Chapter 6
The travel was uncomplicated but filled with an unshakeable sense of foreboding that left them quiet and subconsciously picking up the pace at several points. Almost like the calm before the storm.
Sakura left her gloves on, weapons pouches well stocked and easily accessible. The tantō blade on her back had never felt heavier, just as she'd never been so acutely aware of the forehead protector that signified her standing.
Whenever Sakura thought of returning to Seijitsu no mura, she played around with happy scenarios. She imagined seeing her old childhood friends and being impressed with all their growths; being impressed with the entire village that surely could have continued to prosper even in her family's absence. They were quiet and never bothered a soul. Always fending and providing for themselves, nervous about newcomers since they were all so closeknit but never too unwelcoming.
"Sakura," Kakashi tried.
But it was knowing their mindsets that now drained the warmth from those childish scenarios, washing them with blood that oozed from each person she could recall.
"Sakura," he called out again, this time more firmly. "We need to slow down."
At the first splatter of rain against her cheek, Sakura cursed their luck and reduced their pace. She spared a glance over her shoulder to ensure they were both adjusting to the weather before altering her position slightly to cover the slight drop in guard on Shisui's side. Their formation kept him on Kakashi's blindside, covering for his lack of sight, while she took the point despite it being unheard of for a medic to do so.
"How long will it take to get there?" the youngest of their team questioned.
"If we keep our steady pace and travel through the night, then another day at most."
But as badly as Sakura ached to push through their limits and get there quickly to ease the village's suffering, she knew she couldn't ignore her duties as their captain. Her teammates' lives were in her hands, handed over with the utmost trust in her abilities to keep them safe.
Something akin to relief flashed in Kakashi's gaze as Sakura brought them to a gentle halt, and once orders were assigned to them all, he discreetly patted her shoulder in what she knew was supposed to be a comforting gesture. At that moment in time, however, she was too tightly wound to think of anything other than the state of her home.
"We'll set out at dawn," she announced as they sat in a deeper section of the forest. It kept them sheltered from the rain, though meant that they had to huddle closer together for warmth as the dense foliage made it unsafe to light any fires. "We should get there before nightfall."
They each nodded their agreements and warming her heart, shifted against her until she was sandwiched between them and soaking in their comfort and solidarity. It was so unlike anything she had experienced previously, for even back when Kakashi was a constant during her grief, they kept their distance from one another while sharing a training ground.
No words were spoken, and Sakura held onto each of their arms in thanks for their support, head dipping to try and mask the crippling anxiety curling through her until Kakashi was wordlessly bringing it to his shoulder.
Yells of anger and fear that threatened to be lost amongst the dense trees pushed them through the final part of the journey faster than ever, determined and prepared.
According to the mission scroll Sakura had ensured to commit to memory the night before: the village was being harassed daily by the thugs. Their numbers were unknown for there were always new faces turning up on their doorsteps, but Sakura wasn't too concerned about that. She could handle lowlife criminals with her hands tied behind her back, especially with having a team to back her up now.
The last burst through the trees almost caused Sakura to freeze in horror once they finally reached her beloved home village, the sights of innocent people suffering breaking her heart. Too bad for the thugs terrorising them, fury overshadowed it and prompted Sakura to dash ahead of her team, refusing to hesitate or let them have their way any longer.
Keeping low and fast, she became a blur of pink and green as she shot through the brutes, using single strikes that had them dropping to the ground one at a time in undignified heaps. They yelled and tried to fight back once they realised what was happening, but Sakura refused to hold back, only stopping in her running once she reached the final guy. He was a hulking figure that loomed over her, that incredible size working to slow him down as she easily predicted his attempt to grab her.
Gritting her teeth, Sakura spun on her heel and sent him crashing to the ground with a sharp blow.
Her village was…
It was nothing like she remembered it being. Several homes were damaged, others marred by boarded up windows or splattered blood. The well that supplied their clean water was damaged and gushing water obnoxiously, no matter how desperately several of the men tried to manage the flow only to end up slipping in the sludge it created in the worn out ground. What stood out the most to Sakura was the lack of children. Every memory she possessed of Seijitsu carried the sounds of children playing, of their laughter and happy squeals.
The silence shattered those childish memories she previously clung to.
"You…!"
"We were sent by the Hokage," announced Kakashi after briefly eyeing her composure while soaking everything in. "You requested our services."
"S-Sakura-sama? Is that you?"
The voice was only vaguely familiar to her, though it didn't take too long to figure out where she knew the man from as she turned to meet him, the sash around his waist giving away his position in the village. The children had dubbed him as the angel of death, for he was the bearer of bad news in the village. The one each person feared opening the door to but appreciated his empathetic nature and determination to take on such a taxing role.
He was the one who told her of her parents' death.
Kakashi and Shisui each came to flank her at the hesitant approaches of the villagers, and she was incredibly grateful for their steady support at her sides as she faced her past.
"Yeah," she replied. "It's me."
Relief swept through those who were gathered in a painfully nostalgic way, reminding her of how they had reacted to the setting out or returns of her parents whenever they went out to protect the village. They flocked around her just as they had her parents. Their greetings warm, hopes restored. It was utterly overwhelming.
"My goodness. Give Sakura-hime some room to breathe, will you?"
Thankful to finally have a memory that matched up to the present, Sakura looked to the elder of the Haruno clan warmly and offered up a smile that had the man's eyes softening. Shockingly, he looked just as she remembered, like the past ten years hadn't aged him in the slightest. Then again, Sakura could vaguely recall a time where her mother had envied her father's youthful appearance as they aged together. She wondered if it was an ability of theirs that somehow slowed the ageing process and if she would be so lucky to inherit it.
Tsunade would love a technique like that.
It was during the dispersion of the awed crowds that she and her teammates disarmed and bound the thugs extra tight. Just to be sure, she thought to herself even as one man's skin tore beneath the harsh chakra-laced rope. Then, to keep an eye on them so there would be no sneaking away, she stationed Shisui and Kakashi to watch their backs, whereas she had their fronts.
Before separating from her, Kakashi drifted a step closer and murmured teasingly, "Have I had your title wrong all along? Should I be addressing you as princess?"
The words had colour flooding her cheeks and Sakura just barely kept herself from lashing out unprofessionally. Instead, while being sure nobody could see her response, she ducked her head to settle him with a warning glower.
"You don't like that one?"
"I don't like any pet names!"
"Got it," he told her, smiling placatingly.
Incredulous at his audacity, Sakura could only watch silently as Kakashi slipped away to take his position near an inquisitive Shisui. In a bid to assure him he wasn't missing much, she soon rolled her eyes in a what-an-idiot type of way, but she noted he continued to steal glances at them both to try and get a better understanding of them and their situation. Considering the several times Shisui had stumbled across them in the worst possible moment, Sakura knew he likely had the wrong impression of them.
…Or was it the wrong impression?
"Thank you for being the one to respond to our request, Sakura-hime," the elder informed her with a deep bow, making the colour in her cheeks return at full force when she sensed her shocked teammates lapping the interaction up. "Having you home has brought this old man great peace of mind."
To shift the topic from herself, Sakura gestured to the ruined village that dealt more damage to her already broken heart whenever she caught sight of the trauma inflicted. "How long has this been going on for, Asahi-sama?"
"Longer than I care to admit," he told more her than the team, and she spared a glance to the others to make sure they were listening regardless. "We share trade with a few of the neighbouring villages like our own, which is how this group came to know of our clan. They terrorise other villages too."
Only Haruno clansmen lived within Seijitsu. The community was small; buried deep within the forest in a clearing that could house their numbers. As a child, Sakura was fascinated by the surrounding forest that meant for the best games of hide and seek. Now, all she could envision were more enemies lurking in the shadows and waiting for their moment to strike.
"You're not wholly defenceless," she pointed out and frowned.
"We have many fighters here within the Haruno Clan," Asahi agreed, but his brow pinched with the burden on his shoulders. "However, any altercations with this group leads in death. We cannot handle them alone." Frown deepening and tinged with regret, he added, "Perhaps, had your parents been here–"
"But they're not here anymore," Sakura had to interject firmly even when it made her heart ache, ignoring the well-masked winces of her teammates in response to her callousness. "We need to focus on where we go from here rather than what ifs, Asahi-sama."
His mouth parted before it shut with a clenching of his jaw, his shamed gaze averting to the ground at her feet.
Maybe she was too hard on the old man in the eyes of some, but from what she could read of the current setup and his being the one to greet them: Asahi was the leader of the Haruno clan now. Being weak-willed and living on silly wishes wasn't going to keep their clan safe or thriving—and despite the pleasant memories with the elder, there was nothing she disliked more than a spineless leader.
Taking a moment to compose the anger stemming from the thought of unnecessary deaths and suffering due to poor leadership, Sakura stared down at the thugs who had been harassing her home village. They wouldn't be waking any time soon, she knew, but if the mission scroll was correct then it was only going to be a matter of time before their failure to return to their group would be noticed. Others would inevitably be sent in their place, if only to investigate the disappearance.
Sakura looked to Kakashi first, asking, "How's Pakkun's tracking skills coming along?"
"Following their path here will be easy for him." There was no mistaking the flash of pride in his expression—considering how hard he and Pakkun worked on training together, he had every reason to brag a little. "It shouldn't take him long depending on how far they are."
They'd likely be tucked away somewhere, though she was willing to bet with how brazen they were in those brief moments of consciousness she'd witnessed, then it wouldn't be too hidden. They were cocky, arrogant—both traits that were the catalyst that inevitably ended in the downfall of even the toughest of people.
"Once Pakkun has their location, my crows can watch over them and alert us of movement," suggested Shisui and Sakura's eyebrows rose fractionally, impressed. "They will be less obvious than a dog hanging around. No offense, Hatake-san."
"None taken," he said easily, hands slipping into his pockets. "Even if he can dismiss himself, I wouldn't want to risk Pakkun if they believe he's a stray trying to steal their food."
Another good point, Sakura noted. "We'll go with that plan," she informed them, watching them with veiled fascination as they set to the task, because this was her team working together so well already. "One of us should keep watch of these guys at all times."
"Allow us to help," insisted Asahi, finally able to look at her once more. "There are still some here who can fight—they'll be more than capable of watching the captives."
Although likely true, the prospect of leaving anyone from the village that seemed so defenceless didn't sit right with her. It caused an unsettling pit in her stomach thinking of those traumatised faces being forced to watch over those who had terrorised them. Even worse, she realised with a brief pang within her chest, was the potential of her old friends—
Sakura's focus lowered just as the realisation caused her expression to fall, trying to keep too much from showing.
She hadn't seen any of them in those who'd gathered to confront the thugs.
Were they…?
"They could take watch with us," Kakashi proposed and shrugged. "For experience, if nothing else."
Were her friends…?
"Sakura-hime?"
"…Yeah," came her distracted mumble, then cleared her throat upon hearing emotion threatening to make her voice shake.
"I can take first watch," Shisui offered.
She noticed him sparing Kakashi a concerned glance, the sight warning Sakura she needed to get her shit together. Death was no stranger to her and soon enough, she would know for certain whether the kids she spent a handful of years playing with were dead. Until then, she needed to continue with the mission as her priority. Needed to protect the village and perhaps, as Kakashi lightly suggested, teach them a thing or two about how to protect themselves in case of future attacks.
Seemingly catching on to whatever Shisui was trying to convey, Kakashi then said, "We should do a perimeter run. Make sure there's no one hanging about."
They already knew there weren't—Shisui's crows had circled the area before following Pakkun's path to the rest of the thugs. However, she knew it was her team's way of not only trying to figure out where her head was at, but seeing if there was anything they could do to support her just as they had the night before.
Eyeing the unconscious and bound thugs, Sakura then looked to Shisui and said, "Signal us if anything happens."
"Understood."
They were barely out of sight before Kakashi caught her wrist to signal them to stop, confirming her suspicions that they already knew they'd caught them all. Still, there wasn't room to feel agitated or incredulous because Sakura knew she was letting her emotions get in the way.
Hands retreating to his pockets at her sigh of acceptance, likely knowing that meant she wouldn't fight him in that moment, Kakashi leaned back against a tree and assessed her closely. Not in the way that made her nervous, though. It was a look she couldn't fully decipher, leading her to grow frustrated more towards herself than him, before she fell back to the same tree trunk with an unsteady inhale.
"I think they're dead," Sakura admitted in a broken hush, unable to add too much volume to the words that lashed at her heart.
"Who?"
"My friends."
The weight of the admission stole the strength from her legs and Sakura slid to the ground in a daze, almost. It was only a couple of seconds later when Kakashi silently joined her at the base of the tree, settling effortlessly like there weren't thick roots making the seat awkward. He seemed perfectly okay with the protruding roots digging into him, not even shuffling once as he chose to keep their sides pressed together supportively.
"What makes you so sure?" he asked eventually.
"Itsuki-san and Naoki-san were always rushing ahead," Sakura recalled distantly. "They were the oldest of our group and always said they needed to stand at the front to protect us all."
Exhaling shortly, Kakashi looked to her trembling hands and offered, "Maybe they grew up and realised rushing in—"
"Leads to death?" she interjected, voice soft. "And how would they learn that lesson, Kakashi?" His mouth shut, eyebrows knitting together in a show of what she knew to be defeat. "I can't believe it never occurred to me how naïve they are—what are they thinking focusing on ghosts rather than learning how to defend themselves? It's so stupid."
At the indirect mentioning of her parents, she felt one of her hands stabilising as it was engulfed in the warmth of another. Kakashi easily had her fingers spreading to lace with his, and she felt her heart stutter at the cosy placement of them on her lap.
"Naïve, maybe," he relented without looking at her. Like her own, he kept his voice down, soft. "But you know they're not stupid for looking back on simpler times."
…He was right, she thought with a burst of helplessness. Of course, Kakashi was right. There were numerous occasions when Sakura had done that very same thing—she still did, from time to time, although it was more so wondering how her deceased loved ones would have reacted to specific situations rather than wishing they could return to ease her burdens.
Biting down on her bottom lip just as it threatened to quiver, Sakura looked out at the space she had once played in as a child. They were never supposed to stray from the village, but being the daredevils that they were, they were always eager to explore and chase one another through the trees, disobeying frequently. Even when they were punished for their actions, they went straight back out as soon as the attention on them slipped.
Her throat felt clogged with emotion, and she risked looking up to her friend with glassy eyes. "Kakashi?"
"Hm?"
"I get it now," she whispered and exhaled shakily when Kakashi tilted his head in her direction, single eye taking in her features. What he saw there had his expression saddening shortly after, clearly understanding. Still, she felt the need to verbally clarify, "Why everyone seeks physical comfort after wars."
Simply sitting there and holding hands eased the crushing blow of potentially losing more friends, of facing her past and the loss of her parents and home—because that was no longer what it was, she sincerely believed. Gone were the happy times that she'd clung to when all was falling apart in Konoha; all she could see now were the distressed faces of those she left behind.
No doubt the further a person went, the easier it was to block out the memories that haunted them.
"We should head back," came his shockingly gentle murmur, but his hand squeezed hers in understanding. "We're on a mission."
"…Yeah."
A woman she didn't entirely recognise greeted them upon their return, lowering herself into an unnecessarily formal bow that had Sakura's face flooding with the evidence of her embarrassment. But try as she might to dissuade the over the top actions, nobody seemed to listen. They continued to show her a level of respect she wasn't all too sure she deserved.
"Your home is ready for use," she informed her, continuing to keep her head lowered. "We always made sure to keep it in top condition for your return, Sakura-sama."
They… always anticipated her return?
"Thank you," she said instead of voicing her surprise and once more attempted to dissuade the far too formal treatment by adding, "I know the way—you don't have to wait on us."
Much to her relief, it appeared to work that time and Sakura heaved a sigh when the woman left. She brought a hand to the back of her neck, rubbing it roughly as she tilted her head.
"Haruno-taichou?" The glance down at the younger boy was enough of a prompt for him to ask in a lowered voice, "Would you like for us to stay somewhere else than your family home—"
"Not at all," she was quick to assure him, though smiled at his thoughtfulness. "Honestly, there shouldn't be anything sentimental there. Tsunade-nee helped me bring it all back to Konoha."
Shisui nodded in understanding and followed her through the village. Like what they had already seen of it, it was in shambles and Sakura predicted it would take several years for such a small community to fully repair all the damages themselves. Sure, they had their connections and traded regularly, but she doubted any of those allies would step in for something like a rebuild. Not if they were in similar positions.
Stares of awe and hope continued to follow her as she walked and in response, Sakura felt repeated swells of frustration and despair. Falling back on someone else to protect them was… It was understandable, truly it was, especially after hearing people had died in the attempts to defend the village. But it didn't stop her from hoping they took it as a painful life lesson, that they used it as motivation to improve.
"Why does your clan elder call you princess?"
The blush returned and prompted Shisui to spare her another curious glance, but she kept her attention elsewhere. "It's more affection than formality," she admitted. "The Haruno clan is close-knit, so whenever my parents took missions from Konoha to bring more money and support to the village, it wasn't unusual for someone to babysit me. The elders, mostly." Huffing at the memory that returned a fraction of the warmth she'd previously felt before returning, Sakura added, "They're like grandparents in the sense that they spoiled me rotten, even calling me the princess of our clan."
Apparently the revelation only made him more curious and she marvelled at the ease at which Shisui began to ask more personal questions. Unlike during the war, barely any hesitance showed as he grew more comfortable in her presence. A part of her knew he was trying to take a leaf out of Kakashi's book, and it had her smiling noticing his determination to make bonds with them.
"Why wouldn't they keep you here?" he wondered. "If they were like your grandparents, I mean."
"It was an arrangement set up by my parents. In the event of their deaths, a member of the Senju clan was to become my guardian so that I could become a medical-nin like my mother—like my great-grandfather."
Inquisitive eyes searching her features warned Sakura of the next question likely hitting hard, though she made no move to redirect him as Shisui soon asked, "Do you regret leaving?"
Previously, the answer would have been yes. Yes, she regretted it with everything she had and part of her even despised her parents for taking that choice away from her. Sending her away to a shinobi village where she was quickly submerged in more death and despair, sent out to war… What kind of childhood was that? Surely, they had to have known what such a decision meant for her future? What being a Konoha-nin entailed?
Now, however, Sakura believed it may have sincerely been for the best. Had she remained in Seijitsu no mura, then she wouldn't be half as powerful. Like the rest of the village, she possibly could have been living with ghosts and rather than improving herself, chose to live in hypotheticals and dreams.
…She supposed she ought to thank them for sending her away.
Even though it was hardly a subtle change in conversation, Sakura plastered on a smile and asked cheerfully just as Shisui began to frown in concern, "So, how's Itachi-kun doing? Did he get the dinosaur for the baby?"
"Aa," he answered, frown still in place but thankfully not pushing it further. "It's hidden at my place so he can surprise them both when the baby's born."
"That's sweet—"
"Sakura-san?"
She turned to glance over her shoulder at the change in honorifics, stomach somersaulting before she felt her chest all but explode with warm relief. "Daiki-kun," she greeted.
"I can't…" The lavender-haired boy took a step forward and offered a hesitant smile. "I can't believe it's really you."
The youngest of the boys in their group—always treated like he was the baby and teased relentlessly. Seeing him at the same height as Shisui had the weight in her chest lightening; the tell-tale signs of rewarding training littering his battered form only making her proud. It felt like looking at her baby brother.
"The others are going to be so happy to see you," he continued to ease her heartache by saying with a visible rush of excitement. It reminded her of the infant barely even capable of toddling along after them, his chubby hands incessantly clapping with childish squeals of laughter. "They thought we'd never see you again."
A light nudge to her side prompted Sakura to break out of her shocked stupor, and she asked hesitantly, "The others?"
Daiki nodded quickly and grinned, revealing familiar dimples that somehow comforted her. "They headed out earlier to try and gather more supplies, but they should be back by tonight."
"Find me once everyone's home," she insisted without another moment of pause. As much as she would have loved to spend time with Daiki immediately, she still had a mission to complete. The wounded to heal and a village to protect. As well as that, however, she had to get a hold of herself and the rampaging emotions. "We'll catch up when the watches switch over."
They were alive.
Despite her inner-warnings of being on a mission and needing to remain in a professional mindset, Sakura watched in a state of overwhelming relief as Daiki jogged over to the water supply that was slow in plugging up. His hand signs were obvious and sluggish, but Sakura was still impressed by the preciseness of Daiki's earth jutsu that determinedly filled the hole as a temporary fix.
The quiet boy at her side followed her line of sight, saying, "There is a lot of potential here."
Yes, there was but sadly it wasn't being nurtured. Of course, Sakura knew they could only work with what they had; learning new techniques was difficult when they rarely interacted with outsiders. Everything that they could perform was passed down.
That being said, she knew it wasn't impossible for individuals to create techniques. To take what they knew already to the next level. Hell, they could perfect what they knew.
Was that why her parents chose to send her to Konoha? Did they know that, if they died, she would have little to no opportunities to grow? Become stagnant in terms of progress? Never tap into her potential and lack the ambition to push herself into growing stronger?
Without anything more than a nod of agreement to Shisui's words, Sakura turned to lead the way to what was once her family home. The trip was short—barely lasted forty seconds—yet it felt as though it took an eternity before they were standing outside the house that left her with a sickening lump in her stomach.
Outwardly, Sakura attempted to remain carefully composed; she tried not to falter. Everything appeared the same as the day she left from what she could tell, meaning there was absolutely no reason for the curling unease that left her nauseated. Yet there was something about the darkened windows and empty hanging flowerpots that unnerved her. It was a blaring contradiction to the cleanliness that tried tricking Sakura into thinking nothing had changed.
She'd almost forgotten about Shisui's presence entirely when he quietly enquired, "Would you like to go in alone?"
Instinct was to say his concern was unnecessary. To stress that there was no use in getting so worked up about an empty home. But just as their gazes met, all words died on Sakura's tongue, because staring back at her was a grief she knew all too well—one that reminded her Shisui had also lost his parents. The level of empathy was genuine and painful.
"I… don't know," she eventually responded and faced her past once more. Trying to explain where her head was at, she then told him in a soft murmur, "It looks the same as it did the day I left for Konoha."
"Like they will be inside waiting for you."
Yes, she thought with a strong bout of distress. "All that's changed is the empty hanging baskets. My mother adored decorating her windows with flowers."
His tone was one of understanding and heartache as Shisui told her, "My mother loved working on her garden. Mostly flowers but she grew a few vegetables too."
She wondered if his garden was now as bare as the flowerpots, or whether he even lived in that home anymore. Then again, the care of orphans was heartachingly absent, and they were essentially forced to fend for themselves—proven by her being left without a guardian after Tsunade's leaving. Sarutobi seemingly had little time to focus on the children of Konoha unless he was sending them out to fight his wars.
It was noticing villagers stopping to stare at her emotional moment that prompted Sakura to move forward, shoulders setting in the toughened manner she'd adopted following Nawaki's death. People loved gossiping, they loved a good spectacle, especially when it involved one of two surviving members of a powerful, co-founding clan. Sakura learned that the hard way.
The door was already unlocked, though that came as no surprise considering someone had just inspected the house minutes before. Locking it up in a village that consisted strictly of clansmen was pointless. It wasn't like anybody would dare to be so disrespectful as to squat in the former leaders' home.
Although apparent someone had maintained the property over the years, there was still the inevitable scent of abandonment lingering in the air that left her itching to throw the windows open as wide as they could be. Another reason why her mother loved the flowers outside her window and why her father ensured to open the windows for her: she enjoyed their scents being brought in with the breeze and had found them relaxing.
No noticeable dust marred the furniture left behind. Not a fleck of dirt on the floors. Nothing was out of place. Everything was in the exact positions they'd been left in when Tsunade collected her.
A hand slid into hers just as Sakura's gaze lowered to the space beside the door, but there was no room to feel surprised by the empathetic gesture when she spotted the shoes left behind—the only part of the house that was dusty and untouched. The sight was a crushing blow that left her momentarily winded and while Sakura knew they weren't left out maliciously, she still questioned why. Was it a respect thing? Did they feel uncomfortable putting them away? Was that something she should have done before leaving?
It all created huge, unrepairable cracks on the memories of her home. Every thought of return, every imagined scenario, all the happy memories she'd clung to so fiercely in times of distress and heartache… Every single one was tainted by the heavy atmosphere that contradicted it all. It obliterated her childish fantasies and washed away the memories.
It didn't feel like home anymore, she came to the tortuous realisation.
But if it didn't feel like home, and Konoha didn't feel like home, then where was her home?
After sharing a nod of acknowledgment with the captain of the ANBU squad, Sakura watched as those detained were removed from her home village. The other squad would return after the thugs were thrown into Hōzuki Castle, giving her own team ample time to track and apprehend the rest of the bastards terrorising Seijitsu.
Not many lingered, though Sakura couldn't blame them for making themselves scarce. Asahi hadn't given her an exact duration of their suffering, seemingly too ashamed to admit to it, so (when considering the injuries she'd spent the past four hours healing) she could only assume that it was for a while. Being a village that was unused to visitors and chose to keep to themselves, they were bound to be traumatised by the very sight of the thugs.
"What's our next move?" questioned Kakashi as he came to stand on her left.
"Rest up for the night." Sakura looked to her teammates and rotated her shoulders to try and loosen them. "Shisui-kun's crows have eyes on the rest of the group, so we'll know if they make a move."
Rushing in as soon as they could see them was a dangerous rookie mistake. It was better to watch over them for a while longer to get an idea of what they would be going up against, on the off chance they were taken by surprise, or they happened to have hostages. That also granted them time to assess the area and use it to their advantage; to create an escape route if retreat was necessary.
"Come on," Sakura instructed, sighing as she mentally prepared herself for returning to the house that was no longer home. "We should eat something—"
"You've grown up," came a fond voice that had the team pausing in walking away, and Sakura glanced over her shoulder in surprise. Her teammates were quick to look on with widening eyes when the newcomer stated brazenly, "I thought Daiki was exaggerating about how beautiful you'd gotten."
Holy shit, was that really…?
"Itsuki-san?" came her disbelieving question. It was at his smirk of confirmation that she added sheepishly and chuckled, "I think you've done the most growing out of us both. I barely even recognise you."
Although he'd been the tallest and oldest of their group, Itsuki was a gangly child whose haircuts bordered on child cruelty, so it was never intimidatingly so. Now, he hulked over her with height and mass, Sakura's jaw remaining slackened by the shocking image that shattered his awkward memory. To go with the toned appearance, Itsuki's hair that was beginning to match the tone of her father's was slicked back with an undercut—a style his mother had once butchered and refused to try again after the failed attempt.
The smirk widened as Itsuki approached her team at a leisurely pace, his hands sliding comfortably into his pockets. "A lot's changed, kid."
Yeah, like that voice. How the hell could what was once a high pitched voice deepen like that? Had it really been that long?
The clearing of a throat reddened her cheeks and Sakura smiled apologetically before gesturing to the two boys at her sides, introducing casually, "These are my teammates. Kakashi and Shisui-kun."
"Nice to meet you both," he greeted with a nod of his head.
"We should probably get going," suggested Kakashi after another awkward pause. "We need to prepare for the next part in our mission."
It was like Itsuki alone was making up for the lack of advancement in the village, his appearance continuing to leave her astounded even as her team retired for the evening. It even had her debating if that was really Itsuki, or if the guys were playing one of their pranks on her again, just as they had relentlessly back when they were kids.
With a rare excitement, Sakura asked of her teammates once they were inside, "I wonder if the others have changed that much too?"
The only response she received was a polite smile from Shisui, followed by an obligatory "possibly" that let her know he wasn't all that sure on how to respond to such a question. Sakura supposed it had stumbled on the line of being rhetorical, but not acknowledging that she'd said anything at all like Kakashi currently was, was plain rude. As was his wordlessly drifting over to the pile of their belongings to sift through his rucksack for his sleeping bag—any idiot could read that it was a dismissive move.
"What—"
"Where are we sleeping?"
Completely dumbfounded by his sudden bluntness since it was only ever used on others and never her, Sakura looked to Shisui like the youngest on their squad would have all the answers for the switch. But that only confused her more, because it was with an awkward air that he ducked forward to unnecessarily neaten up their shoes at the entryway.
"Sakura."
"Anywhere but the master bedroom, I guess," she replied and frowned, unable to explain the pit in her stomach at his attitude. "Kakashi—"
"I'm going to wash up."
Grumpy Kakashi was not a new experience. She'd heard him speak to others in such a manner countless times over the decade of knowing him. However, it was the first time she'd ever been on the receiving end of his aloofness.
Pink eyebrows mashed together at the sight of his retreating back.
Like hell she was putting up with that!
Shisui kept his head down as she stomped after Kakashi, and only a part of her experienced guilt for grabbing the rucksack that was unfortunately on his blindside to yank him to a halt. He was rightfully startled when she spun him around to face her responding anger; lips pursed and eyebrow ticking like it was attached to a bomb, she looked ready for battle.
"What are you doing?"
"First off," she snapped at him without hesitation, and because her anger was so intense, she once again pulled on his bag and dropped it to the wooden flooring. "It's rude to wander around a living person's house, never mind a dead person's house. This was my family home. Show it some respect." His jaw clenched and she saw a flash of remorse that couldn't break through the anger he ignited. "Secondly, what the hell crawled up your ass and died? Is this your defenceless clan being terrorised or your dead parents' home you're forcing yourself to face?"
"That's hardly fair—"
She shut his rebuttal down without a shred of mercy, snapping, "No, what's not fair is giving me whiplash by suddenly treating me like crap for seemingly no reason. What changed from earlier?"
Silence.
"Well?"
But he was as stubborn as he'd always been, and Sakura felt herself bristling in response to his continued silence.
"Bathroom is at the end of the corridor," she muttered.
And just like that, he left.
At the sound of the door softly clicking shut, Sakura looked over to their third teammate and asked ever so eloquently, "What the fuck just happened?"
A/N - I'm sure I'm not the only one who remembers how annoyingly (and unnecessarily) complicated teenage relationships used to be? Jesus, Kakashi. Just talk to her about it! Poor Shisui can't handle being caught in the middle of your bickering!
