Sakura sighed on her stool, watching the distant figure disappear into the crowd.
She had dreamed of the day when he would come home, only, in her version he would finally realize how wrong he had been to ignore her and welcome her with open arms.
She was realizing more and more how naïve she had been, for while he openly admitted she had gotten a great deal stronger and she was indeed a skilled medic, he hadn't shown her an ounce of affection or even made a single move that suggested he wanted to be more than just team mates.
It had torn her apart, it still was tearing her apart, piece by piece, day by day, but she couldn't stop herself from caring for him even though the realization was gradually dawning on her that he was all wrong for her.
It was as if he held her heart in his fist and he was squeezing it a little more with each passing day, and soon she would be crushed completely by him.
She had liked to think she was stronger than that, but the truth was, when it came to Sasuke, she wasn't.
She was still the weak little girl she had always been and it killed her inside. She wished there was something she could do to make him see her as the woman she wanted to be to him.
Just then a sharp knock on the door broke her out of her self reflection and she instantly snapped to attention, turning to face the source of the sound.
"Come in."
The door swung inward to reveal Kotetsu, bandages covering the bridge of his nose as usual.
"I'm sorry for the interruption Sakura-san," he said with a slight bow. "But Tsunade told me to give you the message to meet her in her office once your shift is over."
Sakura nodded and told him she would be there and he let with another bow of his dark brown head.
The kunoichi turned back to the work before her and commanded herself to focus. She had a lot to do before her shift was over and daydreaming about Sasuke wasn't exactly productive.
She wondered what Tsunade wanted to discuss with her and hoped she hadn't seen through the fact she no longer enjoyed her work as she once did.
Sakura bent forward and peered through the lens of the microscope, turning the knob on the side to make miniscule adjustments in focus.
As the cells on the slide gradually shifted from fuzzy blobs to crystal clear specimens, Sakura wondered if maybe this unexpected call signaled a welcome change of pace.
XXXXX
"You want me to do what?"
It turned out that change of pace she had been dreaming about had come much sooner than expected. The only problem was the alternative she was being offered was something she couldn't picture herself doing…ever.
Tsunade sat back against her chair wearily. First Kakashi and now Sakura. It seemed the whole world was in opposition to this mission.
"Sakura, calm down," she said firmly. "I will not have you throwing a fit in my office, understand?"
The kunoichi seemed to wilt a little, smoothing her pale pink medic skirt as she struggled to regain her composure.
"Yes shishou," she muttered.
She let her eyes dart sideways to the silver haired man that was sitting casually in a nearby chair. Just why the heck was he here anyways? And why was he so calm?
Little did she know, that despite his relaxed posture, Kakashi was still having just as hard of a time with this mission as she was, but he would never show it. He would have to be strong for both of them until Sakura got used to the idea.
"Now," Tsunade continued. "You will go to Fuzen Machi disguised as a civilian. That means no fighting unless absolutely necessary. Upon arriving, you will report to the club and meet with Dajaku, the owner. He will brief you on what exactly you will be doing there but considering the establishment is a gentleman's club, I think you already have a pretty good idea of what to expect."
Sakura nodded mutely, biting the inside of her cheek to keep from groaning aloud.
"You will befriend the women there and find out as much as you can from them as to where the missing women might have gone as well as use all possible means to extract information from suspicious patrons of the club while maintaining your disguise."
Sakura swallowed audibly. She knew what 'all possible means' meant. How could Tsunade expect this from her? She knew more about the male anatomy than anyone, but when it came to handling it like…that, she was beyond clueless. She couldn't dance and she certainly couldn't perform a convincing strip tease.
She was a virgin dammit, one who had only been kissed a handful of times and none of them could be considered smoldering moments of passion. Hell, she had either been half drunk or nervous beyond description.
"Tsunade-sama, I'm unfit for this!" she blurted out, unable to remain silent any longer. "Surely there's someone better, someone who's not a…"
She trailed off as her cheeks flushed pink. She was embarrassed enough as it was. Confessing she was a virgin in front of her former sensei might just be the death of her.
The Hokage eyed her expectantly, waiting for her to finish. When she didn't, she prompted her.
"Someone who isn't a what, Sakura?"
The kunoichi shook her head, sending cotton candy bangs into downcast eyes.
"Never mind shishou, it's nothing."
"Very well," the blonde said with a sigh. "Kakashi will accompany you to Fuzen Machi in the guise of a civilian as well. He will meet Dajabu with you but from that point on, I don't want it to be apparent you two are working together. He will visit the club nightly as a patron and survey the scene for possible suspects as well as make outside investigations during the day. When you two need to communicate at the club, you must make it appear that you are simply a dancer and an observer."
Sakura couldn't believe what she was hearing and she turned to fix her wide eyed stare on the masked man. He had finally looked up from the apparently fascinating floor boards and gave her a patented eye crease.
"Looks like we'll be partners Sakura-chan."
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