Chapter 9

Mission

"Hmm." The traveling craftsman looker down on my blue print lost in thought. "It's doable," he assured me, "but chakra iron is expensive." I looked down at the illustration of a visor glasses. They were unmistakably futuristic though not my intention, it was more practical than stylish. The framework was to be made of metal, Chakra Metal, those were found in land of shade and were very expensive. With the ability to channel chakra it was the perfect ninja tool for a ninja with exceptional chakra control. By applying chakra to the blade one could increase its cutting ability. That wasn't what I wanted however, it was light and could work much like a chakra conductor.

With little to no technology I had to improvise, fuijutsu would work like programing but I still needed hardware. The glass was less complicated on the surface, it was to be made from sand. As you can imaging I had to make it complicated, I needed it to be sand from, village hidden in the sand. Why? Well if you most know i want sand infused with natural energy. The sand in the Wind country is, or more specifically the hidden village has been tamped with for many years. From the monk sage that first acted as a vessel for One tail, to the constant rampage it goes on when loose. It's sand and the sand in the village has mingled to the point its indistinguishable from each other.

The crafts man looked at the requirement and then back to me, arcing a brow. It was specific but I needed what I needed.

"I hope you're not expecting me to be able to acquire these materials myself." He said bluntly as though talking too an entitled child. I pouted, I had in fact expected him to get them and take my money as compensation. I groaned thinking of actually going through the proper channels for material. My eyes wondered to the Hokage tower, I didn't have a choice.

"You said you'll be in the village for a while?" I said taking my scroll and rolling it up.

"That's right," he said "gonna be here for at least five months. Need to raise money for an escort mission." I hummed in understanding, traveling the country is a dangerous affair if you weren't ninjas. Bandits, rogue ninjas, wild beast and more, it didn't help that he would be traveling with materials.

"If I get the materials you'll be able to do it right?" I asked not for the first time. I had seen one of his crafts, he made many things including glasses, he made one for one of a vender. He groaned having to answer this question more that once. I only had one shot at this if he failed I would need to made all the money back, and the at would be a bother.

"Yes," he said, "I'm one of the best in the land of fire, which is why I travel." I searched his eyes again, when I couldn't find any deceit, I groaned again.

"They won't find your body if you're lying to me" I said matter of factly. He chuckled but nearly chocked when he said by very serious face.

"I can I promise, I've made weired things and what you want isn't too difficult, especially with all those instructions." He said in a rush. I calmed my self and looked away.

"Sorry I've worked really hard for the money to have this done" I explained.

"I can't imagine there are many jobs a child like you can do," he said with sympathy. "Not without first graduating firm the academy that is." He amended, as a shinobi even one as young as I there were many jobs readily available.

"I off, I'll return with the materials." I walked away and ignored his wishes of luck. This was a setback not a large one however, I would just draw attention to my self by submitting this to the mission desk. I could ask my parents to go in my 'stead but that would raise the question, 'where did you get this money.' I had an answer though they wouldn't like it, I wasn't a fan of lying to them, so I decided what they don't know can't hurt me.

As I feared all eyes gravitated to me as I entered the tower, after failing to locate any shinobi affiliations, such as a headband, I was dismissed. It wasn't uncommon for academy students to wonder in to the building, being right next door, it was their duty however to prevent me from wandering too far without supervision. This was a pain.

I walked up to the front desk and the lady behind it smiled down at me. I returned the gesture if only to be polite.

"How can I help you, sweety?" She asked with the patience of a saith, I wondered how many children she had to deal with on a daily bases to build up such a mask. She didn't look like she expected anything too important from me, I don't want to be her either lady.

"I'm looking for the mission desk," I stated surprising her a bit, "I want to commission a shinobi squad, please" I added the last bit to show I was serious. She looked at me in awe for a bit before her patient smile returned.

"What kind if mission will you me needed?" Her voice was calm and almost mocking, it irritated me.

"A retrieval mission, D rank at most, I'll need them to travel to two different location to retrieve items, though I'll need to sit down with them and explain the specifics." Halfway through my speak she lost her smile and stared at me, dumbfounded.

"Do you have the money required?" It was the only think she can think of I'm sure.

"I think so," I said summoning the briefcase filled with my hard earn money. I cracked it open to give her a glimpse. Her jaw dropped and I closed it and sealed it away. "I just hope its enough," I mumbled. The woman sat frozen for a bit, before she called over one of the interns wandering the hall, and instructed him to take me to the mission room, VIP client. The intern a young man looked down at me in awe, before ushering me down the hall. He guarded me as though I was a princess that stood as the only one capable of saving her people.

I had expected to go to the huge room team 7 were in when receiving missions. Instead I was brought to a empty room with soft sofas encircling a small table. A briefing room?

"Stay here," my escort instructed, "I'll get someone to receive your request." I some one to hear my mission request huh? I suppose it made sense, can't have random people commissioning shinobis with a ridiculous request. I nodded in understanding and went to sit down on one of the sofa, it bounced with my weight. The room was cosy and warm, perfect for making someone let their guard down.

Left alone my mind began to wonder. There wasn't much time left before the Uchiha massacre, only a few months. I had spend enough time with Sasuke for him to be sick of me, and yet I can't get enough. It wasn't fair that I would lose the man I love for plot convince. That was all it was really, fruit for a tragic back story. The death of so many only served to make give Sasuke character development and Danzo a hand of eyes.

Danzo, the name make me scowl, he was a spiteful and delusional man. He wanted to be Hokage just like all young men, but he was a coward where his bravery was the right path, and so Hiruzen Sarutobi, his best friend became Hokage, and still is despite his retirement. You would think losing to his best friend would appease his jealousy but his hatred only grow. Hiruzen of course is blind to this, never suspecting his long time friend and teammate could ever be bad.

Just like Oruchimaru.

I was beginning to see a pattern. Our lord Hokage likes to only see the good in people. He is a bit naive for a leader, I could see why Danzo despises his so. "His not thinking of the betterment of Konoha," or "I do this in the name of the village." Those were famous line of the great Danzo his self, see? Delusional. He wants the hat so bad he would experiment on children. Scum. He was one of the reasons I didn't want to draw attention to myself, who knows what he will do of he thinks you're 'useful'.

The room door opened an a lady in glasses stepped in. She gave me the once over with an unreadable expression, before stepping into the room and closing the door behind her.

"Are you the client?" She asked in a serious tone. She was a shinobi I noticed from the graceful and soundless way she walked.

"Yes I am" I answered simply. She nodded and sat down next to me sinking the seat and bouncing mine. She wasn't too imposing more like a stern teacher than anything. Her job was to make the client feel comfortable and safe, she was really good at it, it seemed. She wasn't overly curvy but the shape was there, her long navy hair spilled over her shoulder and onto her white, almost nurse like dress reaching mid thigh. Her dark brown eyes focus as she arranged her paper work.

"Alright, I'll like for you to go over the mission you wish to commission," she began after she was satisfied with her arrangement. "Don't hold anything back now." She gave me a gentle smile a mother might give their child, it wasn't a patient one but rather an encouraging one. I was quite pleased even though I couldn't discern if it was real or not.

"I need materials" I explained, "Chakra ore from the land of shades and sand from the village hidden in the sand." I took out a seal designed to locate natural energy infused substances. "They'll need this to located the specific sand I want." She rose a brow looking at the seal tag but otherwise remained silent. "I also have a time deadline of a month, I need the materials sooner rather than later." I finished.

She wrote down what was said in a scroll, before reading my instructions back to me, I nodded pleased with her efficiency.

"You didn't give a specific amount" she warned me. Ah I had forgotten. I took it a small scroll handing it to her, it had the measurements of the materials needed. I had the craftsman write down what the glasses wound require and how much. We also decided on a price it was high but considering he had to make the glass and shape them himself without braking them, I would give him a pass.

She hummed as she read over the list.

"This shouldn't be a problem," she looked to me then and smiled pleased. "As for payment it will depend on the level of difficulty, the sand village have a treaty with our own so it shouldn't be a problem to get the sand. The ore will have to be purchased so finances will be needed for that." She glanced at he and I nodded. "I'd say thus is a D rank mission and one of the most affordable." She did same calculation adding the cost for the ore and travel fee as well as taxes. "4000 yens" she said and I sagged in relief, I thought it would be more.

I smiled nodding happily, she smiled at my eagerness. She we signed a bunch if contracted, I was required to pay half now and the rest after the mission was completed. I was all too ready to have this down.

"When do you think the mission will get assigned?" I had to ask as she were packing up.

"Tomorrow at the latest, it needs to go through the Hokage for approval but your mission is fairly straight forward, so it should so through without issue." She assured me. I nodded as she left the room.

"You can come by tomorrow too check on its progress if it makes you feel better," the mission lady spoke in a conversation tone. "Normally we would send someone to summon you when the mission is complete."

"If its during the day time I would likely be in the academy," I replied already warming up to her, "I'm the only one there by my name so it shouldn't be too hard to retrieve me." She nodded.

"Indeed your name is unique and oddly fitting," she glanced to my pink hair and I blushed. Dad and his poor naming skills.

We were in the middle of talking about bad naming skills, when I felt it. It smelt like a blood covered forest. The scent of blood and trees fought for dominance. There was something else there something familiar, the feeling of being watched washed over me and I hide behind the lady. She looked down at me in question before the sound of wood against the tiled floor sound.

Clink clink clink.

A rhythmic tapping came form down the hall, that for some reason was suddenly dark. From the shadows a man in white and black robes emerged. He was covered in bandages his hand in a sling. There were bandages around his right eyes and forehead. The tapping sound came from his cane, he walked with a wooden walking stick that he leaned heavily on. The woman bowed with respected and announced his identify.

"Good day, lord Danzo."

My eyes widen and trembled as he looked down at the woman, her bowing all but exposed me to the man and hurried to mimic her. Of all the people why did I have to run into him. A crow cried and the image of a grinning Uchiha filled my mind. He's hair dark, short, and messy, his eyes friendly and smiling, his eyelashes were far too long for a man as bad ass as he.

Shisui.

I had met him of numerous occasions, he never failed to tease me about my love for Sasuke, nor Itachi's jealousy. He was comfortable to be around, not too loud or imposing, yet not calm either. His was a song of chirping birds, a crow in there every now and then. Sasuke and Itachi had adored him and I had wanted too learn the body flicker, that and he made Itachi 'no emotion' blush. I had a moment to wonder why I felt his chakra here, when I heard the sound of wood on pavement again.

"At ease." His voice was unmistakably old and rough, yet it made my skin crawled. That's right he has Shisui's eye under his bandages. He walked by and the woman slowly be gone to rise. I felt his eyes on me, but I didn't look up and instead acted like the terrified child I was. If one gains the interest of Danzo, they might end up like Shisui, at the bottom of a river or worst, like Yamato. I kept my eyes to the ground in a sign of submission. Nothing interesting here, just a child scared to death of you, a regular old Tuesday. He walked by his can echoing in the hallway as he disappeared. I sighed with relief.

"That's odd he doesn't usual walk this way," she was talking to her self but the lady's words filled me with dread. I looked up at her confused, she noticed and smiled. "That was one of the councilmen, Danzo" she explained. "If he's here is likely for a meeting with the Hokage, his office is on the other side of the building so most people just walked from that entrance. This was is the longer path, he doesn't usually walk here. Hmm" she began to walk again oblivious to my turmoil.

If he is truly crippled, which I know is bullshit, then he would want the path that would be easier for his 'old bones'. At least if he wants to give off that image anyway. I ran too catch up with the lady. Danzo doesn't do unnecessary things. My stomach squeezed with anxiety, he couldn't have been here for me. Apart from the briefcase full of money and the summoning, I don't really stand out here. Were they talking about me and he over heard, he might have thought to investigate, if only to see what the fuse is about. I had trembled before him that makes me unappealing, right?

My mind was in swimming when I let the Hokage's tower, so many questions and no answers. I was also a bit angry, I knew he had taken Shisui's eye but knowing and see are two different things. He would take many Uchiha eyes as well, not just him but also Obito. I felt sick just thinking about it, them having Fugaku's Sharingan. That was also a thing the massacre was used as a power up for those two. I snarled. It was too late to try and save the clan, there were too many that wanted a civil war. Tired of being oppressed by the villagers, they plan to overthrew the Hokage and take over.

I couldn't convince them to stop, I doubt even Fugaku could but I could still throw a wrench into their plans.

It was with this mindset that I bumped into Rabenda Hyuga a young lady from the branch family. She was out shopping for the family, she was kind of like a maid in that regard. We greeted each other and she when into a long talk about the compound and recent activities. Somewhere during the conversation my eyes drifted to her bang. She was apart of the branch family so she had a seal there that was made to control them. It also destroyed the Byakugan upon their deaths. As was the case with Neji's father.

I paused as a thought entered my mind, it was plausible and it would be the perfect revenge. A cruel smile crept its way onto my face making Rebenda pause mid sentence, she knew the smile it was infamous. When this smile was one my face someone was going to suffer.

"Um, Sakura Chan?" She said cautiously backing away.

"Say Rebe," I grabbed her wrist before she could escape. "Can you do me a favor."

They were gonna regret ever crossing by path.

Hello night walkers Luna here back with another chapter, so yeah Sakura is on a mission, Danzo appears and we learn alight about the mission process. It was fun to write especially Danzo I really hate him. He was just that man I knew would betray everybody.

Any why leave your thought in the review, do you thing the Uchiha clan whip out severed and purpose that stated above?

Next chapter is April 9.

See you all next time. Night song.