Naruto: Cherry Blossoms in the Snow

Chapter 27: Konoha's Proud Blue… Rare Beast?! (Part 1)

Outside the gates of Konoha, Might Guy—dressed in his signature green frog-like jumpsuit and sporting his distinct bowl-cut hair—was buzzing with excitement, pestering his cold-faced companion, Kakashi. As an elite ANBU operative, Kakashi rarely had the luxury of wandering outside the village. Without his rival around, Guy always felt like his "youth" was somehow incomplete.

"Kakashi! Let's have a youthful showdown! Morning is the start of a brand-new day—you've got to seize it with energy and passion! You can't just sulk like that…"

Guy was practically bouncing off the ground. Unfortunately, Kakashi remained unmoved. Still reeling from the recent deaths of his teacher and comrades, Kakashi was colder than ever. If the one pestering him hadn't been Guy—a childhood friend—anyone else would've been silenced with a glance from his Sharingan.

"Quiet down. This mission isn't going to be easy. Save your energy in case something unexpected happens."

For once, Kakashi offered a rare word of caution, recalling the Third Hokage's serious instructions.

"Huh? Aren't we just escorting someone to the border? The whole route is still within the Land of Fire. There shouldn't be any real danger, right?" Guy blinked in confusion. In his mind, no other village would be dumb enough to stir trouble with Konoha inside its own territory.

"That's not guaranteed," Kakashi replied calmly.

A flicker of seriousness passed through the exposed eye of his mask. The Third Hokage had made it clear—if danger arose, Kakashi was to protect the girl named Sakura at all costs. That alone was enough to tell him this mission was far from ordinary.

"So, besides the one we're escorting, it's just the two of us on this mission?" Guy asked, puzzled. Most missions were carried out in three-man squads, or a jōnin leading a team of genin or chūnin. A two-man escort was rare.

"No. There's one more," Kakashi said after a pause. "Uchiha Shisui."

"Eh? Uchiha Shisui? You mean the Uchiha genius?" Guy's eyes lit up. Even he had heard of the famed "Shunshin no Shisui"—his reputation echoed through all five great nations.

"Yeah," Kakashi responded briefly before leaning against the wall in silence.

"I've decided! I'm going to challenge Uchiha Shisui!" Guy suddenly clenched his fists, gazing heroically into the distance. "Youth grows stronger through constant challenge!"

"..." Kakashi stared blankly, his one visible eye as deadpan as ever.

"Hey! Kakashi! Did you even hear me? I'm going to challenge Shisui—you better be our referee!"

Guy wasn't satisfied with Kakashi's gloomy attitude. He wanted his old friend to step out of the darkness, to stop drowning in grief. But not being the comforting type, all he could do was try to shift Kakashi's focus. Unfortunately, his efforts didn't seem to be working.

Luckily, they didn't have to wait long. Two figures—one tall, one small—emerged from the village gates, followed by a group of adults and several children.

"Dad, Mom, Uncle Teuchi, Ayame-sis, Naruto, Ino, everyone—there's no need to see me off like I'm going off to die! It's just a special mission, okay? Don't worry so much!"

Since the mission required Sakura to leave the village for a while, she had explained the situation to her parents and close friends. While her silver tongue had convinced her parents to let her go, the result was… less than ideal.

Everyone had woken up at dawn to prepare an entire mountain of supplies for her.

If it weren't for Shisui arriving just in time and sealing everything into storage scrolls, Sakura would've had to carry an enormous backpack herself.

"Sakura, be careful out there," her mother said tearfully. "Eat on time, stay warm, take care of yourself… and come back safe!"

Sakura's mother, Haruno Mebuki, struggled to hold back her tears as she continued to fuss over her daughter with heartfelt reminders. She knew there was no stopping Sakura from leaving, so all she could do was try to say as much as possible to ease her worry.

"Mom, don't worry—I will come back safely," Sakura said firmly. "Big Brother Shisui is one of the most famous ninja in the whole shinobi world. He's incredibly strong, so there's no need to be anxious about my safety!"

Sakura nodded seriously. Even if it was just for the sake of her parents and her friends, she was determined to return home safely.

"Come back soon. Don't let your mother worry too much," her usually cheerful father, Haruno Kizashi, said quietly. His tightly furrowed brows revealed the anxiety he tried to conceal behind his forced calm.

"I will," Sakura promised. She turned to Naruto and added, "Hey, Naruto—while I'm gone, you have to behave. No causing trouble, alright?"

"Yeah, I will!" Naruto sniffled, rubbing his eyes. "I'll be starting the Ninja Academy soon, so I'm gonna train really hard! One day, I'll become strong enough to protect you from danger!"

"Deal!" Sakura smiled and then turned to Ichiraku Teuchi. "Uncle Teuchi, Ayame-sis—I'll leave Naruto to you, okay? If anything happens, don't hesitate to ask Uncle Fugaku from the Uchiha clan for help!"

That last part was whispered into Teuchi's ear. No one but Shisui caught what she said.

"I got it!" Teuchi replied with a warm smile. "Actually, I've been working on a few new dishes. When you get back, I'll cook up a full feast just for you."

"I'll be looking forward to that!" Sakura grinned. Then, after checking the time, she waved at Ino and the others. "It's getting late. I've got to head out. Be good while I'm away, okay? I'll bring back a surprise when I return."

"Hmph. I don't care about surprises," Ino said in a deliberately casual tone. "Just come back safe. I don't want to see a beautiful cherry blossom wither before it even has the chance to bloom."

"I won't wither—not ahead of time," Sakura replied, her eyes shining. "And even if I do fade, it doesn't mean it's the end. A fallen flower nourishes the soil for new green sprouts. When spring returns and the leaves bud once more, that is the true peak of youth—the moment it burns its brightest!"

The poetic line had slipped out before she realized it—she had unconsciously recalled Might Guy's famous words to Madara during the Fourth Great Ninja War.

"Well said! That's the spirit of youth!"

As soon as Sakura finished, a green blur suddenly leapt into view—a man dressed like a giant frog, with a bowl haircut, impossibly thick eyebrows, and a blindingly shiny smile.

Startled, Sakura stiffened instinctively.