The Girl They Never Saw [Completed]

Chapter 15 ~ Wildflowers

      "After Sayuri left, I felt like my only purpose in life was to keep Reika sane, and Itachi too. I forgot about myself." -Sakura Haruno

      Sasuke watched with interest as the girls stared at each other. Reika seemed stunned, while Sayuri maintained the cool demeanor she'd shown since her arrival.

      Naruto glanced back and forth between them. "You two know each other?" He asked obliviously.

      "Yes." Sayuri replied shortly. "We used to."

      Reika got over her shock at seeing the girl, and a furious look came over her eyes. "Until you abandoned us." She hissed.

      Sayuri turned back to Naruto. "At any rate, you said I would be going after a Sakura?"

      Naruto seemed a bit thrown off, but nodded. "Yeah! Sakura Haruno."

      Sasuke didn't miss how Reika once again flinched at the name, and Sayuri's eyes widened microscopically. "Sakura Haruno?" She breathed. "Why am I-?"

      Naruto handed her the portfolio he'd complied of her massacre.

      Sayuri scanned it, and her jaw tightened. "What do all of these people have to do with it?"

      Naruto sighed. "Because Sakura Haruno killed them."

      Papers hit the ground and scattered everywhere. "No." Sayuri whispered. Then her face contorted in fury. In a movement to swift for the naked eye to follow, she pinned Naruto against the wall with one hand on his throat. "She wouldn't." She shouted. "Sakura-hime wouldn't do that!"

      Immediately, Sasuke was across the room, forcing her back. Naruto rubbed his neck and looked at her strangely. "Hime-? Realization dawned on him, and his jaw went slack. "You know her well?"

      Sayuri clamped her arms around her chest protectively and stepped back, shock etched across all of her features. "I thought I did. But apparently I was wrong."

      Kakashi-niisan. Tsunade-sama. Shikamaru-kun. Ibiki-san. Sakura, why? Why? Why? Why?

      Sasuke watched her warily, but did not attack. Naruto just returned to his seat. The little boy she remembered would never have taken her attack so mildly. What in the world happened? I leave the village for one decade and it all falls to pieces.

      She smirked wryly. I bet this is how Tsunade-sama felt. Except she was gone for longer...

      Sasuke was watching her like a hawk, so she wiped her face of all emotion and bowed to Naruto. "Apologies, Lord Seventh."

      He nodded distantly and she straightened. Naruto turned back to Reika. "You said she stole her own files?"

      Sayuri and Sasuke's attention turned to the auburn head. Reika nodded stiffly. "All of them, Naruto-san." She glanced at Sayuri. "If you'll excuse me, I have to get back to work."

      Naruto nodded and dismissed her. "Sorry to take up so much of your time."

      Reika bowed. "Not at all, Naruto-san." She closed the door behind her.

      Only then did Sayuri realize that the girl had had a medic cloak on, with a head medic pin on her left sleeve. We all grew up and flew out of the nest. She thought, with a hint of regret.

      Sasuke turned back to Sayuri, wondering if the girl would make another move. But she showed no sign of the anger she'd been consumed by mere seconds ago, she seemed more like a doll. Frail, worn, and completely exhausted by the mere act of being alive. In that one moment, Sasuke saw someone he'd thought he'd never see again. He saw Kakashi. He was in the slight downward tilt of her lips, the dull glassy black of her eyes, the relaxed yet on edge position of her body. He was in her silver hair, and her self conscious arm wrapped around her chest. In that moment, it wasn't the rogue assassin standing before him, it was his sensei.

      Realization dawned on him. "You're Kakashi's sister aren't you?"

      She blinked, then nodded slowly. "I was, yes."

      Before he knew what he was doing, he was across the room and his arms were wrapped around her. She melted into his hold and tears filled her eyes.

      Naruto wasn't sure what surprised him more. Kakashi having a sister, Sayuri being that sister, Sasuke letting his guard down, or Sasuke hugging a girl-well anyone really. But there was no way he was missing out on a hug, so he joined the two in their emotional embrace.

      Sayuri's eyes widened as she processed exactly what she was doing, and she shoved the Konoha ninja away, flushing furiously. "I'll leave in the morning Hokage-sama." She bowed shortly. "Good day."

      When she was gone, Naruto and Sasuke glanced at each other. "Strange girl." Naruto remarked.

      Sasuke nodded thoughtfully. "She's probably going through a lot right now. She knew Sakura, really well apparently, and she just found out that her brother is dead. Not exactly an ideal situation."

      Naruto scowled. "Yeah, we forgot to ask how she knew Sakura. But everything happened so fast and then..." he trailed off. "Are we sure we want to send her after Sakura? I mean, they were obviously close at one point, she called her hime even!"

      Sasuke furrowed his brow. "Konoha can't afford to contact another rogue right now, we need to cut our losses and survive this. I'd continue with the plan to send Sayuri-san, but maybe not alone..."

      "You go with her." Naruto said suddenly. "You know Sakura well enough, but obviously aren't too close to her, and you've faced off against her before, even if it was only mock combat."

      Sasuke was going to say what a horrible plan that was. He'd never faced Sakura for real, and knew next to nothing about her abilities. Not to mention if they actually defeated her in battle he'd never be able to finish her off, and likely neither would Sayuri. Then he realized that no, he and Sayuri were the best option. They were the only ones who stood a chance, the only ones who might succeed. He nodded. "Fine." Then another problem occurred to him. "But I'm not allowed to go on S-ranked missions like that. I'm on probation, remember?"

      Naruto snorted. "Yeah, but I'm the Hokage now. My word is law." He pulled out a scroll and signed it quickly, then tossed it to Sasuke. "You leave with Sayuri tomorrow. I suggest you go inform her. As of now, your probation period is on hold."

      Sasuke caught the scroll and tucked it into his pouch. "Hn." He was about to leave, then stopped and looked back at his teammate. Naruto's head was in his hands, and his shoulders were shaking. Knowing full well that he couldn't hear him, Sasuke whispered something, then shut the door.

      But Naruto did hear him. His shoulders shook even harder, and fear clamped his heart in its iron grip. Fear that he wasn't good enough to be Hokage. Fear that he'd made the wrong decision. Fear that he'd just sent his best friend to his death. Fear that Sasuke's words would be the last words Sasuke ever said to him. "Thank you for trusting me."

Author's Note ~ I forgot it was Tuesday. I'm not even kidding. Only for a couple of hours, but still. Anyway, that's why this chapter is two hours late, for those of you who noticed.

Thank you so so much to everyone who supports this book. I love waking up to see that I have a bunch of new reads and votes, it makes my day.

A special thank you to RealityKeeper for the totally fantastic cover! I love it more than words can express.

This chapter is dedicated to Suna-chan, (chic_with_brains). I love our little chats, as inconsistent as they are. All hail Gaara!

-Akahana