Sakura had woken up, still quite somnolent. Her previous thoughts had kept her awake at night overthinking her abilities.

She had got off her mattress, still quite feeble. She had felt ill from even thinking, even deliberating over breakfast options made her nauseous. Later deciding that her morning nutrition wasn't that important.

She walked over towards the bathroom, her muscles tensed from her unusual way of sleeping.

The warm water felt like she was being caressed by a warm gentle wind. She exited the shower,dressed and was ready for the day.

She peeped when she saw the bright sun, her eyes slowly opened up as she became used to the light. She closed her eyes for a bit, before honoring the slow breezes of Konoha.

Today was the day where she would embark on a mission alone, where she would hone the responsibility of a shinobi. She was granted accolades from even the finest ninjas. Ever since she excelled in her strength and mind, she could nearly grasp the reality of being able to stand right next to them, fight next to them, for once in her life. Little does she know, she was far from it.

She made her way down the narrow dirt streets of Konoha. The calm; the happy demeanor of the townspeople gave her a reason to strive for success, for it gave her a feeling that it would sooner or later dwindle. She bowed and smiled at her elders, she was quite the celebrity.

She arrived at the Hokage's office, letting herself in Tsunade's office was normal, she was actually amongst the few who were allowed to barge in without permission, though, Sakura discredits this and usually knocks. Her mind must've drifted off with her courtesy.

She looked at Tsunade's focused behavior, like she didn't even hear her come intrude.

"Tsunade?" Sakura called in a light voice.

Tsunade finally looked up at Sakura before standing up. And taking a deep sigh.

"Sorry, Sakura, Good morning."

Tsunade walked over to the nearby file drawers, taking out a blue folder labeled with caduceus, along with her name imprinted on the folder. Tsunade walked over back to sit at her desk and pointed directly at the chair on the other side of the desk. "Sit."Sh

Sakura obeyed, walking over to the chair and sitting down.

"This is your mission folder, the procedure is in there, remember this is classified." Tsunade explained.

Sakura took the folder from her hands and carefully opened it, it had highly detailed instructions. She presumed it was because Tsunade would worry if she got into any type of trouble, since she was a medical ninja, fighting on the frontlines meant breaking the rules.

Sakura despised that rule. But she wasn't ignorant, she knew why it was an important rule. Thus she begged Tsunade for a mission where she could fight alone. She wanted to assess her own strength, along with improving it.

She skimmed through the contents of the file, "There are enemies but they are rather weak, maybe A-rank at most.." Tsunade said.

Sakura nodded her head. "Also, Sakura, there's two scrolls, open the wrong one and you might get cursed. But picking out the right scroll shouldn't be too much of a hassle."

Sakura knew Tsunade wouldn't go out of her way to give her a mission to put her life on the line, thus she was fine with it.

"It's fine." She smiled. "I just wanted to be able to test my strength alone on someone who wouldn't hold back." Sakura explained.

"And this mission is also to save the lives of people who have been affected with that illness. That's why I'm so sure about taking and completing this mission."

Tsunade knew Sakura like the back of her hand, like she was her own. One thing to note about Tsunade, she only gave crucial missions to those who she knew would come back more determined than they were before.

"Competent as ever, I see." Tsunade laughed.

Sakura gave a humble smile, as she looked out the huge window behind Tsunade, the sun shining up in the sky. It was nearly time for her to go.

"I guess, I'll be back." Sakura sighed.

Tsunade went over to pat Sakura on her back. "I'm sure you will."

~ • ~

She bid her team and teacher's goodbye as she set off for her mission, keeping herself busy with the morning sky's clouds.

She gripped her map tight, as she took another step. It had been two hours, two hours of walking. And her destination– although only an hour away, it seemed like an eternity with all the built-up excitement she had in her.

She pulled out a note, where she wrote some of the contents of the mission. Since the mission was assigned on short notice, the time she had to memorize each step was very limited, and reduced her knowledge significantly.

She was required to burn the note the second she stepped foot at the town she was assigned. Giving enemy nin the chance to meddle with the mission could be cataclysmic.

Although the sentences were inept and clumsy, she went ahead and read through its contents once more. A scroll, a scroll she needed to acquire, with a medical antidote inside that she herself would decipher, make, and transport it across villages. As simple as it's said.

She had a week to finish it.

An hour would pass as she ran through the forestry, keeping her eyes encased in different sceneries as she walked by a variety of species, whether it be animals, or herbs, she'd always take note of it. It could be crucial for an antidote one day. She believed.

The atmosphere suddenly changed from greenery, to nothing but stone. She saw lights shine her way, along with bustling noises of musical tunes.

As she made sure she disposed of any Konoha watermarks, she admired the iridescent crystals that shone on top of the mountains as the sun hit them.

The Village of Crystals

As she strolled past the entrance, she laid her eyes on the guards; who observed her very carefully.

Not a widely known village— But it would surely be a heavily populated tourist attraction if it was.

The streets were bubbling with laughter, children laughing, and many dressed in their cultural clothes. She noticed the hanging ornaments and lights and the stands that would multiply as the day progressed.

She's realized that she came in the morning of a festival; Waiting to take place. And it wasn't a coincidence. Tsunade definitely gave her the upper-hand, a distraction.

She strolled down until she found the name she'd been looking for, Nana's Inn.

She went in, checked in, and went straight to her room.

And since time was of the essence, the plan would set out tonight to get a headstart with the festival; she was sure she'd have the antidote made by the third day, there was no doubt that constructing an antidote would only take a few hours, yes, for a extraordinary medic like Sakura, but to adminster it would be the hardest part as she would have to walk destination to destination to deliver it.

She sat at the desk provided in front of the twin-sized bed, and pulled out a map from her bag, laying it down to have a clear view.

Although the village was unknown by most, Konoha had certainly had some— predicaments.

The Village of Crystals was in hold of the scroll she was assigned to take. But the council of The Village of Crystals had refused to give it over, the reason still unknown

And whilst hundreds were dying, Tsunade decided to take the initiative as Hokage, and send Sakura to go get the scroll.

And although Sakura knew by her morals that stealing was bad, she knew death of the innocent was worse, especially when it spread at an alarming rate.

The location of the scroll lay in the main building, specifically the basement. By her knowledge, there were two scrolls. One of them, she was told to be wary of although being completely clueless on what it's purpose served.

Concerning the guards, they should be on break by the time she enters.

Tsunade kept Sakura wary, around this time, Tsunade insisted that there would be others after the scroll as well, as it is multi purposed.

She jumped onto the bed, her legs comforted by the much needed break from a long walk. The festival's climax, she guessed, was around eight, and she had two hours to pass the time.

It wouldn't hurt to promenade, although being outside for most of her day. Though, a thorough inspection of the village could do her some justice.

She took a small bag with her, full of a shinobi's necessities and a little bit of cash.

~ • ~

It was beautiful. Not only the crystals that shone in so many colors that hung from the mountaintops but the connected community that thrived and flourished.

She couldn't help but put a smile on her face, and remind herself of Konoha.

The town wasn't big, it wasn't small either, every building was spaced apart and didn't really go above two floors.

As she sauntered around the streets, One thing had stuck out to Sakura, a suspicious man in a hood, sticking out like a sore thumb. with their chakra completely hidden. Now Tsunade mentioned that the village was majority civilians, and the minority being shinobi's who weren't even capable of throwing a shuriken.

She thought to herself, if this man were to disturb her mission, or worse, hurt the townspeople, it could inordinately put her and others at risk.

She walked by, keeping a nice distance as she masked her chakra, as she monitored him.

the man turned slightly to get a better glimpse of the village, also there to immensely observe for underlying purposes that weren't ethical.

Her heart had sunk as she flipped over the other way; familiar black eye's, and deep jet black hair. She almost dropped there and there, his depressing gaze, she could feel it, his eyes piercing through her.

Sasuke had noticed the lady, unsure of who she was. His cognizance had alarmed him, she was one to surveil.

The warning; the warning on her mission file. The scroll could be used for multiple, a variety of different things, not specified.

Could he want it? What if he goes now?

Sasuke looked towards the alleyway she had hurried off too, feeling a sense of apprehension, surely it could've been him dozing off to a stupid thought.

Sasuke entered an alleyway, jumping up to one of the roofs as he travelled from rooftop to rooftop, making his way down to the building.

Sakura took a deep breath, before exiting the corridor, and as calmly as she could, she jogged down to the structure that held the scroll; the basement of the main building. And she had to be there first.

She hid quietly behind one of the many houses as she watched a guard meander away from his post, she quickly entered once he left.

The first floor was completely barren, other than the walls that housed ancient paintings of the history of the village. She looked down to the floor, recalling that Tsunade informed her that the entrance would most likely be a trapdoor

'Somewhere around here' she found a handle and pulled it open, though the light wasn't supposed to be on, she was afraid, what if he beat her to it?

She ran down the stairs and slid on the wooden floors as she braced herself for what she saw.

Sasuke had his hands on it.

She quickly threw a punch at him whilst he was still in shock. Her knuckle meeting the back of his arms, his hood flying off his head.

"Sakura." He whispered as he blocked her attack, jumping back.

"I'm gonna need that." She grit her teeth and yelled, she brushed aside the fact that she had absolutely no intention to hold back in the slightest for the boy she had once loved.

She furrowed her brows and ran at him with a fist, using a substitution to appear behind him as he quickly dodged to the side. He accidently lost grip of the scroll, it unfolded onto the ground as smoke quickly dispersed and spread around the room.

Both Sakura and Sasuke coughed as the smoke entered their lungs.

'T-this wasn't on the mission file…'

"What is this?" Sasuke struggled to get out as the smoke blocked his airways.

Sakura punched upward, making a way for the smoke to exit as she covered her face,

She noticed a black chain appear on her wrist, as she touched it, trying to rub it off. She whispered curses to herself, realizing how big of a mistake they had made.

She looked at Sasuke, it was on his wrist too.

"What is this?" He shouted at her.

Her eyes widened to him, gaining an understanding of what they'd just done. that the scroll they had opened was the exact one that she was told to be careful of.

She heard heavy footsteps above the both of them. As she looked up for an exit. She jumped up to the floor above her, ignoring the guards as they threw a variety of weapons at her, Sakura evaded each one of them.

She felt a pulse of chakra right behind her, no more than twenty feet. She was sure it was Sasuke, no one had quite a ghastly chakra like him.

She located a barren place near the village, where she had gone to catch her breath and englighten herself to what just happened.

She stopped for a moment to turn to him as she stood defensivly.

"You're the medic. What is this?" He showed his wrist to her, yelling in the process

Right when she was about to respond, one of the guards had shown and threw a kunai straight at her.

Fortunately enough for her, she had successfully lunged to the side, though a small cut was inevitable, she was hit right in the shoulder.

A realization hit Sasuke as a cut had appeared right beneath his shoulder too, being nowhere near the kunai, he hurried and knocked the guard out with one swift movement.

Sasuke turned to her, anger burning in his eyes.

"What?" She asked, genuinely curious wondering what she's done for him to furrow his brows so angrily whilst holding the bloodied cut with her hand, pumping chakra into it.

He unraveled his shirt, showing a cut in the same exact place she had just been hit.

"Oh my…" She said as she continued to heal herself, she watched as Sasuke's cut disappeared as well, leaving a scar.

"If I get hurt, you get hurt." He said. "Vice versa."

He held up his sword. "You can't get hurt. Go home."

It was ironic, how he held a sword up to her, and he couldn't hit her.

She angrily approached him, "I don't know who you think you are but–" She said while suppressing the urge to run. "I am not going to step down just because you tell me to."

She stepped back. "Do you know how crucial my mission is?!"

Sasuke sighed, "How hard of a mission? I'll help, as long as you take yourself home."

Sasuke had a vexatious manner, it was evident that he was worrisome about the fact that they were both shinobi, and they would both be willingly fighting. And this curse would potentially but his life on the line.

"I won't oblige." She crossed her arms and cocked her head to the side.

He stood her up. "Look, I needed that scroll too, and I'm willing to come up with an excuse so you can have it. You should be grateful, woman."

"I can get it myself, " She grit her teeth, ready to stomp off.

Sakura, despite her perturbing attitude, tried desperately to ignore and deny that she was basically bonded by pain to the man who made her feel indescribable emotions.

"Orochimaru might know something." He called as she attempted to step away.

"And if you do ask, how are you supposed to inform me?" She asked.

He took a second to think, "Meet me somewhere, not too far from Konoha."

Although she thought about it for a moment, she couldn't imagine meeting Sasuke outside of Konoha as it could put her to great peril.

"I could get into serious trouble meeting you. I have to inform the leaf that I have met you during my mission, and with this thing on my wrist, I can't really hide anything."

"You can keep a secret, so do it."

She closed her eyes in an attempt to calm her down. Turning around to view the splashes of oranges and pinks painting the sky.

"I'm gonna go get the scroll, let's discuss it later." She said without turning back.

She turned around to go back into the building, during each step, she couldn't help but notice and feel a shock on her heels.

'Thump'

She was on the ground, to her knees, the tormenting shock had made her go blind. She turned around to Sasuke as she saw him on the ground as well.

She can't be away from him.

"Sasuke," She whispered, while she picked herself up and walked right back to him.

Sasuke got up as well, stomping right to her; he nearly mistaken it for an attack recalling how indignant he was.

"You're coming with me." He gripped her arm and pulled her in the direction of the villages.

She shook off his hand. "No, what the hell? What about me? I still have a mission to complete!

Sure the situation was dire, but as someone who consistently took the state of others seriously, she couldn't just drop the mission and forget about the hundreds suffering.

"We'll get the scroll, do what you need to do, and suddenly you can go 'missing'. I'm not letting you ruin my plans." He yelled at her face.

Useless girl, stupid girl, nothing but a burden, she'd be the reason for his downfall, and the reason he wouldn't succeed in defeating his brother.

He rubbed his temples, "Orochimaru might know, he always does.

She was not going anywhere near Orochimaru.

"Okay, you can ask Orochimaru, but don't you think he'll abandon you once he finds out he's binded to a girl when his whole plan is to take you as a vessel."

He smirked, surprised that she thought of that. "That's why we are going to kill him, and threaten himz"

She looked at him for a moment before bursting into giggles. "You think, I can really kill one of the sannin with you, and don't forget, we both get painfully shocked if we go too far from each other."

He looked at her with a serious expression. "He's weak, at least right now,"

Sakura bit her lip deliberately, contemplating over the very few choices she had. If Sasuke was right and Orochimaru was in a weakened state, then they could possibly drain information out of him, but if Orochimaru was clueless, what then?

He wouldn't go back to the leaf, and she couldn't just force him along…

She thought about what Naruto would think, what Kakashi would say, walking away with the enemy was a stupid move but she had no choice.

Orochimaru was their best bet.

She looked at the sun behind him as it set, "Okay, let's go get the scroll and we'll go to Orochimaru's."

It wasn't too much of a task to acquire the scroll, but the ninja guarding the second one had a heavy rank increase as they were more difficult to beat, but not something to sweat over.

She grabbed the scroll, reading into its contents as they both had their hoods on, walking side by side.

"I'm gonna need to collect some stuff and vaccinate us." She said while putting the scroll into the bag she carried.

"Okay, well where is it?" He asked.

"We can find all the ingredients if we go north, and keep going for about two hours," She pointed.

Never would he have thought that he'd now be travelling with the girl who had a crazy boy crush on him, and was the weakest amongst them all.

"Okay let's go." He said under his breath, he had a lot to think about.