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[mbq-butwithart]

Sakura had a slight feeling- no, she was pretty sure everyone else knew something that she didn’t.

At first she ignored the obvious signs, chalking it up to her imagination. But soon, she was certain everyone was acting weird.

Ino kept elbowing her and giving her saucy winks and giggling behind her hand. Kiba kept shooting her devious grins and wished her an ‘interesting night’. Tenten avoided her eyes and questions, smiling secretively. Naruto and Sasuke were nowhere to be found.

Honestly, she’s had it up to here with their cryptic nonsense. She got enough of that from Sasuke, Kakashi and Neji and that was already too much.

Speaking of a cryptic Kakashi, earlier while she was being annoyed by Tenten’s refusal on explaining her downright confusing behaviour he appeared suddenly. He pressed a copy of his favourite series into her hands, saying that it might be useful later on.

What?

She considered burning it, but on a probably stupid whim, she kept it and tucked it into her basket. She had rose this morning with the idea of bullying her teammates in enjoying the day with her on a picnic, but Kakashi rattled off a nonsensical excuse and disappeared, which left Naruto and Sasuke, who were MIA.

The basket was heavy with food. She had been extra careful in preparing this food, so it was neither burnt or tasteless. The least her teammates could do was appreciate her efforts and eat it. But they were missing. And no one would tell her anything.

In hindsight, she probably should’ve stayed in bed, or at least downed another cup of coffee.

She was passing through the streets when she spotted Neji.

“Hey, Neji-san!” She yelled, waving her free hand.

At the sound of her voice, he turned and waited until she stumbled up to him.

“Ah, Sakura-san. I was looking for you.”

“Really?” She smiled. Here was a person without any silliness in him, he would surely tell her if he had seen her bonehead teammates.

“Yes, I was given something to deliver to you.”

While he searched in the pouch by his side, Sakura posed her question. “You haven’t by chance seen Naruto or Sasuke today, have you?” She inquired hopefully.

Neji was silent as he pulled out a small slip of paper and handed it to her. She took it, albeit confusedly.

“This will help you.” And he turned and strode down the street, quickly and gracefully. The pinkette glared at the brunette’s back. He had given her an answer, but not the one she wanted. At least he didn’t giggle.

Curiosity won over and she carefully placed her picnic basket down and opened the small piece of paper.

In neat handwriting that looks suspiciously like Shikamaru’s, the note said:

‘I take life, I give life, I house life.’

Pink eyebrows rose in disbelief. A riddle. A riddle! A riddle?

She should’ve definitely stayed in bed. Today was getting ridiculous. A picnic while watching the sun set was becoming to look like an impossibility. She rolled her eyes. Oh what the hell. She apparently didn’t have anything better to do anyway.

Time to put her big brain to work. Three possibilities sprung to mind immediately. The perks of being smart.

One, was a god. But do gods house life? Plus there weren’t any statues or temples in Konoha. Nothing to represent a god. Strike.

The second possibility a hospital, where babies were born and people died. Some people had to stay there too. But hospitals didn’t ‘give’ or ‘take’ lives. Just saved them or failed to save them. Strike. Which striked out medics as well. The terms didn’t apply. They helped life into the world, and yes sometimes they had to take people off life support machines, but they didn’t house life.

The last option looked at it a little less obviously. What was life? What gave life? Could be chakra, but chakra was too broad a subject, and she would never figure out where the next clue was. Every living thing had chakra. What was she gonna do? Check every person and tree?

The answer hit her then. Of course, a tree. A tree took in water, which was important for life, and it gave off oxygen, which also was important for life, and it was a habitat for wildlife.

It took life to sustain itself, then gave off life as a bi-product, and it housed many creatures.

But which tree? Konoha was quite literally in a forest. It must be their favourite tree. The big cherry blossom at the top of the small hill behind their training grounds. Where they relaxed after sparring. Where she had planned to have her picnic.

When she was there, Sakura walked the distance around the trunk, then looked up in its branches. Her eyes narrowed when she saw Shino there, watching her. They had obviously chosen the ones who could keep secrets to dole out the riddles.

He hopped down and handed the paper he held, before leaving with a quiet ‘good luck’. She thanked him. It wasn’t his fault the rest of team seven were infuriating. She could still be polite.

She was gonna break their little necks when she got to them.

She opened the riddle with more haste.

Choji’s writing. It smelt like potato chips.

‘What makes stressed turn back?’

Sakura’s clear green eyes narrowed. The sentence was confusing, but the bad grammar must’ve been intentional.

What got rid of stress?

Sakura’s answer was work until her mind comes off the problem, but that was most likely not the answer. Ino was sort of typical. What did she do?

Rant, eat sweets, complain, then go solve the problem by force.

Sweets. Stressed turn back. Oh, stressed backwards was desserts.

Sakura giggled. This was easy.

Many places sold sweets, but only one shop held the word ‘desserts’ in their name. Sakura skipped all the way there, glad to be making some progress. Shikamaru was there, looking bored out of his mind. She patted him on the back while he slunk off. This process repeated. She solved the riddle, she met someone and received the next.

Naruto’s handwriting was on the paper the lazy genius handed her. It wasn’t even a riddle. ‘This place sells the r- food EVER!’Answer, Ichiraku. The riddles kept getting easier and easier from there.

Hinata. Ino’s handwriting. ‘My pollen brings all the bees to the yard.’ Answer,Flowers: Yamanaka shop. Hinata ran off giggling with a smirking Kiba before she had a chance to interrogate her.

Ino. Hinata’s handwriting. ‘Toughest material on earth, but pretty enough to melt hearts. Outshines the stars, reflects love.’ Answer: Diamonds: Jewelry shops. Ino handed her a bouquet with a small smile.

Sakura clutched the red tipped yellow roses, orange roses, honeysuckle, daises and daffodils to her chest.

Friendship turned to love, passionate enthusiasm, bonds of love, hope, new beginning.

Her heart sped up along with her pace.

Tsunade of all people, stood at the entrance of the jewelry shop. She handed her student a brown paper bag with instructions not to open until she was at home. Sakura placed the bouquet and the bag carefully in her picnic basket. All Tsunade said was ‘I approve’ before handing Sakura her riddle.

Sasuke’s handwriting. ‘Here, gratitude I gave, mistakes were made.’ Answer: The bench he left her unconscious on. Her heart skipped. She could tell this little hunt was drawing to a close.

On that cold unforgiving bench, sat her masked former (but forever, in her heart) sensei. His smile was visible underneath his mask even as the day came to a close and the sun retreated, giving way to a midnight blue sky.

He clasped her free hand with his larger ones and neatly slipped the paper he held into it.

“I’m happy for you.” He said, and then he was gone. Leaving her with her heart hesitant but hoping against hope. She glanced at the flowers once more, reminded herself of their symbolism and smoothed out the paper Kakashi gave her..

‘Come home, Sakura.’ was written. Her hands shook as she dropped the paper in her basket and followed the route she knew so well she could follow it blindfolded. The streets that were full of her friends were only occupied by civilians who paid her no mind except to greet her or glance curiously at the flowers in the basket.

What was only under two minutes felt like hours until she arrived at her apartment.

She moved away from her parents’ house to here, where everything was purely her. Her green bedspread, white furniture, bright red rug, secondhand couch that used to be white, her mahogany desk, her bookshelf and her endless pile of scrolls and books.

Until it wasn’t just her. Their invading was subtle, Naruto left a bloodied shirt that she washed and he never retrieved it, Sasuke brought lunch over and left his plate there. Then they started to crash on her couch, or on her bed when she was away on missions. And then suddenly she found herself picking up cup ramen at the store and polishing Sasuke’s kunai in her spare time.

It wasn’t just green, white and red anymore. Suddenly there was black, orange, navy blue, crimson and a myriad of colours that made up them. And she knew that if any attempts to separate these colours were made scars would be left behind.

Her hand hovered over her doorknob. She could turn around and stay at Ino’s, she’d understand. They’d all understand. But that would erect a wall she would lament over all her life there would be what ifs that would eat her from the inside out until she was as hollow as a dead tree.

The cold metal sent shocks down her arm when her palm closed around it. She took a deep breath and opened the door.

Inside was dark, but she didn’t flick on the lights. She knew this small space inside out. She headed straight to her bedroom without even putting down the basket. Just as her fingers were about to touch the brass metal of the doorknob, she caught her reflection in a full length mirror. Her eyes trailed from her open toed sandals up to her almost knee length blue-green sundress to her simple silver necklace up to her face.

Her face which was only graced by lipgloss but held so much hope and fear and hesitance and anticipation and love.

She turned away before she started wasting time staring at someone she saw everyday but looked so different with that emotion reflected on her face from her heart.

She could sense them and they could sense her, hesitating. She had better go in before they start worrying and doubting themselves.

She closed her eyes, and opened the door.

Their scent accompanied their chakra signatures. She breathed the air in deeply and adrenaline replaced her blood.

Her eyes fluttered before she opened them fully and she drank in the sight before her.

Sasuke, pale and cool and perfect like the moon.

Naruto, sunkissed and warm and vibrant like the summer’s sun.

Sat on her green bedspread with their fingers intertwined.

And their other hands reached out towards her.

She exhaled.

She didn’t move backward, and she didn’t move forward.

She froze, unsure, as the moon and the sun looked at her as if she was their world.

Sasuke looked indifferent, except his eyes followed her every move, took in every detail. Naruto’s smile held confidence but he unconsciously bit his lip and his hand tightened around Sasuke’s for comfort.

They were just as nervous as she was. She let out a breathy laugh that sounded more like a puff of breath.

Tears slipped down her face and before the first drop dripped off her chin, they were there by her side. Sasuke took the basket and set it down. He took up the bouquet and passed the paper bag to Naruto. Sakura watched them without a word.

Naruto almost tore open the bag and took out a small velvet box. Her heart stopped.

Sasuke plucked a cherry blossom flower that she didn’t notice from the assortment of flowers and tucked it behind her ear. His fingers lingered as they combed through her hair.

Naruto carefully opened the box, and in it was a delicate silver ring with three gemstones; emerald, sapphire, onyx. To remind her of their eyes.

The necklace around her neck was removed, and the ring was slipped down the chain.

A question was in their eyes as Naruto held it around her neck, hesitating to clasp it.

Sakura laughed again, this time hearty and loud. She wrapped her arms around their torsos and crushed them to her in an almost rib cracking hug. She was dimly aware of the necklace being clasped and being carried to her bed.

They laid there laughing, fingers intertwined, stealing kisses and hugging. Them three. As it was meant to be.

[mbq-butwithart]

Part One

I’m half ashamed and half uncaring that I’m putting very little effort into this. 

~~~~~~~~

Part II

“Maybe we shouldn’t have left so early. I doubt the ‘Boys’ Night In’ is over yet.” Tenten slurred, leaning half her weight on her purple haired friend.

Ino snorted. “Whatever. ‘Girls’ Night Out’ is over and I wanna go to sleep. So long as they keep it down, they can have their party till the crack o’ dawn for all I care.” The blonde’s eyes roved over her companions.

“‘Sides, Hinata’s the only sober one here. Sakura’s at the deep end of tipsy and you and I are completely smashed. Y’all are gonna have to crash at my place. We can have a sleepover, except all we do is sleep. Sakura can poof away our hangovers in the morning.”

“Is that all I’m good for?” The rosette grumbled almost stumbling under the blonde’s weight.

“Yes.”

They walked through the entrance gate of the Yamanaka estate and headed east, to where the almost adults of the Yamanakas were made to stay. Since Ino had only a few cousins her age and no siblings, she more or less had the whole section to herself. Which meant the eastern building of the estate was the site of every member of the Rookies’ birthday and random celebrations and parties.

It was only a hour after midnight, so it was quite weird that it was quiet. Deadly quiet. The kunoichis exchanged glances.

“Maybe all the loud ones passed out?” Tenten suggested weakly, hiccuping.

Sakura shook her head. “The kyuubi burns off alcohol quickly, so unless someone knocked him out Naruto should be conscious and as loud as ever.”

There was a tense silence before they ran towards the small ballroom where the party was being kept. Tenten and Ino were too drunk to climb the flight of stairs quickly, so Sakura flung her best friend over her shoulder and Hinata carried Tenten bridal style with the assistance of a little chakra.

They were close enough to sense chakra.

Hinata frowned. “Their chakras are all at rest. They couldn’t all be unconscious. Neji-san doesn’t drink, and Shino-san doesn’t drink more than a glass.”

“And Sasuke-kun doesn’t like his senses dulled, so he wouldn’t get drunk.” Sakura frowned and pooled chakra in her feet so she could run faster.

“Maybe they all got in a huge fight and knocked each other out?” Ino asked, but by her tone it obvious that she didn’t believe it.

Sakura almost flew by the entrance of the ballroom. She set Ino down gently and helped her stumble inside. Both of the light-haired girls froze immediately at what they saw.

“W-what is it?” Hinata inquired, setting Tenten on her feet.

Sakura opened her mouth, but only a strangled noise sounded from her throat.

“Am I- am I hallucinating?” Ino asked in a strained voice.

“I burned the last of the alcohol out of my system, and we’re both seeing the same thing.” Sakura whispered and raised her hand to her friend to make her sober using her chakra. Ino stood straighter, but her horrified face didn’t change.

Sakura moved out of the way to do the same for Tenten, and Hinata gasped.

Tenten blinked once, twice then rubbed her eyes.

Sakura made a sign and flared her chakra. “Kai!” She shouted. The sight didn’t change.

“What the actual f-” Ino swallowed and stepped inside. At the movement, Sakura snapped out of her stupor and rushed to the nearest person- Naruto. She hesitated, before placing her hand on his chest and running a diagnostic with her chakra.

She reached over and did the same with the two nearest to him, Sasuke and Chouji.

“They’re fine- I mean, they’re perfectly healthy. And it’s not a disguise jutsu, since there isn’t any chakra surrounding them to alter their appearances.”

“Okay so, if it’s not genjutsu or a henge, and they’re perfectly healthy, then please tell me WHY THEY ARE ALL BABIES?”

Sakura winced. “I don’t know! This is so weird!” She pushed her hands underneath Naruto’s body and cradled him. His now tiny body was swarthed in his normal sized clothes.

“Naruto!” She nudged him gently, but he didn’t stir. She was at lost. Her comrades were all on the floor, all unconscious and all toddler sized. With no indication as to how their bodies were almost two decades younger.

“Oh-oh my.” Hinata stuttered, before her eyes rolled back in her head and she fainted. Ino caught her before she hit the floor.

“Please tell me she isn’t turning into a baby too!” Sakura screeched.

“No, she just fainted.” Ino slapped Hinata’s cheeks. The Hyuuga groaned while she sat up quickly and covered her eyes.

“P-please tell me that was a horrible dream and when I remove my hands everything will be normal.”

“I wish.” Ino wailed. “I know I say they’re like kids sometimes-” She glanced at her teammates’ small bodies - “but this is ridiculous!” She crawled over to Choji, picked him up and went over to pick up Shikamaru. “I’m not ready to be a mother!” She cried.

Sakura, despite the situation, rolled her eyes at her dramatic friend.

“Hinata, you’re the fastest. Go to Tsunade-sama, she’ll be awake. Tell her…” She glanced around the large room. “Code orange. She won’t ask questions. Tell her to bring Kakashi-sensei too.”

“Hai.” Hinata lept towards the stairs.

Sakura turned to her remaining friends. “Ino, you don’t by chance have any two year old clothes lying around, do you?”

The blonde, through her hysterics glared at Sakura.

“Thought so. But we can’t leave them in such huge clothes, and we don’t want them completely naked so…” She frowned. “Leave them in their shirts. Ino, get some of your thickest blankets, we’ll make a makeshit cot for them on the floor so Tsunade-sama can check them with ease.” She paused. “God I hope they’re potty trained.”

“There’s a possibility that they will be teenagers stuck in two and three year old bodies, but if not…” Tenten trailed. “That’s a lot of diapers.”

While Ino ran off to her room, Tenten and Sakura proceeded to slip off the boys’ outerwear and pants.

Sakura looked up when she heard a snort. “What is it?”

Tenten was holding Neji and pulling off his pants. “This is beyond weird. Neji’s boxers have little pandas on them.” She bit down on her knuckle to force back a laugh. “I can’t believe I’m stripping them, I’ll never look them in the eye again.”

Sakura rolled her green orbs. “It helps if you just see them as the babies in the baby ward.”

“Yeah, but I’m not a medic so…”

Ino waddled in with a pile of blankets that towered over her head. “I have them!”

Sakura nodded. “Tenten, if you’re finished, help Ino-pig spread them out. Make it has comfy and wide as possible, it’s almost certain that they’ll be there for hours as shishou examines them. Then you guys help me lay them out an even distance apart from each other.”

They nodded, grateful that she was taking charge.

“Who would even do this?” Tenten wrinkled her nose as she straightened a baby blue blanket.

“Assuming it’s a jutsu.”

“But what else could it be? Was it one of them? Is this some kind of a prank? If it was an enemy, why leave them alive, or leave them at all?”

“Shishou will know.” Sakura said firmly. “She has to.”

One by one they laid the shinobi-turned-toddlers on the makeshift bed. Sakura checked the rest with her medical diagnostic jutsu.  Ino brushed a lock of hair off Chouji’s face. “Guys, I know this isn’t the time, but they’re so friggin’ cute.”

“You’re right, it isn’t the time.” Sakura sneered. She glanced down a Sasuke’s small sleeping face. She cleared her throat. “You’re right. They’re adorable.”

“What if they don’t wake up?” Tenten hands shook as she kneeled before her tiny teammates. She rolled up the sleeves of Neji’s shirt, revealing small pale hands. She sighed before moving to do the same to Lee.

There was silence as Ino and Sakura fearfully glanced at each other. They hadn’t considered that factor.

Ino shook her head. “They will. We have two of the best medic nins in the world in our village.” She smiled encouragingly at Sakura. The girl blushed.

“R-right. We’ll figure it out Tennie. I’ll bet our major concern will be how we’re gonna prevent the boys from burning all the embarassing photos we’ll take!”

Tenten smiled at the attempt of a joke. “Naked baby pictures would be a great weapon to have in our arsenal.” She agreed.

“The blackmail shall be sweet.” Ino giggled.

All three girls looked up at Hinata’s arrival. She was closely followed by Tsunade.

“Sakura? What’s the code orange for-” Tsunade stopped in her power stride to her student. “What the fuck.”

“My sentiments exactly.” Ino nodded.

“Language! They’re children present.”

“That’s the problem. Why are there children present, and why do they look exactly like your teammates?”

“Excellent question Tsunade-sama. We have absolutely no clue. That’s why there’s an code orange.”

“What even is a code orange?” Ino eyebrows furrowed.

“Emergency involving Naruto.” Tsunade and Sakura answered simultaneously.

“Yo.” Kakashi strode in. His lone visible eye flickered to cot. He froze mid-walk.

“Hokage-sama.” Ino and Tenten briefly bowed.

“We found them like this when we got back from the bar.” Sakura told them. “Well, not exactly like this. They were all on the floor, looking like they fell wherever they stood. It’s not a genjutsu, nor a henge and no visible seals, cuts, needle points or such the like. We have no idea what happened. I scanned them all, they’re all healthy... toddlers. Though… some of them were drunk, so I had to burn away the alcohol. It couldn’t be healthy for their little livers. I was hoping you could find something we missed. Have you ever seen something like this?”

Tsunade blinked. “No…” She said slowly and glanced at the sixth hokage who shook his head. “I’ll check them, but I doubt you missed anything. This must be a jutsu, but… why? It could be to make them easier to kill or kidnap, but they were left unharmed. None of our shinobi has this kind of jutsu, or anything even similar.” She started to move from one boy to the other, checking them.

“Whoever did it must be really good.” Hinata spoke up. She tensed as everyone’s attention turned to her, but she continued. “I mean, not only is the jutsu bizarre and incredible, but drunk or not, not anyone can sneak up on a group of the best young ninjas in the village.”

“Yeah, but why?” Ino stressed. “It also freaks me out that this person sneaked in Konoha undetected, did something happen to the scouts and the guards at the gates?” She paused as Kakashi pointed to the window and flicked his finger up, no doubt signalling an ANBU to go check it out. “What can be the motive? They’re not in comas? They weren’t physically harmed, and they’re all here! It can’t be to weaken the village, since you guys and supposedly everyone else are still adults. Is it some kind of a sick joke?”

“Yamanaka-san, you should know by now that no one needs a good reason to do weird shit.” Kakashi said tiredly. “So yes, it’s probably a sick joke. Hopefully the boys will have some answers. Assuming their minds didn’t get young along with their bodies.”

“We won’t even know the difference.” Sakura shrugged. “They’re children 24/7. It’s just that their bodies have shrunk to match their mental age.”

Ino smacked Sakura on her arm.

Tsunade straightened after treating her student to a wry glance. “I don’t see anything unusual. I mean, other than the fact that they are freaking literal brats now.”

“So what do we do?”

Tsunade shrugged. “The only thing we can do is wait for them to wake up and see if the guards saw anything.”

As if on cue, an ANBU wearing a bear mask appeared between Kakashi and Tsunade. Kakashi nodded, indicating he should speak.

“The guards weren’t aware.” He drawled dryly, clearly unamused that an enemy was able to enter without even alerting them.

“Just as I feared.” Tsunade huffed when he disappeared. “The shinobi are taking the long stretch of peace for granted.” She turned to Kakashi. “You should do something about that.”

“Maa.” Kakashi groaned. “Paperwork. Too bad child labour is illegal.” He eyed Shikamaru.

“We have to keep this quiet. It won’t do for the wrong ears to hear most of Konoha’s most prized shinobi are defenseless. But their parents should be notified.” She turned again to Kakashi. “You should do something about that.”

He responded with a baleful glare.

“Ah,” She sighed. “The pleasures of being retired.”

Everyone jumped as a loud noise emitted from the cot. Naruto snored and turned over on his side, mouth open and feet curling under his black T-shirt.

Sakura pressed her fingers to her lips forcefully repressing an ‘aww’. Tsunade caught the movement and her eyes narrowed, smirk stretching as a plan came to mind.

Obviously disturbed by the sound by his ear, Sasuke’s face contorted. He squinted an eye open, then the other until he was glaring at the ceiling sleepily.

“Sasuke-kun!” Sakura kneeled by him and helped him sit up. He blinked up at her owlishly before lashing out with his hand sideways catching Naruto in the cheek. The small blonde jolted, before sitting up and holding his cheek. His big blue eyes immediately latched on to the toddler beside him and they narrowed.

“Hey! What was dat fow?” He yelled, rubbing his cheek. Sasuke tore his eyes from Sakura to glare at him. “You were snoring.”

“So? You shouldn’t hit me!”

“Hn.”

“See?” Sakura glanced up at Tsunade. “No change.”

The honey blonde rolled her eyes. “Hey!” She bent and snapped her fingers in their faces. They blinked up at her. “Do you two remember what happened before you fell asleep?” She didn’t mention ‘and turn into kids’ because obviously they didn’t find it weird that they were four feet shorter.

“The jutsu is more advanced than I thought. They actually think they’re two year olds.” Tenten rubbed her chin. “This is bad.”

Kakashi nodded gravely.

“Befow…?” Naruto was confused. Sasuke looked up at her blankly before his eyes sharpened.

“Kabuto.” He hissed.

“Oh yeah! That big meanie! We wewe playing and Sasuke felt his chakwa but he was alweady gone!” The blonde flung his small arms out for dramatic effect. The movement caused his sleeves to unroll and envelop his arms again. “And, and Neji and Shika saw a fog-”

“Mist.” Sasuke corrected.

“and Kiba smelled it and, and, and we twied not to bweathe it in but we did and then we few asweep.”

“So Kabuto’s the one behind it. And he used some kind of mist jutsu.” Tsunade tapped her chin.

“Dats what I said!” Naruto huffed. The former hokage’s eyebrow twitched before she stood up.

“If it’s Kabuto, why did he leave behind Sasuke? Or Neji for that matter? I’m sure he would love them for his experiments.” Sakura said bitterly.

Ino snapped her fingers. “Maybe he sensed us, and didn’t have the time. He probably thinks he can come back for them later or something.”

Sakura shook her head. “Maybe, but Kabuto’s smart. He knows that once we found them it would soon be clear that no one inside the village did it, and that we would up security. He wouldn’t be able to come back. He probably just thought it would be better to leave them than confront us and alert the whole village.”

“You think he’s still in the village?”

“If he is, he’ll be found. I’ve got people scouring the village now.” Kakashi said.

“Well. Now we know what to do. Track down Kabuto and make him reverse the jutsu. If he can’t reverse it, we hold him prisoner and make sure he spends his every waking moment trying to.” Tsunade said, eyes glinting dangerously.

“And when he does?” Ino inquired.

“We search his mind for all the info we can get on Orochimaru and his plans and then execute him.” Tsunade said flippantly.

“Sasuke killed Orochimaru.” Sakura reminded her.

Her teacher’s expression darkened. “That snake is like herpes. He always comes back.”

“What’s hewpees?” A small voice piped up. Naruto was staring at them expectantly.”

“Uhhh.” Sakura scratched the back of her neck. “It’s a sickness.”

“Wike a cowd?”

“Yeah… like a cold.”

“Wiw I get it?”

Sakura’s face was red by now and she shifted nervously at the two curious stares. She glared as she realized everyone else was amused at her predicament. Only Hinata looked concerned.

She cleared her throat. “No. Not if you eat your vegetables.” She added as an afterthought.

Naruto face contorted with disgust. “Ew, no! I wathew have hewpees.”

Ino choked. “Is someone recording this?”

Sakura turned to her teacher and hokage. “Let me be on the team to find Kabuto. I’ll teach him a lesson.” She cracked her knuckles.

Kakashi regarded her. “No.”

“What?” She sputtered.

He waved his hand dismissively. “I’m sending ANBU. There’s a high chance that you’ll stumble across his freaky dangerous experiments or even the devil himself, Orochimaru.”

“But-”

“No, Sakura.” Kakashi smiled at her frustrated expression.

“We have a more suited job for you, all four of you.” Tsunade smirked. They gulped.

“W-what is it?” Tenten tentatively asked.

“You get to babysit your teammates! Fun, huh?”

Sakura blinked.

“Bitch say what?”