aTastyCookie
Active member
"This is an S-Ranked mission. The utmost priority." Tsunade said strictly. She sighed when she glanced at the group of pictures on her desk. If she could have chosen anyone in Konoha to attack the Akatsuki, she wouldn't have chosen any of these people. "I will not accept failure." She said turning to face the window again. "There will be no screw ups, no deaths on your part, no accidents, no mistakes."
"But Tsunade-sama," Shizune said quietly. "Naruto's still a genin. He can't take S-Rank's."
"Shizune. I know you don't trust Sakura." Tsunade said slowly. Here, in her office, were the two people she trusted most. Simply put, they hated each other. Shizune didn't trust Sakura and Sakura didn't like that. "This mission means alot to her. Naruto and Sasuke as well."
"But Tsunade-sam-" Shizune started.
"Shizune!" Tsunade snapped. "My discission is final!"
"But Ts-"
"Enough! This team has been affected most by the Akatsuki and they are going!"
"Bu-"
"Shizune." Sakura said quietly from behind her. Shizune swivled around.
"What?!" She snapped.
"Your parents. Are they okay?" Sakura asked calmly. "When was the last time you saw them?"
"A few days ago." Shizune answered, she was thrown off guard, she didn't expect that. "Their fine. What do my parents have to do with this?"
"You have dinner with them every wednesday, friday and saturday, correct?" Sakura asked, Shizune just nodded. "Your a lucky one then. The Akatsuki killed me and Naruto's family. They killed Sasuke's family. Do you, or do you not, think we are the most affected?"
"Of course, you are, but-" Shizune started. She gave a helpless look to Tsunade who responded with a shake of her head.
"Then why shouldn't we go?" Sakura asked, retaining her calm demenour. "What do you, or anyone else in Konoha, have that my team doesn't have?"
"It's not what we have, it's what you have." Shizune snapped. Sakura opened her mouth but Shizune cut her off. "No! It's my turn to talk. You have the Kyuubi. Bringing him to the Akatsuki is more dangerous than leaving him here!"
"Leave him here and the Akatsuki will attack Konoha." Sakura responded logically.
"Tsunade." Shizune muttered, taking a different tactic. "I understand sending Naruto on an ordinary mission. But sending him in direct contact of the people who are trying to kill him..."
"Shizune, we've been over this." Tsunade sighed. "I-"
"Tsunade?" The three turned simotaneously to the Hokage office door. Standing there was the elders of Konoha. "A word, please."
"Sakura. Wait here." Tsunade commanded, standing up with such force her chair shot back and got lodged in the wall. She rushed from the room followed by Shizune.
Sakura calmly sat in one of the chairs in the Hokage office. She glanced around at all the plaques and pictures on the walls. On one wall were the pictures of past Hokage's. Her eyes slowly scanned them in descending order. Fourth, Third, Second, First. The plaques were just certificates that the Hokages of the past had earned. From the Academy or at any thing else ninja related.
After what felt like hours the door slammed open. Sakura gave a jump when the door, like Tsunade's chair, became lodged into the wall. Sakura sat quietly, waiting, watching. Tsunade yanked her chair from the wall and sat on it. She took a few breaths to calm herself. Yelling at Sakura wouldn't help anything.
"They are forbiding Team Kakashi to ambush the Akatsuki." Tsunade said. Her voice was calm but it held a anger quiver.
"What?!" Sakura screamed, jumping from her chair. Her calm demenor was lost. "They can't do that! It's not fair, we... They...But they... It's not fair!" Sakura spluttered.
"I know, Sakura. But as you know the Hokage is just an image and the Elders vote counts for more than my own. Two-to-one." Tsunade sighed.
"But... The Akatsuki. We've fought them more than anyone. That has to count for something." Sakura yelled back.
"I know, Sakura. That's exactly what I said." Tsunade said, anger flickering across her voice. "They don't want to risk the Akatsuki getting the Kyuubi."
"But, they can't. It's not fair." Sakura whined. She fell into the chair behind her and covered her face with her hands.
"I'm sorry, Sakura. I tried." Tsunade said sadly.
"But we fought the Akatsuki more than anyone!" Naruto yelled.
"That has to count for something." Sasuke added.
"That what Tsunade said." Sakura snapped back.
Sasuke was pacing not far away from Naruto and Sakura who were sitting on top of the wooden training logs. Sai watched the three ninjas in front of him.
"But... If I stay here the Akatsuki will attack Konoha." Naruto whined.
He could hear the demon fox sneering at him from the corners of his mind. Offering to lend him some chakra to destroy those who forbid him from destroying the Akatsuki. As much as he wanted to kill whoever stood in his way he knew he should save his anger for the Akatsuki.
"They know. They said you can go on any mission that has no direct contact with the Akatsuki." Sakura sighed.
Even after all that had happened earlier that day she felt strangely calm. She had always felt calm and serene at night. Escpecially tonight, the full moon. She glanced at her closest friends. Just that day, they had been in this exact training ground. The only difference was that they had been celebrating then...
"But the Akatsuki killed our families." Sasuke stated. "Did they take that into account?"
After everything Itachi, and the Akatsuki in general, had done to him and his friends he was actually debating whether to go with Naruto's idiotic idea of killing the Elders. Weird. But his clan was killed when he was only six. The Akatsuki were at fault. He couldn't help it. They had to be destroyed. Had to be killed
"Why don't you just sneak out?" Sai asked.
They responded with a blank look.
"But why don't you just sneak out of Konoha and go to the Akatsuki. Sakura can find out where they are." He said calmly.
The Kyuubi jinchuuriki blinked a few times before responding. "It might actually work." Naruto said.
"Are you crazy?" Sakura and Sasuke asked together.
"There are guards. And ANBU!" Sasuke yelled.
"Chances of us making it out without getting caught are less than zero." Sakura added. She gave them a thoughtfull look before a smile crossed her face. "Unless we had a diversion."
"Why do we have to do this?" Naruto's clone asked.
"So we can leave Konoha." Naruto responded.
"No. He means why do we have to do this?" Another clone asked.
"If we get actual people to help they might tell that it's us leaving and then ANBU would cut us off." Naruto responded again.
"Won't it tip them off that a whole bunch of Naruto's are destroying a wall?" Sai asked nervously.
"Their not actually destroying it." Sakura responded. She grabbed his paint brush from him and swiped it across the wall.
"They just all disappearing and make it look like a breach in security. Most of the guards come over here and-" Sasuke said while swiping his brush along Sakura's line.
"BANG!" Naruto yelled. "We sneak out!"
"Shhhhhh." Sakura hissed. "Do you want the whole town to know what we're doing?"
"No. But I'd very much like to." The four teenagers swivled around to face a man. A silver haired one at that.
"Kakashi?" Naruto asked weakly.
"We were just..." Sakura said sheepishly.
"This wall is so boring, we were re-painting it." Naruto declared.
"Really? Grafitti, then. You will have to clean off your...um." Kakashi squinted with his one eye at the large black streak that was slowly looking more and more like a dent. "Art?"
"Don't mock my drawing skills." Naruto said seriously.
"Your sneaking out, aren't you?" Kakashi asked calmly.
Naruto scoffed. "How could you suspect such a horrible thing, Sensai?!" Naruto yelled.
"It's true, isn't it?" Kakashi asked Sasuke. The Uchiha prodigy just nodded slowly.
"I'm going to call the ANBU." Their sensai informed them."Before they figure out the north wall is guardless until midnight. But it might take about that long for me to find a reliable person to inform of this." Kakashi paused before adding. "Get out of here."
"Thank you, sensai." Sakura politely bowed before following her friends.
Kakashi grabbed Sai's arm. "Why are you going?"
"To protect their bonds and hopefully make some of my own." Sai said before following the others.
Kakashi sighed, after watching the disappearing backs of his students for a few minutes, and promptly took out Ichi Ichi Paradise.
"Ano." Naruto said a few miles from Konoha's main gate. The others turned to him. "Shouldn't we set up camp soon? It's almost midnight."
"That's exactly why we have to keep going." Sasuke replied. "Kakashi won't tell until midnight. We have to be as far from Konoha as possible by then."
"But I'm tired." Naruto whined.
"Then go back!" Sasuke snapped. Sakura fell back nervously, the last fight they had like this had gotten violent.
"You didn't have to come, ya know." Sakura stated, watching Sai's reaction from the corner of her eye. "This is a really dangerous mission to come on. We have nothing to lose but you... you still have everything else."
Sai was silent for a moment before falling back. He disappeared from Sakura's view. She sadly watched him go but turned back around to were Naruto and Sasuke were throwing random pebbles and twigs at each other. 'It's for the best. He has a life. We don't have that luxury.' Suddenly a large amount of flowers abstructed her view. A bouquet.
"I want to protect the bond you three share. And I hope I can join it as well. But until then I will suffice by protecting it." Sakura turned at Sai's voice. He was giving her a genuine smile and holding a hastily-made bouquet of roses, daisies and other flowers. Sakura smiled back and took the pro-offered flowers.
"I think you joined our 'bond' when you decided to help us, Sai." Sakura said. "Thank you."
Sai smiled at her and they traveled in silence for the remainder of their trip, silently watching Naruto angrily throwing random objects at Sasuke, who was expertly dodging them.
Unknown to them a pair of bright red eyes, accompained by smaller yellow ones, were watching the whole time. The small comas in the red eyes began to spin and merged together to form a black pinwheel in the centre of the red. The small yellow eyes glanced at the red ones and then back at the strange group before them. 'I hope you know what your getting into...'
"But Tsunade-sama," Shizune said quietly. "Naruto's still a genin. He can't take S-Rank's."
"Shizune. I know you don't trust Sakura." Tsunade said slowly. Here, in her office, were the two people she trusted most. Simply put, they hated each other. Shizune didn't trust Sakura and Sakura didn't like that. "This mission means alot to her. Naruto and Sasuke as well."
"But Tsunade-sam-" Shizune started.
"Shizune!" Tsunade snapped. "My discission is final!"
"But Ts-"
"Enough! This team has been affected most by the Akatsuki and they are going!"
"Bu-"
"Shizune." Sakura said quietly from behind her. Shizune swivled around.
"What?!" She snapped.
"Your parents. Are they okay?" Sakura asked calmly. "When was the last time you saw them?"
"A few days ago." Shizune answered, she was thrown off guard, she didn't expect that. "Their fine. What do my parents have to do with this?"
"You have dinner with them every wednesday, friday and saturday, correct?" Sakura asked, Shizune just nodded. "Your a lucky one then. The Akatsuki killed me and Naruto's family. They killed Sasuke's family. Do you, or do you not, think we are the most affected?"
"Of course, you are, but-" Shizune started. She gave a helpless look to Tsunade who responded with a shake of her head.
"Then why shouldn't we go?" Sakura asked, retaining her calm demenour. "What do you, or anyone else in Konoha, have that my team doesn't have?"
"It's not what we have, it's what you have." Shizune snapped. Sakura opened her mouth but Shizune cut her off. "No! It's my turn to talk. You have the Kyuubi. Bringing him to the Akatsuki is more dangerous than leaving him here!"
"Leave him here and the Akatsuki will attack Konoha." Sakura responded logically.
"Tsunade." Shizune muttered, taking a different tactic. "I understand sending Naruto on an ordinary mission. But sending him in direct contact of the people who are trying to kill him..."
"Shizune, we've been over this." Tsunade sighed. "I-"
"Tsunade?" The three turned simotaneously to the Hokage office door. Standing there was the elders of Konoha. "A word, please."
"Sakura. Wait here." Tsunade commanded, standing up with such force her chair shot back and got lodged in the wall. She rushed from the room followed by Shizune.
Sakura calmly sat in one of the chairs in the Hokage office. She glanced around at all the plaques and pictures on the walls. On one wall were the pictures of past Hokage's. Her eyes slowly scanned them in descending order. Fourth, Third, Second, First. The plaques were just certificates that the Hokages of the past had earned. From the Academy or at any thing else ninja related.
After what felt like hours the door slammed open. Sakura gave a jump when the door, like Tsunade's chair, became lodged into the wall. Sakura sat quietly, waiting, watching. Tsunade yanked her chair from the wall and sat on it. She took a few breaths to calm herself. Yelling at Sakura wouldn't help anything.
"They are forbiding Team Kakashi to ambush the Akatsuki." Tsunade said. Her voice was calm but it held a anger quiver.
"What?!" Sakura screamed, jumping from her chair. Her calm demenor was lost. "They can't do that! It's not fair, we... They...But they... It's not fair!" Sakura spluttered.
"I know, Sakura. But as you know the Hokage is just an image and the Elders vote counts for more than my own. Two-to-one." Tsunade sighed.
"But... The Akatsuki. We've fought them more than anyone. That has to count for something." Sakura yelled back.
"I know, Sakura. That's exactly what I said." Tsunade said, anger flickering across her voice. "They don't want to risk the Akatsuki getting the Kyuubi."
"But, they can't. It's not fair." Sakura whined. She fell into the chair behind her and covered her face with her hands.
"I'm sorry, Sakura. I tried." Tsunade said sadly.
"But we fought the Akatsuki more than anyone!" Naruto yelled.
"That has to count for something." Sasuke added.
"That what Tsunade said." Sakura snapped back.
Sasuke was pacing not far away from Naruto and Sakura who were sitting on top of the wooden training logs. Sai watched the three ninjas in front of him.
"But... If I stay here the Akatsuki will attack Konoha." Naruto whined.
He could hear the demon fox sneering at him from the corners of his mind. Offering to lend him some chakra to destroy those who forbid him from destroying the Akatsuki. As much as he wanted to kill whoever stood in his way he knew he should save his anger for the Akatsuki.
"They know. They said you can go on any mission that has no direct contact with the Akatsuki." Sakura sighed.
Even after all that had happened earlier that day she felt strangely calm. She had always felt calm and serene at night. Escpecially tonight, the full moon. She glanced at her closest friends. Just that day, they had been in this exact training ground. The only difference was that they had been celebrating then...
"But the Akatsuki killed our families." Sasuke stated. "Did they take that into account?"
After everything Itachi, and the Akatsuki in general, had done to him and his friends he was actually debating whether to go with Naruto's idiotic idea of killing the Elders. Weird. But his clan was killed when he was only six. The Akatsuki were at fault. He couldn't help it. They had to be destroyed. Had to be killed
"Why don't you just sneak out?" Sai asked.
They responded with a blank look.
"But why don't you just sneak out of Konoha and go to the Akatsuki. Sakura can find out where they are." He said calmly.
The Kyuubi jinchuuriki blinked a few times before responding. "It might actually work." Naruto said.
"Are you crazy?" Sakura and Sasuke asked together.
"There are guards. And ANBU!" Sasuke yelled.
"Chances of us making it out without getting caught are less than zero." Sakura added. She gave them a thoughtfull look before a smile crossed her face. "Unless we had a diversion."
"Why do we have to do this?" Naruto's clone asked.
"So we can leave Konoha." Naruto responded.
"No. He means why do we have to do this?" Another clone asked.
"If we get actual people to help they might tell that it's us leaving and then ANBU would cut us off." Naruto responded again.
"Won't it tip them off that a whole bunch of Naruto's are destroying a wall?" Sai asked nervously.
"Their not actually destroying it." Sakura responded. She grabbed his paint brush from him and swiped it across the wall.
"They just all disappearing and make it look like a breach in security. Most of the guards come over here and-" Sasuke said while swiping his brush along Sakura's line.
"BANG!" Naruto yelled. "We sneak out!"
"Shhhhhh." Sakura hissed. "Do you want the whole town to know what we're doing?"
"No. But I'd very much like to." The four teenagers swivled around to face a man. A silver haired one at that.
"Kakashi?" Naruto asked weakly.
"We were just..." Sakura said sheepishly.
"This wall is so boring, we were re-painting it." Naruto declared.
"Really? Grafitti, then. You will have to clean off your...um." Kakashi squinted with his one eye at the large black streak that was slowly looking more and more like a dent. "Art?"
"Don't mock my drawing skills." Naruto said seriously.
"Your sneaking out, aren't you?" Kakashi asked calmly.
Naruto scoffed. "How could you suspect such a horrible thing, Sensai?!" Naruto yelled.
"It's true, isn't it?" Kakashi asked Sasuke. The Uchiha prodigy just nodded slowly.
"I'm going to call the ANBU." Their sensai informed them."Before they figure out the north wall is guardless until midnight. But it might take about that long for me to find a reliable person to inform of this." Kakashi paused before adding. "Get out of here."
"Thank you, sensai." Sakura politely bowed before following her friends.
Kakashi grabbed Sai's arm. "Why are you going?"
"To protect their bonds and hopefully make some of my own." Sai said before following the others.
Kakashi sighed, after watching the disappearing backs of his students for a few minutes, and promptly took out Ichi Ichi Paradise.
"Ano." Naruto said a few miles from Konoha's main gate. The others turned to him. "Shouldn't we set up camp soon? It's almost midnight."
"That's exactly why we have to keep going." Sasuke replied. "Kakashi won't tell until midnight. We have to be as far from Konoha as possible by then."
"But I'm tired." Naruto whined.
"Then go back!" Sasuke snapped. Sakura fell back nervously, the last fight they had like this had gotten violent.
"You didn't have to come, ya know." Sakura stated, watching Sai's reaction from the corner of her eye. "This is a really dangerous mission to come on. We have nothing to lose but you... you still have everything else."
Sai was silent for a moment before falling back. He disappeared from Sakura's view. She sadly watched him go but turned back around to were Naruto and Sasuke were throwing random pebbles and twigs at each other. 'It's for the best. He has a life. We don't have that luxury.' Suddenly a large amount of flowers abstructed her view. A bouquet.
"I want to protect the bond you three share. And I hope I can join it as well. But until then I will suffice by protecting it." Sakura turned at Sai's voice. He was giving her a genuine smile and holding a hastily-made bouquet of roses, daisies and other flowers. Sakura smiled back and took the pro-offered flowers.
"I think you joined our 'bond' when you decided to help us, Sai." Sakura said. "Thank you."
Sai smiled at her and they traveled in silence for the remainder of their trip, silently watching Naruto angrily throwing random objects at Sasuke, who was expertly dodging them.
Unknown to them a pair of bright red eyes, accompained by smaller yellow ones, were watching the whole time. The small comas in the red eyes began to spin and merged together to form a black pinwheel in the centre of the red. The small yellow eyes glanced at the red ones and then back at the strange group before them. 'I hope you know what your getting into...'
