Chapter One

Out from the Shadows

Bone-chilling.

It was the phrase that came to mind when Sakura was waylaid in the streets by a masked ANBU operative that managed to materialize out of the inky shadows on that moonless, rainy night. The sound of water rushing down the sodden streets, and careening through the storm drains was the only thing Sakura could hear as the masked nin pressed a sealed scroll into the palm of her left hand. The rain was a nuisance to merchants and shopkeepers since the natives seemed to track mud with them wherever they walked. Only the nin were careful enough not to make messes, which is why it wasn't surprising that the Konoha elite managed to keep the scroll dry in the torrential downpour.

The ANBU nin was a full head taller than Sakura, entirely covered from head to toe so that nothing would give away his identity. Sakura's lips parted to ask a question, but the ANBU Op spoke before she could. "Keep it secret, Haruno." The deep timbre of the operative was unfamiliar to her, but he withdrew immediately, dispersing back into the shadows from whence he came before Sakura could so much as blink. The medic closed her fingers around the scroll, tucking it inside an inner coat pocket as she glanced over her shoulder to make sure no one was watching. But the streets were quiet on that crisp night; save for the continual pattering of raindrops, no other souls were in sight.

Sakura shivered, but it wasn't because of the cold.

What could the Black Ops possibly want with me? She stood beneath the awning of Ichiraku's, having opted out of going in when Naruto volunteered to get her food. She wondered just how long that ANBU Op had been tracking them – or more accurately, her. She wanted to ignore his warning about keeping the scroll secret, but gut instinct told her that she had better do as requested. At least until she was alone to read it, and then she would weigh her options about sharing whatever it was with her teammates. A moment later, the restaurant door opened and her teammates spilled out onto the wooden porch with to-go bags clutched in their fists.

Naruto swung an arm around her shoulders and pulled her tightly against his ribs. "You wanted the spicy miso ramen, right Sakura-chan?"

"Uh, yeah," Sakura answered, still trying to shake off the fact that she had been caught off guard by the ANBU Op. She tried to reason that they didn't call them the elite for nothing, but it still bothered her that one had managed to pull the proverbial wool over her eyes. She reminded herself that she too was an esteemed kunoichi – even highly respected, and her instincts were still as sharp as the kunai she was fisting in her right hand. It had taken her half a heartbeat to realize that the ANBU elite was one of Konoha's own, and the pulling of said kunai was only a formality to let him know she didn't appreciate the manner in which he'd chosen to approach her. Now that the shock was wearing off, a tiny surge of vexation warmed her blood. She hoped one day she would find out who the ANBU Op was so she could return the favor… Sakura expertly spun the kunai twice around her middle finger before pocketing the blade.

"Good, because that's what we got you," said Naruto.

"He was going to get you regular miso, but I had to remind him that–"

"–Shut up, Sai!" Naruto interrupted before Sai could finish ratting on him, and ceremoniously thumped him in the middle of the back for good measure.

Sakura grinned at the turn of an eyeroll and pushed out from Naruto's crushing embrace, playfully shoving him out into the street as Sai opened an umbrella. Sakura linked her arm at the elbow with Sai's, taking the to-go bag so he could concentrate on holding the umbrella up high enough for all three of them to fit beneath – but more importantly, to keep their food from getting wet.

"Do you think it's ever going to stop raining?" Naruto groaned as they crossed the street and headed down the opposite sidewalk towards Sakura's house. The three of them had just returned from a diplomatic visit to Suna, and not even the frigid rain could deter them from their beloved tradition of stopping at Ichiraku's before going home. (Even if that rain had begun as soon as they crossed into the border of River Country.) It was barely spring in Konoha, and the atmosphere seemed reluctant to let go of winter. In fact, when they left just two weeks prior, there was six inches of snow on the ground.

"It could be worse," Sakura said now, "it could still be snow."

"I think I prefer the snow," Naruto complained, pinching the saturated fabric of his jacket between his thumb and forefinger. "I've about expended my chakra just to try and keep warm."

Sakura almost laughed. Naruto had an unnatural amount of chakra – she didn't like it when he joked about expending it because it reminded her of darker times. It reminded her of the war and how she had almost lost him… Almost lost everything, really.

"I think I actually agree with him on that note," Sai contributed, holding up an index finger in accord. "My ninja art animals are stealthier in the snow. You can barely see them."

Sakura's eyebrows drifted towards her hairline. "You got me there."

"But rain does mean we're getting closer to warmer weather," Naruto added as they plugged on through the wet darkness.

After The Fourth Shinobi War had ended and things slowed down in Konoha, Sakura purchased a quaint, two-story house in the Hidden Leaf. Her home was nestled within the walls of a charming garden that was overflowing with a vast array of beautiful flora, and even hugged the border of the Fire Country Forest. The location of her house made it seem remote, but it wasn't so far out of the way that the hospital and the Hokage Tower couldn't easily be reached within a few blocks. It was, however, private enough that Sakura didn't have the annoyance of noisy (or nosy) neighbors. And that was a bonus for any nin.

"What time is it anyway?" Naruto wondered aloud.

Sai held up his wrist, tilting the face of his watch towards the skewed light of the street lamp. "It's a little after 8:30," Sai informed him.

"You guys think the old lady will be mad if we wait until tomorrow morning to turn in our mission reports?" Naruto grinned so wide his eyes disappeared between thin slitted lids. "I'm starving, and by the time we finish eating, it'll be time to head home and get to bed."

"Hopefully you have a shower planned somewhere in that series of events," Sakura said with a snort.

"Why–it's not like we haven't been getting rained on for twelve hours."

"Oh, I don't know Naruto, just thought maybe you'd prefer smelling like soap when you run into Hinata," Sakura quipped. "But who knows, maybe she's into the whole musty-forest-stink thing."

"I do not stink," Naruto said, jabbing himself in the chest as the group ascended the steps to Sakura's front door.

"Gonna have to agree with Sakura on this one," Sai added. "There is a slight odor…"

Naruto shifted his weight for dramatic effect as he rolled his eyes heavenward. "You always agree with Sakura anyway."

"I literally just agreed with you two minutes ago about the snow," Sai countered.

Sakura giggled as she slipped her little silver key into the door lock and twisted the handle. She and her teammates stepped inside, momentarily abandoning their to-go bags while they stripped out of their wet jackets and boots, doing their best not to drip too much water on Sakura's living room floor as they made their way into the kitchen. Sakura flipped on the kitchen light and sighed in contentment as the comforting scent of spring lilacs flooded her senses. She spotted a vase on the counter, undoubtedly dropped off by Ino. Judging by the look of the wilting petals, Sakura guessed the arrangement was a week old. And then, as if remembering where their previous conversation left off, Sakura said, "Tsunade-sama probably left for the day hours ago. Since we checked in at the gates, I'll bet word of our arrival has at least reached her by now. I'm sure we'll be fine to turn in those reports in the morning."

"Good, because it wasn't like we were on a serious mission anyway."

Sakura arched a delicate pink eyebrow at her blond companion. "I shouldn't have to remind you about the importance of political alliances and keeping our bonds strong with said allies. If anything, it's good grooming material." And speaking of grooming material… Sakura slipped down her hallway and grabbed a stack of towels from the closet, dispersing them among her friends so they could attempt to dry off while they ate.

"Gaara is like a brother to me. That political stuff just doesn't feel like a job is what I mean." Naruto shrugged. "It was kind of nice shadowing him though – gave me a break from Tsunade's never-ending mound of paperwork."

"I just want you to take it seriously," Sakura said. "I know those missions aren't necessarily action packed and enthralling, but they are experiences you need under your belt for when you become the Hokage."

"Always worrying, huh, Sakura-chan?" Naruto winked and mussed the top of her wet pink head as he passed her in the kitchen.

The boys made themselves at home, opening cabinets to pull glasses and bowls down, reaching into drawers for extra silverware and napkins. Once they located what they needed, the three of them sat down at Sakura's kitchen table and wordlessly consumed their meals. It felt immeasurably good to have hot food in her belly, and Sakura could feel the weight of sleep creeping in on her and had to fight off a yawn when she finished.

"Hey, have either of you heard from Kakashi-sensei?" Sai asked as he set his empty glass in the sink basin.

"I thought he was on a mission in Rain," Naruto provided.

The irony, Sakura thought… "Haven't heard from him, but he should be getting back sometime this week."

"What's he doing in Rain?"

"Probably not getting rained on," Sai said, and Sakura swore she heard the ex-root agent chuckle at his own joke.

"He's helping to stabilize the nation by meeting with their new leaders and providing support where its needed," Sakura informed them. "We don't want to backslide after all the drama that happened with Konan." And Pain for that matter, Sakura added mentally.

"That sounds very Kage-esque of him," Naruto replied, stroking his chin.

"Yes, well, it's something you'll probably be forced to take over once you become Hokage." Sakura mashed her lips together in a show of false sympathy. "Hence why Tsunade had you shadowing Gaara. She's getting your feet wet."

"My feet have been wet for like thirteen hours now."

Sakura laughed at her friend. "Go home, Naruto. Go take a hot shower, put on some dry clothes, and we can talk more about politics in the morning."

"Or we could just meet up in the ole training grounds and get our exercise on," he counterproposed. "None of us has had proper sparring practice in weeks."

"It has been a while," Sakura agreed. "We can do that, but first we have to turn in those mission reports."

"Deal," Naruto said. "Unless you want to make a bet out of it? Loser takes the mission reports to the old lady…"

"No bets!" Sai and Sakura said in unison.

"Bets are strictly prohibited among Team Kakashi," Sakura reminded him. "If you want to make a bet, take it up with Gai-sensei."

"You're just bent out of shape because the last bet we ever made was your idea and no one has ever been able to make good on it," Naruto said with a wry grin.

"Which bet was that again?" Sai asked, his eyebrows furrowing.

"Only the great failure to unmask Konoha's famous Copy Ninja."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "That wasn't my idea."

"Was to!" Naruto insisted. "What's the ante up to anyway?"

"Doesn't matter because it's never going to happen. Besides, that was a bet we made as Genin."

"Ah, before my time then," Sai said.

"Yes," Sakura said, "And we don't talk about things that happened BST."

A frown creased the space between Naruto's eyebrows. "BST?"

"Before Sai's Time."

"Good grief," Naruto complained with a pout that was more befitting of a child than the man that was standing before her. "Pretty sure you just made that up."

"Yeah, well, in Kakashi's absence, I'm the boss of this team, so you have to listen to what I say." Sakura plucked the empty ramen container out of Naruto's hand and deposited it in the waste bin.

Sai snorted. "I think you're the boss regardless of Kakashi's presence."

"That's right," Sakura said with a wicked grin, "and you'll be smart to remember that."

"Yeah, yeah," Naruto said as he swiped a hand up the back of his neck. "I'm heading home. It's been a long day and I'm ready to get out of these wet clothes and get some sleep."

"Do you need any help cleaning up the kitchen?" Sai offered.

"We didn't make that much of a mess." There were only the drinking glasses and a couple of bowls they'd dirtied by divvying up the dipping sauces. "I'll get the rest of this in the morning, you guys head on home."

"See you at the training grounds." Naruto bent and pressed his lips to the top of Sakura's head before sauntering out onto the porch with Sai on his heels. Once they were out, Sakura closed the door, locking it as she shoved off with a tired grin. There once was a time where Sakura would have pummeled Naruto into the next century for trying to be affectionate with her, but Naruto's sweetness was par for the course these days.

So many things had changed between them after the war. Sakura's patience with her boys being at the top of that list. Naruto had matured and was never shy about letting his people know how much he cared for them. It was a purely platonic love, but it was love nonetheless, and Sakura was grateful for their sibling-esque relationship. Sai had changed, too, and inarguably for the better. Physical touch could still be a little tricky for him at times; he was more of the hands-off type, but his communication skills had improved as well as his ability to perceive his teammates emotions. Kakashi had disappeared for a whole year when the war ended, requesting missions that would keep him away from his team and Konoha. Sakura assumed it was his way of dealing with the pain, or maybe not dealing with it. Kakashi liked to grieve in private, keeping himself busy so he wasn't drowning in his emotions, and that was something Sakura could relate to… She no longer saw life through rose-colored lenses. The war had been over for two years, but it had taken all the softness from her – turning her resolve to steel. She worried more, and maybe fussed a little too much over her teammates, but only because she knew how temporary life could be. Only because she loved them and wanted to protect them.

With a delicate sigh, Sakura padded down the hall and up the steps before slipping into her bathroom. She showered slowly, standing beneath the spray long enough for the heat to chase what was left of the cold away. She wrapped in a bath towel and headed for her bedroom, rifling through the drawers to find her favorite pair of black-silk sleeping shorts that hugged her toned waist. Next, she tossed on an over-sized T-shirt she was fairly sure belonged to Naruto, and then picked up a brush and began combing the tangles from her long locks of wet pink hair. That was another thing Sakura decided to change after the war – letting her hair grow back. She liked the way it softened her appearance when it was longer.

The return journey and hours spent in the cold rain had exhausted her, Sakura was eager to climb into bed and get some sleep but something was nagging her – a feeling, she decided, that she had forgotten something… And then all at once it hit her.

The ANBU and his secret scroll.

Sakura swallowed, setting the brush down on the dresser as a little jolt of nerves electrified her senses. She mentally chastised herself for almost forgetting about the scroll, and reasoned that she was just immensely tired from the mission. She slipped back down the stairs, unable to shake the ridiculous notion that someone was watching her. Very few nin had ever managed to sneak up on Sakura apart from the creepy and almost supernatural ways of the ANBU Black Ops. Sakura could make herself hidden if she needed to, but the ANBU group seemed to be ghosts personified. Sakura squeezed the back of her neck to keep the goosebumps at bay as she approached her jacket still hanging in the small foyer. A tiny puddle of water had collected on the linoleum, but Sakura didn't care. She just wanted to get her hands on that scroll.

She fished the rolled parchment from her pocket, turning it over in her hand as she swept her thumb over a wax seal with an emblem she didn't recognize.

A frown creased her brow.

A sharpened point pressed between two vertebrae of her lower spine and stole the breath from Sakura's lungs… A kunai, she realized, was a few mere centimeters away from severing the nerves in her lumbar region.

Sakura didn't have time to think – she could only react.

oOoOo

Hello my darling readers. It's been a while, but I'm back with a new KakaSaku fic. Hoping to update regularly on Wednesdays.

This one takes place two years after the 4th Shinobi War, so bear with me through some regurgitated information with our beloved characters as we get to the plot.

This'll be rated 'M' for mature audiences. There is a plot, but not without a little delicious sin.

XOXO
~Sparrow