16
Even within these walls, the air was heavy, poisoned with the scent of the evil sickness that the beasts had spread everywhere inside the compound. As Sakura looked up quickly, she took in the sight of the ceiling, built above several stairs, and from which light went through. They would not be spared by the beast's poison if it decided to breach the shrine.
"We must find a way out," Sakura announced, while looking everywhere for an escape, the weight of the unconscious woman being a constant reminder of the urgency to leave.
"Will she—" she coughed while putting on her own mask on her kinmate. "Will she make it if she breathes this vile air again?"
Sakura remained silent. She truly had no idea, but having this mask on would, without doubt, increase her chances. "Do you think you can jump up there?" she asked, turning to her companion.
She nodded, but then she suddenly froze. Her eyes looked dead, like she wasn't quite here anymore. Genjutsu. Sakura looked behind her back, feeling her pulse quicken when she recognized the ashlander kunoichi from earlier.
"Don't come any closer!" she warned her.
"You brought her back to life, kunoichi. How?"
"She wasn't dead."
Sakura wished she could see her eyes, for she had no idea what to expect of her foe, only that they were the kind to decapitate bodies. Despite her warnings, the stranger moved closer, which made Sakura raise her fists immediately.
"Don't move!" she shouted, starting to fear she would have to defend herself.
The woman stretched out her right arm. "Fix it," she commanded.
Sakura's eyes widened in recognition. This bandaged arm, whose hand had been severed the previous day, was still in her memory. The same hand she had found on the ground and chosen to give back to her owner. Was it a mistake? She assumed the woman had found someone in town to patch it up—someone without a proper training for this task.
She heard a sudden dry cough to her side. Kanao's face was turning blue and her mouth was gasping for air. Sakura looked back at her foe. "What are you doing to her? Stop it!"
"This pest will choke on herself soon if you don't obey."
Sakura didn't think twice then, and darted to her at once, ignoring her instinct urging her to stay away from this woman. She just chose to focus on healing her hand, convincing herself it was just another patient. The stitches, as she had assumed, were not the work of an experienced healer—even less one of Hyo-nin. It was likely a temporary fix, sufficient to avoid amputation, but insufficient to assure mobility.
A loud rumble resonated from outside the building. The beast was coming back. This shelter wouldn't stop it. They all needed to get out of here right now, yet the woman wasn't moving an itch, like there wasn't a raging and poisoned tempest outside. She obviously wasn't going to let them go until Sakura finished healing her arm. But could her words be trusted? And where the hell were her teammates when she needed them!?
It wasn't the time for experiments, nevertheless, Sakura felt like it was the perfect occasion to confirm one theory about the healing technique she had been working on within the safety of Konoha's hospital. She made signs with one hand while infusing chakra inside the woman's flesh with the other, and she waited. It was a remarkable feat, to be able to use a patient's chakra to speed up the healing process. However, she suspected this jutsu would only work with a cooperative and trusting patient, or else any resistance would be translated into an excoriating… pain.
The woman suddenly jerked away from Sakura, her body curling up on her wounded hand. Sakura realized her risky bet had worked, but she had no time to ponder her finding, for the shrine started to tremble madly.
"You wrench!" she muttered between her teeth.
"Haruno-san!" Kanao shouted, freed from the genjutsu. "Bring her to safety! Please!"
Kanao Tamaki didn't hesitate and lunged herself at the Ashlander. Sakura felt another shot of adrenaline run through her, as she saw a gigantic green mass descending from above. Having no other choice, she grabbed Kanao's unconscious friend, and jumped through one of the openings high above the walls without looking back.
"You tended our enemy's wounds twice?" the Captain asked, her voice tinged with exasperation.
"No. The first time I saw her at the ruins, I only returned her hand. You said I wasn't allowed to get involved in any battle, so I followed your orders," Sakura paused, recalling the sickening encounter inside the Black market of Oirase. She was glad Captain Hyuuga knew nothing of this, or else she'd lose all credibility. "The second time, like I just described you, I barely had time to heal her. Replantation of amputated parts isn't a quick process. Not to mention my…. ministrations caused her more pain than relief. Trust me."
Chiho Hyuuga lifted her head from the report. "Had I allowed you to engage in combat, would you have been capable of defending yourself?"
Sakura blinked, meeting the focused eyes of her Captain. She recalled the encounter at the shrine and how Kanao Tamaki sacrificed herself to save her kinmate Jina. Sakura wondered if things could have gone differently had she chosen a different path during her first encounter with the kunoichi of the Ashes. Fragments of her nightmare from the last night resurfaced in her mind, filled with corpses, blood, and guilt.
"Haruno!"
"Erm, sorry," she stuttered, coming back to her senses. "I…I'd do anything to protect my friends, Taichou. This is…truly all I care about."
"A resounding no, then," she grabbed her pen again, "for the record, none of your friends were in danger."
"How is Tamaki's friend?"
"Alive," she looked up from her report to stare at Sakura, "Tozen has recovered too."
Sakura went a bit red from embarrassment. For her defense, Tozen had not had his throat cut.
Another heavy silence followed. Sakura watched how she wrote with the most controlled motions. It seemed almost like the pen was dancing on the paper. Alas, she feared the content of the report was anything but poetic. She wasn't worried about herself, though. No, what concerned her was a peculiar event involving her friends and the Nine Tail's beast.
Chiho's focus broke when a sharp bang on the door echoed through the room, making her look up in annoyance from her writing.
A tall man entered the room, wearing an expression of urgency. "Captain Hyuuga, my…teammate has a message of utmost importance for you."
"So, why are you here before me and not him?" she snapped.
Sakura wondered too what prevented this man from simply entering her Captain's office and delivering his message. She had the feeling that she wasn't the only one recalcitrant about finding herself alone with Chiho Hyuuga.
"Well, huh," the man swallowed, "he was told you were in a meeting, Taichou. He dared not to enter. I took it upon myself to come in to inform you."
"How admirable," she mocked. "Fetch him. Now!"
"Er…he left, Captain. Though, I assume he returned outside to the policeman waiting for you."
"The policeman?" Captain Hyuuga got up from her desk, staring daggers at the Anbu. Instead of shouting more at him, she just ignored the man, and mumbled as she walked around the desk, "What a bunch of incompetents."
The man held the door wide open, not daring to speak anymore. Sakura was infinitely glad not to be the one at the receiving end of her captain's wits for once. She was starting to understand why Chiho Hyuuga wasn't popular among the ANBU members. Especially the new recruits.
"Haruno, you stay put until I return!" she shouted while heading to the door.
"Hai, Taichou."
As soon as she was alone in the office, Sakura jumped from her chair and darted to Captain Hyuuga's desk, on which the report lay opened. She flipped through the pages, looking up at the door anxiously from time to time, until she found the incriminating event that could change her teammate's fate.
Sakura couldn't believe it. Whether from ignorance or negligence, the Captain had left out important details regarding Naruto's ordeal during the mission. There wasn't any mention of his appearance or his animalistic features, which were anything but normal. In other circumstances where she could have let her love for detail rule her thoughts, Sakura would have been bothered by such inaccuracies. But in this case, it felt like a weight had just been lifted from her shoulders.
"Reading confidential reports without authorization is a punishable offense."
This voice.
Startled, Sakura lifted her head to stare at the newcomer. She didn't expect to see him again this soon, though it didn't come as a shock, seeing as she was basically in his territory. What immediately caught her eyes, other than his hardened expression, was the attire he was wearing. A gray armor covered his upper and lower chest, over a black long-sleeved shirt and black pants, almost hugging his legs. The typical Anbu attire. Was he departing for a mission already?
"I was part of the mission," she said, as she flipped the pages back to where they used to be, "so, from where I stand, I have every right to know if my friends are going to face injustices."
"My brother and Uzumaki are the least of the Council's worries," he informed her with his usual monotonous tone.
She snorted and met his judgmental gaze. "That's exactly why I have to make sure nothing will befall them. Considering I was the one who freed your brother years ago, I assume you wouldn't care if he had to be locked up again. Right?"
Arms crossed over her chest, she walked around the desk and sat harshly on one wooden stool. She forced herself to look at a painting hanging in the very opposite direction from her nemesis. The sea looked dense and tumultuous over the pale-yellow sandy coast, menacing to devour everything in its path. Yet one humanoid shape stood still on the beach, staring at the abyss like they were not threatened by it. Sakura wondered what thoughts inhabited them, why they wouldn't just run away when they knew without a single doubt that the water would soon engulf them, erasing their very existence from the crystal sand.
"I'll be leaving Konoha today."
"Coward," she whispered spontaneously, without moving her eyes away from the painting. Perhaps there was no point in trying to fight the inevitable. No matter how fast they moved, their fate was already sealed.
"Sakura-san," he said sternly. Hearing her name made her turn her head toward him. Even though she wanted to feel offended by this familiarity, she couldn't find any arguments to blame him. She was the one who had first broken this wall, after all. And so, she remained quiet and waited expectantly for him to speak, sensing hesitation in him.
"Do not trust the Somas."
"Not this again!" she sighed in disappointment, looking away and going on her feet with the firm intention to leave. The last thing she wanted was a repeat of their last discussion.
"Be wary of my people as well," he continued, after blocking the way out with his body, not giving her much choice but to stop. Once again spooked by his words, she backed away and stared at him with confusion.
What did he just say?
"Listen to me carefully. Nobura Uchiha is the name of the man suspecting you of conspiring with the Somas," his controlled voice revealed. "He's not the kind to let go of his obsessions. One way or another, he'll come at you when you expect it the least."
Was she dreaming? Was Uchiha Itachi really trying to warn her of a danger now? She squeezed her teeth together. "Will he attempt to strangle me too? And if so, should I expect you to be here to witness it all?"
"I don't seek a fight with you."
"Hai," she conceded. "You—you've made this clear the last time."
They stared at each other, both recalling the recent events. Anger and embarrassment made Sakura turn away from him. But there was nowhere to go, so she resumed facing the troubling painting, feeling like she was in an unsolvable dilemma. Like the figure in the painting, she felt paralyzed and alone against the chaotic waves and storm.
The thoughts of his insults, the demeaning stare, the violence, and the accusations, all made her blood boil with anger and humiliation. She hated that a stranger's words could have such an impact on her. But she felt even more frustrated to acknowledge he wasn't one anymore.
No, a man with whom she had forgotten herself almost every night, for almost three months, and whose identity wasn't a mystery anymore. Such a man could not be a stranger.
She had to find a way to solve this. Not for their sake, but Sasuke's.
"You know, your brother tried to kill me once. Right before the war," she paused, recalling the shock she had felt when the boy she was infatuated with had lunged himself at her with the firm intention of killing her. "As much as I want to believe he didn't know what he was doing—or at least that's what Naruto kept telling me—I couldn't get over it. When Sasuke returned to the village, I had no wish to see him. Neither did he. He, being thrown behind bars, just made everything easier… Anyway. When the war broke out, I had to work with him again, and… he ended up apologizing to me. Despite all the despicable things he had done, I forgave him."
"This wouldn't change anything."
"People say you're impartial and…just. I've yet to see this side of you, is there even any truth in it? Didn't you come here to fix things?"
"You're insignificant to me," he said, putting an end to her hopes of conciliation with his harsh words, "Merely a disturbance. I'm only here before you to ensure our paths will never cross again outside our duty."
Him taking her for a fool once again bothered her more than his insults. Though there was surely some truth in his words, his need to justify himself said enough.
"I don't believe you," she answered, not hiding her disappointment. "I think—I think you care about my judgment, Itachi-san, no matter how much you deny it. But in the end, it matters not, seeing as we both want this to end. Can we at least agree on this?"
He nodded, "This is ending right now."
She stood up from the chair, and before he could leave, a sudden strength and determination took hold of her. This was the only chance to find some closure.
"How did you know?" she whispered while she approached him carefully, "How did you know who I was?"
"Don't dwell on the past."
"You owe this to me," she insisted, desperately wanting to know the truth. She reached for his arm instinctively, as one would with someone close to them, "Please."
"Flaws," he revealed immediately.
"Sorry?"
"Your disguise had flaws."
"No, it didn't," she said firmly, while backing away just slightly. "My henge was perfect."
"Your henge was imperfect," he insisted, like he was stating the most obvious fact.
Was he seriously mocking her now?
"I was careful. I—"
"Your eyebrows, the second week I visited the onsen."
Sakura gulped and started wondering how much he remembered if he could recall such small details.
"Look, even if I did mess up my cover," she said with false confidence. "Surely it couldn't be enough to assume who I was. Other folks have pink hair too."
Only five that she heard of, four of whom being men. But she wasn't going to share this information with him.
"The seal on your forehead, the third week."
Sakura's eyes widened, "You don't know anything about the Strength of a Hundred seal."
"Enough to recognize it."
"Other seals have similar shapes and appearances," she tried, not even convincing herself at this point.
"The hairs between your legs," he lowered his eyes long enough to make her blush furiously. A heavy and awkward silence followed. Sakura felt like hiding herself, the weight of her embarrassment becoming unbearable.
What doesn't he know about my body?
There was no point in arguing further now. She knew all too well that she had never been great when it came to transformation techniques. A fact even her close friends never failed to remind her. Moreover, Itachi's perceptiveness made his claims anything but far-fetched.
Still, this brought up another matter.
"You—you…" she blurted out, trying to regain her composure, "why the hell didn't you stop me if you knew… if you knew who I—"
"I told you before. Your name matters not."
The ephemeral and fragile peace between them faltered with his statement, one she still didn't find convincing enough, despite his willingness to speak truthfully.
"But your brother, didn't you think of him? Of how this would affect—"
"My little brother was the farthest thing from my mind."
She paused, once again taken aback by his words. Sakura sat back on the chair and shook her head while holding her face. Her mind had been far away during those three months. Still, there wasn't a person in this village, even far away from the Land of Fire, who wouldn't think of her famous teammates when her name was mentioned. She refused to believe he never thought even once of her bond with Sasuke.
"Were you thinking of Uzumaki-san, then?" he asked, as if he had read her thoughts.
"Why would I think of my best friend—" she stopped mid-sentence, hating that she fell into his trap. The mere suggestion was simply ridiculous, and he knew this too.
Could it be that he found her reproach equally absurd? There was a tiny possibility, but still a possibility, that the famous Uchiha Itachi wasn't as obsessed with his little brother as one would think. Certainly not as much as Sasuke was with him. Maybe he truly never ever made any ramifications, or he simply failed to see how their relationship could be problematic in any way.
"So, it wasn't calculated, neither was it an attempt to get back at me for… influencing your brother?" she inquired, citing his very own words.
"No, it wasn't."
Deep within her, she always knew it was never the case. The hesitance and awkwardness of their first encounters were anything but a manifestation of a bitter man intending to cause her harm. They took source from his obvious inexperience. Their ignorance. Considering who he was, she'd had no choice but to question his motives, for fate couldn't have been this cruel.
She still wasn't entirely satisfied with his answers. A lot of unknowns remained. Not to mention his insults and offending behavior from the last few weeks.
"Haruno! What's with your stupid face now? I only left you ten minutes, Kami-sama!"
"Where is— Erm, never mind. I think I just saw a spirit."
"Unlikely. Put yourself together! I'm going to need your full attention and cooperation. A friend of yours has just returned."
"A friend? Who?"
"Kanao Tamaki."
"She—she's alive?"
"Very much and unwilling to speak until she sees both of us. She's being held at the Police station. Apparently, she tried to sneak into the hospital to find her friend. Foolish woman…" she nodded towards the door, "Come, now. The Lieutenant is waiting for us."
Sakura gulped, and rushed through the frame, feeling like the scared Anbu from earlier. In truth, she felt energized by this unexpected turn, so much so the encounter with her last visitor already seemed far away.
They walked swiftly together. Sakura led the march, pretending to know where she was going while hearing the stressful footsteps of her Captain behind her. She gathered that following the black-dressed Anbus roaming the corridors would end up leading them somewhere. And it did. Unlike before, when she had first arrived at the Anbu's headquarters with Naruto, the main hall was full of Anbus. About a hundred. Thy were all dressed in dark colors and harboring varieties of weapons.
She had a bad feeling about this.
"What's going on?" Sakura whispered to Captain Hyuuga, as they tried to make their way through the crowd.
"Didn't you hear of the coup in Otokagure?"
She nodded silently, remembering hearing some civilians mention something about the fate of the Land of Sound's Daimyo. Apparently, Otokagure's shinobis had taken control of the Sound Country's capital, forcing its daimyo to take refuge in the Land of Mist. If he had decided to ask for assistance, it would make sense for the Fire Country to respond, seeing as they didn't wish to see a repeat of the Land of Sound being controlled by madmen like Orochimaru.
With her intuition guiding her actions, she started scanning the crowd with urgency until she found exactly what she had feared.
Sasuke-kun. No way!
"Erm—Captain?"
"What is it?" Hyuuga hissed
"I must speak to someone quickly."
The Captain sighed and said with reluctance, "I'm not waiting for you. We shall meet at the police station."
"Thank you, Taichou."
"If I don't see you there in ten minutes, don't bother coming, Haruno," she warned before she disappeared through the crowd.
Satisfied, Sakura stood on tiptoe and tried to locate the familiar jet-black haircut she had spotted. When she finally found Sasuke, she navigated through the crow of shinobis, the noise and tense atmosphere. He seemed to be in a conversation with his… honorable brother.
Her fingers brushed against his shoulder. "Sasuke-kun," she said with urgency. She saw the confusion in his eyes as soon as he turned to her. "I was with Captain Hyuuga. Are you leaving?"
"What does it look like?" he huffed in annoyance.
She ignored the eyes of his sibling lockedon her, being way more interested in her teammate's behavior. Sasuke clearly didn't want her to be here, but she wasn't going to fulfill his wish yet.
"Naruto failed to tell me anything about this."
"He's not coming."
Sakura's eyes narrowed down, "You didn't tell him, did you? And you were just going to leave without a word."
"I just volunteered this morning when my brother told me he'd be leading the operation. Are you done?"
There wasn't anything sounding right in his words, but she bottled up, ignoring the rage growing up in her. He stepped forward, intending to flee the situation. However, Sakura was swift to stop him by closing her fingers around his arm tightly. "Naruto dropped me here about an hour ago. I assume he must still be around. So, go tell him. Now!"
He snorted and walked away, visibly exasperated with her. Arms crossed over her chest, Sakura met the calculating eyes of her teammate's brother, who had witnessed the whole scene.
She had been right about this. Her intuition and fears didn't betray her, for she now had proof that their affiliation would have unwanted consequences for others. Especially Sasuke. She wished she could just blame Itachi Uchiha for this. Unfortunately, she was equally at fault for being so blinded by her humiliation, that she had allowed their quarrelsome interactions to happen, instead of ignoring his existence.
His sharp eyes on hers still failed to ignore her, conflicting with his claims about her insignificance. Despite her displeasure to learn of her teammate's sudden departure, she realized Itachi was doing them both a great favor by choosing to leave.
The kage's tower was the gift given from the great leaders who had led Konoha through success, and sometimes failure. What made this place so strong, however, wasn't just their protector, but the men and women working besides them. While decisions regarding Konoha's inhabitants and politics were taken by the council of Elders, mostly made of clan representatives, everything about shinobis and their work was decided by the Hokage and her team of Tokubetsu jōnin.
About a hundred of them managed everyday client's requests, missions, and paperwork. Without them, all would be chaos. Just like any other organization, some of them had a higher rank in the hierarchy, which made their opinion more valuable to the Godaime.
They were almost all inside the Godaime's room today. Among them was Shizune, former right hand of Tsunade. Their eyes had been scrutinizing every word and gesture of Kanao Tamaki for the last hour. Sakura had no wish to be here, but Kanao had claimed she would only speak if she was here too. Being the only ally she had, her wish was understandable. Exactly like that day at the Police Station, one week ago, when she had requested her presence.
Kanao Tamaki had somehow managed to survive Modoku's assault. Naturally, her path had led her to Konoha to retrieve Jina, her friend. Despite her braveness and air of confidence, Sakura sensed that she was uneasy here and scared, which was expected given that she was surrounded by enemies.
"…would you let your own child get taken away from you by mercenaries?" she pointed her fingers towards the Yashiros. "Mercenaries hired by cowards and liars!"
Her words brought no emotions among her public, except for the Lady Yashiro and her uncle, who seemed more offended than they already were. Thought they wished to speak their mind, they remained quiet, knowing their protests would not be welcomed in this very formal audience. They somehow made their way back from Ginza to Konoha, as if they had been waiting for this very moment to happen.
"Tsunade-sama," one of the jōnin called out.
The Godaime's hardened stare, her mouth forming a straight line, were all signs of the dilemma she was facing. She wouldn't have called her advisors to begin with, if she didn't have doubts about the choice she had to make.
"Out," she muttered, while looking at all the people who weren't part of her staff.
Lady Yashiro and her uncle were the first ones to leave, followed by three Anbus and Captain Hyuuga. The Yashiros thought they were so clever that Sakura would miss the dirty looks they gave her. As Sakura shut the door behind her, she saw the two despicable nobles rush to their bodyguard. A rough samurai from Ginza, without a doubt a gift from the Governor. The samurai must be the first one allowed inside the Hokage tower in a long time. At least two decades. She observed the Yashiros leave through the corridors, while they complained to their silent guard. Once they were finally gone, Sakura leaned against the wall and closed her eyes for a moment.
What a mess it was. She never thought these people would come back here and destroy any hope she had for Tamaki and her people. But there was another matter tormenting Sakura's mind, even more worrying than the unwanted appearance of the duplicitous Yashiros.
"You have such a pitiful look on your face, Haruno."
Sakura opened her eyes and glared at Chiho Hyuuga. Why was she still here?
"Speak your mind, before your thoughts consumed you entirely."
"I don't get it," she blurted out. "I thought they were going to interrogate Tamaki about the Ashlanders. All their focus was on the Yashiros's demands! They didn't seem to…care about her story."
Chiho twisted her lips in a pleased smile. "Do you fear the Ashlanders?"
"I don't know what to make of them, Taichou. I'm just… concerned about Konoha's indifference towards their suspicious doings."
"This is not something for you to worry about. Besides…it's already been taken care of."
"What do you mean?"
"Anbus don't bother with bureaucratic rules." Chiho said proudly, articulating each word like she was speaking to a child. "We work fast. We get things done. Last week, I interrogated Tamaki shortly after we left the Police headquarter."
"And she cooperated with you?"
"Watch your tone, Haruno" Chiho warned, before continuing. "Let's just say this…woman is no fool. She has every reason to cooperate with us, knowing well enough her people will never be able to vanquish the foreign shinobis alone. Every enemy of my enemy is a friend."
Or desperate times called for desperate actions. Tamaki's family, the Tenma Clan, seemed to harbor all but contempt for the shinobi's world. And for good reasons. Being at the mercy of the Yashiros and their mercenaries, Tamaki had told her herself that if her people had the means for it, they'd have asked for help a long time ago.
Sakura had then convinced Tamaki to accept an audience with the Godaime, hoping that hearing her story and the truth would benefit her people. Unfortunately, the Yashiros unexpected presence had ruined everything. Sakura feared Konoha never intended to truly listen to Kano Tamaki's story.
"What will happen to the sinobis of the Ashes?"
"I can't tell you, Haruno." Captain Hyuuga answered with a smug smile. "But do not let them haunt your dreams, for we have Anbus, as we speak, working on locating them. It turned out the Land of Mist had interesting information to share with us, after all… Are you satisfied, now?"
According to Tamaki, some men from the Land of Ashes were still working for the Yashiro, plotting more attacks on her Clan. Of course, the Yashiros had denied everything during the audience with the Godaime, claiming they only hired some warriors for their own protection. They were simply liars. It was plain to see, but either the Godaime and her men were blind, or they chose not to see it. Sakura hated that Konoha was serving such people.
"Not until the Yashiros stop making demands to Konoha."
"I cannot say I disagree."
The door from the Godaime's office opened suddenly, catching the attention of Sakura and Chiho. Tamaki stood by herself, without any officer by her side, with a defeated expression on her face.
It didn't look good.
"Just as I expected, they won't help my people," she announced, as she approached Sakura. "You were wrong to believe they would see reason."
Sakura felt her heart tighten. "I apologize, Tamaki-san."
"Don't," Tamaki shook her head. "It's all my fault. I believe I underestimated the power of gold and politics. I can only blame myself for my… foolishness. Ryuuzaki-sama will be so disappointed in me…"
Just like Tamaki, Sakura was utterly disappointed by this development, but above all, she felt powerless in the face of this injustice. She wished to apologize again, but the words were stuck in her throat.
"The Godaime said I was free to go," Tamaki continued. "So, right now, I'm going to find Jina, and leave this forsaken village. I cannot bear to stay here any longer."
What would befall her people now?
Tamaki lowered slightly her head, "I wish we won't meet again Haruno-san, for I know this time we'll truly be enemies." She turned to Chiho Hyuuga. "Please, if you ever find them again, make them bleed the same way they made bleed my people."
There were just the sounds of her footsteps breaking the heavy atmosphere, as Kanao Tamaki left the kage's tower. Sakura was shaking from anger, her clench fist tightly. After a short moment, she sighed heavily, feeling all the weight of her frustration hit her.
She had failed her.
"Ah, the sight of your pathetic self!" Chiho's voice commented. "Why would you care so much about mere strangers?"
"I gave her hope, and I failed her."
"Haruno, I suggest you move on."
The captain was right. She needed to get out of here.
"Not so fast," Chiho's authoritative voice said, as she clenched her hand on Sakura's shoulder, "Don't tell me you thought I was waiting here with you to keep you company? The Godaime is expecting us."
"Hyuuga-san, would you be so kind as to elaborate on my student wrongdoings?" Tsunade inquired, as her eyes trailed off the report she had in front of her.
"Sakura Haruno tends to contest authority and hierarchy. She deliberately fails to obey the most straightforward orders, taking unwanted initiatives without asking her superiors first. She befriends clients and enemies equally, where she should remain silent and invisible. But the most dramatic matter is her denial, her refusal to see her wrongs. I also witnessed her influence and manipulate her teammates into doing what she wished. Not to mention her clumsiness."
"What do you suggest may be the cause of her behavior?"
"I believe she gets her confidence from Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha. Pairing her with them enables and enhances this behavior." Chiho Hyuuga explained with unwavering certainty. "If she were to be in a team of strangers, not in her usual environment, she wouldn't be so reckless."
Tsunade furrowed her brows. "I reckon she wasn't in her usual environment within your team. As far as I know, she's never joined an Anbu squad before."
"As I said, Haruno is unreceptive to authority."
"So, I'm curious," the Godaime continued, "What would you do in my stead?"
"I'd start by not pairing her with her friends."
"Ah. You may leave, Hyuuga-taichou."
After bowing respectfully in front of the Godaime, the kunoichi left the office, not even glancing once at Sakura. What a traitor she was! To think, she had thought their relationship was improving. Not the point in her presence was bearable, but almost. Sakura had remained quiet during the whole discussion, while staring at her two former sensei like they had lost their minds.
"This is absurd! The woman is nuts, and she loathes me, Tsunade! You're not going to seriously believe her stupid claims?" Sakura shouted.
"'…If it was not for Sakura Haruno assistance, we wouldn't have made it this far.'" Tsunade said with her jaded expression, citing the report in her hands. "Does it sound like what someone hating you would say?"
"She didn't write this!" she searched for Kakashi's eyes, "Say something, Kakashi!"
"Well…Hyuuga Tacihou isn't wrong. You've always had a strong influence on each other."
Another traitor. Sakura stare daggers at her sensei. "She's just cannot accept we were the first one to find the foreign warriors and Tamaki. That's all there is to it!" she grabbed the edges of Tsunade's desk, "I took it upon myself not to misbehave or speak foolishly during the entire mission! I swear!"
"Captain Hyuuga might have higher expectations than most." Kakashi chimed in. "Anbus are well known for their attention to detail, their perfectionism and love for rules, after all."
"Regardless of her claims, I believe you did well, Sakura." the Godaime revealed, surprising Sakura. "Though, showing some more humility would benefit you. You need to learn to recognize your wrongs, even if they ultimately benefit the mission."
Oh, she could recognize them all right. As if she could forget the little incident inside the black market of Oirase. The life of a man for a mask. Or was it for her own survival? She wasn't sure anymore, her memories from this place were now blurred by her nightmares. And Tamaki, Ryuu's kinmate, she couldn't have turned her back on her.
"Why can't we aid Tamaki's people, Tsunade? The Yashiro deceived us before! We have no reason to trust their words."
Tsunade sighed. "Both parties are deceiving us. Don't you ever think of why this holy child's parents are never mentioned in their little stories?"
"I brought you a picture!"
"One picture doesn't prove anything," Tsunade reminded her. "No matter the truth, my hands are tied by greater interests. You know this, Sakura. Besides, Tamaki's people have no means to compensate for what the loss of a partnership between Ginza and the Yashiros would do to the Land of Fire."
"So, you're just going to send some men to kidnap their kid again? Just like the ashlanders did?"
"Hai. As soon as I get words from the governor," she set aside the report, like she had enough of it. "The negotiations are somewhat frozen for the time being. At least until Ginza's governor convinces the Yashiros to accept our aid again. This little audition was… just a spectacle to prove the Yashiros that we held their interests at heart."
So, she had been right all along. They never cared about the truth. They were never going to help Kanao Tamaki to begin with. Just like Tamaki had said, it was all about greed and personal interests.
"What if there was another way, Tsunade." Kakashi said, holding his chin between his fingers. "Didn't Tamaki-san mention the Yashiros had ties with Ashlanders? We could use this as an excuse to investigate the truth behind Lady Yashiro's claims," he glanced at Sakura, "as well as those of their defenseless enemies. Perhaps we might even find a way to force them to…compromise."
"A daring suggestion, Kakashi." Tsunade conceded, thoughtful. She rose up from her chair. "One that may prevent unnecessary bloodshed."
"I want to be in!" Sakura blurted out, as hope filled her mind again. "Tamaki's people won't trust just anybody. What! What's with your smile?"
The Godaime rearranged her clothes together, putting on her green vest. "Your involvement pleases me. Just don't go rush to your new friend to inform her of this unexpected development. Nobody must know of this discussion. When the time comes, you shall travel to their land, but for the time being, keep training with Lee."
Tsunade was always the one to dismiss people, but this time, she was left her office first, while mumbling about her painful and empty stomach.
Kakashi clapped his hands together, "I knew you were ready, Sakura. You did great."
"Not ready enough… Ah, I'm starting to see why Tsunade chose you," Sakura responded half-jokingly. Her smile didn't last long, though. "My stuff, where is it?"
"Good things come to those who wait."
Exasperated by her former sensei tricks, she followed Tsunade's path towards the door, which would hopefully lea her to a warm meal inside one of the many restaurants of the streets surrounding the Kage's Tower.
"Be mindful of whom you place your trust in, Sakura."