In the Blink of an Eye (Sasusaku)

Desert Sands

The newborn sun crept over the shadowed horizon, it's young rays bathing the village of Konoha in its heavenly warmth. Hues of blush, marigold, and citrus bloomed across the limitless sky, their light illuminating the shadowed corners of the office. Hiruzen leaned back in his seat as he chewed on his tobacco pipe, enjoying the view of the new dawn in silence. His peace, however, was interrupted when three crisp knocks sounded on his door, followed by quick footsteps.

"Hokage-sama," one of his shinobi guards greeted him as he entered the room. Hiruzen sat up in his chair, turning away from the tower window to face the guard.

"What is it?"

"They're here, Hokage-sama. The jonin you sent for from Sunagakure," the shinobi explained, his spine rigid as he delivered the report.

Folding his hands atop his desk, Hiruzen lifted the pipe from his mouth, letting the smoke roll off his lips and into the air. They're already here?

"Send them in," he ordered the guard with a wave of his hand. Adjusting himself in his chair, the Third Hokage gazed at his village from the tower window once more. "And one more thing," he added before he could hear the guard leave. "Send for Tsunade Senju."

Hiruzen didn't have to turn around to know that the guard had nodded, his footsteps leading him out of the office as the door closed with a click. The Hokage observed as Konohagakure rose with the sun, sighing as he took another puff from his pipe.

So it begins, he thought to himself, his chapped lips falling into a deep frown.

________________________________

Just one last time.

Chakra gathered in Sakura's chest; the powerful essence pooling into her stomach. Her fingers flew rapidly through a series of hand signs, channeling her built up chakra into the scroll in front of her. Come on, come on. She clenched her teeth, her eyes narrowing with determination. Bit by bit the symbols on the scroll lit up, the bold, clouded ink illuminated by the power of her chakra. Almost there...just a little more!

"What are you doing?"

Sakura nearly yelped, her concentration shattered like pieces of a broken mirror. The symbols instantly lost their ethereal glow, reverting once more into useless, dull characters. The kunoichi huffed in irritation, swiftly standing up from the hardwood floor with clenched fists.

"I was concentrating, Sasuke!" She resisted the urge to stomp her foot, instead settling for shooting the boy an accusing glare. "Why did you interrupt me?" I was so close to finishing that jutsu! The Uchiha wrinkled his nose at her, not bothering to respond as he peeked over her shoulder at the scroll behind her.

"What is that?" His brows furrowed before rising high on his forehead. "Is that fuinjutsu?"

Following his eyes, Sakura hastily kicked the scroll closed, using her body to block his view of the scroll. "Nope," she answered too quickly, blocking his half-hearted attempts to look past her. "It's just medical ninjutsu."

"Sakura, I'm not an idiot," the boy pointed out, abandoning his attempts to peek at the scroll and instead leveling with her gaze. "Why are you practicing fuinjutsu?"

For you, her mind responded almost immediately, but the kunoichi bit her lip to keep the words from spilling out. She met the Uchiha's intense gaze with slight panic, pressing herself to think of an excuse for teaching herself an A-rank fuinjutsu. What should I say? Thankfully, her luck seemed to swoop in and save her in the form of her annoying blond teammate.

"Can you guys stop talking, please?" Naruto whined from under the covers, his face fully buried in the pillow beneath him. "Do you have any idea how early it is? I need my energy for the exams!"