Title: The Consequences of Our Actions
Category: Naruto
Author: tsukiko7
Chapter: 1 – Surprise for the Copy Nin
Genre: General/Romance
Pairing: Kakashi/Sakura
Rating: T (PG-13) for mild cursing and adult situations
Spoiler Warning: Naruto manga spoilers up to Chapter 244 – the fanfic picks up right around the time skip
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, it belongs to Masahi Kishimoto; but this fanfiction, the plot, and any original characters belong to me.
UPDATED: 6/6/06
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"Huh?" the quirky nin asked.
"Like this," the woman with roseate hair replied.
Sakura placed her hands in the seal formation of a particularly difficult genjutsu that she was trying to teach Naruto. It was supposed to create an illusion for your opponent of falling into an endless hole, while he really remained on the ground. It was one of the advanced genjutsu that Sakura had learned from Kurenai. Naruto blinked his clear blue eyes and tried to repeat Sakura's movements to make her experience the jutsu. To Naruto’s dismay, Sakura only felt a little dizzy.
"Naruto, I know you can do this," Sakura said as she attempted to clear her head.
"I've been training all day. I just need a break from this," replied Naruto. The fox boy grinned convincingly at Sakura. She knew that he couldn’t possibly be that tired; he was probably just bored. The man had the Kyuubi inside him with a powerhouse of chakra, for goodness sake! Sakura smiled and decided that she’d let him have his break; she was getting a little tired even if Naruto was just bluffing.
"Fine, Naruto. We'll stop now, but you'd better practice more this week," Sakura scolded him playfully.
"Sure...sure," replied Naruto with a smile, "C'mon Sakura, I told Sasuke we'd meet him at the pub at 8:00. I was going to pick you up at your place, if you need some time to get ready."
"Naruto, you know how I feel about all that drinking," replied Sakura. Sakura hadn’t had alcohol in a while and she was happy with her decision not to drink. Who wanted to slowly destroy their liver anyway? Sakura was a skilled medic nin and she knew what was best for her health. Besides, the pub on a Friday night tended to get a little ardent.
"But Sakura, don't you remember?" questioned Naruto.
"Remember what?" Sakura asked curiously. Had she forgotten someone's birthday? Did someone get ranked up to a Jounin?
"Kakashi is coming back from his long mission today. We were going to surprise him and celebrate." Naruto explained.
"Oh, right," Sakura replied. She silently cursed herself for forgetting something important. These days, her head was in the clouds.
"I guess I'll see you there...?" Naruto questioned.
"Of course, I wouldn’t miss it for our favorite copy ninja,” Sakura reassured him.
"See ya at eight, Sakura," Naruto waved to her and started down the street towards his home.
"Bye, Naruto."
Sakura walked through the clearing and onto the Konoha street leading to her apartment. It had been almost two years since she had seen her old sensei, Kakashi. He had been gone on a huge mission for eight months, and prior to that, Sakura had been on a fairly long mission. They hadn’t had time to see each other; everything had been so hectic since Sakura had become a Jounin.
Sakura kept walking down the quiet street. She glanced up and could see the monument of the five Hokages in the setting sun. Her mentor, Godaime, looked down upon her with a confident, smiling face. Naruto’s face would surely be the next one carved into the mountain; she mused.
When she was a Genin, Sakura had wanted to become a powerful ninja, living with Sasuke in the Uchiha house; raising a family and enjoying life. But now she just scoffed at her unrealistic dream. Sasuke was out of her reach; the most that they could ever be was close friends.
She had refused his marriage proposal when he had straightforwardly asked her. While Sasuke had been away Sakura had thought long and hard about her life; she decided that she wasn’t ready for commitment just yet. She didn’t want to be the little Mrs. Uchiha living in the grand Uchiha house with five kids and a dog. She didn’t want to stay at home, cooking, cleaning and watching the children while her husband was off for months at a time on ANBU missions. She didn’t want that at all.
Sasuke had been away for three years training with Orochimaru, and then had returned to Konoha late one night, announcing the death of his brother, Itachi. Sasuke had said that he had also severely wounded Orochimaru so he could escape; but wasn’t sure of Orochimaru’s fate. Everyone was surprised that he had escaped the snake Sannin, but not that he had killed his brother. Only a select few knew the details of Sasuke’s stay at Orochimaru’s and his escape, and Sakura was one of them.
After destroying Orochimaru’s base, battling the Sound Four and Kabuto, and wounding Orochimaru, Sasuke had gone to search for his brother. Following many months of training and planning; Sasuke had broken into the Akatsuki complex and sought out the remaining Uchiha. After the brutal mêlée, Sasuke had emerged the victorious one. There was only one Uchiha left in the world now; Uchiha Sasuke.
After Sasuke had returned and been denied Sakura as a wife, things hadn't been the same between the two. Sakura knew that they never would be. Ever since the day Sasuke had left her on the cold stone bench on the road out of Konoha, her life had taken drastic changes.
Sasuke was distant from her, and he was depressed. Sakura tried to help him numerous times, but he just pushed her away. He held a grudge against her for not agreeing to marry him. Sasuke didn’t know many other women and didn’t have enough trust in them to ask for their marriage. In some ways he was like a child; refusing help from others and always wanting to do everything himself...only settling for the way he wanted things to be.
But technically, Sakura was almost ready for marriage. She had grown to be 18 years old. Her body had ridden the long road of puberty, and she was an adult under the law. Her hips had grown larger, breasts fuller, and her body had taken a more womanly shape. Sakura was no longer the whiny kunoichi who only knew genjutsu and chakra control, and sucked at everything else. She was a fierce and determined shinobi, and a Jounin at that. And Sakura wasn't completely unhappy with her life; she loved her job and her friends, but sometimes she wished that her relationship with Sasuke could be better.
Sakura strolled over to her apartment. She swiped out her keys from her pocket and unlocked the door. Her small abode was fairly clean, and she liked it that way. Sakura went into her bedroom and plopped on her large bed. She carefully lifted the picture frame sitting on her night stand. The photo was of her, Naruto, Sasuke and Kakashi when the trio had just been Genins. The still had kept the picture, all throughout the years.
Sakura closed her eyes and tried to remember what it was like. Naruto was the village idiot, Sasuke was the coolest thing since sliced bread, and Kakashi was the intelligent, secretive teacher. So many things had changed about them since then; sometimes Sakura just missed being a kid.
What has gotten me thinking such nostalgic thoughts? she wondered as she sighed to the air.
Sakura set the picture down and wandered over to her closet. She shuffled some things around and finally found her favorite emerald green dress. The bold color of it matched her eyes, the thin straps of it the dress exposed her delicate shoulders, and the short bottom made her long legs stand out. She set it carefully on the bed.
Sakura took a shower, and then blow dried her hair. She didn't have many options for styling it; over the years she had kept it fairly short around her shoulders. She decided to leave it down; then she put on some light makeup. She carefully put on the dress and stepped into some heels. She hoped that she wasn't overdressed.
Sakura heard banging and shouts of, "SAKURA! ARE YOU ALMOST READY? OPEN THE DOOR! COME ON WE’RE GONNA BE LATE!" She took one last look in the mirror at herself, then grabbed her purse and set out.
Naruto was waiting for her at the door. He was covered by an attire of bright orange. His jacket was open to expose his broad shoulders and muscular torso through a tight, black Jounin shirt. He had grown too.
"Sakura, you look great!" he exclaimed.
"Thanks Naruto," Sakura grinned.
"Let's go," said Naruto.
They began the short walk from Sakura's apartment to the pub. On the way, the two ran into Ino and Shikamaru.
"Hey Shik, Ino." Naruto nodded to them.
"Hi Sakura," said Ino. She was wearing a short black dress that wrapped around her neck at the top. Her feet donned a pair of long black boots that reached just below her knees.
"Hey Ino,” replied Sakura friendlily. The two women came closer together so they could talk without Naruto and Shikamaru overhearing them.
“So, Ino...are you and Shikamaru finally together?” muttered Sakura.
“Yeah,” Ino laughed quietly, “You might think that man is lazy, but whew, he really does know how to please a woman in bed.”
Sakura laughed and talked with her friend until they arrived at the pub. They walked in and spotted some familiar faces at a large table.
Sakura pulled out a chair and sat down. She looked around at Gai, Asuma, Kurenai, Genma, Neji, Hinata, Lee, Tenten and many other of her comrades and shinobi of the village. It seemed that everyone was here to surprise Kakashi. Naruto pulled out the chair next to her with a squeaking noise and announced, "Hey everyone! Sake on me!" Everyone laughed and he took a seat. They all knew that Naruto never had enough money in his life to treat everyone there.
There were a few people missing from their group though; Kakashi who was receiving a short debriefing from Tsunade and Sasuke who hadn’t arrived yet.
"Sakura, may I just say that you look absolutely lovely tonight?" Lee complimented.
"Thanks, Lee," Sakura smiled at him and glanced at his usual green jumpsuit; Lee hadn’t changed much at all, he just looked even more like Gai. He was still a master at taijutsu, and still really desperate in his search for a love life.
Sakura peeked at the clock near the bar. It was already 8:30 and Sasuke still hadn't arrived. She was getting a little concerned; it usually wasn’t like him to be late. The drinks arrived and Sakura sipped hers slowly. The alcohol slid down her throat and she felt a little more relaxed.
"Hey Naruto?" asked Sakura lightly. He was trying to strike up a conversation with Neji.
"Hmmm?" he replied.
"Where could Sasuke be?" she asked.
"Not sure; he’s probably just late or something,” Naruto reassured her.
Sakura was uneasy. She hoped that Sasuke was alright, and couldn't imagine what she would do if something happened to him; or any of her friends for that matter.
Naruto gave up his futile attempt to talk to Neji about ninjutsu, and turned to Sakura.
"Sakura,” Naruto sighed, “I know you're worried. But think about it, Sasuke's an incredible ninja. Whatever he's up to, he can handle it. And he's probably fine, maybe he trained too much today and is enjoying a good rest.”
"I suppose you're right," Sakura said. But she still felt nervous.
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Kakashi drummed his fingers impatiently on Tsunade’s desk. She continued scribbling something down on Kakashi mission report.
“And how many are there rumored to be?” she inquired.
“Our sources tell us that there are nine members,” Kakashi replied. He continued drumming in quicker succession. Tsunade became irritated and slapped his hand.
“And knowledge of the identity of any members?” she questioned him with a stern gaze.
“So far we know that there's Hoshigaki Kisame from Mist, Deidara from Rock, and Zetsu from Grass. We don't have much information on the rest of the Akatsuki but they must have an addition of new members since the deaths of Uchiha Itachi and Akasuna no Sasori,” Kakashi recited from his memory.
“Good job Kakashi,” her expression loosened, “That’s enough information that you and your team have provided us with before the next mission concerning the affairs of Akatsuki will take place. I’ll look into these names and see if the three of them have been affiliated with anyone else.”
“Thank you, Hokage-sama. Is there anything else you need to know before I go?”
“No, you’re free to go. But make sure you stop at the pub; Naruto is there and he wanted to tell you something urgent.”
“Ah.” Kakashi rose from the chair in front of Tsunade’s desk and exited her office. He vaguely wondered what Naruto had to tell him. Kakashi trotted down the steps of the building and breathed some fresh air. He was so glad to be back in Konoha; the mission had taken a lot out of him. He longed to see Gai, Genma, Asuma and Kurenai as well as his old students.
Kakashi made his way to the pub and opened the creaky door. A few faces turned to look at him; and once the smoky air cleared, realized who he was. Voices started to elevate as everyone made their way over to greet him. Kakashi hadn’t expected all this; but it was welcome.
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The pub burst with an array of sounds. People were cheering and gathering in a bunch. Hands were being shaken and people were congratulating. Sakura craned her neck to see above the sea of heads.
Her former sensei, Hatake Kakashi had arrived in the pub, in all of his glory. He was wearing black attire similar to his Jounin uniform, but he had omitted the vest. His usual mask was in place.
No surprise there, thought Sakura.
Kakashi made his way over to their table, on the way receiving pats on the back friendly remarks such as, "It’s good to see you back, Hatake."
Naruto jumped out of his seat like a spring and Sakura quickly followed. When Sakura caught a full glimpse of her ex-sensei, her mind went into overdrive. His tall form flooded her vision, and butterflies were doing the Hokey Pokey her stomach.
What is wrong with me? Sakura wondered. It’s just Kakashi, back from a mission. She dismissed it as alcohol influenced excitement and anxiety. Naruto shook hands with the silver haired man. Sakura took a breath.
"Ah! It's great to have you back, Kakashi!" Naruto exclaimed. Sakura exhaled.
"Naruto...it’s great to see you! I suppose training’s going well?" laughed Kakashi. Naruto nodded and smiled. After Naruto's greeting, he turned his masked face to Sakura.
"Welcome back Kakashi," said Sakura. His name without the suffix rolled off her tongue with ease.
"It's good to be back," he replied.
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After another round of drinks, everyone was feeling at ease. Kakashi relayed a short summary of his ANBU mission to the group without giving away too much classified information; he had gone to the Rain country and the River country to track the Akatsuki and find any information on their whereabouts. He had been gone for a long time and Naruto had planned a party for the copy nin to welcome him back. Kakashi was quite famous throughout Konoha, as well as the other Shinobi nations.
After an hour had passed and the celebration had died down a bit, Kakashi had seemed to notice that Sasuke was missing.
"Is Sasuke here?" he pondered out loud.
"I think he's just late," said Naruto. Kakashi looked at Sakura; she looked nervous and worried.
"I'm sure he'll come soon," Kakashi placed a hand on Sakura's shoulder to comfort her. She shivered slightly at his touch; but stayed silent and continued staring at her checkered napkin on the table.
What is wrong with me?! It’s not cold in here... she yelled at herself. She rose out of her chair discreetly, and turned to leave.
"Sakura, what's wrong?" Kakashi inquired. Sakura had to think of an excuse. Kakashi was making her too nervous.
"I'm feeling a little lightheaded," she replied. Kakashi looked at her questioningly; they locked eyes.
Damn him, it’s like he’s psychic! thought Sakura. She turned away from him.
"I'm going to...look for Sasuke," she finished lamely.
"I'm coming with you," Naruto proclaimed.
“I’m staying here!” yelled a drunken Lee from across the table. The trio took no notice of him.
"Maybe I should join you two," Kakashi offered.
"No..." started Sakura.
"Don't worry, we can take care of ourselves, and you're here to relax and enjoy the party, remember? You just finished a long mission," Naruto said.
"Fine. But be careful," Kakashi agree reluctantly. Naruto and Sakura snaked around groups of people and made their way to the exit.
Sakura was glad to finally be out of the pub, but now she had to worry about trying to find Sasuke. She and Naruto walked towards the Uchiha house in silence. Naruto checked his watch. It was almost 10:00.
"Sakura...let's hurry,"
Sakura was eager to put as much distance from her and the pub as she could, so she and Naruto used charka to propel themselves quickly over rooftops and buildings. They arrived at Sasuke's dwelling within minutes.
Sakura and Naruto stood outside of the door of Sasuke's huge house. Naruto reached for the handle. He slowly turned it, and the door opened.
"Door's unlocked..." Naruto mumbled. He stepped into the threshold and Sakura followed. The house was cold, chilling even. Sakura shivered in her strapless dress.
"Naruto..." she whispered, "Is Sasuke even here?"
"Maybe we should look around for him," Naruto replied, “And why are you whispering?” A gust of wind picked up, as she shrugged and closed the door. The house was shrouded in darkness. Sakura tentatively felt around for a light, and switched it on. The room brightened.
"Sasuke!" Naruto called. His masculine voice echoed throughout the house.
"Sakura, you check downstairs, and I'll check upstairs, OK?"
"Right,” she replied.
Anything to keep my mind off...him... she thought.
Naruto ascended the stairs and Sakura wandered into the living room. The couches were old and dusty, and the fireplace looked like it hadn't been used in ages. Sakura quickly fixed that problem by lighting it with a jutsu. A warm glow enveloped the room, and Sakura felt better.
She sat on the couch and looked around the room. Her eyes rested on the end table. A framed picture stood on its grainy surface. Sakura picked up the picture and sank down off the couch and onto the hearth so she could see better by the light of the fire.
She studied the picture closely. It was of a man and a woman, standing together. The man looked strong and confident. He had dark brown hair that looked like Sasuke's. A woman with dark raven colored hair was next to him, looking reassuring and calm.
They must be Sasuke’s parents... thought Sakura.
"Sakura!" Naruto called. Sakura jumped at the sound of his voice, and slipped out of her retrieve. She rose quickly, put the picture back, and walked to the foyer. She climbed the stairs and met Naruto at the top.
"Sakura...I found Sasuke...he's in here,"
Naruto led her into a room to the right of them. Sakura entered and gasped at what she saw. | 
