Ocean Of Blood And Fire [Sasusaku]

Chapter Thirteen: Sakura's P.O.V.

A/N: Okay, this scene is nothing like the actual episode AT ALL, but seeing as how it's a fanfiction, 🤷‍♀️. Oh well. Read and enjoy! Also, don't be a silent reader! Let me know your glorious thoughts and opinions! And most of all, enjoy!

I dragged my feet on the cobblestones, staring up at the stars, thinking about the events of earlier. Well, mostly thinking about Sasuke.

Why wouldn't he let himself open up to us? It didn't make sense to me. If someone was lonely, wouldn't they want to have an opportunity to have friends?

As my mind wandered, so did my feet. Past the houses in the village, past the government buildings and facilities, past the Ichiraku Ramen shop and the dango place.

I was unconsciously heading for the Third Hokage's office. Maybe it was because Kakashi's words earlier weighed heavily at the back of my mind, though I brought no conscious attention to them.

Or maybe it was because somehow, I felt tomorrow would be important, and it would have something to do with our next mission.

Or, perhaps most likely, because the Third Hokage knew my father personally, and I wanted to ask him some questions.

Who was my dad back when he was a Genin?

What made my father turn evil?

Why couldn't he love me?

Eventually, I found myself outside the big red building where the Hokage's office resided.

I stared up at the tall sphere, wondering how I got here so fast.

I hesitantly stepped forward, then suddenly threw myself to the side as the main doors swung open, barely missing me. I slid in between the wall and the door, unnoticed.

"I'm telling you, Kakashi, it's unnerving. The best thing to do would be to- "

"I'm not going to send my students to an early grave, Captain."

Kakashi's voice sounded unusual; there was more anger and emotion in it than I'd ever heard from him before.

"So be it, Kakashi. But I'm warning you, that Nine-tails Beast is going to kill us all one day. And when it does, it will be on your head."

A strange man in a fox mask and a gray outfit stormed away. I'd heard them been called something before, like the HANBU? No... The ANBU, that's it.

What was he talking about?

I glanced at my teacher, whose shoulders seemed to slump further than normal. This wasn't his signature laziness weighing them down. He was struggling with something.

I felt a twinge of guilt for the way I treated him sometimes, always showing him mock respect.

Maybe he... wasn't that bad of a guy? I mean, he did rescue me.

Sort of.

He gave me that note, though. I was sure it was a hint of some kind. Or a clue as to what I needed to do.

The problem was, I couldn't read it. Turns out, it was in a foreign, ancient language that hasn't been spoken in centuries. I found that out once I got desperate enough to ask around.

I watched as Kakashi turned and walked away, head held high even as his burden weighed on him. And I realized that my sensei was much stronger than he let on.

It must've been the Nine-tails thing that ANBU captain was talking about.

I wondered what that was, and what it had to do with any of Team Seven.