Otokage

Allies: Part One

Kabuto stopped what he was doing and stared down blankly at the clipboard in his hands, dumbfounded at what he just heard. Sakura gave the boy a tired smile as she reached over the desk to ruffle his hair.

"I see a fine shinobi in you. Keep doing what you're doing, kid."

He pinkened, blubbered out out a 'thank you' and a sloppy bow, then excused himself from the office. Sakura fell back in her chair with a heavy sigh as she brought her hand back up to her forehead. This village had such promising shinobi that deserved better than what the village was offering. And after the display she just saw, she had to work harder than she was before.

She needed allies. Support.

Suddenly, she pulled out a small stack of blank papers and began to write furiously. Kabuto snapped out of his thoughts and shot her a surprised look.

"Sakura-sama?"

"I'm going to make a list. Within that list are the things I expect to be finished within a month, maybe a month and half depending on how long I'll be gone. Among those things will be implementing a new education course for the students of both the Shinobi Academy and the civilian schools, as well as a new training class for the teachers," she explained. The speed of her writing was almost too fast for his eyes and was quickly eating at the vacant papers. After finishing five whole sheets, she tapped them on her desk and handed it over to Kabuto.

She stood up and grabbed the black cloak draped across her chair and proceeded to fasten it around her shoulders. "Of course, I don't expect you to carry out all that by yourself. Give certain ones it to Sasame-san and Kotohime-san too, don't be shy."

"Wait a minute. A list of things you need to be done? For a month? Where do you plan on going?" he asked. Sakura opened her wallet to check the money inside. She nodded to herself. This amount should be able to cover her expenses for the entirety of her departure.

"To gather allies," she answered simply. "At this rate, Otogakure is getting better, but it isn't going fast enough. I've already got kind of a plan in mind."

She held up two scrolls, each a the same map but with different markings.

"I have the one where you marked neutral countries and villages. If they aren't directly involved with Konoha, I can get help from them. I know I can. And the other map has the places Konoha shinobi have been spotted the last three weeks. If I avoid those areas, I won't get caught. Easy."

Sakura flipped on her hood and made her way towards the door.

"I should go with you, Sakura-sama. I couldn't possibly let you go alone be—"

"You don't trust me, I know," she sighed. Something flashed in Kabuto's eyes. "You don't have to hide it. We've been in each other's company for three whole weeks, and I've seen the surprise on your face every time I've done something for the village. I also think that you're here because it was Orochimaru's last order, not on your own volition."

Kabuto was quiet for a while before he smirked. "Was it that obvious?"

"A little."

She slipped her wallet into her back pocket and slid on her gloves. She approached Kabuto and set a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I'm not going to force you to stay."

He stiffened.

"What kind of person am I to make someone stay where they don't want to be? You can leave if you wish. Take all the knowledge you want, I won't stop you," she said. She grinned at him and went to the door to take her leave. "You don't have to decide now, but when I come back and you're not here, I'll know your answer."

She shut the door behind her. When he was sure that she was gone, his smirk dropped and his eyes trailed to the empty seat in the office.

I'm not going to force you to stay.

He frowned.

::

He was in denial. But then again, who wasn't? No one knew how to react to the news and tried to think up all excuses they could. It had to be something. Anything but that.

She moved places!

She's not in the village.

She was kidnapped!

There was no intruder. Her apartment also showed no signs of a struggle.

She went on a long trip! Maybe... Maybe to find herbs!

Her entire apartment was clean. Her pictures and clothes were gone.

She went on a mission!

The Hokage didn't assign any to her.

She... she abandoned... us?

And she didn't even say goodbye.

Naruto waved it off with a grin the first time, saying that Sakura would never do something like that. He insisted that she had some sort of personal business to take care of and that she back sooner or later. But as the days ticked by, slowly and painfully, that grin on his face eventually fell into a grim line of realization. And if Naruto fell into that feeling, everyone knew that it had to be true. That she was gone. That she left without a word.

Ino was furious at the news. She went into a frenzy the second week of Sakura's disappearance and went on and on for hours about how much she hated her. She screamed about how much of a bother and how much of an annoyance that girl really was. But in the later hours of her shouts and snarls, she lost it. She collapsed right in the flower shop and cried herself a river of tears, all while muttering about that stupid, stupid forehead.

Sai wasn't sure how to take it. Still quite new to the concept of emotions, he consulted various books to try and explain what he was feeling. After studying for some time, he settled on either pained or disbelieving. He considered Sakura to be one of his few "friends" and was very well taken aback at the course of action she decided to push through with. He didn't know her as well or for as long as Naruto or Ino had, so he hadn't fallen into a sort of hopeless depression. It merely felt like a sting that wouldn't go away.

Kakashi... Kakashi fell silent the minute he heard. His genius mind ran through the various scenarios that could possibly explain Sakura's sudden disappearance, but he was too much of an experienced shinobi to be optimistic about these types of things. Somehow, his feet didn't carry him to the same destination it always had. He wasn't at the memorial stone, but at the front of Sakura's apartment. He stood there for a long time, cognizance seeping into his veins. She was gone and he let a student down for the second time.

But no matter how much they hurt or how many tears they shed, they weren't going to give up. They were going to find her and convince her to come home, despite what the council had said about her.

::

EDITED 2.16.18