Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Koorikage ❯ Missions ( Chapter 2 )

Author's Notes: This chapter jumps ahead a little. A lot will do that. You'll find I like to do a lot of storytelling through flashbacks. Remember that fanfiction is not only done for love of the show and the characters, but as a method to practice writing techniques and to try out new ones.

Anyway, that's enough preaching for today. I didn't really know how I wanted to go into this chapter other than the first scene until the day before I started writing it, so it might be interesting. The beginning I've had planned for a while, rest of it I just kind of pulled out of my ass, and I'm not sure yet what it has to do with anything. =P

Let me know what you thought when you're done. ^_^

Koorikage Chapter 2 - Missions

The smell of roasted meat filled Sakura's nostrils, but she wasn't enjoying it as much as she felt she should. There was something bothering her.

"We need more!" Chouji bellowed as he ate at nearly twice his usual pace.

"Eat up, you earned it!" Asuma encouraged. He'd decided to treat them all to yakiniku (and convinced Kakashi to chip in on the bill). Naruto and Shikamaru had of course been invited as well.

"I still can't believe we all made it!" Sakura exclaimed. "I mean, we all lost!"

"So did Shikamaru," Asuma pointed out. He received a mild grunt from said young man in response.

"The reasons for your promotions have already been explained to you," Kakashi said calmly.

"Yeah, yeah," Ino said. "But I still don't see how `handling ourselves well' being able to `recognize our own limitations' makes up for the fact that we lost so badly."

"If you were leading a team, those are very important things," Asuma said. "Knowing when to back off and wait for a better opportunity is an important attribute if you don't want to get your team killed. And Ino and Sakura, your techniques would be excellent when used in conjunction with other members of a team."

"Besides, those snow ninjas were kinda creepy," Naruto added. "You shouldn't feel bad getting beaten by them."

"They were awfully strong for genin," Shikamaru absentmindedly agreed. "I wonder what the rest of their village is like."

"It's great and everything," Ino went on with their earlier discussion, choosing not to think just how frightening upper level snow ninja might be, "but I can't help thinking that we were promoted because Konoha needs more chuunin on account of Orochimaru and the Akatsuki."

"That is true," Kakashi conceded, "But even so you would not have been promoted had you not proven you were deserving. Remember, Hokage-sama is not the final say in this case."

"What are you guys worrying about?" Chouji questioned as he shoveled more meat into his mouth. "We got promoted. Isn't that what you wanted?"

"Yeah, I guess so…" Sakura trailed off. An encouraging smile from Naruto as he ate wouldn't allow her to complain any more.

"Haha. Chouji's just excited because he already has an assignment," Ino teased.

"And a safe one, too," Shikamaru pointed out, somewhat annoyed. "You aren't really putting your life on the line teaching at the academy."

"Be careful what you say, Shikamaru," Ino joked. "Chouji's getting the new young kids just coming into the academy. Some of them might get you as a jounin instructor someday. You don't want him telling them bad things about you." She stuck her tongue out at him.

"Hmph," Shikamaru leaned back in his seat. "Like I'll ever be a jounin."

"Huh?" Naruto questioned, his mouth full of food. "Why wouldn't you?"

"After all the trouble I went through becoming a chuunin? Are you kidding? I'd never even take the test."

Asuma and even Kakashi chuckled.

"What?" Shikamaru prodded.

"The jounin exam isn't something you take voluntarily," Asuma said. He grinned. Shikamaru didn't seem pleased.

"What? What does that mean?" he demanded.

"We can't tell you any more," Kakashi said. "You'll find out eventually, if any of you ever do become jounin."

"If you can't take the test willingly, then how do you know you're taking it?" Naruto asked.

"Naruto no baka," Sakura said. "Kakashi-sensei just finished saying that they can't tell us." The two jounin couldn't help but laugh again.

"Well what if I don't ever get to take it?" Naruto continued. "How am I supposed to become Hokage if I can't become a jounin?"

Kakashi and Asuma smiled, while Sakura, Shikamaru and Ino each muttered something incomprehensible. Chouji kept eating.

"Wait a minute," Sakura said after a few moments of silence. "If Chouji is going to teach at the academy, doesn't that mean your team is breaking up?"

Ino and Shikamaru regarded one another for a moment. Chouji looked up briefly as well.

"Yeah, it does," Shikamaru said. "It happens. They need people to teach at the academy. Not every team gets to stay together once they've been promoted, you know. With Chouji's condition, we were pretty much expecting it."

Chouji paused in eating and looked a little uncomfortable, so Ino moved on with the conversation. "I'm surprised they didn't ask you, Sakura," she said.

"They were going to," Kakashi broke in. "I was there at the meeting when it was discussed. It was determined that her genjutsu skills were invaluable to important missions and could not be spared. So she was not asked to teach."

Sakura blushed a little. It was at that moment that Maito Gai decided to appear in the restaurant…right in front of their table, no less.

"Ah, there you are," he said, flashing his usual grin as he did so. "Hokage-sama wants to see the two of you," he said, pointing at Naruto and Shikamaru. He seemed to notice Sakura and Ino as an afterthought. "I believe she has a mission for you two as well."

"Gai…what are you doing here?" Kakashi asked.

"Ah, Kakashi, my eternal rival!" Gai exclaimed happily, turning to face the gray-haired ninja. "I am here because Hokage-sama was briefing me on a mission, and she asked me to bring in these two young boys to aid in it."

"We're going on a mission with you?" Shikamaru asked, not sounding particularly thrilled about the idea. Gai shook his head.

"No, not with me."

"Then with whom?"

"You will be traveling with my three former students," Gai informed him.

"Hyuuga Neji's team?" Naruto inquired.

"Yes, that is correct," Gai replied.

"Yatta! This'll be great, Shikamaru!" the blonde ninja exclaimed.

"Why do you always have to get so excited about everything?" Shikamaru grumbled.

"Ano…Gai-sensei?" Sakura asked. "Did Hokage-sama say what either of these two missions were?"

"No, she did not. Apparently they are both top-secret. B-class and A-class," Gai said.

"Chuunin on an A-class mission?" Asuma questioned.

Kakashi took a glance at Naruto and then at Shikamaru. "I think they can handle it," he said. "It won't be their first, after all."

"I agree, Kakashi," said Gai. "You are excellent in gauging the strength of your students. It is why you are worthy to be my rival." He flashed a blinding grin and gave a thumbs-up. Kakashi sweatdropped.

"We should go, ne?" Ino said, standing up. "Hokage-sama is probably waiting for us."

"But I'm not finished!" Chouji lamented.

"You can stay with us, Chouji," Asuma said. "But these four do need to be moving along." Then he turned to them. "We'll see you later. Congratulations again. And good luck on your missions." He waved, as did Kakashi, who was at the moment being harassed by Gai for another fight.

* * *

During the walk to Tsunade's office, Ino was nearly bouncing with excitement.

"Our first mission as chuunin, ne, Sakura?" She turned to look at her friend, a big smile on her face. It was unnerving to Sakura, who was feeling nowhere near as confident for some reason.

"Hai," she answered, managing a small smile.

"And a B-class, too! I've never been on one without help." She turned to Naruto and Shikamaru. "Are they hard?"

"Nah! Not at all," Naruto declared confidently, his arms behind his head. Shikamaru spared him a small annoyed glance before replying to Ino's question.

"It depends," he said. He noticed he had not only Ino's full attention but now Sakura's as well. "Not only on what the mission is, but on who you're going with. You two work well together, and your skills can compliment each other. If it's a big mission you might not be the only ones going, either. Hope that whoever you're going with is easy to get along with and that they can pull their own weight."

"Yeah, what he said!" Naruto chimed in. Shikamaru rolled his eyes.

"I wonder what these missions are…" Sakura thought aloud.

"We'll find out soon, won't we?" Shikamaru remarked, looking up at the tall building in front of them. "We're here."

* * *

Sakura paced nervously, and Ino was tapping her foot. They'd just been told they were to be assigned a B-rank mission only hours after learning they'd become chuunin. It was a little rattling. Add to that the fact that they still had no idea what the mission was, and they were in a world of stress.

The moment they'd arrived, Naruto and Shikamaru had been whisked into Tsunade's office, where Neji, Lee and Tenten apparently were already waiting. That was ten minutes ago, and they'd heard nothing and seen nobody since.

"What's taking them so long?" Ino asked finally, more to break the silence than anything else. Sakura stopped in her pacing.

"I don't know, but I wish they'd hurry up. I'm still nervous about our mission and I'd like to at least know what it is."

"Well theirs is an A-rank, right?" Ino asked.

Sakura gulped slightly and nodded. Then she managed a small laugh and a smile. "Naruto must be thrilled."

Ino smiled as well. "I'll bet he is. And I'll bet Shikamaru is wishing he never got up this morning at all." This got them both laughing, but it was at that moment that Tsunade's door opened and five chuunin and the Hokage herself came striding out.

"Now remember," Tsunade was saying to them. "This mission is absolutely secret. No one is to know about it. Understand?" It looked like she winked to Naruto, or maybe Shikamaru, but Sakura wasn't sure…and she couldn't imagine why.

"Yes, Hokage-sama," Neji said with a small bow. Then he turned to Naruto and Shikamaru. "We'll meet you at the main gate at sunset." The two boys nodded, and Neji and his team left.

"I'll be with you in a minute, girls," Tsunade said, returning to her office.

"What was that wink about?" Ino asked. Apparently Sakura wasn't the only one who had noticed.

"She said we could tell you guys where we're going," Naruto said with his trademark grin. "Well, not so much that, but that she knew we were going to anyway."

"Oh?" Ino sounded excited. "Where?"

"Yukigakure," Shikamaru answered with his usual air of disinterest. Ino's expression froze instantly, and Sakura felt her heart drop down into her stomach. Un unpleasant memory of extreme cold came unbidden to her mind, as well as the frightening image of piercing blue eyes, with all of the intensity of Naruto's and none of the latter's warmth. They were going where?

"The snow village?" She asked hesitantly. She wasn't sure if her concern was coming through in her voice or not, but Naruto's response confirmed that it must have been.

"Don't worry, Sakura-chan," he said. "It's an information-gathering mission. There shouldn't be any trouble."

"Then why are you going?" she asked. Information gathering wasn't exactly Naruto's best skill. He could do it, but not as well as some of the other ninjas Tsunade could have chosen.

"He's our security trump card," Shikamaru said. "In case something does happen." That didn't make her feel any better.

"Ah, I see," she said. Throughout this whole exchange, Ino had remained silent, her eyes blank. Sakura kept having visions of herself and her friends being beaten by genin younger than themselves, and she imagined her blonde companion was experiencing something similar.

"Those guys were really strong," Sakura said, now finding that she had to make an effort to keep her voice even. "And they were just genin. What happens if you're discovered and the village attacks you?"

"That's why we're going," Shikamaru said. "Apparently this village is being viewed as a possible threat. No one has ever really heard anything about them, and here their genin are above the skill level any genin should be at."

"Tsunade-baba says she's pretty sure we didn't even get to see their best stuff during the tournament," Naruto said. All this wasn't doing anything to make Sakura's feeling of uneasiness go away. She worried about her friends after all, and she had a lot of them going on this mission: Shikamaru, Lee-san…and Naruto.

"We should get going," Shikamaru said, glancing at Ino, who had still not moved or even made so much as a sound. "I don't want to be rushed when it's time to leave." Naruto seemed to agree with him, and the two of them headed off.

"Good luck with your mission!" The blonde boy called back, waving over his shoulder. "We'll see you when we get back, and you can tell us how it went!"

Sakura couldn't really do more than wave. The shock was still settling in. This was an incredibly dangerous mission…more so than any mission any of them had ever been sent on before, with one possible exception. If anything happened…

She heard a hiccup noise beside her, and turned to see Ino trembling ever so slightly, her fists clenched down at her sides.

"Shikamaru!" the blonde girl suddenly yelled. She was still facing the door, her hands were still clenched, and she had her back to the two boys. They stopped at her outburst. They didn't turn around either, but Shikamaru turned his head and looked over his shoulder.

"What?"

Instead of answering his question right away, Ino seemed to tremble a little more before taking a deep breath. Then she whirled around and shouted at him.

"You had better come back! Do you hear me?" She appeared very angry, but to Sakura the anger seemed forced. Maybe her friend was having just as much trouble with a teammate going on such a potentially fatal mission as she was. She expected Shikamaru to brush Ino off and give one of his "yeah, whatever" replies like always, but he didn't. He turned around to face her, and remained silent for a few moments before saying anything.

Finally, the shadow ninja spoke. "Yeah, I'll come back," he said. His mouth turned upwards into the tiniest hint of a smirk that could only be delivered by Shikamaru. Ino looked a good deal…something. Relieved? Maybe that was it.

"Good," was all she said.

Naruto had been fidgeting the whole time, looking like he was very uncomfortable with the whole exchange. "Let's go, already!" he wailed. "I've said my good-byes already and I look like an idiot just standing here."

Shikamaru snorted. "Fine, we're going." They turned to leave again, and the brown-haired boy gave a wave over his shoulder. At least Ino wasn't trembling anymore.

* * *

It was a good five minutes before Tsunade's door opened again and the fifth Hokage came out to greet them. During that time, neither girl had said a word, both of them still glued to where they had been when the boys walked off, lost in their own thoughts. Tsunade seemed to pick up on this and chuckled. This alerted them to her presence and they jumped and spun around, startled.

"Hokage-sama!" They greeted simultaneously, bowing deeply.

"Now now, that's enough," Tsunade said, motioning for them to stand up. "How did the good-byes go?" her expression was one of amusement; neither Sakura nor Ino could figure out why.

"You're sending them to Yukigakure?" Sakura questioned. It was bold of her, especially considering who she was talking to. "Don't you think that's too dangerous? And there are only five of them! What if something happens?"

Tsunade didn't seem flustered at all. In fact, she seemed even more amused now.

"I don't think you have to be concerned about them," she said. "They'll be just fine. And Neji's team is with them; you haven't got a thing to worry about."

Sakura was about to point out that she had meant she was worried about Neji's team as well, but she didn't get the chance.

"Now then," Tsunade continued. "As for your mission. I've sent for the third member of your party and she should be arriving shortly. Would you like to come in and sit down while we wait?"

Both girls shook of their anxiety in order to utter a thanks. After all, even under the current circumstances they had to behave properly in front of the Hokage.

It was a few more minutes before the final member of their team arrived, and when she did, both girls gasped. It was someone they knew fairly well.

"Hinata?" Ino exclaimed. The young Hyuuga girl looked at them, a piece of her childhood shyness still visible in her expression.

"Hello, Ino-san. Sakura-san," she said, greeting them both in turn. It was a pleasant surprise, at least. Neither of them had worked with Hinata since the chuunin exam a year and a half ago when the dark haired girl had been promoted.

"Since you know each other already, I'll get right to it." Tsunade was all business now. Hinata came in and sat with the two of them in front of the Hokage's desk.

"The Daimyo of this country has been targeted for assassination," the older woman explained. She held up a hand, indicating that she wanted the girls to restrain their shock until she was finished. "We don't know who's behind it," she continued, "All we know is that there's a conspiracy in the works. The Daimyo, Urashima Hideyoshi, was given an anonymous tip that someone in his court was plotting to kill him. He contacted this village, asking for ninja protection. Unfortunately, the only way for us to get close enough to protect him without being noticed is to send in kunoichi disguised as geisha." The girls' eyes went wide. "Normally, I'd want to send in more experienced ninja on a mission like this, but the daimyo is known for his preference of young girls, so any older-looking geisha would be an obvious giveaway. As such, I'd like to teach you each a new skill that will hopefully help protect you should anything unexpected happen." She took a brief pause to let it all sink in.

"Geisha?" Ino asked incredulously. Tsunade nodded. "Who does that anymore?"

"You'll find that the practice is still fairly common amongst many of the more powerful daimyo throughout the world, even today," the Hokage said.

That didn't make Ino any happier. But then something else the older woman had said struck her. "Wait," she said. "Did you say you were going to teach us a new skill?"

"Yes, I did."

"What kind of new skill, Hokage-sama?" Sakura asked.

"Not one skill," Tsunade corrected, "a different skill for each of you. That will allow for a different range of abilities, and it won't require you all to learn multiple skills in such a short time. I have chosen techniques that I believe you will be able to master quickly, based on my assessment of your current abilities. You are to meet me in training field number 34 at dawn tomorrow, where I will personally instruct you. After that, you will have one week before you leave for the daimyo's castle. Are there any questions?" They were all nearly frozen. "Good. I will see you all tomorrow morning then. Get a good night's sleep." She grinned. "You'll need it." With that, she dismissed them.

Once the door to the office closed behind them and they were safely out of Tsunade's earshot, Sakura was the one to break the silence. "What do you think?" she asked.

"Geisha?" Ino questioned again, disgusted.

"Well, it was going to happen eventually," Sakura shrugged. Every kunoichi in the village had been told early on that some missions might arise when she would have to assume the guise of a geisha. Still, it was nothing anybody looked forward to. And geisha were so rare anymore that such missions hardly ever came up.

"How do you know?" Ino prodded. "The odds of getting a mission like this are incredibly low, even for older kunoichi." Sakura just shrugged again and the three began walking.

"Ano…" Hinata interrupted, "do you think we will have to perform…a geisha's duties?" She looked extremely nervous, and tapped her index fingers together. It was a gesture she hadn't performed in years. The other two girls' eyes shot wide. They hadn't even thought of that.

"Um…" Ino stammered. Her face was scarlet.

"I…don't think we will," Sakura said, albeit unsurely. "We're only pretending to be geisha after all, right? And the daimyo will know, so he won't…make us do anything. Right?" She looked at Ino for support. After a few awkward seconds of silence, the blonde girl merely laughed it all off.

"Of course!" she said, still laughing. "He wouldn't be dumb enough to pull something like that when we're all that stands between him and assassination! Don't worry, Hinata. We'll be fine." She slapped the dark haired girl on the back, and Hinata seemed to cheer up slightly.

"So, what are you two going to do tonight?" the demure girl asked. Sakura and Ino looked at each other.

"Asuma-sensei and Chouji are probably gone by now," Ino said. Sakura nodded in agreement. "What time is it?" she asked as an afterthought. Sakura picked up on what she was thinking and looked out a window as they passed one.

"It's almost sunset," she said.

"They'll be leaving soon."

"Mm."

Hinata was a little confused. "Ano…who is leaving soon?" Sakura and Ino looked at each other for a moment.

"Should we tell her?" Ino asked.

"Well, Tsunade-sama said it was supposed to be a secret…" Sakura hesitated.

"Yeah, but she let them tell us," the blonde pointed out. "Besides, Hinata will be with us the whole time, and I think we can trust her. Right, Hinata?"

The third girl was taken a bit by surprise at the question. "Um…hai!"

"You see?" Ino said, turning back to Sakura.

"I guess," she finally relented. She turned to Hinata. "Naruto and Shikamaru have been sent with Neji's team to the village hidden in the snow," she said.

"Oh?" Hinata asked. She seemed interested, but not at all worried.

"That doesn't shock you?" Ino asked incredulously. Hinata didn't seem to get what she was hinting at.

"Should it?" she asked, confused.

"Oh, that's right," Sakura remembered. "You weren't at the chuunin tournament, were you?" Hinata shook her head.

"The shinobi from Yukigakure are incredibly strong," Ino explained. "And they're being viewed as a potential threat. Shikamaru, Naruto and the others have been sent on an A-rank mission to determine if the snow ninja are a danger to us."

Hinata's expression now changed to one very similar to what Ino's and Sakura's had been when they found out.

"R-really?" she stammered. The other two just nodded. "Do you think they will be okay?"

There was a pause, but Sakura finally answered. "Aa. I'm sure they will. Hokage-sama said not to worry, and so did Naruto. We can trust them." She smiled. It was all as much to reassure herself and Ino as it was for Hinata.

* * *

That night, Sakura had trouble falling asleep. Visions kept flashing through her mind; visions of a young boy taller than she was performing jutsu she'd never heard of, visions of her best friend being beaten by a girl whose taijutsu was seemingly untouchable, visions of a boy with terrifying eyes literally making a clone of himself…visions of her closest friend and teammate walking off without a care in the world to face all three of them - and a whole village full of ninjas just like them.

Finally, she had to rely on her last resort. Sasuke had taught it to her once, before he betrayed her and everyone she loved. He had learned it from watching Naruto's battle with Gaara of the sand - the battle where he gave everything he had to save her, or so Sasuke had said.

She performed the seals for the jutsu that forced its user to sleep. Sasuke had taught it to her because she'd had trouble sleeping in the weeks following Sandaime Hokage's death. Instantly, she was unconscious.

Sakura froze in horror. "What do you mean he's gone, Kakashi-sensei?"

"Sasuke escaped from his holding cell last night," Kakashi explained. "There was only one ANBU and a medical nin guarding him, since it was assumed he wouldn't even wake up for several more days. Somehow he managed to break out of his cell and kill both of them. He obviously caught them by surprise, though how a genin could take on an ANBU is beyond me."

"He probably transformed again," Naruto said darkly.

"Transformed?" Kakashi asked.

"Something about that curse seal thing. It lets them turn into monsters. Sasuke was really strong when he did. I almost didn't beat him."

"Well there's no telling where he is now," Kakashi said. "We couldn't spare any extra security for him under the circumstances, so we don't know which way he went, although we have a good idea."

"I'll get him," Naruto practically growled. "I'll drag that bastard back here as many times as it takes!"

"No!" Sakura suddenly yelled. "Naruto, you're still exhausted and injured from the last time, and there isn't anyone who could even go with you except me, and I wouldn't be any help at all!"

"Sakura-chan," Naruto started, but Kakashi cut him off.

"She's right. As much as I don't like it, there's nothing we can do about Sasuke right now. We gave it a shot, but we just don't have the manpower to do it again. He'll be classified as a missing nin and we'll catch up to him eventually."

"But…Kakashi-sensei," Naruto started to protest.

"That's enough for now," their jounin leader told them. "I've told you what I came to tell you and now I have to go. You both should go get some rest. And don't go chasing after Sasuke." With that, he was gone in a puff of smoke. The two genin stood in silence for a few moments before Naruto spoke up.

"Hey, Sakura-chan," he said weakly.

"Nani?" she had to fight to make her voice come out as more than a whisper. For some reason she didn't feel like she had the strength to do anything.

"Gomen," was all her companion said as he hung his head.

"What? What for?"

"I promised I'd bring him back. I meant for good."

"Naruto…"

"I remembered what you told me that one time. About how Orochimaru was trying to tempt Sasuke." Sakura froze again. She hadn't been expecting that. "I didn't put it together with the curse seal until earlier, in the hospital. I should have."

"Naruto, why are you saying this?" she asked, worried at the melancholy tone he was using.

"I told you not to worry. I said that Sasuke was made of stronger stuff, and that he'd never give into something like that. I promised you that everything would be okay. And then it wasn't. And then I promised I'd bring him back for you, and I couldn't even do that. I'm sorry, Sakura-chan."

Sakura awoke feeling shaken. While it was nothing new to have cohesive dreams about her past, it had been a long time since the last one, and it was definitely rare to have one so clear. Why was she remembering that day, of all days, now of all times?

Feeling strange, Sakura brought her hands to her face to learn that - just as on that day by the bridge after Naruto's apology - she was crying.

* * * * *

Okay, originally this was meant to be much longer. The girls' mission (the next chapter) was all supposed to be here. However, it was getting too long, and I was having trouble tying it all together, which is one of the reasons it's been taking so long. So I decided to split it. Probably not in half, as the next chapter will still most likely be longer than this one once it's done, but this was the best splitting point I could find.

Reviews are always appreciated, as are plugs to your friends. ^_^