𝓗𝓪𝓷𝓪,

We haven't met yet, and by the looks of it, we won't for quite some time. I heard you agreed to share—

Sakura pauses mid-sentence and glares at the words. She hears the streets bustling through her bedroom window, and the smell of spices and fresh bread emanates from the bakery downstairs. Letting the familiar setting ease her nerves, she inhales deeply and readjusts the grip on her pen.

I heard you agreed to share my body until Kakashi-sensei finds a solution. Thank you. Please be as transparent as possible throughout this process. I'm sure you understand my concerns. As much as I wish you to be happy and have your own body, I mostly want my life back. That's why we should keep each other posted on anything important that happens. They released me from Konoha's hospital a few hours ago, and the scar's here to stay. Also, a man named Danzō will monitor our movements, so if he summons us while you are in charge, don't go alone. Bring sensei or the boys with you. And try to act as I would. Be respectful, please. The Elders can decide to close my parents' business.

P.S. Be nice to Sasuke. He's important to me.

Sakura folds the paper and reclines in her chair. If her words portray a collected and mature young girl, the feelings she's experiencing are utterly different. In truth, she thinks Hana is ruining her life and finds it difficult to accept the idea of sharing.

Everybody knows Haruno Sakura is selfless. And maybe that's why she acted so composed around Kakashi when he first presented her with his plan. But she will lose half of her thirteenth year, her first moments as a genin, while also slowing down her training progress. Who would be okay with that?

And to top everything, the Hokage and the Elders now see her as a potential threat. There is always the possibility of being thrown in jail, and her parents losing their bakery.

Sakura engulfs her head in her hands and does a couple of breath cycles to soothe her nerves, but her mother's shrill voice soon interrupts her work.

"Sakura! One of your teammates, Naruto," she hears distaste in how the name is pronounced, "is waiting for you in the kitchen. I have to go back downstairs. Can I trust you?"

"Of course!" Sakura walks to her mirror and fixes her shirt before storming out of her room with dreading curiosity. She enters the small kitchen and meets Naruto's cerulean eyes. He looks tense with his hands clasping his knees, his lips pressed in a thin line.

"Naruto? I thought we had a team meeting in thirty minutes."

"We do."

He scratches the back of his neck but stays seated. Sakura takes the spot opposite him with a blush creeping on her cheeks. She hopes it isn't another of his attempts at asking her out. She hates turning him down, but he isn't attractive, or at least not very clean.

"Sakura-chan."

She snaps out of her thoughts, and her blush deepens once she realizes she's been openly studying him.

"I think I owe you an explanation."

She blinks and tilts her head to the side but doesn't reply. Naruto shifts in his chair.

"The bastard already knows what I'm about to tell you. We talked while you were unconscious at Tazuna's house. But when you woke up, you seemed so unfocused that I thought I would wait before reaching out."

When he pauses and gulps, she gives him a reassuring smile.

"How considerate," she says, bewildered. "Thank you. I feel better now."

"Great." He nods, then shifts his gaze outside. "Does it always smell so good in here? I mean... I guess it's even better at Ichiraku's... Damn... Who would have thought? Right? I don't really eat bread—"

"Naruto. We have to leave in ten minutes. We can talk about bread another time."

"Right," he laughs sheepishly. "Okay. Uh..." The corners of his mouth fall, and he clasps his hands together. "I'm sorry for what happened on the bridge. I won't let it happen again, I promise."

Sakura frowns. "I'm not following. What happened?"

Naruto runs a hand through his hair and casts her a desperate look. "You don't remember?"

She shakes her head.

"Makes sense. You looked out of it, really. Well..."

Naruto falters and reaches to take her hand. She tenses but doesn't stop him, and he flips her palm up. Her fingers close instinctively to cover the wounds her nails have left on the tender skin, a new habit she can't seem to lose. However, Naruto's eyes are set higher on her limb. Sakura follows his gaze up and notices similar crescent wounds on the skin of her forearm.

"That's me. I'm the one who hurt you."

She brushes the marks with a finger, staring at their weird shape. "With what?"

"My claws."

She gazes up and catches his saddened eyes. "Your what?"

"Sakura-chan, what I'm about to tell you will completely change how you see me. And that's okay. I'll accept it if you want me to resign from Team Seven."

"What? Naruto, we aren't best friends, but I would never ask you to resign. That's—"

"Wait until you hear what I have to say," he interrupts with the air of someone who has already given up. Then he blurts out: "I have a demon inside of me," and hides his head in his hands.

Sakura stares, a crease forming between her eyebrows. After an awkward silence, she pulls gently on his arms and uncovers his face. He looks up with teary eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"The Kyūbi, Sakura-chan. The nine-tailed fox. He's inside of me."

Naruto brings one hand to his belly and clutches the fabric of his shirt.

"And when I saw you in Sasuke's arms, I was so sad, so angry. It triggered something, and I lost it. I heard the demon's hateful voice in the back of my head, then couldn't control my body or stop myself from hurting you."

Sakura follows the trail of a tear on his round cheek, at a loss for words.

Somehow, it makes sense. It explains why her parents hate him so much. Her stomach churns at that thought, but before she can decide what to think of that revelation, Naruto pushes himself up and walks to the door, his shoulders slumped.

"I'll tell Kakashi before the meeting starts. You won't have to see me again."

He opens the door and seems to hesitate.

"Naruto, wait!" She jumps and grabs his shoulder, swirling him around. "It's fine. I don't mind."

His eyebrows raise so high his headband now covers them. "You're sure?"

"Yes, of course!" She tucks a lock of hair behind her ear. "We all have our demons, after all. The only difference is that yours is real, but that doesn't mean you're more dangerous than us."

She squeezes his hand gently, hesitating. Part of her wants to confide in Naruto about her struggles with Hana, but Kakashi has made her promise to keep it a secret. And the timing doesn't feel right. The timing...

Sakura glances at the clock on the opposite wall and whines.

"We're late!"

She tugs on Naruto's hand and leads him through the streets to Team Seven's bridge. People cast them annoyed glances as they pass, and she can swear she's heard someone curse.

"Relax, Sakura-chan," Naruto says, tugging on her hand and forcing her to slow down. "Sensei's always late, anyway."

She nods with a soft laugh and resumes walking, but Naruto pulls her back again.

"Hey! You're not wearing your dress!"

She glances at her red t-shirt stopping midriff, right where her black biker shorts begin, and blushes.

"I wanted something more practical."

"Well, I like it. It's different, but I like it! You always look good, Sakura-chan."

He crosses his hands behind his head and walks past her. Sakura watches as he moves away with a growing blush until her eyes land further away on a black-haired boy. Then she realizes they have almost reached the bridge and jogs the remaining distance. She catches up with the blond and smiles as she passes him.

"Thanks, Naruto."

Then she heads toward Sasuke, her eyes glued to the fan on his back, her heart beating in anticipation. They haven't seen each other since the events in Waves, and while she's missed everyone, even Naruto, somehow, everything is always more intense when it involves Sasuke. As she nears the red bridge, her eyes study his form in search of injuries.

"Sas—"

She bumps into someone, but a hand grabs her before she reaches the ground. She gazes up at an older teenager with silver hair and round glasses. His headband looks different, with a single music note in its centre. She apologizes as he helps her to her feet.

"I'm the one who should apologize."

He smiles and locks eyes with her. Sakura fidgets under his intense stare and tries to ignore the hand brushing her arm as goosebumps rise on her skin.

Why is he still holding her?

"Oi! What do you think you're doing?"

The boy snaps out of his daze and looks at a boiling Naruto. He releases Sakura upon seeing the blond, and she steps back. 

"Nothing. I was just taken aback by such beautiful features. We rarely see pink hair and bright green eyes like this."

Sakura's face flushes under the compliment. She hears Sasuke shifting behind her, and her heartbeat increases at the sound of his voice.

"Leave."

The stranger turns to look at the Uchiha with a glint in his eyes.

"I see you have enough boys around already," he says, retreating down the street. "And you're a bit too young for my taste. For now, anyway."

He winks and walks away.

"See you at the Chūnin Exams!"

"Chūnin Exams?" Naruto scratches the back of his head and sends a quizzical look to the rest of his team.

"Mah. That you don't even know about the Chūnin Exams makes me wonder what you were doing at the Academy. It ain't learning, that's for sure."

The sudden appearance of their sensei startles Sakura, but Sasuke only snorts at Kakashi's teasing.

"You're late." Then he casts her a glance. "The three of you."

She blushes, but Naruto answers before she can place a word.

"Sakura-chan and I were busy talking about serious matters."

Sakura turns to him with an encouraging smile that morphs into a frown upon seeing the suggestive wiggle of his eyebrows. She punches the arm sneaking around her waist, then stomps toward her sensei.

"Are we really going to... take part?" she asks, her voice wavering.

"Of course we are!" Naruto exclaims, bouncing excitedly. "Whatever it is, I'll be better than that jerk with the glasses. And I'll beat you too, Sasuke."

The two boys exchange a glare, but Kakashi ends their rivalry with the following words: "I actually decided it was better to wait for the next ones in six months."

"Six months?"

At Naruto's screech, passers-by turn to glare. The blond ignores them.

"Why? What if all the other genin get to take part? All except for us? We're the strongest, aren't we? We defeated Zabuza, for Kami's sake!"

Sasuke adds nothing, but Sakura can see that, for once, he agrees with his teammate. She drops her gaze with a frown.

It's so unlike Kakashi to be careful and protective. Is it her new condition that pushes him to make this choice? Or perhaps the Hokage ordered him to get her out of Konoha...

She glances at her sensei, and when he meets her worried eyes, a hand reaches to pat her head.

"I know you're disappointed, kids. And believe me, it isn't because I don't believe in your abilities. Rather, let's say that your lack of discipline and teamwork might threaten your teammates or the village."

Naruto's hands curl into fists. "So it's because of me."

The silver-haired man scratches his chin. "It is, and yet, it isn't. I think you three have some things to work on individually and together. You're only part of my preoccupations, Naruto. Don't take the blame for everything."

The blond pouts and averts his eyes, his arms crossed. "If you say so."

"So, what do you propose, then?"

Sasuke's irritated voice attracts Sakura's attention. His knuckles turn white as he clenches the railing, and his thumb scratches the red paint away in frustration.

"I will not wait six months for whatever issues my team has to be fixed. I have goals to fulfil and need to get stronger. Now."

"Yes, yes, Sasuke. I know," Kakashi replies with a dismissive wave. "And I'm sure you're not the only one. That's why I've found you another C-Ranked mission. This time, you'll be gone a month."

Sakura's mouth falls open. "A month?"

"Yes, we'll assist an Anbu squad on the disappearance of civilians in Hinode, a small village on the outskirts of the Land of Fire."

"Sounds like more than a C-ranked mission..." Sakura trails off when she sees the excitement in her boys' eyes.

"Our job is to help the villagers in the rice paddies and the hospital while the Anbu take care of the investigation."

"And then we get to beat up the villains. Yosh!" Naruto throws a fist in the air. "When are we leaving?"

After shaking his head, Kakashi grabs his orange book and starts reading as he walks away.

"Now. Get your stuff. I'll be waiting by the South Gate."

𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓵𝓪𝓼𝓽 𝓽𝓲𝓶𝓮 they went on a mission, Sakura was locked in a prison and unable to do or see anything. She didn't experience the excitement of the walk, her feet leading her into new territories, unknown villages, vast forests, under sun and rain, day and night. So this time, she tries to absorb everything, the number of new sensations leaving her dizzy.

She follows Sasuke, her eyes sometimes glued to his white and red fan, which somehow seems to sway in the wind as his shoulder blades move under his blue shirt. At other times, her curious gaze wanders to the different trees and bushes, to the peaceful villagers of the small hamlets they are passing through. She marvels at the absence of weapons and headbands, some of those villages not even bearing the mark of the ninja life.

The journey to Hinode takes them more than a day, so she even gets to sleep under the stars. She wishes they could go on forever and wonders what is hidden on the other side of the border, in the Land of Sound. From what she sees in the distance, after miles and miles of rice paddies, another dense forest acts as a gate between the two lands.

It is early in the morning when the road leads them directly between two large fields. The earth under her feet is muddy, and cicadas are singing around them.

"I didn't know we had so many rice paddies in our country," she utters in wonder. "I thought the Land of Sound was the sole supplier."

"Hinode is the last village before the border and the only one whose economy solely revolves around rice production," Kakashi explains. "That's why we're here. They've lost too many workers and can't meet their goals anymore. If we don't help them, they'll lose the crops."

They halt in front of a small shed, and Naruto drops to the ground, using the only shade. "What a boring mission," he mutters while pulling on the grass.

The shed's door slams open, and a woman wearing a porcelain mask and a grey outfit steps out.

"You know what they say about boring missions, blondie? They give them to the weak shinobi." She thinks a second, then adds: "Or the civilian ones. Synonyms, if you want my opinion."

"Excuse me?"

Sakura regrets speaking as soon as the words leave her mouth. The woman's eyes pierce like daggers through the slits of her mask.

"Oh, sorry, princess. Did I offend you?"

Sakura opens her mouth to respond, but the woman beats her to it.

"Never mind, I don't care."

Then, her gaze shifts to Sasuke, standing to Sakura's left.

"Well, would you look at that? If he isn't an Uchiha, I'm like the princess here." She steps closer and whistles. "He looks exactly like—"

"This is Uchiha Sasuke," Kakashi interrupts. "A promising genin. Just like Haruno Sakura, here, and Uzumaki Naruto."

The woman's eyes follow Kakashi's finger and return to Naruto, dismissing Sakura standing in the middle.

"I know that brat. He's a pain in the ass, or so I've heard."

The blond crosses his arms. "Oi! What is wrong with you? You're the pain in—"

A shuriken flies from the woman's hand, scratching Naruto's cheek before embedding itself in the ground, inches away from his hand.

"Finish that sentence, and you're dead."

Naruto gulps and brings a hand to his cheek to assess the damage. "She cut me, sensei."

Sakura kneels at his side to study the wound. "Stop whining. It's just a scratch. I'll fix it if it keeps on bleeding."

The woman snorts. "Of course you will."

Sakura's shoulders tense in annoyance. But before she says something that could win her a shuriken in the face, the door flies open, revealing a tall man with a bear-like mask.

"What are you doing, Wolfy? Terrifying Hatake's kids before the mission even starts?"

"Don't call me that, Teddy Bear."

She swirls around and disappears into the shed. The man scratches his chestnut hair with a chuckle, then steps out of the way. "Come in. We'll brief you before you go to town."

The shed is small, full of farmer tools, and only lit by the rays of sun piercing through the wooden planks. There is hardly enough space for Team Seven and the Anbu squad, and Sakura soon finds herself flushed against Sasuke's chest. She hears him inhale deeply, probably in annoyance. Blood shoots up to her face as she tries to ignore their new proximity.

"This will be our meeting spot," Bear announces as he closes the door. "For lodgings, you should be able to find something in town. Unless you want to camp with us at Oto's border."

He bends and taps his finger on a table. Sakura squints her eyes and notices a map before them.

"I would prefer if my students stay away from Oto," says Kakashi, his eye surveying the map. "But is this meaning you think the Land of Sound has something to do with the disappearances?"

A man wearing a mask adorning a beak steps out of one corner and answers Kakashi's question in a velvety voice. "That's what my little birds gathered so far."

"Hawk," Kakashi nods at the newcomer, then turns to Wolf. "What about the trail?"

The woman crosses her arms and shakes her head.

"There's too many. The Chūnin Exams are creating a lot of tourism in the Land of Fire. Many travellers cross the border every day."

Kakashi nods again but remains silent. To her right, Sakura feels Naruto squirming in his spot, unable to contain his excitement.

"Can we help with that? I mean... I understand the villagers need support and everything, but don't you think shinobi should be on the field, you know? Investigating and fighting? Come on, sensei! Can we share their camp, at least?"

Bear bursts into laughter. "This little man reminds me of you, Mole. Remember when you were first assigned to our team?"

The said Mole gets up from the ground and pats Naruto's shoulder. Of all the Anbu, he's the smallest and the leanest. His dark hair, more grey than black, sticks out from behind his mask, and his voice sounds young and cheerful when he speaks.

"Enjoy the annoying missions while you can, my friend. Soon enough, you'll find yourself stuck in a team of grumpy Anbu, forced to watch them drop like dead flies."

A heavy silence follows those words, every shinobi deep in thought. But then, Mole's laugh brightens the mood, and he grabs Kakashi by the shoulder.

"But it would be nice to share our camp, sensei," he teases with mirth. "Maybe I could even teach them some of my tricks."

At that, Sakura feels her two boys straighten. Her heartbeat increases as excitement and thrill replace her initial concerns. Since the fight on the bridge and her awakening four days later in Konoha, Sakura's thoughts often gravitate toward training and getting stronger. However, in a team made of a boisterous Jinchūriki and a talented—and demanding—Uchiha, there isn't a lot of room for a civilian girl to ask for special training.

Perhaps the camp isn't a bad idea, even if she isn't looking forward to sharing her sleeping space with someone as dreadful as Wolf.

Kakashi's answer brings her back to the present moment. "Well, I was planning on having training sessions throughout the weeks, and I could use your help. I'm not entirely sure about the border thing, though. They would be safer in town."

Mole snorts. "Since when do you care about safety, anyway? Plus, with us around, I don't think you have to worry, Mama Bear."

Then his eyes shift to them, the three genin waiting in a corner.

"Although I guess I understand the concern. What a cute little bunch!"

He kneels in front of Sakura and eyes her from head to toe. She can feel Sasuke shift behind her and hear Naruto puffing in annoyance.

"This is Haruno Sakura. My favourite student."

Naruto gasps, offended, which makes Kakashi chuckle.

"Well, Haruno Sakura, pleased to meet you. I think I have a thing or two to teach you. If you're interested, of course."

She stares wide-eyed, her mouth open.

"You want to teach me?"

"Don't flatter yourself, princess," Wolf sneers, picking at her nails. "It means he thinks you're the weakest of the three."

Mole straightens himself, glaring at the woman. "Not the weakest, the smallest. It isn't the same."

"Whatever you say, midget."

He stomps forward but stops abruptly when Bear's hand slams against the table.

"Enough, you two."

Then, the taller man turns to Kakashi.

"Have you taken the coordinates to our camp?"

Their sensei nods.

"Alright, think about it then. For now, your task is to meet with the representative of the Lord. He'll show you around and bring you to the people in need."

Bear rolls the map to secure it inside his grey jacket, and Kakashi takes this as his cue. He walks out of the shed and into the light and beckons his team to follow.

"See you around, Sakura-chan!"

The girl turns to smile at Mole, but Naruto pulls her by the elbow, and she only gets a glimpse of Wolf's irritated posture before the door closes behind her.