A/N: Thank you all for the reviews, comments, and kudos (AO3). I will try to update regularly, but no guarantees considering these unprecedented times.

Special thanks to my beta-reader PhoebeWeatherfieldx for providing suggestions and not laughing at my idea. Once more, I recommend you all to read herstory "Phoenix from the Flame" – it's sooo good! I also want to thank my other beta-reader Kamil the Awesome for correcting any spelling/grammatical errors. He's a super seasoned author who has been writing for a decade, so I suggest looking at his work too.

Another fic I recommend is "Rewind" by A-Lysdove63. It's a Kakashi x OC piece and it's amazing. Her OC has a unique background and skillset that I think makes her quite interesting. Plus, she's paired with our favorite sensei – Kakashi – so go read!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, except for the non-canon characters.

Mona Lisa

Chapter 2: Ghosts Are (Not) Invisible

Sakura traveled until the bright coming of dawn peeked over the horizon. She paused to watch the morning sunrise and its breathtaking display of radiant colors. Bright streaks of reds and pinks, traces of a light indigo and orange spun as a kaleidoscope of beauty to overcome the bluish black of twilight.

She had landed upon a rock to admire the view, feeling a small warmth with the arrival of a new day. She always favored sunrise over sunset. Waking up to a new day, another day meant she still had opportunities to make a difference.

Even so, she couldn't help but to look down at her right hand, allowing it to clench and release several times. Surpassing the Godaime—her Shishou—one of the Legendary Sannin in terms of pure strength and medical ninjutsu ability were feats Sakura was still proud of. She had caught up to Sasuke and Naruto, their equal by her own means. She had proudly stood next to them without shame, both during and after the war.

There was only one person she couldn't seem to satisfy, regardless of what she did. Her promotion to Jōnin hadn't been enough. Her recommendation for ANBU hadn't been enough. Nothing she did had been enough to open his heart—not even family.

Sakura subconsciously brought a hand over her abdomen. She hated the sudden pain that came over her. She forced her eyes closed, if only to create one more blockade to prevent tears from pouring forth.

"Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry," the pinkette repeated, muttering to her self, as her knees buckled and slumped to the ground. Her breathing was coming quicker, coming with difficulty, and she knew another episode was approaching.

Sakura reached with shinobi precision into her pouch, nimble fingers seeking a small clear bottle of pills. Despite her shaking hands, she slipped a pill between her lips and swallowed it dry.

Even with the pill, she struggled for air during the following few minutes. Sakura ended up falling to her hands and knees, the effort to hold her head still difficult. Eventually though, her breathing slowed to normal and the painful feeling that immobilized her body faded, even if only until it would come again.

She returned the bottle of pills to her pouch, though Sakura hesitated for a moment before returning to her feet. She prayed that she could go longer between episodes. She had a long journey ahead of her and refills weren't an option.

Sakura scanned the flat plains that surrounded her. There was no shade, no hint of shadow away from the day's growing warmth. She could already feel the sun as it plastered the back of her neck, just as it did ten months ago when she was on mission with Kakashi.

It's time to move on, she decided, flowing chakra into her feet. She would need to move swiftly, or else run through the supply of water she sought to carefully maintain.

She continued on for another hour. When a massive range before her became distinct enough to make out the major peaks, Sakura stopped once more. Staring at the jutting range of stone was humbling, especially with everything she had decided to sacrifice to protect herself. Beyond these peaks was the Land of Earth, using perhaps the greatest mountain range in the world to craft a border only those either daring or desperate would dare cross.

She couldn't say which she was, though the hurt, struggling aspect of her self wanted to whisper it was both.

Even so, Sakura knew that the Land of Earth was not to be her destination. She would resupply in this region and seek out an old friend, one she could trust herself to visit. There were few places remaining to her where she could comfortably sleep without having to deal with a blonde gossipmonger for a friend or having pitied, concerned looks pressed upon her by those who should rightfully be her closest supporters.

Out here, out in the Land of Earth, she was no longer Sakura of the Leaf. She was another face passing through, a traveler who would vanish without leaving more than a few faint impressions.

Becoming a ghost was the only way she would maintain her sanity.

Elegant imperial doors, the height of three men and engraved with gold and bronze, swung open before Sakura and the two guards who flanked her. The Earth Daimyō's palace sat upon a great hill, a sprawling complex that had expanded throughout the years. The guards, shinobi Genin with a hint of samurai training, guided her down the long corridor, displaying art from across the Elemental Nations. They stopped her when the Daimyō suddenly emerged from a door along the corridor, her advisors right behind her.

The guards stepped aside, hands on their blades, as Sakura entered the Daimyō's gaze. Dark eyes, lined by silken hair and a statuesque face, stared at the kunoichi. The Daimyō wore an elegant kimono, sky-blue and adorned with purple and white lilies. Sakura recalled the Daimyō hated dressing up, preferring pants and loose undershirts. She eventually learned that the Daimyō had been overly self-conscious, though she suspected it was no longer the case. The weight that had clunged stubbornly to her midsection was long gone.

The Daimyō immediately decided that propriety was utterly unnecessary, for she lunged at Sakura and engulfed her in a warm, friendly embrace that was a tad on the crushing side. Despite being startled, Sakura was quick to return the hug, allowing a small grin to form on her face. It felt nice, to once more be with a friend.

"You have finally arrived!" The Daimyō pulled away, grinning. She then emitted a small squeak when the kunoichi decided to return the crushing aspect of their hug. "S-Sa-Sakura…cru-cru-crushing!"

"Oh! I'm sorry, Konomi," Sakura muttered, abashed. She released the Daimyō, took two steps back, and bowed. Out of the corner of her eye, she witnessed the guards shift, hands gripping their swords tightly, ready to defend their Lady should the need arise.

Konomi released a hearty laugh, touching Sakura's shoulder so she would rise from her bow. Brown met jade, and Sakura saw a slight slump to Konomi's shoulders.

She noticed my pain, the kunoichi realized. I hope she does not ask about it—or merely allows it to rest.

"It has been too long, dear friend."

"Only ten months," Sakura corrected, struggling to smile.

Konomi shifted her grasp, allowing her hands to grasp Sakura's in a comforting embrace. "Many things have changed for you, Sakura Healing-Hands."

Sakura nodded, a bitter taste at the name.

Konomi glanced back at her advisors and stated, "I am clearing my schedule for the rest of this present week." She turned back to Sakura. "We must speak of what is past."

"Konomi, I—"

A finger stopped Sakura from speaking. Konomi smiled faintly, removing her finger.

"Now, Toru shall ferry your belongings to my finest guest room. You shall join me for tea." Konomi turned around, then turned back and added, "We have received the most wondrous teacakes this past week." She then began dragging the kunoichi towards her magnificent tearoom.

Sakura blinked at the mention of the man's name, but then the same mission that brought about the pain she fled from was the same one that brought her into Konomi's life.

They were less than an hour out from their destination and Sakura wished her nerves would calm for a moment. After their…pleasant banter, Kakashi had become as silent as he was said to have been during his ANBU years, though she suspected it had more to do with his book. And so she did what she had begun to do in past years, recounting their mission requirements.

Find the Earth Daimyō's daughter. Given that she is neither present in Iwagakure as she is supposed to be nor seen departing the Hidden Village, the Daimyō has come to the belief his daughter has been kidnapped.

The best intelligence states she was last seen somewhere in the Land of Stone, in the company of an unknown boy of similar age.

The intelligence comes from a solitary witness, an elderly woman who owns an inn located in the southwestern territories, distant from Iwa.

I, Sakura Haruno, am responsible for treating the girl once we retrieve her, should she be injured.

My partner, Kakashi Hatake, will interrogate any other witnesses, along with dealing with this mysterious boy.

"Do you believe that she was kidnapped?" Sakura glanced at Kakashi, after asking her question, and watched him closely. She hoped he would lower his book, though she knew that he was more than capable of speaking and reading.

"Hard to say without talking to the inn keeper."

"Sounds like you don't think she was kidnapped."

Kakashi's brow arched slightly, an old look from her Genin days to prompt her for more. Clearly, he did not think the conversation worthy of taking his attention away from the novel before him. Had she been anyone else, Kakashi's slight cues would have been interpreted as a complete disregard for conversation.

Sakura knew better, had known better longer than most people even knew Kakashi enough for him to remember their name. Between his involvement in her early months as a formal kunoichi, to the missions during the years of Naruto's absence, and throughout the years since the war, they had been closely involved—working as only the most seasoned teams do.

She wouldn't deny how Genma would often ask after, upon returning home, 'How close are you two?'

Worse, the question continued to haunt Sakura and at times placed a strange distance between her and Kakashi. Sasuke was still confined for the war crimes he committed, first with Orochimaru, then with the Akatsuki. Naruto was rarely home in the Leaf, busy traveling between nations to ensure the Peace Treaty was being held to. It didn't hurt that he had friends in powerful positions throughout the world. The rest of her friends wouldn't understand, not the way her first two teammates would. Perhaps it was because of those early challenges they faced as Team Seven—the Land of Waves, the Chūnin Exams, the invasion, even Sasuke's defection—that Sakura felt she could confide in them.

Sometimes she wondered whether the high casualty rates from the Great War, as many were now calling it, were worth it. Few wanted to pursue the challenging and potentially deadly missions that were still necessary as the world adjusted to what followed the conflict. Sakura glanced at Kakashi, wondering if there was a reason he continued to take them. She did so because she had been there at the end, with Naruto and Sasuke, and she knew she had to do her part as well to preserve the peace they had fought for.

But then, she knew, he had his own troubles. It had been Kakashi's friend, the one he thought was lost in a past war, who deceived the Nations and the Akatsuki and so many others into the bloodshed and carnage of war. But then, Obito Uchiha had been manipulated as well.

Though he doesn't appear to have the same worries as me, Sakura thought, glancing at him. Or maybe as long as we don't make eye contact, he feels he can keep them bottled up and away from sight.

"It's rude not to make eye contact when someone is talking to you." Sakura's gaze lingered, hoping if she stared at him long enough, he would finally give in and look towards her.

Kakashi tapped the back of his book with a finger as his thumb caressed the ragged edges of the pages, both where he was and where he was going, that his single eye remained fixed upon. Despite having his eyes restored at the conclusion of the war, he still felt most comfortable with one hidden behind his hitaite, at least during missions. They continued on for a few minutes when the book suddenly snapped shut and he slipped it into his vest.

"Better?" he asked, that singular exposed eye meet her own.

"Better," Sakura said, smiling as though Kakashi had told her a joke. "You don't need to force yourself, however. I know you're more interested in reading your prized book over discussing our mission. It's just another thing about you that really hasn't changed, even with the war and everything that followed."

He stared at her, resisting any amusement that may have been drawn up following her comment.

Sakura paused, chewing briefly at the inside of her lower lip before a niggling question, one she'd had for months, sprung forth.

"Out of all the Icha Icha Paradise books you've read, which one is your favorite?" Sakura flushed a shade, asking the question, but she held his gaze regardless. She doubted even Might Guy knew which Kakashi favored.

Kakashi glanced away for a moment, before turning back to her. He pierced her with a curious eye, an eyebrow creeping up to prompt her for more.

"I happened to enjoy Icha Icha Warfare," she said, rolling her jade eyes.

"Do you now?" asked Kakashi asked. She wished he didn't have his mask, or that he could allow more than a hint of inflection to color his voice. Even so, there was a glimmering glint in his onyx eye that made her wonder if she should continue.

"The plot was interesting," Sakura justified. "It was rather…abrasive in a few places, but I struggled to put it down." Abrasive was an understatement. BDSM was raunchy, feral, and touched on a human's animalistic nature than Sakura cared to admit.

Kakashi made a skeptical noise in his throat, a strange hum that drew a hint of pink to Sakura's face. She turned away, her hair covering her face enough that hopefully her partner wouldn't notice.

"We're nearly there."

Their destination slowly came into view as they approached. The inn appeared to be alone, built along a road that led deeper into Tsuchi no Kuni. Sakura frowned, brows furrowing, as they got closer to the structure. She wondered where the informant lived to know of this place, given it felt as though she could see for kilometers around them, yet there were no other buildings nearby.

Her uncomfortable feeling grew when they reached the inn, landing softly a dozen meters away from the door. Sakura sniffed slightly, glancing around the structure. It was old, constructed of wood from one of the small, nearby lands. She couldn't help but wonder when the owners had last gone about repairing the structure, or if it had been abandoned. Given they were investigating it for a kidnapping, it could very well be a front and not a real inn.

"Might as well enter," she muttered, starting forward. Kakashi quickly passed her and led the way into the inn. He slid the door open and crossed towards the counter to their left, Sakura barely two steps behind. An elderly woman sat behind it, her eyes strong as she watched Kakashi approach. She closed the door behind her.

Instead of speaking, Kakashi slipped a small bag, which clinked when he dropped it onto the counter. The woman looked at it, back to him, and then smiled thinly. She picked up the bag and poured out the ryo within. Piece by piece, she counted the money handed over. Once finished, the elderly woman nodded and slid the ryo back into the bag.

"As agreed," she croaked.

"As agreed," Kakashi confirmed.

"Upstairs, left, second door to the right," whispered the elderly woman.

Kakashi nodded. He glanced at Sakura and gestured towards the nearest staircase. She followed him upstairs, footsteps silent as they softly channeled chakra to keep mask their approach. He paused at the top, glancing around the corner. There was a loud sound coming from down the corridor, and Sakura could already guess where it was coming from. Their gazes met and with a shared nod, they went left and moved quickly.

"There's two chakra signatures," Sakura whispered as they reached the second door on the right. She frowned at the door, trying to make sense of the sounds within. "It sounds like fighting, but they said nothing about the Daimyō's daughter being able to defend herself."

"Maybe someone else became involved and we weren't informed," Kakashi muttered.

She could feel him channeling chakra. "Now what?"

There was a twitch behind his mask, a smirk she suspected, and then Kakashi faced the door and kicked it open. The door went crashing down and he moved inside, already drawing a kunai. Sakura hurried in after him and paused at the threshold.

There had been three inside. She immediately recognized the girl they were after—their mission dossier had named her as Konomi, though Sakura had already been aware—but the other two, who were now distracted by Kakashi, surprised her. There was a large man standing before Konomi, grimacing as he held against his attacker. His chest was exposed, a barrel of muscle that flexed as he pushed away the attacker. Sakura glanced back at the Daimyō's daughter and saw that she was covered in a large jacket, one that was likely the same size as the large man defending her.

The attacker turned to face Kakashi, backpedaling to disengage from the large man. While he didn't have a hitaite, Sakura could tell from his movements alone he was a rogue-nin. She lunged forward, fist drawn back as she released her increasingly infamous battle scream.

"SHANNAAAROOOO!"

Memories of the past faded away when they entered the tearoom. It was a large chamber, as becoming of the Daimyō, yet there was a closeness and warmth that came from its decoration. Warm red tiles covered the floor, little hints of bronze spaced out across the tiles. There was a low table, stained to highlight the almost golden color of the wood. Pillows and pads were set around the table, colorful and matching the warmth of the room.

"You appear thoroughly impressed by my tearoom," Konomi commented, an amused smirk making her eyes glow with twinkles.

"I am," Sakura replied. A servant entered from behind a curtain along the far wall, gesturing for them to sit while a second arrived with cups. Their robes bore the symbols of Iwagakure and Tsuchi no Kuni—a mountainous sign on their left shoulder and a line upholding a cross upon the right.

They kneeled near the table, Konomi straight as her land's symbol while Sakura felt a little more awkward. Once the cups were set for them, a third servant arrived, kneeling before she began the process of filling them with tea.

"I hope you enjoy lavender, for it has always been and will always be my favorite," said Konomi, smiling at the brew.

"Lavender is fine," Sakura replied. She picked up her cup once filled and sipped from it, watching her friend across from her. Konomi held hers, swirling it slightly, staring into it.

"I don't know if I can ever fully thank you for what you did for me," Konomi said. Despite her smile, her eyes were watery. "Toru was almost exhausted completely when you arrived. If not for him, I would have been…defiled, or perhaps no longer alive, by the time you and your teacher arrived."

Sakura nodded slowly. She was suddenly uncomfortable, hearing the reminder of Kakashi.

"I hated looking at anything that reflected me—portraits, mirrors, even a statue an artisan my father hired crafted. If I had not known better, I would have believed that I was not my father's daughter, that I was not the one who would be the future Daimyō of Tsuchi no Kuni.

"The lack of suitors only helped to compound my troubles, so when that rogue you killed first spoke to me, pretending to be nothing more than a kind young man, I doubted my senses and believed him. After all, he was the first to call me beautiful and sound as though he meant it."

"Konomi…"

She shook her head. "Please, Sakura. I want you to listen to me. I should have known he was a liar before he revealed the truth. We keep it secret, but our bloodline has a Kekkei Genkai, one I hoped would reveal itself yet hadn't. When he brought me to that inn, and the only ones there were the old woman and Toru, I should've known something was suspect.

"If not for Toru, I would have been utterly blindsided by his revelation. I tried to speak to him, while I was in that room. The rogue locked it so that neither of us could escape, though he apparently didn't think to silence the old woman. He refused to speak, at first, and when I pushed and pressed him, he revealed what was done—his tongue had been removed by the same man who had tricked me into allowing myself to be kidnapped."

"You activated that Kekkei Genkai, didn't you?" Sakura asked.

Konomi looked up, and they both ignored the servant setting a platter of small cakes upon the table. "I did. That was why I trusted him and asked him to protect me. When I activate it, I can feel auras. They appear as a faint shading of color upon anyone I see while I use it. I know when someone speaks a lie to me, or if they think they are telling a truth, even when a shinobi akin to you draws upon killing intent. Father always said it came from Mother, yet her files from Iwa don't mention it working as it does for me."

"Well," Sakura theorized, "they can mutate. Typically, it's only one's strength with a Kekkei Genkai that determines…peculiarities, but the science of them has long been a secretive matter."

Konomi nodded, sipping her tea. Before she could respond, the door they had entered through opened and Toru entered. While he appeared abrasive and aggressive, Sakura had seen enough of the man during the past mission to know he was a kind man with a large heart, subjected to a terrible tragedy. She nodded to him and he smiled slightly in return.

When his gaze shifted to Konomi, she set her teacup down and her hands moved into a flurry of signs and gestures. They weren't the hand signs or signals Sakura had learned during her training as a kunoichi, but she knew they were for communication.

I should learn that or find someone else to teach me, she decided. It would be useful, if she ended up being a healer wherever she ended up. She wasn't certain if she would remain with Konomi, where Kakashi could easily track her.

"Your belongings have been delivered," Konomi informed Sakura. Toru shifted, moving into a spot behind the lady of the palace, though not so close as to make clear his bodyguard status. Sakura knew, merely judging by his eyes and how they took in the room around them.

A servant refilled their cups as they worked their way through the plate of cakes. As Sakura polished off the final one, Konomi suddenly spoke up. "Your aura has changed, Sakura. Why did you stop writing?"

Sakura swallowed, yet not purely because of what she had eaten. "I…I had something happen. Something painful…and it ruined what I had with…well, you know whom. I couldn't bring myself to continue writing, though I was well aware your offer to visit still stood."

Konomi slowly nodded, watching Sakura with a pensive gaze. She glanced down at her hands several times. The kunoichi suspected her friend was struggling with whether she wanted to ask what had happened, and Sakura only hoped she wouldn't push.

Konomi sighed. A moment passed and then she said, "I imagine you came through the city below. We recently funded the construction and organization of three new orphanages."

Sakura blinked. "You did?"

"I did," Konomi said, rather pleased. "After I was returned home, I knew I could not sit back in this palace and allow other girls to be abducted as I was. While Iwa agreed to aid us in freeing these girls, for too many of them we had nowhere for them to live. While a few still had family that could take them in, most were completely alone and weren't old enough to safely pursue a future without serious support.

"Father, thankful I was safe, agreed to the proposal. He unfortunately died shortly after, but by then I was old enough to rule in my own name." She smirked at Sakura. "If not for that Naruto friend of yours, none of the Daimyōs would've thought to lower the ascension age. Though it's rather annoying how many of my advisors think it's a wise use of time to squabble over finding me a husband."

Sakura smiled, pushing away the reminder of everyone she had left behind. "I imagine your father is proud of you, and I believe you will be a good Daimyō, husband or no."

Konomi giggled, shaking her head. She paused and then asked, "Sakura, would you care to see one of these orphanages?"

Sakura blinked, surprised. "It would be a pleasure."

The orphanage was only a five-minute walk, which felt longer to Sakura. Konomi was a civilian, after all, and lacked the ability to effectively use any chakra she may have. Sakura had glanced up at the rooftops a few times, wishing she were up there, leaping across the streets and cutting her own path across the city. However, she found she wasn't terribly minding walking alongside Konomi, given just how excited her people were to see and greet her.

"They love you," she whispered once Konomi extracted herself from a group of older girls about Sakura's age. There were many times she had to remember that she wasn't twenty yet, and that this Daimyō she called friend was merely fifteen.

"And I care about them," Konomi replied with a fond smile. "It's my duty, to watch out for them, to care for them, and to ensure they live their best lives."

"Is it only duty?"

Konomi pursed her lips. "Not fully, not anymore." She turned off the main street they had been on and guided Sakura towards a large, new building that blended seamlessly with the structures easily decades older.

They entered and found a group of girls all within a few years of Konomi standing around in a huddled circle. One of them noticed Konomi and Sakura enter. She whispered something to the others and in a few heartbeats, the pack moved to surround the new arrivals.

While Konomi greeted the girls, Sakura looked around the interior. Instead of taking on the typically drab interior style of Tsuchi no Kuni, whoever had been responsible for building this orphanage had chosen to use smoothed stucco for the walls and ceiling. There was a dome over them, just as though they were in Sunagakure.

How curious, Sakura thought.

"Girls!" shouted the orphanage's matron. Everyone, including Sakura, looked over as the matron approached. "I quite understand how much you enjoy having our Lady Daimyō visit you, but lunch is being served and I know for a fact a few of you skimped on your breakfast."

The girls tried to protest the matron's words, but Konomi interjected. "It is best you go and eat. I would be quite displeased if you turned away my kind aid. Whenever you skip your meals, it's as though you believe what I provide is unwanted."

Sakura nearly laughed at how the girls swiftly switched from their protests to apologies, seeking to gain Konomi's approval. She only nodded to the matron, who led them away. The girls sounded as though they were arguing amongst themselves as they went out of sight.

"The interior is quite interesting," Sakura pointed out once the entry was quiet. "It reminds me greatly of Suna."

"With good reason, in fact," Konomi replied. "Shortly after my father's funeral, I received a state visit from the Kazekage and his…paramour, the Heiress of the Hyuuga Clan. They were very kind, and inspired me to have the interiors of the orphanages designed and styled after other villages. The orphanage on the far side of the city, in fact the closest to your own homeland, is styled after Konoha."

Sakura nodded, rather surprised by what she had heard. Most of her contact since the war with Suna came through Temari, her brother's ambassador to Konoha and, if the rumors were true, quite involved with Shikamaru. Whenever that relationship had started, Sakura wasn't sure. She would bet it began before the war, but she had never asked. That Gaara was involved with someone she hadn't known, and the supposedly identity of this 'someone' had to be Hinata.

After all, she was confirmed as the clan's heiress following the war, especially given what happened to Neji. I'm surprised that she's with Gaara, though, given she had a crush on Naruto for the longest time.

When Sakura glanced at Konomi, she noticed her friend was smiling mischievously. "It appears you were unaware of both their visit and involvement. If you had continued writing me letters, you would've known months ago."

Sakura flushed, pointedly looking elsewhere.

The tour of the orphanage was a brief affair, given the orphans were eating and Konomi decided for whatever reason not to show that chamber to Sakura. Even so, she was rather impressed by what she saw. Those living there were clearly well taken care of, better than the orphanage that had once been in Konoha. That, like many parts of the village, had been changed and rebuilt in the aftermath of Pain's devastating assault.

Konomi led the way back to the palace. Toru had met them outside of the orphanage, rather put out that Konomi and Sakura had left without them, and quickly escorted them back. As they entered, Toru signed to the Daimyō. She signed back quickly before turning to Sakura. "As I wrote before, you are welcome to stay under my roof for as long as you wish. If you wish employment as well, we will never turn away a healer of your skill and knowledge."

Sakura smiled faintly. "Thank you for the offer, Konomi, but I never planned to stay long. I wanted to see you and resupply in your city before I continue on."

"Continue on where?" asked Konomi, brows furrowed.

"I…I don't know," Sakura admitted. "Only…only I have felt trapped by many things. Becoming a shinobi. My team, growing stronger, my tutelage with the Godaime Hokage. I need to find myself…and more, I need to find peace. Peace for myself, for my soul, and my mind."

Kakashi entered the Hokage's office and immediately frowned. While he had been curious about his summons, he was disturbed by Tsunade's appearance. If he was frank, the last time she had looked so poorly and weak was in the days after the war, following her fight along with the other Kages against Madara. Her skin was worn, no longer the unnaturally youthful appearance she had maintained since her departure from the village.

"You wished to speak with me?" he said, crossing the room.

Tsunade blinked, looking up at him. It was concerning to realize that she hadn't notice him enter the office. She raised her left hand, yawning behind it, then nodded. "I'm reassigning you. ANBU, new team."

Kakashi stood there, a dozen questions upon his mind. Why was a reassignment necessary? Who was going to be on his new team? Would he have the opportunity to select them? Instead, he nodded stiffly and flickered away.

He landed up a telegraph pole, balancing on a single foot. It was a cloudy, muggy day, and he couldn't help but think it was fitting. Kakashi felt the gurgle before it came and scowled down at his stomach as it made the traitorous sound.

I should get dinner, then. A home cooked meal would be nice, but I haven't had one of those since Sakura—

Kakashi shook his head, forcing the thought away. He couldn't think about her. It had hurt, pushing her away, but he had to do it. He was a man with blood on his hands and her (former) Sensei. Who's ever heard of a teacher-student relationship? No one. It was a stigma and she deserved better.

"Ichiraku it is, then," he muttered.

As he approached the popular ramen shop, Kakashi heard loud shouting. He increased his pace and landed in the street before the establishment to find Ino Yamanaka was the source of the disturbance. Before her was Naruto and Sasuke, and despite their strength, they were clearly cowed by the woman before them.

"…and you two don't even care enough to ask?" Ino yelled, her voice carrying. "I thought she was your friend!"

Kakashi stepped forward. "What's going on here?"

Ino spun at his voice, a righteous fury in her blue eyes. "YOU! You piece of shit! It's all your fault!"

Before he could ask what he had done, Kakashi found himself being laid out in the middle of the street, nose broken by a punch, as Ino screamed, for all to hear, "It's because of you that Sakura abandoned the village!"

TBC

A/N: Yes, finally, an update! Another crack pairing I love is Gaara/Hinata so I just had to include them in my story.

Please read and review. Feedback is appreciated. Stay safe everyone; wash your hands and wear your mask.