J A D E

Chapter Forty - Six

"Tsunade-sama?" I ask confused as she is engulfed into paperwork. It is not something, you will usually see. Usually she is complaining about paperwork and leaves them to me and Shizune. She looks up at me, sober. Her eyes are cold and filled with determination.

"Sit, Sakura." I nod and sit down on the chair in front of her. She sighs and puts the papers down. "I have decided to tell you the truth." I raise my eyebrows and look at the woman in front of me. "About Itachi." My eyes widen, body stiffen even more. But with final sigh, I lean forward, putting my elbows on the wooden table. "Itachi is a spy." She states bluntly, ignoring my confused gaze. "He is working with Jiraya. He is our inside spy in Akatsuki." I nod, already thinking of something similar to that. "Sakura. This is SSS ranked secret." I nod again.

"Why are you telling this to me, now?" I tilt my head and stare at my mentor. While Ibiki has been like my father Tsunade has always been a mother. Even in previous timeline, she accepted me as her daughter, someone, she cared deeply about.

"You are going on a ANBU mission. S-ranked." She informs me and I nod, leaning forward. "You will have to retrieve a scroll from Grass Country. Akatsuki will be after it as well." I nod once again. "Most likely, Itachi will be there. I don't want you to kill him."

"Even if I wanted to, I doubt I could have managed that, Tsunade-sama." I chuckle and look back at her. "What is in the scroll?" I raise my eyebrows. She knows that I need and love full information about the missions, before running in it.

"This scroll has vital information about sealing Tailed Beasts." I freeze on my spot and nod. "When Uzumaki Village was destroyed, Konoha managed to save some scrolls and we hid them around the world. One of them is in Grass Country." I nod, biting my bottom lip. "You will be going in there with Shisui." At the mention of his name, Shisui appears behind me, putting his hand on my shoulder.

"Sakura-chan." He greets me with his usual grin, before turning back to Tsunade. "Hokage-sama." He bows a little to the woman, who is smirking amused at him.

"Did you just greet me before Hokage?" I chuckle and shake my head, nearly missing deep blush appearing on Shisui's face. But I let it slide, looking back at Tsunade, who has knowing smirk plastered on her face. I know she is playing matchmaker alongside Shizune, but I don't think, she is going to succeed. "Ne, Tsunade-sama." The blonde looks at me. "Where are Naruto? Kakashi? Sai, or Yamato?" I ask her the whereabouts of my team and Naruto.

"Naruto and Kakashi are training." I raise my eyebrows. "Kakashi is trying to teach him how to modify his Rasengan." I nod, before freezing on my seat. Modifying his Rasengan?

Asuma!

"Sai is on a mission with Yamato." I nod once again, my mind drifting back on Ino's sensei. I want to save Asuma Sarutobi. I want to give him a life, he deserves. But it seems that I am going to be away on a mission.

I can't risk mission.

Yet, I can't let him die.

"Tsunade-sama." I start in low, sulking voice. Tsunade looks at me. "Can I ask for a favor?" Blonde looks at me surprised, before nodding. "I know you don't trust Sasori yet... But..." I click my tongue and sigh. "Can you assign him to Kotetsu and Izumo?" The two were there with Asuma when Hidan and Kakuzu attacked. If anyone is able to stand against them, it is the redhead.

"Why would I do that?" Tsunade asks me confused, yet concerned. She knows that none of my instincts were wrong.

"I have a bad feeling." I sigh and rub my temples. "I trust Kotetsu and Izumo to be strong enough, but if something happens and they see Akatsuki on the line, Sasori will be able to fight with them without dying." Tsunade nods, seeing point in my logic.