DISCLAIMER: Naruto, its world, and characters © Masashi Kishimoto. I am not making any money from this fanfiction, and I wrote it purely for entertainment.

A/N: Two updates in one week because I missed last time :)

So… Naruto's finally going to have its final chapters, huh? Frankly I don't want Sakura to end up with anybody (unless the other person is a silver-haired, porn-reading scarecrow or a pale bastard who loves painting and drawing hahahahaha) but oh well. That's what fanfiction and fanart are for, right?

With only literally a handful of chapters left, what are the chances Kishi will pull a'dot dot dot' on the Naruto VS Sasuke final showdown and then continue the story with the movie?

Thinking up of mission scenarios is hard. Also, this ff is rated T for a reason, and for this particular chapter it's for language and blood and sexual harassment (nothing extreme but... it's still sh). Thought I'd give a warning, just in case.

09 – Mess

Sakura lightly tugged at her mask. It didn't budge, and she returned her hand at her side.

Her first foray into ANBU missions had been short notice, and though she had to eliminate a great number of enemies the location was quite spacious for a cave, thus giving her enough room to handle them without getting overwhelmed.

The sigh of all the mangled and lifeless bodies was something she couldn't really get used to, despite being a medic. She was supposed to save lives, after all.

Hands twitching once more, Sakura reached up to make sure one last time that her mask was truly secured. It was only tied to her head by strings, afterall, and ANBU are supposed to keep their identity secret to everyone but the Hokage they're serving.

Maybe she should re-tie the string, just to be sure?

"Stop fidgeting," the guy beside her said. He was fully clad in ANBU gear just like her, though he carried himself with far more calmness and confidence. "You shouldn't give any indication of unease, even infront of your allies."

Sakura shot him a glare. Uchiha Itachi wasn't really the type of person who spoke a lot and showed a wide variety- and degree- of emotions, but Sakura had witnessed that he could be kind and considerate and that he was capable of slipping on a genuine smile.

She might as well dismiss those rare moments as dreams because for the past few days, her ANBU mentor was nothing short of cold, unrelenting, and downright strict and brutal. Granted, she was training to be fit for ANBU missions, and those people never kid around. Or at least, that's how Sakura imagined they were. But still, it wouldn't hurt to have a bit of small talk even during their short breaks. He wouldn't even respond when Sakura would ask what would be next in their training lineup.

The door to the Hokage's office opened, and the Hokage's assistant Shizune ushered them in. Sakura gave her a small nod as she followed Uchiha Itachi inside.

"Assassination," Tsunade announced as Shizune handed Sakura their mission scroll. "Commissioned by the father of one of the target's victims."

Sakura turned to Shizune with a questioning look, though Shizune wouldn't really know her expression because of the mask on her face. Uchiha Itachi was her mentor, and he's the captain— and apparently sole member— of his own team. Why was she handed the scroll?

"A gang dealing with human trafficking is on the move for expansion and they're trying to establish a huge prostitution business at the capital," Tsunade continued. "Eliminate the only brains in their group— their leader. A jounin team is going to be sent to finish off the rest of the members, but worst case scenario you can take out as many of their gang members as necessary to finish the mission and come back without being followed. Any questions?"

Sakura tried to hand over the scroll to her companion, but he didn't take it.

"You're leading this mission, Haru," Tsunade turned to her. "Toshi will follow any decision you make so long as it guarantees the success of the mission. Any questions?"

Ah… So that's why she was handed the scroll.

"None, Hokage-sama," Sakura answered.

"This serves as your field test," Tsunade said. "Perform satisfactorily and you'll be inducted much sooner. You're dismissed."

Uchiha Itachi bent to kneel towards the Hokage, and Sakura followed suit.

Their target was about five hours away from the Land of Fire's capital. It was a fairly huge village, almost as big as Konoha, though it was more industrial and commercial and had a higher rate of crime.

The gang's front was a shabby-looking, two-story inn named 'White Dove', and Sakura wondered with a grimace if they've kidnapped customers for their illegal business. As their mission scroll had stated, the gang had many goons in its employ, though nobody seemed to be of note in terms of skills, even the what looked like patrol leaders and seemingly important members.

After several hours of scouting from the shadows, Sakura and Uchiha Itachi headed for another inn while donning civilian clothing. It was just as rundown as their target's location, though thankfully it didn't hide any shady activities.

"We'll continue surveillance after ten minutes," Sakura announced as they ate their dinner in their shared room. "I'll take the front, and you're on the back."

Sakura studied the notes she had taken earlier that day. So far she had confirmed thirty-two gang members and twelve questionables. They haven't seen the boss yet, though based on the conversations they've caught he's about to arrive that night at about nine and he'd stay for a couple of days while he entered negotiations for construction supplies and inspected the…

"You know the consequences of failing this mission," Uchiha Itachi spoke up. "Don't mess up."

"I know," Sakura gritted her teeth.

It was rare for Sakura to come across or hear of human trafficking news, and she was more than glad to help bring any operation of that kind down.

"Control your temper," her partner told her.

"Toshi," Sakura glared at him. "Stop fussing like an in-law."

His brows twitched, and Sakura didn't bother to hide her low snicker. Her patience may not be the best, but she always worked hard to not let it get in the way of completing her mission. She wasn't that careless and stupid.

After a short bathroom break they discreetly left their room and headed for their assigned posts. Earlier Sakura was about 70% sure they could assassinate the leader without alerting the gang members. But now as she watched their target enter the inn while being surrounded by ten heavily-armed men— three of which Sakura suspected to be ninjas— she was sure they'd have to fight several guards.

Activating her radio communication device, Sakura muttered her partner's code name.

"I'm here," Uchiha replied.

"Any new personnel from your end?"

"Twelve," he answered. "They delivered fifteen girls inside and didn't leave the building."

"That small inn can't hold that many people," Sakura said. "There must be at least two basement floors."

Sakura inwardly cursed. It'd be even harder to escape without any confrontations.

"We'll have to get to him by other means," Sakura said. "I'll continue surveillance here. Go around town as a civilian and ask any suspicious individual how you can 'sell' somebody for quick cash."

No reply came from the other end, and after checking her mic and earpiece Sakura tried calling Uchiha by his code name once more.

Her heart shot up to her throat as she was pulled further into the shadows of the rooftop she's hiding at.

"What do you mean by that order?" Her partner's mask loomed over hers.

Sakura jerked her arm from his grip, but Uchiha Itachi only tightened his hold on her.

"It is what it is," Sakura said as she tugged on her arm once more. "Damn it, what the hell are you doing?"

"I'll finish them all off," the guy said, his voice low and cold. "Just follow me closely."

Brows furrowing, Sakura grabbed his wrist and pried his hand away from her arm with the help of some chakra.

"I'm the leader of this mission, Toshi," she gritted. "You will do as I command. Now get your ass out of here and do your task."

She could definitely feel the glare he was sending her, but Sakura ignored him and returned to her perch. It wasn't too long ago that he had reminded her to keep her temper in check. Who's the temperamental one now?

It was about half an hour past midnight when Uchiha Itachi slid back next to her.

"How did it go?" Sakura asked.

"They accept 'walk-in' transactions," the guy reported. "I met someone at a bar who will help if I ever decide to 'sell' somebody."

"What did you tell them?"

"Deep in gambling debt and stuck with a good-for-nothing sister," the guy muttered.

"Good," Sakura said with a nod. "Did you find anything else about their business and base?"

"It's three levels deep— the lowest has the rooms where the girls are all kept. The second one has the boss' office as well as some supplies and weapons they've procured, and the first floor basement has their "entertainment" business and rooms for… the customers' use."

Lips set in a thin line, Sakura settled on the plan she had in mind. There was no other way around it. The building was too small and no doubt cramped and filled with guards to be able to sneak successfully in to, and the only time the boss would leave was when he'd head over to the capital in a couple of days. If their intel was right, he'd have even more rogue nin guards and mercenaries by then.

"We'll continue with surveillance," Sakura told her partner. "Go back to your station and get some rest. I'll take first shift and wake you up in three hours."

Uchiha Itachi lingered for a moment, though thankfully he left without another word. Sakura hadn't had any decent rest for two days while traveling almost non-stop and she was in the middle of intense training when she and Uchiha were called for a mission assignment. She didn't want to waste her energy arguing with him again.

Several men and some women entered the inn at different times, and some left just under half an hour while others stayed for a while longer. Near the end of Sakura's shift a 'customer' was thrown out of the inn, and it took some time before he picked himself up from the ground and limped away. The guards stationed by the inn's door laughed, and they shouted at him to never show his sorry face again unless he had money.

Checking the night sky, Sakura turned on her two-way radio.

"Toshi," she said. She covered her mouth as she stopped an oncoming yawn. "Are you awake?"

"I am," came Uchiha Itachi's reply. "You can go back to the inn to sleep."

"Don't be stupid," Sakura frowned. They were on a mission— what was he playing at? "We're supposed to work in tandem. I'm staying here. Wake me in three hours, or if there's any emergency or important development."

Turning off her radio, Sakura pressed her back at the rooftop ledge she was hiding behind at. She'd worry about her partner's odd behavior tomorrow, but for now all she wanted was some rest.

O O O

Sakura woke up with a jolt. Checking how high the sun was up, she inwardly cursed as she contacted Uchiha Itachi through the two-way radio.

"I told you to wake me in three hours!" Sakura hissed.

"Nothing important happened," the guy replied.

"That's not an excuse!" Sakura continued to scold him. Seriously, what was wrong with him? "Stay there and continue with your job. I'm heading to town to prepare some things."

"What things?"

Sakura pressed the bridge of her nose. "I'm following up on your cover. Now stay there and wait until I—"

She let out a low growl as her partner appeared beside her.

"Why do you keep going against my orders—"

"What do you mean, you're following up on my cover?" Uchiha Itachi said, his tone having a forced calmness in it.

"You said you had a 'good-for-nothing' sister," Sakura tried her best to keep her patience in check. "I'm going to play my part—"

"There's no need for you to do that."

Sakura regarded him carefully. Did he actually have a problem with authority, having worked on his own for most of his life?

"And why is that so?" She asked.

The Uchiha went quiet, and Sakura let out a sigh.

"I understand you're used to solo missions," she said. "But this is my test, and I was assigned to head this mission. Just… go along with me, please?"

The guy still wouldn't say anything, but as he wasn't physically holding her back like last time she figured he was trying his best to adapt to their current situation.

"I'll contact you by lunch time," Sakura said, and she left at a run.

She easily got back in their rented room without anyone noticing, and after taking a short shower she applied temporary black dye on her naturally pink hair. While waiting for it to set, she dug in her pack and took out a dress she had packed for civilian disguise. With a kunai she cut off some holes and undid parts of the hemline and patched them with some cloth from the moth-eaten curtains. Satisfied with her handiwork, she rinsed her hair, put on a henge that added a cut on her lip and made her look paler and thinner, and slipped the now shabby-looking dress on. Securing the room once more before leaving, Sakura was ready to do some legwork. When she was with her team she usually did information-gathering with Sai, and she briefly wondered what her friends were doing at that moment.

'Concentrate on your own mission!'

Patting her cheeks with her hands, Sakura left the inn.

The marketplace was already full of people doing their shopping, and Sakura browsed around while feigning to be worried and unable to buy most of the food as she didn't have enough money.

She had just walked in her fifth store when she recognized a man going in the restaurant next door. About six feet, three- no, four- inches, most likely in his mid-thirties; short, black hair that's brushed back, scar on his forehead, light scruff on his chin and jawline, katana with black scabbard strapped to his right hip. He was one of the ten guards who have arrived with their target the night before, and if she played her role right their mission would be done by tonight.

Putting on an anxious look, she followed the man in the restaurant. Much to her luck, he was seated by the bar and was already drinking sake.

'This early in the morning?'

Suppressing the urge to shake her head at his carelessness, Sakura approached the bar.

"What can I do for ya, missy?" The restaurant owner asked.

She felt the man, who was seated to her right, look at her, and she fidgeted and willed some tears to form on her eyes.

"Please, sir," she spoke with what she hoped was a convincing nervous tone. "My brother… He wants me to buy some sake for him, but all the shops I've been to refused me. They don't believe I'm already of legal age and… please, if I don't get at least a bottle, m-my brother will…"

"Whoa, whoa," the restaurant owner waved his hand. "I don't need a crying girl in my business this early in the day."

"Please," Sakura let out a shaky breath as she deposited some coins on the bar. "This is all I have, but I'll take whatever you can give me—"

"That's not even enough for a small bottle—"

"Give her one," her current target said with a gruff voice. "Throw in some food for her. Poor girl must've been starved by her brother."

Sakura's right hand twitched. He sounded like a generous person, but the way he leered at her body was enough of a warning for anyone who didn't want any trouble.

"T-Thank you so much…" Sakura bowed her head low as she let out a sob. "I'm sorry I don't have much, but please accept this…" and she put back her coins in a small drawstring bag and offered it to the guy.

"Keep it," the man said, his large hand covering Sakura's and giving it a squeeze that disgusted her. "Save something for yourself and maybe one day buy a nice dress that will go perfect with your pretty green eyes."

Feigning embarrassment, Sakura nodded her head and thanked him once more. The restaurant owner came back from the kitchen with a small bottle of sake, a bowl of ramen, and some onigiri. Sakura thanked him and the man she's spying on and started with her food.

'Good, no poison,' Sakura thought as she carefully tasted her food. She didn't want to have to sneak an antidote into her system while in the middle of manipulating her current target.

"Your brother should take better care of you," the man said after taking a sip of his own drink. "Such a lovely face would be wasted if he keeps beating you up and starving you."

Sakura lowered her chopsticks and reached to 'dry' her eyes. "He wasn't always like this," she sniffled. "Ever since mum and dad died and left us with nothing… and his debt piled on and he got into gambling…"

The man scratched his chin, looking like he recalled something.

"You know," the man sneered. "If you're interested, I know a place that can give you a job and earn enough money to pay your brother's debts. You'll have to work hard, though."

Sakura dropped her chopsticks as if in shock.

"Really?!" She said, holding on to the man's arm. "Can me and my brother work there, mister?"

The man's sneer widened a tad, and slowly he rubbed the top of Sakura's hands.

"Of course," he said as he leaned closer to Sakura's face. "Actually, I know someone who met your brother last night. Long, dark hair tied in a ponytail?"

Sakura nodded quickly. She didn't think they'd be able to establish a solid cover this fast.

"I knew it," the man said. "He mentioned having such a pretty little sister who was always worried for his well-being…"

The man's hand reached up to cheek, his rough, calloused fingers dragging along her jaw and down her neck. Oh how she'd love to send a chakra-enhanced fist straight to his groin. She had a clear shot from her position.

Reminding herself that she's on an important mission, Sakura moved back as if suddenly shy and lightly cleared her throat.

"Where…" she made sure to keep her voice soft. "Where can we go to apply for that job?"

"There's a small inn named 'White Dove' west of this village," the man said. "Go there along with your brother tonight. I'll put in a good word with the boss. I'm sure he'd be glad to see you two and have you work for him."

"Really?" Sakura asked, giving him a hopeful smile. "Will you do that, mister?"

"Call me Minoru," the man said. "What's your name, little miss?"

"Please call me Haru," Sakura bowed her head. "Thank you so much for your help, Minoru-san…"

"I'll see you later, then, Haru-chan."

The man got off his seat, and with one last sip of his sake, paid for his drink and Sakura's food and sake. Sakura continued eating, and she asked the restaurant owner to pack the onigiri for take-out. He looked like he wanted to tell her something, but chose to keep his mouth shut and left with the plate of onigiri.

Sakura couldn't help but wonder just how many of the villagers knew about the prostitution business at the 'White Dove' inn. The request for the assassination didn't come from any of the villagers— it was the father of one of the trafficking victims from another village who had died and was left by a roadside. Police couldn't help him achieve justice, and so he turned to ninjas for revenge.

It wasn't part of her mission, but if she could help it, she'd make sure she freed the people being kept in that inn.

"No."

Sakura clenched her fists tightly. She hadn't said anything yet, damn it, and her mission partner's already protesting.

"Hear me out first," she said.

After her stint at the restaurant, Sakura headed back to their inn in case she was being watched from afar. She added a bruise on the side of her mouth with the use of her henge, and returned to the streets acting like a kid who wanted to explore the town. She never ventured to the western part of the village, instead sticking to the parks and hot springs area. Near lunch time she returned to her room, and after making sure she wasn't being watched inside the building she snuck out in her ANBU uniform and returned to her surveillance spot near their target inn. She and Uchiha Itachi continued observing the place and the people connected to it, and by sundown they returned to their inn as Sakura had instructed.

They were sharing the onigiri that Sakura had brought from the restaurant when Sakura cleared her throat. That was when her mission partner gave her a firm 'No'.

"If we cut off their power, we can easily run past all the people inside and straight to our target," Uchiha Itachi said. "We weren't forbidden to eliminate additional threats to our mission."

"Yes, but we have no idea how many guards there really are, not to mention how many of them are ninjas, and if the target's office is sealed with a special way of opening. All you got from that patron you cornered last night was the layout of the first basement floor. What good is that?"

Uchiha Itachi's frown became more and more evident as Sakura spoke, but she was the assigned leader and he should listen to her.

"Our cover worked well," Sakura continued. "We're heading there tonight with you intending to 'sell' me off. The guy I talked to guaranteed an audience with their boss, and that's the perfect chance we have."

"And if the boss doesn't see you?" The guy countered.

"You've read the mission scroll," Sakura crossed her arms. "He's the kind of guy who wants to see everything going on in his business, and that includes the 'wares' he gets. He's not called the only 'brain' of their gang for nothing."

She let out a heavy sigh. Trust an Uchiha to be more stubborn than a rock.

"I don't want you to use the Mangekyou Sharingan," she continued. "That should only be put into use for extreme emergency cases. This isn't even an S-class mission."

"Just because you're a kunoichi doesn't mean you should readily use your body to—"

"I'm not even going to get naked!" Sakura threw her hands up. "And even so, I wouldn't let them do anything like—"

"And you said it yourself— we're not sure how many of his guards are ninja."

Sakura pressed a hand to her temples.

"Then switch with me," she suggested. "You go as me and I'll go as you. Damn it, Uchi—Toshi, this isn't the time for chivalry!"

The guy's face was something caught between severity and aversion, and Sakura would've laughed if she wasn't trying to keep a rein on her temper.

"Your choice, Toshi," Sakura said. "Go with my 'sell Haru' plan or I'll report to the Hokage how you've gone against your leader every chance you could get."

"I'll go in your place," Uchiha Itachi caved in. "Show me your appearance when you went around town."

Sakura stared at the guy in shock. When she made the suggestion, she wasn't even the slightest bit serious about it. She just wanted the guy to shut up and follow her orders. Sasuke would've definitely refused and she was banking on the older Uchiha to do the same.

Still, the guy was finally being agreeable and Sakura happily showed him her henge form earlier that day.

Sakura wrinkled her nose in disgust. The kimono Uchiha Itachi had given her reeked of alcohol and was stained at the sleeves and at the bottom. He said he had it 'traded' with one of the people he had played with at a gambling house. The only consolation was it at least didn't stink of body odor.

"Haru-chan!"

The man who had offered 'work' for her and her 'brother' approached them at the reception area of the White Dove inn, and he placed a hand low on Uchiha Itachi's— now disguised as 'Haru'— back. He turned to Sakura and stuck out a hand.

"You must be her dear brother?" The man named Minoru shook hands with Sakura.

"I talked with a guy named Seiji last night," Sakura said, her voice now a perfect imitation of Uchiha Itachi's. "He said the boss might be interested with what I have to offer."

Her companion scooted closer to her, and though 'Haru' had a hopeful face on, the way Uchiha gripped her arm hurt.

"Yeah, he's talking with the boss right now," Minoru said with a grin. "Follow me."

Two unfamiliar men entered the inn, and after silently placing some coins on the reception counter they were ushered to the back. Minoru led Sakura and 'Haru' to the other end of the hallway and opened a door. Sakura stepped in first, followed closely by 'Haru'. Minoru closed the door behind him and waved down the five guards in the room.

"This is Haru-chan and her brother Toshi," Minoru announced. "The boss is waiting for them."

One of the guards approached Sakura and instructed her to raise her arms.

"Don't worry, it's just for security purposes," Minoru said. "I'll check you, Haru-chan, so you won't feel uncomfortable."

The guard patted Sakura's arms and sides, and he knelt down and reached under her kimono to feel through her legs. He sent the guy a glare for good measure, and he kept his hand away from a place he shouldn't be touching. She may be in the body of a guy right now, but that didn't mean she'd tolerate being touched in certain body parts.

'Haru' let out a squeak and grabbed on to Sakura tightly. Minoru let out a laugh.

"Sorry, sorry," he said with a smile that Sakura wanted to brutally pound off of his face. "My hand slipped. You have really smooth skin, Haru-chan."

The other guards snickered, but they let them through the other door in the room.

Sakura was impressed. She doubted Uchiha Itachi would let out that kind of sound even as a girl, and he sounded so convincing as a startled and embarrassed girl.

Sakura glanced down at 'Haru' and flinched as 'she' sent her a glare that promised torture once their mission was done. She immediately returned her sights to the man they're following down a flight of stairs and shrugged off 'Haru's' hold.

"Stop clinging to me," she said with a harsh tone. "Or do you me to hit you that badly?"

"Now, now," Minoru looked back at them. "It would be bad for business if the customers see Haru-chan with cuts and bruises. Besides, Haru-chan is just being sweet to her dear brother."

They came at a landing, but Minoru ignored the door and continued down another flight of stairs. Sakura nudged 'Haru', who had become too quiet.

"We can finally pay the debt, nii-san," 'Haru' muttered.

Sakura tried her best to keep a straight face as she answered with a short 'Hn.' It was a popular sound among the Uchiha, after all, especially the clan head's family, and she shouldn't break character.

"You look like you can't wait to start, Haru-chan," Minoru said.

"Of course," 'Haru' answered. "Nii-san doesn't have to worry about getting arrested anymore, and we can settle down in this village."

They arrived at a second landing, and Sakura sensed there were guards just a couple of feet downstairs. Minoru opened the door to the second floor of the basement, and they were blocked by five guards with five more on standby.

"They're for the boss," Minoru said, and the guards let them through.

They continued their walk down the hallway, and Sakura felt the hair on her arms stick up. They knew they had more guards than this amount, but so far they've only encountered a couple. Considering the patrols were only two groups of three men, there was something about the missing numbers that made Sakura nervous. She tried to detect if there were people in the other rooms by sensing their chakra signatures, but they were all empty.

'Haru' tapped the inside of her arm, and the silent look 'she' gave her was enough to make Sakura feel some apprehension. The other rooms must have been sealed with a jutsu and it could very well mean there was a small army hidden in that floor alone and they had no idea how many they might have to fight through during their escape.

This gang didn't screw around when it came to security.

Minoru opened a dark-stained wooden door, and Sakura pushed 'Haru' inside first.

'Ah, shit.'

Keeping her breathing even, Sakura walked over to stand with 'Haru' infront of their target's desk. At least the gang's boss was there.

"Finally decided, eh, Toshi?" A man with cropped hair smirked from beside the boss.

"Aah," Sakura answered, crossing her arms. "How much for her?"

Ten guards armed to the teeth. One boss who was eyeing 'Haru' with great interest.

"How old is she again?" The boss asked.

"Seventeen," Sakura answered.

"And does she have any… experience?"

'Haru' moved closer to her.

"No," Sakura answered. "That should fetch a higher price, right?"

"Indeed," the boss answered, rubbing his chin. "Come here, girl."

'Haru' clung on to Sakura, and she commended her partner for making a convincing anxious girl. She shoved her to Minoru, who led her to the boss.

"Sit over here, Haru-chan," the boss said, patting the desk before him and moving his chair back to give her some space.

'Haru' looked back at Sakura, who gave him a short nod, and carefully sat on the desk infront of the boss. She let out a surprised shriek as the boss shoved her legs apart, and she struggled to keep herself covered with her dress.

"Don't worry, Haru-chan," Minoru licked his lips. "The boss just wants to 'inspect' you."

"I… I want to go back to my nii-san please…" 'Haru' pleaded, her voice and body shaking.

Sakura tensed. The guards were all closing in on her, their sharp blades and heavy armor glinting as they moved.

The boss pulled 'Haru' to his lap, and he grabbed her by her neck when she struggled to get away.

"Two hundred ryo," the boss announced. "To whoever finishes off the Uchiha."

Struggling for air, Sakura slumped over to a nearby wall. The whole place was pitch black, but she preferred it that way. She may be a medic, but ridiculous amounts of blood still made her shiver.

"Can you stand?"

She turned her head to the voice. She couldn't make him out in the darkness, though she could faintly sense his chakra signature.

"I'm fine," Sakura said as she hauled herself up. Her hand slipped on the wall, but she managed to catch herself on time. She tried to wipe her hands dry, but her kimono was soaked and it only made things worse.

"Let's get out of here before outsiders come in to investigate."

More than happy to oblige, Sakura followed her mission partner.

She didn't want to imagine how the place would look like with the lights on, and she almost felt sorry for whoever had to clean the mess. Bodies— and bits and pieces of them— littered the whole place, and the floor was slick with blood. Crushed concrete, shards of glass, and splintered wood added more to the chaos. It was a miracle that the building held up from the destruction she'd caused.

"Wait," Sakura reached out for her partner. She felt the fabric of her dress, and though it was just as blood-soaked, she didn't want the guy to keep on wearing it. "Let's exchange clothes."

"We don't have time."

"Let's do it while going down."

Uchiha Itachi stopped in his tracks and turned to her.

"We're not going down."

"I'm not leaving while those people are still locked away downstairs," Sakura said. "The sooner you move, the quicker we can leave."

She felt her partner's hand reach for her arm, but instead of heading down the hallway he led the way to a surprisingly intact room and started digging through what sounded like boxes and drawers and cabinets. A few moments later there were sounds of rustling cloth, and Sakura jumped as a large sheet was thrown her way. There was a ripping sound from where Uchiha Itachi was standing, and then the soppy thud of wet cloth hitting the floor. Now understanding what he was doing, Sakura quickly stripped off of her kimono and wiped herself with the sheet. Her hair was still damp and she itched to get rid of her underwear, but she'd have time to clean up better later.

Another sheet was thrown her way, and Sakura wrapped it around her like a cloak. She felt the Uchiha reach for her arm once more, and she followed him as they walked down the littered and hole-ridden hallway and a flight of stairs. His grip on her arm felt almost painful, but she didn't complain as she understood why he was pissed.

There was still light at the bottommost floor of the inn, and Sakura cringed at the sight of her reddened arms and legs.

They split up and broke the locks one by one. She couldn't see clearly in the four darkened rooms, but there must have been at least ten to fifteen girls of varying ages in each of them.

"Follow the stairs and don't stop until you reach the police station," Sakura announced. "We have secured this building. Don't open the door with blood coming out of it."

Slowly the trafficking victims left the rooms, and Sakura and Uchiha Itachi lead the way upstairs. The person behind the counter was shocked to see the number of people coming down from the hallway, but before he could move the Uchiha was already on him and brought him down behind the wooden furniture.

"Hurry!" Sakura hissed, and the rescued people ran for the inn's front doors, now sure they weren't being tricked.

When the last of them was finally out, the partners returned to their room at their inn and departed from the village without even cleaning up. Uchiha had suggested she could do it, but Sakura didn't want to stay in that village any longer. Thankfully her partner didn't argue against her, and they sped through the forest going back to Konoha.

The inky black sky was already lightening up when Uchiha insisted they make a stop. Sakura didn't want to, but admittedly her whole body was already shaking from exhaustion. She told her partner that she'd take first watch, but the guy shot her a glare and pushed her to the direction of the river.

The water was so cold that it stung, but Sakura sucked the inconvenience up and washed as thoroughly as she could.

She had to soap down three times to get most of the stain and smell of blood off her skin and hair.

Her sleeping bag was already prepared when she came back to their camp, and she whispered a tired 'thank you' to Uchiha Itachi before crawling inside and finally closing her eyes.

Their travel back was mostly quiet, and no matter how Sakura tried to start a small conversation between her and her partner he never gave even a monosyllabic reply. She figured he was still angry about her plan which actually failed, but at least they finished their mission successfully and that should count for something, right?

Sakura mostly ignored his anger and silent treatment, until she recalled how as 'Haru' Uchiha Itachi had been molested by two men. Slapping her forehead, she sped ahead and blocked her partner's way.

Uchiha Itachi didn't say anything, and Sakura was sure he was sending her a look of pure irritation.

"I'm sorry," Sakura said. "It was a stupid and risky plan, I know, and in the end we disposed of everyone instead of just the target."

She took a deep breath.

"I'm also sorry that you got felt up," she said. "I mean, I already expected that when I came up with that plan, but I didn't think you'd agree to switch places with me. I guess I should have warned you."

The guy sidestepped her and continued leaping through the forest. Sakura punched the tree she was perched on, sending the upper half crashing to other trees. She rushed after the guy, sending more chakra to her feet to help her, but he would go even faster when she'd come closer.

Patience wearing thin, Sakura threw a rock at his direction, but the guy easily dodged it with a small movement of his head.

"Didn't your parents teach you to listen when somebody's talking?!" Sakura shouted at him. "And really, I didn't take you to be someone so rude you'd dismiss a person's genuine apology, you jerk!"

Uchiha Itachi didn't even look back at her, and only the reminder that she was supposed to be an ANBU operative at that moment stopped her from hollering at him all the way back to Konoha.

O O O

A day and a half later they were back at Konoha, and Sakura was still fuming. Even Tsunade sensed something was wrong even though Sakura and Uchiha Itachi were both masked the whole time they had their debriefing.

"The body?" The Hokage inquired.

Uchiha Itachi retrieved a scroll from his pack and handed it to the Hokage. One of the guards— the one who had apparently recognized Itachi and blew their cover that night— was listed in Konoha's bingo book, and they brought the body home for proper identification and whatever the Hokage decided to do with it.

"It was a risky plan," Tsunade pulled the scroll closer. "But you two managed to pull through in the end. Good work. You may submit your written report tomorrow. You're dismissed."

Sakura let out a shaky breath. She had thought the way their mission had gone would set her back, but the Hokage was satisfied and, hopefully, she'd consider advancing her training for the Byakugo Seal.

Uchiha Itachi gave the Hokage a short bow before walking out of the room. Sakura quickly followed suit and ran after him. He raised a hand to do a body flicker, and Sakura grabbed him by his arm and led the way instead. She refused to let him go until she shoved him inside her apartment and pushed him to sit down on her couch.

She threw her mask aside and took a deep breath.

"Look," she said. "Tsunade-shishou's words aside, I'm still sorry I came up with a plan that failed. I'm not going to blame you for getting recognized by that rogue nin. I should have thought about that possibility. I'm also sorry for not giving you a warning and that those men touched you inappropriately. If I knew it would affect you this much, I would've gone through it without us switching pla— DAMN IT, UCHIHA ITACHI, LOOK AT ME WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU!"

She charged to grab him by his ANBU flak jacket, but the guy caught her hand.

"You're mistaken," he said, still refusing to return her gaze.

Sakura grabbed his mask and yanked it off his face.

"Then what are you being such a bitch about?" She demanded.

The guy didn't say anything, and Sakura threw her hands up in frustration.

"You know what, I'm sick and tired of you shutting up when you shouldn't!" She started pacing in her living room. "You didn't say anything when you got injured, and look at all the trouble that caused— your father ran after my shishou's ass, you made your family worried, and because I had to stay at your house to calm your father down and for me to make up for being irresponsible for that one moment, your clan thought we're going to get married!"

The rational side of her brain was screaming at her to calm down and shut up, but her chest and head were still burning and she hadn't run out of things to tell to the guy who continued to avert his gaze.

"I knew it, I should have just requested for another ANBU mentor," Sakura said viciously. "I have no complaints about your methods no matter how inhuman they seem— I understand that ANBU missions are far more difficult than jounin ones. But do you know how hard and confusing it is to deal with you? One minute you're actually kind and considerate and you even helped me with my chakra training and let me go home early so I could see my friends when they came back from their mission, and then suddenly you're a heartless bastard and with the way you treat me it's like you want to get permanently rid of me! What the hell's wrong with you—"

"Sakura-chan?"

Blood freezing, Sakura listened carefully as another series of knocks came through her door. Naruto's muffled voice came after, calling out her name once again.

Sakura turned to the guy on her couch, and Uchiha Itachi in turn stared at her ANBU uniform.

... to be continued ...

hehehehehe... Sakura's definitely been abandoned by good luck. No worries, she and Itachi are on the same boat.