Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Betareader: Olosta

Little Pink Riding Hood

The call to adventure

That morning didn't start very well. If we would like to play at the destiny, we had to tell that morning started in ominous prediction of the future occurrences. But the "Fate play" is nothing we should linger over particularly at this moment and the Fate itself doesn't like the idea of someone usurping his competence. Therefore, back to the very beginning. It all started on one beautiful morning. Such as even emo kid would say that maybe it is worth to be alive. But nothing would be valid for the one person, hidden under the blanket. The peaceful sleep was suddenly interrupted by the sound of clock alarm. Something moved on the bed, pink locks pooped out from under the blanker and after few second the interrupter of sleep landed on the opposite wall.

And silence fell again. The Fate laughed maliciously and even if it had said some sarcastic note, it had perished in the ear-piecing sound of many different clock alarms. The small figure unwillingly stood up from the bed and with some, for a lady not very appropriate curses, started to turn off one clock alarm after another.

Sakura Haruno didn't have a good day. Partly it was because of the happenings she couldn't affect and partly it was because of the previous night. She made a mental note about drinking or better not drinking the night before the next mission. In the moment you had your firsts drinks, the next ones would always look like a very good idea. Everything looked somehow simply under this circumstance. Even more if your company consists only from other girls in the very same questionable state as yourself. At this memory a smirk has appeared on Sakura`s face, which could be interpreted as a try for a smile. The imagination of the state her friends had to be in brought back a little bit of her good mood. After the last try to do something with her hair, Sakura closed the door and rushed off towards the new day.

A walk to the headquarters helped a lot. Her head didn't hurt anymore and she just couldn't ignore the beautiful weather forever. To the headquarters she arrived in a good mood, which culminated in enthusiastic breaking the door on Tsunade`s Office and a cheerful holler: „Rise and shine!".

"Aaaa Sakura. I was just thinking about you," answered Tsunade sweetly. Sakura jerked and some, still weak thoughts notifying her about upcoming danger started to appear somewhere inside her inner space. She cautiously moved to the table and with another dose of suspicion sat onto the chair. It is better not to believe someone who does smile very often. And Tsunade was in a suspiciously good mood.

"So, about your next mission," mumbled Tsunade likely to Sakura, in reality about so to herself, "you will go alone. But I have a surprise for you," she added with unconcealed delight.

Sukura managed to keep her stoic face even if she wasn't twice so sure she would like to know, what this surprise means. Tsunade passed her a package.

"What the hell is this?" Sakura barked out as she loathly held the contents of the package.

"Cape, can't you see?"

"But red? Red? Is this some kind of joke?" all of these were just rhetorical questions. She knew very well, that if Tsunade had something in her head, no one could make her to think it over. Slowly, but surely she fought back the wishing to throw the mentioned piece of clothes on the floor and stamp on it furiously, what she would surely do if she was just 10 years younger.

"You have to wear it; it is a part of your mission. You have to deliver this to Gaara in the Suna."

Sakura gulped. That, what was supposed to be delivered had significantly resembled a picnic basket full of food. It reminded her of something? Thoughtfully she tapped her finger on her lips and with her eyes she has wandered the room. Something, but what? Her look stopped on the books lying on the table. And suddenly everything clicked into place.

Sakura stood before the mirror in her room and thoughtfully looked back at herself. Red didn't suit her, she couldn't deny it. But if Tsunade wanted to play, she wouldn't restrain her. But the hell she would make it only a little bit easier for her. We will see who will nip and tuck. She grabbed the basket, threw inside two books she borrowed a little bit before from library and loudly and impressively banged the door. Sakura set of towards the journey.

Everything went surprisingly well during the first hour. Sakura was capering down the road, swinging the basket and singing some old song. She was trying to act exactly as she saw in the book's pictures. The beginning of the second hour was a little bit harder and the symbolical third became the breaking point. Putting it simply, she was feeling more and more like an idiot. After a short while she stopped, sat down on a nearby tree stub and took out from the basket the book, pen and a piece of cake.

"At least the food is worth a thing," mumbled Sakura with mouth full of food. She opened the book somewhere in the middle and read the title of the chapter – The basic points of each story. It was one of the book Sakura saw in Tsunade`s office and it was the key to what was happening to her right now.

"So, what we have here. Hero and the ordinary world," Sakura made a check mark next to the point. "The call to an adventure," she continued reading and made another check mark. "Refusal of the call. Oh God I wish it would end with this one," Sakura made clear her desire after she run through the rest of the points, which would probably await her in the near future.

"Number eight doesn't look good," said an amused voice from behind her back. Sakura jumped in surprise and almost stifled by the cake she was eating.

This was the last thing she needed. Itachi! She slowly turned around, hoping she was wrong in recognizing the owner of the amused voice. The fact, that she was alone in the forest (!) and have met the strongest member of the Akatsuki (!) didn't unnerve her as much as the fact that he was smiling.

"What are you doing here?" the question was supposed to sound indifferent with a little bit of womanly curiosity and she was careful to keep all the adjectives and nouns she would love to add for herself. The result wasn't very impressive. She couldn't hide the glumness of her voice, but we had to acknowledge the fact that she was trying hard.

"I am supposed to be the wolf," he answered and nodded towards the other book, which was still lying inside the basket. There was a little girl in a cape similar to Sakura`s and a wolf.

Sakura looked at Itachi up and down with not a very pleasant expression on her face.

"I can't see any resemblance to a wolf," she commented his appearance after a short while.

„Well, your hair color isn't very natural and neither you look like a little girl. "

The Fate smirked impatiently, expecting what interesting would happen next. Unlike Itachi, who, as we know, had been living with only men for last few years, the Fate knew which themes should be avoided when talking to a woman. He also couldn't miss changing colors and expressions on Sakura`s face and that didn't mean anything good for sure.

It didn't take even a few seconds after Itachi finished his "harmless" comment to find himself thrown against a tree by some invisible force. That invisible force turned out to be a small statue with pink hair.

„Never, never again try to say something about my hair! It can be the last thing you will do. "

She meant it; even Itachi got it by then. He rose from the ground and ostentatiously dusted down some imaginary speck from his coat. He would keep to himself what happened right now and the same thing would go for the girl too. After all he has a reputation to keep.

„I think I will go," said Sakura, just by the way. After she calmed down, she started to think. Rightful anger is one thing, but to physically attack an S – classed criminal is something totally different. The situation demanded a discreet retreat. We couldn't call it an escape, not at all. She just wanted to get as far from hem as she could and finish this meaningless mission. She took the basket and stepped out on the road.

„He sure is joking!" said Sakura angrily, but silently enough because the object of her complaints was walking only a meter behind her.

"He intends to follow me the whole way or what?" she had quickened hers pace, but the only result was, that Itachi fell in step beside her.

"I thought I am supposed to walk alone," she said through her teeth.

"This is a free adaptation," was the answer and to make it more believable he moved even closer.

"And when we are talking about free adaptations already, did you read the theories that fairytales are talking mostly in a symbolic way?"

„How symbolic?"

Sakura has already suspected that he was getting at something. And that she will not like it at all. The presentiment turned into certainty right after she felt Itachi's hand on her own butt. She had never before thought about the countless forms how you can use a hamper, but she was more than satisfied with the result. Itachi's hand was now resting on the place he had hit him on. It didn't wound him, but she made sure it hurt.

Now they were walking in silent agreement. Sakura has every now and then checked Itachi, partly because of curiosity and partly to make sure his hands were away from any part of her body. In any case, the hamper was ready to help.

"You know", she decided to start softly and get tougher, if necessary, "I was thinking about what I would do in a case I couldn't make it to Suna before the nightfall. Alone in the Forrest. And I am only a weak, fragile girl.

Itachi looked Sakura up and down with skeptical expression. Occasional pain in the parts, which happened to be first handed witnesses of this girl's weakness was telling him something totally different. He himself was starting to think what he would do if he stayed alone with her during the night. The rescue came unexpected.

"You can ask that guy to accompany you."

"Which g-? Ah." That was all she was able to say. Right before her was Kakashi, walking towards them and she was sure about one thing. Probably they had to meet each other on a different place and about 4 hours earlier.

Sakura raised one of her eyebrows. She would raise both of them in the case Kakashi would have been reading his favourite book.

"Yo." He greeted her cheerfully.

Sakura's reaction wasn't so cheerful. She appeared thoughtful and in her mind she was checking the list of characters.

The main hero?

No.

The wolf?

No.

Grandmother?

She allowed herself a short hesitancy and has cast a quick glance at mentioned individual. She puckered her lips.

Hmmm – no.

„The hunter?" brought up Kakashi, who probably caught on of her train of thoughts.

She glanced at his green clothing. That would do.

"You know," Kakashi moved closer to Sakura " Tsunade sent me. She was worried about you. She heard some information about one particular person." Both of them looked towards Itachi, who was now standing few meters away. " That he would probably try to take advantages of the situation." Kakashi and Sakura were now looking at each others face.

She felt Kakashi's sympathetic hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry I will take care of it. You better go and pick up some flowers."

He pushed her softly towards the nearly meadow just as she started to think, that his voice sounded a little bit too amused. Was it possible that he was watching them for a while now?

She stepped on the meadow and reluctantly started to pick up the flowers. Her activity resembled more an old woman killing the weeds than a beautiful maiden, who was playing on the meadow.

Approaching the Cave and Ordeal

Sakura witnessed as Kakashi approached Itachi and moved his arm around Itachi's shoulders. They talked, then looked at her and Kakashi nodded, maybe too ardently and assiduously for Sakura's taste. Itachi was showing him something that resembled a pantomimic skit named: How-someone-hit-me-with-a-hamper. Laugh, again that look at her and nodding. Afterward they moved down the road away from Sakura. She heard them laugh even several minutes after they have vanished from her sigh.

"So, who was supposed to be victim here?" shouted Sakura and only by then has she realized that the bouquet in her hands was ripped into two pieces.

She sighted and once again started to pick up flowers. As she was kindly insinuated by Kakashi, the bouquet of flowers was a part of the mission and she couldn't finish it without them. She ate some food from the hamper and in 2 hours she was diligently shaking the ninja, who was unfortunate enough to have duty before Gaara's office that day.

"What do you mean by that you can't let me in now?" she was shouting at him.

The poor boy, who couldn't be older than 17 years, was trying really hard to break free from Sakura's hands.

"I am sorry miss, but as I have already told you, I have my own instructions. Kazekage awaits you only in a half hour. You have to wait."

In the end she gave up. She let the ninja free, who was obviously relieved by this action and sat down on the near bench. She decided to pass the time with reading. She was positive that her mission, at least in her opinion, was at the very end. But you never know and she wanted to be prepared. Especially some of the last points, which, as the author have sworn, have to be in every one story, were making her to feel uneasy. The Ordeal… what did he mean by it? Thoughtfully she looked at the watchman scrutinizing him.

Was it supposed to be him? But that would be too easy, wouldn't it?

When he had noticed that she was watching him, he shivered, but he has looked like he didn't see her, not at all. Unfortunately, other people passing by didn't have the needed tact.

They were staring that's the right word, which did properly describe the reactions of people passing by. Almost every one of them watched her for longer then usual courtesy. Significantly longer.

After about the twentieth remark in a style: What the hell is she wearing, her eyes went dangerously narrow. Sakura shut her book with a loud thud and the ninja came out in a cold sweat. With his hand he unintentionally touched his neck and on his face appeared something that could be interpreted as a fear, uneasiness or maybe as a dread.

„It is time, miss," he shouted faster then she could say a thing.

Finally! She managed to throw one warning glance to the people on the corridor and slowly walked inside the office, where Gaara was already waiting.

She sat on the chair making herself feeling comfortable and her mounth formed a huge smile. She will turn in the hamper and yay for retreat. The end of the mission, the end of the suffering. With Kakashi and company she will settle her things after her return. She spent beautiful 30 seconds in fantasies what all she will do to them, till she was interrupted by a polite cough.

Gaara, who was sitting down across the table, returned her smile. She sat up. Elementary mistakes don't have to behoove and what is more important she should not comment his appearance. Before her leave Tsunade gave her a half hour lecture in which she highlighted this fact round and round. She sighted, there sure was something strange about his eyes.

Sakura took the hamper, put it on the table and with a conspiratorial look on her face she pushed it forward. Gaara draw it to him and with the same conspiratorial expression he looked inside.

"I thought that there was supposed to be food," he pointed out just by the way as he put mentioned hamper on the floor.

"Eh, well basically, but somehow it got lost on the way," answered Sakura with a well-rehearsed expression: I-have-no-idea-where-it-is-by-now.

"Ah, I got it," was the only reaction she got from him.

Sakura came to a conclusion that Gaara has only 2 miens. Both of them looked the same and none of them meant anything good for her.

"Actually, when we are by it, I have something for you," he added with a smile and immediately started to rummage through his cabinet.

Sakura started nervously tapping her nails against the table and about every three seconds checked her watch. In her images and plans she was on her way home at this time. The tapping against the table increased. Her sight stopped on a pile of books on the table. It's containt was markedly similar to the books she has seen in Tsunades office. Small, but yet significant idea started to pop out. But before it could transform from a foggy image to a clear form, she got distracted by a soft bang on the table.

Three different things that Gaara brought out from his closet have appeared before her. A corset (old-fashioned, who the hell would wear this in present time?), a hair comb (very beautiful, maybe too beautiful for her liking, so there will be some trick) and an innocent looking red apple.

„Choose something."

She too had seen this combination already. She was sure about it. In her mind appeared a flash of dark hair, snow-white skin and soft lips. Sasuke was the first name she has linked with this picture. She shook her head and pushed down this image with a note that she will return to it later. For sure.

When she will be alone.

"They say that apple is good for digestion," said Gaara by the way once again. "But the choice is up to you."

She slightly blushed but in the end she decided to take the apple. The first two things looked overly fishy. But Gaara was smiling and you can't trust people who smile too much, repeated Sakura again and again in her thoughts as she bit in the apple. How could it be possible for this simply apple to actually hurt her?

- - -
Ordeal. The fate made a check mark.

The Road Back. The tip of the pencil hesitantly stopped above the paper. After a short while a hesitant but still clear question mark had appeared.

Some people should spend this day in the bed after all.

-End-