The Sakura Legend

Konoha Village

Well, that didn't work. Apparently, Shikamaru's high intellect wasn't just for show; Sakura's attempt to bluff him had failed spectacularly. Not only had he demanded to see the mission scroll, but it turned out Asuma had already applied for a C-rank mission for Team 10. Shikamaru was simply unavailable.

"Figures he wouldn't be easy to fool," Sakura muttered to herself, walking through the Konoha streets with her arms crossed, one hand tapping her chin thoughtfully. "Or maybe my luck is just bad today, running into someone who already has a mission."

Alright, next stop, Shino's place, she decided. He's got to be a better choice than Naruto, at least.

It wasn't that she particularly disliked Naruto. For a straightforward mission, he'd be fine. But for something involving infiltration and subtle intelligence gathering? Naruto's personality was genuinely unsuitable. It reminded her of the reason Guy-sensei could never join Root – some temperaments just didn't fit certain types of operations.

Just as Sakura turned towards the Aburame clan compound, an ANBU operative flickered into existence beside her.

"Haruno Sakura. The Fifth Hokage summons you."

"Huh? Okay, I understand," Sakura replied, blinking in surprise. I just left her office... she must need me back for something urgent.

No choice but to obey the Hokage's summons. The guards at the Hokage Tower probably thought she was losing her mind, seeing her leave in a hurry only to rush right back moments later.

"Lady Tsunade, you sent for me?" Sakura asked, entering the office again. Tsunade was frowning down at a scroll spread across her desk.

"Ah, you're here, Sakura," Tsunade looked up, setting the scroll aside. After a moment's contemplation, she asked, "Were you able to find teammates for that mission yet?"

"Not yet," Sakura admitted with a shrug. "I was just on my way to ask Shino when the ANBU operative found me."

"Take a look at this," Tsunade said, pushing the scroll she had been reading towards Sakura.

Sakura picked it up, scanned the contents, and her eyes widened. "The Village Head of Takigakure is requesting a Konoha escort?"

"Correct," Tsunade nodded. "The Taki leader, a man named Shibuki, arrived just moments ago requesting that we escort him safely back to his village."

"So... what about the diplomatic mission you gave me earlier?" Sakura asked.

"Since both assignments are in the same location, I'm combining them," Tsunade explained. "Consider the investigation into Kakuzu your primary objective. Whether and how you proceed with the diplomatic overtures will depend on the intelligence you gather."

Sakura immediately understood the strategic angle. Takigakure, though small and not particularly powerful, occupied a crucial buffer zone between the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth. Confirming Taki's non-involvement in the assassination attempt would open the door for a potential alliance. If they were involved, Konoha needed to prepare countermeasures. Shibuki's unexpected request provided the perfect, unsuspicious pretext for Sakura's team to enter the village.

"Understood. So, do I still get to choose the personnel for this combined mission?" Sakura asked, mostly out of habit.

"This mission will be carried out by Team 7, under your leadership," Tsunade stated firmly.

"Uh..." Sakura was momentarily stunned. She'd only asked casually, not expecting Tsunade to directly assign the team. Sasuke is fine, she thought quickly, but... taking Naruto on an intel-gathering mission? Really?

"Is there a problem?" Tsunade asked, raising an eyebrow as she noticed the slight twitch at the corner of Sakura's mouth. "You seem... less than satisfied?"

"Heh... hehe..." Sakura forced a weak laugh. "Is it possible... to maybe not take Naruto?"

There was a heavy silence. Then Tsunade spoke, her voice laced with sternness. "Naruto is a member of Team 7. Kakashi informed me that you three managed to develop effective teamwork even without his explicit guidance early on. However, right now, I am not seeing that spirit of teamwork from you, Sakura."

Tsunade's serious tone hit Sakura like a physical blow. She froze, shocked into realizing the truth in her master's words. When had she started mentally sidelining Naruto? She hadn't consciously rejected him, even crafting logical reasons in her own mind for why he wasn't suitable for this task... but in doing so, she had distanced herself from him, forgotten the core principle of teamwork. Had gaining power somehow negatively affected her perspective...?

"Yes, Lady Tsunade," Sakura murmured, bowing her head in genuine shame. "You're right. I was wrong."

"Alright then," Tsunade waved a dismissive hand, seeing the contrition on her student's face. "Go make your preparations."

Konoha Training Ground

Two figures blurred across the training field, the sharp clang of kunai meeting shuriken echoing intermittently through the air. They clashed again, then sprang apart, landing several meters from each other, panting heavily.

"Heh... hehe... Is that all you got?" the blond kid taunted his opponent.

"Hmph... All talk, loser," the black-haired figure shot back, quickly forming hand seals: Ox -> Hare -> Monkey. Crackling blue lightning enveloped his hand.

Not to be outdone, the blond kid flashed a Ram seal. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" A clone popped into existence beside him and began concentrating chakra in the original's right hand.

"Rasengan!" "Chidori!"

Both boys charged, destructive jutsu blazing, converging for a final, decisive clash. Just as they were about to collide, the ground beneath them suddenly turned into a thick, inescapable mire. Caught completely off guard, both stumbled and sank, trapped in the mud.

From nearby, Sakura finished releasing her Earth Style: Swamp of the Underworld technique. She walked calmly towards the two struggling figures. "You two seem energetic today. Naruto. Sasuke."

"Sakura-chan..." Naruto looked up, slightly embarrassed. "Sakura!" Sasuke glared, clearly annoyed at being caught in such an undignified manner, especially by a surprise attack.

"Alright, you can continue your sparring match later," Sakura announced. "Team 7 has a mission."

"Whoa, a mission?! Awesome! What is it?" Naruto asked excitedly.

Sasuke, too, looked eager, a spark of anticipation in his eyes. He'd missed out on the Red Shoal Island mission and had heard intriguing things about the powerful monsters encountered there.

"It's an escort mission," Sakura explained. "We're escorting the Village Head of Takigakure back home. Mission rank: C." She felt her mouth twitch slightly. Technically started as B-rank, then got downgraded because of the escort detail...

"Takigakure? Where's that? Is that another ninja village?" Naruto asked, demonstrating his usual grasp of geography.

"Yes, it's a small hidden village located between the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth," Sakura confirmed patiently.

"If it's a hidden village, why do they need to hire escorts? Don't they have their own ninja?" Naruto questioned logically.

"How should I know?" Sakura shrugged. Information on Taki was scarce. "Maybe it's really small? Maybe the Village Head is their only ninja, haha." Honestly, she hadn't considered that point. Maybe Tsunade knew, but Sakura had forgotten to ask.

"When do we leave?" Sasuke cut straight to the point, eager to test the results of his training with the Third Hokage.

"Tomorrow morning, 9 AM," Sakura replied, glancing at the mission scroll she still held. "Meet at the Mission Assignment Desk."

"Hn. Got it." Sasuke brushed dried mud off his clothes. "See you tomorrow then. I'm heading out." He turned to leave.

"Hey! Hey! Sasuke! We weren't finished sparring! Wait up, you bastard!" Naruto yelled, scrambling out of the swamp.

Sasuke didn't even turn around, just kept walking. Naruto scrambled to follow him.

"Hey, Naruto!" Sakura called out, stopping him before he disappeared after Sasuke.

"Hm? What is it, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked, turning back.

"Just now, when you used the Rasengan... why did you use a Shadow Clone?" Sakura asked. She was genuinely surprised; she distinctly remembered trying to steer him away from relying on clones when she first taught him the basics.

"Oh, that!" Naruto's face lit up with pride. "That was my own idea! Using a clone makes forming the Rasengan way faster and easier! Pretty cool, huh?"

Sakura stared at him, momentarily speechless. The Fourth Hokage went through so much trouble to develop a jutsu that required no hand seals... and Naruto somehow managed to turn it back into one that requires a seal (albeit just the one for the clone). She sighed inwardly. Ah, whatever. With enough practice, he'll eventually master doing it single-handedly anyway.

"Yeah, Naruto. Super cool," she said, waving a dismissive hand. "Whatever makes you happy."

She turned and headed off herself. They were leaving tomorrow; she needed to pack.