Shinobi (Sequel to Otokage)

One Day.

"Sakura-chan, let's get dinner! I'll pay, dattebayo!"

Well she sure as hell wasn't denying that offer. At around eight in the evening, Kabuto let her off for day day, probably because of that rigorous spar she participated in four hours before. Naruto happily dragged her around town while babbling for a solid few minutes before realizing that he had never been in this village before, therefore he had absolutely no idea where he was going.

He turned around, his hand still clasped tightly around hers.

"Uh.. so... you know any good places?" he asked. Sakura chuckled and led him in the opposite direction towards the center of the village.

"I know this great ramen shop a few minutes from here."

"Ramen?! Let's go!!"

It was the place she'd frequent if she was in a noodle type of mood. It had great food, wasn't too crowded, and was an unsuspecting restaurant she'd sometimes bring diplomats to. They sat in a cozy corner of the shop where Naruto grinned excitedly in his seat.

"So this is where you've been this whole time? I like it. It's not Konoha, but it's still really nice."

A waitress came and set a pair of sake bottles and cups on the table before taking their orders, giving a short polite bow, then leaving. Sakura poured herself a drink.

"Oto's wonderful. I wouldn't trade it for the world."

There was a twinge in his eyes for a moment before they were shadowed over in warmth.

"As long as you're happy, Sakura-chan."

When their ramen came, Naruto's eyes lit up like lanterns as he broke his chopsticks apart and wolfed his food down, not before yelling a cheery 'itadakimasu'. Sakura went at a far more leisurely pace while listening to what her old friend had to say.

"I'm gonna try to be Hokage soon." he said with a mouth stuffed with pork, "That's why I'm out here with ero-sennin. He said somethin' about about a waterfall near here that'll help with training. But it'll be frozen, huh? I wonder if that's fine. And 'course that means I get to stay here a while."

"Stay here as long as you like, I don't mind."

She gave him a hard look.

"Just don't do anything stupid."

Naruto made a face at the accusation, noodles hanging from his mouth. He quickly slurped them up and took a sip of his sake. His nose scrunched up at the taste.

"Whoa! Crap, this is, like, really strong stuff, 'ttebayo! Sakura-chan, when did you turn into Tsunade-baa-chan?" he whined. She childishly stuck her tongue out at him, happy when she incited a small laugh. Outside, a thin layer of snow covered rooftops and streets, contrasting prettily from the backdrop of buildings and lulled city dwellers. She was brought back into the conversation when she was asked a question.

"Hey, Sakura-chan?"

"Hm?"

"This whole Kage business... you, Gaara, and Kakashi-sensei are the only ones I know. I've asked them a million times but they only give me these answers I don't really get. Do you have any advice on being a Kage?"

Sakura placed her sake cup down. Advice? None had been given to her when she first took up the position and she could only rely on Bunko and her advisors on things like this. But for a while, she had been acting like her mentor until she found the insight to do things her own way. Thought if there was one thing she had to offer him...

"The world isn't black and white." Sakura said with downcast eyes, "There are an infinity of shades in between."

She remembered what Kakashi had talked to her about after the council members had their fill of information. He brought her down to the deepest room in the restricted section of the archives.

Kakashi skimmed the shelves as Sakura glanced at her surroundings. She had never been in the places before or had ever thought that this place existed this far into the restricted section. She thought it was a stupid idea to bring the Kage of a village he wasn't even in an alliance with to one of the most classified information hubs in Konoha, if not the most classified area. She sighed inwardly. Perhaps it was the fact he thought she was the same as she was back then?

"Here."

He set an abnormally thick folder in her hands, bound by numerous strips of tape and staples.

"If you're going to have the majority of the Uchiha under your order, then this is something that you should know."

On the tab were thick black letters.

STATUS: COMPLETE

HIGHLY CLASSIFIED

RANK: S

KAGE ACCESS ONLY

"Read it when you're back in your village. After you do, burn it or put it some place no one else can find it."

She nodded while placing the folder in a small storage scroll and tucked it in a pocket hidden inside her belt. He led her back out into the main hallway of the tower.

"Don't worry about seeing the inside of the archives." Kakashi said with a chipper smile, "The whole room changes every hour."

::

Upon her return to Otogakure late at night, she retired to her apartment for the day. She was ready to take a quiet nap in the comfort of her own home when her fingers brushed a cylindrical outline in the tough material of her belt. Sakura sat at her desk and summoned the folder, rubbing her eyes at the tons of papers crammed inside.

She turned to the first page-- the list of mission details.

CONDITION: OFF THE RECORD

Her eyebrows furrowed as she read the red of the page and turned to the next, the beginning of the mission log. It was in a far too familiar handwriting.

My name is Uchiha Itachi, and I have accepted the mission to eradicate the Uchiha Clan.

Sakura unconsciously pressed the seal on her thigh through the fabric of her pants.

"Huh? Eh... that's kinda something like what Gaara said..." Naruto mumbled, "But what does that mean?!"

Sakura smiled and continued eating her ramen, her previous thinking masked for no one else to see.

"You'll learn, Naruto. One day."