Morning
Karin stared uneasily at the empty seat across the breakfast table. A full night had passed, and Sakura hadn't come home. Not even a single message had arrived. Mebuki and Kizashi Haruno, however, seemed almost accustomed to their daughter's inexplicable absences, asking no questions. They probably assumed Sakura was simply away on another mission.
But Karin, who worked alongside Sakura at the hospital nearly every day, knew better. Something was wrong. She knew Tsunade-sensei had specifically assigned Sakura to hospital duty and wouldn't be giving her field missions. Even if there had been an assignment requiring her to leave the village, Sakura would have mentioned it.
Yet, since seeing her yesterday morning, there had been no word. Karin's intuition screamed that this wasn't normal.
"Is something wrong, Karin? You look rather pale," Mebuki asked kindly from across the table.
"Ah, no, nothing's wrong," Karin replied hastily, startled out of her thoughts.
"Maybe you've been under too much stress lately? You need to make sure you rest properly. I heard you're learning two different disciplines now," Mebuki advised gently, before sighing with a familiar maternal complaint. "And I have no idea where Sakura has gotten off to, out all night like this. When she gets back, I'm going to give her a piece of my mind!"
"Sakura's probably just on a mission," Karin managed, forcing a smile. "I'm full now, so I'll head out first." She quickly shoveled down a few more bites of rice, afraid she'd give something away if she lingered any longer.
"I'm full too. Time for school," Junko added, putting down her chopsticks and standing up.
Watching the two girls leave, Mebuki sighed contentedly. "Ah, isn't it nice."
"I wouldn't be so cheerful if I were you," Kizashi grumbled from the side, shrugging dismissively. "Means having to prepare meals for five people every day."
"Oh? Are you offering to lighten my burden?" Mebuki shot him a sharp look. "In that case, from now on, you can sort out your own meals."
"Ah! I was just kidding! I'm sorry, dear..."
...
"What?! Sakura didn't come in today?" Karin asked, shocked, confronting one of the hospital physicians, Dr. Nanshi.
"That's right. And... well, she might not be coming back anymore," Dr. Nanshi began hesitantly. "Actually, yesterday after you left..."
"Nanshi!"
Shizune's sharp voice cut through the hallway from the far end, instantly making Karin's heart clench with a terrible premonition.
"Ah, Shizune-senpai! Hah hah, I just remembered I have something urgent to attend to. I'll be going now, Karin!" Dr. Nanshi stammered, beating a hasty retreat.
"Shizune-senpai!" Karin turned as Shizune walked purposefully towards her.
"Karin, come with me. I... have something I need to tell you," Shizune said, her expression uncharacteristically stern. She opened her office door. "Come in."
Seeing the gravity on Shizune-senpai's face, Karin swallowed nervously and followed meekly behind her.
Once inside the office, Shizune turned her back to Karin, leaning her hands heavily on the desk. Her voice was low when she spoke. "Lady Tsunade told me not to say anything... but you would find out sooner or later anyway."
"Wh-what is it?" Karin's throat felt tight. She asked the question hesitantly, silently praying it wasn't bad news.
"It's about Sakura," Shizune said quietly. "She... has defected."
Karin stared blankly, the words not registering immediately. "What did you say?"
"Haruno Sakura has defected," Shizune repeated calmly, her voice steady.
After receiving Kakashi's report late last night, Shizune herself had struggled to believe it. She had kept hoping Sakura would return to face the investigation. She couldn't fathom Sakura harming fellow villagers. But Kakashi had confirmed it: Sakura had refused to return to the village. And that meant defection.
"No! That's impossible! There must be some mistake!" Hearing the confirmation a second time, Karin rushed forward, grabbing Shizune's hands, her face filled with panic. "She must be on a secret mission, right? You're lying to me, aren't you, Shizune-senpai?!" Tears streamed down her face.
Shizune looked at Karin's tear-streaked face and gently shook her head. "There are reasons behind this, Karin. But... she really has defected."
"I'm going to find Master! You must be lying!" Karin pulled her hands free and ran towards the door.
Shizune quickly caught her arm, her grip firm. "Karin, listen to me!" she hissed urgently. "I'm telling you this because I need you to keep it a secret! Her parents are still in the village! I need you to promise me you won't tell them! Lady Tsunade is even more distraught about this than you are!"
Karin looked at Shizune's deadly serious expression, then slowly lowered her head, her shoulders slumping in defeat. "I understand..." she whispered.
...
A somber atmosphere hung over the Taniichi clan compound as funeral rites were being conducted. Yesterday, Keita Taniichi – Ryuta's older brother – had died, poisoned while recovering in the hospital. Though the Taniichi clan had a reputation for shady dealings, they had cultivated relationships with numerous shinobi over the years, and Keita's younger brother held the influential position of Konoha's Patrol Team Captain.
Consequently, the compound courtyard bustled with visitors coming to offer their condolences. Ryuta moved amongst the guests, accepting their sympathies with a grim face.
Amidst the activity, unnoticed, an ANBU operative moved silently through the residence, methodically searching room after room while the family was occupied with the funeral.
Finally, after searching the last room, the operative slammed a frustrated fist onto the floorboards.
"Damn it! Not a single clue related to Danzo."
This ANBU was none other than Sasuke, acting under Tsunade's orders to investigate Ryuta. After monitoring him throughout the night and now searching the Taniichi compound, he had found absolutely nothing linking Ryuta or his family to Danzo. The dead end was incredibly frustrating.
Just as Sasuke considered continuing his search, the sharp cry of a hawk echoed from outside – the ANBU emergency assembly signal. He had to abort.
Reluctantly, Sasuke slipped out of the compound and sped towards ANBU headquarters.
He arrived to find a group of masked ANBU already gathered in the main hall. An operative dressed in white, likely the captain in charge, stood before them, giving instructions.
Spotting Sasuke, the white-clothed ANBU called out, "You're here, Hawk. There's a new addition to the Bingo Book. Someone you should know quite well."
"Who is it?" Sasuke asked, a familiar sense of dread tightening in his chest.
"Haruno Sakura," the captain replied, handing Sasuke a single sheet of paper. "Add this to your records."
Sasuke took the page numbly. Staring back at him was a drawing of a face he knew better than almost any other. Below it, the details:
Haruno Sakura. Rank: A Missing-nin. Proficiencies: Storm Release, Monster Strength Fist. Affiliation: Konoha (Former Disciple of the Fifth Hokage). Reason for Designation: Defected after lethally harming village shinobi. Disposition: Apprehend or Eliminate.
Sasuke's hands trembled as he held the paper, his vision blurring as his Sharingan instinctively activated, turning his eyes scarlet.
The ANBU captain placed a sympathetic hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "I understand how you must feel. This is a regrettable turn of events. But she has made herself an enemy of Konoha now. There's nothing more to be done."
"No," Sasuke gritted out through clenched teeth, his voice low but intense. "She was framed."
"Our responsibility is to follow orders, Hawk. I trust you understand that," the captain said sternly, before turning back to address the assembled operatives. "Although her bounty is designated A-rank, Haruno Sakura's abilities are not to be underestimated. Do not approach her carelessly..."
Sasuke didn't hear the rest of the captain's briefing. He stared blankly at the drawing of Sakura's smiling face on the wanted notice, a suffocating tightness constricting his chest. Taking a deep, shuddering breath, he forced himself to regain some measure of calm.
As soon as the briefing concluded, Sasuke turned and left ANBU headquarters without a word, heading straight for the Hokage Tower.
He burst into the Hokage's office without knocking, finding Kakashi already present. Kakashi sighed and covered his face with his hand at Sasuke's unceremonious entrance.
Sasuke, having already removed his ANBU mask on the way over, wanting to speak not as Hawk but as a member of Team 7, strode towards the desk and slapped the wanted notice down in front of Tsunade. "Fifth Hokage! What is the meaning of this?!"
Tsunade looked down at the paper, then back up at Sasuke, her brow furrowed. "It's explained quite clearly right there."
"Sasuke," Kakashi interjected wearily. "Don't be reckless. Lady Hokage will resolve this. Go and focus on your own duties."
"This is resolving it?!" Sasuke whirled on Kakashi, shoving the wanted notice towards him. "Is killing her your final solution?!"
Kakashi's visible eye narrowed slightly. "This was her choice, Sasuke. She understood the consequences."
"'Her choice'?!" Sasuke yelled, his voice cracking with anger. "Her choice was for you to issue a kill order against her?!"
"Enough, Sasuke!" Tsunade slammed both hands flat on her desk, rising to her feet. "Kakashi intercepted her last night! She chose not to return to the village!"
Sasuke's furious momentum seemed to halt instantly. The anger drained from his face, replaced by disbelief. "...You... what did you say?" he asked again, his voice barely a whisper.
"She made her own choice," Tsunade repeated, her expression softening with a familiar sadness, perhaps remembering Orochimaru. "I understand how you feel, believe me. But until her name can be cleared, leaving the village under these circumstances classifies her as a missing-nin. Even as Hokage, I cannot change that fact."
"How... How could this happen?" Sasuke murmured, his mouth suddenly feeling dry.
"If you truly want to help her," Tsunade said, sinking back into her chair, "then continue with your mission. Ryuta is the only lead we have right now. Your responsibility, besides monitoring him, is now also to protect him. I will assign other operatives to assist you."
"I understand," Sasuke replied, his voice subdued. He had finally calmed down. He wasn't normally impulsive, but Sakura's situation had shaken him deeply. After hearing the Hokage's explanation, he realized the only way to help Sakura now was to uncover the truth behind the entire conspiracy as quickly as possible.
After Sasuke had left, Kakashi spoke quietly. "I didn't expect things to turn out like this. Even Sasuke lost his composure. I wonder how Naruto will react when he finds out."
"Thankfully, Naruto isn't in the village right now, or things would be even messier," Tsunade sighed, rubbing her temples. "I won't assign you any missions for the time being, Kakashi. Keep an eye on Sasuke. Make sure he doesn't do anything foolish."
"I understand," Kakashi nodded, then added wistfully, "Their bond... Sometimes I almost envy it."
Once Kakashi had departed, Tsunade was left alone in the quiet office. She sat silently for a long moment, her expression unreadable. Then, with a sudden, explosive sound – CRASH! – her fist slammed down, shattering the heavy wooden desk into pieces. Calmly, Tsunade stood up amidst the debris, shaking out her hand. She walked over to the window and stood there, gazing out at the village scenery without a word.
...
Sakura mentally cursed herself. If I die one day, it'll definitely be because of my own damned curiosity. Her plan had been clear: head straight for Red Aku Island. But shortly after landing in the Land of Tea, she had run into two unexpected individuals: Uchiha Itachi, and that distinctive shark-faced man, Hoshigaki Kisame.
Her first instinct upon seeing the Akatsuki pair had been to get as far away as possible. But then she had overheard snippets of their conversation – words like "Kirigakure," "Tailed Beast." Her mind instantly leaped to the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, and the suspected manipulation he had suffered.
Maybe... maybe I should see what they're up to, she thought impulsively. Giving the Akatsuki a little trouble couldn't hurt, right? Even if she were discovered, Itachi was rumoured to be a double agent; he probably wouldn't fight to kill. And Kisame... well, their last encounter hadn't been a complete rout. She was significantly stronger now than she had been back then. She could probably hold her own, or at least escape.
Seeing the two Akatsuki members preparing to move on, Sakura made a snap decision. She quickly activated her Yin Seal. The mutated chakra flooded her senses, amplifying her perception dramatically. Keeping a safe distance, Sakura began to stealthily tail them.