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Plans Of The Hokage	By : ArcaneDesires Category: Naruto > Het - Male/Female Views: 1198 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 2
- 3
Thank you to all who have reviewed this
little story of mine. Finally here is the third chapter. I hope you will all
enjoy my Christmas present to you all!

Happy Holidays everyone!

Arcane.

xXx

Kakashi looked up as Sakura landed back on the branch to the tree he was
still standing or rather sitting guard in. His eyes scanned Sakura�s masked
face and body language for an indication of her present mood, he knew she
wouldn�t get into an argument here but still he had never really enjoyed
dealing with an angry Sakura Haruno and while they
were on such an important mission he had all the more reason to not want to have
to deal with her in one of her famous moods. The look on her face however was not
one of anger, her lips were turned down in a slightly pouting frown and her
eyes were pensive as she chewed her bottom lip as she raised her mask just a
little and glanced at him. He could tell she wanted to talk and was perhaps
feeling like she had done wrong because of this morning�s interaction when in
reality he felt different.

While her actions may not have been what
one would normally expect from an Anbu (something
which had kind of worried Kakashi somewhat) she was of course Sakura Haruno, apprentice to Lady Tsunade
the 5th Hokage, the girl who had once fallen in love
and pursued the unsociable and ultimately uncaring Sasuke
Uchiha and she was the girl whom he had not given the
attention she so deserved when younger, choosing to focus on his other two
charges only to have Sakura turn around and become one of the best medics in
the village. She�d always worn her heart and other emotions on her sleeve and
he hadn�t really expected much else. She was who she was and despite the fact
that for most shinobi that would make them incapable
of their jobs and a danger to both themselves and those around them it mostly
worked for Sakura. It was what made the pink haired
teen so powerful and if he was completely honest pretty damn dangerous should
you get in her way or on her bad side.

Sure he was the famous Kakashi Hatake, world feared Copy Ninja and wielder of the Sharingan eye but he�d rather face the entire Akatsuki than Sakura in a bad mood and that was saying
something for he had absolutely no desire to go up against the Akatsuki alone. He was sure however that most people would
choose the same fate, given a choice in the matter any how. She wanted to talk
he noticed as she cleared her throat once more, neither helping her nor
hindering her voice he continued to watch her now re-masked form over the pages
of his bright orange book.

�Taichou, can we
talk?� She finally asked quietly as she turned to look at him fully, her face
set in grim determination under her porcelain veneer.

�Of course.� He replied making a note of his page and placing the book down on
his outstretched legs, but not putting it away. Not just yet anyway.

She crouched down upon the branch he was
seated on and her gaze shifted to the brilliant green and yellow leaves of the
tree they were currently occupying before she turned to face Kakashi properly.

�You must think me so unprepared to be an Anbu, with my outburst this morning and once again unfit to
be on this mission.� Her green eyes locked on his masked face as his one dark
grey eye fixed upon her cat like mask.

�Initially yes.� He replied ignoring the slight growl that slipped from her lips,
his own turning down a little at the edges before he continued. �But I have
faith in you and in the Hokages judgement. She
wouldn�t have sent you on this mission if she didn�t know you would do well on
it.�

She couldn�t see the reassuring eye crinkle
she�d become so accustomed to but she knew it was there all the same. �Do you always
have to be so blunt senpai?�

�When have you ever known me to be anything
different Panther? Surely you remember the way I first greeted the three of
you.�

She scowled beneath her replaced mask. Oh
she remembered alright, and although she�d grown to care for Kakashi and admire
his skills as a ninja and even as a teacher of sorts, she�d never quite
forgiven him for the way he�d first greeted them. She should have known from
the years she had spent with him that he was blunt, abrasive and said whatever
the hell he felt like, when he felt like saying it. If he felt you were doing
wrong or should be doing something you weren�t he would immediately tell you
so.

�I remember.� She said with a deeper sigh.

�Then you shouldn�t expect any different
from me. This is how I am, I�m to set in my ways to
change now.�

�Is this how it�s always going to be
between us? Something goes wrong, I throw a fit and you stay as calm as you
always been and Genma is, well kami
only know where he is, whom he�s with or what he�s doing but this is how it
goes?�

�Well it would be best if you didn�t throw
a fit but�� He began teasingly but was stopped short by Sakura�s black clad
form standing up and getting ready to leap from the tree once more. �Listen
Panther I was teasing. I know you can be grown up about all this and you�ll
make one hell of an Anbu. You just need to channel
your emotions into something else when you get upset.�

�I know. I�ve always failed at that, but I
will make you proud of me on this mission.�

He could sense her downcast face even
through the mask. He could read her way to well, always had been able to and
despite that fact that they had been apart for a few years now he was easily
able to slip back into predicting her emotions.

With a gentle sigh, that Sakura may or may
not have been able to pick up on he held out his hand and slipped his book back
into his weapons pouch. Sakura tilted her head to the side for a second before
she took the gesture for what it was� just Kakashi being Kakashi and doing the
only thing he knew how to do to make things� not right exactly, just back to
the way they were growing used to since they had been reunited and she stepped
forward into his hold as she lowered herself to the rough bark. Kakashi raised
one knee up, whilst keeping the other laid flat. Sakura leaned against his
chest and slightly against the raised leg as she kept her gaze trained on their
surroundings.

�You have nothing to prove to me.� He told
her quietly, his eyes taking in the mission surroundings just as hers were. �I have things to prove to you if anything,
I will make up my absence and my lack of training to you.� He thought to
himself.

�If you can get used to human contact then
I can learn to cope with my emotions and do what it takes to make sure this
mission succeeds perfectly.� She said in an equally quiet and calm voice, her
lips quirking upwards at the edges as her eyes shone with happiness. She�d
taken his words for what they were, the closest thing Kakashi would ever come
to giving a compliment, and to her it was a compliment of the highest calibre
seeing as it had come from the
Kakashi Hatake of course.

�Who say�s I�m not used to human contact?�
He asked her as he looked down to see the side of her face. Catching her small
fit of laughter he frowned slightly.

�Senpai the day
you are completely comfortable with human contact, even this kind of contact is
the day I�ll say yes to going out with Porcupine.�

Kakashi chuckled and she could feel the
laughter bubbling up from his chest as it pressed against her back. �Ok you got
me, but I�m here with you aren�t I?�

�Yes,� she replied with a grin as she
turned her face to view his masked one without it being just out of the corner
of her eye. �But, I have a feeling it�s the only thing you could think of to
get me to stay. It wasn�t because you actually wanted me here.� She finished,
her ears listening as a pair of the Daimyo�s guard walked past underneath the
tree they were resting in.

Kakashi waited until the pair of shinobi had passed before he replied. �That�s not strictly
true. Yes it was a way to keep you here true, but how many times have I done
this in the last three days? I think I�m doing amazingly well with all this
human contact myself.� He mused as they watched someone walk out onto the roof
to stroll through the vibrant display of fauna adorning the kind of hidden
garden.

�Oh and you are. I�m still shocked almost
to the point of fainting, but you�re doing very well.� She replied tilting her
head back to look up at him for a second before her gaze immediately snapped
back to the two figures that had just emerged on to the roof.

Kakashi snorted in response, watching the
couple hard as he took note of the fact that it was Yuriko and Matsuhara that had walked out into the garden, a guard
standing close by the door, his cold, dark eyes trained on the couple in front
of him. Both Kakashi and Sakura sat up straighter at that point, both ready to
leap into action at any point should they have to do so.

�Keep on your toes.� He whispered as he
leaned down towards her ear.

She nodded in response, having felt his
grip tighten around her as the Daimyo and his wife had stepped out into the
light. She could feel the tension tightening in his muscles and the adrenalin
rushing through his body. She gripped the arm currently tight around her waist,
and heard Kakashi hiss softly.

�Loosen your grip.� He groused, his eyes
never leaving Yamakeshi and his wife.

�Loosen yours.� She sniped back, her green
eyes flashing at him through the slits of her mask.

He loosened his hold a little and she
breathed out a thank you. They watched as Yuriko moved through the garden,
plucking a few flowers from the plants every now and again and bunching them
into her other hand, a soft smile on her pale features as her normally pale
pink eyes shone a bright bubble gum pink. Sakura noticed she looked even more
ghostly and ethereal in the sunlight, as the golden sun bounced off her milky
white skin and pure white hair.

�Taichou?� Sakura asked tilting to view him slightly through the eye holes of
her red and white Panther mask.

�Mmm?� He mumbled back quietly.

�Do you think she�s pretty?� She could feel
her cheeks heat at the question. �I� I mean she looks like an angel out there,
so pale and��

�Ethereal� Kakashi finished, his face
resting near her ear. �She�s beautiful but not my type.� He said in answer to
her question.

�Hmm.� She replied her eyes snapping back to the couple on the roof. �You
think it was an arranged marriage?� Her face under the mask set in a look of
total concentration as her brows furrowed and her eyes narrowed slightly.

Kakashi�s own face was as neutral and stoic as ever under his wolf shaped
mask, crimson and jet coloured Sharingan closed for
now, onyx eye drooping lazily, and his lips set in an almost perfectly straight
line. �What makes you think that?� He questioned her, knowing full well why her
mind had come to the conclusion but wanting to hear it from her anyway.

�Well she looks so young compared to him
and I get the feeling he�s not quite happy about anyone female being out of
what he deems their place.� She shrugged, her anger flaring a little at the
Daimyo�s attitude that he had so clearly made known yesterday upon their
arrival. �And she just seems so�.�

�Fragile.� Kakashi once again finished for
her as they both watched the slender, delicate woman cough into her hand before
holding the flowers in the other hand and walking back to her husband�s side. With
what barely seemed an acknowledgement of his young wife�s presence the couple
walked back into the semi concealed door, the guard taking a swift glance
around before becoming swallowed in the darkness and the heavy metal door
hissed shut quietly. �I think it may have been arranged, but despite his
attitude I�m pretty sure he loves her and she definitely loves him.�

She relaxed back against him as he leaned
back against the door, his grip on her waist loosened significantly now that their
intended targets of protection were out of sight and in Genma�s
line of sight once more.

�Hmm.� She replied, clearly thinking hard.

�Something coming to mind
Panther?�

�Yeah�� She muttered.

�Spill it.�

�I was just wondering if it was an arranged marriage�.�

�If it was some one
either in love with Yuriko-san or Yamakeshi-san? Took a long time to come through if it is that.�

�Yeah, I know.� She shrugged in his arms.
�But it�s a possibility�. And why do you keep finishing my sentences? It�s
rather dis��

��concerting?� He asked chuckling deeply.

�Yes, that.� She replied with a sweet laugh
of her own.

�You know I live to cause others misery and
annoyance.�

She sighed softly and tilted her head back
to look up at him from her position in his lap. �Yeah and you do it so well senpai.�

�Thank you. I try so very hard.� He replied
teasingly.

Sakura responded with a soft slap to the
arm currently around her waist and nodded her head when Kakashi told her they
should go on patrol around the parameter.

�Ok.� She answered getting up off from her
resting place and preparing to move off.

�We�ll meet back in the rooms for lunch.�
Kakashi said moving to do the same thing.

�Hai.� She replied before vanishing into the trees to Kakashi�s
right.

Kakashi dashed off to patrol and find Pakkun for a quick update rather proud of the fact that he
hadn�t thought of Sakura in the way he�d been continually doing so for the last
few days.

xXx

�Hansuke!� A young blonde maid cooed coyly as Genma
walked through the dinning room, dressed in his kimono and hakama
that had of course been given to him by Matsuhara.

He�d decided after putting the outfit on,
that it wasn�t as bad as he�d first thought. The jet black kimono was made of
light cotton to account for the heat of the weather, he�d been given a blood
red hakama to go over it and the kimono was tied off
with a silver obi. This he could deal with, in fact it
seemed the outfit was a rather good way to catch the eye of the waiting staff
of the Daimyo�s mansion. Yeah this wasn�t a bad way to attract the women, even
if he did say so him self but those damn tabi and zōri were something he could totally do without.

His chocolate brown hair, shone in the late
morning sun, as did his dark brown eyes, he sighed quietly, before a bright
warm smile lit up his face as the young blonde ran up to him.

�Good morning doll.� He said in his deep
smooth voice, brushing some of his long brown hair out of his face and looking
down at her as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

�Hansuke�� She
giggled, covering her mouth modestly with her hand as she glanced up at him
from beneath her long blonde lashes. �I�ve told you my name�s Kinuko.�

The young females
bright green eyes reminded him of someone else, but she wasn�t someone he wanted to think about right now or ever again
if he could help it. No he had a desire to live thank you very much.

�Yeah right you did. Sorry, I forgot doll.�
He grinned sheepishly making the gesture look completely genuine,
on the inside however he wasn�t worried about it at all.

�Hanny�� She
whined sweetly, lowering her voice.

He gave her his most seductive grin, his
brown eyes shining with mischief. �What? I thought you liked it when I called
you that.�

�I�.� She began to speak when she was cut
off by a harsh, cold voice.

�Kinuko! Get off of Ishori-san and get back to
work.� Came the voice of a dark haired woman, dressed
all in black, her hair pulled back tightly into a high pony tail, streaks of
silvery white running through on either side, her light grey eyes hardened with
a steely glare directed at the smaller female.

�Chi� Chiemi-sama.� She stuttered releasing her hand from Genma�s
waist and stepping back a little with a bow to her superior.

�There is a pile of bedding that needs
washing. I suggest you get on with it.� The older woman said in her clipped,
precise voice.

�Ye� yes Chiemi-sama.
Right away.� She answered to the cold, imposing woman
in front of her. �Good day Iroshi-san.� She said
turning and bowing to Genma before walking off rather
swiftly.

�I do apologize Iroshi-san, apparently some of the younger members of our staff are
in need of a reminder as to how to behave in front of people of stature such as
yourself.�

Genma took in her haughty tone, pinched nose, pale skin and high, sharp
cheekbones and decided he really didn�t like this woman at all. He knew he had
to be polite however both for the missions sake and
the sake of the Daimyo himself, she was clearly someone that at least until
recently he�d trusted implicitly for she seemed to be in control of all the
serving staff. Smiling outwardly whilst inwardly scowling and muttering phrases
such as �Old bag of bones� and �stuffy battle axe.� There were of course other
much more offensive terms floating around in his head, especially since he had
been enjoying the small blondes company but he reserved his judgements to
himself and supposed he could use those terms to refer to the witch later when
in the presence of Kakashi and Sakura.

�It�s no problem uh� Chiemi-san. Arigato for your
interruption, however I was hoping to collect my lunch now.�

�Mrs Yarano
or Yarano-san if you don�t mind.� She replied snootily, a thinly shaped dark brown eyebrow raising up into her hairline at his words.

�Of course Yarano-san. My apologies.� Genma acknowledged
with a nod and a slight bow. �You stuffy old bat.� He supplied within his head.

�Very well, you may collect your lunch now.
Have a good day Iroshi-san.� She said spinning on her
slightly spiked heel and turning to walk away in the direction she had sent Kinuko in.

Genma remained where he was stood for a fair few seconds in stunned
silence, his mouth gaping in slight shock at the woman�s audacity. She had the
nerve to give him permission to collect his lunch, he was meant to be the
Daimyo�s cousin for crying out loud! Muttering soft expletives under his breath
he made his way to the kitchen and was met by the jovial, chubby chef. The
balding man gave Genma a greeting and bowed deeply.

�Good day Hansuke-san.
I trust you will be wanting your food now.�

�If you wouldn�t mind Antachi-san.� He replied
giving the portly chef a grin.

�Of course. I have it all right here, it�s a whole lot
of stuff for one man. How do you stay so skinny?� The red head chuckled.

�Ah well a gentleman never tells Antachi-san. A gentleman never tells.� Genma
said giving him a wink as he accepted the food.

�I never figured you for a gentleman
despite your stature Hansuke-san.� The chef�s large
belly rumbled with his laughter as his double chin�s wobbled, his mouth
stretching wide in a large smirk.

�I�ll remember that Antachi-san.
Thanks.� Genma�s own mouth twitched around the
toothpick he�d taken to chewing when in the view of the mansion staff due to
not being able to keep his senbon there.

�Will you be dinning with Yamakeshi-sama tonight or alone in your room again Hansuke-san.� The chef asked as his laughter drained away,
his face becoming serious once more.

�Alone in my room once
more Antachi-san.�

Antachi raised an eyebrow at that and smirked once more. �You know with the
amount of food that you order I could swear you weren�t dinning alone.�

�Oh how I wish that were the case Antachi-san, I wish that were the case.� His expression
changed into a saddened expression. He still felt cheerful but he was a good
actor despite what people may think and he had the sad puppy dog look down pat.

�Ah well Kinoku
seems to like you maybe she can join you in your meal once day.� He gave him a
wink before turning back to the stove and finishing the Daimyo�s meal.

�Good day Antachi-san
and thanks again.� Genma said waving as he walked
off.

Antachi looked over his sturdy shoulder and raising a
hand in answer. �Good day Hansuke-san.
See you later for your tea.�

Genma walked out of the kitchen after that and a slender young male
dashed up to his side, taking the food laden tray from his hands. �Hansuke-san, you should not be carrying your own food.
Allow me to do so for you.� The boy said with his shoulder length, dark brown
hair falling forward into his golden skinned face.

Genma sighed for the second time that day, being waited on hand and foot
was nice but constantly it could get on your nerves. He slipped a false smile
onto his face, one he was sure the boy wouldn�t notice
was not real and nodded his head as they made their way towards his bedroom.
The journey passed in silence and Genma found the
atmosphere stifling.

�If
this is how the other half live, unable to walk anywhere without someone
following and not able to do the simplest of things such as carry a food tray
from room to another then thank Kami I�m a ninja and
not an important person.� He thought to himself.

Arriving back at the room rather quickly Genma was rather glad of the fact. The boy bowed gently and
smiled at him. �Would you like me to carry it in for you Hansuke-san?�

�Oh there�s no need uh�.� Genma said realizing he had no idea of the young boys name.

�Irashi
sir.� He grinned impishly at the taller male.

�Ah Irashi
right. Well no its ok I�ll carry it in if you
don�t mind, but arigato for bringing it this far.�

With a nod Irashi
handed over the tray and bowed even deeper than previous. Raising his young
face, his piercing blue eyes that contrasted deeply with his dark hair and
tanned skin he stepped away from the door.

�Then good day to you Hansuke-san.
Please let me know if there�s ever anything you need.�

�Arigato, Irashi-kun. I�ll remember
that and good day to you to.�

Watching as the slender boy walked back
down the long corridor before he turned to open the door cautiously. His and Kakashi�s room was as he�d expected empty, so placing the
tray down on his bed he turned to the connecting door, separating his and Kakashi�s room from Sakura�s. Peeking in he was surprised
to see Kakashi spread out on the width of her bed with his back against the
wall, legs out in front of him dangling over the edge of the bed, mask removed,
orange book resting in his hand, and Sakura leaning against his shoulder, her
long slender legs stretched out down the length of the bed, her own mask lying
next to her as he read. The pair looked up at his entrance and he grinned at them,
tilting his head at their closeness. Kakashi of course ignored him and just
continued to read and Sakura glanced up at him smiling sweetly.

�Shit,
that smile could bring a whole army down.� Genma sighed trying hard to ignore the fact that Sakura�s smile
was just so disarming. The teen really was more beautiful than she realised and
when she smiled, that face could do so much to a hot blooded male�s libido.

�Wow don�t you look� so un-Genma like.� Sakura said with a giggle as she looked him up
and down.

�Yeah, thanks. Tease me why don�t you? Like
having everyone fawn over me isn�t annoying enough as if I can�t do a thing for
myself and now you�re laughing at me. Great, thanks, appreciate that one�� He
muttered sarcastically, his eyes rolling back as he did so and his lips curling
down into a frown.

�Aww I was only
kidding. It actually looks kinda good on you. Right Kakashi?�

�Hmm?� He mumbled, his eyes not shifting from his book.

�Kakashi, for crying out loud put the damn
book down will you?� Sakura scowled, her arms folding across her chest as she
glared at him.

�Mmm
hmm.� He replied, lone dark eye still scanning
over the words.

Genma shook his head but Sakura proceeded to unfold her arms and swiftly
poke Kakashi in the side, her hand reaching out to take the book from his
hands.

�Sakura, I thought we agreed you�d stay
away from my book.� Kakashi finally said turning to look at her.

�We did, but you�re being ignorant again.�
She responded with a huff of her own, her eyes narrowing as she looked at him.

�When have I ever not been ignorant?� He asked, silvery eyebrow raising
up in question.

�Yeah, yeah.� She replied, shaking her head at his behaviour.

�Ah, dinners in the other room guys.�

�Thanks!� Sakura said jumping up from her
previous position and bouncing into the other room, her pale skin aglow with
happiness.

�Made up then I take it?� Genma asked turning to Kakashi once more as he slowly
slipped from off the bed and stood up in his usual lazy slouch.

�Hmm, mostly.� He replied with a nod, his face not showing any emotion other than
a widening of his one opened eye as he finally took in Genma�s
clothing properly. �Nice outfit.� He remarked dryly.

�Yeah, I�d say the same to you but I have
the exact same outfit in my wardrobe and I detest copycats.� Genma snapped back walking through the connecting door to
view Sakura setting out their three lunches equally.

�Someone�s got their fundoshi
in a twist I see.� Kakashi replied moving over to sit on his bed as Sakura
passed him his food.

Genma glared at him, dark eyes flashing almost black. �I am not wearing a
fundoshi!� He growled moving towards the food.

�Going commando Genma
and in someone elses clothing no less? I never
thought that of you.� Kakashi smirked back.

�Is this my payback for last night?� Genma asked with a low groan.

�Something like
that.� Was the flippant reply from Kakashi.

�Enough!� Sakura growled at the pair. �You�re
acting like a pair of school boys. I thought you were both better than to resort
to petty quarrels.�

Handing Genma his
Miso soup, Shiitake-Yaki onigiri, and Katsuo Sashimi she
glared at the Senbon User and then turned the fierce
gaze on the Copy Nin. He merely pulled his mask down
and took a bite of one of his Onigiri. Sakura huffed
and leaned back on Genma�s bed, tucking into her own miso soup, determined not to pay any attention to the two
males in the room with her.

It didn�t take them long to finish the food
provided and Sakura grinned happily, the little disagreements of the past few
days gone and out the door. Setting her bowls and things back on the tray she
turned to Genma.

�So nothing unusual going
on around here right now? As
far as you can tell anyway?� She asked sitting with her legs crossed
beneath her on the bed.

�One of the maids has taken a real shining
to me,� He replied with a grin and a wink. �But other than that, no not a
thing.�

�Genma�� She
huffed as she fixed him with a half glare.

�What? Can I help it if I�m devilishly
handsome?� He replied cheekily with a wink and a smirk.

Sakura rolled her eyes and turned to the
reading Kakashi. �Senpai, can we go on patrol now?
I�d like to get away from him now please.�

�Hey�� Genma
whined only half heartedly.

�Sure. Let�s go.� Kakashi replied getting
up off the bed and turning to face Genma as he
pocketed his book. �Try to stay on the job.�

�I always do don�t I?�
he said tilting his head and giving Kakashi a disparaging glance. �Besides
you�re not exactly one to talk Hatake��

�Let�s go.� He said ignoring Genma and turning to Sakura and the window once more.

She glanced between the two but Genma just smirked at her and moved to pick up the empty
food bowls and place them on the tray. Shrugging her shoulders she nodded a
goodbye to him, replaced her mask and followed Kakashi out of the window.
Landing in a tree near by she turned to look for him and spotted him on a
higher branch of one of the trees not to far away. She leapt over and landed
not to far away from him.

�Senpai? What� was that all about?� She asked him as she watched his masked
figure curiously, her brows furrowing in confusion and worry.

�It�s nothing just forget it.� He replied
pulling Icha Icha from his
pocket as he crossed his legs out long in front of him.

She tilted her head in curiosity but
decided to leave it for now. She�d get it out of him eventually and if not she
was pretty sure she knew of a way to get it out of Genma.
Her face adopted a rather evil smirk and she nudged his foot to the side none
to gently. He raised his masked face to hers and she knew if she could see
below it she would see him wearing a questioning, and possibly slightly bored
look. She giggled quietly, barely enough for him to hear and just repeated the
nudge, letting him know what she wanted. Obligingly he let his legs part and
she sat straight down between them. He kept his book in one hand, off to the
side so that it wouldn�t be in Sakura�s face and would prevent her from seeing
it and the other automatically slid around her waist, resting on her stomach.

She sighed at the warm touch and was just
about to lean back against him when a flash of movement off to her left caught
her eye and she turned just in time to see a small brown pug leap from a near
by tree, landing squatted on the branch in front of them. Kakashi just
acknowledged him with a nod, noting that if it were anything serious the pug
would be a lot more out of breath and would have growled some kind of warning
or spoke up in a rush of words. Since the ninken did
neither he knew it was safe to return to his beloved book and his one
distraction from the close proximity of Sakura�s lithe, supple body to his
slim, wiry one. He really was getting used to holding her like this which was
in itself both a blessing and a curse.

He�d always detested this kind of contact
before but he owed Sakura that much he knew and if she wanted to be close to
him like this then he would get used to it pretty damn quick or more likely he
would allow it because well� he would allow anything she wanted right now, in
his efforts to make up for every last wrong he had ever done her in the past
and there were a lot of them as far as he was concerned.

Pakkun lifted his small paw in greeting to Kakashi and gave out a quiet �Yo boss,� before trotting forward to nudge Sakura�s hand
that was currently resting on her own leg and sniffed her once more.

She laughed and lifted her hand to smooth
it over the small dogs head. He whined happily and nuzzled into the touch,
moving forward to settle himself in her lap much as she had recently done to
Kakashi. Using one hand she brushed it over his back as if she were grooming
him and the other she tickled under his chin.

�Comfy?� Asked Kakashi in what could only be
described as a grumpy manner, without removing his eyes from his book.

�Much.� Came the
sarcastic reply that was all too alike his owner�s usual ones. He�d spent far too
many years with the Copy Nin not to be like him.

�Shouldn�t you be working?� The Sharingan user asked nonchalantly.

�Shouldn�t you?� the small dog shot back.

Sakura just giggled at pair of them and
shook her head. They were perhaps a little too alike if she was honest, but she
liked them both very much anyway. Moving her hand a little she began to scratch
lightly behind Pakkun�s ear as Kakashi mumbled a
practically incoherent reply of �I am� and the small pug made a face that
Sakura was sure was a smirk.

�Why
is he smirking?� She pondered to herself. Something
was up here and she was annoyed not to know what nor know how to find out just now.
But she would find out, that was a given. Sakura Haruno
never backed down and she would find a way to know just what was going on with
Kakashi since the start of this mission. The thought of just how a dog would
even smirk didn�t occur to her right now, she was too preoccupied with the why.

She absently minded smoothed Pakkun�s fur and sat about waiting for something to happen.
Although it had only been a day since they had �officially� started the mission
she found herself bored due to the monotony. Being close to Kakashi and working
through their past problems was all well and good even working in the hospital
she�d gotten more things on a daily basis than she was getting on this mission,
but then again no news was good news as the saying went and she certainly
didn�t want for anything to happen to the Daimyo or his family so being without
anything todo but stand guard constantly was a good
thing really. So she could live with this, especially if it meant she could
spend more time in Kakashi�s embrace. It was a way to
gain all the attention he�d denied her till now and for them to regain their
relationship to a point where they felt totally safe and comfortable with each
other like they�d used to be, it also felt pretty damn nice to but she didn�t
really want to think about that just now. Those kind
of thoughts were far to scary to think more upon and she stubbornly refused to
do so� at all.

Suddenly Pakkun�s
head snapped up as he sniffed deeply. �The other male is attempting to signal
you boss.� He said turning in Sakura�s lap to face the masked nin.

Kakashi gave a quick sniff and noticed that
indeed the scent of fresh blood was drifting to them from their reserved rooms.
�Come on.� He said looking at Sakura.

The pink haired medic nodded and stood up,
making sure that Pakkun was placed on the branch
carefully knowing that he wouldn�t be to happy to be carried. �Hai Taichou.� She replied with a
nod before dashing off to the window.

Cocking his head to the side for just a
split second the pug turned to look at Kakashi once more. �She�s really grown
into quite the ninja huh boss?� He spoke with what the Copy Nin
could tell was pride in his voice.

�Indeed she has, a
very bright one by far.� He replied, the same pride slipping into his voice,
before becoming a mere blur of black and white that was there one minute and
inside the room the next.

xXx

�Yo. What�s up?�
Kakashi asked entering the room and jumping down from the sill to land beside
Sakura who appeared to be stood there awaiting his arrival as was the more
formally dressed Genma.

�Matsuhara-san
and Yuriko-san want to go shopping and so we need to work out what we�re doing
about guard duty seeing as we hadn�t counted on this happening so soon.� Genma said looking a little bored, a sentiment both Kakashi
and Sakura could sympathise with.

�Hmm right�� Kakashi nodded his head as he
sat down briefly on the edge of the bed to mull this over.

He�d been planning to go over this with the
other two Anbu members tonight. He hadn�t expected it
to happen quite so soon an oversight on his part but he had it planned already,
he just hadn�t talked to them about this particular matter. He�d just wanted to
make sure they were on the ball for duty today and things like trips away from
the mansion were to be discussed that night once he was certain everyone was
pulling their weight on this mission and he wouldn�t need to replace anybody
due to wandering hands or volatile temperaments but he was confident in his
team now. Genma despite his usual words and actions
was always on the job and damn good at getting information out of people and
Sakura was sure to be a definite asset to the team. What with her strength,
healing abilities, and sharp mind. Ok so when it came to matters of things like
those that had happened this morning it may not seem to be so but he knew that
she�d been shocked and scared. Hell she was a 17 year old virgin who�d never
had a boyfriend, she dealt with things like this in her line or work but he
could imagine her reaction to waking up in bed with her ex-sensei in that
predicament while snuggled up to her and he knew it had to have been hard for
her. She was tough though and she would bounce back and become the Anbu he knew she had the ability to be, in fact the shinobi he knew she already was with a little
encouragement.

�Genma you will
of course accompany them at all times whilst they are out of the mansion, try
not to let them out of your sight for any length of time. Sakura you and I will
follow at a distance, you know we mustn�t be seen so make sure to use your
training to it�s full advantage. Are we clear?� He
asked in a gruff voice, looking round at the pair of them.

�Hai Taichou!� They both said in unison.

�Then let�s go.� He said reaching into his
pack and pulling out the small box hidden there, that contained their ear
pieces handing once to each of them and placing his own in his ear. They would
need them to maintain silent communication whilst outside and then he made for
the window once more and was gone within seconds.

Sakura knew however he would be waiting in
the trees opposite for her and so she slipped her own piece into her ear,
sliding her mask back in place afterwards and pulling her cowl up over her hair.
�See you later.� She said nodding at Genma before leaping
onto the window ledge.

�See you later doll. Be careful.� He said
as it were natural to say things like that to Sakura, but it just felt right
and he�d said it because he had a bit of a bad feeling about all this.

The pink haired teen nodded and gave a
quiet reply of �You to� before he was facing an empty window frame once more.
With a sigh he placed the tiny flesh coloured electronic device into his left
ear. With that done he turned and left the room locking it behind him and
heading back down to the large, ornately decorated front hall where he was to
meet Matsuhara and Yuriko.

�Ah Hansuke! There you are. Are we ready to leave now?� Matsuhara
asked with a grin, his double meaning more than clear to the Senbon user.

�Hai,
Matsuhara-san.� Genma replied with a slight bow as was of course customary
of his lower ranking in the family or as far as the staff and other members of
the household were aware anyway.

�Very well let�s be off then. Yuriko has a
desire to get herself some new clothing and apparently the cat needs a new
collar.�

Genma could see the slight eye roll at that, along with the gentle giggle
Yuriko gave from behind her hand and he couldn�t help a small smirk flitting
briefly across his own lips at that.

�Well can�t leave the cat waiting. Shall we
head out then?� He asked directing them towards the door with another bow and a
bright true smile this time that lit up his warm chocolate brown eyes and set
them twinkling happily.

A large male stepped out of the house
before anyone, his bald head and arms the size of tree trunks were pretty
imposing Genma had to admit. Of course the truth was
that Genma was the main line of protection here,
judging by the mans chakra signature this guy was one of the chuunin guards from around the mansion, Genma
followed up behind Yuriko and Matsuhara as was meant
to be and behind him followed a contingent of three of the mansion staff.

A young red headed girl, with crimson
coloured eyes and skin so pale it almost matched the white skin of Yuriko
herself, walked along her head down and a pink tint across her cheeks as she
occasionally glanced up at Genma every now and again,
and two males walked one of either side of her. The blonde to the left had
piercing yellow eyes not to far off looking like a cats eyes, and his peachy
coloured skin shone in the days glow, the other male to the right of the female
was none other than the male who had helped Genma with
his food lunchtime just gone, Irashi. The mansion staff were casually flanked by 4 more chuunin
shinobi, two large and heavily built males and two
smaller and slimmer males. He was heavy set but Kakashi could see that at least
the large purple/blue haired male with the strangely cold, pure white eyes was
capable of exceptional quickness, it was clear in his
stride. The other three that followed consisted of two slightly more slender
platinum blondes, one with a faint gold sheen to his long tresses and pale
golden eyes that were set off by his hair and the other with a faint silvery
blue tint and pure azure eyes that looked so much like a certain knuckle head
ninja�s and the fourth was another heavy set male, pale brownish/blonde locks
cut into a short spiky style and eyes a strange brownish pink colour.

They sure made an interesting entourage but
at least it should afford the Daimyo and his wife some sense of security. As so
after watching them closely as they moved away from the mansion the silver
haired jounin turned to his pink haired companion.

Kakashi nodded to Sakura and directed her
to the trees opposite. �Panther, flank right, I�ll take left. Keep your eyes
open.� He said sternly, not intending to be rude but just being his usual sharp
self while on mission.

�Hai Taichou!�

Sakura didn�t take it to heart, merely
nodding vanishing from sight in an instant. Kakashi had always been a hard ass
during training and she was used to it. Besides she was Anbu
now and determined to prove she belonged her,
especially after her recent behaviour. She planted herself in the tree,
crouched down on hands and knee�s looking remarkably like a panther about to
spring as she watched Genma eye�s briefly flash as he
followed her movement. She knew that he only saw it due to his ninja reflexes, the others noticed not a thing as she dashed over
their heads.

The entire group moved off happily, almost
as if they had not a care in the world but Kakashi could see the nervousness of
the Daimyo, back rather straight and stiff and the worried glances his wife
shot over everything as they moved. Genma of course
was actually the epitome of professionalism, as his eyes took in every last
detail around him whilst he managed to look like he wasn�t even looking at
anything at all. Anyone who accused him of not being good at his job was either
lying or hadn�t seen the guy at work. Sure he was a pervert and he spent quite
some time eyeing up women or chatting them up but he was nothing if not alert
at all times. Rather like the copy nin
himself actually.

People always presumed he was never able to
know completely what was going on around him due to his nose being buried in
his beloved Icha Icha
constantly but they were dead wrong when they accused him of this. He was on
constant watch at all times, had proved over and over again in front of a
variety of people that he was more than capable of being completely aware of
his surroundings whilst he was reading. The sharingan
helped to of course but it wasn�t only that, he was just on watch at all times
it was just his way.

Sakura glanced over at her taichou and then followed the group as they headed from the
mansion grounds into the surrounding town. The coach they travelled in was not
needed on such a short journey and the golden rays of the sun beat down just
hot enough to keep everyone pleasantly warm but thankfully not over hot today.
Something both Sakura and Kakashi were thankful for, sure they were Anbu and could deal with pretty much or rather they could
deal with anything but still wearing all black and having your face covered by
a mask, two in Kakashi�s case and a cowl in Sakura�s
whilst moving constantly during a heat wave was so not the most pleasant thing
to be dealing with and so the warm but gentle heat was welcomed by them all.

Her bright green eyes shifted between the
group before her and the surrounding area. Her chakra carefully concealed as
she leapt from branch to branch, graceful as a gazelle in play as she leapt but
looking as always like a predatory panther when she crouched down upon a
branch, Kakashi almost found it hard to stop staring
but his mind was on the mission and he managed not to glance more than the
first few seconds as she moved away from him.

The woods had disappeared now, giving way
to buildings and the two Anbu had to move over the
roof tops instead, dashing carefully a mere whisper on the wind as they glanced
down at the bustling town below them. The town�s people went about their daily
lives only stopping when their eyes alighted upon the Daimyo and his serenely
beautiful young wife. The crowds parted before them and most if not all the
people they walked past bowed in reverence before the important couple. Matsuhara merely nodded at some and ignored the rest whilst
Yuriko smiled sweetly at each and every one, her pink eyes lighting with
happiness at being surrounded by the villagers it seemed.

Sakura sharp eyes scanned every last person
as they passed, Kakashi�s remained trained on the
couple themselves and they worked in tandem like that as the entire group moved
peacefully through the town. It seemed that first up on the agenda was the cats collar for they made their way into a large white
building, with big windows, baby pink and sky blue lettering pronouncing it the
Animal Emporium with pink and blue paw prints adorning the large sign alongside
the letters. Cages of birds and tanks of fish and other small creatures such as
hamsters, mice, rats, lizards etc spread throughout the immaculate interior and
shelves and a couple of aisle�s containing items such as toys, brushes, animal
food, bowls and of course collars, leashes and harnesses.

Sakura came to rest on the roof of the
building opposite, thankful for the slight lip at the edge of the roofing
hiding her from view. Both of her hands were planted on the ground, one foot on
tiptoes as the knee rested near her chest, the other resting against the ground
in a pose rather like that of an Olympic runner before they kneel up more and
take off on the hundred meter dash. She was clearly ready for action, Kakashi on the other hand stood up against a tall chimney
stack, jutting from the bakery roof and�
leaned his back against it, legs stretched a little before him in a lazy
slouch, crossed at the ankles, arms crossed over his chest. No sign of the tell
tale orange book were enough to prove to Sakura that while he may look like he
were relaxed as a sloth in sleep, he was alert and on the ball as much as ever.
Every muscle in his body was clearly tensed in preparation for any false move
someone may make towards the Daimyo as he hid within the chimney�s dark shadow.

xXx

Genma glanced around the building they had entered and watched as the
attendant walked over to them, stuttering apparently at the sight of the feudal
lord within his humble establishment, the old grey haired man smiled and bowed
deeply asking if there was anything he could the lord with. Genma
smirked at the colour his hair and thought about someone with similar colour
hair. Of course he�d never dare call Kakashi�s hair grey, he�d like to stay alive as long as possible so that
was out of the question.

He followed close to the Daimyo and his
wife as he watched the woman glancing through the high end quality cat collars.
�Seriously? A crystal collar for a
damn cat? How�s the thing gonna know it�s got
crystals around its neck!�� He had to
laugh at the whole thing, why on earth would a cat need a collar like that in
the first place? Besides he hadn�t even know they had a cat, the damn thing was
never seen so who was notice whether the thing was wearing a flea collar or a
crystalline one anyway. He sighed, this was going to be a long day, he could
tell that already. Letting a feigned smile slip onto his face as he stepped
forward to view the collar Yuriko had picked out he nodded his head as if to
say �Yes it�s lovely, I�m sure the cat
will really appreciate the wasted money you�re spending on it.� But his
voice actually came out as very pleasant and none of those words slipped past
his lips.

�It�s a very nice collar.� He replied
jovially and Yuriko smiled sweetly back. Genma had to
comment himself on his acting skills right there for he�d done so well everyone
in the entire entourage appeared to be under the illusion he actually meant it!
Well now if that wasn�t world class acting he didn�t know what was! He grinned
more at himself than those in front of him but the gesture was taken as a very
friendly one for as he turned around to lazily view the rest of the store
whilst Matsuhara and Yuriko picked out a few more
�essentials� for the cat such as a pure silver cat bowl and gold plaited brush
for it�s fur he ended up facing the young red head and she flushed an even
darker pink, so that it shifted into a deep red to match her hair and turned
away with a squeak.

Chuckling he waited while the couple
finished their shopping and kept his eyes open to his surroundings as he was
supposed to, the fact that he could see neither Sakura nor Kakashi
meant that anyone tailing the Daimyo and his wife wouldn�t be able to do so
either and he wondered to himself what else this day may possibly bring as he
listened to the decidedly delicate woman talk animatedly to her husband about
the cat. Thinking about it he figured the poor young woman was probably using
the cat as a substitute for her children seeing as they were not with her right
now and she couldn�t lavish her love on them. He couldn�t feel pity right now
though because it was for the best, it was for the children�s own safety and
the peace of mind of their parents, it was best all
round that they stay away until this entire situation had been resolved.

The brown haired Tokubetsu
Jounin watched every last person that strolled past
the shop window, his sharp eyes watching each and every one carefully, on alert
as he should be and he watched as a blonde haired man walked past, a pure black
kimono and hakama and a pure black haori over it. He was nothing special if you saw him out on
the streets, but something about him immediately set Genma�s
instincts into overdrive. Dirty blonde hair pulled up into a bun, at the back
of his head, muddy green eyes and large deep scar bisecting his left cheek and
another much smaller one over the right side of his lower lip and stopping just
below the soft flesh of his thin lipped mouth. It wasn�t his appearance that
set Genma off it was the way his eyes darted ever so
carefully over the Daimyo and his wife. Genma only
hoped that Kakashi and Sakura were watching him, of course he knew they would be and he knew what the
guy would be facing once they figured out how to capture him and question him.

�Taichou�� Sakura
said as she watched the slim man walk past the window to the pet shop no fewer
than three times, scowling deeper every time he did so.

�I see him Panther.� Came
the reply as his hand squeezed her shoulder gently.

She nodded knowing that Kakashi
would have seen him from the start or at least sensed him and she crouched on
the roof, on the balls of both feet, her hands resting flat on the tarmac and
her gaze behind the cat shaped mask, cold and deadly. Kakashi
could feel it radiating from her, this was the strong, capable Sakura he knew, the
kunoichi who could take down ten men with one punch,
the girl who could pull you in with her sweet face, and soft voice and then
murder you with barely a second thought if it was her orders to do so. The
Sakura who had yelped when the frog landed on her head, the one who had shied
away from him in bed that morning was not the Sakura he knew was really there.
This was her, the hard working, overly smart teen that had been the pride of
the Hokage�s heart and still was.

�Panther�� He said crouching down next to
her, his eyes never leaving the suspicious man and she nodded to show she was
listening as he explained the plan.

xXx

Crouching on the roof much the same as she
had earlier but now in the middle of the roof she and Kakashi
had been stood upon all along. She looked around not seeing a sign of Kakashi but knowing exactly where he was she nodded to
herself and unmasked her chakra, allowing a short burst to be emitted from her
frame and waited for the inevitable confrontation.

She didn�t even flinch as she spun to face
the dirty blonde that had just landed upon the roof behind her. Her demeanour
calm as if it were merely one of her team mates in front of her not a potential
threat to the Daimyo and his lips curled up into an ugly sneer as he stared
down at her, the scar upon his cheek stretching and twisting into something
even uglier than before.

�Little girls shouldn�t play at Anbu.�

She clenched her teeth together and merely
replied in a sugary sweet voice. �If you think you can beat me then follow me.�
She told him as she prepared to spring away from him.

�Aww
running away already little girl? I thought Anbu were supposed to be tougher than that.�

�I think we should take this somewhere a
little more private don�t you. Not the best place to fight after all, if you
beat me, which I very much doubt, you�ll have blown your cover wont you? Best
we move this elsewhere so you can continue with your mission.� She ground back
and his sneer turned into an all knowing smirk.

�When
I beat you little girl, when not if.�

�If you say so.� She replied nonchalantly as she took of from the roof effortlessly.
Her lithe frame fluid and flawless in it�s movements as she led him away to the
clearing in the woods not more than 20 feet from her current location where she
knew Kakashi would be waiting and watching.

�I could have real fun with this one.� The
scarred shinobi smirked, his thoughts not totally
settled on only beating her in a fight as they lingered on her rounded buttocks
disappearing from his vision.

He disappeared only to reappear right
behind Sakura just as she landed. She smirked, this one was too easy, and she
could have fun with this hopefully, getting out her frustrations from a mission
of just sitting in trees and doing nothing so far whilst still gathering the required
information they needed, plus of course she could prove her place on the
mission and that she was worthy of it.

�Come on little girl you don�t know how to
attack?� He sneered once more as she rose to her feet and stood, still
assessing him from every angle.

�If you want me come get me, unless you�re
afraid of me.�

The suggestive tone of her voice was enough
to undo him and he darted forward striking her in the stomach before she could
get her bearings. �Damn he�s fast!�
she thought to herself �But not nearly
fast enough� her leg swung out in a perfect arc, hitting him in the small
of his back and sending him flying into a near by tree, that shook with the
force of his impact. He righted himself and grunted in pain turning to growl at
her as she crouched before him once more, just the tiniest out of breath from
the hit he�d gotten into her solar plexus. He pulled a kunai from beneath his haori and threw it with the speed she�d expected. His
specialty lay in getting in under someone�s defences and then back out again
before they even knew what had happened to them as they slumped to the floor
dead.

She licked her lips and smirked widely
herself. �Perfect! He�s completely over
confident because of my gender.� She hadn�t spent her time training with
the Hokage for nothing and being around two sharingan users for quite some time at a younger age had
certainly come in handy to. She wasn�t weak anymore, she was fast, strong, cunning and this man had no chance. Not even bothering with
a substitution justu she hurled herself to the side,
rolling out of the way and crouched on the floor she raised her masked face to
meet his once more as they glared at each other, the cut on her arm now
dripping a slow, steady trail onto the leaf strewn ground beneath her.

�You can�t win against me.� She told him
confidently and left him bewildered as a swirl of pale
pink petals announced her leaving.

He spun around clearly expecting her to
sneak up in his blind side but she wasn�t that stupid and she watched him from
the branch of the tree, wondering which one Kakashi
was in, as she pulled her ninjatō from its saya and calculated her next move. He was giving her this
opportunity to prove herself and she knew it. With a grin she jumped down from
the branch right in front of the enemy nin and her ninjatō sliced through the flesh of his arm before she
jumped away landing in a classic fight stance and the tall male snarled
furiously, she was trying his patience and he still couldn�t understand how the
hell she had caught him off guard, that had never happened before.

She watched as he moved his hand inside his
haori once more, drawing out a three senbon that were held tight in his hand. He threw them at
her, the three projectiles spreading in a slightly wider pattern as they neared
her black clad body. Thrusting her ninjatō back
into it�s saya she vaulted away from the speeding
weapons, her body moving in a perfect flip and she landed on the toes of her
heeled boots once more, one hand resting on the ground and the other slipping
into the leg holster at her right thigh and drawing her own senbon
from within.

She threw it, her move planned carefully
and he didn�t even bother to react as it hit his leg thinking he�d just pull it
out and be fine but he could hear laughter upon her lips as he tried to move
his right leg and stumbled, shock widening his murky eyes, she�d paralyzed him!
The bitch must have known exactly where to hit for she�d trapped the main nerve
to his leg and he was unable to move it at all apart from falling over, he knew
even if he removed it the nerve would still remain trapped for quite some time
which meant that this girl before him was obviously a medic nin.
He was overly confident that he could easily beat her despite her impressive
strength and speed, she was a girl and a medic nin,
sure she was Anbu, but at the same time he was
certain that the majority of her specialities were grounded in the healing part
of her job and that suited him just fine.

Unfortunately for him however he had
reckoned upon the wrong conclusion and Sakura knew it. With a smirk she watched
as he summoned three earth clones and sent them towards her whilst he himself
vanished from sight using a substation jutsu. This
was too easy! Charging chakra in her palm she gave a loud �Ha!� and slammed her
hand into the ground, ripples sprang out from her hand and travelled through
the earth as it split and cracked beneath her, opening up to swallow the earth
clones that were literally falling apart under the vibration�s she�d released
into them.

The enemy nin stared astounded at the strength she possessed,
he had dismissed her as merely a medic nin with good taijutsu and weapon skills but this one was something else
entirely! He moved his hand in a series of seals and Sakura scowled. �He thinks he can use genjutsu
on me?! He�s about to learn an important lesson!�

Kakashi blinked as Sakura moved with a speed he hadn�t known she had and
caught the enemy nin before he even knew what was
happening this time, her weapon buried deeply in his side, she�d been careful
of course to miss any of his completely vital organs but it certainly
incapacitated him none the less. He slumped to the floor, on his knees as she
pulled the now stained blade from his body just as Kakashi
landed behind her.

�You had back up all this time?� He wheezed
out, shocked that a mere girl had outsmarted him.

�Believe me she didn�t need me at any
point.� Came Kakashi�s
growled response as he moved closer behind the pair. �Who are you working for?
Why are they trying to kill the Daimyo?�

�You think� I�m going to� tell you�?� The
dirty blonde asked, a harsh bark of laughter erupting from his lips as he
looked up into Sakura�s masked face.

�I can make it hurt ten times more, to the
point of almost death, then heal you only to do it all over again if you
don�t.� She announced her voice so cold and devoid of feeling Kakashi had to wonder for a split second just who he was
dealing with here.

Sakura, his Sakura wasn�t so frigid, so
deadly and then he realised that yes she was, he�d known it back on the roof
and he knew it now. This was why she had made it into Anbu.
She carried out her missions with the same determination and fire she showed
everything she did. Yes she was still apparently na�ve in the ways of sex but
she was a true shinobi and a damn good one at that.
He should have known that from the time he�d first seen her in the Anbu headquarters, her poise, her grace and her straight
laced posture all demanded respect and she was certainly worthy of it. She
carried herself the way she should have been able to do when he was her sensei
but of course he�d ignored her and someone else had helped her become the shinobi that he was now so proud of.

�You can� do anything you like� to me. I�ll
never� tell!� The man spat, a strangely serene smile upon his face.

�We have our ways.� Kakashi
growled back and he could see a faint shiver run through the man at the tone of
his voice as he turned his head to view the mop of bright silver hair walking
towards him.

Recognition
flared in his dirty green eyes and he laughed, splattering blood onto the
ground before him, just short of Sakura�s boots. He knew the infamous Copy Nin when he saw him, that hair was to easily recognisable and
between him and the slender female before him Tinjani
knew that he was royally screwed. He would not however allow them to find out
the secret of whom he was working for and why and pulled a short tantō from his haori and
grinned as he lifted it upwards.

Sakura laughed, certain she knew what he
was planning and knowing it wouldn�t work, he was incapacitated, possibly had a
few broken ribs from the first punch she�d landed upon him and she knew the
strength was waning from his arms, he couldn�t strike out at her and he
couldn�t throw it at her either. He smirked back, knowing her assumptions were
wrong and with one last burst of energy he swung the tantō
out before him with lightning quick speed and plunged it deep into his own
abdomen ripping it from right to left, a smile upon his face and bloody,
maniacal laughter bubbling from his lips as the light began to leave his eyes.

Both Kakashi and Sakura
dashed forward and she pushed her chakra into her hands, the cool green colour
glowing around them as she tried to heal the man. Bright red, blood pumped from
the open wound, gushing forth in a torrent of gore as he insides erupted from
the sliced flesh, it was hard work and took a great deal of concentration as he
had severed his abdominal aorta.

�Panther!� Kakashi yelled as he dashed forward but
the man was just too quick for even him to stop.

The healing she was managing to do was just
enough to give him the strength to raise his left arm once more, but the damage
was just too great she wouldn�t be able to heal him completely and they both
knew. With a triumphant sneer he slit his own throat, the resulting gush that
spewed from the wound splashed onto Sakura�s mask, staining the white areas the
same shade of crimson as the cat�s features and he slumped to the ground dead
having severed his own carotid artery.

�Kuso!� the pink
haired teen growled as she stared at the crumpled body.

A large patch of spilled blood and gore was
spreading around his form, the released intestines glistening in the bright
afternoon sunshine, and the rays shone off the crimson life blood, giving it
the appearance that thousands of tiny rubies glittering and winking under the
light of a jewellers fluorescent lighting. The entire scene gave off a rather
disturbing beauty about it and Sakura turned away, not a single tear sliding
down her face just annoyance and disgust that he would take the cowardly out
but she had to give him some credit for going through with it, she didn�t think
she could do it herself. She also felt annoyed with herself, she should have
moved quicker! But even in his injured state the man was just so fast her eyes
couldn�t fully comprehend his movements even at such a close range. Kakashi had seen it but was just that little to far to stop
his hand before he�d sliced open the fragile flesh and allowed himself to bleed
to death in mere seconds from his many injuries.

�It wasn�t your fault,
you couldn�t have done anything to stop him.� He said his hand upon her
shoulder as he squeezed it gently.

�How
is it he can always read my mind?� Sakura sighed
knowing that it was the truth, the man had been exceptionally fast, it was only her faster mind and her rather fast reflexes
that had stopped her from befalling a similar fate at his hands. �

�I know Taichou
but still I can�t help but feel��

�You did everything possible.� Came the
calmly stated response and she sagged a little knowing it was the truth, when
he needed to the guy was fast enough that even Kakashi
had almost had a hard time tracking his movements with the Sharingan.

�Should we search him? I doubt he�d leave
anything incriminating but still�.�

�Sure, go ahead.� He replied knowing it
would be fruitless but they had to do so anyway.

Kneeling before the body Sakura rolled him
over together the pair searched him all over, the only things they found were a
few more weapons and a few vials of poison of undetermined origin right
now.�

Stepping back with the poison�s in her hand
and the guys weapons piled back next to his corpse she watched as Kakashi ran through a number of complex hand signals before
the mans body was engulfed by flames and burnt to cinders along with everything
he had been using or wearing in a matter of minutes, obliterating every last
hint of gore and death along with it.

�We should go before anybody comes
looking.� He told her.

�Hai!� She nodded back and together they moved into the trees and headed
for the Daimyo�s mansion, Sakura�s arm still leaking small droplets of blood,
but she�d heal herself when they got back.

xXx

Genma walked up to his room later that day the same teenage servant boy
that had carried his food earlier was once again carrying a tray laden with
food and something to quench their thirsts to of course. He stopped outside the
door and bade Genma a good evening and moved off down
the corridor after Genma smiled around his tooth pick
and nodded to him. Once the other brunette was out of sight the Senbon User opened the door to his and Kakashi�s
room and was greeted by a sight he was slowly getting used to and one that he
nearly had to smirk at. Kakashi stretched out on his
back, one arm behind his head as an extra pillow and orange book in the other
hand and the pink haired teen sat upon the floor, her legs stretched out before
crossed at the ankle and her head leaning against Kakashi�s
thigh, eyes closed as she contemplated today�s earlier events.

She�d taken a shower and fully intended to
fix her Anbu cat suit sometime tonight before she
went to bed so now that she was clean she sat in Genma
and Kakashi�s room as they awaited their lunch. Sakura
sighed and Kakashi knew she was thinking of how
things had gone wrong earlier and how she should have done more, or knowing
Sakura she was thinking upon how she could have done more even though the fact
was there really wasn�t anything she could have done. He pulled the arm from
behind his head and reached out to squeeze her shoulder in the habitual way he
seemed to do all the time now and Genma coughed.

�Ahem. Supper anyone or
should I just eat the entire thing by myself?� He was slightly weary
after the shopping trip, which had taken up most of the afternoon.

�Ooh! I�m starving!� Sakura growled as she
leapt forward to take the tray and lay it upon Genma�s
empty bed.

The three of them settled down with the
food in their laps and Genma turned to the pair
opposite him. �So what happened earlier?�

�Well we got him to follow Sakura to a
clearing in the woods 20 feet away, Sakura and he fought and I kept watch for
anyone he may have been working with and was looking for his weak spots. Sakura
managed to beat him down and she had him practically immobilised but he was
stronger than he looked and he drew out his tantō
and he attempted to commit Seppuku��

�I rushed over and started to heal him, but
apparently that little bit of healing was enough to give him back his strength
and he sliced open his carotid, I couldn�t heal both at the same time they were
just to severe injuries to deal with at once and he bleed out in seconds.�
Sakura finished and Genma nodded.

That was pretty much what he�d been
figuring had happened but still it was a bitter blow to their job, all identity
of the person behind the attacks on the Daimyo was lost with the mans death and
that just didn�t help at all. All three sighed and knew they would have to gain
an audience with the Daimyo after he had arrived back in his rooms later to
keep him up to date on the situation and make him aware of the further attempt
upon his life.

Halfway through their lunch they heard a
commotion downstairs quickly followed by a lot of shouting and the muffled
sounds of lots of foot steps.

�Move out of the way!� Yelled the voice of
a largely built man as he threw open the main doors to the mansion, a
contingent of the Daimyo�s other staff following him in, four of them carrying
the frail and ghostly figure of the Daimyo�s wife Yuriko. �Call the physician!�

Her already pale skin was deathly white,
pink eyes rolled back into her head so that only the whites showed now and her
chest hardly rising as she breathed sharply occasionally and barely at all at
other times. The commotion was something that attracted the immediate attention
of the shinobi who were currently ensconced in their
room and had been enjoying their supper of bowls of rice, chicken teriyaki, and
steamed vegetables. Sakura�s bowls crashed to the floor as she jumped up and
listened intently as the commotion began to come their way, upset squeals and
the unmistakeable sound of a woman crying were to be heard, and the entire
group stormed past the three hidden shinobi snatches
of the conversation ringing in their ears.

Sakura turned to Kakashi
and though he couldn�t see it he could easily sense the trepidation and worry
on the teen�s face. With a nod to Genma the pair
dashed to the window and jumped straight out, landing in the foliage of the
large tree opposite their room and moving the safety of the one opposite the
Daimyo�s room. Mercifully the curtains were still open as it was still light
out and they watched and waited.

xXx
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Plans Of The Hokage