Chapter 4
" Sakura-...can you... slow down?!?!", Naruto panted out a complaint. Sasuke besides him seemed tired too. Kakashi beside her had been quiet for a while.
" If you can't keep up just go back. We still have a few kilometres to go. We soon will reach a hot climate with difficulties in finding any water resources. Eh, so now it's your time to go if you guys dont have any supplies to camp out.", Sakura spoke back the wind fluttering her pink hair up.
She felt Naruto enhance himself with chakra and quietly mumbling something. Urgh
" We here.", jumping down to a sandy terrain she was now at the border of the land of Sands and Fire.
" ALRIGHT!", Naruto yelled gasping for air.
" PSSST! Be quiet back there this salamander type has good hearing!", she whispered and yelled to him. The blond quickly shut up opting to get his breathing back. Sasuke looked like he was about to fall.
Really 50 km run out of breath? Amateurs! At least Kakashi is doing his rep justice. Well, he is one of Konoha's top 10 Shinobie in the bingo book. So....her eyes wandered across the dessert planes:" Hn we need to wait right now they seem to be feeding. Let's set up a small camp without fire. We wait until the sun sets down. That's when they are at their weakest. So 5 hours of free time. Relax and gather strength we need it."
Her team at least was willing to follow her instructions now because it didn't take them long to set up camp. Did Kakashi finally do something to this toxic team dynamic?
Sakura wished she could go back and slap herself as she stood in front of the Hokage to report the disaster:" I was able to somehow bring back some of the samples but Naruto and Sasuke will have chemical burns for a few weeks and Kakashi will have his chakra reduce to Chunin...I'm sorry Hokage I told them to leave and I gave them instructions-"
" It's not your fault Sakura. I know you tried. Luckily the Mission was a success because of your incredible work. Your be given the full award and the others will have no mention in their report as well their wages deduced....*haze* I'm sorry. Sakura can I send you to another A-Rank Mission!", Minato rubbed his temple in embarrassment. He had to have a stern talk with Kakashi later.
" Anything Sir!", Sakura gave him a reassuring smile. Now her heart is completely distrustful of her team.
A few weeks went by again and Minato with an apologetic look sent her on another team mission. Last week had been painful for her. She did still solo Missions but now she had been forced to participate again in her Team 7 Missions. Minato seemed to have spoken to Kakashi and she noticed that stupid dog guy trying to get closer to her but she had no energy left. Sakura was someone who held grudges like no one. She learned that trust is earned and her team had ruined it.
Nodding understandingly she felt Minato send the iciest dead stare at Kakashi:" This is Lady Shi. She requested a simple escort Mission to her village and the eradication of bandits on the way so clients and tourists could visit it again. Her village has amazing hot springs but due to the high kidnapping and disappearance of tourists...she has requested our help. I want the whole team to work perfectly together without hindering someone because of gender differences."
The males of Team 7 flinched and looked away ashamed.
Lady Shu was a small elderly lady but Sakuras Bloodline limit told her that the Lady wasn't as old as it seemed.....After Naruto loudly bragged to the client they denatured in the evening. Kakashi tried initiating a conversation but she ignored it and went closer to the Lady in her former native language Chinese mandarin:"Your village must be close traders to the Kingdom under the Cherry Moon, right? I notice a cute accent. Are you from the east of the Kingdom?"
Soon she was neck-deep into politics speaking a different language while keeping an eye on her surroundings. It felt like home a bit. Her teammates shot surprised looks. Sakura could speak a different language?
This might turn this C Rank Mission into a B or A...
When the night came Sakura had volunteered as the night guard. Making clones she quickly decapitated and rid her team of their pursuers and found out that the village had become a secret trafficking camp because of the current Emperor.
" Princess Sakura...right?", the elderly lady approached her. In awe someone had recognized her she stammered....how?
" It's been a few years your highness. I was one of the Petal guards. I recognized this pretty cherry-kissed hair and green eyes anywhere. ..", starring her up and down it dawned on Sakura:" Miss...Yuzan....you...you survived? I thought the entire Petal guard had been killed!"