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Simplicity

Sakura awoke to the song of morning birds. Yawning, the pink haired kunoichi stretched out. What an incredible sleep. She couldn't remember a night where she fell asleep so fast. Looking beside her bed, Sakura saw her team mate still sound asleep; outstretched across the floor with her feet peaking out from under the blanket on top of her.

She smiled. So this was what a team was like. It was like nothing she ever experienced. There were missions that gave her momentary stints with her friends, but not even Sasuke and her proved to be a whole team. The choice to form a three man team with Sasuke, Kakashi Sensei and herself always seemed a little strange, but Sakura refused to question the wisdom of a Kage. But sitting in this bathhouse with her own four man squad.... it was simply magical.

Moving around, Sakura quickly got dressed before staring out the window. Her pink tunic absorbed the warm light of the sun, appearing far more vibrant as a result.

A pail figure dressed in black caught her attention. Sitting on the stone wall was Sai, art supplies in hand. Sakura was unable to see the art supplies, but curiosity fueled her footsteps.

The song of glass chimes from an ajirogasa sang on the wind, echoing through the forest as a familiar masked man walked passed the bathhouse. His black cloak swayed in the wind, the scroll on his back weighing the fabric down. Captain Yamato was quick to spot the man and made a mental note about the horrifying chakra he felt coming from him.

"So you're who Kakashi and Lord Jiraiya spoke of." he muttered absentmindedly. The man was strange indeed and required further investigating.

Hidden by shadows, Nayu swapped places with her real counterpart, who shifted from anbu to kunoichi quickly. The clone dissipated and Fox hid the chakra signature. He caught a glance of himself in a mirror. Nayu was a clever disguise; he was grateful for Lord Danzo's incredible wisdom on this mission. The jutsu that was Nayu was always his creation, but Fox gave all credit to his Lords Danzo and Hiruzen. There was something uncanny about the way he looked, but Fox didn't think about it any longer. He had a mission to complete, and there was much to do. In the corner of his mind, Fox found himself grateful for the demon inside him. It allowed him the chakra backup he required for the dozens of missions he was performing simultaneously.

Captain Yamato turned his attention to the shinobi under his care. He had noticed Sai outside some time ago, and Sakura seemed to have noticed as well. The pink haired kunoichi joined him on the stone wall. Nayu had yet to wake up, it seemed.

He made great efforts to get his team back on the road. Time was of the essence and they had yet to practice formations or come up with a plan to secure victory. Captain Yamato awkwardly smiled to himself. What a fun day this would turn out to be.

"Alright guys, let's get going." Captain Yamato instructed. Nayu yawned in response, stretching her arms as she and her teammates stood around their captain. Leaving the bathhouse, the road ahead only proved to be long and tedious.

Hiding among the rocks of the establishment, small stones transformed into the clones of a blond anbu with a foxlike mask. All clones quickly disappeared, running off to complete the missions assigned to them.

Despite team Kakashi's long journey, evening fell upon them before they knew it. Sakura was surprised just how fast the day was ending. Nothing crossed their paths on the trail, not even an animal.

"Sakura." Captain Yamato's voice snapped her out of whatever trance she was in. Looking up, she restrained her voice. No need to embarrass herself and act like a fool. Lady Tsunade required more from her than blundering buffoonery. To her luck, Captain Yamato had just called her name and required no immediate response. "We're going over team formations for the mission." He addressed all three of the young shinobi before him. "I've considered the best way to pair you three up, considering the vast array of jutsu this group is able to perform. I believe it is safe to assume you are all proficient in taijutsu?"

An awkward expression eased its way onto Nayu's face. Sakura noticed this and became intrigued as to why.

"Well...." Nayu dragged the word out. Her whole body leaned one way in a childish act. "When I said I knew a few earth style and a few genjutsu, I meant that that was really all I knew."

With an exhausted sigh, Captain Yamato pressed for a concise answer. "Meaning?"

"I'm shit at taijutsu. Can't wield a kunai or throw a shuriken to save my life."

It took all the strength Sakura had not to chuckle at the confession. But who was she to laugh? She was hardly an asset to the team beyond the medical ninjutsu Lady Tsunade taught her. Sakura straightened her posture. "Captain Yamato, would it be beneficial for Nayu and I to be pared together? She can use her genjutsu from afar and same with her earth style attacks. Standard procedure requires all medical shinobi to stay out of the front line, so we can take up the rear while you and Sai act as our major strike force." Sakura said the answer she expected Lady Tsunade to give.

"That isn't a bad plan, as long as you, Nayu, can hold your own. Sakura can't cover for you at the same time."

"I can do that!" Nayu chirped.

Sakura smiled and Captain Yamato seemed satisfied with the answer. "While this won't be solidified as our set up, it is a good starting base. We'll run through a few simulators tomorrow, but for now, get some rest."

Laying down in the forest, surrounded by silent trees and the comfort of her team, Sakura found herself proud of the situation she was in. Tomorrow she would be able to make Lady Tsunade proud with her accomplishments. Finally, Sakura thought, I'll prove myself a valuable asset. Something worth keeping around.

It took no time at all for Sakura to doze off, along with her team. All four members slept soundly, and while three of them dreamt, one found that dreams were memories masquerading as merciful thoughts.

A/N: Almost forgot to post this chapter! I hope to make the next one longer and a little more exciting, but I hope you all enjoyed this. Have a goof day!