"Sakura!?" Etta gasped, I studied her for a moment as I felt like I had missed something important while babysitting team seven. I crossed my arms over my chest watching Sakura lean against Kakashi with his arm around her.
"What the hell happened!?" I asked moving forward to check on Sakura. I touched her face, but she didn't respond. "What happened to her?!"
"Amos." Kakashi answered. "And her-" Kakashi nodded to Etta.
"Wh-What?!" She gasped backing away.
"What did you do to her!?" I yelled, balling my fist up as I felt rage bubble in my chest.
"She drugged Sakura." Kakashi said, my mouth dropped open as I turned to see if Kakashi was just fucking with me. "She then allowed Amos to try and kidnap her, he planned to tie her down and drug her nonstop making her compliant to his needs."
"Are you fucking kidding me!?" I yelled at Etta, charging up to her. Ike her little man toy got in my way.
"Carver listen-" He said my name, but I ignored him punching him in the gut, he coughed as he fell to the ground.
"Carver." Sakura breathed. I snapped around hearing how weak her voice was. "Let's just leave." Sakura said looking up at me.
"What did they drug her with?" I asked moving towards them.
"I don't know." Kakashi shrugged. "She has slept most of it off though." I leaned down,
"Sak, are you sure you can get us there? We can go camp out while this stuff gets out of your system." I said. Sakura smirked, she looked up at me with a rage burning in her eyes it made me take a step back.
"If I don't get out of this town, I am going to burn it to the ground." Sakura spat.
"Got it." I nodded. "Let's go." I waved, rounding everyone up so Sakura could transport us to the leaf village through her seals. As wind began to pick up around us, I had to say I loved this trick of Sakura's. It saved us so much time and energy! Seconds later the wind vanished from circling around us and we were inside the leaf villages arena. Nice, I smiled turning to look behind me but frowned seeing Naruto and Sasuke looking pissed off.
"Yay!" Raiden smiled, not noticing team seven's expressions. "We didn't have to walk all the way back-" He shut up, seeing their faces. "Are you two still-"
"No!" Naruto snapped, waving away Raiden's hand. I rolled my eyes, here we go. "What the hell Sakura!" Naruto half whined as he yelled out. "You used us as bait for those grabby touchy people!?"
"Yeah." Sakura shrugged it off. I sighed, shaking my head that was not the right thing to say to leaf shinobi.
"How-How could you!?" Naruto yelled, flinching. I almost laughed seeing he had hurt his own head with his high-pitched voice. Sakura didn't respond and that was because she was used to being used as bait, as was Raiden and myself.
Kaguya used us like worms on hooks and as long as we didn't die it was fine. Naruto and Sasuke began to lecture Sakura and I knew this was not going to end well. What interested me was Kakashi hung back, his hands in his pockets just watching. He was the first to find out the reason team seven went with us to Brasle and at the time he seemed angry but now he looked relaxed like always. I wondered why...
"Don't you care what we think of you?!" Naruto yelled.
"You can fear me or love me." Sakura blankly watched Naruto's reaction as she shrugged. "It's all the same to me." There it was again! She was forcing this cold shoulder behavior. I watched as Sakura walked away, she was not someone who took being lectured lightly. If this was the waterfall village, she would have torn Sasuke and Naruto apart, but she didn't.
"I can't believe her!" Naruto fumed.
"Why is she even in this village still?" Sasuke shook his head, for him to show emotion he had to be pissed. "How is someone like her a Commander? She is clearly a psychopath-"
"Hey-" I cut in. "-it's really easy to stand there judging her isn't it?" I found myself sneering.
"What does that mean?" Sasuke mocked.
"You three are the fucking reason she is who she is!" I snapped, tired of hearing people putting Sakura down. Yes, she appeared to be cold and distant but that isn't who she was! "You all are confusing her personality with her attitude. Her personality is who she is, but her attitude depends on yourself and you three are what broke her! You can't stand there and-"
"What do you mean?" Naruto asked, stepping closer to me.
"All you three have been doing since Sakura returned is judge her on everything she does! You haven't stopped and thought about what it had to take for her to be where she is today. You're the ones who stripped her of everything she once was. You are the reason she had to rip herself apart as that twisted bitch Kaguya rebuilt her into a soldier, if you hadn't noticed you selfish bastards, she doesn't call herself a shinobi or a ninja she sees herself as a tool for war." I locked eyes with Kakashi. "That is what Kaguya built out of your student."
"I..." Naruto looked away; I could see the guilt in his eyes.
"It took the Nine so long to get through to her." I shook my head. "We had to reach past all of Kaguya's fucked up training and trauma and it took even longer for her to get use to us because she doesn't trust easily anymore and you all expect her to open her soul to you in the first week of getting her back in your life's." I laughed, "It took her two years to get use to me, for her to like me and for me to move past a simple soldier and tool to be used because that is how she was trained to see people. Using you as bait is normal for her because Kaguya used Sakura as bait all the time." Team seven looked at each other, questioning themselves.
Sakura was not inside the apartment we were using when Naruto and Sasuke walked in. I looked from the pizza box as I stuffed a large slice in my mouth. Naruto looked glum. I sighed, rolling my eyes as I sat down on the couch next to them setting the pizza box on the coffee table. I leaned back as Naruto grabbed a slice.
"What's wrong?" Raiden asked with a mouthful of food.
"Don't talk with food in your mouth." I lectured, he stuck his tongue out at me.
"We got assigned another mission." Sasuke sighed.
"Really?" I was surprised. "You all just got back."
"That is what we said but we have to go meet Team Eight and assist them with an escort of some rare statue because it is proving to be more difficult than they thought or something..." Sasuke said grabbing a slice of pizza.
"Wheres um..." Naruto spoke up. "Where is Sakura?"
"Hokage Tower." I answered.
"We were just there." Sasuke looked annoyed.
"She is in a room Tsunade loaned her. She is talking to Dawn."
"Dawn is..." Naruto tried to remember.
"Sakura's second in Command." I reminded him.
"Oh." Naruto nodded; it was starting to come to him.
"She talks to her a lot." Sasuke commented. I nodded, agreeing.
"Yeah, well...it is hard running a village so..." I trailed off letting them think what they wanted, they would anyway.
"What are you two going to be doing?" Sasuke wondered.
"Well Sakura sent Zander and Annora on some mission I really wasn't listening so we will be stationed here." I said,
"Will Sakura remain here?" Naruto muttered; I could see my words from earlier were still rattling inside his head affecting him.
"I am sure she will go between villages." Raiden said grabbing a second slice. "But it is clear the Reapers want something from this village, this is the best chance at catching them so I bet Sakura will be hanging out here at least until the Reapers try to attack."
"And after?" Naruto sounded so unsure of himself which wasn't like him from what I knew.
"That is up to you guys." Raiden said.
"How so?" Sasuke wondered.
"Depends if you get her to want to stay around when there isn't a reason too." Raiden explained further. The two members of team seven nodded,
"When do you ship out?" I asked.
"In two hours!" Naruto groaned plopping against the back of the couch.
"Shouldn't you be ya know...getting ready for your mission?" Raiden laughed.
"Yeah..." Naruto said, groaning as he pulled himself up. I stood as well,
"Where you going?" Raiden asked.
"I'm going to check on Sakura."
"Why?"
"Well she was drugged so..." I trailed off with a smirk.
"Yeah-Yeah." Raiden muttered eating more pizza, it was his favorite thing to eat. I made my way to the Hokage Tower and saw Sakura was not inside her conference room.
"Are you looking for Commander Haruno?" I turned, seeing Shizune I believed was her name.
"Yes, do you know where she is?"
"She is with the Lady Tsunade."
"The Hokage?" My voice was flat, out of everyone inside this village I knew Tsunade to be Sakura's least favorite person for understandable reasons.
"I am headed there now; you can follow me." Shizune smiled.
"Thanks." I said, maybe Raiden's little party was useful after all. Tsunade's assistant lead me into her office and there I saw Sakura was placing a small glass bottle onto Tsunade's desk.
"What is this?" Tsunade wondered, poking it with her pen.
"My blood." Sakura answered.
"Er..." Tsunade quickly pulled away from it, I had to muffle my laugh and look away from the two women who glared at me. "Why is there a bottle of your blood on my desk?" Tsunade sounded uneasy.
"Because you may need it." Sakura explained.
"Uh...Why?"
"We are leaving." Sakura said, taking me off guard.
"We are leaving?" I asked, Sakura turned back to me, her gaze told me to shut the fuck up until we were alone, which I did. I leaned against the wall as Sakura turned back to Tsunade.
"There is a seal on the west side of your village, on the wall of your gate. The closer you get to it with that bottle the brighter the symbol with appear. You have to throw that bottle on the seal for it to activate. A dome will then appear over your village giving it a layer of protection giving me time to get here."
"I don't understand-"
"But if you do activate it, understand there will be no way for anyone except me to take it down, no one in and no one will be allowed to go out of it. Once my seal is activated without me powering it, the seal will only last two days." Sakura explained.
"I see." Tsunade said looking at the bottle in front of her. "Do you plan to be gone long or...?"
"I don't know." Sakura answered, "But just in case since I need to take Carver and Raiden with me, and I don't have another black op team to station here this is the best I can do."
"I understand, thank you Sakura." Tsunade smiled Sakura turned, and I followed her as we left the tower. I patiently waited to be filled in on where we will be going. Sakura led us to the apartment we were using, I assumed to collect Raiden. We got off the elevator seeing Naruto and Sasuke standing outside Kakashi's door. I glanced back at Sakura,
"Everything alright?" I asked, they turned to me.
"Kakashi isn't answering." Naruto sighed, bags on their backs had it already been two hours? Where does the time go?
"I wonder if he is ok?" I thought out loud, I watched Sakura's eye twitch. I knew I would get a reaction out of her, for some reason when it came to Kakashi she always reacted. Sakura moved past Naruto and Sasuke as she swiftly unlocked his apartment door.
"How did you do that!?" Naruto breathed.
"You two are shinobi and can't pick open a door?" I asked walking past them into the apartment. I stood beside Sakura as we glanced around the apartment, which had the same layout the one we were using did. I moved to walk into the bedroom I felt Sakura following me since there was no other place to look.
I flicked the light on about to turn around and question Naruto and Sasuke if they had looked anywhere else inside the village for Kakashi. I stopped seeing Sakura's shocked expression written clear on her face. I didn't understand why I was seeing this until I quickly followed her gaze towards the king-sized bed in the middle of the room.
My mouth dropped open, seeing another sensei known as Kurenai I believed her name to be naked grinding away on top of Kakashi. I wanted to look away, but I couldn't. It took a solid minute for the two shinobi to notice they had an audience. Kurenai had a nice rack I could see why Kakashi would nail that, I would if I had the chance. Kurenai jumped off Kakashi pulling his blanket up to cover her body. I tilted my head, Kakashi still wore a shirt and his mask when he was banging his girlfriend? Maybe Sakura was right maybe he was a closet pervert.
"What the hell are you doing in here!?" Kurenai demanded, her face red from unknowingly giving us a show.
"We-We" Naruto was bright red; he was so innocent it was almost cute.
"We have a mission." Sasuke looked unaffected, expected nothing less from the village whore. I wonder is Sasuke has slept with Kurenai...I would put my money on yes, the boy got around.
"Is-Is this why your always late!?" Naruto exploded, well he recovered from his embarrassment quickly. I turned my head and saw Sakura wasn't here anymore, when the hell did she leave?
"Get out!" Kurenai yelled, leaning onto Kakashi.
"Kakashi!"
"Out." Kakashi agreed with Kurenai. I followed the three out of the room laughing as we left. This was funny! I sighed; I needed that laugh. I needed to find Sakura and find out what we were going to be doing. I walked into the apartment to see her packing her bag.
"Do we have a mission?" I asked.
"I don't know yet." She answered.
"Er..."
"The Iron Village contacted Dawn."
"Dawn?" I walked closer to Sakura.
"Yeah, somethings up." Sakura explained and I nodded.
"Alright, when are we leaving?" I smiled but she appeared distant, more than usual.
"After Team Seven leaves." Sakura explained.
"Any particular reason for that?"
"Because they are morons." Sakura furrowed her brows together as she turned, I caught the look of hurt on her face. I stood in my spot for a moment, I looked in the direction of Kakashi's apartment and then back to Sakura.
"No..." I drew out turning to study Sakura. "Do you have..." This sounded weird "Do you have feelings for him?" I asked slowly, I watched Sakura's shoulder tense and I thought my mouth dropped before, it damn near hit the floor as I watched Sakura move around the apartment collecting our things. I looked back to Kakashi's apartment and then back to Sakura. "I-I am so sorry-"
"Carver." Sakura stated my name. "Get ready."
"Sakura, I am sure he-" She shot me a glare shutting me up, if Kakashi held feelings for Sakura why is he next door fucking another woman? I got it, I backed off and began packing. "But why wait until Team Seven-"
"Because you know how reckless they are." Sakura snapped, she was one of the best to conceal what she was feeling but for once I could see through her mask and the image of Kurenai on top of Kakashi was replaying through her mind cutting her like a razor each time it looped through her brain. I didn't know what to do, or how to comfort her.
Sakura and I weren't the touchy feely type of people. That's why Raiden got so close to Naruto so quickly because he was the opposite of us.
"If they knew we were leaving they would fight us or fight Tsunade to stay and see us off, or they would pester on when we would be back or fuck up their mission trying to get back quicker to see us and that could end up getting them killed. It is easier if they think we are just sitting here on our ass." Maybe if Kakashi could see these pieces of Sakura, the part where she did what she could in order to keep them safe...maybe then he wouldn't be screwing Kurenai.
"Hey!" Raiden walked in. "I am gonna walk Team Seven to the gates, you guys wanna come?" I looked at Sakura who was walking into the bedroom. I couldn't recall a person Sakura felt something for other than a family like Raiden and I. I groaned, moving too quickly following Raiden. The walk to the front gate was weird, Naruto and Sasuke were teasing Kakashi about something all men wanted...it honestly didn't make sense to me.
"Looks like Sakura won't be here to send you guys off." Raiden muttered looking around.
"I wasn't expecting her too." Sasuke shrugged.
"Hey." I defended her.
"What?" Sasuke laughed, "It's pretty clear she hates us-"
"She doesn't hate you." I said feeling myself get defensive.
"Oh really?" Sasuke laughed. "How do you figure?"
"She is warming up to you." Raiden agreed.
"How!?" Naruto really wanted to know.
"Him." I nodded towards Kakashi.
"Huh?" Naruto and Sasuke said. I groaned; they really knew nothing about her.
"Sakura has this thing..." Raiden shrugged. "She teaches it back in the Waterfall Village."
"What thing?" Sasuke asked.
"If they stand behind you, then you protect them." I smiled, remembering her drill this into my head during training.
"If they stand beside you, respect them." Raiden smiled looking at me.
"If they stand against you, defeat them." Raiden and I said together.
"That's cute and all but, what does that have to do with us?" Sasuke rolled his eyes. I gestured with my head at Kakashi again,
"She allowed him to walk beside her." I explained,
"And back with Cedney." Raiden stepped in. "Naruto, she let you walk beside her."
"So that means...she respects us?" Naruto tried to spell out this new logic.
"Yeah." I laughed, I looked at the ground and sighed. "I do too." I looked up at them. "Maybe I have been a little hard to get along with-"
"A little?" Sasuke crossed his arms.
"But understand our point of view, what happened to Sakura was kind of fucked up."
"I agree." Naruto nodded,
"But...you guys are kind of cool...I guess." I sighed,
"Aw!" Naruto jumped, hugging me tightly, I groaned not liking this. After a moment I patted his back.
"Ok...get away from me now." I said causing him to laugh.
"We love you guys too!" Naruto laughed with a huge smile on his face that reminded me of lemons.
"Now get going!" Raiden smiled,
"Will you guys be here when we get back?" Sasuke asked.
"Yeah we aint going anywhere." I sighed. "We are stuck on babysitting duty." Naruto laughed, saying he would get me back for that one as team seven turned and walked away. Raiden and I waved until they were out of sight. "Get your bag." I turned and walked away from the front gate.
"What?!" Raiden yelled after me.
"We have a mission." I explained.
"But we just said that we would be here-"
"We told them what they needed to hear so they could focus on their mission." I said Sakura's words to him.
"Where is Sakura sending us now?" Raiden sighed.
"We are going with her." I said,
"Huh? Another missing with us all together? That isn't like her at all." Raiden said,
"No, it's not." I muttered, I couldn't help but think that the Sakura we grew to know and loved wouldn't be around much longer, and I generally hoped this fact was true.
The leaf village was rubbing off on her in a positive note, opening her up and making her more inviting in her own scary way. The Sakura I knew that not most people knew about was fucking fantastic. I missed her, maybe the leaf village was the answer to getting her back.