Author's note: Thanks for the comments and favs ^.^

Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, it would be called Gaara.

Kelly stood with team Seven in the mission-room, watching the Daimyo's wife snuggle Tora the cat, cooing obnoxiously. She suppressed a sigh. The Hokage looked at them with a slight smile, and started listing off possible missions.

"Hmm. Kakashi's team seven, your next mission is... hmm, Babysitting an elder's grandson, shopping in the next village, potato digging..."

"Hmm, shopping in the next village sounds kinda fun," Kelly said, smiling to Naruto. "It's low-profile, but we've never been out of Konoha before..."

Naruto looked at Kelly like she was daft. "No way!" he screeched. "It's so boooring! We need to do something cooler!"

Kelly raised an eyebrow. "Says the man who keeps messing up our freaking D-rank missions. How can you get weeding wrong?"

"But! But! It's just wasting my potential! We need to do something better! You know, a more incredible mission!"

"You idiot!!" Iruka-sensei broke out, and Kelly relaxed her attention a bit as he followed the same speech she'd heard a million times. It was comforting when things went according to plan even if she changed her role a little bit. Kelly occupied her attention by reviewing the chapter headings of her healing manuals. While she hoped she wouldn't have to use the information, it was highly unlikely that Kelly had gotten strong enough to change the outcome of the Wave Country mission. Fortunately for her, Sakura doesn't actually have to use any ninja techniques at all, so Kelly figured things could only improve. According to her map of the Narutoverse, Wave Country was roughly the same distance from Konoha as Suna was from Konoha, and Suna was three days away. So it rather stood to reason that Wave country would be three days away too. Kelly broke herself out of her calculations when Tazuna walked- well, more accurately, stumbled- in the room, proceeded to insult the kids, and insisted on 'Super' protection.

Kelly found herself suppressing a yawn as Kakashi gave them an hour to pack and be at the main gates.

"I really need to sleep more," she said to herself aloud as she dropped by the hospital and left a note for Kabuto to let him know she'd be gone on a mission. One of the nurses looked at Kelly, concerned, and she forced herself to smile as she walked outside and to her apartment. Kakashi, it seemed, was heading the same way; which wasn't terribly surprising as their apartments were on the same block.

"You worried?" Kakashi asked casually. "Looks like we might actually get some action pretty soon."

Kelly shrugged. "If I can get a punch in on Naruto, it's pretty unlikely that a bunch of robbers are going to be able to harm me. Plus, I totally made Naruto show me his Kage Bunshin- so if worse comes to worse I could always make a bunshin or two and run like hell."

"Ah, did he now," Kakashi mused. "How many can you make?"

Kelly snorted. "Like, five. I'm no Naruto, that's for sure."

"Few people are. Are you bringing your medical gear?" Kakashi asked.

Kelly looked at him. "D'ya want to help me pack?" She asked, half-sarcastically.

Kakashi smiled as if she'd extended a genuine offer. "Sure, can't let any harm come to my cute student."

Kelly sighed as she opened the door to her apartment. The place was clean, but that had more to do with her unwillingness to rummage through a dirty apartment when she really wanted that scroll/shirt/weapon that second. "Well, it's my first time out of the village, so I guess it can't hurt to let you help me pack, though I'm half afraid you'll stick an Icha Icha in there." So saying, Kelly pulled out her travel backpack, gave it a cursory inspection to make sure it was still waterproof and acceptable for travel.

"You think you'll be up for this?" Kakashi asked as he sat down and pretended to read his book.

Kelly shrugged. "As you're so fond of telling me, Kakashi-sensei, I passed the Academy graduation, I passed your test, and I've more than pulled my weight in all the missions we've done so far. Plus, you know, I've been studying medical jutsu pretty hard-core, which includes some serious physical training as well."

"Oh?"

"Kabuto-san is fond of telling me that a dead medic-nin does a crappy job of healing," Kelly said, paraphrasing liberally. Kabuto, of course, would never phrase it that crassly. She started tossing items on the bed- weapons, a small grooming kit, clothing, a waterproof bag to put said clothing in, medical supplies, bedroll...

"So you've resolved your... differences with him?" Kakashi asked lightly. Kelly looked at him suspiciously.

"Hmm. I guess that's one way of putting it," Kelly hedged. "I still don't like him, and I really don't trust him, and in a choice between him and any other ninja in the village, he'd lose. But... he's a pretty good teacher. I haven't figured out exactly what he gets out of the deal, but I'm not going to turn down possibly life-saving knowledge over baseless personal differences."

Kakashi laughed softly. "You're awfully paranoid, Kelly. You sure you haven't lived through a war?"

Kelly stuffed the last weapon in the top of her bag, and turned to look at her teacher, henging into her 'original' form. She always felt more assertive in her 19-year-old persona. "Are you sure you have? I, personally, am looking forward to whatever lovely detail about this mission Tazuna-san felt the need to conceal by pretending to be a drunk. Also, you've done a crappy job of-"

Kelly blinked as Kakashi rose from his chair in one fluid motion and planted a firm but extremely unexpected kiss on her lips.

"Helping me pack," Kelly finished lamely. She slowly sank down onto the side of her bed, staring up at the man, who had a slightly amused expression in his eye. "Um, mind if I ask what the hell that was about?" she asked weakly.

"Kiss for the road," Kakashi chirped brightly. "Told you I was helping you pack!" And with that, he shunshin'd out of the room.

Kelly stared at the empty spot he'd left behind for a moment. Life had just gotten much more complicated, she realized slowly, unsure of her own opinion. So saying, she picked up her backpack, almost forgetting to drop her henge before leaving her apartment. You're Sakura, 12 years old, she reminded herself. Try to act like it.

"Let's go!" Naruto yelled when they assembled at the gate. Sakura looked at him.

"You're awfully exited," she noted.

"Of course!" Naruto said, a little bid more exited, like he always was when Sakura paid attention to him. "I've never left the village before!"

"Am I really gonna be safe with this brat?" Tazuna bitched over his shoulder at Kakashi.

"It's a C-rank mission," Sakura said blankly to Tazuna. "We're more than sufficient; if you don't think so, you can always purchase a B or A rank mission and get taller ninja for your money."

"Don't mess with Ninja!" Naruto said, interrupting Sakura's bitching. She stared at Naruto blankly, trying to figure out if he was just oblivious or if there was some sort of cosmic corrector when it came to her actions. Chapter one, she thought to herself, reviewing her medical books again, correcting for chakra imbalances. If the patient is being treated for...

Sakura stopped her review a few minutes later as she stepped over a puddle, her eyes widening as she glanced at Kakashi-sensei. He was, if anything, overly relaxed. So he sees it. I'm gonna kill him for what he does next. As the enemy ninja rose out of the water, Sakura formed three bunshins and formed a protective stance around Tazuna, watching carefully. Sasuke also hardly blinked an eye as Kakashi was 'killed', instead springing into action against the two enemies while Naruto froze completely. Next, they came after her- or rather, Tazuna who stood behind her. Sakura's shadow clones pulled Tazuna back as Sakura prepared to dodge out of the way, but before she could, Sasuke flickered between her and before he could do anything, Kakashi reappeared and grabbed the Demon Brothers.

"Sorry I didn't save you right away, Naruto," Kakashi dead-panned, "I didn't think you'd freeze like that. Good job Sasuke, Sakura."

Sakura looked at Naruto, who was upset, she knew, more from the fact that he hadn't been able to move than that they'd just been attacked. Sighing, she rummaged through her backpack for her medical kit, and flipped through her guide on poisons to look for the likely treatment for the poison Naruto'd just been hit with while Kakashi ran through the situation, waiting for the part where she was supposed to bitch about them needing to go him and get treatment for Naruto.

"...We are now operating outside our duties," Kakashi finished, and Sakura smiled to himself at the finish of his speech. It was time for her to- "Think we should return Naruto to the village for treatment, Sakura?"

Sakura looked up at Kakashi, both to acknowledge he'd spoken to her and to make her surprise at the plot change look like surprise at being asked her opinion. "Well, the poison does need to be drained..."

Naruto furrowed his brow and pierced his own wound with a kunai.

"Naruto! What the hell!" Sakura asked, watching the blood splatter everywhere, knowing that Naruto was lost in his own head and didn't even really hear her.

"With this Kunai, I'll protect the old man!" He announced, trying to sound cool. "We're continuing the mission!"

Sakura sighed and pulled out a bandage as Kakashi teased Naruto about the lack of blood, and then proceeded to bandage the wound. "You're such a masochist, Naruto," she muttered, watching as the wound healed itself. "Just because you recover quickly doesn't mean you should injure yourself on purpose. You trying to give me a heart attack or something?"

Naruto looked up at her guiltily. "S-sorry Sakura-chan," he said, abashed. "I just..."

Sakura nodded, feeling even older than her actual age. "You'll be fine, kid," she said reassuringly. "You can take more injury than the rest of us combined. I just... don't like it."

"Why?" Naruto asked a few minutes later as Sakura started walking with the rest of the group.

Sakura glanced at Naruto. "Why what?" she asked back.

Naruto looked like he was going to say something and stopped himself. "Why- can I take more injury than the rest of us?"

Sakura folded her arms behind her head and looked at the sky for a moment. "Same reason Mizuki-sensei hated you so much," she said cryptically. Naruto jerked. Sakura smiled sadly. "It's an advantage in a life-and-death battle, but it's probably dangerous to take advantage of it too much in everyday situations."

Naruto apologized to the bunny, and Sakura pulled out her med-kit and rummaged for the sewing kit to stitch up the wound Naruto'd left on the animal. "Don't apologize," Sakura said softly, and drew in to whisper in his ear. "It's a snow rabbit- which means there are ninja nearby."

Naruto froze and looked up at Sakura. She smiled at his silence: he'd learned long ago that if she used her 'serious' voice and he wasn't totally silent afterward she beat the living crap out of him. She grinned viciously, feeling her heart rate speed up in anticipation. "And he's probably pretty damn strong too," she whispered to him, "since Kakashi's super-alert."

"Everyone, get down!" Kakashi announced. Sakura grabbed Naruto and hit the dirt, hoping Kakashi or Sasuke made sure Tazuna was alright. A moment later Sakura felt rather than heard Zabuto's huge sword swing over their heads. She looked up and there, standing on the sword sticking out of a tree, was Momochi Zabuza.

"Fuck," Sakura swore softly at the shiver that ran down her spine. The man felt powerful. The three of them stood up and Kakashi announced his knowledge of thie missing nin. Naruto smiled and moved forward slightly to rush at the man, and Sakura darted her hand out, grabbing his arm and digging her fingers into a pressure point that she knew was causing a lot of pain.

"Everybody get back; this one's on a whole other level," Kakashi said. Sakura frowned and pulled Naruto back by Tazuna.

Please, Gods, Kelly thought as she looked at the people around her and coming back out of her Sakura-persona, let them be alright. Let things happen close enough to the plot that we make it through this.