Sold

Consider Me A Friend

Hidden in complete darkness, not even a candle to show what was around him, an anbu black ops member retreated inwards, taking refuge inside his mental fortress. There was a mask covering his face, leaving him in greater solitude.

Inside his mind, the anbu listened closely for the voice he searched for. 

You must be here, my lord, speak to me, he pleaded. Surely his lord would hear this call. Of course, the priorities of such a man were above the weakness the anbu posed, but the wisdom his lord carried was something he craved after so many years starved of it. Something mocking amusement slipped into his mind. That failure was over three years ago, now. Had it really been that long since the anbu's first true failure?

'You ask of my presence?" A voice spoke back to him.

Instantly falling to his knees, the anbu bowed his head and knelt before the man. "Lord Hiruzen," he began.

"Fox" Lord Hiruzen's responses were short; choppy. Had the anbu done something wrong again? "You request my aid again, do you?"

He nodded, a grunt accompanying the action. There was no need for anymore words from him.

"I see. Allow me to enlighten you then." Lord Hiruzen picked up a cup of matcha and drank it slowly, savoring the flavour.

************

The sun was incredibly warm today, a pleasant sensation  on the skin. With wide eyes full of hope and determination, Sakura stood just outside Kakashi Sensei's hospital room. Lady Tsunade insisted that the Jonin check himself in and receive a medical examination after such a strenuous mission. The injury inflicted upon Sakura was healed already, having patched herself up as soon as they returned to the village. No sense in having her in the hospital taking up space when she could be of greater use on missions or attending to the wounded within the hospital.

Sakura knocked on the door, hesitating before trying to enter. She wonders what Kakashi Sensei asked her for. Were they to go on another mission already? Who was she kidding, there was so much to be done that downtime could not be afforded. She had to do as much as she could to help the village out.

Stepping inside the room after an appropriate amount of time, Sakura laid eyes on Kakashi, who was busy reading his book. As if she expected anything else. At least there was something consistent in her life. 

"You asked for me, Kakashi Sensei?" her inquiry was light. He looked up from his novel and smiled.

"Oh, Sakura. Great to see you there. Take a seat." 

Sakura pressed her eyebrows together. This was straight forward, even for him. Sitting on the stool beside his bed, the kunoichi placed her hands in her lap and listened carefully.

Kakashi sat up, groaning with the action. "There's a mission you need to complete for Lady Tsunade. Thanks to our efforts in retrieving Gaara, we were able to secure some important information about the Akatsuki's next moves. Lady Tsunade ask that you go along on the mission."

"Will you be coming with me?" it felt like a redundant question to ask, yet Sakura felt compelled to, anyways. 

"Not in this condition. I have found a substitute though. An old friend of mine."

"Will it be your friend and I alone of this mission?" Sakura tried to gather as much information as possible. The more she knew about what was going on, the higher her chances of success were.

Kakashi Sensei seemed to smile under his mask. "Actually, I found two members to join you on team seven."

Sakura was taken aback with this. Three members? Really? Even in the beginning it was only Sasuke and her, yet now there would be three of them? She felt slightly excited over this. Hopefully she won't disappoint them.