Homecoming
The room's temperature grew tense and disturbed gazes are fixed on her, the Fifth Hokage, the first woman to be entitled with such and one of the Legendary Three in the history of Konoha. Though the room is quite nice with spacious space, windows, shelves of ancient scrolls, couches and nice view of the village, the ANBU captains and Jounins are starting to have this disgusted, unnerving and disgruntled look in their faces. And Ibiki Morino can't help himself but to utter in disbelief.
"YOU CAN'T DO THAT??!" he snapped. Shizune immediately smacked him in the arm to remind him to whom he's talking to. Ibiki seemed unabashed but he lowered his voice and muttered an apology.
"I apologize for my impoliteness, Hokage-sama." He said, keeping his eyes locked into the woman's cool blue ones.
"That was some reaction, Jounin." Tsunade said coolly. She crossed her arms across her chest and looked around. She heaves a sigh and looked down at the document. "I understand your disgusts to my order but if you do want to protect the village, you do exactly what I order you to do."
The discussion went on, more disgusting than ever that the pervert sennin Jiraiya pays close attention, Ebisu the womanizer isn't looking pervert for once. The Hokage herself looks as if something disgusting is shoved right under her nose. She opened her mouth to say more when a loud crash erupted from the corridor outside.
Everyone winces. It sure sound hurt. The corridor walls shook momentarily from the crash and a yell, Jiraiya knew well was heard. The yelling was stopped as though someone who had yelled was smacked in the head. Tsunade grunted to bring the attention back to her when suddenly a more thunderous crash was heard, so loud that they wondered if an earthquake just occurred. But the idea was soon discarded as the crash turned out just inside the room.
The door burst opened, so strong that it was a wonder that the door didn't fly off its hinges and from it, something zoomed across the room, hit the wall opposite the entrance. Asuma who was standing beside the door, chewing his cigarette, was nearly hit by the crashing door.
But it turned out that this 'something' is a 'someone'.
Ninjas inside the room caught the blur of black and blonde flying across the room that hit the wall, narrowly missing the shelve full of fragile ancient scroll Shizune so industriously tidied.
BLAG.
The figure groaned as it hit the floor with a resounding crack. "ITAI"
Tsunade smirked before sighing impatiently. "You annoyed her again, didn't you, Naruto?"
The boy groaned in response. "My nose..."
"You knew well not to annoy her greatly, don't you?"
"My nose..."
Tsunade's eyebrow twitched. "I don't care about your nose! You have no right to just barge in here! We have an important meeting going on in here!" she yelled at him, her composure leaking off. Ibiki shook his head. Sure, the Fifth was so cool dealing with them but when it comes to the blonde boy, she losses all her control.
Naruto slowly sat up. "It's just a rat—"
Suddenly, there was sound of kunai being whip. Naruto's ears perked up and his blue eyes widened as a kunai—no, two kunai with three shuriken came whizzing at him. He panics and clumsily dodged all of it.
"JUST A RAT, YOU STUPID NARUTO!" came a voice that held fury.
Naruto looks up, grinning weakly at the beautiful girl standing on the doorway. The man, a handsome slim Jounin with mass of shining silver hair, standing beside her smiled feebly at him through the black mask, his eye, the only visible one, crinkled amusedly.
"I'm so sorry, Sakura-chan! I swear it's an accident!" Naruto said, lifting his arms showing defeat. Though, she cannot see it, a squeak of a rat in Naruto's hand panicked Sakura that she easily groped her kunai again, lifts it in a deadly position when a hand so affectionately placed on top of her head caught her attention.
She turned her head to the right. "What is it, sensei?"
Kakashi smiled though she can't see it. "It's only a small rat."
Wrong move, her wrath seemed to be really frightful that Kakashi flinched as the girl faces him.
"Even though I can't see, I knew it too well that it's one hell of a rat!" she screeched at him.
Kakashi stiffened.
Can't see...
"Well, Sakura-chan... I admire your hearing skills." He said, a little distant. Sakura scoffed at him and threw the kunai straight, aiming at Naruto's hand. Panicking, Naruto threw the rat outside the window and dodges the kunai. But he is very clumsily that when he dodges the attack, his foot caught the leg of the Fifth's table and tripped, his face slammed onto the floor.
"That hurts, Sakura-chan."
The girl snorted. "I knew it's too easy for you to dodge it since you can see it but I knew you're clumsy."
Few laughed as they watched the blonde boy sat up, pouting. Tsunade sighed and motioned Naruto to stand up. "Now the amusement was finished, mind you can report how's the mission gone?"
Naruto excitedly went into a tale. "...and then Kakashi-sensei threw me in the river to get some fish! You think, it's fair, Obaasan— OW!" He turned to see who hit him. "What the hell is that for?" he demanded, rubbing the sore of his head.
"Address the Hokage with respect!" Ebisu yelled, smacking him again.
"Hey, hey, she's really old, you know! It's just a jutsu to conceal her true age and image— OUCH AGAIN??!!" he yelled and glared at Tsunade who bonked him in retaliation.
"I'M NOT OLD!" she roared.
"Fine, then, anyway—'
"The mission is successful, Tsunade-sama." Sakura cut off.
Tsunade nodded while Naruto stared at Sakura in disbelief. "Very good,"
"Sakura-chan," Naruto whined. "I'm about to tell her how I pounded the hell out of our enemies!" he complained.
"But—"
"Oh please, I'll treat you to ramen if you shut up." Sakura said without thinking. But she froze, realizing what she had done. Oh my God.
"REALLY, SAKURA-CHAN, YOU WILL??" Naruto's voice was so full of happiness that Sakura sighed and nodded.
"OH YESSSSS!! A DATE WITH SAKURA-CHAN!!!!" he yelled, punching in the air and jumping. "THIS IS A DREAM COME TRUE!!!!"
Everyone sweat dropped.
Sakura smiled and turned to where she could feel Kakashi's chakra. She grinned childishly at him and said. "And of course, with Kakashi-sensei as our payer,"
Kakashi flinched. "NA-NANI...?"
Naruto stopped rejoicing. "What did you said? Kakashi-sensei will be with us?? But it's supposed to be a date!"
"OH, see here, Naruto, who'll pay for the ramen? Don't tell me I will?" Sakura said. Kakashi sighed. He knew the girl's sharp and excessively clever.
Naruto thought about this. "Well, no,"
"It's for free, Naruto." Sakura added.
"Okay! As long as the ramen is free and I'm with my Sakura-chan, I'll agree!" Naruto said, grinning. He stuck his tongue to Kakashi who shook his head but smiling still.
Yeah, as long as for the sake of his Sakura-chan, he'll agree.
As long as for her happiness, he'll agree.
As long as it is for the sake of her safety, he'll die.
As long as it will bring back her sight, he'll agree.
Kakashi sighed as he thought about this. He stole a glance at the girl and his eyes narrowed angrily in instinct. Tsunade saw it and she shook her head.
"You three, come here tomorrow at six o'clock in the morning. You have a new mission." Tsunade announced. At these words, the people inside tensed. Kakashi sharply noticed this. He knew there was a meeting when they rudely barge in but with Naruto's antics, the tensed temperature momentarily evaporated. But as Tsunade brought up the issue again, Iruka, Asuma, Gai, Kurenai, Jiraiya and others who started to care for the fox boy and the fragile lovely little girl, were again bothered on how the trio will accept the news of their new mission.
Especially Naruto who will surely bombard the Fifth with yelling and some insults about her being old, and Sakura—his Sakura-chan that he so exuberantly protects— will surely paralyzed her thinking.
As expected, Naruto protests. "WHAT??? WE'VE JUST COMPLETED A WEEK LONG MISSION AND YOU'RE GIVING US A MISSION AGAIN?"
Sakura smacked him in the head, an old habit that will surely not die. "Don't complain!"
"This mission is for you two alone," Tsunade met Kakashi's sharp gaze. "But I knew how Kakashi make your businesses his business too. How he..." feel about you. For a moment, something flashed in Kakashi's dark eye.
Old hag...
Naruto and Sakura frowned. "Oh well," Naruto smiled his foxy grin. "Kakashi is like our family. He was and will always be. He's like a brother to us."
"He's like a wind..." Sakura said slowly, smiling childishly.
Tsunade nodded. "Originally, I planned this mission for Naruto and Kakashi only, not for you Sakura." She said seriously.
"What...?? But you said it's for me and Naruto..." Sakura exclaimed.
"I said 'originally'."
Sakura snorted like a child. "Is it about my stamina? Or my weakness being a girl...or my fragility...or my emotions about not liking to kill...or let's say," she hang her last words. Naruto cringes. He doesn't want to hear it. It haunted him for almost two years. It tortured him for not being helpless to protect her. Kakashi stiffened. Iruka saw it.
Sakura smiled casually. "It's about the condition of my eyes? The fact that I can't see except chakra outlines...the truth that I'm..."
"...blind."
Naruto jerked and Kakashi narrowed his eye, his lips behind the mask set into a grim line. The Jounins inside shifted in their positions. The girl's condition is very delicate issue. As much as possible, they try not to mention it especially if Naruto or Kakashi is around. Bringing up the issue in Sakura's presence is okay since the girl looks like she had accepted her fate. But the male friends of hers seem like having difficulties in accepting the reality that the girl they preciously like is blind.
2 years ago
Watching Sasuke and her teacher walked out of the arena, Sakura was relieved that Sasuke managed to win even though the Cursed Seal prevents him from doing some deadly techniques. She remembered Naruto asking her about Sasuke's condition or something. She was sure that even if Naruto is dumb, he must have seen the supposed spreading of the Cursed Seal.
True to her word, she didn't mention anything about Orochimaru's bite or the Seal that will probably take her Sasuke-kun away.
She was wondering in front of the mirror if she can do it: win the tournament and be a Chuunin. She desperately wanted so. Sasuke won and as much as she hated it, she firmly believes that Naruto will win also. She will not stay genin forever. She must win if she wants to be with Sasuke.
Ino's taunting voice awoken her form her reverie.
"So backing out now, Forehead-girl?"
Sakura ignored her. Looking at her now short hair, she came to a conclusion. She's a ninja now! Her sacrifice, maybe it's a bit silly, but for her it means a lot, signaled that she's a ninja. And that she is strong.
After staring at her in the mirror, she turned and walks pass the blonde girl. She stopped in front of Ino, glanced at her mockingly and said, "What are you saying, Ino-pig?"
She approached Naruto and Kakashi and leaned in the railing. She made fun of Naruto and smiled at him. She laughed at his stupidity when she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. Kakashi lowered his face close to her cheek and said, "This is not a time to laugh."
"Huh?" she followed kakashi's finger and to her astonishment, saw her name and Ino's as opponents.
Present
"Isn't it?" Sakura persisted. Tsunade shook her head.
"Don't do any head motions, Tsunade-sama. You knew and can see that I can't see if you nod or shake your head no." Sakura said casually.
"No."
"Then what is it?"
"Too young..."
"That's stupid! I'm seven months older than Naruto!" Sakura snapped.
"Sorry, sorry, well, okay," Tsunade glanced at Naruto and Kakashi, noticing their silence. Sakura must have sense it too that she slapped Naruto in the shoulder.
"Hey, you're unusually quiet. What's wrong?" she asked.
Naruto grunted. "Nothing, I just missed ramen." But Iruka and the others saw something stirred in his blue eyes. Anger...bitterness—
Tsunade has the right to doubt whether Sakura can handle their next mission. After all, she's fragile. They are sure, Naruto and Kakashi can't concentrate in fighting because of their worry she might get hurt and her condition to worsen.
And she's blind.
Seeing chakra to identify enemies isn't a good tool or reason to let her have missions.
And her being a girl, sometimes it can be used against her enemies. When Jiraiya mentioned it, Sakura accurately kick him in the shins and neck.
She's a lovely little girl, a beautiful maiden. Her hair is pink just like the Cherry blossoms. It grew back into its original length but more beautiful and silkier. Naruto often find himself stroking it even though she never let it loose, always fastening it into a tight ponytail, few wavy strands around her face. But lately, she got annoyed at it because it got tangled while swaying in the wind that she nearly cut it again but Naruto and Kakashi came just in time to stop her.
Sakura then decided to keep it long but she resolved into twisting a black ribbon around it, the whole length, so as to prevent the strands from straying.
She's already fourteen and though she got skinnier and small, her body acquired a certain characteristic: nice chest. That is what Jiraiya pointed out. And in return, he's been kicked and tackled by Naruto for embarrassing and corrupting Sakura's innocence.
Though fourteen, she still got her childlike innocence, her fragile nature and her sweetness. Kakashi often found himself indulging her whims, treating her for ramen once in a while which annoyed Naruto because he hasn't been treated. Kakashi pointed out that he got Iruka-sensei to bribed or beg.
Fragile girl she seems to be, she's very talented in Genjutsu. But even though she insisted she can protect herself, there is no way in hell that Naruto will let her go alone or with someone else in missions. He reasoned that no one can protect her the way he can do or Kakashi can do or—
Sasuke-bastard can do.
Sakura shook her head. "Well, Hokage-sama, I'm waiting."
"Sakura, there is no need to attack me with questions. I already assigned you in this mission so what's the fuss?" the woman was tired and she has no time to fight the girl into cerebral battle.
Sakura smiled and Naruto, seeing it, sighed. "Let's go and eat ramen. I'm so hungry!"
"You are always hungry." Sakura said. It's just an excuse, wasn't it, Naruto? She thought as she still feels the sudden hollowness in his voice.
"Is there something wrong?" Sakura asked suddenly around. Naruto perked up while again, Kakashi stiffened. His fist curled and uncurled, attempting to cool down the sudden rage he felt. The Fifth frowned at her.
"Nothing's wrong, Sakura. Nothing..."
Sakura smiled bitterly. "Ever since I got blinded, I somehow managed to detect lies. The way your chakra outline the frown in your face or the bothered flare your chakra emits."
Tsunade scowled at this. She seemed to be having inner conflicts with herself, the way her blue eyes glittered, the disturbed frown in her face and the way she looks at Sakura, it made some sense that that the Fifth is bothered or in doubt to say something valuable.
But in the end, she losses her control, just like when she deals with the fox boy. "Have you noticed that the condition of your eyes is getting worse?" she blurted out.
Naruto was shocked. "WHAT???"
Kakashi's only visible eye widened. Her eyes...the eyes he would never see again...the eyes that held so much innocence in them...what's worst than being blind?
"What do you mean?" Sakura asked calmly though it was apparent she was shaking. "I don't.... How could it get worst? There's nothing worst then being blind, isn't there? Don't tell me, I'll get blinder? I mean...my blindness is permanent." She said the last statement without bitterness. But Naruto's reaction was to glare dangerously.
"Sakura, it would not be permanent." It is the rarest of moment that he goes without the affectionate –chan and it's when he is very serious—dangerously serious. Kakashi remained silent. He was trained to control his emotions perfectly. No way would he do a 'Naruto'.
Sakura turned to him fully and Naruto studied her features. She's one of the prettiest girls, according to other people but she is the prettiest for him. He remembered how he yelled in horror when he woken up, seeing her once long hair chopped off.
And imagine his terror when he was told he would never see her eyes again.
2 years ago
"WHAT???? YOU DO HAVE SOME NERVE TO JOKE AROUND ABOUT SOMETHING LIKE THAT??? YOU—"
"That's enough! Your barbaric yelling would bring no good to her! So shut up!" Ebisu yelled.
Naruto raised his fists to him, his eyes shifting color. "I'll give you barbaric yelling!" Everyone winces at his roar. He was howling mad ever since, so menacingly loud that they thought that the Nine Tails demon was growling itself. His once innocent blue eyes began to shift color from cerulean to dangerously orange with cat-like slits.
Jiraiya noticed the changes. "Naruto calm down," he said, patting the boy's shoulder.
"You should try to accept news professionally." Kakashi said calmly but Naruto hardly notice the loneliness and horror within his teacher's lone eye.
Naruto roared in frustration. "HOW CAN YOU JUST STAY CALM??? It's SAKURA-CHAN we're talking about—"
"We noticed, dobe, so shut up." Sasuke snapped coldly, his eyes guarded.
"Don't call me dobe, you bastard! You don't care about a single damn thing about her so you just shut the fuck up!" Naruto shouted.
"Is this an infirmary or not?!" a female middle-aged medic screeched.
Sasuke growled at him, his dark eyes narrowed and his fists curled hard.
"You don't care about a single damn thing about her so you just shut the fuck up!"
"Jackass, you don't know me at all." Sasuke hissed.
"I don't care!" Naruto yelled.
"Stop it both of you. You're not making the situation better. The important thing is, she's okay." Kakashi said, trying not to show any raging emotions. "Just calm down and listen to—"
"Okay??" Naruto growled. "Sakura-chan is okay??" He clenched his teeth, gritting them loudly.
"You think she's okay?? SHE IS NOT!" Kakashi gritted his teeth.
"Naruto, I'm warning you..."
"Shut up, dobe," Sasuke snapped, looking anywhere but on the bed.
"You shut up! You weren't there! You didn't see her...suffer...you didn't see her get soaked in her own blood...her body violated, how she cursed her..." Naruto's eyes were shifting dangerously from blue to orange. Kakashi's one visible eye slowly narrowed as Naruto spoke, digesting the information, feeling the boy's horror evident on those shifting eyes.
"...how she fought that bitch! You didn't hear her cries! You didn't see her got butchered up! And all these times we protected her, not letting her fight because we all protected her innocence, her vulnerability... IT'S ALL SHIT!" Naruto grabbed Sasuke in the collar.
"You didn't her scream. You never had and I thought I would never hear it...but it all crashed down. You didn't see her blood rained the ground...you didn't—"
A fist shot out of nowhere, hitting Naruto in the cheek. Naruto reeled backward, hitting the wall, spitting blood. The blonde boy looked up and saw Sasuke with his fist lifted, his black long bangs covering his eyes. He gritted his teeth and sprang to his feet, his fist raised to punch the dark-haired boy but a hand gripped his wrist and pulled him back. Naruto looked up and saw Kakashi.
The other Jounins watched the unfolding dramatic scene; Iruka was worried for Naruto who obviously didn't take the news well, Kakashi was summoning all his self-control and the Uchiha prodigy has finally let out his emotions in an unfriendly way. Or maybe it was just his impatience, out of annoyance. But it was something to ponder as they watched the Uchiha kid breathed heavily, his fist tightening and the tremble his knees emitting.
"Naruto," Kakashi's voice is very calm, his grip on his wrist tightening. "Calm down. NOW—"
Naruto snatched his wrist free violently. "NO! She would be lonely—she would feel so damn sorry for herself! CAN'T YOU SEE?? IT'S NOT OKAY! AND I'M NOT GOING TO SEE HER EYES AGAIN!"
Kakashi flinched, his eye widening. The truth smacked him in the face.
Sasuke remained silent but Jiraiya swore he saw the kid stiffened as if he was punched in the gut.
Can't you see...??
And that's the problem.
They saw it oh, too clearly.
Present
He stared at her especially into her eyes.
"Naruto... I'm sorry." Sakura said softly. "But won't it be better if you could just..."
Naruto gritted his teeth. "No. I'm going to be a Hokage and," he glanced at the solemn Tsunade, "I will find a way to bring your sight back." He finished and looked back at the girl he had loved since their Academy days.
It is easy to develop a crush on her. She's vibrant, so innocent, and full of life and the impression that she needed someone to protect her. She is strong in her own way but at the same time very weak, useless and overbearingly annoying as told by Sasuke to her many times.
So, she stand there in front of him, looking so damn vulnerable in her ninja out fit of black overall long sleeve shirt and pants, black sandals with black bandaged legs, black leather vest to conceal the slit between her chest and her peachy abdomen and the wide hood with long cloth hanging around her shoulder used to conceal her face. Her gloved hands are hanging delicately in her sides, her never loose hair in one ponytail bound in black rope and her face—
Oh that pretty, pretty face, many wondered what she looks like behind that cream scroll with a word 'seal' printed in kanji at the right side.
But no matter what she'll be pretty, forever pretty to him.
Even if that damn forbidden sealing scroll will permanently cover her eyes.
"I will bring your sight back." Because I wasn't able to fulfill my promise that I will bring that bastard back, the least I could do is to restore your sight.
Sakura sighed and shook her head. "Naruto, you are always the dumb blonde boy to me." She said softly.
Naruto pouted and scratched his hair. "Ne, at least I'm a man of my words!"
The girl snorted. "Come on before I changed my mind." She turned to where she could see the Fifth's chakra and bowed.
"See you tomorrow at six, Hokage-sama! Ja ne!" she waved at her and smiled sweetly.
Tsunade smiled wearily, seeing that pretty smile. How could this girl just go and accept the fact that she's blind?
Especially the fact that it would be permanent and that forbidden sealing scroll will eternally cover her eyes is beyond her reasoning. It was ironic though, that other people are feeling angry and sad in her behalf. Naruto still bear his grudge against the fact that he'll never see her green eyes again.
It was a common knowledge that the blonde fox boy has an intense crush on the pink-haired girl but by Tsunade's standards, it wasn't merely a crush anymore. Though, it looks like Sakura did not know anything about it, innocent or just insensitive. True, anyone can be very attracted to Sakura. She's beautiful, has a nice body, a clever mind but one quality remains as her drawback.
Her eyes are sealed, covered, bound around by a cream-colored bandage-like cloth but actually it's a forbidden sealing scroll guised as a bandage. It goes around her head covering her eyes. When that scroll was put into effect two years ago, performer of the jutsu managed to pull the pink hair up so that the scroll won't be hindered by the hair.
"Don't be late." The Hokage said, stuffing the paperwork on top of each.
Sakura sighed deeply, stretching her arms upward causing her vest to rise up a little exposing a potion of her midriff as they walked out of the Hokage office and eventually out of the building.
"We were gone for a week and I already missed the village!" she said happily walking between Naruto and Kakashi.
"I missed ramen." Naruto said, his hand rubbing his stomach. "I'm so hungry!"
Sakura giggled and looked at her sensei. "Sensei, ready your pocket. Naruto is very hungry. You know how much he eats when he's away from the village too long without eating ramen. Well, you don't have to worry about me. I'll just settle into one bowl of beef ramen."
Kakashi affectionately patted her head. "I wonder why you weren't worried about getting fat. Beef ramen sure destroy your diet."
"Ne, I'm not taking any diet. Ever since I fought in that exam, I began to love eating a lot because my stamina is so low you can compare it to a little blossom." She said.
The silver haired Jounin smiled. His hand softly stroked thick strands hanging in her face and tugged it gently.
Sakura grinned at him. "Sometimes I wonder, sensei if you've got a crush on me."
Kakashi suddenly stiffened and Naruto perked up, yelling at his teacher and friend.
"WH-WHAT THE HELL—"
Sakura burst laughing. "He, he— you two are so easy to tease! Ha, ha..." Kakashi remained silent while Naruto scolds her.
"That's not funny Sakura-chan! It made me cringe! But," he looked over at Kakashi who remains quiet and looking at the other direction. "Kakashi-sensei is nice-looking and strong but he's a PERVERT, for crying out loud!" he finished, flailing his arms.
Sakura laughed. She turned to Kakashi and tugged at his sleeve. "Kakashi-sensei, are you angry? I'm sorry. It was just a joke...gomen nasai, sensei." She said sincerely, tugging hurriedly at his sleeve like a child begging to her mother to get her some candies.
"Sakura-chan, that was funny." Kakashi finally said something. "But that's a good idea. Mind if I try it?" he said, grinning behind his mask while patting her head.
Sakura blushed while Naruto screamed at him. "DON'T YOU EVER THINK ABOUT IT????"
Kakashi chuckled and just beckoned the boy to move forward and pushed the girl towards the direction of the ramen stand. But Sakura stopped and craned her neck, sensing a familiar chakra.
"YO, Forehead-girl, at last you're home!" an annoying yell rang out. Sakura grinned and waved.
"Ino-pig, have you missed me?" she asked, grinning mischievously.
"You, Forehead girl, there's no much fun without you to tease!" The blonde girl said as she stopped in front of the trio, smiling widely as she put her hands in her hips. Sakura laughed and smiled at the dark haired girl beside Ino.
"Ah, Hinata you're here, too!"
"Welcome back, Sakura." Hinata said shyly as she glanced at Naruto, blushing furiously, fidgeting as well. "And to you...too, N-Naruto-kun..." she stammered.
Naruto grinned. "Thanks, Hinata. How's Neji?"
Hinata blushed and Naruto frowned, watching her fidget. What's wrong with her?
"O-oh, h-he's r-r-recovering," replied Hinata. Ino grinned at her, amused.
Ino turned her attention back at Sakura. "Anyway, how's the mission? You looked unscathed."
"Of course, she's unhurt! My Sakura-chan would never be hurt!" Naruto boasted loudly, unaware he's breaking a heart.
Hinata's face fell and she looked down sadly. No one notices, even Sakura but Ino glanced at the dark-haired girl discreetly.
"That's nice but Sakura isn't yours." Ino snapped.
Naruto shrugged and tugged Kakashi. "Come on, sensei! I'm SO hungry!"
Sakura faced the two male Jounins and said. "You two, go ahead, I'll just go and have a quick change. I feel so covered in dirt."
"Ok but hurry up!" Naruto said hurriedly. Kakashi smiled at them and allowed himself to be dragged by Naruto towards the direction of the ramen stand.
"Okay! Now, can you guide me home?"