Day Eight: 300+ words of practice (2,000 words, Team Seven)
Sasuke padded down the hall in his sock feet, his steps silent as he returned from the cupboard where his parents kept their cleaning materials. The waste paper bin had been raided, but Sakura hadn’t returned to the sitting room yet.
It wasn’t that he didn’t trust his teammate. Or that he didn’t trust his brother. But there was something that… there was just something. He wasn’t going to jump to conclusions.
Yet.
When he made his way to the back of the house, he heard voices coming from the direction of the bedrooms. But there was no light coming from beneath any of the doors.
Why wasn’t there…
Stretching his hearing as much as he could, Sasuke changed directions and headed to a door that would lead outside, and carefully slid it open a crack.
Sakura’s voice became clearer immediately, but he still missed parts of the conversation, muffled as it was.
“… hasn’t mentioned anything…”
“… more dangerous… intimate relationship…”
“… Hokage knows… has ordered me…”
“… will miss you, you know that-he is attached to you…”
“… talk to him… no obligation…”
“…cover up… coming closer…”
“…Itachi, we need to stop this… not right…”
“Oy! Sasuke, did you find her!”
The voices outside quieted, and Sasuke stilled.
The still slightly open door, in his hand, obviously would have let out Naruto’s words, alerting the ninja meeting clandestinely on the roof above to his presence.
Unsure as to the nature of the rendez-vous above him, Sasuke debated what course of action to take for a second, before closing the door as quietly as he’d opened it, and turning back to look for Naruto.
He may not be jumping to conclusions (yet), but he could sure use some beatingthehelloutofsomething while he considered the implications of what he’d just heard.
Sakura restrained her unimpressed scowl as best she could as she watched her sometimes team lead before her turn pensively in the direction of the door that had sounded closed below them.
Finally giving in to the urge, her shoulders slumped.
“I told you he was nearby and you should talk to him,” she grumbled, scraping her fingernails over her scalp. “That wasn’t how I meant you should let him know…”
Itachi observed her sigh, thoughtful, then amused.
She didn’t miss the mirth that pulled at the corners of his lips, and her eyes narrowed at him.
“You meant for him to get the wrong impression, didn’t you?”
“He will figure it out.”
“Sure, eventually, once he’s been pissy and moody and raw from his wild assumptions and pig-headed pride. And, if we’re really lucky, his refusal to ask questions to get a real answer,” she huffed in irritation, and shook her head. “Thank you. Thank you so much, Taichou. I can’t wait to head out on mission tomorrow again with you already playing headgames.” Crossing her arms, she turned to head back to her team. “I suppose I should be grateful it’s not me you’re messing with,” she muttered, half to herself.
With another sigh, she looked up at him again expectantly, dropping her arms to her side.
“Briefing complete, we’ll leave at 0700 hours tomorrow. Dismissed,” he acknowledged in more official terms, and with a pink-haired nod, Sakura disappeared back inside.
It was only as she stepped through the door back into the living room that she realized her dark-haired ANBU leader was playing with her head already, too.
Damn Uchihas.
Their group parted ways just after midnight, with Sai and Naruto heading back towards their apartments, Kakashi poofing out of existence with his usual disregard for social courtesies-like saying ‘goodnight’--, and Sasuke bringing the last of the dishes to the kitchen while Sakura wiped the living room down (with the help of a shadow clone or two) until all evidence of their soiree was replaced with lemon-scented cleanliness.
“Your mom’ll totally forgive you for the glasses, as long as this place is clean,” Sakura assured Sasuke with a one-armed squeeze-hug as he stared darkly at the garbage bin where they’d wrapped and dumped the glass shards.
“Hm,” was all he said, his brows furrowed in a mild frown.
She couldn’t help it, she laughed quietly and rubbed at the wrinkle between his brows playfully, used to his sullen moods. “If it’ll make you feel better, I can pummel you spectacularly at training next time?”
“As if,” he snorted, and finally let his shoulders relax.
Both chuckling now, he returned her squeeze with a light one of his own, and walked her to the door.
“So, tomorrow morning, then?”
Sakura shook her head. “No, I leave on an ANBU mission tomorrow, but you and the rest can train without me. Let me know the score at the end. I have money riding on Sai this time.”
“As if,” he scoffed, and then looked at her more carefully.
And Sakura knew immediately why, though she couldn’t discern exactly what his thoughts were. He’d always kept some things to himself.
“Hm?”
He continued watching her a moment, but didn’t ask-though he looked like he wanted to.
Smiling warmly, she ruffled his hair affectionately and pulled him in for a full hug.
“Relax, I’ll be fine.”
“Hn.”
“Really. I’m just there in case something goes wrong.”
“They only send you out with them when it’s high risk and they expect something to go wrong.”
“Which means they trust my phenomenal cosmic strength and cute chakra skills to be able to look after myself,” she added in a sarcastic tone, only to gasp a second later in discomfort. “Oy, too tight, too tight!”
“Sorry,” he muttered, letting her go. He forgot sometimes.
Her eyes softened as she relaxed.
“I’m coming back,” she promised quietly. “You guys need me to patch you up after sparring practice, remember?”
He didn’t reply, and she started to pull away, figuring it was time to make an exit before things became awkward. Even several years after their break-up, sometimes it was difficult to separate friendship-love and… intimacy… for Sasuke.
“What’s going on between you and my brother?”
And the fact that his sense of tact hadn’t improved since he was a genin may have had something to do with their separation, too, she thought to herself with a mental growl. How was it possible he had even worse timing than Naruto for picking a fight?
Sakura stared up at her teammate in shock.
Why did he have to ask now? She wondered with an internal groan.
“I need to go home, I have a mission in the morning,” she said, letting him go and backing up-but he took her wrist and held on, gently but firmly.
“Sakura--.”
But just then there came the sound of tired footsteps approaching from outside, and the Uchiha family head and her husband stepped into their home. The Clan meeting had ended, apparently.
“Ah, Sakura-chan, I thought Sasuke was speaking to you.”
Sakura bowed to the matriarch and smiled happily. “Good evening, Mikoto-san. I was just leaving, actually. I head out in a few hours.”
“Then go, go, dear. You need your rest.”
“Sakura,” Sasuke began again, but this time he was interrupted by his father.
“Sasuke, she has announced she is leaving. Haruno-san, I will have Itachi walk you to the main gate.”
“Thank you, but there’s no need,” and the insistence in her voice nearly made her wince when she realized how obvious she’d been. She turned back to nod at Sasuke, who dropped her hand. “I’ll see you when I get back.”
The young man was unhappy, but nodded. “Good night. Safe mission.”
It would take far more than an awkward question to prevent them from wishing each other well before a mission. Some things were sacred.
“Thank you,” she smiled back. “Good evening, to all of you. Thank you for your hospitality tonight.”
“Come by anytime, Sakura-chan,” glowed Mikoto, who’d always been fond of the young woman.
Sakura bowed slightly in respect and took her leave.
She hadn’t even left the light from the front door before she sensed another presence beside her.
Her professionalism was perhaps not at its finest after such a long day and night, but it was still present.
“Taichou,” she greeted and kept walking. She tried not to sound too reluctant, but it wasn’t a good sign that he’d taken it upon himself to continue their talk from earlier in the evening. She didn’t want to be worrying when she had to rest-and if he was there with her now, there was something important she needed to know that truly couldn't wait until they were on the road in the morning. He would advise her if they needed to speak about something confidential-and in that case, it would have to wait until they arrived at her apartment--, but until then, she maintained her route home. She kept a pack ready at all times at her apartment, but she still needed sleep before the mission. They could talk on the way there, she figured.
“Stop.”
Oh kami, it was going to be a long discussion, Sakura thought reluctantly, as she felt her captain’s strong grip on her shoulder as he teleported them to her living room.
“Sir, as I mentioned earlier, I haven’t been in many ‘serious’, intimate relationships, so I don’t know if that’s the best cover,” the young medic admittedly caustically as she leaned forward, her elbows on her knees to support herself as she sat on the couch.
“This is the cover the client has already established for us, as it will ensure us some privacy-he believes-when we are alone and need to discuss our findings or strategy.”
Sakura frowned inwardly, uncomfortable with the situation for a reason she couldn’t put a name to.
“What are the expectations, exactly?”
“You are familiar with contraceptive jutsu?”
Oh kami, she hated this mission already. She knew it.
“Yes, a number of them. For both men and women.”
“You will be attending the leader’s harem while I am part of his bodyguard entourage. He believes someone on the inside is poisoning his favourite consorts.”
“Plural, fantastic.”
Itachi gave her a sharp look, and she looked at him balefully.
“Fine. He wants me to… how are these related?”
“He is not looking to have any children at this time; he wants you to temporarily prevent the women from conceiving; and at the same time, check their rooms, food, and drink for poison.”
“Why does he think it’s poison? Have there been any autopsies?”
“There hasn’t been a mark on any of the bodies.”
She nodded tiredly to herself. It made sense, assuming the aggressor was a civilian.
“And we’re acting as a married couple in order to explain being hired at the same time, gaining private quarters, and to have an excuse to see each other without having to sneak around?” she reasoned aloud. It did make sense, she had to admit.
“Correct.”
“This could almost be a solo-mission,” she mused.
“True, but Hokage-sama was against sending you without back-up.”
She turned to give him a funny look.
“And she’s sending out her top ANBU captain as my ‘back-up’? With all due respect, I mean, sir,” she quickly amended. “Couldn’t you be doing more… important things, than guarding a medic?”
It was getting very, very late if she was forgetting her manners and decorum around her superior, she realized, and noticed she was rubbing at her eyes again.
And then she yawned, and apologized again to Itachi. Where was the third embarrassment to succumb to, so she could really relish this sense of inferiority before one of Konoha's top shinobi?
“We can discuss this further tomorrow on the way to the city,” his voice was muffled, and Sakura realized her eyes had closed and she was starting to fade. It was close to 3 a.m. now.
“Ok, thank you, Taichou. I’ll see you in a few hours at the gate.”
He nodded, and she dragged herself to her feet to see him to the window.
“At 0700 hours,” Itachi repeated, and stepped out.
“With my poisons and antidotes kit,” Sakura’s jaw cracked as she yawned one last time. “Goodnight, Taichou.”
When she was sure he was gone, she palmed the lights off and trudged to her bedroom, ignoring the dark since her eyes were already closed and she knew her apartment like the back of her hand anyway.
She shrugged out of her clothes and climbed under the covers, setting her alarm for 5:30 a.m. Then re-setting it again for 5:45 a.m.
“Took you long enough,” growled a low voice sleepily.
“Mmm-hmm,” she murmured, snuggling into his warmth as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her up until her head rested on his shoulder.
Finally, she was able to sleep.
It wasn’t that he didn’t trust his teammate. Or that he didn’t trust his brother. But there was something that… there was just something. He wasn’t going to jump to conclusions.
Yet.
When he made his way to the back of the house, he heard voices coming from the direction of the bedrooms. But there was no light coming from beneath any of the doors.
Why wasn’t there…
Stretching his hearing as much as he could, Sasuke changed directions and headed to a door that would lead outside, and carefully slid it open a crack.
Sakura’s voice became clearer immediately, but he still missed parts of the conversation, muffled as it was.
“… hasn’t mentioned anything…”
“… more dangerous… intimate relationship…”
“… Hokage knows… has ordered me…”
“… will miss you, you know that-he is attached to you…”
“… talk to him… no obligation…”
“…cover up… coming closer…”
“…Itachi, we need to stop this… not right…”
“Oy! Sasuke, did you find her!”
The voices outside quieted, and Sasuke stilled.
The still slightly open door, in his hand, obviously would have let out Naruto’s words, alerting the ninja meeting clandestinely on the roof above to his presence.
Unsure as to the nature of the rendez-vous above him, Sasuke debated what course of action to take for a second, before closing the door as quietly as he’d opened it, and turning back to look for Naruto.
He may not be jumping to conclusions (yet), but he could sure use some beatingthehelloutofsomething while he considered the implications of what he’d just heard.
Sakura restrained her unimpressed scowl as best she could as she watched her sometimes team lead before her turn pensively in the direction of the door that had sounded closed below them.
Finally giving in to the urge, her shoulders slumped.
“I told you he was nearby and you should talk to him,” she grumbled, scraping her fingernails over her scalp. “That wasn’t how I meant you should let him know…”
Itachi observed her sigh, thoughtful, then amused.
She didn’t miss the mirth that pulled at the corners of his lips, and her eyes narrowed at him.
“You meant for him to get the wrong impression, didn’t you?”
“He will figure it out.”
“Sure, eventually, once he’s been pissy and moody and raw from his wild assumptions and pig-headed pride. And, if we’re really lucky, his refusal to ask questions to get a real answer,” she huffed in irritation, and shook her head. “Thank you. Thank you so much, Taichou. I can’t wait to head out on mission tomorrow again with you already playing headgames.” Crossing her arms, she turned to head back to her team. “I suppose I should be grateful it’s not me you’re messing with,” she muttered, half to herself.
With another sigh, she looked up at him again expectantly, dropping her arms to her side.
“Briefing complete, we’ll leave at 0700 hours tomorrow. Dismissed,” he acknowledged in more official terms, and with a pink-haired nod, Sakura disappeared back inside.
It was only as she stepped through the door back into the living room that she realized her dark-haired ANBU leader was playing with her head already, too.
Damn Uchihas.
Their group parted ways just after midnight, with Sai and Naruto heading back towards their apartments, Kakashi poofing out of existence with his usual disregard for social courtesies-like saying ‘goodnight’--, and Sasuke bringing the last of the dishes to the kitchen while Sakura wiped the living room down (with the help of a shadow clone or two) until all evidence of their soiree was replaced with lemon-scented cleanliness.
“Your mom’ll totally forgive you for the glasses, as long as this place is clean,” Sakura assured Sasuke with a one-armed squeeze-hug as he stared darkly at the garbage bin where they’d wrapped and dumped the glass shards.
“Hm,” was all he said, his brows furrowed in a mild frown.
She couldn’t help it, she laughed quietly and rubbed at the wrinkle between his brows playfully, used to his sullen moods. “If it’ll make you feel better, I can pummel you spectacularly at training next time?”
“As if,” he snorted, and finally let his shoulders relax.
Both chuckling now, he returned her squeeze with a light one of his own, and walked her to the door.
“So, tomorrow morning, then?”
Sakura shook her head. “No, I leave on an ANBU mission tomorrow, but you and the rest can train without me. Let me know the score at the end. I have money riding on Sai this time.”
“As if,” he scoffed, and then looked at her more carefully.
And Sakura knew immediately why, though she couldn’t discern exactly what his thoughts were. He’d always kept some things to himself.
“Hm?”
He continued watching her a moment, but didn’t ask-though he looked like he wanted to.
Smiling warmly, she ruffled his hair affectionately and pulled him in for a full hug.
“Relax, I’ll be fine.”
“Hn.”
“Really. I’m just there in case something goes wrong.”
“They only send you out with them when it’s high risk and they expect something to go wrong.”
“Which means they trust my phenomenal cosmic strength and cute chakra skills to be able to look after myself,” she added in a sarcastic tone, only to gasp a second later in discomfort. “Oy, too tight, too tight!”
“Sorry,” he muttered, letting her go. He forgot sometimes.
Her eyes softened as she relaxed.
“I’m coming back,” she promised quietly. “You guys need me to patch you up after sparring practice, remember?”
He didn’t reply, and she started to pull away, figuring it was time to make an exit before things became awkward. Even several years after their break-up, sometimes it was difficult to separate friendship-love and… intimacy… for Sasuke.
“What’s going on between you and my brother?”
And the fact that his sense of tact hadn’t improved since he was a genin may have had something to do with their separation, too, she thought to herself with a mental growl. How was it possible he had even worse timing than Naruto for picking a fight?
Sakura stared up at her teammate in shock.
Why did he have to ask now? She wondered with an internal groan.
“I need to go home, I have a mission in the morning,” she said, letting him go and backing up-but he took her wrist and held on, gently but firmly.
“Sakura--.”
But just then there came the sound of tired footsteps approaching from outside, and the Uchiha family head and her husband stepped into their home. The Clan meeting had ended, apparently.
“Ah, Sakura-chan, I thought Sasuke was speaking to you.”
Sakura bowed to the matriarch and smiled happily. “Good evening, Mikoto-san. I was just leaving, actually. I head out in a few hours.”
“Then go, go, dear. You need your rest.”
“Sakura,” Sasuke began again, but this time he was interrupted by his father.
“Sasuke, she has announced she is leaving. Haruno-san, I will have Itachi walk you to the main gate.”
“Thank you, but there’s no need,” and the insistence in her voice nearly made her wince when she realized how obvious she’d been. She turned back to nod at Sasuke, who dropped her hand. “I’ll see you when I get back.”
The young man was unhappy, but nodded. “Good night. Safe mission.”
It would take far more than an awkward question to prevent them from wishing each other well before a mission. Some things were sacred.
“Thank you,” she smiled back. “Good evening, to all of you. Thank you for your hospitality tonight.”
“Come by anytime, Sakura-chan,” glowed Mikoto, who’d always been fond of the young woman.
Sakura bowed slightly in respect and took her leave.
She hadn’t even left the light from the front door before she sensed another presence beside her.
Her professionalism was perhaps not at its finest after such a long day and night, but it was still present.
“Taichou,” she greeted and kept walking. She tried not to sound too reluctant, but it wasn’t a good sign that he’d taken it upon himself to continue their talk from earlier in the evening. She didn’t want to be worrying when she had to rest-and if he was there with her now, there was something important she needed to know that truly couldn't wait until they were on the road in the morning. He would advise her if they needed to speak about something confidential-and in that case, it would have to wait until they arrived at her apartment--, but until then, she maintained her route home. She kept a pack ready at all times at her apartment, but she still needed sleep before the mission. They could talk on the way there, she figured.
“Stop.”
Oh kami, it was going to be a long discussion, Sakura thought reluctantly, as she felt her captain’s strong grip on her shoulder as he teleported them to her living room.
“Sir, as I mentioned earlier, I haven’t been in many ‘serious’, intimate relationships, so I don’t know if that’s the best cover,” the young medic admittedly caustically as she leaned forward, her elbows on her knees to support herself as she sat on the couch.
“This is the cover the client has already established for us, as it will ensure us some privacy-he believes-when we are alone and need to discuss our findings or strategy.”
Sakura frowned inwardly, uncomfortable with the situation for a reason she couldn’t put a name to.
“What are the expectations, exactly?”
“You are familiar with contraceptive jutsu?”
Oh kami, she hated this mission already. She knew it.
“Yes, a number of them. For both men and women.”
“You will be attending the leader’s harem while I am part of his bodyguard entourage. He believes someone on the inside is poisoning his favourite consorts.”
“Plural, fantastic.”
Itachi gave her a sharp look, and she looked at him balefully.
“Fine. He wants me to… how are these related?”
“He is not looking to have any children at this time; he wants you to temporarily prevent the women from conceiving; and at the same time, check their rooms, food, and drink for poison.”
“Why does he think it’s poison? Have there been any autopsies?”
“There hasn’t been a mark on any of the bodies.”
She nodded tiredly to herself. It made sense, assuming the aggressor was a civilian.
“And we’re acting as a married couple in order to explain being hired at the same time, gaining private quarters, and to have an excuse to see each other without having to sneak around?” she reasoned aloud. It did make sense, she had to admit.
“Correct.”
“This could almost be a solo-mission,” she mused.
“True, but Hokage-sama was against sending you without back-up.”
She turned to give him a funny look.
“And she’s sending out her top ANBU captain as my ‘back-up’? With all due respect, I mean, sir,” she quickly amended. “Couldn’t you be doing more… important things, than guarding a medic?”
It was getting very, very late if she was forgetting her manners and decorum around her superior, she realized, and noticed she was rubbing at her eyes again.
And then she yawned, and apologized again to Itachi. Where was the third embarrassment to succumb to, so she could really relish this sense of inferiority before one of Konoha's top shinobi?
“We can discuss this further tomorrow on the way to the city,” his voice was muffled, and Sakura realized her eyes had closed and she was starting to fade. It was close to 3 a.m. now.
“Ok, thank you, Taichou. I’ll see you in a few hours at the gate.”
He nodded, and she dragged herself to her feet to see him to the window.
“At 0700 hours,” Itachi repeated, and stepped out.
“With my poisons and antidotes kit,” Sakura’s jaw cracked as she yawned one last time. “Goodnight, Taichou.”
When she was sure he was gone, she palmed the lights off and trudged to her bedroom, ignoring the dark since her eyes were already closed and she knew her apartment like the back of her hand anyway.
She shrugged out of her clothes and climbed under the covers, setting her alarm for 5:30 a.m. Then re-setting it again for 5:45 a.m.
“Took you long enough,” growled a low voice sleepily.
“Mmm-hmm,” she murmured, snuggling into his warmth as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her up until her head rested on his shoulder.
Finally, she was able to sleep.