Chapter Twenty Two

"Thank goodness." Tsunade breathed seeing Sakura walk through the leaf village gates with Naruto and Kakashi by her side.

"Take these two-" Sakura ordered a nearby shinobi, "-lock her up and take the old one down to interrogation."

"Yes Commander." The ninja bowed his head before he and another shinobi grabbed Hanare and the elder from the lock village.

"Why do you...?" Tsunade trailed off watching the two get dragged away.

"My favorite pass time." Sakura smirked.

"You're going to questioned them?" Tsunade guessed as chills ran up her arms, recalling Sakura 'questioning' Hanare.

"More or less." Sakura shrugged her shoulders as she watched Raiden whine about being tired.

"What does that mean?" Tsunade did not want to know the answer.

"It means-" Sakura turned to answer as a nearby shinobi grabbed Tsunade pulling a kunai from his pouch. Kakashi moved to grab the young shinobi but he used Tsuande has a human shield pulling a kunai to the front of her throat.

"Whoa!" Everyone braced themselves surrounding the village Hokage and the shinobi, Kakashi took a step back giving the shinobi space so he wouldn't feel pressured into harming Tsunade.

"Let her go." Kakashi warned pulling out a kunai.

"Let Kato go!" The shinobi snapped back.

"Who?" Sakura blinked glancing at Carver who looked just as confused.

"The old man-" The shinobi explained further, "-let him go!"

"Another spy." Sakura nodded to herself, her eyes felt heavy and her chakra was heavily depleted, she lightly shook her head trying to jump start her brain.

"I am sleeper cell." The shinobi nodded, "I have been here for-"

"Boy-!" Sakura snapped heavily not in the mood, Naruto flinched at her charged voice. "-look around you, what are your chances of getting out of this alive?"

"I..."

"Didn't think that through, did you?" Sakura asked. "I don't give a fuck how long you have been here, or who you work for. Let the pregnant woman go and then you can go around with me." Kakashi glanced at Sakura, feeling unsettled by this idea since he found out her chakra was low.

"Why would I want to do that?" The boy laughed. "One round with the Reaper is like being thrown into a pit with a pack of hungry wolves, I'll be slaughtered instantly."

"So, you want to draw out your death?" Sakura questioned.

"I am not dying today." He snickered.

"Oh." Sakura nodded, "You really think you're going to collect that old bag and just walk on out of here, don't you?"

"Yes, if you don't want your Hokage to die-" The boy was cut off by Sakura's eyes igniting into their familiar Christmas Wreaths, the shinobi stood no chance as his mind was tipped back into a pool of enchantment. Kakashi moved forward taking this chance to grab the boy, yanking him away from Tsunade which broke Sakura's hold over him.

"What?" The shinobi blinked looking around confused. "What happened?"

"You're an idiot." Sakura answered.

"Everyone knows not to look into her eyes." Carver muttered shaking his head.

"Well enjoy jail." Raiden waved, "Can I go home now?"

"Yes." Sakura sighed knowing she wouldn't be able to go to her new home just yet, she had work to do.

"Yes!" Raiden bounced. "I need a hot shower and a good meal!"

"You good?" Sakura questioned Tsunade who held her throat.

"Yeah." Tsunade breathed.

"Can I say I told you so or...?" Sakura trailed off with a smirk.

"Shut up!" Tsunade snapped knowing Sakura was right about Tsunade not tagging along on the trade. "Go home, get some rest-"

"Can't." Sakura said watching the group of shinobi slowly wonder to their separate homes looking sweaty and tired. "I have work to do."

"What?" Tsunade turned to Sakura, "But you just-"

"Yeah I know what I did today." Sakura flashed a grin.

"You need to rest; this isn't the Waterfall Village-"

"You're right." Sakura nodded, "I'm tired, hungry, I need a shower, but we had three shinobi turn on us today. One just held you by the literal neck so..."

"You're going to question the lock village leader."

"I don't think he is the village leader." Sakura said, "I just think he is high up in the chain of command so I might be able to get something useful out of him."

"I wish you wait until morning after some sleep."

"Me too." Sakura shrugged, "But this can't be put on hold."

"Your right, let's go-"

"Um, no." Sakura laughed, "You are the one who needs to go home and relax."

"But-"

"I can handle the old man and that shinobi; it won't even take me that long to rummage through their head so go home and rest. I shouldn't have to lecture you about how stress isn't good for the baby or you at your age."

"My what!?" Tsunade snapped, "My age is-"

"I know-" Sakura said, "-I died for it."

"Wha..." Tsunade breathed not knowing what to say making Sakura laugh.

"I am joking." Sakura said, "Go Tsunade, I got this."

"Well...alright then...but if you need me-"

"You will be my last call." Sakura cracked another joke before turning in the direction of the leaf jail.

Commander Haruno's first stop was following the young boy down into the jail as he kicked and screamed trying to break free. Sakura let out a deep annoyed sigh, he was being held by two black ops members and she was following them, did he really think he could get free and run?

It took the two shinobi as well as a guard to chain the boy down to the chair inside one of the interrogation rooms.

"Commander-" Ibiki called walking into the room. "-what are you-?"

"I am in the middle of something." Sakura said gesturing to the thrashing kid across from her. "What do you need?"

"I assumed I would be questioning this boy."

"Oh? Why is that?"

"Because it's my job?" Ibiki bowed his head, "Please let me do this Commander." Sakura studied Ibiki for a long second.

"No." Sakura answered, "I need you in the other room working over, what was his name?" Sakura asked the young spy, "Kato?"

"The Lock Village ninja?" Ibiki asked.

"Yes." Sakura confirmed, "The old one who looks like he is just about ready to die." Ibiki couldn't stop the smirk from rising on his face from Sakura's stale comment turning and exited the room.

"Ah, Ibiki!" Inoichi called, moving towards him as he closed the door. "Are you ready for the long night?"

"What?"

"I was told we have two spies we need to interrogate." Inoichi said, "Which one do you want-"

"Commander Haruno is already with the young one."

"What?" Inoichi stated, "Why-"

"She said to start working on the older man while she is with the kid."

"Why is she inside there to begin with!?"

"You and I both have seen what she can do, I believe she will be fine-"

"That is not what I meant!" Inoichi snapped, "I seen Haruno with Hanare, I know what she can do. Why is she in there doing our jobs!? She can't just walk into this village and act like she owns the place."

"I don't think that is what she is doing in the slightest-"

"Ugh!" Inoichi spat, angered that Ibiki wasn't agreeing with him. "Let's go!"

"Where are you going?" Ibiki wondered.

"To break the old man before Haruno has the chance to!" Inoichi spat, sounding like their next move was obvious.

Sakura stood from her chair having skewed the young boys mind, she found that this kid was useless. Sakura understood now why Kato was so adamant on getting his hands on Hanare, she was his golden goose.

Sakura walked from one room to the other, her mind set on getting these two 'interviews' over and done with as fast as she could before running out of chakra and passing out for three days. She nodded at the guard on duty before opening the room Kato was being held in, she was greeted with brisk screaming.

Sakura fluttered her eyes, feeling deeply confused as to why Inoichi was screaming at Kato who shouted back as a response and Ibiki was leaning against the back wall minding his business.

"Oh-" Ibiki stood up, "-Commander, your already done with the kid?"

"Yeah..." Sakura looked around. "-What um...what's going on in here?"

"What does it look like?" Inoichi snapped in a hostile tone drawing his fist back and smashing it against Kato's face, drawing blood to trickle down his chin.

"It looks like I am walking into a really bad joke." Sakura muttered to herself as she let the door close behind her. "Why are you here?" Sakura directed to Inoichi.

"This is our job-" Inoichi pointed to himself and Ibiki, "-we do the interrogations-"

"Mhm..." Sakura pulled her lips together. "...and how is that going for you?"

"We just got started!"

"Yes, I can see this." Sakura said, "I'm taking over."

"What--No!" Inoichi said.

"Uh, yeah."

"Why!?"

"Because I can do it faster."

"No, you-"

"I already finished with the kid." Sakura commented. "Back up before you completely shut this man down from-"

"This is a mistake-!" Inoichi growled as he did as told and backed towards the wall.

"Well-" Sakura said, "-you can be the judge of that in the other room."

"Your kicking us out of our own-"

"I sure am." Sakura said, annoyed and tired. "Life's a bitch, get out."

Inoichi muttered insults under his breath but once again, did as his commander ordered.

"Did he get anything out of him?" Sakura questioned Ibiki.

"No." Ibiki replied with a light sigh. "He isn't talking."

"I see." Sakura nodded, "Thank you." She excused him to follow Inoichi out of the room.

Once alone together Sakura sighed as she settled into the hard metal chair which irritated her sore back, Sakura gazed over the table inside the chilled interrogation room as the lock village elder known as 'Kato' sat chained before her. He kept his eyes on the silver table as Sakura studied him.

"Not much for talking now?" Sakura asked feeling her stomach turn in hunger as her head began to hurt.

"I have nothing to say." Kato snapped, spitting a mix of blood and saliva onto the table.

"Oh?" Sakura tilted her head, "I excepted a long drawn out speech filled to the brim with excuses to save your ass."

"I will say nothing until my village-"

"Aw, you think I am going to contact your village for them to help you?" Sakura laughed, "Yeah, no."

"What? But you must-"

"I don't have to do a damn thing." Sakura countered, "The fact you're not dead right now is nothing short of a miracle."

"They will pay-"

"Your village has nothing I want."

"We can give you money-"

"I already have money."

"We-We can give you information-"

"I don't need your secondhand dirt." Sakura leaned back in her chair, feeling Inoichi and Ibiki's scorching eyes on her back.

"Surely is there something you want!"

"There is-" Sakura leaned over the table, causing Kato to look up into her trap, "-I want to burn your village to the ground." Sakura grinned like a Cheshire cat as her eyes shifted slipping into his unsuspecting mind.

----

Kakashi walked through the leaf village streets, his hands in his pockets as his mind was in a daze. He left his apartment building after knocking and waiting nearly twenty minutes for Sakura to answer her door, but she never did. Kakashi concluded she was not there, possibly inside her office?

Kakashi strolled past ichiraku ramen where Naruto's traveling voice caught his ear.

"Why isn't she answering!?" Naruto whined.

"Maybe Sakura is just tired?" Hinata guessed. "You heard Tsunade earlier, she was low on chakra. Maybe she just went home and fell asleep?"

"Yeah..." Naruto sighed, "...I just want us to hang out with her!"

"I know." Hinata giggled, "But remembered today was only her second day back."

"You're right." Naruto flashed a goofy wide grin towards his girlfriend. "Hm?" Naruto looked over his shoulder believing to have caught silver hair in his peripheral vision but saw no one standing behind them.

Kakashi felt a little bad, he wouldn't have minded spending a little time with Naruto, but he was searching for Sakura, there were so many things he needed to talk with her about.

"Seems like their having trouble finding her as well." Kakashi sighed to himself.

There was a time where Kakashi was always the one beside her...Kakashi felt pain inside his chest as he wondered to her office, he missed those simple days in the sun.

He knocked on her office door, after a long moment he opened it and walked in only to be met with a darkened room.

"Well..." Kakashi sighed disappointed walking into the room looking around, he felt so proud of her. He hadn't even been able to congratulate her on her new job. For so long he and his team bothered Sakura about leaving the waterfall village to come here and now that moment has finally arrived, no one could find her.

Kakashi looked to the front of her desk, his eye hardened recalling the kiss Itachi shared with his cherry blossom. Kakashi's stomach dropped, was she with him!?

Kakashi scanned over the room once more before turning to leave, Kakashi stopped his exit as he spotted a familiar phone sitting on the desk.

"She doesn't have her phone?" Kakashi spoke to himself, he furrowed his brows feeling even more confused. Sakura always had her phone.

Where was Sakura!?

Kato fell forward limp in the seat as he stared off into a daze, Sakura slowly rose from her chair licking her chapped lips as she exited the room.

"Did you kill him!?" Inoichi's rough voice rattled the hallway and he and Ibiki joined her in the hallway. Sakura blinked her vision clear, placing her hand on the wall trying to steady dizzy self.

"No." Sakura breathed looking up at the two shinobi who glared down with disdain at her, on any other day she would have rightfully put them in their place but today she was feeling strained. "Do either of you know a Aoki Suzuki?"

"Who?"

"I'll take that as a no." Sakura breathed, "She is the last spy the Lock Village has inside-"

"Impossible!" Inoichi waved her hand.

"Oh really?" Sakura scoffed, "So, what were the other three who turned on us today then?"

"Aoki Suzuki you said?" Ibiki sighed.

"Yes."

"I will track this woman down and-"

"Throw her in a cell until the morning." Sakura ordered.

"What?" Inoichi questioned, "Why not question her now?"

"Maybe because I have been running around all fucking and I am running low on chakra-"

"I can do it-"

"No, you will not." Sakura instructed.

"Listen here-" Inoichi snapped, "-you may have just taken over a title that was handed to you-"

"You really need to learn when to shut your mouth." Sakura said looking at Ino's father.

"Wh-What!?"

"I didn't stutter." Sakura replied, "If you make me repeat myself then I will gladly head over to the training grounds with you and show you why Tsunade put me in charge and not you."

"I thought you were low on chakra." Inoichi mocked, with this hand on his hips like his daughter did.

"I am-" Sakura confirmed, "-but I can still bend you over and-"

"Alright-!" Ibiki stepped in between the two shinobi. "-Commander Haruno, you have already questioned two of the Lock Village's spies I understand you may be tired but Inoichi is good at his job and can-"

"I never said he wasn't good at what he does." Sakura snapped, "If you stop cutting me off every two fucking seconds, I can tell you that every Lock spy has been trained like Hanare. You take one look into Aoki Suzuki's head and she can slip into yours and there won't be a damn thing you can do to stop it."

"But-"

"I can get around their jutsu, you cannot."

"She is locked up-"

"Would you really risk your villages security because of your man pride?" Sakura questioned.

"No." Inoichi growled, "But we need to discover what this woman has uncovered-"

"From what I could gather from Kato, Aoki is new. Since they were able to slip three spies successfully into this village without being uncovered, Kato thought this would be an easy practice run for Aoki."

"We are not easy-"

"You kind of are." Sakura said, "For now, but since Aoki Suzuki isn't on your radar I highly doubt she has been able to collect anything on us, so throwing her in a jail over night while I get some sleep, I think we will be fine."

"Very well then." Inoichi held his nose up high. "Ibiki and I will track this woman down while you go home and-"

"Watch your mouth." Sakura warned, "I won't be warning you again."

"Excuse us Commander." Ibiki bowed his head as he turned dragging a puffed out Inoichi behind him. Sakura sighed, asking the guard to take Kato to his cell until she was able to deal with him in the morning.

----

A yawn stretched itself out on Sakura's lips as she opened her front door, feeling happy to be done with today. She pulled her hair down from its pony tail, she sighed feeling some of the pain in her head dissipate. Stripping her soiled clothing Sakura stepped into a hot running shower to attempt to wash the stress of the day away.

After a half hour, she stepped out of the bedroom wearing shorts and a lazy baggy shirt. She held one of those gritty meal bar she always ate while inside the waterfall village. Her body ached as she sat on the couch flicking the television on, she didn't have it in her to search for food she may or may not have inside the kitchen.

She licked her lips as she opened the meal bar in her hand, her stomach roared for food punishing the lack of substance by sending waves of nausea throughout her nerves. Sakura looked around the quiet apartment, this felt...odd.

There was no one lurking outside to try and murder her for a job title, no one breathing down her neck and there were no dictatorial eyes staring at her, waiting for Sakura to let down her guard.

This feeling was...different...

A light knock on her front door stopped her mid bite as she turned and stared. Did she want to answer that? Did she have it in her to stay awake any longer and deal with people? But they could be her friends...Sakura groaned as she pulled herself onto burning feet, she careless opened the door as she took her first bite of the meal bar.

"Kakashi?" Sakura muffled staring at him, he gave her a closed eye smile.

"Hello." Kakashi said, glad to have finally found her.

"Er..." Was all Sakura's sleepy brain could come up with as she slowly chewed the food in her mouth.

"I found your phone." Kakashi said pulling the dead cell phone from his pocket, Sakura tilted her head remembering she had forgotten the stupid thing in her office since it became useless to her.

"You were in my office?" Sakura asked,

"Uh, yes..." Kakashi nervously laughed, "...I was looking for you."

"Me?"

"Yes."

"Why?" Sakura wondered tilting her head to the side making Kakashi grin under his mask.

"I just wanted to make sure you were alright." Kakashi explained handing the phone off. "You were injured and-"

"I already told you-" Sakura sighed annoyed.

"What is that?" Kakashi cut Sakura off eyeing the despised meal bar.

"Uh-" Sakura shook her head trying to remember words. "-dinner." She was holding it up.

"You're eating that...for dinner?" Kakashi slowly repeated.

"Yeah. I used to eat them all the time, they are not that bad-" As Sakura explained why she had so many boxes of these things.

Kakashi recalled to the conversation he had with Carver when he and Raiden first moved into the leaf village. Where he discovered those two including Sakura would eat almost nothing but those flavorless meal bars.

When Sakura and Kakashi started to date, he made it a personal goal of his to always make sure she ate a hot homemade meal when she came around. Kakashi swallowed the lump in his throat as he wondered when the last time, she had an actual meal was.

"Can I make you dinner?" Kakashi asked out of the blue, Sakura looked up at his masked face unable to hide her shock.

"Uh...what?"

"Can I make you dinner?" Kakashi repeated.

"I...I don't even think I have anything in the kitchen to make food with." Sakura softly laughed.

"Oh?" Kakashi asked looking past Sakura to the kitchen, where he wanted to be.

"This is my second day living here so..."

"I thought Tsunade and Carver got this place ready for you."

"They did-" Sakura nodded, "-they clean and decorated but I never actually noticed if I was left food. Wait, do I have coffee?" Sakura asked herself realizing she may not have her favorite drink for when she has to drag herself out of bed in the a few hours.

"May I?" Kakashi asked, fighting back the urge to just walk into her apartment like Naruto and the others can.

"Um..." Sakura responded, "...sure." She stepped aside letting him move into the apartment.

"Thank you." Kakashi grinned feeling delighted as he plucked the plastic wrapped bar from her hand.

"Hey-" Sakura turned.

"Don't ruin your dinner."

"That is my-"

"What would you like me to make?" Kakashi asked moving to Sakura's kitchen, much to his elation Sakura's kitchen was fully stocked with an assortment of food and seasonings.

"Um..." Sakura muttered looking at the floor, "...chef's choice?" Kakashi chuckled he turned to gaze at her, his eye trailed down her face and over her exposed body.

Damn she never looked better.

"I'll make your favorite." Kakashi decided clearing the dirty thoughts from his mind, earning Sakura's interest as Kakashi pulled the ingredients for chicken alfredo, she sat on one of the bar stools. She always loved to watch him cook.

"So..." Sakura said after some time of her stomach growling from the mouthwatering smells leaking from the kitchen.

"So." Kakashi repeated not looking away from the sauce.

"Thanks for bringing my phone."

"Of course." Kakashi replied. Sakura looked down at the tile letting the conversation die, she was so tired she had no clue what to say. "There was something I wanted to talk to you about." Kakashi said after the silence threatened to swallow him whole.

"Oh?"

"Uh, yes." He said pouring the white sauce over bowls of noodles and grilled chicken, handing her one. Kakashi took a seat beside Sakura as his heart pounded in his chest catching sideways glances of her.

"And that would be...?" Sakura trailed off taking a bite of the delicious food, Kakashi was always the best cook. Sakura's eyes widened, her lips parted as she watched Kakashi pull his mask down, her heart skipped seeing his exposed face.

"Why you found me down in the jail." Kakashi answered, giving Sakura a mouthful of dread as she quickly looked away from his gaze. She sighed setting for fork down feeling the tension gearing up.

"I already know." Sakura said feeling her heart fill with a feeling like wet sand.

"Yo-You do?"

"Yeah, Hanare and I had a chance to talk-" Sakura bit her lip, "-before I burned her mind." She took a bite looking ahead of her, not daring to seal a glimpse of his handsome face.

"And?"

"I know about your visits with her, if you want to see her, I'm not going to stand in the way, but I don't recommend you-"

"Visits?" Kakashi furrowed his brows confused. "I only went and seen her once."

"That's not what she said." Sakura sighed. "Your mind might still be-"

"Hey-" Kakashi said, reaching over placing his fingers lightly under her chin to make her look at him. "-I know for a fact I only went down there once, I was angry-"

"You, angry?"

"You were right, the illusion I had placed over me is breaking apart. The past months I was with Hanare I believed I was with you-" Sakura's eyes widened hearing Kakashi's words. "-she used how I feel about you to create a world where I thought you were still alive, and she wilfully played the part of you."

"Kakashi-"

"I am so sorry I called you by her name." Kakashi breathed, "I thought-"

"I know." Sakura smiled weakly, "You still need time to figure out-"

"I don't need time to figure anything out." Kakashi stated fully cupping the side of Sakura's face. "I know how I feel about y-"

Kakashi and Sakura turned hearing a hastened round of knocking on the front door.

"Expecting anyone?" Sakura joked loving the smile that flourished over his face. With the bowl of steaming food in her hand; she was not going to part with this food. She took a large bite as she pulled the door open.

"Saku-" Carver looked up from mindless gazing at the floor "-Kakashi?" Carver blinked looking from the masked shinobi who turned hearing his name. Kakashi gave his signature closed eye smile as Carver turned to search Sakura's face for answers as confusions laced his brain.

"Is the sky falling?" Sakura asked.

"What? Er, no-"

"Then leave-"

"We have a problem." Carver stated.

"You're going to have bigger problems if you don't fuck off." Sakura exasperated.

"You have been requested at the front gates of the village." Carver brushed off Sakura's threat.

"I have visitors?" Sakura wondered to herself for a moment. "Who?"

"You're not going to like it..."

"Who is here?" Kakashi asked walking to Sakura's side.

"Dawn as well as...Kaguya..." Carver answered tasting the waters as he gauged Sakura's reaction.

"What?" Sakura frowned, furrowing her brows together showing her confusion, "Why are they-"

"Kaguya has demanded that you return with her to the Waterfall Village." Carver breathed the news to the soldier and the shinobi.

"Demanded?" Sakura scoffed at the ridiculous word, but Kakashi looked down at Sakura with a disquiet feeling quickly filling his bones.

"They also said..." Carver went on raining on Sakura and Kakashi's parade.

"Yes?" Sakura waved him on to spit it out.

"If you don't return with them to the Waterfall Village, Kaguya will wage war against us."

Sakura turned to Kakashi who softly touched her lower back as he densely absorbed this information. He finally got Sakura back, it had only been mere days since she had returned home. She hadn't had the chance to even breathe and acknowledge the fact she was home and they...they hadn't had one moment alone together until now, Kakashi looked down at Sakura, leaving him feeling more disconcerted than ever before.