Chapter 7

Operation: Keep Away the Kunai

A civilian currier stopped by Sakura's house the next morning and delivered a sealed scroll. She turned it over in her hand, examining the emblem embossed on the wax and decided it was definitely a chimera. Sasuke needed to keep appearances as the Commander which meant adopting his signature seal; Sakura still rolled her eyes about it. She effectively shut her door with her foot as she tore into the scroll and read the missive. She'd been summoned again for a progress meeting that evening. She wondered if the ANBU held any of its meetings in the daytime, or if they waited until night fell just for the sake of adhering to the layers of mystery surrounding the operation. It certainly made Headquarters feel all the more ominous…

Sakura took the scroll into her kitchen and rummaged through a drawer for a book of matches so she could burn the evidence (as requested.) When that was done, she headed upstairs to shower and change. There was still a lot of research to be done at the Hokage Tower, and the documentation Sakura requested was protected and couldn't be taken from the building. She'd been busy copying the notes she needed to the develop an antidote to a close cousin of the black salamander, which was called the violet-spotted salamander. There were, thankfully, records and documentation for the formula, but Sakura very much doubted there was an antidote on standby. She'd have to check the hospital, but wanted to run her findings by Baku first to see how they handled their procedures with the hospital.

The morning air was pleasantly warm; she knew this because her bedroom window was cracked, letting in the fragrant spring breeze. Sakura dressed in a pair of black leggings and a loose-fitting pink top that matched the exact shade of her hair. The shirt had a wide neckline that slipped over one of her shoulders, baring the slender but toned muscle of her arm. She thought about closing the window and latching it before she left – just to avoid confrontation from the Copy-nin, but then thought better of it and decided to risk his wrath on the off-chance he came snooping by her balcony again. She might not have appreciated his method of sneaking up on her that fateful night, but after the irritation subsided, she realized Kakashi had only been concerned about her safety.

The irony there was downright laughable, but she liked that he cared enough to make sure she was safe. Liked that something so menial as her window being unlocked had bothered him, because she knew for a fact he wouldn't have acted that way if it had been Sai or Naruto who committed the intolerable crime… She doubted he would have brought it to their attention.

Downstairs, Sakura scooped her notebook off the counter and stepped out into the morning sunlight. Birds were chirping in the branches, and distantly, Sakura could hear children laughing in the merchant district. She began her walk towards the Hokage Tower, and nearly tripped over her own ankles when a figure leapt down from the trees beside her.

"What in the actual fu–"

"–Now, now, Sakura-chan, it isn't becoming when a lady uses such strong profanity," Kakashi teased her.

"Kakashi!" Sakura finished, and smacked his bicep with her notebook. Kakashi chuckled in response. "I swear you do this crap just to annoy me."

"Ah, but you're so fun to annoy."

"I think maybe you just have a fetish for pain and enjoy when I beat you up for scaring me half to death," the pink-haired nin said.

"That's it," Kakashi said. "You totally found me out."

"Next you'll tell me you have a secret kink for BDSM."

Kakashi turned his head so he could see her better, and lowered his voice into that practiced timbre that made Sakura's blood freeze and flame all at once. "That's not much of a secret."

Sakura found the only rock in her path and stumbled over it.

Kakashi was chuckling again. "I'm kidding, Sakura."

A rush of heat fanned up the back of her neck and singed the tips of her ears. "Well, it wouldn't surprise me considering the books you read are just chockfull of wicked little delights."

"Wicked little delights," he repeated, grinning. "Speaking of those, I think I remember reading a chapter that started out a little like the stunt you pulled on me yesterday." He quirked an eyebrow.

Sakura pressed her lips together to keep from smiling. "I don't know what you mean…" her tone was all-encompassing of innocence. She pulled the kunai out from her hip pouch and leisurely twisted it around her index finger.

"I'll get it back," Kakashi said, "when you're least suspecting."

"Are you planning to back up that talk with action, Hatake?"

Kakashi lifted a finger. "I'm just waiting for the prime opportunity, Haruno."

"Uh, huh." She rolled her eyes in mock annoyance. Sakura wasn't sure where this little back and forth of seemingly innocent flirtation was going to lead them, but so long as Kakashi was shepherding the game, she decided she was going to keep playing. Operation keep-away-the-kunai may have been a guise they both were using as an excuse to explore this new territory, but Sakura was certainly enjoying the rush of excitement it merited.

Kakashi clasped his hands behind his back as they continued on their path. "What are we going to do with ourselves since the boys are gone?"

Sakura's lips twitched in a half smile. Rare was the occasion that the four of them were not assigned to a mission together, rarer, that Sakura and Kakashi were left at home. "Unfortunately, I have an assignment with Tsunade," she held up her notebook, "so you are going to have to find some way to entertain yourself."

"What kind of assignment?"

Ugh, Sakura was really getting tired of lying to her friends. She knew Kakashi would do the same for the sake of the operation, but she disliked lying to him most of all. She could still tell the truth in theory, she decided, by omitting part of the whole story. "Well, I've been going through some medical documentation in the archives, organizing the poison records."

Kakashi frowned. "That sounds terribly thrilling."

"You would undoubtedly die of boredom."

"Good thing I wasn't assigned."

"So, what are you going to do while I'm stuck doing an actual job?" Sakura asked as they neared the end of the street and the Hokage Tower was in their direct line of sight.

"Oh, I'm sure I'll find some sort of… salacious activity to occupy my time."

If Sakura had been drinking anything, it would have spouted out of her nose for the snort she gave in response. She dissolved into a fit of giggles and shook her head at the Copy-nin. "Just don't do anything I wouldn't do," she said as she bounded up to the door, notebook in hand.

"Have a good day, Sakura."

oOoOo

The fox mask may have been 'comfortable' but it certainly made things difficult when poring over formulas and tiny texts. That evening, Sakura had reported to the ANBU Headquarters and sat through the progress meeting in silence, listening as an operative in a bear mask gave the update about Hattori's hideout in Rain Country.

Bear mask pointed to a spot on the map that was about ten miles away from the Kage's new building. "We believe the hideout is located somewhere in the eastern woods," he'd said, and drew an invisible circle on the map with his index finger. "The surveillance team believes that there's an Earth-style user among their organization. One who's perfected a technique to manipulate plant life in effort to conceal their building. By approximation, the count of rebels is upwards of thirty-five."

Sakura knew that information only meant that there were thirty-five nin within the rebel organization, but that many more who sided with Hattori were still living among those who supported the crowning of the new Kage. The number of rebels accounted for didn't bode well for Rain's civilians, but it was the ones that weren't accounted for that made Sakura nervous.

After the meeting was over, Sakura stayed behind to tell Sasuke about what she'd found in the archives in the Hokage Tower. He listened with presumable interest – presumable, because she couldn't see his gods-damned face behind his mask. "I would prefer that you develop the antidote here," he said when she had finished. "We have a lab set up within the ANBU depot, and you're welcome to any of its resources."

"That's great, but I would still like to check with the hospital to see if they have any antidotes on standby. I doubt it, seeing as how the violet-spotted salamander is only native to the Land of Rivers and hasn't been a viable threat in decades."

"Meaning?" Sasuke asked, waving a hand for her to explain.

"Well, if the hospital has an antidote on standby, I can use it to copy the sequence and make more. If they don't, I'll have to go to the Land of Rivers and go salamander hunting…" She sincerely hoped she didn't have to do that, but would if there were no other options.

Sasuke considered this. "When's your next shift at the hospital?"

"Tomorrow, why?"

"Can you look for the antidote without anyone finding out what you're doing?"

"It's a hospital, Sasuke… it's not like any of the labs are ever empty."

"Baku," he corrected. "Or Commander, whichever you feel more comfortable with."

Sakura hated that she was wearing the fox mask because she desperately wanted him to see the monumental eyeroll and lip sneer he'd just caused. "Hey, you need me for this mission, and I'm not ANBU, so don't expect to get any formal respect from me."

Sakura thought she heard a small sound that might pass for a chuckle. "Can it be done or not, Haruno?"

She wished she could take someone with her – a spy, perhaps, that could act as a lookout while she did what was needed. A mission within a mission. "It can be done, but I may need some assistance."

"That can be arranged."

"Great, my shift ends at 9:00. It would be easier if someone meets me then."

"Done," Sasuke said.

"Do I have to be in this ridiculous disguise?" She tapped the side of her mask for emphasis. Sakura understood keeping her identity a secret for the sake of the mission, and for the sake of the civilians and other ninja because what they were doing was considered crossing a moral line… but she didn't understand why the ANBU wore masks among one another. Weren't they a sort of brethren? An oddly detached variety, but brethren nonetheless.

"As you stated a moment ago, you're not ANBU. You're wearing the gear for your own protection."

Sakura narrowed her eyes behind her mask. "You mean so I won't find out who the other operatives are?"

"There are several ninja selected for this mission that are not ANBU. Unless you take the oath and become one of us, the mask stays in place. Not only to protect your identity, but the others who also are not sworn in," Sasuke said.

"Is that an invitation to join?" Sakura tilted her head.

"Would you accept if it was?" he countered.

Sakura chewed on her bottom lip. The Sakura she was before the war would never have agreed to joining ANBU, but the Sakura she identified with now wasn't so sure… She had done many arguably immoral things in the name of the greater good, and regretted none of them – especially if those things had kept the people she loved safe. That being said, she wasn't sure she wanted to sign up for an intentional life of questionably unethical missions. "Maybe…"

"The choice is yours, Kitsune. Let me show you the lab in case there is anything you might need that we don't have."

Sakura followed him out of his office and down the hall. They turned right when they spilled out onto the circular balcony that overlooked the waterfall and the training grounds below. They entered the next wing, and Sasuke led her through a series of twists and turns she was sure she was going to forget before finally stopping at a metal door on their left. Sasuke held it open and waited for Sakura to step inside. The room itself was small but efficient, equipped with several exam tables, microscopes, a couple of centrifuges, a climate chamber, standard test tubes and safety-gear. Even though the carved walls were still the mountain rock that existed throughout the depot, this room had been fashioned with modern lighting and electricity. There wasn't a speck of dust or dirt on anything, the room was perfectly spotless and even smelled sterile.

She was nodding as she took a turn through the room. "I'll need some calcium chloride and atropine sulfate, but I'm pretty sure I can make the antidote here."

"Good. I'll see to it that your supplies are delivered tomorrow. I'll send an operative to meet you at the hospital tomorrow evening at nine. Is there a place that would be less conspicuous to meet?"

Sakura snorted. "I think two ANBU operatives walking around the hospital will inevitably turn heads."

"Not if you make yourself invisible," Sasuke said thoughtfully.

"You know, I haven't quite figured out how to perfect that jutsu yet…" she said sarcastically.

Sasuke didn't laugh. Gods, how had she ever claimed to love this man? His sense of humor was practically nonexistent. She marveled now, how she felt nothing in his presence in terms of emotional affections. She cared for him still and always would, but even that didn't hold a candle to the affection she held for her teammates.

"Keeping to the shadows won't be a problem for the operative I have in mind. He'll help you," Sasuke said.

Sakura plastered on a huge smile, even though he couldn't see it, and said, "Great, looking forward to it." But, in fact, she was not looking forward to it at all…

oOoOo

After her shift the following evening, Sakura slipped into the elevator and punched the button that would take her down to the basement. There was a shipping/receiving bay down below where the hospital's larger supplies were accepted and sent out. The bay would be empty at this hour, and Sakura had told Baku it would be the least inconspicuous spot for the ANBU operative to enter the grounds without being seen. When Sakura stepped off the elevator, she had the black cloak fastened around her shoulders, her hair confined within the hood, and the fox-faced mask perfectly in place. Luckily, just as Sakura guessed, there was no one in sight on the lower level.

A single caged light hung from the ceiling, barely putting off enough light to see around the stacks of crates and boxes littered through the garage port. It was eerily silent in the bay, save for the small, barely noticeable sound of her footfall as she walked towards the man-door.

Sakura wondered who Sasuke decided to send, and remembered to put a disguise jutsu on her voice as a shadow passed over the slatted glass in the man-door. Sakura opened the door, stepping aside to let an operative inside the bay. The man was over a head taller than her and dressed from head to toe in black tactical gear; the only contrast was the gray flak jacket and arm guards, and, of course, the damned porcelain mask. This one, she decided, bore a striking resemblance to a cat… or maybe a dog? The menacing eyes were slanted like a cats' and lined in red paint. The mouth was painted in a scowl.

"Kitsune?" the operative asked, his vocal tone unfamiliar to her.

As if she was anyone else… Sakura thought about voicing this sarcastic comment but then decided against it since the operative was probably just trying to confirm contact and make conversation. "Yep, that's me," she said.

"Shiori Kiba," the man said by way of introduction. White Fang, Sakura translated, and wondered where she had heard that name before… "What floor do we need to get to?"

"Ah, that would be the toxicology lab on the third floor," Sakura said. "I don't suppose you have any experience identifying antidotes?"

"Afraid not," Shiori Kiba informed her.

"That'll make you the lookout, then," Sakura decided.

Shiori Kiba nodded. "Stairs?"

"Right this way." Sakura led him out of the shipping bay, becoming all too aware that the ANBU elite walking behind her had mastered the art of invisibility as Sasuke insinuated. She couldn't hear a single sound coming from him, wondering, in vain, how the hell they managed to turn into ghosts. Maybe that would be something she learned from her time among the elite.

When they approached the mouth of the stairwell, Shiori Kiba took the lead. His cloak billowed in his wake as they ascended the stairs, pausing and listening before moving on to the next set until they reached the third floor. Shiori Kiba tilted his masked head, presumably to listen to things beyond the door that Sakura's ears weren't picking up on. "Right or left once we're in the hallway?" he asked.

"You'll turn left," Sakura said, "the toxicology lab is at the end of the hall, but we have to pass a nurses' station to get to it."

"That complicates things." Shiori Kiba pushed his face to the thin slat of glass and made an overly exaggerated twist of his head in attempt to see in either direction.

"Got any bright ideas?"

"One," Shiori Kiba said. "I can see the station from here. If I go into a patient's room and push their call button to signal for a nurse, will that give you enough time to slip into the toxicology lab?"

"It should, providing there aren't any doctors in there – which, at this time of night, the lab is usually pretty empty," Sakura said. "But how will you get out before a nurse goes in?"

"Ninja," Shiori Kiba answered before pulling open the door and slipping into the hall like a phantom wraith.

Sakura was frowning as she stepped up to the small viewing window and tried to track his movement, but the man had already disappeared into a patient's room. She turned her gaze towards the nurses' station and waited for the woman to be alerted to the call button. Sakura was holding her breath, she realized, because it seemed like a hundred years before the nurse rose from the station and dipped inside the patient's room. Sakura took that as her cue to move – and fast.

She may not have been totally silent, but she was effective, and managed to breeze down to the end of the hallway in the blink of an eye. She fished her medical I.D. out from below her cloak and scanned herself into the lab. Sakura stepped inside, grateful that the lights were off. Just as the door was beginning to snick shut behind her, Shiori Kiba caught the handle with a single finger and swept inside the lab with Sakura. "I thought you were going to play lookout," Sakura whisper-hissed at the nin.

"Nowhere to hide in the hallway," the elite replied drolly.

"Fine," Sakura said, "just, wait by the door and let me know if anyone is coming." She squared her shoulders and made for the refrigerated shelving system at the back of the lab. Rows and rows of labeled vials decorated the brightly lit shelfing from inside the refrigeration compartments. Sakura leaned in, her mask nearly touching the glass as she scanned the names of the antidotes. There was antivenom for deadly snakes and spiders, antigens for metal toxicity, antidotes for drug overdoses, but nothing, as Sakura feared, was on display in what should have been the Squamata reptile section.

Sakura felt her heart sank, and began to turn away just as the very near sound of a feminine voice disrupted her thoughts and turned her blood to ice. Before she had time to react, Sakura was wrenched off her feet and ferried away to some very dark corner of the room. She had the vaguest sense that she was inside something – like a janitors' closet, a reality she became more aware of when a very thin slant of light filtered below the closed door. Whoever was in the lab must've turned on the lights.

Sakura shook her head once, trying to blink away the dizziness. Had the ANBU elite teleported her into the closet? It didn't matter. What mattered was that he got them both to safety without being discovered. Another voice joined in with the first – another female, and the sounds appeared to be getting closer. Shiori Kiba's hand flattened against Sakura's stomach as he pulled her back into the wall of his chest and sank with her silently towards the floor, making them both a smaller target.

Sakura couldn't move. Her spine was in perfect alignment with Shiori Kiba's chest, so much so that she could feel his heartbeat against her shoulder blade. His arm had buttoned around her waist to keep her from inching forward into the mop bucket that she was just beginning to make out in the dim lighting. The fear of being caught was the only thing keeping Sakura in check, because part of her realized what an intimate position she was in with someone she barely knew… Maybe the embarrassment would come later, but right now all she could think about was the two women outside their door.

"I can't believe he said that, Mai, I'm so sorry," one of the women said empathetically.

"I just never saw it coming," the other woman replied. "He seemed so… normal, you know?"

"They all do in the beginning."

Sakura wondered how long they would be forced to listen to this soap opera, and scrunched her eyes shut to try and concentrate on regulating her breathing.

Deep breath in, deep breath out.

Deep breath in, and–

Sakura stopped breathing. Her whole body seemingly enveloped by a state of paralysis. The smell hit her at once – subtle at first, and then overwhelming, as if the scent of sandalwood and earthy spices had started and ended in the confined space the two nin were sharing. A rush of heat blazed through Sakura's core and fanned up the front of her throat. She wanted to take the damned mask off. She wanted to elbow the ninja so hard in the ribs he'd be seeing stars for a decade… Did he know? She wondered… He had to know. How she hadn't picked up on it the moment he'd walked through the shipping bay door had completely eluded her.

Sakura laid her arm across his to help her balance as she delicately, and slowly, twisted in his grip. When she had spun enough to face him, Sakura daringly lowered the hood of his cloak, fingers shaking as she gripped the edge of his porcelain mask and hesitated… The nin didn't budge. Slowly, Sakura lifted the porcelain mask, only to find seamless black cloth below, and was met by the piercing, single-eyed gaze of the Copy-nin.

Sakura's breath hitched, and she was glad for the dark – glad that he couldn't see the color that had suffused on the ridges of her cheeks because her identity was still concealed below her fox mask.

Centimeters separated their faces, and Sakura's heart was in her throat.

Did Kakashi know who she was beneath her porcelain mask?

Sakura caught a small glint of something in the dark, turning her head just so, and spotted the kunai that Kakashi was holding between them. He leaned forward, resting his masked face against the side of hers and whispered, "Prime opportunity."

oOoOo

Who saw that coming? ;)

Thank for reading.

XOXO,
~Sparrow