Chapter 16
Coffee and complements
Itachi, always calm and collected, stood with a playful smirk on his face, while Sakura held her ground dropping into a defensive stance.
As they faced each other, Itachi smiled, "Ready to go princess?" he taunted, his eyes gleaming with amusement.
"Bring it on Mr stalker." She grinned.
With a flicker of movement, the spar began. Sakura charged at Itachi, her fist aimed at his torso. Itachi effortlessly sidestepped her attack, his Sharingan taking in every detail of her movement. "Your technique is still lacking, Sakura," he remarked, his voice laced with amusement. "You telegraph your moves too much."
Slightly frustrated, Sakura adjusted her stance and launched another attack, this time aiming for Itachi's head. Itachi effortlessly ducked under her punch, a smirk playing on his lips. "A little predictable, aren't we?" he teased.
Sakura's eyebrow twitched in annoyance, but she refused to let her frustration get the best of her. She quickly regrouped and attempted a series of swift kicks, aiming to catch Itachi off guard. To her surprise, one of her kicks found its mark, grazing Itachi's arm. Itachi acknowledged her progress with a nod. With that he summoned a clone and he morphed it into sasori. She froze as the clone of the puppet master charged her.
Quickly recovering Sakura performed a series of acrobatic flips, gracefully soaring through the air. As she flipped, she gained momentum, positioning herself above her clone. With a swift motion, Sakura used her superior strength to grab hold of the clone's arm, twisting it in midair.
The clone winced in pain as Sakura's grip tightened, she somersaulted, using the clone's arm as leverage, and flipped both of them in the air. As they descended, Sakura released her hold on the clone's arm and struck with a powerful kick to its abdomen, sending it crashing to the ground.
"Nice job, Sakura," Itachi commended, his voice filled with genuine encouragement. "But don't get too comfortable. I'm still just getting started."
Sakura couldn't afford to let her guard down for even a minute. She had to continually adapt and improve her techniques if she wanted to stand a chance against the formidable Uchiha. Sakura unleashed a barrage of punches, combining speed and precision.
Itachi effortlessly evaded Sakura's attacks, his movements fluid and graceful. "You're still relying too much on strength alone," he remarked, his voice laced with a hint of amusement. "Technique is just as important."
Sakura took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. Itachi's words resonated with her, she needed to focus on refining her skills rather than relying solely on brute force, she adjusted her strategy, aiming for Itachi's vulnerabilities with calculated precision.
Itachi continued to dodge Sakura's attacks with ease, his Sharingan tracking her every move. He couldn't help but be impressed by her resilience and growth. Sakura's determination was evident, as she managed to land a few well-timed punches and kicks, leaving Itachi slightly off balance.
A playful smirk appeared on Sakura's face as she taunted, "Not so fast, Itachi. Looks like the princess has a few tricks up her sleeve."
Itachi chuckled softly, his dark eyes shining with amusement. "I'm glad to see you've learned to hold your ground, princess. But remember, there's still a long way to go." He ran through the hand signs so fast she barely caught the tail end of them before a clone appeared.
His clone morphed into sasori again, coming at her, instead of flinching as she normally did she twisted using her back foot to dodge his oncoming attack. Flipping upside down and grabbing his collar she flung him up, and gained leverage using his bicep. She once again flipped them and used her knee to send him to the ground in a chakra infused blow. The clone dissipated into a puff of smoke, leaving Sakura standing victorious. Breathing heavily
Itachi's eyes softened as he looked at Sakura, pride evident in his gaze. "You've come a long way, Sakura," he said, "Keep working hard, and you'll surpass even your own expectations."
Sakura smiled, "Thank you, Itachi," she replied, her voice sincere.
They stood back up sweat on her brow.
"Ready for a run then?" He smirked at her.
"Always." She rolled her shoulders. "First one to the shop buys coffee." With that She flickered, Itachi smiling as he gained on her heel. Keeping up easily. Though, he might let her win this one.
Might.
The cozy coffee shop is filled with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and the soft chatter of customers. The atmosphere is one of her favorites as Itachi approaches with their coffees. Hers a carmel macchiato iced.
She glances at him with a mischievous smile.
"You let me win the race to the coffee shop, didn't you?" Her chuckle soft. "It's suspiciously convenient that you just happened to lose."
He raises an eye brow, eyes soft. "I'm afraid you're mistaken, princess. I don't recall letting you win."
She laughed, leaning back in her chair. "Hai, and I'm just supposed to believe I'm faster than the uchiha prodigy?" She rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on, Itachi. You definitely let me have that victory."
Itachi's lips curl into a small grin as he looked at Sakura. "Perhaps I did, but only because I knew it would bring a smile to your face."
Sakura could feel the flush on her face as she averted her eyes out the window, sipping her iced drink. "How do you say that with a straight face?"
"Say what, Princess?" He reached across the table and tipped her face back in his direction. "That I love your smile?"
"My my, Mr lady killer." She fanned her face trying to stop the blood from rushing to it. "You need to calm down with the flirting. A girl can only handle so much." She teased. "Careful, someone might think your into me or something." She giggled.
Itachi remains silent, his gaze fixed on Sakura.
Sakura chuckled nervously and leaned forward, her eyes searching for an answer.
"Well?" She fidgeted with her coffee cup.
"Well what?" His grin widened.
"We'll go on deny it." Her heart skipped a beat.
Itachi leaned in close, eyes fixed on her green ones. She thought she could feel the sharingan burning in their depths.
"I don't lie, Sakura." He whispered to her hand reaching to her cheek and caressing the blush.
Just as itachis face grew closer over the small table, sakuras eyes fixated on his lips, the sound of the door chime sent her backwards into her chair. She hadn't realised she was leaning into his touch. Shisui entered the coffee shop , spotting Itachi and Sakura. He approached their table with a mischievous smile.
"Well, well, well." He started. "Look who we have here. You two look like a couple." He smirked.
"Shisui, stop teasing." Sakura said flustered as she sipped her beverage. "we're just friends."
"Shisui, don't be a bother." Itachis face twitched as if he was holding back a smile. "Don't worry about him princess, he always has to be the joker."
Shisui takes a seat at the table, joining their conversation seamlessly. "Yes, Princess Sakura, you know how funny I can be." His ear to ear smile was half directed at sakura but his eyes were staring Itachi down.
"Alright alright, no need to call me princess." Sakuras blush disappeared. "I don't find you funny at the best of times shisui." She deadpanned at him.
"Sure you don't, princess." He purred her endearment.
"Shisui, stop it!" Sakura punched him playfully in the arm.
"I must say, you two look quite cozy. It's like a scene out of a romantic movie." Shisui laughs.
Itachi interrupts, his voice calm and dominant. "Sakura, it's almost time for your meeting with the hokage, would you like my escort?"
She sits up straight looking at her watch. "Shit. Right, I should go. Thanks for the coffee, Itachi. I should be fine, meet me at the tower in like an hour, maybe forty five?"
Itachi nodded, his gaze never leaving Sakura. "Yes, please, do be careful."
"Of course. Thanks again." She held her cup up as she stood.
Itachi'sstood as well, his eyes softening, as he reached out to gently cup Sakura's cheek. "Anything for you, princess, you deserve it."
Sakura's heart skipped a beat, she couldn't help but smile brightly as she averted her eyes, looking at the floor.
"I'll see you later, Itachi." She said, as she touched her hand to his. Then turned on her heel headed towards the door, her heart fluttering with a mix of emotions. Itachi watched her leave, his gaze filled with adoration.
"You really are in love with her, aren't you?" Shishou rolled his eyes. "I used to enjoy our banter but now I'm probably going to have to stop that huh?"
"I'd suggest you did, cousin." He said, turning back to the raven haired man. "I have to run and take care of something. Watch her as she heads to the hokages." Then he disappeared in a flutter of feathers.
"God I never get down time." Shisui huffed standing and headed out the door, grumbling. "No one ever buys me coffee for my hard work."
Tsunade looked up as sakura entered the window, naruto sai and sasuke standing by the desk.
"Tsunade sama?" She eyed her teamates who both stood nonchalant.
"Come in sakura," she motioned to sakura. "Alright, everyone. We have an important matter to discuss." She glanced at Sakura as she dropped from the windowsill and made her way next to her two friends. "Sakura, it's been a year since your last mission. I think it's time to test your skills and see if you're ready to handle field missions again."
Sakuras eyes lit up with excitement and mirth.
Naruto jumped pumping a first into the air. "Yeah, I agree! Sakura, I'll make sure everything goes smoothly!" He bellowed out. "Tsunade! I'll make sure she's safe and ready for action."
Sakura laughed. "Thank you, Naruto. I appreciate your concern, but I assure you, I'm ready. It's been a long time coming, and I'm confident in my abilities I know I'm ready now, I've been training hard." She pulled a glove taught on her hand making a fist, feeling the leather stretch.
Tsunade smirked, looking up to her pink haired apprentice. "Good to hear, Sakura. But we need to be cautious. This mission will be a test for you. You'll be leading the team, and I expect you to prove that you're fully capable of handling field missions once again." She motioned to sai, sasuke and naruto. "You three, this is a serprate mission." She crossed her fingers in front of her face and eyed them both. "Now, let me give you the mission brief." She pulled a scroll off the pile of ever rising incoming paperwork. "A village in the Wind Country is in desperate need of assistance. They're facing a series of attacks from rogue ninjas, and they're struggling to defend themselves with limited resources."
Sakura nodded. "I see. What exactly do they need from us?"
"They need us to assess the situation, provide medical aid to the injured, and help reinforce their defenses." Tsunade passed the scroll to sakura. "Additionally, Suna has requested our assistance due to a shortage of shinobi in their village. We'll need to address their needs as well."
Sai and sasuke nodded.
Sasuke looked to tsunade. "What's our role in the objective of the mission?"
Tsunade looked to him. "Sakura will be the leader of this mission, as I've already stated. Your objective is to ensure the safety of the villagers, eliminate the threat, and assist Suna in any way necessary. I trust you all to handle this mission with utmost efficiency."
"Don't worry, Granny Tsunade! We'll get the job done!" Naruto grinned. "We won't let them down, We'll protect that village with everything we've got!"
"I have no doubt about that, Naruto." Tsunade laughed. "Sakura, Sasuke, Naruto, I believe in your abilities. Make sure to support each other and return safely." She then looked to sakura again. "Sakura, you'll be leading this mission. You'll coordinate with the village leaders, gather information, and ensure the safety of our team. It's crucial that you demonstrate your leadership skills again. Before you can face him again."
"Thank you, Tsunade-sama. I won't let you down." She bowed to her.
"Let's go, team! We've got a mission to complete!" Naruto turned to the double doors full of energy.
"Ahem." Sakura turned to naruto.
"Ah!" He turned back around hand rubbing the back of his head. "I mean." He coughed, "what's the, um, plan, sakura Chan?"
"You have two hours team, be dressed to impress, weapons sharpened and your packs ready and at the gate in that time." She smiled, "dismissed."
"Believe it, Sakura! We'll see you there in less time than that!" Naruto ran out of the room at full speed. Sai waved and dove out the window.
"Dope." Sasuke shook his head, looking back to sakura. "See you at the gate, captain." He smirked as he left through the window.
Tsunade watched as the other two took off. "I have full confidence in you, Sakura. Just remember, this mission isn't just about completing the objective. It's about assessing your readiness for further mission"
"I won't disappoint you, Tsunade. I'll prove that I'm ready to take on this responsibility." She turned walking to the window. Stopping with one foot on the sill. "Also shishou. Thank you for giving me this opportunity."
A swirl of cherry blossoms hit the ground as sakura disappeared. Tsunade got up to watch the village beneath her.
"I know you've got this."
Naruto, Sai, Sasuke, and Sakura ran swiftly through the trees, their footsteps in step the silence only showing the caliber of shinobi. Sakura lead the way, her eyes focused on the path ahead, while Sasuke brought up the rear, ever vigilant of their surroundings. Three days in and already they'd finished their mission.
"I can't believe it's been over a year since my last mission. I'm so excited to finally be back in action!" Sakura laughed out. "To feel the trees rushing by my face and wind in my hair."
"Yeah, Sakura-Chan! It's about time you got back in the game. We should totally celebrate your comeback with a trip to the hot springs!" Naruto said with a smile plastered on. "Team 7 is back in action, stronger than ever!"
Sai slightly confused asked aloud. "Hot springs? Are they like the baths?"
"Oh, Sai!" Naruto turned while running to look at the artist. "You've gotta experience it. It's the best way to relax and unwind!
"You guys go ahead. I have no interest in hot springs." Sasuke said deadpanned. "Sakura wouldn't-"
"That sounds great, Naruto. But let's focus on the mission first. Debriefing then we can worry about a Hot Spring trip." Sakura cut him off. "And since you said it, you also can pay for a massage for me." She smirked diving through the trees with deadly accuracy. Hitting the forest floor. "Oh! And a facial thanks to your stupid idea with the explosive trap." She turned to look at her blonde idiot if a friend who just winced at the mention.
"Sakura Chan….I didn't think it would go off to your chakra signal…" he scratched the back of his head as they slowed to a walking pace.
Sasuke sighed aloud. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to relax for a bit." He gave sakura a half smile. "I'll pay for your facial then."
Sakura laughed. "Thanks sasuke."
Sai looked between the two. "In my newest book," he pulled a book on sexual terms and positions. "it says a facial is-"
"No!" All three ninjas turned to sai.
Sasuke with a beat red face eye twitching, "not what I meant sai, you fucking weirdo."
"But, then, do you mean to say you don't want to give her a facial?" Sai said, questionably flicking between sakura and sasuke.
"God no. Sai." Sakura laughed. "You need better source material."
Suddenly sakura dropped into a defensive pose, "I feel a presence."
Sasuke took point, as sakura put an arm out, pulling out her katana. "Only one sasuke, I'll handle it."
The tree branches rustled and a Suna ninja stumbled out upon them, bloodied and gasping for breath. Sakura's eyes widened in concern, and she rushed to his side. Pulling her hand up to his chest and started to assess his damage.
"What happened? Who did this to you?" She said as she ran her chakra through his channels. Internal bleeding, a trace poison.
"Ka... kazakage sama….kidnapped. Kankuro... poisoned. It was…. Sasori of the Red Sands." The ninja coughed out as sakura started the mending process. Her expression hardened, her fists glowed green. clenching her teeth.
"Damn it! We don't have time to waste." She looked up to sai as a plan starts to form, her leadership taking charge. "Sai, use your clay bird jutsu to transport him back to Konoha. Naruto, Sasuke, we're heading back to Suna. We need to find Gaara and get to Kankuro before it's too late."she growled out.
Naruto's chakra surged, anger shinned in his eyes."You got it, Sakura Chan. We won't let anything happen to Gaara or Kankuro!" His body glowed red.
Sai nodded, quickly forming seals and summoning a clay bird. He gently carried the Suna ninja onto. "I'll be right behind you after I report in and let hokage sama know the details." He hoped up and the bird started towards konaha.
"Damn it," she looked after the bird for a moment. "And we were almost done too." She stood straight and cracked her knuckles over her head. "Come on boys, we're pulling a triple count. Time to get a taste of what anbu has to offer." She eyed the two, particularly her raven haired uchiha. "See if you can keep up."
The trio nodded in unison, their resolve unyielding, sakura blasted off the floor hitting the branches and flaring chakra to her feet. The other two took off at breakneck speed, their bodies blurring as they raced through the forest, fueled by their sense of urgency, the mission laid out before them as sakura pushed more chakra to her feet, dodging branches.
She played out their route in her head, making adjustments for time. "Six hours." She said aloud. "Six hours and we will be entering suna. Be ready."
Sakura's mind raced as they ran, calculating their next moves.
"Kankuro's life is on the line, and Gaara..." sakura hit the branch, pushing off and speeding up more. Sasukes sharingan I'm focus as he tried to keep up.
"Sakura!" He breathed. "I don't know if I can keep up with this pace!"
"Sakura Chan will heal us when we get close." Naruto handed his raven haired teammate two chakra pills. "I suggest you take these and use as much as you need."
Sasuke took the pills and chewed them between his teeth. Sour look on his face.
"We need to find them before it's too late. Sasori won't get away with this." sakura said.
"Agreed." Naruto nodded. "We can't waste a single moment. We'll get to Suna as fast as we can and save them!"
With that they blended into the forest.
The blistering sun beat down on them as they arrived at the outskirts of Suna. Sand whipped around them, but they pushed forward relentlessly. The sandstorm picking up. All three shinobi had goggles and a head wrap on to keep the dust and sand down.
"We have to hurry!" Naruto looked around. "Every second counts. Let's find Gaara and save Kankuro!" Naruto's chakra exploded out , propelling him forward with incredible speed. The wind rushed past them as they sprinted towards Suna.
"Naruto, we need a game plan." Sakura said, keeping up easily as they crossed the last few dunes into suna.
"Yes. That would be preferable dope." Sasuke nodded.
"Ok sakura Chan! Fine! What's the plan then?" Naruto's frustration and exhaustion showing in his body language.
"Let's split up and cover more ground. Sasuke, you take the north. Naruto, you take the south. I'll search the center." She pointed, taking off towards the center of the gates. The team nodded in agreement, Sakura tore off into the heart of Suna, her focus unwavering.
"Aye captain." Sasuke said dodging to the left.
"Yes!" Naruto called out, "got it sakura Chan!" Diving to the right.
"I wonder where everyone is?!" Sakura cursed, coming to the gate, sand blasting into her face.
Knowing she, sasuke, and naruto would hit diffrent gates she took in the sight, looking for any damages. Seeing the gate was almost perfect she would wait to hear the mission reports from the other two before making any determination on problems.
"Halt! Who goes there?!" A voice called to her as a suna nin approached her. "State your business!"
"It's Sakura Haruno, medical ninja from Konoha!" She yelled out holding up the code sign for friend. "I'm here to assist!"
"Sakura Haruno?" He yelled out. " Ah, the famous medic-nin from the Hidden Leaf Village. Apologies for the caution, but in times like these, we can't be too careful. The village is in chaos due to the attack! Not to mention this storm picking up. We can't even find a trail for the kazakage sama!"
"I understand the caution, and thank you for allowing me to enter. How bad is the sandstorm? Do you have any nins out searching now?" She called out to the nin, who now stood in front of her. "I also have two other teammates with me, one going to the south entrance and one to the north!"
"It's quite severe, Sakura-sama. Visibility is extremely low, making it difficult to see even a few meters ahead. We've closed off most of the village, but there's still a lot of sand and debris flying around. Be careful, and keep your guard up." He threw a sign up to his partner in the guard house. "Two more incoming from the other entrances!"
"I will, thank you for the warning." Sakura waved him off. "Can you direct me to where Kankuro is? Time is of the essence."
"Kankuro is being treated at the medical facility. It's one of the few buildings still standing strong after the attack. Our hospital has been hit hard. With our men working against the storm... well as you can see… Follow me, I'll guide you there." He said turning to the Main Street.
Sakura and the guard navigated through the sandstorm, struggling against the harsh winds and swirling sand. She could hardly see in front of her face, being whipped by her pink locks.
"We're almost there, Sakura-sama. Just a little further." Naruto and sasuke found them in front of a structure made of clay like sand.
"Thank you." She bowed to the guard. "Kazakage sama and Kankuro-san are important allies, and their safety is a priority." She turned to her teammates. "Ok guys, gather intel from the gate guards while I handle this." She turned back to the building reaching for the door. "As soon as I'm finished we will head out." She looked to the wind and sand blowing about. "I just hope this sandstorm lets up soon."
Sasuke looked back over the dust and partical filled air. "Yeah. Otherwise finding the kazakage is going to be near impossible."
Sakura nodded entering the building. She stopped with her hand on the wall. Her short hair whipping around. "Yes. Dangerous. Almost suicide."
A/n: Hey guys! To All who are still with me, thank you for sticking around.
any newcomers, hi, welcome to this story. Hope your enjoying the ride. Side note, theirs a little button that takes you to a page where you can leave me complements and or tell me off. Whatever works, hit that button and review for me so I know how y'all are liking it. Much appreciated, until my next love note.
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