Getting Lost on the Roads of Life - a KakaSaku Story [CONCLUDED]

Rin

"Dammit," Kakashi cursed.

Sakura, who had to gasp for air from trying to keep up with him, felt hugely relieved that they were stopping. She focused on taking deep breaths to calm her racing heart and to get rid of the painful stitch she had developed, before realizing with a sinking feeling why Kakashi had cursed: there was a huge commotion further down the street and that couldn't mean anything good.

"Don't fight, don't fight, don't fight!" Sarada screamed in a high-pitched, panicked voice as if to prove just how bad it actually was.

Feeling dread shoot through her, Sakura craned her neck to catch a glimpse of the little girl, but there were too many arms, fists, heads, backs and other body parts in the way.

Kakashi's body tensed visibly and she got ready to spring forward with him - but just as she did, he stopped so abruptly in mid-movement that Sakura hit her nose against his back painfully.

"Stop," a woman said sharply.

"M... Misses Nohara?" Kakashi stammered, sounding more stunned than Sakura had ever heard him. She went on her tiptoes to see whom he was addressing, furiously rubbing her nose and blinking away the tears that had shot into her eyes. Nohara...? That name was familiar, but she couldn't quite place it.

A woman of about sixty years in dark, loose fitting clothes and glasses blocked their way. She had grey, slightly wavy hair covered by a white coif. Sakura immediately associated that with those religious traveling nurses she had seen in the black and white photo books at the hospital, they had been active before Tsunade had further professionalized the medical corps. Despite her unimpressive height, there was such an unmistakable aura of stern authority coming from her that Sakura instinctively pulled back her head a little, short of hiding behind Kakashi's back.

"Not a step further," the woman said sharply, "I want to see both your hands, Kakashi, keep them wide apart. And I'm sure you'll understand that I'd hate to see harm come to a good medic. It's just a precaution, but only fools underestimate you."

At those words, the sharp point of a kunai was pressed against Sakura's back.

"I'm... sorry," Sakura groaned. What stupid, inattentive cow was she to not realize somebody had snuck up on her?

"Don't worry, Sakura," Kakashi said grimly, throwing a brief look over his shoulder as he lifted his hands up. "And please don't move."

"You are the daughter of Haruno Kizashi?" the elderly woman addressed her directly now in a neutral tone, her eyes focusing briefly on the seal on her forehead. "The Uchiha's wife."

"Are we acquainted?" Sakura asked boldly, elder or not, rude was still rude, trying to ignore the knife at her back but that proved to be difficult because the wielder pressed down a little as soon as she wanted to step forward. The woman was from Konoha? Slightly older than her own parents. Nohara... N.... oh.

"Don't move!" Kakashi repeated with emphasis. Did he think her that rash and hotheaded? Well, she did feel an upsurge of anger - how dare this woman ambush them like this, whomever's mother she was? - but she also knew better than to explode in a situation this ripe with escalatory potential.

Sakura realized they were surrounded. One, two... five, seven... at least ten scowling men were forming a ring around them. They wore no headbands but they were shinobis without a doubt, with clothes that looked like a discrete uniform of sorts. She was sure they would be no match for Kakashi, but it didn't look like he was planning to attack. Because he feared to endanger her, most likely.

"This is my private guard," Mrs. Nohara explained. "You have nothing to fear from them. Please follow me, I only wish to talk. Do not worry about Hiroto and the girl, we'll get them away unscathed. You'll be able to see them shortly."