Chapter 1: Catalyst

A soft breeze curved against the soft puff of smoke radiating from the lit cigarette that was dangling off the lips of a male shinobi that appeared to be dozing off amid the setting sun. The rustling of leaves did little to stir the male as the scent of nicotine danced in the air before weaving itself into the green flak jacket that was usually indicative of one's status as a jōnin. Unbeknownst to the slumbering male, a lithe figure stealthily made their way over to the lazy shinobi, quietly reaching for the cigarette that seemed to be clinging onto dear life. Feminine fingers barely brushed the cancerous stick before it was quickly halted with a strong grip, the sensation of the calloused hands not surprising the female the slightest as a wry smile curved her lips. Green eyes glanced down to see the shinobi hadn't even bothered to open his eyes, resulting in a mild bit of irritation swelling within her. Sighing softly to herself, she asked, "Are you going to keep pretending to be asleep, Shikamaru? I'm not going anywhere."

Her threat seemed to work as the notoriously lazy shinobi woke with a groan, muttering his favorite word, troublesome, as his coffee-colored eyes meet the amused gaze of the kunoichi that had interrupted his nap. His steady gaze took in her pale pink locks that were twisted in a messy bun, with wisps of hair framing her heart-shaped face. Although her eyes conveyed her amusement with the situation, he immediately noted the dark shadows that stood out on her pale skin and the slight tremor of her fingers that were still in his clutch. Irritation filled him as he quickly concluded she had once again been neglecting herself, most likely working overtime at the hospital. Mentally shaking his head, he roughly tugged at her hand, momentarily throwing her off balance as she collapsed on the ground beside him.

"Nara…" The use of his last name hinted at her budding anger but he merely ignored it, favoring his cigarette instead as he took a long drag before slowly exhaling, savoring the taste and smell of the burning nicotine that drew forth memories of his sensei who had been killed 5 years prior. Even after all these years, the pain was still there, albeit duller than before. His logical mindset constantly reminded him that Asuma's death was not unexpected for he was a shinobi. It wasn't unusual for a shinobi to die in battle, it was more so uncommon for them to pass from old age. After all, every shinobi, especially those who were part of the notorious ANBU black ops that served to take on the most difficult and gruesome missions, were constantly dancing at death's door. Yet, the aching pain he had felt the moment he had witnessed his sensei's death affected him in a manner he knew he would never be able to recover from. His last train of thought caused a somber mood to settle around him, as he silently continued to brood, momentarily forgetting about the kunoichi that was laying beside him.

Sakura was ready to beat the damnable male for unceremoniously pulling her to the ground, however, she could sense the melancholic mood that seemed to surround him, leading her to believe he was most likely thinking about Asuma-san. After three years of working together, Sakura could honestly say she was able to read Shikamaru like a book. The two had been partnered together countless times on ANBU missions, her brute strength and healing abilities melded well with his stealth and tactician mindset. Coupled with their ability to maintain a stimulating conversation while playing a game shogi, it was no surprise at how easy it was for them to fall into a friendship that seemed to strengthen with each passing day. For as well as Sakura was able to read Shikamaru, he was able to do the same with her. It didn't take much for the pink-haired kunoichi to develop feelings for the male. She knew he never saw her as a weak shinobi, nor did he hold her past decisions and naiveté against her. Instead, he respected her and treated her like a comrade that he could count on. The polar opposite of Sasuke who had left to pursue his quest to avenge his clan.

A rueful smile danced on her lips as she recalled the name of the boy she was once in love with. Even now, just the mention of his name caused a small fluttering of her heart but she knew it was no longer due to any past feelings she had for him. The moment he had attempted to take her life was the trigger that finally awoken her to the harsh reality that she had been unwilling to accept prior. Sasuke was never going to return to Konoha until he had obtained his vengeance against the very village that drove him to his current state. If only Itachi hadn't become ANBU….if only the Uchiha clan was never attempting an uprising…if only Madara had died…..all these unknown questions that had been conjured in Sakura's mind the moment she had read Itachi's file plagued her for countless nights. It wasn't until one rainy afternoon where all of her what-if scenarios were dispelled, interestingly by a shogi piece to the forehead.

Ruefully Sakura rubbed the small area on her forehead that Shikamaru had so accurately targeted. Apparently, she had allowed her mind to wander off to the point where Shikamaru was annoyed and decided to utilize the only weapon available which was the shogi piece that he had set down about ten minutes prior. As he had phrased it, waiting for her to make a move was more troublesome than ignoring her current preoccupation…which in Shikamaru speak, was his attempt at asking her what was wrong. Without even hesitating she revealed her thoughts and his response was an indifferent stare that if she didn't know any better would indicate he had no interest in her thoughts, but the contemplative gleam that she recognized in his brown eyes hinted at the intellect that was concealed behind the veil of laziness that was characteristic of the Nara males.

"There is no point in contemplating the what if's. Ultimately the decision is in your hands, live by the pretense of this could've happened and you will die with regrets. As a Konoha shinobi, we don't have enough time to ponder over every decision we make for it could be a matter of life or death."

"And yet your position and clan are notorious for being tacticians. How many what-if scenarios do you have to contemplate before you can make your own decision?"

A frown began to appear as Shikamaru mulled over her words. She was the only female that could make him reconsider his prior stances, save for his mother but she mainly nagged and he had mastered the art of blocking her out. Muffling a sigh, Shikamaru prepared himself to answer the question she poised, already predicting the possible debate that was going to result from this topic. Slowly he replied, "The difference is we are only calculating the probability of the different scenarios that could occur and attempting to ensure at least a 50 percent chance of success in a mission. We aren't continually living in the past and revisiting what if we had used this tactic or this formation."

Pleased by his response, Shikamaru raised his gaze to see Sakura's reaction, expecting a frown or an indication of her readiness to argue her point, but instead, all he received was a small smile and a bright twinkle in her bright green eyes.

"You are right as always, Shikamaru. I agree that the continuous contemplating of what-if scenarios may not be beneficial or even healthy in our line of work, and it is cankerous to one's ability to live if they are stuck in the merciless cycle of this could've happened. However, the ability to even contemplate what if, is what marks us as humans instead of emotionless fighters whose hands are stained with blood. After all, you can't contemplate your past actions without some sort of emotion fueling it, and that is important to remember." The sound of a tile clacking on the board seemed to drive her point home as the smile she adorned earlier widened in response as she finally met Shikamaru's gaze.

"I win."

Glancing down at the shogi board, a resigned sigh escaped his lips as Shikamaru realized that she had indeed bested him at his own game and his thoughts. A wry smile graced his lips as he glanced at her one last time before clearing off the board to start a new game.

"It seems I'm not the only one who is always right."

"Thank you, Maru." The soft tone and nickname had said male turning to glance at her as an eyebrow rose in response to her gratitude. Green eyes met his brown-eyed gaze as she just smiled before focusing on the vast expanse of blue as white clouds danced along the bright backdrop. Seeing how he wouldn't be receiving any explanation, Shikamaru slowly allowed himself to be lulled back into a light nap as a comfortable silence settled among the two.

Hours passed before Shikamaru awoke once again, the once blue sky was stained a reddish-orange hue as he groggily rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Already turning to wake up the slumbering female beside him, he was surprised to see he was alone in the clearing. Brown eyes vainly searched the field for any sign of the pink-haired female before he rose from his spot. The sound of rustling fabric caught his attention as he glanced at the warm blanket that was draped across him. Reaching for the cozy cloth, he wasn't surprised by the slight whiff of jasmine and lemongrass, indicating who the blanket's owner was, as he automatically shook out the tiny blades of grass that clung desperately to the fabric.

The motion caused a small piece of paper to float towards the ground, catching the man's eye as he reached for the scrap. The neat handwriting belonging to Sakura filled his vision as he scanned the note she left him, a small smile forming as he read the little lecture she gave him about sleeping outside and catching a cold. Slowly the smile was replaced with a curse as he read the last line; Remember, Temari is visiting.

"Troublesome." Lazily he ran his hand through his thick ponytail as he began his trek towards the restaurant as he mentally prepared himself for the upcoming conversation with his girlfriend of two years. He couldn't deny the attraction he had for Temari as she was the embodiment of strength and beauty, but as the years passed the distance between the two had grown as his original feelings dwindled with each added responsibility. His promotion to ANBU black ops and position as Konoha's top tactician hindered his ability to even meet with Temari or visit her. Not to mention her responsibilities to Suna and Gaara, the reality of their situation made him realize their relationship was destined to fail…not to mention the original spark he had with Temari was no longer there. Each meeting now ended with them either arguing about whether or not he would be able to move to Suna or would she even be able to take time off to visit him. Not to mention the drunken fights where accusations were made, mainly stemming from his relationship with Sakura.

Just thinking about her made him pause as he took the time to consider his feelings toward the pink-haired beauty. She had grown up quite well, both physically and emotionally as he recalled the countless rumors he had heard praising her for her beauty and healing abilities. Of course, Shikamaru fully agreed with them for the amount of time he spent with her, even he would have trouble denying the appeal of the woman with her soft feminine curves that concealed her monstrous strength. However, it was the handling of her entire situation that had garnered his respect.

He remembered the frail girl that had awaited them when he and his team had returned empty-handed after their failed attempt to retrieve the Uchiha. Then the idiot Naruto dared to leave her alone not long after, citing the need to train to bring Sasuke back. Of course, his intentions were good but the timing was off. With the Uchiha's betrayal, Sakura sorely needed her teammate to stand by her, but instead, he had left, leaving her with Kakashi who immediately took on ANBU missions. This resulted in her being left behind and alone to decipher what she planned to do with her life now that she was abandoned by her team.

It was a harsh word to use, but it was the truth. Her teammates had abandoned her, but instead of allowing that to mark the end of her career as a ninja, she continued to work on her abilities, ultimately becoming Tsunade's apprentice and one of the strongest fighters and healers next to Tsunade in all of the ninja world. When she had attempted the ANBU exams, she had failed on her first try which prompted Tsunade in recruiting Neji and him to help train her. On her second attempt, she had passed, receiving the ANBU tattoo and a new team that was willing to standby her.

Not to mention, the two of them had begun to hang out more, working on different assignments and occasionally playing shogi together. They had formed a strong friendship that seemed to grow with each passing day. Even when Naruto had returned and Team 7 was reformed, she still made it her goal to seek him out, either to cloud watch or play shogi, in between the ANBU assignments they received. It was comfortable being around her, and he would admit, he found himself anticipating their encounters at times.

It was also because of this friendship that caused a lot of insecurities in his relationship with Temari.

"Where were you Shikamaru?" The sight of his blonde-haired girlfriend did little to faze him as he silently praised himself for casting aside his ANBU uniform before he had made his way home. The mission he and Sakura were sent out on was difficult and tiring but they had managed to complete it, which allowed him to return in time to meet his girlfriend for dinner, however, he was not expecting her presence at his home.

"I was out, on a mission." Unwilling to elaborate, he moved to embrace his girlfriend but froze as she violently pushed him back, the stench of alcohol heavily coating her breath. "With who?"

It was a loaded question, he knew but he couldn't lie to her. "Sakura." The sound of her name caused an angry expression to contort her features as she glared at her boyfriend.

"What was the mission?"

"Classified, you know that." His response caused her shoulders to droop as she turned away from him, the slight sound of sniffling filled the dark apartment as Shikamaru gently approached his girlfriend. Slowly he pulled her into a tight embrace as he brushed a soft kiss on the crown of her head.

Minutes passed before she eventually returned his embrace, burying her face in the crook of his neck as he patiently waited for her to explain her current behavior.

"Shika…I…I want to…" Silently he awaited her request, as teal blue eyes focused on him. The slight uncertainty seemed to clear away as she roughly pressed a kiss against his lips, the taste of alcohol clouding his mind as he automatically responded to his girlfriend's request.

"Just…stay with me. Please." Her shaky request contradicted her usual confidence as he nodded in response as he guided her towards his room, willing to give her whatever she needed at the moment to avoid another fight. The duo disappeared down the hall as the door slowly closed shut, cutting them off from the outside world as they allowed themselves to become lost in one another.

With each touch, the feeling of emptiness seemed to grow within them as they realized they had once again ignored the issue at hand, hiding behind the need for sex instead of facing their problems. They both knew if they attempted to talk, the distance that had been growing between them would become a reality that would be unavoidable and irresolvable.

Memories similar to that night replayed in his mind as he continued his trek towards the restaurant he was supposed to meet his girlfriend. The bustling nightlife in Konoha did little to faze him as he weaved his way through the crowds, mentally going over his upcoming conversation with Temari as he contemplated her possible reactions.

"Shikamaru?" The voice he had grown accustomed to hearing, broke him out of his thoughts as he glanced at the female he was searching for earlier.

"Sakura." A small smile danced on her lips as she took in the scruffy appearance of Shikamaru. It seemed he had barely woken up as she shook her head in exasperation.

"Glad to see you are awake sleepyhead." The teasing tone had him smirking at her in response as he took in her appearance. The sight of her green flak jacket had him arching a brow at her as he gestured at her attire. "Aren't you supposed to be resting?"

A sheepish grin that was reminiscent of Naruto appeared on her face as she glanced at her uniform. "Shishou needed someone for a mission and I was the only one available."

"What rank?"

"D-class." Her reply was swift, already causing some suspicion in him. As if she could see the doubt in his eyes she quickly reassured him. "It's just a simple escort mission, nothing to worry about Shikamaru. I need to head out. See you around."

Just as Sakura moved past him, she felt a hand grasp her wrist. Green eyes widened in shock as she glanced at her captor. Brown eyes searched her for any signs of deception. Minutes seemed to pass before he finally released her.

"Take care."

"Always." His gaze lingered on her for a little longer before he turned away, already late for his date. Sakura watched as his figure disappeared in the crowd, pleased that she had managed to deceive him. Letting out a sigh, she quickly performed the transportation seals before disappearing in a sea of cherry blossoms.

Within minutes she was outside Konoha, as she reappeared in the familiar meeting spot she frequented with her ANBU team. Already walking towards the little enclosure they had built to dispose of their gear, Sakura immediately pulled out her familiar porcelain mask and dark robe she was forced to wear to hide her coloring. Not even bothering to hide, she quickly undressed, slipping into the form-fitting bodysuit and armor that was characteristic of her ANBU uniform. Gathering her katana, she loosely tied it around her waist before putting on her feline mask. With one final check to ensure all of her supplies were with her, she pulled on her robe, tugging the hood tightly over her bright colored hair as she prepared to leave. Briefly, she glanced at her mission scroll, already wary of her upcoming task as she recalled her conversation with her shishou a few hours prior.

"Sakura please close the door. There is a matter I would like to discuss with you." Surprised by her shishou's serious tone, she immediately did as told, automatically placing a sealing jutsu to ensure no information would escape the room. Steeling herself, she turned to face her Hokage.

Tsunade sighed as she took in the appearance of her pupil. It had been nearly five years since Sakura had thrown herself at her doorsteps, asking her to take her on as an apprentice. At first, she had been wary but seeing Sakura and hearing her reasoning struck a chord with Tsunade. It was as if she was seeing a younger version of herself before her. However this time she would ensure her pupil wouldn't suffer the same fate she did. The fact that she was no longer chasing after that traitor of an Uchiha was a good starting point, however, her student's tendency to fall for the unattainable males was going to be her downfall.

Yes, she knew of Sakura's attraction towards Shikamaru. It was plain as day. All one had to do was watch how the two interacted. The slight blush that colored her pupil's cheek every time the two accidentally touched or the glimmer of respect shown in Nara's usually indifferent brown orbs each time Sakura spoke about his tactics was endearing but frustrating. If only Nara wasn't dating the blonde hair shinobi from Suna, it would probably be easier to ship those two together. But knowing her pupil, she would rather die than admit her feelings to the lazy shinobi. If the two didn't get together soon the bet she made with Shizune would ultimately end with her losing her sake privileges for a month and that was not going to happen.

"Shishou?" Amber eyes blinked as the busty female muttered a curse. She didn't realize how much her mind had wandered. Irritated with herself she frowned before forcing herself to focus on the task at hand. Reaching for one of the reports that littered her desk she tossed it before her student. Green eyes watched the folder before flipping through the contents. Her eyes widened in response before sharpening on her sensei.

"As you can see there have been reports of suspicious activities near the border of Konoha and Suna. I have received a report from Gaara stating a group of ANBU operatives from Suna has revolted against their Kazekage. The reasoning is unknown but from what Gaara was able to gather they are hell-bent on targeting Konoha shinobi, specifically ANBU operatives. It appears there have been a few factions rallying against the treaty between Konoha and Suna. Their reasoning is absolute bullshit but it may be connected to Sasuke."

Amber eyes narrowed as she saw her pupil stiffen at the name of her former teammate. Immediately her green eyes glowed with anger as she waited for her sensei to continue.

"I don't know what Sasuke's goal is as of late nor do I know why these rogue ninjas believe coming after Konoha is a good idea. But they have already left Suna's jurisdiction and their fate falls on our shoulders. Gaara has already accepted the death of these traitors and will not be interfering with. All he asks is that all of their bodies be returned to Suna so they would be given a proper burial." A small frown twisted Tsunade's lips as she watched her apprentice.

"When do I head out?" Briefly, a smile played on her lips as she noted the unwavering determination.

"This is an S-class, classified ANBU mission. I want to send you and Nara…"

"No." Amber eyes widened at her pupil's defiant tone. A brown brow rose as she gave her student a chance to justify herself.

"He is preoccupied with personal matters tonight. I'll go alone."

"Sakura, they are a group of highly skilled operatives. I don't want to send you alone."

"I will be fine. After all, I have a great shishou." The faith she had in her abilities was a far cry from five years ago. Even Tsunade could not deny her pupil had grown and to deny her this would be an insult. However just to ensure her safety, she would rather she had some backup.

"Shishou. I know what being ANBU entails. Everyone else on the roster has been on leave either because they have been injured and are recovering or are currently out on a mission. The only one available is me. I can do it."

Brown eyes softened at the hidden plea in her student's words. Minutes passed before Tsunade acquiesced. "Fine. You are to head out immediately. Don't let anyone know of your assignment and Sakura…you are required to return in one piece. I don't care if you are on your deathbed. You are to return. Am I clear?"

The strict tone was a thinly veiled attempt to conceal her concern. A wide smile danced on Sakura's lips as she bowed at her Hokage.

"Of course."