Sakura was starving.
Her stomach growled loudly, betraying her as she watched Naruto devour his ramen. He slurped down another long noodle, oblivious to the silent battle she was fighting.
“You sure you don’t want any, Sakura-chan?” Naruto asked, grinning between bites.
Sakura forced a smile and lied through her teeth. “I’m good, Naruto. I already ate before I came here.”
Another lie. She almost felt proud of how smoothly it slipped out.
She used to worry about getting caught in her lies—especially when she first joined her genin team, knowing she’d be working under a jounin. She expected to be found out, to have her falsehoods unravel in front of her. But, she hasn’t been discovered yet by Kakashi-sensei
Sakura had always been an exceptional liar. She wasn’t born with that talent, of course. But she learned quickly that lies were her armor, her way of protecting herself.
“How did you break your arm, Sakura?” her teachers at the academy would ask. She’d smile and say, “I was working on my taijutsu at home.” Another convenient lie.
And when she told Ino that she wanted to compete with her for Sasuke’s attention? Another lie. The truth was, Sakura didn’t care for that egotistical, duck-haired boy’s attention at all. She’d much rather have her best friend by her side than deal with Sasuke’s indifference.
And, of course, there was the lie about hating Naruto. Truthfully, her parents didn’t like him for unknown reasons—something they wouldn’t tell her, and if she asked, she got hit. So, she learned to stop asking and just listen. She thought Naruto's pranks were hilarious, and his creativity was far more impressive than anyone gave him credit for. Sure, he wasn’t book smart like she was, but his ability to think outside the box was incredible. Sakura was always jealous of his impressive willpower and stamina. She always lacked in her taijutsu, but she had improved a lot since starting in the academy.
Her father made sure of that. He would use her as his training dummy—more like a stress reliever—whenever he was pissed off over the fact that he was treated poorly by some shinobi because he was a civilian shinobi who barely made chunin. He took his rage out on his twelve-year-old daughter. Like always, her parents were why she had to lie so much.
But now, Sakura had a new problem—one that required money, at least enough to eat something decent this week. Her mother had been furious yesterday, seeing right through her excuse about her qipao getting damaged. She’d tried to wear something more practical for a shinobi, but all it earned her was a sharp reprimand and a diet of rice. At least her mom had been in a good enough mood that Sakura could sit without flinching. Small victories.
Now she stood before Kakashi-sensei, trying to figure out how to get what she needed without revealing too much. “Ne, Sensei?” she called, causing him to glance up from his dirty orange book, his visible eye crinkling in what she assumed was a smile.
“Hmm? What is it, Sakura-chan?”
“Are genin allowed to take D-rank missions on their own?” she asked, keeping her tone casual. It had to sound like small talk. Can’t let him see through the lies.
Kakashi’s eyes narrowed slightly in amusement. “Mah, why would you want to do missions without your team?”
Sakura didn’t miss a beat. “Oh, I don’t want to, Sensei! My parents were just worried, that is all. They wanted to make sure I’m only taking missions with my team!” She grinned brightly, masking the lie as effortlessly as breathing.
In reality, her parents couldn’t stand her team—except for Sasuke, of course. In their delusional minds, she was destined to be the next Uchiha matriarch. Yuck. The thought made her skin crawl. She didn’t want to be anyone’s wife; she wanted to be a shinobi.
Her parents were always spouting nonsense: never be nice to Naruto, never trust Kakashi. Her sensei was some kind of “friend-killer,” though she was sure that had to be a lie. If it were true, why would he be trusted to lead a team?
“Well, then your parents don’t have to worry about a thing after all, you are only taking missions with your team.” He answered by ending the conversation and turning back to his book.
Sakura smiles inwardly, feeling a quiet triumph—so she can take missions on her own! She has to be Kakashi’s best student, just like he always says: “Look underneath, the underneath!” Now, she just needs to make sure her parents or Kakashi-sensei never find out about her little lie.
Another thing she doesn’t want to disappoint him. That’s another thing she lies about. Deep down, she truly thinks Kakashi is an incredible sensei. After hearing her parents spew so many awful things about him, she’d been curious enough to dig deeper. And so, she did what she does best: research. She hunted down every scrap of information about Kakashi-sensei and discovered the truth—he was amazing. A jōnin at thirteen, only a year older than she was now!
Her life felt so unfair. She’d been assigned an amazing sensei, but she couldn’t even ask him questions to help her improve as a shinobi. Not that it mattered much—most of his attention was always on the boys anyway, which was understandable. Who would want to waste time training a girl who supposedly cried over running a few laps? No one in their right mind.
She couldn’t help but feel sorry for her sensei, stuck with a burden like her. The lies she had to maintain only made things worse. She wished she could ask him about kenjutsu or seek his advice on genjutsu—especially after how effortlessly he trapped her in that illusion during survival test. It had been incredible, and she wanted to understand how he did it. But as long as she was living under her parents' roof, such questions were impossible.
If she could find a way to take on missions without anyone knowing, she might finally be able to move out of her parent's house. She would’ve done it earlier if she could, but every time she came back from a mission, she had to hand over her earnings. But if she started taking extra missions on the side and stashing away the extra money, she could save enough to get her place. It was the perfect plan!
Sakura stands up abruptly, her chair scraping loudly against the floor. “Ah! I just remembered my mom needed me to pick up some groceries. See you guys later!” she says with a bright, almost too-enthusiastic wave before darting off, not even bothering to look back. She’s relieved Sasuke didn’t join them today If he had, she’d be stuck acting cute and girly again, which is so exhausting.
Besides, her parents' plan to marry her off to Sasuke is a total bust. Either he’s gay, or he’s so wrapped up in his revenge obsession that he doesn’t even notice her existence. Honestly, it works out perfectly for her either way.
Despite the emptiness in her stomach, Sakura skips down the street with a grin. She has a plan, and she knows it’s going to work. After all, she hasn’t been caught in her lies yet!
~
Sakura was up early, even before the sun had risen over the skyline, a habit she had embraced since joining the academy. Each morning, she found herself awake while the village still slept, wrapped in the quiet of dawn.
The Sakura everyone in the village knew wore a bright red qipao, proudly displaying her clan crest, with her long hair flowing down—an elegant look, but a hazard for her line of work, especially since she was still a weak genin with no skills to back up her long hair.
But this Sakura, the one she truly was, wore a black, form-fitting long-sleeve shirt and matching black shorts. She had drawn some inspiration from the loud jounin in the green jumpsuit, who always seemed to be doing bizarre challenges around the village. Some of them were so inspiring that she had, admittedly, stalked a few of his training sessions to take notes for herself, hoping to improve her strength and endurance. With quiet efficiency, Sakura wrapped bandages tightly around her forearms and calves.
The final step was her hair. Her nimble fingers quickly braided it into a French braid and wrapped it into a bun, securing it in place with some sturdy hairpins. To complete her look, she threw on an oversized blue hoodie that belonged to one of her male cousins, who had left it behind and completely forgotten about it.
Even though she had done this a hundred times, she double-checked her appearance. Pulling the hood up, she hid her bright pink hair from view. Sakura smiled, though she couldn’t help but lament her underdeveloped chest. Still, she was secretly glad for it in moments like this—less attention, less hassle.
The last addition, and the newest to her outfit, was the black face mask. She had bought it with the small amount of money she’d saved and hidden under the loose floorboard of her bed. She was a little saddened by the fact that she now had even less money, but it was an investment. After all, Kakashi-sensei wore a mask too! Sure, she was probably using it for a different reason, but he had given her the idea. Why hadn’t she thought of this sooner?
Shaking her head at herself, Sakura looped the mask’s ear straps over her ears and adjusted it over her face. It hid her features completely, leaving only her striking green eyes visible. With the hood up, the mask on, and her outfit, she looked like an entirely unremarkable boy—exactly what she was going for. Nothing memorable. Unnoticed. Perfect.
"Maybe I should think about getting the same mask Kakashi-sensei has?" she mused, blushing lightly as a small giggle escaped her. "Sensei and I could match." The thought made her feel unexpectedly giddy, and she quickly tied her forehead protector loosely around her neck instead of the usual spot on her forehead.
Afterward, she slipped on her sandals, then grabbed her small first aid pack, securing it to her thigh, right next to her kunai holster.
With practiced ease, she unlatched the lock on her window, opening it just enough for her to slip through. She turned back around to her room, and with quick precision, she made the hand signs for the shadow clone technique, who appeared in a quiet puff, looking at her expectantly and mirroring her every feature, including the soft expression. However, while Sakura donned her hoodie and shorts, her clone wore the clothes she wore for bed.
Sakura whispered, "You know the drill, hide my pajamas." Her gaze drifted to the discarded clothes on the floor, which the clone quickly picked up and concealed out of sight. "Pretend to sleep, we can't get caught. Mother and Father still think I'm asleep, and we don't want to arouse their suspicions."
The clone nodded in understanding, its voice a hushed whisper. "Be safe, and don’t let anyone catch us." Sakura’s grin was barely visible beneath her mask. "We’ve been doing this for years," she said. "I’ll be home before Mother and Father wake up, and I’ll make sure I’m on time for training."
With a reassuring nod to her clone, Sakura climbed out of her window, landing silently on a tree branch as her clone closed and locked the latch behind her. Sakura smiled at the quiet, empty streets of the civilian district, then, with the grace of a feline, used her chakra to effortlessly run across the rooftops.
Unbeknownst to her, a lone eye watched her every move.
~
“I think I have the perfect mission for you,” the kind chunin said with a warm smile, her short brown hair shifting slightly as she flipped through the pile of D-rank mission scrolls. “It’s high-paying, even for a D-rank, but because of the job’s nature, it was classified as such.” Adjusting her glasses, she paused and gave Sakura a curious look. “But don’t most Genin take their missions with their teams these days?”
The name tag on her vest read Suzu. She tilted her head slightly, waiting for an explanation.
Sakura smiled beneath the mask that concealed her lower face, her green eyes crinkling in a way that seemed sincere. “Oh, my sensei gave me permission,” she replied smoothly, leaning forward as though sharing a secret. Lowering her voice just enough to sound conspiratorial, she added, “One of my teammates’ birthdays is coming up, and I want to get them something extra special.”
It was a lie, but one she told with practiced ease.
Suzu’s face softened into a heartwarming expression. “How sweet,” she said, clearly moved by the gesture. Without hesitation, she picked up the mission scroll and stamped it with Sakura’s name. “Well, alright! Good luck!”
Suppressing the urge to jump for joy, Sakura accepted the scroll with a polite nod and made her way out of the administration building. Once outside, her steps quickened, her heart pounding with excitement. This mission was one step closer to her true goal.
Holding the scroll tightly, Sakura glanced around to make sure no one was watching her. Paranoia wasn’t an unusual companion for her, especially when she was doing something that would undoubtedly get her in trouble if discovered. She shuddered at the thought of her parents finding out. Her father’s punishments weren’t just harsh—they were brutal. Missing meals was the least of her worries. The memory of past beatings flashed in her mind, making her skin prickle with phantom pain. She hated having to heal herself afterward, especially when the injuries lingered long enough to disrupt her training.
Shaking off the thought, Sakura unraveled the scroll and scanned the details of the mission. It seemed simple enough. The request came from a man named Sukea who needed someone to help him take care of his rather misbehaving dog while he was at work.
Sakura snorted when she read the dog’s name: Sakura.
"Seriously?" she muttered, amused despite herself. "I wonder if she has pink fur." A wry smile tugged at her lips as she continued reading. The mission was simple—keep the dog entertained and make sure it didn’t get into trouble while its owner was at work.
Rolling the scroll back up, she sighed. "Am I getting jealous of a dog?" she asked aloud, shaking her head. "No. That would be ridiculous."
But deep down, she couldn’t shake the feeling of envy. Even a dog named Sakura seemed to get more care and attention than she ever had.
Sakura quickly found the address listed on the scroll and made her way there with purpose. Her nimble feet carried her swiftly across the village, allowing her to arrive at the destination in record time.
Standing before the apartment building, Sakura paused, her heart tightening at the sight. These were the same apartments she’d read about—the ones provided to Shinobi by the village. She had a pamphlet tucked away beneath the loose floorboard under her bed, hidden alongside other treasures she didn’t want her parents to find, like the clothes she was wearing now.
The thought of getting caught made her stomach churn, but she quickly shoved it aside. “Focus,” she reminded herself.
Sakura bounded up the stairs, her footsteps light despite the weight of her thoughts. She stopped in front of the door marked with the number 07. Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself. This was her first real customer, and she had to make a good impression. They were paying a significant amount of money for this mission, after all.
If she could handle this job well—and maybe even turn it into a recurring gig—she might finally save enough for the down payment on her apartment. The thought filled her with determination.
"This is it, Sakura," she whispered to herself, taking a steadying breath. "Time to show them what kind of shinobi you are!"
Her hand raised to knock on the door, but before her knuckles could make contact, she felt a sharp jab at the back of her neck.
Panic surged through her as her vision blurred and her body grew heavy. Her eyelids drooped despite her frantic attempts to fight the sensation.
“Mah, Sakura, lying to your sensei isn’t very becoming of you,” a familiar voice chided gently.
She tried to respond, but her body refused to obey. As she began to slump forward, strong arms caught her, keeping her from hitting the ground.
“I think it’s time for some one-on-one time, Sakura-chan,” her sensei murmured, his tone light but laced with a dangerous edge.
Before she could process his words—or even the growing dread building in her chest—her vision faded to black, and she fell into a deep, unavoidable sleep.
~
"Sakuraaaa~"
A deep, singsong voice sliced through the fog of her muddled mind. Sakura groaned in protest, reluctant to leave the warm cocoon of sleep. How long had it been since she'd gotten more than a couple of hours of rest?
But the cold air brushing against her bare skin snapped her awake. Her eyes flew open, and she shot upright, meeting the icy gaze of her sensei, casually seated on a wooden chair across from her.
“There’s my favorite student,” he said in a falsely cheerful voice, the mock warmth in his tone doing nothing to mask the underlying edge.
It took Sakura a moment to process her situation, but the details came crashing down all at once. First, she realized she was dressed in nothing but her breast wrappings and shorts. Second, her hands were tied in front of her, the rough rope digging into her wrists. Third, a strange sensation around her neck made her fingers brush against... a collar? Her heart skipped a beat as her gaze flicked to the leash in her sensei’s hand, the chain glinting in the faint light.
Lastly, she registered her surroundings—a bed, its shuriken-patterned sheets bizarrely cute for the tense situation she found herself in. The unknown room reeked of danger, her sensei’s chilling stare sending shivers down her spine that had nothing to do with the cold. Half-dressed and restrained, her mind raced for answers as her breath hitched.
"K-Kakashi-sensei?" she asked, her voice trembling despite her effort to sound composed.
Kakashi gave the leash a sharp tug, the collar tightening painfully around Sakura’s neck. She gasped, her breath hitching in surprise as she instinctively tried to ease the pressure, only to remember her hands were bound, leaving her powerless to loosen the choking grip.
“Tsk.” He waved a finger in the air, his expression laced with disapproval. “Liars don’t get to speak.”
Sakura’s eyes widened in shock, her mouth opening slightly in protest, but no words came out. Her reaction only made Kakashi chuckle, the sound low and condescending.
“You thought I wouldn’t see through your lies?” he asked, his tone mocking as he leaned forward slightly. “I saw through them the moment we first met, Sakura.” Thankfully, lessened his grip on the leash, letting her breathing return to the normal range instead of shallow breathing she was having to do.
Sakura’s stomach twisted into knots as tears welled in her eyes, the crushing realization sinking in—he had always known about her lies. The weight of his disappointment settled heavily on her chest, each passing second making it harder to breathe under her Kakashi-sensei’s cold gaze.
“Shhh, it’s okay, Sakura.” Kakashi leaned forward, his gloved hand gently wiping away the tears streaming down her face. His voice was soft, almost comforting, but it carried an unsettling edge. “I’m not mad about the lying, Sakura.”
Her tear-filled eyes widened with confusion, questioning him silently.
“We’re shinobi. Lying is part of the job.” His tone grew sharper, his lone eye narrowing “But when you lie to your sensei and team captain, that’s a different story, Sakura.” Sakura felt her heart drop under the weight of his disapproval. She swallowed hard, nodding quickly, her pleading gaze shifting to the collar around her neck. She tilted her chin slightly, silently asking for mercy.
Kakashi hummed mockingly, tilting his head. “Oh? Do you want to speak?”
Sakura nodded fervently; her desperation clear.
“Alright.” He held the leash, giving it a small, threatening tug that made her breath hitch. “But if you lie again…” His words trailed off, leaving the unspoken threat to linger heavily in the air.
Sakura nodded again, even harder this time, her expression promising obedience. She’d be good. She had to be.
“I’m sorry, Kakashi-sensei!” Sakura sobbed, tears streaming down her face as the words tumbled out in a frantic rush. “I didn’t want to lie, but I had to because of my parents!” Her voice cracked, desperation lacing every word as she struggled to explain.
“I never wanted to lie to you!” she pleaded, her bound hands trembling as she stared up at him, hoping for any hint of mercy. “I’ll accept any punishment,” she added in a whisper, her voice barely audible as she braced herself for whatever came next.
Kakashi cocked his head mockingly, his visible eye narrowing with a hint of amusement. "Hmm, I don't know. Every word out of your mouth has been a lie so far. Why should I believe you now?" His tone was light, but there was an edge to it that made Sakura’s stomach twist.
Her mind raced frantically, grasping for a way to prove she wasn’t lying. “Think, Sakura, think!” she repeated to herself, willing her thoughts to clear. Then it hit her—look underneath the underneath.
What would make Kakashi believe her? Sakura's mind spun as she stared at the collar attached to the leash, glinting mockingly in the dim light. His words replayed in her head, cutting deep. If he wanted proof, she’d have to give him something undeniable. Something bold. Something humiliating.
Her cheeks flamed as an idea took root, one so mortifying it made her want to crawl into a hole and never come out. But if it worked, maybe—just maybe—he’d take her seriously.
She took a shaky breath and managed to sit up on her knees, the motion awkward with her hands bound. Her face was burning red as she prayed silently to the sage for mercy. “Please let this work. Please don’t let me regret this.”
Another deep breath. Then, trembling, she stammered out, “W-Woof.”
The word barely left her mouth, her voice breaking halfway through. She immediately squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for Kakashi’s reaction—whether it be laughter, disbelief, or worse.
She was caught off guard when she felt his large, gloved hand gently patting her head, fingers brushing through her hair with surprising care. Startled, Sakura opened her eyes and was surprised yet again to see Kakashi’s familiar eye-smile. His cold demeanor seemed a little warmer than before.
“Good girl,” he praised.
Her eyes lit up with a spark of hope, and a familiar fluttering sensation settled in her stomach at his kind words. It wasn’t something she often admitted, but Sakura secretly loved it when Kakashi ruffled her hair. Affection like this was so foreign to her—her parents’ touch, when it came at all, was cold, harsh, and often left her with bruises or broken bones. Since her falling out with Ino, no one had touched her gently like this in what felt like forever.
“You’ve always been the smart one on our team, which is why I have such high expectations of you,” Kakashi said, his voice steady yet pointed. The words made Sakura wince with guilt.
“But” he continued, his tone darkening slightly, “if you break my trust, you’ll need to be punished.”
He brought his other hand to her chin, tilting her face up so she had no choice but to meet his gaze. His grip on her hair, though not painful, was firm and uncomfortably restraining.
“You understand, right, Sakura?” he asked, his voice deceptively soft.
Sakura nodded quickly, her face flushing red. “Woof,” she stammered, her voice cracking under the weight of his presence.
Kakashi chuckled, the sound low and almost teasing. “That’s right. If you can’t tell the truth like a good girl, then bark like the bad girl you are.”
He released her chin and hair, his hand lingering briefly before leaning back, his dark gaze steady as he pointed to the hardwood floor between his legs. “Now,” he said, his voice calm yet commanding, “let’s get to your punishment. On your knees.”
Sakura’s breath hitched. Her wide eyes darted to the space he’d indicated, her throat tightening as she swallowed hard. Nervously, she climbed off the bed, her movements unsteady thanks to the restraints binding her hands in front of her. She didn’t dare ask to be untied—her mind was spinning too fast, wondering what kind of punishment Kakashi-sensei had in store.
Her stomach churned with a mix of fear and nervous anticipation. He was her role model—someone she admired deeply. If she were honest, she had the tiniest, most innocent crush on him. She trusted him with her life and would do anything to make him proud.
But this? This was something entirely different. She couldn’t let him see her weakness, her humiliation. And yet, this was her fault. If she hadn’t lied, she wouldn’t be in this mess. He was right—she had been a bad girl. If her captain couldn’t trust her, who else would?
Sakura stared at Kakashi, anticipation and dread swirling in her chest as she waited for whatever punishment he deemed appropriate. His expression was calm, but the dark gleam in his eye made her heart pound harder.
“Since your mouth is always so full of lies,” Kakashi said smoothly, his tone laced with something she couldn’t quite place, “why don’t we fill it with something else instead?”
Her breath hitched sharply, her eyes widening as she watched him reach for the zipper of his pants. The sound seemed deafening in the tense silence of the room. When his cock sprang free, thick and veined, her jaw dropped slightly in shock. She’d never seen one in real life before—only the diagrams in her medical textbooks—and the sight made her pulse race uncontrollably.
“Kakashi—” Sakura began, her voice trembling as she tried to ask what was happening. But before she could finish, he pulled sharply on the leash, tightening the collar around her neck. The sudden pressure made her gasp, her breath catching painfully as tears welled up in her eyes.
Kakashi sighed, his tone exasperated yet calm. “What did I say, Sakura? Only good girls get to speak.” His sharp gaze pinned her in place. “And you haven’t been a good girl, have you?”
Desperate to ease the tightness in her throat and breathe normally again, Sakura quickly nodded, her movements jerky and frantic. "Now, you said you'd accept any punishment, or are we lying again Sakura?" he asked, his tone laced with disappointment.
Sakura shook her head, the thought of disappointing her teacher again making her stomach twist in discomfort.
“Good.” Kakashi released the leash, allowing the tension to ease and giving Sakura a chance to breathe normally again.
“Now,” he said, his voice steady and commanding as he pointed to his cock, “suck.”
Sakura coughed softly, her chest heaving as she regained her breath. She glanced up at him, her cheeks flushed, and gave a small, hesitant nod.
Sakura looked at Kakashi-sensei’s cock, curious and scared, not sure how it was supposed to fit in her mouth. But she said she would take her punishment and be Kakashi-sensei’s good girl. Sakura moved closer to Kakashi-sensei’s cock, opening her mouth wide tentatively as Kakashi gripped his cock with one hand while the other gripped Sakura's hair and guided the tip of his cock to her mouth.
“Such a good girl,” Kakashi cooed as he pressed the tip into her mouth inch by inch. Sakura's eyes watered as she tried to remember to breathe through her nose, but her heart soared at the praise, even if her jaw was starting to hurt and the taste felt strange—not disgusting, just weird.
She almost choked when she felt Kakashi-sensei’s cock hit the back of her throat. She was only halfway down his whole length, but Kakashi-sensei seemed pleased from the panting she could hear from him. Kakashi-sensei started pulling her hair hard, moving her up and down his length. It was painful, but in a weird way that made her feel funny—not the same way when her mother or father would pull her hair. It was a different kind of pain that made her lower stomach feel all tingly and warm. She could feel her spit spill over on
“That’s it, just like that,” Kakashi-sensei panted. “Look at you, you’re doing so well.” Kakashi-sensei increased his pace, breathing heavier. “Now, I want you to swallow every drop. Sakura, you’ve got to wash away all the lies you’ve been telling.”
She would have nodded, but at that moment, Kakashi-sensei was busy thrusting his cock down her throat, so all she could do was blink in response.
Kakashi-sensei halted his movements with a heavy groan as a load of cum shot down Sakura's throat and filled her mouth. It was salty in a way she had never tasted before. But she had promised to be good and swallow every drop; perhaps this way, she could stop telling lies.
After Sakura made sure to swallow every drop of cum that Kakashi-sensei gave her, she let go of his cock with a pop. Kakashi-sensei, panting, had lessened his breathing and fixed himself, sticking his cock back into his jeans with ease and zipping it right back up as if what just happened never happened.
Sakura looked up at Kakashi-sensei, her eyes still red from tears and brimming with anticipation. Kakashi leaned forward, his thumb gently pressing against her bottom lip, coaxing her mouth open for inspection. He smirked under his mask and smeared the remaining bit of cum that was at the corner of her mouth all over her lips. Humming thoughtfully, he leaned back, allowing her to close her mouth. “You did well,” Kakashi said, his tone light and approving. “You took your punishment like a good girl.”
Sakura’s chest swelled with pride at his praise, a warm feeling spreading through her. She was pleased to see him happy with her.
Kakashi-sensei's voice softened, yet remained firm as he asked, “And what did we learn?”
Sakura quickly nodded, a sense of determination filling her despite the soreness in her throat. “D-don’t lie to you, Kakashi-sensei," she said, her voice cracking slightly from the harsh treatment moments before.
Kakashi-sensei nodded, but his eyes narrowed, and with a sharp tug on the leash, he pulled the collar on Sakura’s neck at a harsh angle, forcing her to meet his gaze. "If you ever lie to me again, Sakura," he said in a low, threatening tone, "your punishment will be a lot worse."
Sakura’s spine straightened, a chill crawling up her back as his words settled in. Her heart pounded at the possibility of what he could do to her if she crossed him again.
The rope on her wrist snapped, tearing free and falling to the floor. Stunned, Sakura blinked and looked up at Kakashi-sensei. He wordlessly handed her hoodie back toward her, and she quickly zipped it up, still processing the strange tension in the air.
Without another word, Kakashi handed her a bag of money—the same amount she was expected to earn from the mission scroll. Before Sakura could even gather her thoughts, Kakashi ushered her outside the door of what she assumed was his apartment.
Sakura stood frozen, her mind racing to make sense of everything that had just unfolded. Her thoughts were a blur, struggling to catch up with the strange turn of events. Before she could gather herself to speak, Kakashi leaned in close. He unclipped the leash from the collar, and his voice dropped to a whisper, sending an involuntary shiver down her spine as his finger lightly grazed her neck, tugging the collar ever so slightly.
“Better keep the collar on, Sakura,” he murmured, his tone cold but tinged with amusement. “After all, I can’t have my kunoichi running around without anyone knowing who she belongs to.”
~
The next day, Sakura received a message from Suzu, praising her for doing an amazing job on the mission. Sukea would love to have her back soon to help train his pet dog, Sakura….