The Mission
Chapter 1: The Mission
The morning sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow over the room. Sakura Haruno lay in bed, her arm wrapped around her five-year-old daughter, Sarada, who slept peacefully beside her. The faint sound of birds chirping outside and the rustling of leaves were the only things breaking the quiet serenity of the morning. But that tranquility was shattered in an instant. Sakura’s eyes snapped open, her breath catching in her throat. Her heart raced as a vivid image flashed before her—Sarada, her little girl, lying on the ground, blood staining her clothes, her body motionless. Sakura’s body shot up, her hand instinctively reaching out for Sarada, her pulse pounding in her ears. She breathed heavily, blinking rapidly to clear the fog of the nightmare. The image of Sarada’s still form lingered in her mind, an unsettling omen gnawing at her gut.
She slowly turned to look at Sarada, who was still sleeping soundly, curled up against her pillow. Sakura’s breath steadied as she gently brushed a strand of hair away from Sarada’s face, her touch tender. "It was just a dream," Sakura whispered to herself, though the unease lingered, tugging at her chest. She stayed still for a moment, her hand resting on her daughter’s head. The nightmare was too vivid, too real, and the feeling of dread wouldn’t leave her.
Sarada stirred in her sleep, mumbling softly before her small eyes fluttered open. "Mommy?" she whispered groggily, her voice laced with innocence.
Sakura smiled warmly, her heart swelling with love for the little girl who was her world. "Morning, sweetie," she replied softly, brushing her fingers across Sarada’s cheek.
Sarada stretched, her tiny body pressing closer to her mother. "I had a weird dream…" she mumbled.
Sakura’s smile faltered for a moment, her thoughts clouded by her own nightmare. "What was your dream about?" she asked, trying to push aside the lingering anxiety.
Sarada blinked and rubbed her eyes, her voice sleepy. "I don't remember, but it was all fuzzy… like a bad feeling."
Sakura’s heart skipped a beat, her instincts on edge. She kissed the top of Sarada’s head, hiding her concerns behind a soft smile. "It’s okay, honey. We’re both okay."
Sakura reluctantly stood up, shaking off the lingering discomfort in her chest as she made her way to the kitchen to begin her morning routine. Sarada followed her, dragging her feet as she yawned, still sleepy from the night. As the day unfolded, Sakura did her best to keep her mind occupied with breakfast preparations, but the unease wouldn’t leave her. Every time she looked at Sarada, the image of her from the nightmare resurfaced in her mind, and she couldn’t shake the bad feeling that gnawed at her gut.
While they ate, there was a knock at the door, breaking the silence of their morning. Sakura glanced up from her breakfast, frowning. She wasn’t expecting any visitors. When she opened the door, a familiar ANBU member stood there, his masked face expressionless as always. “Sakura Haruno,” he said, his tone neutral. “The Hokage requests your presence immediately. It’s urgent.”
Her heart skipped a beat at the sudden summons. "Kakashi-sensei?" she asked, already knowing who he meant.
The ANBU nodded. “Yes, Hokage-sama. Please follow me.”
Sakura turned to Sarada, her heart heavy. “Stay here, Sarada,” she said, giving her daughter a warm, reassuring smile. “I’ll be back soon, okay?”
Sarada nodded, though her eyes were filled with a quiet sadness. “Okay, Mommy…”
Sakura squeezed her daughter’s shoulder gently before following the ANBU out the door, her mind already swirling with worries.
---
When she arrived at the Hokage’s office, Kakashi was already waiting for her together with Naruto, Sai and Shikamaru. The moment she entered, they greeted her, though the atmosphere felt so oppressive that reflected the urgency of the situation.
“Ok, what’s going on?”, Sakura asked, worried.
"Sakura," Kakashi began, his gaze steady, "there’s a mysterious illness spreading in Suna. Apparently, it’s been ravaging the village for the past week, but it seems that doctors can’t have it under control. That’s why Gaara has just requested your help. They need you to go immediately to assist with the medical response.”
Sakura felt a heavy weight settle in her chest. The timing was horrible. The nightmare, the sick feeling she couldn’t shake—it all seemed to line up too perfectly. But as a medic-nin, she knew her duty. "How bad is it?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.
"It’s serious. It’s affecting everyone, but especially shinobi. From what Gaara told me, doctors believe that this illness is affecting shinobi’s ability to use their chakra. The problem is that more and more shinobi are getting affected by it, and that has depleted the number of shinobi to defend the city. Therefore, if this continues… we are worried that Suna could be attacked and lost," Kakashi replied.
“Haven’t you thought that Suna is already under attack?” asked Sakura.
“Yes, we have, but Gaara is investigating that. That is why you won’t go there alone. Sai will be joining you on this mission, along with Kiba, Shino and another ANBU team. So, while you help doctors there, they will assist Gaara and investigate what’s going on. You’ll leave as soon as you’re ready."
Sakura nodded, though her mind was already filled with doubts. "What about Sarada?" she asked quietly. “My parents are away, and I can’t leave her alone.”
Kakashi paused for a moment, his brow furrowing in thought.
“She can stay with me. I’m sure Boruto would like to have another person to play at home,” volunteered Naruto.
“I can’t ask you to do that. Hinata already has Boruto and a baby to take care of, and you are here every day”, Sakura replied.
“If you are worried, we can take turns. Ino can also help you, and I think Temari and Choji wouldn’t mind as well”, Sai tried to assuage her.
“Yeah, if the mission prolongs, she can stay with us. Temari will agree especially knowing that you aren’t at home because you’re helping her brothers,” Shikamaru said, to which Sakura nodded.
"Ok, then Sarada will stay with Naruto and Ino, Temari and Choji will be all there to help. They’ll make sure she’s well cared for while you’re gone." Kakashi concluded.
Before she could respond, Naruto’s voice cut through her thoughts. "We’ll watch over her together, Sakura. You don’t need to worry."
Sakura felt torn, her heart aching at the thought of leaving her daughter behind, but she knew that this mission couldn’t be ignored. Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong—something more than just the illness in Suna. “I know that you can all take care of her but honestly, I feel like something bad is going to happen,” she admitted, her voice laced with uncertainty. “I just can’t shake it. I’m not sure if it’s because it’s the first time I have to leave her while I’m out, but…”
Shikamaru sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Nothing will happen, Sakura," he said, his usual laid-back tone surprisingly serious. "You’ve got a lot of people looking out for Sarada. She’ll be fine."
Naruto grinned, giving her a thumbs-up. "You can count on us, Sakura. Sarada will be safe, I promise."
Sakura took a deep breath, trying to push her fears aside. "Alright," she said finally, though her voice was tinged with hesitation. "I’ll go. But I’m counting on you all to take care of her."
“You can trust us,” Kakashi assured her, his eyes warm with understanding.
Sakura nodded, her heart heavy as she made her way back home to prepare. The thought of leaving Sarada behind filled her with dread, but she knew she had no other choice. She packed her things with steady hands, though inside, she felt torn between her duties as a shinobi and her love for her daughter.
The dread still hung over her as she finished packing, each moment feeling more like an eternity. Was it just her intuition playing tricks on her? Or was something more sinister on the horizon?
---
Sakura Haruno stood at the entrance of Naruto’s home, her fingers nervously fiddling with the edge of her sleeve. The sun was low, casting a soft orange glow over Konoha, but the warmth that usually filled her heart was replaced by an uncomfortable tightness in her chest. She glanced down at the small bundle of joy at her side—the same one who had transformed her life in ways she could never have imagined. Her precious Sarada stood in front of her, clutching the hem of Sakura's tunic with both hands. The little girl’s black eyes, so much like her father’s, were wide with innocence and trust, unaware of the storm swirling in her mother’s heart.
Sakura bent down, brushing a strand of her daughter’s hair behind her ear. “Sarada,” she began softly, her voice thick with emotion. “Mommy has to go away for a little while. It’s only for some weeks, but... it feels so hard to leave you.”
Sarada looked up at her, her brows furrowing in thought. “Is it because you have to help people? Like the time you helped those villagers in the mountains?” she asked, her small voice full of concern and understanding beyond her years.
Sakura nodded, feeling a bittersweet smile tug at her lips. “Yes, honey. There’s a health crisis in Suna, and they need me to help with the medical treatment. I promise I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
Sarada seemed to accept this explanation, though her little face still looked worried. She stretched out her arms, her small fingers gripping Sakura’s sleeves as though she wanted to hold onto her forever. “I’ll miss you, Mommy...” Sarada whispered, a little tremble in her voice that made Sakura’s heart break.
Sakura wrapped her arms tightly around her daughter, holding her close. “I’ll miss you too, my sweet girl. But you’ll be with Aunt Hinata and Uncle Naruto while I’m gone. You’ll be in good hands, okay?” She pulled back just enough to look into Sarada’s eyes. “You’ll be brave, won’t you?”
Sarada nodded, though there was a flicker of uncertainty in her gaze. “I will, Mommy,” she said quietly, though the tight grip on her mother’s sleeve suggested she wasn’t entirely convinced.
Just then, the door slid open, and standing in the doorway was Naruto Uzumaki, his bright blue eyes soft with understanding. “Sakura,” he said, his voice warm. “You don’t have to worry about Sarada. We’ll take care of her while you’re gone. You know she’s like family to me.”
Sakura smiled gratefully at Naruto, her heart swelling with appreciation. She knew that Sarada would be safe in his care, especially with Hinata around to keep her company. But leaving her daughter behind still felt like an enormous weight on her shoulders. “I know, Naruto,” Sakura said, her voice thick. “But it’s still hard. It’s the first time I’ve ever left her alone like this…”
Naruto stepped forward, offering a reassuring smile. “Sakura, we’ll take care of Sarada. She’ll be okay, believe me.”
Sakura didn’t say anything for a moment, simply looking at two of the most important people in her life: her daughter, whom she had protected and nurtured since her birth; and Naruto, who had always been there when Konoha needed him. If anyone could make Sarada feel at ease, it was them. Taking a deep breath, Sakura nodded. “Okay,” she said softly. “I trust you, Naruto. Sarada, you listen to Aunt Hinata and Uncle Naruto, okay?”
Sarada finally let go of Sakura’s sleeve, but only reluctantly. “Okay, Mommy,” she said, though her voice still had a tremor.
Sakura crouched down to her daughter’s level, brushing the back of her hand over Sarada’s cheek. “I’ll be back before you know it, sweetie.” Sarada's expression softened, and she nodded.
With one last lingering hug, Sakura stood up and faced Naruto. “I’m counting on you,” she said, her voice steady but her eyes revealing the depth of her feelings.
Naruto gave a thumbs-up, his usual playful grin on his face. “Don’t worry, Sakura. We’ve got this. You just focus on your mission. Sarada will have so much fun, you won’t even recognize her when you come back!”
Sakura nodded, her heart filled with both relief and sadness. She turned away, walking toward the village gates, where her team was waiting for her. Her steps were heavy, but she knew it was something she had to do. As much as it hurt, she also knew her duty as a shinobi couldn’t always come second to motherhood. And Sarada was strong—just like her father. She would be okay.