Quote of the chapter: "Have you ever loved someone?"
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cнαpтer 20
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"Another mission?" Naruto asked tiredly, "but we just got here!" He whined, still not knowing the details.
Tsunade raised a her warning finger as she continued. "This mission will be consist of you, Sakura, Sasuke and a special guest-"
A knock on the door disturbed Tsunade's message.
"Ah, there she is, come in."
Just when the door opened, Naruto was in the midst of shock and joy.
"As I was saying, your new mission will only be the three of you from team seven with the accompaniment of Hyuuga Hinata since she is completely aware of the location that you will be going."
"Hinata!" Naruto exclaimed as his eyes sparkled in glee, wrapping his arms around his girlfriend.
"It's nice to see you too, Naruto-kun." She smiled brightly, letting go of his grip and Tsunade advanced to the mission.
The Godaime coughed to get all of their complete attention. "Due to the fights that you jave been encountering, we will let you travel to the safest route. This mission is ranked as B. You will be receiving a very valuable item from the Land of Rivers and return here safely with it or else..." her scary aura surrounded the atmosphere. "...you'll be punished."
The four tensed as the loudmouth started. "What's the item to make it so special anyway?"
"Is it an important scroll?" Sakura added.
"You'll find out when you get back here, now go. You have three hours to prepare before you leave to the Land of Rivers, understood?"
"Hai!"
"Good, now scram."
When Sakura exited the Hokage premises, she caught Ino walking at the street as the latter ran to her.
"Sakura! Finally, I've been waiting for you to be free!" She grinned to which Sakura sighed in reply.
"I was too, but I got another mission."
"Wow, you're a workaholic. I haven't been sent by a mission in days!" She pouted and Sai appeared by the sidewalk.
"Ino-san, Tsunade-sama needs us, asap." He stated then waited for the Platinum blonde.
"About time!" Ino commented before looking to Sakura.
"Go with him, I'll see you in a few days pig." Sakura smiled teasingly at her and sent a wink.
"Shut it Sakura, he's near." Ino whispered then took a step forward. "See yah, forehead." She waved then went inside the building with Sai.
Once Ino and Sai stepped in the Hokage's door, Tsunade had a serious gaze.
"I have a very confidential job for you two."
Ino gulped just when Tsunade continued.
"I want you to investigate the past few ambushes that the previous team seven had encountered from their missions."
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The next morning, the happy couple, along with Sasuke and Sakura, walked to their destination. They were not in a hurry so they did not have to sprint.
Throughout their journey, most of the conversations were from Naruto and Hinata. Sakura would join at times along with Sasuke but they never talked about the arranged marriages. Hinata did not even brought the subject up because she knew it would be taboo.
At times like this, no one ever doubted Hinata for making decisions and trust. But now once they reached the place, it was the first time that they doubted her-even her boyfriend Naruto who had always believed in her.
"Uhh Hinata-chan, are we in the right place?" Naruto asked kindly as he rotated scan his surroundings.
"Are we lost?" Sakura questioned as well.
The aged place looks like an abandoned home on the outskirts of a small village. Stained walls and broken wood was the appearance that made the three dubious.
"This is the right place. Just wait and see." Hinata assured as she moved to the door and pressed a hidden button on the side.
Just once she did, the door creaked open and Hinata motioned her teammates to come in with her.
The three shot each other a worried look though trust made them follow Hinata's trail. When they walked in, Hinata knocked to the basement door.
At the same time, Naruto stepped on a wrecked floor and two darts instantly flew to hit Sasuke and Naruto. Sakura saw this from her peripheral vision and jumped to block them.
The two darts both pierced Sakura's left arm and she suddenly could not feel her arm.
Sasuke caught Sakura just when she fell. "Sakura."
"Sakura-chan!" Naruto exclaimed as well and he removed the darts from Sakura's skin.
Sakuera screamed in pain, there was a liquid inside the dart that consists of giving torture.
"We're here for Senju Tsunade." Hinata immediately spoke, worried for Sakura, then a red lazer marked them from head to toe.
"Oh, Konoha ninja!" A man's voice echoed to what it seems like from a speaker just as the basement door uncovered. "Come on in!"
A sigh of relief escaped from Hinata's lips as they jogged down the stairs while Sasuke carried Sakura-despite her refusing words.
Sakura just kept the suffering inside as she breathe heavily to lessen the pain.
When they had finally reached the end, they all gaped from what they saw, excluding Sakura. Different aisles and machines were displayed with men working as it revealed a factory of scrolls.
"Welcome!" An elderly man appeared as he tossed an injection to Sakura.
"Inject that and the pain will fade." The man said as he pushed his glasses to refrain from falling. "Let's go to my office."
They followed him to a simple room with a desk and two chairs.
The man sat on his own comfy seat while the boys let the girls sit down on the guests' chairs.
"Are you Saitu?" Naruto asked as the elder nodded.
"Yes I am, I've been expecting you to come for Tsunade's place. My, being a hokage is difficult isn't it?"
"Hell yeah, dattebayo!"
"Although, I am truly sorry for causing you trouble." He looked at Sakura, dissapointed. "As you can see, I'm hiding this place from people. Tsunade had told me that you would be here by next week which is why I trapped the top floor first."
"It's okay, I can manage. I'm a medic after all." Sakura replied, feeling the blood inside her arm flowing back and the torture was long gone.
"Just for you to be aware, if you would get sick sooner or later, just drink water and it'll wore off the next day." Saitu mentioned as he gave them a specially designed box. "This is for Tsunade, take good care of it and please give her my greetings."
Hinata accepted the box. "Thank you, we will protect this with our lives. We will be taking our leave now." She said as they all bowed before heading up.
"See you soon!" Saitu yelled when they hopped up to the stairs.
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"Let's stay here for the night!"
"What?" Sasuke gave Naruto a look, saying that his idea was stupid.
"Why?" Hinata questioned.
"Because Sakura-chan is gonna be ill, look she's losing energy as we speak." Naruto explained and Sakura's skin was paler than usual.
"I agree with Naruto. I feel like crap." Sakura purred with her half lidded eyes.
"Alright." Sasuke carried Sakura just as she lost her balance and they went inside an inn.
"Hi, can we have two rooms please?" Hinata nicely approached the receptionist.
"I'm sorry, we're booked. But the only available toom is the one with five beds." The man replied as he checked the keys and scanned through the vacant rooms.
"We'll take it." Hinata remarked as she signed for checking in and took the keys before calling her companions then led the way to their room.
When Hinata unlocked the door and revealed the room, they felt relieved. The room was simple yet elegant. There were five single beds and two bathrooms both at the end of the room. It was as fancy as a hotel with the soft covers and puffy snow pillows.
"We'll be buying the food." Naruto suggested, pertaining ti him and Hinata, after exploring the room.
"We'll be back as soon as possible. Please take good care of Sakura-chan, Sasuke-kun." She bowed politely to which Sasuke nodded in affirmation.
"See you later, don't do anything perverted while we'rre gone, dattebayo!"
Sakura's smile faded as her eye twitched once she heard Naruto's statement. She is so going to kill him when she gets better.
She stayed at her bed, the one located at the center. Sasuke sat to his bed right next to her as he took a towel in his pack and soaked it in water from the bathroom before placing it to Sakura's forehead.
"Thanks." She grinned, lacking energy. Then she thought of a question that she coukd ask and Sasuke would not kill her for it since she is already sick. "Ne, have you ever loved someone?"
Sasuke scoffed. "What kind of question is that, Sakura?" It was more of a statement than a question though.
"A simple question, so do you?"
"No."
However Sakura was not buying it. "So you're telling me that for nineteen years, you didn't have a girl in mind? At least in denial or something? Unless it's a boy..."
Sasuke gave his deathly glare, causing Sakura's laughter.
"So?"
He did not say anything, but he gave a slight nod.
"Can I at least have clues? I won't intrude your privacy by knowing who it is exactly." Sakura pushed, it was fun for her to tease Sasuke like this.
He stared in blankly, as if thinking of someone. "She's important to me..."
That just made sakura lessen her hope. She did not ask more about it since Sasuke seemed to be clouded. But at least she knew at least once, he was not a cold steel robot-because for once, he loved someone.
END OF CHAPTER 20
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//PUBLISHED.5.21.15//
Thanks for reading, voting, commenting!
Plot twists and drama up ahead huehue, esp for chap 23 onwards ;) *spoiler alert*
Will be updating faster, as of I now I'm starting to write chap 23 and I've finished the ending *only the ending and bonus chap lol* :)
~TheSketcher