older cousin. "I want to know her."
"Is this because hatake made a claim? Or because you actually like her?" Shisui scratched his face with a single finger.
"Because she intrigues me." He said flatly.
"Well, I'll tell you this now, hatake definatly knows her well." He huffed. "Because tempura is one of her absolutle favorites." He turned in her direction. "Though I never knew anything went on between the two especially with her fallout last year."
"Fallout?" Itachi turned to face his cousin.
"It's…..well I don't know the details, but it was bad. Six months in the hospital bad. She is still of active duty." He turned to walk away.
"Hn." Itachi nodded. He had much to inquire about the pinkette. He would start with Tsunade. A smile poked at his face, he would learn all about sakura Haruno. The interesting pinkette.
A/N:Thank you all for favoriting and following!Also a shout out to my two wonderful reviewers! Jesskmemmy and itasaku99 for some reason I didn't even know I had reviews, I never got the alerts. But then I checked (tears welling) ah! I said I wouldn't cry!
I said I wouldn't ask for reviews, I know. Mostly because I like when a story stays fluid and moves from chapter to chapter. But like, I lied. Please review and tell me how you really feel. The good, the bad, the ugly truth. I'm here for it. Really I am.
Until I write you all another random love letter.
-ViewlessTea0
