Chapter 3
Sakura pushed the heavy bar doors open, stepping into a world of pounding music and flickering fluorescent lights that set her nerves on edge. A haze of smoke hung thick in the air, slightly blurring the faces of patrons. She inhaled sharply, the mingling scents of alcohol and sweat clinging to her senses. This was the last place she wanted to be, but the thought of her team worrying gnawed at her conscience. Tiger had made sure she knew they were concerned, and Sakura despised being the source of Naruto and Sai’s stress. Especially after the shit show that had been their last mission.
She vaguely wondered if Tiger had returned here. Strange to think she could walk right past the man she had just slept with and never even know.
Her gaze swept over the crowded room trying to locate her teammates. She finally spotted Naruto and Sai sitting in a small booth, their familiar faces a beacon in the throng of people.
The bar was packed, and Sakura shouldered her way through the tide of shinobi and civilians mingling.
“Sakura!” Naruto called out in greeting as she approached. His cheeks were even redder than normal, betraying his inebriation.
She slid into the empty seat at the table, her gaze immediately landing on the bottle of sake surrounded by untouched shot glasses.
“We weren’t sure you’d show,” Sai remarked, his gaze following Sakura’s hand as she reached for the glass of sake.
Her fingers curled around the chilled glass, condensation slicking her fingertips. “I’ve never missed a post-mission get-together, and I don’t intend to start now.”
A lie. She had almost skipped.
Tipping her head back, she let the liquor slide down her throat, savoring the slow, satisfying burn.
“That’s the spirit,” Naruto said, forcing a grin. “Tonight, we celebrate.”
His smile was too wide, stretched almost painfully across his face. But his eyes, flat and empty, betrayed him. His whole body radiated a determination to pretend.
So that’s how we’re playing this, Sakura thought.
No moping, no acknowledging the storm cloud hanging over their heads. Naruto wanted to escape it, at least for tonight.
Fine by her. Avoidance was a game she knew how to play.
She wiped her moistened lips with the back of her hand and plastered on her own smile. Reaching for a shot glass, she raised it, clinking the rim against Naruto’s with a practiced ease.
Her eyes widened playfully. “Remember, you have to look me in the eyes, or it’s seven years of bad sex,” she teased, twisting the old wives' tale to her liking.
“Shit, that’s a fate worse than death,” Naruto said, completely serious.
Sai nodded his agreeance and Sakura could not help but laugh before knocking back the shot and slamming the glass onto the table.
The familiar rhythm of their banter filled the space between them, easy and unforced, a comforting echo of all the nights they had shared. As their conversation ebbed and flowed, Sakura let her gaze wander around the bar, drinking in the atmosphere. Some patrons sat hunched over their drinks, shoulders heavy with burdens only they could carry, trapped somewhere between grief and resignation. Others, in stark contrast, radiated light, laughing too loudly, their smiles wide and reckless. They were the ones who became beacons for lonely souls who needed to borrow their warmth, even if just for a fleeting moment.
She exhaled slowly, feeling the alcohol settling in her limbs, warm and numbing. The tension in her shoulders loosened, the weight on her chest just a little lighter. Another round was poured, the sharp clink of glass against glass punctuating their laughter. The night drifted along at a relaxed rhythm, until Naruto suddenly straightened, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
“Sakura. Arm wrestle me,” he challenged.
She arched an eyebrow, the corners of her mouth tilting up in amusement. “Are you sure you want to get embarrassed in front of all these people?”
Naruto’s eyes danced, a genuine grin widening on his face. “No way in hell you’re beating me.”
Sakura's expression sharpened with playful confidence as she stood up, turning toward the bar with a dramatic flair. She raised her voice, projecting into the crowd. “Who wants to see the Nine Tails Jinchuriki get his ass kicked?”
The crowd's attention shifted to her, curiosity and laughter rippling through the room as people turned to watch. Shinobi and civilians alike pressed in around their table, drawn by the commotion. Everyone knew that Naruto’s strength and Sakura’s monstrous power had become the stuff of legend.
With the table cleared, she and Naruto took their positions on opposite sides. Someone from the crowd shoved a shot into her hand for good luck, and she raised it toward Naruto in a teasing salute before tipping it back. Even through the haze of alcohol, the burn still made her grimace slightly. She set the glass down with a soft thud, licking a stray drop from her lips before smirking.
“Tell me, what do I get if I win?” she asked, tilting her head slightly.
Naruto, ever the flirty drunk, did not miss a beat. “One night with me.”
Sakura’s shoulders shook with laughter. Leaning in, she let her gaze lock onto his, letting the playful challenge stretch just a little longer than necessary. “I don’t think you handle it,” she mock-whispered as if she was confiding in him, rather than putting on a show for their onlookers.
Naruto’s grin turned downright wolfish. “Yeah? We’ll see who’s talking when you can’t walk tomorrow.”
The crowd lost it. Laughter, whistles, and scandalized gasps rippled through the bar, a few shinobi banging on tables in appreciation.
Sakura let the noise die down just enough before striking. “Alright, big shot,” she said, stretching her fingers before clasping his hand in hers. “Put your money where your mouth is. 1,000 Ryo says I win.”
Naruto snorted, gripping her hand a little tighter. “You’re on.”
From the edge of the crowd, Sai, who had been silently observing, chimed in, “My money’s on Sakura.”
Sakura grinned at Sai appreciatively, while Naruto flipped him off for his lack of support. A wave of excitement pulsed through the crowd as people scrambled to place their own bets, the stakes suddenly much higher now that money was involved. Coins clinked and bills exchanged hands.
Sakura and Naruto positioned their dominant arms on the table between them, their hands locking firmly in the center. The heat of Naruto’s grip met the steady pressure of Sakura’s, anticipation thick in the air.
At some point, Might Guy had joined the crowd and, with his usual exuberance, declared that everyone would count down from five before shouting “Go!” to kick off the match.
The countdown began. Just before the final number, Sakura shifted slightly closer. “Hey, Naruto,” her voice a sultry whisper meant only for his ears. “You probably should’ve banned me from using chakra.”
His eyes widened in realization.
“GO!” the crowd yelled.
Sakura instantly flooded her arm with chakra and brought it down with all her strength, perhaps a bit too much, thanks to the alcohol dulling her restraint. Naruto’s arm slammed into the table, the sheer force splintering the wood beneath them.
The match was over only a second after it had begun.
The crowd erupted in cheers, the noise reverberating like a living thing. Sakura rose from her seat, a triumphant grin stretching across her face as she gave a quick bow, her laughter cutting through the chaos. Her peers swarmed her, offering high-fives, handshakes, and enthusiastic congratulations.
Naruto grumbled good-naturedly and shook out his sore arm, ignoring the jeers and playful insults being thrown his way. With a dramatic sigh, he dug into his pocket, fishing out the cash before begrudgingly slapping it into Sakura’s waiting palm.
"Hope you're proud of yourself," Naruto lamented. "Robbing a poor orphan blind." His voice dripped with misery, but the amusement in his eyes gave him away.
Sakura snorted, casually slipping the money into her pocket. "Oh, please, Naruto," she said, a sly smile tugging at her lips. "If you don’t want to lose money, maybe you should be training to get a little stronger.”
Naruto shook his head in disbelief. "Strength had nothing to do with it. You cheated."
"Cheated?" she echoed, feigning offense, “I would never. But if you need excuses to feel better about losing, who am I to stop you?"
The banter drew more laughs, camaraderie buzzing through the air just as loud as the applause.
Team Seven collapsed into a nearby booth, still riding the high of their dramatic showdown. Laughter filled the air as Sai gave Sakura an awkward but well-meant pat on the head in congratulations. Naruto slouched back in his seat with a sigh, pouting in his defeat.
Just as Sakura was about to tease him further, a prickle ran down her scalp. It was a familiar sensation, like a sixth sense warning her that someone was watching.
Her gaze instinctively flicked to the right, drawn toward the weight of an unseen stare. And then, she saw him.
Kakashi.
Her sensei lounged against the wall, his posture relaxed, arms draped effortlessly around the shoulders of two women nestled against him. Though too far away to catch his words, Sakura could see the shift of his mask as he spoke to them. Yet, despite his company, his lone visible eye was fixed solely on her.
It was no secret that Kakashi had his fair share of admirers, but it had been a long time since she had seen him at the bar.
And for some indiscernible reason, she did not look away. Did not even feel the urge to. One of the women traced a slow line along his masked jaw, but still, he held her gaze.
“Looks like Sensei is enjoying himself tonight,” Naruto said, drawing her attention back to the table and away from the dark stare that had her momentarily captivated.
“I’m surprised to see him here,” she admitted, suddenly needing to explain why she had been staring their teacher down.
“As am I,” Sai added. “He has not frequented the bars in quite some time.”
Sakura frowned, swirling the last remnants of her drink. She was not just surprised to see Kakashi at the bar, she was surprised to be seeing him at all.
Kakashi was not an overly social man, but he still made his presence known around Konoha. However, in recent months, her sensei had all but disappeared. In fact, the mission had been the first time since she had seen the man in quite some time. Admittedly, she kept busy at the hospital keeping up with her role as Konoha’s head medic and did not have time to keep tabs on people’s whereabouts. A few months prior, there had been a pause on Sasuke retrieval missions due to a complete lack of leads. During that temporary hiatus, she still should have seen Kakashi around at least a few times. But the man had completely slipped through the cracks.
There was only one reason to explain why a ninja of his caliber had fallen off the map. His talents were being utilized elsewhere. A thought struck her, one that made her stomach tighten.
“You don’t think he could have joined the Anbu again, do you?” she blurted, glancing between Naruto and Sai.
It would explain a lot. Kakashi had become more distant as she and her teammates had grown older, but on their last mission, he had been colder than ever. Not just in his remarks to her. His presence seemed…different. There was something sharper about him. More dangerous.
Sakura shivered. If he had been recruited back into Anbu, that meant he was once again involved with an organization that had the greyest of morals. She had read classified reports in the Hokage’s office. The missions that Anbu squads were sent on required resolves of steel to complete.
“I’ve suspected it for a while now,” Sai admitted casually.
Sakura gasped lightly. “And you’re just now saying something?!”
Sai shrugged, unfazed. “It wasn’t my business.”
“Right, like that’s ever stopped you before,” she muttered, rolling her eyes.
Shaking her head, she turned to Naruto, eager to hear his take. “What do you think?”
She expected a reaction. Naruto loved a good conspiracy, and the idea of Kakashi sneaking off on top-secret Anbu missions should have had him buzzing with curiosity. But he did not react at all.
Instead, he stared at the table, his fingers tracing absentmindedly around a small puddle of condensation that had collected on the table.
Sakura’s brows furrowed and a sudden realization hit her like a punch to the gut. Kakashi was not the only one who had been absent lately. Naruto, too, had been missing from their team dinners, skipping out on their usual get-togethers. She had assumed he was sneaking off to meet a secret girlfriend, something she had teased him about relentlessly but now…she was not so sure.
In the past month, she had been curious about the extra healing sessions he came to her for, the bruises and wounds worse than usual. Naruto had brushed her questions off, blaming it on some new top-secret technique he was trying to create. In hindsight, he had been oddly vague about the details.
Sakura recalled how he had looked every time he had explained away a new injury. His eyes had been downcast and he had kept his face turned away from her. At the time, she had thought that his strange avoidance of eye contact had been due to embarrassment that he had injured himself during training. But that same look was upon Naruto’s face again. And she saw clearly for the first time that it was not embarrassment, but rather guilt.
The pieces were falling into place with startling clarity.
When they were children, Naruto had been a habitual liar. No one had ever taught him the importance of honesty. Sakura had finally had enough of it. She had grabbed him one day and told him that if he ever wanted to be her friend, that he needed to promise to never lie to her face again. It was a promise that he had taken very seriously.
“Naruto?”
No response.
Sakura was not usually one for physical gestures, but the alcohol had dulled those boundaries. Without thinking, she reached out, tipping a finger under his jaw and gently lifting his chin.
“Look at me,” she demanded.
But he would not. His gaze remained fixed on the table.
Her chest tightened. “Tell me you didn’t.”
Silence stretched between all three of them. Sai's eyes flicked back between Naruto and Sakura, waiting for an explanation as well.
“You know I can’t,” Naruto said, his voice quieter than she had ever heard it.
Naruto's inability to say anything about the matter confirmed her suspicions about both his and their sensei's involvement in the organization. Maybe they were even on the same squad.
She swallowed thickly, suddenly wishing she had not been right. The identities of Anbu members were supposed to be a closely guarded secret. And yet, here she was, piecing it together over spilled drinks and drunken questions.
Her gaze swept over the bar, searching for any signs of eavesdroppers. Fortunately, no one seemed to be paying them any mind.
They all sat in silence. Sai was intelligent. She knew he had come to the same conclusion she had.
How the fuck did I miss this?
Sakura had been busy, drowning in work, but how had she let herself become so detached that she had not noticed her best friend slipping away? That he had joined the Anbu of all things?
The Anbu was the last place she wanted Naruto to be.
She had seen firsthand what it did to people. Tiger, for all the rare moments of kindness he showed her, had a body honed for violence, his heart walled off. She had felt his killing intent before, sharp and merciless. If she ever turned against Konoha, he would not hesitate. Anbu did not let personal feelings get in the way of the mission. That kind of ideology worked for people like Tiger. Like Kakashi. People who knew how to bury their emotions, who could switch them off like a light.
That was not Naruto. She thought of when he had hesitated when the child had appeared before him in that last battle. When he had wept for Sasuke. How he cared about those around him and how he made every bond feel unbreakable.
They would try to strip all that goodness away from him and turn him into a machine.
Naruto’s emotional wellbeing aside, Sakura was also terrified for his safety. Anbu missions were dangerous as all Hell. But amid that fear, there was one more crucial detail about the organization that she suddenly remembered.
One could not just simply join on a whim. New members had to be recommended by existing ones.
Her fist clenched at her side. She would bet every last Ryo she had just won that her sensei was the one who had put Naruto’s name forward.
Everyone on their team knew she was not Kakashi’s biggest fan, she never had been. As a child, she had looked to him for encouragement and guidance, but he had always favored Sasuke. And when Sasuke left, Naruto had gone off to train with Jiraiya, while Kakashi had all but abandoned her. Even after she had taken matters into her own hands, becoming strong under Tsunade’s tutelage, he had never once extended his approval.
They were teammates, nothing more. Whatever connection they might have had never stretched beyond the battlefield. So no, she did not care for the man. But for the sake of their missions, she remained civil.
But this? This was something she could not, would not tolerate.
How could he have let Naruto, sweet and innocent Naruto, become part of such a ruthless organization?
“I need to use the ladies’ room,” she announced to the table, her voice deceptively even.
Before her friends could react, she swung herself over the back of the booth and strode straight toward Kakashi, her purpose fueled by a mix of alcohol and fury. A dangerous combination.
She shoved her way through the crowd, her destination set.
Kakashi, still leaning against the wall, did not even bother to stir at her approach. The two women draped over him, however, were putting on a show, kissing each other between sly glances to see if he was watching. If they were hoping for a reaction, they would be sorely disappointed. Kakashi barely looked interested.
Sakura had no problem with women enjoying each other, but doing it purely to entertain a man, especially one like Kakashi, left a sour taste in her mouth. Men did not deserve that kind of performance, least of all him.
As she reached him, Kakashi finally tilted his head in mild curiosity.
“Tell your friends to leave,” she ordered, her anger radiating off her in waves.
A shinobi’s aura, when left unchecked, could be a powerful thing. Sakura’s might not have been as overwhelming as Naruto’s or Kakashi’s, but it was still formidable. And she did not bother to rein it in at all.
Kakashi did not say a word. He did not have to. The two civilians, untrained to withstand the force of a shinobi’s presence, bolted without so much as a glance back.
“Well, if you wanted my attention, Sakura, you could’ve just asked,” Kakashi said, finally acknowledging her presence.
His tone was mocking and it grated on her last nerve.
Sakura grabbed the front of his vest, pulling him towards her face, while simultaneously shoving him against the wall his back rested against. Her fingers curled into the rough fabric.
She brought her face mere inches from his mask. “Care to explain why exactly you and Naruto have been disappearing lately?”
It was vague enough to avoid suspicion, but she knew her sensei would be able to read between the lines.
Kakashi’s eyebrow raised, unimpressed. “I’m surprised it took you this long to notice,” he drawled. “Some friend you are.”
Sakura’s breath hitched. “You’re not even going to try to deny it?” she demanded, her heart hammering against her ribs.
Instead of answering, Kakashi tilted his head. “Care to explain why you were so late tonight?”
Then, he closed his eye and inhaled slowly, the fabric of his mask shifting as his nose scrunched in distaste.
Her body tensed, every muscle keyed into his movements.
When he finally turned his attention to her, a sharp, knowing glint flickered in his expression.
Her heart began to pound in her chest; a wild bird trying to escape its cage.
There was no way he knew.
Unless?
Shit.
Sakura realized that she had forgotten to shower after her liaison with Tiger. Almost as if in response to the surge of anxiety, she could feel wetness pooling in her underwear.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Sakura said, lying straight through her teeth.
Kakashi laughed, leaning in even closer. Despite her grip on his shirt, he showed no sign of being intimidated.
“I think you forget what clan I’m from and what we can do,” he murmured, his tone sickenly smug.
Sakura felt heat flood her face, the flush creeping down her neck and across her chest. She could not remember ever feeling more humiliated in her life.
“You’re lying. Naruto didn’t say anything.”
Kakashi scoffed. “Naruto loses all of his senses when he drinks,” he said, his voice dripping in disgust. “I could smell what’s between your legs from across the bar.”
Sakura’s grip on him loosened, and in one fluid motion, her kunai was out, the blade pressed to the delicate skin of Kakashi’s neck. Her years of training made the movement seem almost effortless.
She leaned in, her voice sharp. “Is this some kind of payback for what I said on the mission?” Her eyes flashed. “It’s not exactly a secret by now that Sasuke doesn’t give a shit about you.”
He pressed into the blade, shocking Sakura when a line of blood appeared. A drop of crimson dripped down his pale neck.
“Hardly.” Kakashi’s voice was calm, almost too calm, as he let out a small chuckle. The eyelid covering his Sharingan twitched slightly. "Just thought you’d want to know that you smell pungent."
“Fuck you,” she spat.
“Temper, temper,” Kakashi chided, clucking his tongue.
Her stomach churned, anger boiling in her veins. Her jaw ached from how tightly she clenched her teeth. The alcohol in her system was not helping, if anything, it made the storm of emotions inside her worse. But she forced herself to push past the rush of rage, her eyes narrowing as she refocused on the task at hand.
"Enough games," she ground out. “You’re going to explain yourself. Now.”
Kakashi simply stared, as immovable as ever.
“Naruto doesn’t belong there,” she pressed. “And you know it.”
Her eyes flicked to his throat, watching as the faint pulse beneath his skin shifted the edge of the blade ever so slightly. The blood from the earlier cut had already clotted.
“I don’t know what you mean,” he said, his voice impassive.
“Don’t play me for a fool, Kakashi. You know exactly what I’m talking about.”
Silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken truths.
Then, she let her head drop, staring at the small space between them. She struggled to find the right words, unwilling to let Kakashi see just how deeply this unsettled her. But even so, when she spoke again, the raw edge of worry broke through.
“It’ll change him; turn him into something he’s not,” she whispered.
In a swift, calculated motion, Kakashi seized the opening her distraction had given him. His cold fingers closed tightly around her wrist as he pried the kunai from her grip. Before she could react, he closed in, the rough fabric of his mask grazing her cheek, an unexpected whisper of contact that sent a shiver down her spine.
His voice was barely louder than a breath. “What if I told you I spent weeks trying to talk him out of it?”
Sakura’s eyes widened. She had not even considered that it had been Naruto’s idea.
Kakashi continued, “You’re not the only one who’s seen the writing on the wall. The Anbu kill order was only a matter of time.”
She glanced over her shoulder, back toward the bar, to where she had come from. Sai was gone, leaving Naruto alone at the table. His usual cheerful grin had vanished, replaced by something hollow. He looked… broken. The embodiment of devastation.
"He wants to be the one to do it," she breathed, the realization settling like a weight in her chest.
Kakashi said nothing. He did not need to. His silence was confirmation enough.
Everyone knew the bond Sasuke and Naruto shared was unlike any other. She had been heartbroken when Sasuke left, but for Naruto, it had been something deeper, something that had changed him forever.
Sasuke had been Naruto's everything.
His rival. His friend. His brother.
His lover, some speculated.
Sakura knew that last part to be untrue. But even she had to admit that she had never truly known what lay in the depths of Naruto’s heart. After Sasuke left, they had never spoken about him. The pain had been too great.
She turned back to Kakashi, tilting her face toward his, their faces still impossibly close.
“I want in.”
She would be damned before she let Naruto go through this alone. Kakashi’s gaze flickered over her, appraising, as if he could uncover some hidden answer in the depths of her jade eyes. He shook his head silently.
“Why not?” She demanded. “I’m strong. I would be an asset.”
He sighed, the sound filled with the weight of a lifetime of burdens. "You can’t handle it."
“Don’t tell me what I can handle.” Her voice strengthened, filled with resolution. "I’m not letting Naruto do this alone."
Kakashi’s fingers were still firmly wrapped around her wrist. Slowly he let go and she straightened, finally standing over him for once, her gaze boring into his.
The man did not move from his seat, his expression unreadable. Silence stretched between them as if he were carefully weighing his next words.
"Need I remind you what happened the last time you watched a comrade die?"
The words cut deep, sharp as the kunai she had just held to his throat. Unwanted memories crashed over her and she staggered back a step.
How dare he?
"That was different." Her voice wavered, but she forced herself to stand her ground.
"No, it wasn’t," Kakashi countered, his tone unwavering. "Watching a friend die isn’t something you should willingly walk into. Naruto is doing this because he’s the only one who can take on Sasuke."
Sakura’s heart clenched. She looked down at her hands remembering the blood that had once soaked them.
Ino’s blood.
Her chest constricted, each breath shallow and strained as if her lungs had forgotten how to work. The bar lights blurred and twisted in her vision, suddenly far too bright for comfort. A low ringing filled her ears, drowning out the hum of conversation around her.
One comment. That was all it took. One sentence from Kakashi, and a year of carefully maintained control shattered in an instant.
She forced herself to stay still, to keep her face neutral, but the pounding in her skull made it impossible to think. Her fingers curled into fists at her sides, nails biting into her palms.
Control it. Suppress it. But her body would not listen.
Then she felt a pressure on her shoulder. Kakashi's grip was harsh, the pain steadying her.
“Breathe.”
The single word sliced through the chaos and gave her something to focus on. She latched onto the word, forcing her lungs to obey. A few deep inhales were all it took for the spinning and ringing to fade. Her pulse, still too fast, no longer drowned her.
She exhaled shakily, lifting her eyes to meet Kakashi. The storm inside her was by no means gone, but it was contained.
For now.
She looked up at him, words failing her. The whirlwind of emotions from their conversation had left her completely unguarded, raw.
"Stay out of it, Sakura,” his tone thick with unspoken warnings.
But she could not. She did not know exactly how she would feel watching her two childhood friends clash in a battle to the death, but she knew one thing for certain. If there was any way she could stand beside Naruto, to support him, she would. Their bond was too deep, too unbreakable for her to do anything else.
She swallowed, straightened her shoulders, and met Kakashi’s gaze with quiet determination.
"If you won’t help me join, then I’ll find another way."
Because protecting her friends was her nindo. And she would always find a way.