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Sakura’s mixed feelings about the mission the Sixth Hokage had entrusted her with. Fear. If only Sakura had known something like this would happen. She probably wouldn’t have gone to help that stupid Karin, who had gotten it into her head that she needed help. With Suigetsu so crazy, for some reason.
As if Orochimaru couldn’t handle it himself, and instead she’d been asked to do it. Considering she had completely different problems to worry about than helping someone like her. The thought made her feel sick, and she wanted to give those two a good Russian anesthesia and go home.
„Why is this happening to me?!,” Sakura growled under her breath, getting up at dawn to finish packing her things and leave the apartment after breakfast.
Her parents stared at her as if seeing her angry face for the first time. Normally, she could control her emotions, but not this time. This time, she couldn’t. No matter how she tried to hide it, she showed it on her face, willingly or unwillingly.
She sighed, sitting down heavily at the kitchen table, not looking at her mother or father at all. She didn’t want to go there so much, but she had no choice. Wordlessly, she reached for the sandwiches and the plate of scrambled eggs and devoured what was on the plate in complete silence.
„Is something wrong, Sakura?,” her mother asked after a moment, unable to bear the terrible silence that had descended upon her any longer.
„No, nothing, it’s just that I have a mission I wouldn’t go on for anything, but I have no other choice!,” Sakura muttered rather vaguely, not looking up at her mother.
„Is she that bad?,” Mom asked again, deeply surprised by her behavior.
„There have been worse ones than this, but this one tops everything I’ve ever had!,” Sakura stated after a moment, and the thought of having to deal with this nasty creature made her even more reluctant to leave the house.
„Anyway, staying at home won’t do it on her own! What if you change your mind and she’s not as bad as you thought at first? Chin up!,” Mom replied after a moment, a radiant smile appearing on her face.
„Actually, maybe you’re right, I didn’t think of that right away! Thanks for the food, I’ll be getting ready!,” Sakura stated after a moment, getting up from the table and taking the dirty dishes to the sink.
„Have a safe journey, then!,” her mother said as I left, as I headed for the exit door, pressing the doorknob.
„Of course!,” Sakura replied, her heart in her mouth, glancing at her one last time before her feet crossed the threshold and she closed the door behind her.
Sakura didn’t feel particularly bad, but she’d been through worse. Maybe it was because she didn’t want to see Karin? It was very possible, that’s why she was so strongly opposed to this mission, but as everyone knew, she had no say in the matter. And now the sun was blinding her eyes, and the minutes were frantically racing by, as if someone were chasing them.
She sighed again, silently hoping that her long-awaited meeting with Sasuke would go smoothly. That was the only reason she’d agreed to this mission, solely because of him, no one else. If it weren’t for him, she probably wouldn’t be heading out of Konoha now.
„If only it were as Mom said!,” Sakura roared under her breath, repeatedly greeting people she knew as she passed them.
For some reason, from the very beginning, she’d had a strange feeling that something bad was about to happen, but she had no idea what it could be. She simply shook her head to clear away these dark thoughts. Lost in her own thoughts, she paid absolutely no attention to anything.
She kept wandering around the meeting with Sasuke, which was her priority, rather than helping the unhinged Suigetsu. Back then, she hadn’t realized how much this mission could mess up her plans. Which was very possible, and that’s why she was so afraid of it.
„Hey, Sakura! How are you? ~ datebayo,” She was only pulled from her existential musings by the voice of Naruto Uzumaki himself, whom she most of all didn’t want to see at the moment.
Slowly, her gaze reluctantly focused on the blonde. Just after scanning her surroundings for Hinata, she couldn’t find her. So, all she could do was focus on the blue-eyed man. She sighed unceremoniously before biting her tongue to avoid giving him a morning lecture. Especially since, as far as she knew, he didn’t have any missions. So why was he out so early in the morning?
„Ah, hello, Naruto! Nothing special. Sixth gave me an important mission, so I don’t have much time for small talk! And what made you get up early and leave the house?,” Sakura immediately responded to his words, wanting to end this stupid and pointless conversation as quickly as possible.
Just to avoid revealing that she was supposed to meet with Sasuke. Because she knew perfectly well that Naruto would gladly join her. If only he knew, which, as is well known, she didn’t want to reveal. Because this time, she didn’t want to have a ball and chain that could senselessly ruin her desired five or more minutes alone with Sasuke.
She was one hundred percent sure of that, which is why she wasn’t happy to have bumped into him. While she was expecting a quick response from Naruto, Sakura nervously tapped her right foot, letting him know she didn’t have much time. For the usual small talk the blond had been craving.
Which was rather unusual for him, but she assumed it was Hinata’s own influence, as she’d become quite talkative since the war. She checked again to make sure she’d brought everything with her, before hearing Naruto’s reply, whom she’d momentarily forgotten about.
„I see, nothing special for me, I ate some ramen, and now I’m looking for the perfect gift for Hinata! In that case, I won’t bother you anymore and can only wish you a successful mission!” ~ datebayo,” Naruto replied after a moment, a little disgruntled.
Because he was heading to Sakura’s house to ask her for help choosing a gift for Hinata. That’s because she was the only one he trusted most in that regard. Therefore, when Naruto saw Sakura heading towards the gate, he had no choice but to talk to her.
And when he heard that Sixth had given her a mission, he couldn’t hide his displeasure. No matter how hard he tried to hide it, it was still evident in his tone of voice and body movements. Luckily for him, Sakura completely ignored his displeasure, which suited him just fine.
„What if it were otherwise! In that case, I won’t waste any more of your precious time, because I know how difficult it is to choose a gift! See you soon!,” Sakura replied, and then, setting off in her chosen direction, waved goodbye to a confused Naruto before he completely disappeared from sight.
„What the hell is this?! Is this some kind of joke?!,” Sakura muttered under her breath, remembering the conversation she had just had with Naruto.
For a while, Sakura checked to make sure Naruto wasn’t following her, but that wasn’t the case. Only halfway there did she breathe a sigh of relief and focus on completing her task. A task she wasn’t sure about, because she didn’t really know anything about it. Besides the fact that Suigetsu had gone crazy and Karin couldn’t handle him on her own. Which, in her opinion, made her even more suspicious.
„If only everything were as it should be?!,” Sakura muttered under her breath, running as fast as she could.
To reach one of Orochimaru’s hideouts, but she wasn’t sure if Orochimaru himself was there. She would find out about that only when she got there. When she saw Captain Yamato, who was tasked with guarding Orochimaru. She sighed softly, thinking about what she would find there and whether she would even be able to help her.
She sat down on one of the fallen logs to rest a bit and drink some water. She gazed at her surroundings with a blank stare, as if completely oblivious to what lay before her. She closed her eyes for a moment before deciding to move on. Immediately after reopening her eyes, she rose from the tree trunk and brushed the moss off her body.
