They landed in the first breath of morning; empty streets, and dying oil lamps greeting their arrival in the low light.
"Shi. Toru. Fan out. Find some locals and see what they know." Ara ordered the two men accompanying her, taking satisfaction in their immediate obedience as they made themselves scarce.
Turning her golden eyes towards the lone tavern, Ara strode forward with a predatory smile upon her ruby lips. She swung the wooden double doors open with little ceremony, and was pleased to note the immediate area was empty, but for a passed out vagrant and the tattooed owner, setting up the kitchen for the day.
"Long time no see, handsome." She purred, sidling up to the counter and perching upon one of the bar stools. She gleefully ignored his clear disdain and got straight to the point. "I hear you've got some news for me?"
"Ara." The gruff man greeted, the snake tattoo along his neck flexing as he regarded her with contempt. "I was hoping never to see you again."
"Oh come now Jin, don't be like that. You got your daughter back, and we got our information. No harm, no foul. It was just business." Ara hummed flippantly, inspecting her crimson lacquered nails.
Jin paused in his action of setting out the glassware, his shoulders tensing. His voiced dropped to a violent rumble. "I was under the impression that our business was concluded after the last time."
Ara tittered. "Not quite, Sweetheart. A little birdy told me you had a rather interesting visitor swing by your… lovely establishment not long ago."
Jin shrugged, turning his attention back to glass he was drying. "My tavern tends to attract a lot of interesting people, Ara. It pays to be uninvolved with their identities."
"Oh, don't grow a moral compass on me now, Jin. The man I'm after is a dangerous criminal."
"Most who enter this town are." He stared at her pointedly.
Ara grinned, all pearly white teeth against red lips. "Therefore, you shouldn't feel any guilt in selling them out." She leaned back casually, but kept her eyes trained on his. "I thought we've been over this. I just need your confirmation of the details. We wouldn't want your darling daughter to get caught in the cross-fire again, now would we?"
There was a heavy pause in which Ara could hear the glass crack in Jin's rough hand.
"Are you threatening me?"
She leaned forward, her smile sharp. "I thought that was rather obvious, Dear."
Ara tossed her burgundy hair over her shoulder as she watched the barkeep exhale in defeat. She always loved this part of her job. Nothing like some good-old fashion coercion to get the blood pumping in the morning.
Her reluctant informant kept his hands busy, his eyes and voice low with his next sentence.
"I assume you're talking about the kid that checked in under the name Uchiha a few days ago…"
"Bingo."
"He checked in, he checked out." The man shrugged.
Ara expressed a sigh. That simply wouldn't do. She slowly withdrew a senbon from the folds of her black jacket, twirling it absently between her fingers. "Now I know you can do better than that."
"He didn't cause any fights or disturbances."
Ara's golden eyes sharpened, and she stilled her senbon. "Let me rephrase. You have to do better than that, Jin. Your daughter is counting on you, let's not forget."
With a quick flick of her wrist, the silver projectile flew through the air and impeded itself directly by the comatose man's head, where he lay farther down the bar. She didn't have to miss, and Jin seemed to comprehend the severity of his cooperation. Ara resisted from rolling her eyes at his clear hesitancy to divulge his intel. Civilians were always so melodramatic.
"…He brought his wife. Newlyweds."
Perfect. "Bring back old memories for you, handsome?" She toyed, gesturing for him to continue with a tilt of her chin.
The ink along his neck bobbed and twisted as Jin swallowed hard. "He seemed edgy but she was happy enough. She was… exotic looking."
Interesting. "Anything else?"
"No."
Ara leaned forward and let a minute wave of killing intent leak from her being. She didn't particularly like resorting to brutish intimidation tactics, but a woman had to do what a woman had to do when men were being mulish. "Are you certain?"
"He was here, then he left early in the morning. That's all I can tell you about him. Most who enter my doors are not as chatty as you." He clipped, his impatience and discomfort for the interrogation clear in his posture.
Ara held his eyes. She liked Jin, she really did. His conviction for morality in an immoral town had always intrigued her. But even the whitest of pearls grow dull over time. And she was just about bored of his desperate cling to purity.
With a dramatic sigh, she pulled back. "A true pity. Well, until next time, Jin." Pushing herself from the stool, Ara sauntered back towards the doors, calling over her shoulder. "Send my love to your pretty little daughter. Best keep her close, can't have her befalling the same fate as her mother, now can we?"
Cutting her gaze back to the tense barkeep, she gave him his final chance for reclamation.
"I hope your man finds you." Was Jin's only response; brave and stupid as it was.
Ara smiled, dangerous and amused. Perhaps he had some glean left to him yet. "I'll be seeing you, Jin."
With that she left.
Shi and Toru were waiting for her at the town's entrance.
"Well?" Ara prompted, resting a hand on her hip.
"No one saw anything, but the ramen stand attendant said a small group of Shinobi ate there rather early yesterday morning. A man who fit Uchiha's description as well as two other men and a pink haired-woman." Shi responded, shifting his scarf higher around his angular face.
Ara's interest piqued, a slow smile curling across her lips. "Pink hair hmm? Sounds pretty exotic, wouldn't you say?" She scoffed. "Although I dare say the Uchiha loses points for bringing other men on his honeymoon."
"Honeymoon?" Toru parroted.
She hummed the affirmative. "It appears little Uchiha was careless enough to introduce his new wife to our friend at the tavern. Although I do wonder about our extra tag-a-longs…" Casting critical eyes back to the inn, Ara sighed. "Tut tut, that moral compass of Jin's is really going to get him into trouble one day."
And even after the effort she went to offering him a final chance. Ara clicked her tongue and turned her attention back to her lackeys. "Descriptions of the men?"
"One blond and one silver-haired. People around here are stingy with details beyond anything else." Shi answered with scorn.
"So I've noticed. No matter, it reveals more than enough." Ara waved a careless hand.
"It does?" There goes Toru with his stupid questions again.
Ara arched a brow at him. "Legends tend to be preceded by their reputations, colourful as they are… Funny though, I never pegged him as the nostalgic type." She mused lightly to herself.
"Your orders, Ara?" Shi stood to attention.
Ara tapped a delicate finger to her chin and glanced back the way they came. "Go inform Yukine." She ordered the two men. "I'll send Takara ahead and scope out our new friends. They seem to be on course for the seal. Bring Yukine to my position by the end of the day."
"Hai." They responded.
"And the inn-keeper?" Toru questioned haltingly.
Golden eyes narrowed. "He lives another day. But we'll be back." Ara promised darkly.
At that the two men vanished, leaving Ara to bite the tip of her thumb and activate her summons upon the icy ground.
With a puff of smoke, a bird with sapphire wings popped into existence. Ara let the creature fly to her extended hand and stroked the Blue Jay fondly.
"Takara my pet, go find me a pink treasure." The bird tilted its head and Ara continued. "They tread north. Follow them and relay back to me by nightfall."
Sending her summons off with her command, Ara watched its blue wings disappear into the slate-coloured sky. She cast golden eyes back over the dull, waking town, then took off towards the north, elation growing with every step.
It was with a warm hand pressed against her cold cheek and a gentle call that Sakura awoke. She instinctively turned her head to chase the heat of the hand as it withdrew, hearing a muffled chuckle in response. With a hum, Sakura slowly opened her eyes to see a pair of calm eyes and an array of grey. Kakashi's hair and eyes seemed to meld into one with the steely sky, and the image made Sakura smile drowsily.
"Hey. Naruto's got some breakfast waiting for you. Sasuke wants us gone in the next twenty minutes." Kakashi said in a low murmur as he crouched before her, the forest still in the waking hours of dawn.
"Got it. Thanks 'Kashi." She mumbled, sitting up.
With an eye crinkle, Kakashi left Sakura to languidly stretch her limbs and extract herself from her cosy bedroll. The days seemed to be getting colder the further north they went, and there was a consistent layer of ice and snow making itself known throughout the thinning terrain. She hated the cold. Normally, she would circulate chakra throughout her body to ward off the chill, but she had to be vigilant now. No unnecessary uses of chakra. And to make up for the chakra she'd lose from a days' travel, she would now meditate for a couple of hours each night.
It was a little tiring, but nothing she wasn't used to. She had operated at a far lower capacity in the past when initially storing for her Byakugo. And that was with the added pressures of working double shifts at the hospital and pulling training intensives with Tsunade herself. It would all be fine, she just had to concentrate on absolute control and minimal expenditure. It was all about efficiency.
There was little discussion as they ate and packed down camp, ready for departure. Sasuke was noticeably absent and Naruto had ventured off to retrieve him. Sakura tried not to feel affronted by his absence and instead spent the time staring out past the small clearing of trees where the sun was beginning to rise against the overcast sky. It was a new day, and she wasn't about to start it off on the wrong foot.
"Uh oh. You've got your stubborn face on."
Sakura fought the smile that threatened her lips at Kakashi's aloof observation; his smooth tenor a lulling sound in the quiet morning.
"Do not." She denied casually.
"Do too. You get this little crease between your eyebrows and your eyes go all clear and focused." He mused lightly, coming to stand beside her to watch the rising sun. "It either means you've resolved something, or you're about to do something violent, like demolish an acre of land or punch someone into a coma."
Sakura twisted her lips against the smile and quirked an eyebrow at him. "I see you've got your nosy face on."
"Liar. You can't see my face."
"Don't have to. You've got a tell." She shrugged, her attention now ahead of them.
"Do not."
"Do too. It's quite an obvious one actually."
"Oh?" Kakashi hummed, casually folding his arms across his chest and resting into his slouch.
"Yeah. Your nose grows an extra inch and you do this crazy thing where you subtly try asking what my problem is without actually asking."
Sakura let her eyes slide to his and cracked a tiny grin at the way he deadpanned at her. She watched, pleased, as the fabric of his mask twisted slightly with the action of biting the inside of his cheek. There! The small twitch of his eye, indicating his amusement. They held each other's eyes for a moment longer.
"Huh. That is bizarre. I better work on that."
"Indeed." She confirmed as they both turned back to the horizon. "And it was my resolved face, to answer your question."
"Good to know."
She gently knocked her shoulder against his. "I'm fine, Kakashi."
He didn't say anything in return; only knocked his shoulder back against hers as they stood, comfortable in each other's presence in the early dawn.
They didn't have long to wait before Naruto and Sasuke soundlessly appeared before them. When Sasuke's eyes landed upon her, she gave him a small nod. They were fine.
Sasuke returned her gesture, the hint of relief flickering in his eyes. Turning his attention to the group at large, he spoke quiet but firmly.
"We don't have time to waste. Orochimaru's base is still a few days away. Let's move out."
The four shinobi took to the trees, speckling the frosty landscape in blurs of colour, not at all aware of the six shadowy figures that trailed behind them, out of sight and completely out of mind.
Flecks of ice and snow whipped against porcelain skin as Sai flew beyond the canopy of skeletal winter trees. The air was like ice in his lungs at this altitude, but he did not show even the slightest hint of discomfort; such displays of outward discomposure driven out of him years ago.
A flicker of movement to his right brought his notice upon his Taichou, riding seamlessly on his ink creature, with their 'escort' firmly placed beside him. They were approaching their first target point, only a few hours out now. Sai curled his fingers into his palm, the leather of his fingerless gloves offering a tactile grounding. He had been briefed on the full severity of their mission and its consequences, and he could not help but reflect on the previous hours.
Sai took on Yamato's relay of information with a stern but passive face.
His team was acting recklessly once again on behalf of Uchiha Sasuke. He evaluated the clenching of his jaw and cold pit in his stomach as the emotion 'displeasure'. Or perhaps 'anger' was a more apt conclusion. Anger at Traitor for taking away his team again. Anger at Sakura for risking her life, just because Sasuke had asked her. Anger at Naruto for so easily forgetting him at the first sign of Sasuke. Anger at Kakashi-senpai for allowing this all to unfold. Anger at himself for feeling this way towards his family.
Ino would tell him to embrace it. That it was important to process and validate his emotions in order to properly understand his feelings, and act accordingly to his moral code. However, in this case, his moral code was greatly conflicted. Their guest was not helping matters either.
They had slipped out of the village, using some long inactive ROOT underground tunnels; a path which proved to stir some uncomfortable memories in the two ex-special op members. They had only stopped briefly once they reached the outer perimeter of the village border, to regroup and discuss their plan.
"Alright Leaf-nin, let's get something clear. I ain't doing this for you. We aren't buddies or comrades and if things go south, I won't hesitate to leave you to fend for yourself. It's a dog-eat-dog world, yeah? I don't particularly care for you or your precious team, so don't count on me being especially accommodating to your cause." Suigetsu expressed, casually flexing his arms as he stowed his returned sword on his back.
Sai felt a wave of displeasure for their temporary teammate and exchanged a look with Yamato. Directing a blank smile at Suigetsu, Sai spoke. "I find that I share a similar mentality in regards to you also Suigetsu-san. If you prove to be anything less than useful, I will not hesitate to cease your association with us and terminate our mutual co-alliance."
Sai would not apologise for his outspoken threat to their tentative comrade, and he was certain Yamato-senpai would not pull him up on it. None of them had the luxury of time or patience on their side to be anything but blunt. Despite his ROOT conditioning, Sai found himself feeling agitated. He was feeling a great many things this day.
"Heh. Wow, that smile was fake as hell, but aside from that, they really nailed it as using you as Sasuke's replacement. For a moment there, I thought I was talking to the Head Grouch himself. I can see why they adopted you. And maybe why they left you behind." Suigetsu snickered cruelly.
Sai was reasonable enough to understand ridicule when confronted by it, and despite his amicable relationship with Sasuke in the past, a large part of him still flared in response to being compared to the Uchiha in such a way – at being called replacement. There was anger again and another tug that felt suspiciously like 'insecurity'.
Naruto and Sakura had both spent countless hours with him, helping him reaffirm his identity as his own person on the team; as more than just a replacement. They told him he was part of the team as 'Sai', not a place holder – Sai. That they love him as the person he is; Sai. They would surely be disappointed to see how easily their lessons abandoned him now at the slightest challenge.
"I am not Traitor's replacement." Sai found himself saying.
"Traitor? Cute name. So, what do they call you? Pretender? Clone?"
Suigetsu's words were odd, in that Sai felt them strike far deeper within him than he expected; sharp and precise in their intent and location. Sakura and Ino had always taught him the emphasis one's words can carry when used. That they can be hurtful, intended or not, and he had been warned to be careful with how he used them. He had in recent times begun to comprehend the extent of such phenomena on a personal level. It was unpleasant. Furrowing his brow minutely, Sai responded the only way he knew how.
"My name is Sai. And I am part of Team Seven." He used the words Sakura and Naruto encouraged he repeat in the mirror and when introducing himself. And yet, this time they still did not feel like enough in the face of Suigetsu's torment.
"Doesn't look like it from where I'm standing, Stiff."
"Enough." Yamato commanded, coming to stand between the two men. "I will not tolerate this behaviour from either of you. We are on mission and I expect you both to act like it. I don't care about your motives Suigetsu, just do what you're here to do. Your commentary is not required." Hard almond eyes softened slightly as they turned to regard Sai. "Can I trust us all to remain level-headed as we work with one another?"
"Hai, Taichou." Sai agreed, trying to decipher what it was Yamato-senpai was trying to convey with his meaningful eye contact. It felt… was it, reassurance?
"Whatever you say, man. Just so long as we're clear on my level of 'comradery'." Suigetsu drawled, bringing his hands up to rest behind his head.
"It couldn't be clearer." Yamato teemed.
"That's all I ask."
Sai interpreted Yamato-senpai's responding look as distaste, hardening into an authoritative stare as he spoke. "Down to business then. Let's start with the places you know Karin is not, Suigetsu. I assume Shikamaru was right in that you only came to Konoha because you exhausted most other options?"
There was a heavy sigh from their guest. "Look, I'm not saying I looked for her or anything. But I know where she ain't. She's not in Sand, Cloud, Rain, or Sound. And under the circumstances, she obviously ain't in Leaf either. She's not in Iron, Mist or Rock and they won't be in Tea or Noodles or any of those small fry ones." The violet-eyed man seemed to grimace in his apparent conclusion.
"You have yet to mention Snow." Yamato-senpai prompted.
"Yeah, and I was hoping to avoid it. I hate the damn snow. I mean I'm not a fan of hot, dry deserts either. I'm more of a tropical ninja myself."
"The point, Suigetsu." Yamato-senpai clipped.
"Yeah, yeah. Look, Snow is our best bet. Unless you want to go back through every nation and double check my story, I'd say it's worth trying where I haven't been yet. If Karin is there, it's because she followed Orochimaru there."
"Sai, think you can get us to Snow? I don't think conventional travel will cut it at this rate."
"Hai, Yamato-Taichou." Sai affirmed, withdrawing his brushes and scroll. He let the conversation around him fade into the background as he took a moment to selfishly enjoy the tools with which he worked. He had brought these particular brushes with him on a whim of indulgence. Or perhaps it was sentimentality that guided his choice.
The wood of the brushes was hand-crafted by Yamato-senpai himself from his Mokuton. He had carved intricate engravings of Sai's most signature ink creatures along the spine. They were fine-detailed, yet sturdy and strong in his hands.
"Just like that? Geez and here I thought you were going to have a better plan than mine. Where was the last place you saw them anyhow?"
"On the border of Rain and Rock. We've also had Sound staked out continuously since, as a precaution, but there has been no sign."
The handles were reinforced with a special chakra conductive steel, which ran through the core of the wood. Kakashi-senpai had specifically bartered them from a blacksmith in Iron, renowned for his expensive and high-quality chakra metals.
"Yeah well that's Karin for ya." Suigetsu paused. "What about Whirlpool? Have anyone there?"
"Whirlpool? No. You think she could be there?"
The bristles were individually procured from the hair of an Ox, which Naruto helped catch in an incident involving the Diamyo and a misplaced prized herd. They were blended with a sturdy white china bristle and perfectly shaped. Naruto had been extraordinarily pleased with himself for weeks after, despite Sai being unaware of the occasion for such pride.
"No clue. But it's the land of her birth, right? The Uzumaki people. I mean if I was a sappy chick like her, I'd probably want to steer clear of a massacre spot like that. But Karin's always been weird."
"So which is it, Snow or Whirlpool?"
And the oil-based ink came courtesy of Sakura; who spent three months in Mist improving medical clinics within the region and using her spare time to learn fishing from the locals. She returned with thirty-three pots of ink which she acquired by hand from the squids she caught. It was allegedly a messy endeavour.
"What, am I the Captain now or something? Look, if I knew where she was I wouldn't be here with you two now would I?"
Her nimble fingers were stained black for days, and it wasn't until his surprise 21st birthday party, that he realised what it all meant. What his team, his family had done for him.
"Sai, change of plans." Sai snapped his head up to face Yamato-senpai, just two eagles leapt from his scroll. "We're going to Whirlpool."
"What makes you so sure that's the right call, Oh Captain my Captain?" Suigetsu snarked incredulously.
Sai tilted his head, and Yamato-senpai glanced at him with a wry smile. "Call it a hunch. Uzumaki's tend to be sentimental people."
Yes, Uzumaki's were indeed sentimental; as were Haruno's and Hatake's and the rest of Team Seven. And Sai would embrace and protect their gifts of emotions and loyalty with every breath in his body. After all, it was his family who taught him the meaning of such sentiments.
Sakura's pink hair fluttered around her face, as it swung frantically from its ponytail. The sun had been at its apex for hours now, and yet the day still remained freezing and bleak. The ends of her hair were basically acting as ice picks hitting against her face, and not at all like the insulating natural defence she so needed it to be. Honestly, what was the point of keeping it long if it didn't even do anything when she needed it to? It was hot in summer, and apparently offensively cold in winter. How Ino lived with it all year round, Sakura would never know.
She had been meaning to cut it, come spring, but at this rate she was feeling a bit more sadistically inclined to take a kunai to her locks and sheer it off. Just the other day, Kakashi made mention he missed her shorter hair, and she was inclined to agree. Not that she would change her hairstyle just because a man preferred it a certain way. She'd learnt that lesson long ago, Sakura thought with a grimace. She was just beginning to fantasize about all the time she would save in the shower with shorter locks, when Naruto slowed down from his pace in front and fell alongside her.
"What's up?" She asked, a thin puff of air becoming visible around her cold mouth.
"Nothing. Teme, is just boring and doesn't want to talk." Naruto pouted, jerking his chin ahead to where Sasuke was leading.
"Is that really so surprising?" Sakura laughed.
Naruto snorted. "Surprising, no. Boring, yes." He cast a brief look behind them with Kakashi bringing up the rear, his masked face ever-present in his turquoise book. At this point Naruto theorized he was using it more as a windbreaker than actual reading material. "Maybe I could ask Kakashi to borrow one of his books to pass the time?"
Sakura faked a scoff. "Is my company not good enough for you now?"
"Ne, ne Sakura-chan, you know you'll always be my favourite." He grinned.
"Oh dear. I'm telling Hinata-chan."
"Ah wait, that's not – hey that's not fair!"
"Well – "
Sakura's returning giggle was cut off by Naruto abruptly diving at her and swinging her to an adjacent tree and pinning her between its trunk and his body. Feeling the breath leave her lungs momentarily, Sakura's eyes widened as she caught sight of the multiple senbon imbedded upon what was going to be her next trajectory. She hadn't even sensed anyone…
"Wha – "
"Ambush." Kakashi's voice echoed through the snowy trees as more projectiles came flying from multiple directions.
Sakura had just managed to swipe a kunai from her pouch to deflect them, when Naruto was on her again, delivering them from a secondary attack by a sudden wind-jutsu. With a loud crack, it decimated the tree they had been occupying seconds before, and yet their attackers remained hidden.
"Thanks Naruto. I've got it from here." She said, giving Naruto's arm a quick squeeze as it unwound from her waist.
They hardly had time to breathe before another jutsu came wildly at them. This time a Water Dragon, which exploded into their midst from the complete opposite direction. Splitting in separate ways, Sakura threw a handful of kunai at the origin of the water-user, while Naruto flung his own handful towards the initial wind attack.
Landing in a crouch, Sakura sharpened her senses to pinpoint their attackers, but came up short. With a detached calm, she assessed they were stringing them off. She could no longer see Naruto, despite his distinct colouring in the otherwise bland environment. She did however, hear his exuberant call of his signature Shadow Clone Jutsu, somewhere in the distance.
Whipping her head to the left, Sakura leapt out of the way of a second Suiton attack, narrowly avoiding the sharp spikes of water which forced her further and further away from the rest of her team. Sakura grit her teeth. Her style of combat was not suited to treetop hide and spear.
Casting another glance for her attacker, Sakura quickly descended to the forest floor, hoping they would follow her lead. She faintly heard the sound of a thousand birds chirping and bit her lip wondering if it was Kakashi or Sasuke.
"Giving up so soon, little Leaf?"
A raspy voice chuckled as a non-descript ninja appeared before her. He was nothing out of the ordinary. Dark clothes, dark hair. Kiri missing-nin by the looks of his slashed headband. He and his friends had done well to avoid detection, scarily so, and Sakura briefly wondered if they were some of the ninja Sasuke talked about.
"I'm sorry it has to end like this, girl." The nin continued, uncaring of her silence. "Scream nice and loud for me?"
"We'll see who does the screaming." Sakura growled, fixing her gloves comfortably upon her hands. She took a sharp breath.
In a blink, she drew her hand back and drove it into the earth, sending a shockwave of debris and chakra towards the briefly shocked ninja. He recovered quickly, finding his footing among the rubble and immediately sending flurry of shuriken her way. Sakura dodged, closing in on him with a burst of speed and raising her fist to deliver a blow to his mid-section.
The hit landed head-on and he splintered into shards of timber as his substitute took the force of her impact. Sakura flipped backwards as she sensed a dim chakra spike from her left, a powerful and vast Water Bullet jutsu barrelling towards her. It forced her to manoeuvre back across the upturned earth, nimbly avoiding being impaled. Again.
He was good. Both quick and powerful in his jutsu, barely giving her time to react. His presence remained largely undetectable, despite the visual confirmation of his presence. She could only sense him just as he initiates his jutsus – like some strange sensory block, imperfect but strong.
He could be one of the 'summoned' missing nin! Only one way to find out.
Flinging some paralytic senbon at him, hidden within her barrage of kunai, Sakura looked for an opening in which she could incapacitate him, without causing too much damage. She wanted him as alive and whole as possible in order to analyse and rule out all possible influences upon his person. He predictably avoided her weapons attack, but by then Sakura was already encroaching on his space, hands alight with medical chakra, ready to disarm and render him immobile.
He swung at her with a strong kick which she easily avoided, replying in turn with a high kick to his head that he barely dodged. His arms lost their defensive position at his torso and Sakura took the advantage, covering the last distance between them, ready to incapacitate him with her chakra. It seemed almost too easy and her green eyes widened as she saw the glint of his tanto suddenly driving up from between them, aimed straight for her stomach.
Inwardly cursing his ruse, she began to twist away, ready to come at him again from a different angle, when suddenly, her body was yanked backwards by an unseen force. Muffling a gasp at the harsh movement and unexpected presence around her waist, Sakura blindly surged chakra to her hands to break the invisible grip, when she was halted by a strikingly dark and familiar voice.
"Sakura. Stay out of this."
Bewildered, Sakura turned to face her temporary captor and was baffled to see Sasuke caging her three feet above the ground within his summoned spectral arm, and looking supremely pissed. It took another moment for his words to register and she let out a startled choke as Sasuke continued to bring her closer to his person, until she was hovering just slightly behind him.
"What the -? Sasuke put me down!"
"No." He replied, his eyes not leaving the rather intrigued looking Kiri-nin.
A million different curses strung through Sakura's mind at his vehement refusal, but all that tumbled out of her stunned mouth was, "And why the hell not?"
A singular onyx eye slid to her and Sakura inexplicably held her breath at his cool regard.
"Because I said so."
Sakura sputtered, unconsciously gripping her hands across the ghostly limb which still held her confined at his side. What the hell was he doing interfering in her fight like this? Does he think her entirely incapable? Her wrath was sparking to new heights when he turned his attention back to their remarkably patient opponent, choosing to ignore her.
"Don't make me rip your bloody ghost arm off and punt you to Suna with it." Sakura threatened with an impressive growl.
"Don't make me put you in time out in my Susanoo."
He spoke so casually, so decisively that Sakura was struck speechless between an incredulous laugh and an open gape. What. The. Hell!? This was almost worse than the kidnapping incident!
"Sorry to interrupt your lovers quarrel, but seeing as you're stealing my prey, are you going to be a man and take her place, Uchiha?"
Sakura watched as Sasuke barely reacted to the taunt but with the slightest tilt of his chin. "You know who I am." It was a statement more than a question.
"Does that make you uncomfortable, Uchiha?" The man laughed in a grating tone.
Sasuke did not respond, merely remained still and silent before the opposing ninja. Sakura felt herself grow restless with their inaction, and attempted to wriggle herself free from Sasuke's uncompromising grip. Since when is a ghost arm this strong? Cha!
"If you wish to fight, then attack. I do not have all day."
Sakura snapped her head up at Sasuke's blasé challenge. So he wanted to fight now? Did that mean he was going to let her go? What was he waiting for?
"You gonna drop your girl or what?" The man quizzed from his spot across the ruptured land.
Sasuke's bland expression did not change. "I have no need for two hands to defeat the likes of you."
Sakura's jaw dropped. Well that was just great. Damned Uchiha ego! He was just going to leave her dangling there like a helpless civilian, while he let a skilled missing-nin come at them? She was safer almost getting knifed! At least then she could actually move her body at will.
"Uchiha Sasuke if you don't put me down this instant I swear – " she whispered furiously as she eyed the Kiri-man fortifying himself for an attack.
"Stay out of this Sakura." Sasuke ordered, his eye flashing Sharingan red at her stolen adversary.
"I'm trying!"
No sooner had she shouted did their opponent lurch forward with a burst of hand signs. Sasuke matched his speed with his own, his Sharingan spinning wildly. Sakura could do nothing but brace for impact as an impressive Suiton blast travelled towards them, only to be met by Sasuke's signature Katon. Fire and water collided violently, a heavy veil of steam coating the landscape and temporarily masking their vision.
Through the steam, Sakura saw Sasuke twitch, and not a second later did he further swing her out of harm's way to block an attack with his swiftly drawn katana. Steel grated against steel as the Kiri man's tanto screeched against Sasuke's blade.
"Not bad, Uchiha." He taunted with a mean grin.
Sasuke responded by aiming a kick at his stomach and advancing on him with a series of powerful slashes. It forced the nin to flip back on himself and create some distance between them.
"Sasuke, let me down so I can fight!" Sakura demanded, keeping her green eyes trained on their current enemy.
"I will not repeat myself again, Sakura. Stay out of this."
Oh, she could wring his pale Uchiha neck!
"If you're done with your domestic." The man called.
Sasuke's jaw clicked, and he swiftly turned to the right and then left to deflected the silver needles aiming for them with the edge of his katana.
"Clones." Sasuke noted under his breath, his red eye darting back and forth around the landscape.
Sakura furrowed her brow and reached out with her senses. This man, whoever he was, was truly quite skilled at masking his presence. She felt Sasuke shift her position again as the ninja came at Sasuke a second time in close combat, this time staying within range in a battle of steel.
With nothing to do but hold on and trust in Sasuke's ability to not get her sliced and diced, Sakura frowned at the change in the Kiri man's attack pattern. He had, up until this point, been careful to keep his distance as a long-range fighter. Yet now he was suddenly baring down into Sasuke's space with nothing but a tanto against Sasuke's superior blade? It wasn't the move she expected from him. Something wasn't right.
Completely devoting her senses to their surroundings, Sakura desperately sought to find a reason for his change in tactic… There! Something terribly faint pulled at the edge of her sensory grip, well hidden, but undeniably there. It was directly behind them. Sasuke's blind spot. His vulnerable spot between holding her and engaging the now relentlessly attacking enemy shinobi.
Sakura's eyes snapped open when she felt the hazy surge of chakra, indicating a hefty jutsu coming their way. It was another set-up! She didn't have time to think, just act. Spreading her hands firmly across the breadth of Sasuke's spectral arm, she sent a massive wave of medical chakra through the phantom arm. It vigorously travelled up to Sasuke's organic tissue and disturbed the nerves with strong electrical currents, forcing his summons to deactivate.
With a mighty flicker of chakra and a surprised grunt from Sasuke, Sakura was unceremoniously dropped to the earth just in time for her to grab Sasuke and shunshin to a nearby tree and away from the incoming attack.
With a powerful roar, a Bladed Fuuton jutsu tore through the trees and penetrated the empty spot they had just escaped. Sakura instinctively looked away as the Fuuton instead decimated the stunned and suddenly exposed Kiri-nin in a gruesome display of carnage.
Sakura felt Sasuke tense in her arms from where she held him strong around his middle in the lower branches of the trees, overlooking the aftermath. They caught each other's eyes in muted surprise. It was a powerful wind attack, one that would've surely caught them off guard, had she not acted when she did.
"Rasengan!"
With a jolt, Sakura turned her attention back just in time to see Naruto and Kakashi flicker into view and take out the last rogue shinobi.
"Wait!" She shouted, leaping from the trees to stop the attack.
She was too late. The body hit the forest floor with a dull thud, as each of her boys turned questioning eyes unto her. She cursed. If they really were the 'summoned' shinobi, she needed them alive to examine. And judging by the mangled bodies around them, even an autopsy would not be particularly telling. Not that she relished the idea of doing an infield post-mortem.
"Is everyone alright?" Kakashi asked, sweeping his eyes over them.
"Yeah Sensei, I'm all good." Naruto confirmed first, looking no worse for wear but for a few scratches on his cheeks and tears in his clothes. No doubt from the pesky wind-user.
"Yeah, I'm – ", Sakura was cut off for the fourth time that hour by a hand clamping around her arm and swinging her to face the angry eyes of Sasuke. He blatantly ran his vision over her form in an almost accusatory fashion. Sakura started; she could almost make out concern in his fierce eyes, if not for his seething abhorrence.
"What the hell did you think you were doing?" He spat.
And just like that, her stunned trance was broken. Scoffing, she brought her hands up to his chest to push him away, but he held fast. "Me? I could ask you the same question!"
"What did we miss, exactly?"
They both ignored Naruto's question and Sakura remained focused on the all too suddenly handsy Uchiha, who kept refusing to let her go.
"You can't afford to waste chakra on these low-lifes. You should've just let me handle it." Sasuke lectured, as if it was her fault for defending herself.
"I was doing just fine with or without chakra Sasuke! I know how to defend myself." Sakura punctuated by forcibly ripping her arm from Sasuke's grip.
"That's not the point." He refuted, sounding unreasonably put out. "You disobeyed me and could've gotten us killed!"
"I saved your life!" she shouted, poking a finger none too gently into his broad chest.
"It was unnecessary and stupid." Sasuke criticised darkly. "And I forbid you from using chakra like that again."
"Oh boy." Kakashi sighed from somewhere behind them.
But Sakura only had eyes and ears for Sasuke. She became deathly quiet. First, she was 'starving herself and being too weak to be useful'. Now, she was 'wasting chakra by defending herself and saving his egotistical life'? Her jaw ached with how hard she was clenching it.
"You forbid me?" she clarified slowly, defiantly staring up into his intense dark eyes.
"Yes."
She twitched, then detonated.
"Well in that case! Since we're forbidding each other from things now, I forbid you from telling me what to do!" She pushed against his chest, forcing him to stumble back from her strength. "And while I'm at it, maybe I'll just forbid you from scowling too!" She pushed again, damn his growing impatience with her. "Or maybe I'll forbid you from being such a stubborn, prideful, arrogant – "
Her palms were flat against his chest prepared to push again when he clutched both her wrists in his hand, pulled her forward and raised his voice at her.
"Enough! I will not have you risk your life any more than you already are by wasting even a drop of chakra before we reach the seal! Not when it could mean the difference between your survival."
Sakura couldn't tell if her gasp was in response to his unrelenting grip or his demonstrative outburst. Her eyes darted between his as he glared at her, frenzied from his eruption. Everything went silent in his wake, or perhaps it was the ringing in Sakura's ears that muted all else around her.
Slowly, Sasuke relaxed his grip on her wrists, holding them loosely.
"Just, listen to me…please."
He slightly hung his head and let go of her completely, his eyes now hidden from her purview by the curtain of his longer hair. Arms now hanging limply at her side, Sakura took a dazed step back. She felt almost breathless with questions. He had been unnervingly hot and cold with her these past few days, but she couldn't help but feel oddly heartened by his expressive outburst, misguided as it was. His plea almost made her ache with long concealed affection. Her heart fluttered with a damn near hopefulness. She took a small step forward.
As if sensing her tentative scrutiny, Sasuke lifted his eyes to meet hers. She saw the moment he shifted away from his fleeting vulnerability, blanketing himself once more in cold, impenetrable passivity. She knew that look as the warning it was. Sakura closed the door quickly on that foolish hope.
"You cannot afford to fail this mission. Do you understand, Sakura?"
His tone was hard; an order, a reproach. And Sakura once again took it for what it was. Business and obligation; a sign that he was done talking in sentiments. Sasuke didn't like getting personal, and his regard for her safety comes first as a teammate, but foremost with the success of the mission in mind. She wouldn't take offense this time, despite the small part of her that wilted in the reality of it. She suddenly felt overwhelmingly frustrated with herself.
She knew Sasuke cared for her, cared for all of them. But she also knew he would never allow himself to care too much. Sasuke had shown them countless times now how much he would cling to detachment to survive; how he loved from a carefully measured distance. She wouldn't begrudge him that, couldn't. At least he was still in their lives… distant as he remained.
The purple rhombus on her forehead seemed to burn in memory. 'Maybe next time' had never felt so clear. And she was a fool.
Taking a deep breath, she gave him a fragile smile. "Okay Sasuke-kun." It slipped out, and she winced but couldn't take it back now. She straightened her spine and spoke a little firmer. "I understand. I'll be more mindful of my chakra expenditure. But I am still a kunoichi, and I need you to trust me to defend myself and complete the mission."
Sasuke was silent in the wake of her demand; nothing but the quiet sounds of the forest to tether them. A small bird, hoped once then twice on its barren branch high above the trees. Tilting its head left and right, it let out a melodic call, fluttering its sapphire wings to fly swiftly away.
"Hn."
"That's not a very convincing yes." She joked with forced mirth.
"I know."
Well… she didn't know what to make of that… Nodding slowly at his passive face, Sakura turned her back on Sasuke and marched up to a quiet Naruto to assess his cuts and scrapes. She barely acknowledged Kakashi's subtle probing stare. She knew if anyone could make her crack and succumb to her emotions, it would be him. Kakashi and his stupid, kind grey eyes. And she could not afford to crack. Not now. Perhaps not for a while.
She began to hyper-focus upon Naruto and started rummaging through her med-kit looking for bandages to place on his barely grazed skin. Warm tan hands slid over her own gloved ones to still her movements. She hadn't realised her faint tremor.
"Hey." Naruto called kindly. "I'm okay, really. Kurama has already started to patch me up."
Naruto quirked a reassuring grin at Sakura before letting his electric blue eyes scan over her taut form. Sakura felt herself tense further, and begged Naruto with her eyes not to ask if she was okay. She was fine. Just don't ask her to say it out loud. Don't ask. Don't ask. Don't ask. She could see the grimace he tried to smother, and was grateful when he nodded in silent settlement.
Sakura briefly closed her eyes. Deep breaths Haruno. Keep it together. What am I getting so worked up about anyway? I knew this was a professional call from the start. What was I even hoping for? Why was I even hoping in the first place…?
Sakura turned back around just in time to see Kakashi and Sasuke seal the last of the bodies.
"We got the rest of ours on the way here. Guess that made six in total." Kakashi answered her unasked question, rising from his crouch and stowing the scroll.
She merely nodded, already on her way to meet Kakashi and gage him for any injuries he may have been concealing from her. She slipped off her gloves and absently grabbed his left arm and placed her right hand gently on his chest – anything to keep from looking him in the eyes. Ignoring his protest of "I'm fine", and seeking a subtle glance at a preoccupied Sasuke, Sakura sent a brief wave of diagnostic chakra through him.
"Cheater." He said softly under his breath, sighing a little as he felt her chakra flow through him.
"Liar." She returned just as faintly.
Quietly mending his cracked rib, Sakura absently studied the buckles and zips of Kakashi's flak jacket. So familiar and comforting upon his person, just like his scent; pine and soap. Perfectly reliable in his permanence as he was in his habits. He was a guilty comfort of hers, Sakura was beginning to learn. She fought the urge to tip her head forward and lean on him for strength; like she had done many a time in recent years, after a trying day at the hospital or a difficult post-mission debrief.
They wouldn't say anything, but he would always run a comforting hand through her hair and she would finally let the tears slip silently down her cheeks. Then later, after her tears had dried and he said something stupid to make her laugh, he would treat her to dango and walk her home. Sometimes, on really bad days, he'd let her play with his ninken. Just the two of them and his dogs, lazily wasting an afternoon despite her nagging him about his duties and him placating her with smooth assurances and distractions of tempura and doggy belly-rubs. She was such a sucker for puppy dog eyes, and Kakashi and his ninken used it against her well.
Sakura realised with a painful pang how much she craved that routine with him now. How much it had come to mean to her. She must've tipped her head forward upon his chest without realising it, because all too soon was Kakashi's hand on her head, gently angling it back.
"Come on." Kakashi softly prompted her out of her reverie. He placed his other hand atop hers where it still rested against his chest. "We shouldn't stay here much longer."
Kakashi carefully returned her hand back to her, and let go of her head, gesturing to the rest of their team, where Naruto and Sasuke were looking on with concerned and critical eyes, respectively.
With a steady exhale, Sakura stepped away from Kakashi nodded to her boys in readiness.
"Move out."
Sasuke's voice was clipped and he immediately took off, Naruto following obligingly at his heels. Sakura couldn't help but feel like she had failed some sort of test, or maybe even flunked out of the entire course. And a large part of her was entirely too drained to care anymore.
A gentle knock at her shoulder had her glancing at Kakashi, eyes clear and warm. Returning his brief smile and gesture, Sakura took off after her boys, her resolve of that morning fading with the waning light.
Ara received Takara upon her shoulder in the early evening, intently absorbing her summons relay of information.
"Is that so, my pet? Oh, this is good." Ara hummed thoughtfully after a moment, stroking the bird's feathery chest.
"Report, Ara." Yukine requested from his meditative state across the fire.
"My Takara witnessed a most telling event for our heroes." She briefed, feeding Takara nibbles of food from her hand. "Our little Uchiha seems to be dreadfully protective of his flower-haired bride, to the point of anger. He apparently lost his cool over her wellbeing, and from a threat as little as those dull missing-nin. He's practically begging us to exploit his weakness, foolish thing."
Yukine tilted his head in consideration. Ara's summons was quite an intelligent creature, and based off their acquired information, it seemed rather incriminating for the Uchiha. "It is then curious he would involve her in such an endeavour if he so clearly values her safety."
Ara licked her lips. "Mm, well here is the fun part my lovely Yukine. Takara tells me his wife shall be the one to release the seal, and not the Uchiha as we so planned. Full of surprises our little Sasuke-kun is."
"His wife." Yukine ruminated softly.
"It was as Jin said - an exotic beauty indeed. Haruno Sakura, the Godaime's apprentice, and a little legend in her own right." Ara tossed him a Bingo Book he had no doubts she had pilfered from somewhere. "Although I suppose it would be more accurate to say Uchiha Sakura now. Hmm and such a pity too."
Yukine flicked open to her page, listed still as Haruno, though not unreasonable in light of the circumstances. A name was a powerful and dangerous thing in realm of Shinobi. Unfortunate, the Uchiha sought to affiliate with her in such a way, and further use her gifts despite the risks. His eyes lingered on her diamond adorned forehead. "An interesting turn of events. But not wholly unsalvageable. Perhaps, it works even a little greater in our favour, if she survives."
"My thoughts exactly. Although, the Jinchuuriki and Rokudaime shall not be so easily overcome. They represent a problem, the four of them together."
Yukine could not help but agree with the assessment. Powerless they were not; the world had seen witness to their devastating displays of teamwork and skill. However, riddled with weakness they were, ostensibly. It was perhaps even a little disappointing to learn such strong individuals to be so fundamentally flawed, despite its obvious advantages for those who seek to use it against them. It was a flaw he had cleansed himself of long ago.
"Indeed. In the morning we must regroup with Hansai and report. I anticipate our Master will wish to review a change in plans."
It appeared the Uchiha still had yet to grasp the lesson Yukine himself had learnt years ago. Attachment will only bring demise. But he would learn it soon enough. They all would.
A/N: Thank you to all those still reading! I was very nervous to post this chapter because it's the first time I've ever tried my hand at writing a fight/action sequence. I really hope it was clear enough! We're getting a bit more insight to all our characters now, and the stakes are levelling up. Until next time! ;)