"Hi, Dad," Sakura says cheerfully into her phone. "How are you?"

In the background behind her, Naruto shouts something unintelligible, and Sasuke, who is closer, yells an indignant "Dead last!" back. She rolls her eyes as her father chuckles.

"I'm fine, Sakura. And yourself? How's Konoha treating you?"

She grins and glances around the room—their shared living space Konoha has provided them with. Naruto and Sasuke are wrestling aggressively on the floor, and Sai is leaned against her side, pretending to be asleep. She takes care not to jostle him too much anyway, because even now, six months after their team has been completed, he doesn't get much rest. It's a habit he'd been forced to develop while under Danzo, and he's slowly breaking the habit although he's not quite perfect yet.

"Konoha is good," she tells her father truthfully. "The man in charge—ah, his name is Sarutobi—he's very kind to us. Naruto adores him."

"I hope he isn't giving you difficult missions," her father worries, and Sakura rolls her eyes.

"Don't worry, Dad, they're not too hard yet. We're not high-ranking enough to go on anything too intense. Besides, Kakashi is always with us, and sometimes the rest of his team as well."

"I know, I know," Sakura's father sighs. "I still worry, you know."

She smiles. "We're pretty strong ourselves," she reminds him. "And we're getting better every day."

"Glad to hear it," he replies. "Don't worry, I know you're strong. You, erm, broke the table last time you came to visit, remember?"

Sakura squeaks in mortification. "Dad!" she protests. He laughs. "I thought we agreed not to talk about it! And we fixed it! It was Naruto's fault anyway!"

"Alright, alright," he reassures her. "The new one came in a couple days ago. It's pretty nice. Your mother is fond of it already."

Sakura bites her lip.

"Is… is she doing okay?" she asks quietly, and her mood dampens quickly. Her teammates feel it, and Naruto and Sasuke quiet. Next to her, Sai lifts his head slowly and puts a hand on her shoulder.

Hang in there, ugly, he sends her mentally, and she smacks him lightly. Despite the insult, the familiar banter makes her feel better.

Her father sighs. "She's… okay. She's been very quiet, but I believe she'll return to her usual self in time."

Sakura swallows, and the pang of sorrow she feels has Naruto and Sasuke approaching her carefully, shoving her to the side so they can crowd onto the couch with her. There's a brief moment where they jostle for the better spot—Sasuke wins, and settles on her opposite side with a triumphant smirk. Naruto scowls at him, but settles for taking the edge position with a roll of his eyes.

"Is she… is she angry?" she says tensely.

"No," her father replies immediately, and with such surprising force that Sakura flinches. "She's not angry. She's just concerned. She… overreacted when she realized what you could do. The stress, combined with the strain on her mind, was too much for her to handle. I'm sorry, Sakura."

"You don't have to apologize," Sakura tells him automatically. "I'm not angry either, you know. I… I wouldn't react well if any of my teammates died. I can understand, just a little."

They stiffen at her sides. Sai sits up completely, and Naruto makes a low growling noise in the back of his throat.

They don't like to think about that.

"She'd… be happy to hear that in person," her father suggests slowly, but Sakura shakes her head.

"Not yet," she tells him. "I don't think I'm ready to talk to her yet. Tell her… tell her that I still love her, no matter what, but I need a little time first." It's so, so hard to have to say those words, but Sakura isn't ready to face her mother yet. Given time, she knows that will change, but for now, she needs to stay with the people she knows are safe. Her father understands.

Naruto grabs her shoulders in a comforting gesture, and Sasuke leans into her side. They know how hard this is for her—how painful the sacrifice is, but she wouldn't give up what she has now for the world.

There's a brief spark of sensation from Kakashi suddenly, and Sakura perks up a little.

"Sorry, Dad," she says. "I need to go. Duty calls, you know how it is." Her father chuckles.

"Be careful," he reminds her dutifully. "Have fun, if it's that kind of mission. If it isn't… look after your teammates. Good luck!"

"Love you, Dad!" she calls. "Bye!"

She hangs up just as Kakashi pokes his head into their room. Their Guardian blinks at their positions on the couch.

"Everything alright, you four?" he asks. Sakura smiles.

"We're alright!" she answers, both to him and to her silently questioning teammates. They relax at her words, and Kakashi eye-smiles.

"Good. You all up for a mission?"

Naruto cheers. "Finally, something interesting!" he shouts, and bolts from the couch. Sasuke is nearly thrown to the floor from the movement, and glares at the blond in annoyance.

"As long as it isn't another babysitting job," he mutters, and Sakura grins at him.

"What, you didn't like that one? It was fun! She was so cute!"

"She was a four-year-old ball of slobber and sparkles," he grunts. Sakura stifles a giggle at his sullen look.

"I must agree with Sakura, that was quite the entertaining mission," Sai chimes in, rising from his position gracefully. "Are you just jealous because Naruto got to be the princess and you didn't, Sasuke?"

This time Sakura does laugh, and Naruto turns to grin at them.

"She said I was the prettiest princess to ever grace the earth! Sasuke could never hope to match me!" he crows boldly, and does a little sashay to prove it.

"That's not true, I'd be better—!" Sasuke starts to protest, driven by his pure instinct to compete with Naruto, and then he realizes what he's saying. His face flushes as Sakura and Sai snort at him.

"Shut up, all of you," he growls, but it's half-hearted. By the door, Kakashi waves at them.

"There is a mission for you, if you're finished," he reminds them fondly. They assemble in front of him quickly after that.

Kakashi surveys them briefly. "Right," he says. "Our mission today should be entertaining, at least, and not too difficult. There's a group of mercenaries who've been harassing a little village a couple countries over. Our info claims they aren't too impressive skill-wise, but no less annoying to the people. It'll be good practice for you all."

"Sweet!" Naruto cheers again. "Let's go!"

Kakashi grabs Naruto by the back of his shirt before the blond can speed off. "Hold on, we don't have Obito with us this time around, which means we'll have to take the long way there."

They groan collectively. That means more packing, more waiting, and driving shifts.

"Come on, go pack. The whole mission should take us six days maximum, but be prepared for eight. You know the drill by now."

The boys begin to make their way towards their individual rooms. Sakura turns toward her own, but before she enters Kakashi speaks again in a low voice.

"Sasuke," he says slowly. Sasuke pauses in his doorway, and looks back at their Guardian. He raises a single eyebrow.

Kakashi stares back at him. "We might meet up with your brother on the way there. Would that be alright?" The flash of unease, excitement, and nervousness that jolts through their link from Sasuke is out of character, but not uncommon whenever Itachi is mentioned.

"That's fine," Sasuke answers evenly. He does a fairly good job at hiding his emotions outwardly, but none of them are fooled. Sasuke turns on his heel and disappears a moment later. Sakura takes a deep breath and does the same.

At the very least, the mission will be a good opportunity for her to test some of the new moves Rin has taught her, and she clenches her fists in excitement.

Uchiha Itachi is a spy.

The best spy, actually. To Sakura, that explains plenty—but it doesn't justify it, not by a long shot. He'd been recruited by Konoha at a young age—thirteen, and once he'd gotten old enough to commit to his missions full time he had immediately been thrust into deep cover under the farce of going to college.

He isn't Connected to anyone, which only makes it easier for him to survive in enemy territory. There are no volatile emotions racing through a mental link to threaten his carefully crafted character. He'd been absolutely furious, once he'd found out what had happened to Sasuke. Sakura doesn't remember too much from the first day she'd met Itachi, because Sasuke had frozen in shock and stared in disbelief as his older brother proceeded to shout at the director of Konoha until the man finally caved to Itachi's demands.

Now, provided Itachi can get free of his assignment long enough without causing suspicion, Sasuke is allowed to meet with him once every month. It isn't an ideal situation, but Itachi is too deep into his current mission and can't afford to leave everything he's worked so hard to build.

This will be the fourth time they've gotten to see him, and Sasuke is near vibrating with excitement and agitation. His flickering emotions are starting to get on Kakashi's nerves—from the driver's seat of the Konoha-issued van their Guardian occasionally glares back at them, but he doesn't say anything. Sasuke is still just a tad delicate when it comes to his brother.

Sai is tactless, as usual. "Quit fidgeting with the link," he sighs. "You're going to drive us all mad." Kakashi makes a not-so-subtle noise of agreement. Sasuke glares at them, thoughts sharpening for a moment, but then Naruto jumps in to play peacekeeper.

"Oi, what he means is that there's no reason to freak out, idiot," he says quickly. "Your brother will be happy to see you, you don't need to worry."

"I know that!" Sasuke snaps, but he relaxes when Naruto leans closer to him—both physically and mentally—for comfort.

Kakashi drives them into the parking lot of a large and very nice looking hotel on the outskirts of the city. Sakura stares at it in confusion for a moment as Kakashi gets out.

"Well, are you coming?" he asks, and the four of them jump, scrambling to follow them outside and through the doors of the hotel lobby.

"This is… kind of weird," Sakura mutters and Sai nods next to her, eyeing the receptionist at the desk warily.

"If the hotel staff turn out to be assassins I reserve the right to say I told you so," he mutters back to her, hand straying towards his hip where his knife belt rests—the tanto was too obvious to bring this time, so he'd reluctantly left his trusted weapon behind while they pretend to be normal civilians.

She tilts her head and listens intently to try and hear what Kakashi's saying as he leans casually over the desk. She can't quite make out the words, and sighs in annoyance, but then Naruto leans towards her.

"...seen you for a while, Kurenai," he quotes softly, eyes narrowed in concentration. "Is he here yet?" he pauses, and then continues in a slightly higher voice obviously meant to imitate the woman, "He's here, and you're late. I don't know why I'm surprised."

Kakashi laughs at that, loudly enough that they can hear it without Naruto's help. Sasuke and Sai lean closer as well to listen.

"There was a kitten stuck in a tree, and we couldn't leave it—" Naruto pauses his translation to snort before continuing, raising his voice for the female again. "Well, it's good for him that you're here now. I worry for that boy. That organization… do you know who they recruited, a few weeks ago? That monster from Kiri, Kisa—wait, Kakashi interrupted her, uh—" Naruto stumbles over his words, struggling to keep up with the conversation. He lowers his voice again. "Kakashi says, Careful, we have eavesdroppers. It's rude to listen in, Naru…" He trails off as Kakashi turns his head.

They break apart, fast. It's far too late. Kakashi already knows, but the ripple of amusement that runs through their bond lets them know that they aren't in trouble. Their Guardian exchanges another brief sentence with the woman—Kurenai, and nods at her as he returns.

"Let's go, you four," Kakashi says, herding them toward the elevator. He lowers his voice. "While I don't appreciate the blatant eavesdropping, I am impressed. How did you do that, Naruto?"

Naruto grins as they enter the elevator, and Sasuke presses a button with a gesture from Kakashi. "It wasn't really me, it was Kurama. Foxes have pretty good hearing. He told me he could help me hear, and let me use some of his power."

Kakashi hums, and pats Naruto's hair.

"Good work. But remember that I'm more than capable of sensing when you're using it to eavesdrop on me."

Naruto pouts, but he looks pleased at the praise. His friendship with the Kyuubi is impressive, but it does make sense—the sixteen years they spent with only each other for company did wonders for their teamwork. Sakura hopes that in time, their human team can function similarly.

The elevator stops, and Sasuke's emotions start to get out of hand again. Sakura sighs, reaching back to grab his hand. Naruto grabs his other limb, and Sai presses a hand on Sasuke's back.

"Calm down," Sakura reminds the Uchiha as they begin walking down the hallway. "For Pete's sake, Sasuke, you've seen him before this. Stop freaking out."

"Who's Pete?" Sai asks her, and she can't tell if he's being serious or mocking her so she elbows him in the ribs. He hisses at the blow, and if anything the familiar banter is enough to make Sasuke relax. Kakashi eye-smiles at them, and then stops in front of a door.

"It'll be this one," he tells them, and then looks at Sasuke. "Would you do the honors?"

Sasuke tilts his head, takes a deep breath. Sakura squeezes his hand once before she drops it.

Sasuke knocks, and after a brief moment, the door opens. It's very anti-climatic, and before Sakura can even do more than glance at Itachi, Kakashi has shoved them inside and closed the door.

"Sorry about that," Kakashi apologizes to them. "The walls have both eyes and ears in places like this. We're taking a risk by being here in the first place."

Sakura feels a twinge of unease at his words. If they're in danger, why are they here at all?

A moment later Sasuke's joy sweeps through the bond, and she forgets her doubt in the wake of Sasuke's happiness.

"Brother, it's good to see you," Itachi says calmly, and smiles softly at Sasuke. The spy leans forwards and reaches out a hand to tap Sasuke on the forehead gently. "I hope you've been doing well."

Sakura never knows what to expect when the brothers get together. At first she'd thought they would hug, hold on to each other in some way, but neither of them have ever initiated such an action towards the other—they seem to be content just with the other's presence.

"It's good to see you too, Itachi," Sasuke says equally calmly, but they can feel his elated thoughts. Sai snickers at him softly.

"As much as I would love to spend all my time with you, I'm afraid I have some business to take care of first," Itachi explains quickly, tearing his eyes from his brother to look at their Guardian. "I have some things to tell you, and then I would like to spend time with my brother."

"That's what we're here for," Kakashi says, nodding. "Information first, then?"

"Please," Itachi says. He indicates for Kakashi to follow him politely, and then flashes a quick smile at Sasuke. "I'll only be a moment. I have some more… delicate information in my possession that must return to Konoha."

He and Kakashi disappear down the hallway, and Sakura glances at Naruto to see if he's listening in. He seems more interested in the magazine on the couch then he does Itachi, and Sai has already sat on the couch, drawing absently in his sketch pad. Sasuke seems a bit shell-shocked, staring after his brother wistfully, so Sakura sighs and sits next to Sai.

"What are you working on now?" she asks him curiously. "A new creation, or just something for fun?" Sai's creations were a flashy display of his Sealing powers and his artistic talent. They ranged from his original tiger to tiny mice, and his latest had been a majestic dragon that had filled nearly the entire room before Sai had called it back to the scroll.

Sai hums. "For my own entertainment. I've been working on it for a few weeks now, actually."

"Really?" Sakura asks, suddenly curious. Sai tends to finish his projects quickly, if only so he can begin a new one. "What is it? May I see?"

Sai hesitates for a moment before he tilts the sketch pad towards her.

Naruto grins back up at her from the page, so lifelike even in black and white that it makes her jump. His face is completely finished, sporting a wide grin and eyes glinting with mischief. Sai has paid extensive attention to tiny details, like the little scar on his forehead, and the lock of hair that always refuses to cooperate. There's even a tiny nine-tailed fox roughly sketched in the corner, waving its tails about.

Sakura gasps in wonder and looks up at Sai, who seems a little insecure. He has no reason to be. His skills far exceed anyone else. She sends her amazement and approval through the link. He jumps at the praise and then smiles—a real smile.

He's gotten better at those lately.

"It's incredible," she reassures him. "It looks exactly like him!"

Naruto and Sasuke shift closer to take a look as well. Naruto in particular seems pleased, tracing Sai's careful lines reverently and giggling at the little fox.

Footsteps sound as Itachi and Kakashi return. Sakura's head snaps instinctively towards the noise, as does the rest of her teammate's. Kakashi eye-smiles at their simultaneous motion.

"Good to see my training is finally kicking in," their Guardian hums. He sounds normal, but the back of his mind prickles uneasily, bristling with worry. Sakura prods at him curiously and isn't surprised when he blocks her out. His eye drifts over her warningly, and she sighs, properly chastised.

Sasuke sits up straighter. "That was fast," he says, glancing between his brother and Kakashi. "Are you guys finished already?"

"We are," Itachi confirms, making his way to Sasuke's side and sitting next to him. "It's not much, but it's important that it gets back to Konoha." He exchanges a meaningful glance with Kakashi before turning his full attention to his brother. "So, Sasuke, what have you been up to?"

Sasuke's face lights up, and his breathing hitches for just a moment. The ping of tremulous hope and safety that flows from his mind makes Sakura's heart throb. Sasuke had been betrayed by his family once before, and it had devastated his life until they'd been able to rescue him. Itachi loves Sasuke with all his being, and wouldn't have left his brother behind had he been aware of what was going on. Sasuke still trusts him, and it's wonderful to see him speaking to someone with such enthusiasm.

"We've been training a lot," the Pathfinder starts. "Our team is strong. We haven't failed a mission yet, and we don't plan on it, either." The note of pride in his voice is echoed by Naruto, who lets out an approving sound at the mention of their spotless track record.

"Impressive," Itachi says, and the single word of approval sends Sasuke into another spiral of happiness. "You must be working hard. Kakashi's a better teacher than he thinks he is."

Sakura blinks. "How do you know that?" she asks, glancing at the Guardian. Kakashi rubs the back of his neck.

"I helped with some of his training when he first joined Konoha. We had some good times. Yamato usually came with us. Assassinations, scouting, fun stuff like that."

Sai snorts, and Sakura rolls her eyes. It was amazing how quickly she'd been desensitized to the daily violence that was now part of her life.

"I'm not sure I would call it fun," Itachi says, a note of amusement sneaking into his voice. "Is he still late to everything, you four?"

"Yeah, he is!" Naruto cries. "It's annoying! It takes away from our training time, you know! He made us wait for three hours once. Three!"

Itachi chuckles. "You haven't changed at all, Kakashi" he says. "Taught them anything fun yet?"

"Everything I teach is fun," Kakashi replies, prompting strangled groans of protest from Sakura's teammates. The combat training is somewhat enjoyable, but the stamina and tactics lessons are painful, both physically and mentally.

"Although," Kakashi continues, "I was thinking of training Sasuke in some kenjutsu, sometime in the near future. You interested? You always were better at it then I was."

Itachi's eyes widen, and he shoots a quick smile at Sasuke. "I'd be happy to help, if I wasn't caught up in… well, this whole mess. You'll be a natural at it, little brother. Most Uchiha are, unless your name is Obito."

Kakashi chokes out a laugh, obviously not expecting the jab. "True," he gasps. "He nearly stabbed himself in the foot last time."

A quick flash of disappointment flickers through the bond from Sasuke's end, followed by hope and a heavy sense of determination. The sensation makes Naruto grin.

"You'll teach me when you're finished with your mission, right, Itachi?" Sasuke questions, and Itachi tilts his head.

"Of course," he replies. "Until then, you should begin learning the basics from Kakashi. When I get back I'll teach you everything I know."

Naruto pouts. "Hey, if you're gonna teach Sasuke kenjutsu, can I learn too?" Kakashi lifts an eyebrow, and Sai answers for him.

"We can barely trust you with a kunai these days, much less a sword."

Sakura giggles at Naruto's indignant look, and Sasuke smirks. Before the conversation can continue, a chime cuts through the air. Itachi freezes. So does Kakashi. In half an second the atmosphere of the room is tense.

"What is it?" Sakura asks. Itachi pulls a phone out of his pocket and checks it. His face goes even paler than normal as he reads a received text.

"Itachi," Kakashi says, voice low and thick with hidden meaning. Itachi looks up and fixes Sasuke with a gaze that is apologetic and fearful at the same time.

"He's coming," he breathes. "He's coming back sooner than I thought. You five need to get out of here."

Kakashi stands abruptly, pinging them all over the link with urgency. "Let's move. Out the window, all of you."

"But we're on the fifth floor-"

"A man we do not want to fight is coming up the elevator right now. We don't have a choice. Out the window, I don't care how you do it." Kakashi is deadly serious. Sai is first to move, darting for the window with Naruto hot on his heels. Sakura follows them, but Sasuke doesn't move, staring at his brother instead.

"Sasuke!" Kakashi barks, and Sasuke jumps. Itachi pokes his forehead gently.

"You'll see me again, little brother," he reassures. "Train well." Sasuke swallows, nods, and races for the window, grabbing Sakura's outstretched hand when she offers it.

Naruto and Sai are already long gone. Sakura doesn't have a plan, but Sai's mind urges her onward.

Jump, Sai instructs, so Sakura grabs her Pathfinder's hand and jumps.

They fall two heart-stopping stories before one of Sai's creations, an elegant eagle, catches them. It wheels into the sky, high enough to escape notice and lining up with the second bird Naruto and Sai are on.

"Everyone okay?" Naruto asks over the wind, and sighs in relief when everyone replies positively. They're just waiting on Kakashi, now, and there isn't any doubt that their Guardian will be fine.

Come around to the front, Kakashi orders calmly, pushing at their minds reassuringly when they press to make sure he's safe. I'll meet you by the car.

Sakura glances at her teammates. Their minds are filled with confusion and dismay. There are a lot of secrets being held right now—too many for them to be comfortable with. They need answers.

Not that Konoha is likely to give them any.

Sai directs his creations to drop them off in an alley a few blocks away from the hotel, to avoid any unwanted attention. They return to his scroll once the team has returned to the ground. Sakura's heart is racing. They walk about a block in tense silence before they can collectively calm down.

"Who was it?" Naruto asks eventually, breaking the silence. "Because seriously, Kakashi looked freaked out. You've gotta be really strong to do that."

Sakura shivers. "I'm not sure I want to know," she admits. "Orochimaru was bad enough. I'm glad we all got out in time."

Behind her, Sai nudges her shoulder gently and pokes her through the bond.

Watch Sasuke, he says, and she blinks, glancing at the Uchiha. Sasuke is biting at his lip nervously, eyes darting to the hotel still visible several streets over. Sakura sighs.

"Sasuke, your brother is fine," she says. "You don't need to worry about him. We weren't seen, and Itachi has been doing this for a long, long time. Do you think Kakashi would have left if he had thought your brother was in danger?"

"No," Sasuke mutters. He still sounds troubled, but he does stop biting his lip. Sakura can feel him shoving his worry to the back of his mind in an effort to put it behind him.

Kakashi meets them by the van, leaning casually on the vehicle and glancing up at them when they come into view.

"Good to see you're all still in one piece," he says. "Sorry we had to cut the visit short. We weren't expecting Itachi's current partner to be back for at least another hour."

"It's alright," Sasuke says, startling them all. "I'll see him again soon, anyway. He promised."

Kakashi eye-smiles. "He did," he confirms. "Itachi doesn't break promises."

"I know," Sasuke replies. "I know he doesn't."

Sakura smiles.

As expected, Kakashi doesn't answer any of their questions. He's the master of dodging their carefully worded inquiries, and keeps his end of the link carefully filtered. Sakura is impressed with his control. Several hours pass while they ride to the site of their next mission, and Kakashi doesn't give away a single thing. Even Naruto can't make any headway. That doesn't stop them from trying, all the way up until Kakashi parks the van in a dimly lit parking garage (by then it's dissolved into a game of who-can-annoy-Kakashi-the-most, but it's the thought that counts).

"Alright, that's enough," he says once he's stopped driving. Sai cuts off his long string of insults, looking slightly disappointed that he wasn't able to finish. Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto snicker as he sends them the rest of it via their connection. Kakashi snorts, too, but then he gives them all a gentle nudge to remind them that it's time to get serious.

"Listen up," Kakashi says. "The information claims that these bandits aren't too strong individually, but there are lots of them. What they lack in strength, they make up for in numbers." He glances over the team. "We do the same, but the difference is that we're powerful alone, too. This will be an exercise in teamwork and connection. Work together, fight well, and our mission record will stay as clean as ever."

Naruto whoops in excitement and leaps for the door. Kakashi lifts a hand to stop him, but it's already too late—Naruto darts out into the parking garage, staring as if he expects enemies to pop out from behind the pillars, weapons drawn and ready for battle.

"Easy," Kakashi reprimands him as they disembark from the van. Sakura feels him give the younger Protector the mental equivalent of a flick. Naruto winces, then turns back to them with a sheepish grin. The four of them turn to Kakashi for further instructions, but before he can speak another voice cuts across the garage, echoing in the tight area.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Kakashi of Konoha. I'm surprised to see you here. Where's the rest of your team? Left you in charge of babysitting, I see."

The surge of anger that echoes through the bond comes from all five of them. Kakashi's head whips around—presumably towards the speaker. Sakura couldn't tell where the voice had originated from, but Naruto, Kakashi, and Sai have already turned in the same direction. Sakura shares an annoyed glance with Sasuke, the only other member without extensive training or sensory powers, as the two of them follow their teammates' leads.

Kakashi's eye narrows, and they jump as raw energy begins to ripple around their Guardian's body.

"Zabuza, of Kirigakure," Kakashi says smoothly. Sakura doesn't recognize the name, but Sai stiffens and draws his tanto.

Trouble, he says over the link, and in unspoken agreement Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke close ranks around the other two, falling into battle-ready stances.

"I have to admit, out of all of the men I could have imagined Gato hiring, I did not expect you," Kakashi continues. "I would have thought him more likely to kill you than hire you."

The deep voice chuckles. Sakura tenses as tendrils of mist begin to creep towards them, seemingly from out of nowhere. It curls around them, filling the already dark parking garage with smog. Sakura takes a deep breath, backing up a few steps so that she can feel her teammates' body heat behind her.

"So I thought as well," Zabuza says, and he sounds so much closer this time. Sakura clenches her fists. Beside her, Sasuke's sharingan whirls to life. When he grabs her wrist, her vision shifts, and suddenly she can see a dense cluster of power through the mist. It's moving quickly, circling them like a shark. "He seemed desperate when he came to us. And if you're here, that means he made the right choice."

A whistling noise makes Sakura jump, and it's only Naruto's shove that saves her from the kunai that slices through the mists. Their protector growls, and Sakura shudders as an intense aura begins to seep from the blond.

"Show yourselves!" Naruto hisses. "You talk big, but I can't see anything but cowards through this mist!"

A chuckle resonates through the air. Sakura steels herself and reaches for her power reserves, relaxing as strength fills her body.

"Your protector is strong, children. I'm impressed. But… he's not that strong."

Suddenly Kakashi, who had been in front of them, barely visible through the thickening mist, whirls. Sasuke's eyes widen at the same moment.

"Down!" they shout in tandem, and Sakura doesn't think—she ducks, and just in the nick of time, because something sharp and deadly whirls above her head.

The moment they're all distracted, still crouched and waiting for the sword to return, Zabuza attacks.

He looms out of the mist like some sort of demon, striking out at Sai, who's a hair too slow to react. As the assassin spins, tanto flashing, Zabuza grabs him by the throat and flings him into the mist.

"Sai!" Sakura shouts, reaching frantically through the link. Sai sends her a brief sense of reassurance, but she catches the flash of pain before he can hide it.

Kakashi throws himself at Zabuza, and shoots off a fireball that carves a path through the smog. Zabuza uses his sword to knock it aside, and then there's a clash of metal as Kakashi's kunai collides with the massive weapon. Somehow, Kakashi is able to hold his own in the clash, holding Zabuza's sword motionless.

"Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke!" he shouts as his arm trembles. Naruto darts forward, and Sakura and Sasuke follow him.

They've done this in training too many times to count. Sasuke focuses his sharingan on Zabuza and concentrates. Zabuza lurches unsteadily, and Kakashi gains a few inches. While he stumbles, Naruto comes careening in from the side. Zabuza doesn't see him coming, courtesy of Sasuke's sharingan. Naruto slashes Zabuza's side with Kyuubi-influenced claws, and Sakura follows him, landing a forceful punch to Zabuza's exposed chest. Their opponent goes tumbling backwards. The final blow of the combo is Sai's, who would have landed the finishing hit—but to Sakura's surprise, he doesn't emerge from the fog, and Zabuza gets to his feet.

Then he laughs.

"Your children are stronger than I expected, Kakashi," he says, leering at Kakashi. "I'm impressed. You've taught them well. They're much better than my team ever was."

"Your team?" Sakura bursts out before she can stop herself. Zabuza's gaze turns to her, and she freezes under his sharp eyes.

"Yes, child, my team," he says. "They were weak. Couldn't keep up, weren't willing to work with someone like myself. Would you like to know what happened to them?"

Sakura shakes her head mutely in horror, but Zabuza ignores her.

"I killed them, children. Useless as they were, they couldn't even stop me."

"What?" Sasuke gasps. "What—how… you can't survive that! That's impossible!"

Kakashi's fists are clenched. "Zabuza did indeed kill his two teammates, a Pathfinder, and a Connector. They didn't have a Sealer. Some say it drove him mad… but others think he was mad far before then. He had to have been, to kill them so brutally," he explains grimly. Zabuza allows him to speak, a smirk visible beneath the bandages covering his face.

"After I kill you, Kakashi, I'll get rid of your children as well!" Zabuza growls. Kakashi tenses.

"You won't touch them," their guardian snarls, and suddenly the air is crackling with static. Sakura swallows as Kakashi's fury becomes tangible. "I'll kill you before you do."

He doesn't give Zabuza time to respond. Kakashi hurtles forward like a bullet, colliding with Zabuza so forcefully that an actual shockwave sweeps over the area, sending tendrils of mist whipping back. Naruto growls and moves forward as if to join the fight, but Sasuke grabs him before he can launch himself into the fray.

"Wait, you idiot," Sasuke hisses. "They're going all out. You don't want to be caught in the middle of that."

Naruto snarls in frustration, far too eager to throw himself into certain doom. Sasuke gives him a look—a sharingan look, and Naruto blinks, battle haze disappearing as quickly as it had appeared.

"Thanks," their Protector mutters, clarity returning to his eyes. "Kurama and I got a little too… eager. It won't happen again."

Sakura frowns at his words, struggling to keep up with Kakashi and Zabuza's dazzling fight. She's only catching bits and pieces of the combat, as the mist has returned in full force. She watches as Kakashi slides neatly beneath Zabuza's massive blade on his knees, kunai aimed right for Zabuza's thigh—but then they spin out of sight, and she doesn't see if the blow lands. A moment later she sees them again, illuminated in a spurt of flame from Kakashi—but Zabuza bats the fireball aside just as easily as he had the first time, charging forward—and then they are swallowed up by the mist.

A sudden spike of alarm rises up from Sai's end of the link. Sakura grabs at it and gasps at the flurry of emotions that shoot through their bond.

Sai? she questions worriedly. He sends her back an image. It's a group of men near the wall of the parking garage, armed with modern weaponry—large, intimidating machine guns. They're waiting at the edge of the mist, silent and motionless.

Who are they? Sasuke thinks, and their bond is finally developed enough that they can hear the individual words. Why are they here? Are they part of the gang?

Probably, Naruto responds. Where are they, Sai? Kakashi has Zabuza covered. We can take these guys out.

Sakura sees Kakashi and Zabuza again, caught in a deadly dance of gleaming steel. They move with such grace that it barely even looks like a fight—it appears to be a well-choreographed routine instead.

Sai's alarm suddenly shifts, turning icy cold instead of hot. Sakura shivers at the sensation.

They've got a hostage, he tells them slowly. He sends them another image. A gang member is holding a young, androgynous figure at gunpoint. The figure is both blindfolded, gagged, and restrained. It might be risky.

I can help with that, Sasuke responds. He turns away from the battle between Kakashi and Zabuza. Tell us where you are.

Sai sends them a brief set of directions that's more sensation than anything else. Fortunately the link makes him easy to locate regardless. Sasuke leads Sakura and Naruto to Sai's position. He's taken up a hiding spot behind a heavy concrete pole of the parking garage, just out of sight of the gang.

"The guns are going to be a problem," Sakura whispers. Sai nods in solemn agreement.

"Not for me!" Naruto informs them smugly. "Kurama and I can shield ourselves from the bullets. We'll be the distraction."

Sakura can feel the plan coming together via their connection. Sasuke jumps in.

"While they're focused on Naruto, Sakura and I can take down as many men as we can before we're noticed. I'll use Sharingan to cover Sai's approach."

"I'll get the hostage clear," Sai says.

"I'll finish the rest," Sakura ends, and they nod in silent agreement.

Naruto steps out from behind the cover of the pole, red energy flaring around his body. He marches through the mist straight for the gang.

"Hey, bozos! Over here!" he shouts, and Sakura flinches as the rapid-fire sounds of machine guns pierces the silence. Sasuke rolls his eyes, and Sai slips silently into the shadows.

"Now," Sakura says, and pokes her head out of cover, grabbing the handful of shuriken from her pouch.

Naruto has done a fantastic job of drawing literally ever gunner's fire. The bullets ping harmlessly off of the Kyuubi's shield, while Naruto shouts and rages and slowly draws closer. It's easy to send her shuriken into the midst of the men, disarming several and injuring a great deal more. Sasuke's shuriken are a tad more lethal, but no less accurate. His Sharingan spin.

They do get noticed fairly quickly. Sakura yelps and ducks back behind cover as the men turn their guns in her direction. Sasuke squeezes next to her, and they flinch as metal slams into concrete behind them.

"Why don't we ever get guns?" Sasuke complains tensely. Sakura shrugs.

A moment later, the gang begins to shout in alarm. Sai's end of the link is smug, and Sakura knows he's been successful. The hostage is safe.

You're clear, Sakura! Naruto cries. I'll protect you! Do it!

His words, and the fierce loyalty that echoes through the bond, embolden her. She takes a deep breath and steps into the open.

Kurama's energy surrounds her. It's the first time Naruto has done such a thing, and Sakura is surprised to realize that she can feel Kurama's mind like this, almost as if he's part of the link. He hums in amusement when she presses closer to him mentally, curious. His mind is vast. It's much larger than any of her teammates', and slightly intimidating.

"Sakura… not that I mind, but could you hurry?" Naruto grunts, jerking her back to the land of the living. He's behind her, out of the line of fire. "This is… kind of hard."

Extending Kurama's power to another person is new, and it's draining him fast. A bullet strikes their shield right in front of her. She flinches, but Kurama's energy holds.

The gang continues to fire on them. Sakura grabs at her energy, sends it flowing through her limbs, and slams her fist into the ground. Hard.

She's been practicing this for a while, with Rin's instruction. The right application of force can send the shockwave in a specific direction. In the heat of the moment her strike is just a tiny bit off—Sasuke wobbles to her side, but the gangsters get the worst of it. They go flying backwards. Some collide with the wall behind them painfully. All of them drop their weapons, and all but a few are knocked unconscious.

Sakura grins.

It's a simple task for Sasuke and Naruto to take out the stragglers. Naruto punches one out while Sasuke delivers a powerful kick to another that literally sends him spinning before he falls.

Once the gang is taken care of, Sai reappears, with the hostage in his arms. He sets the figure down gently, and they all gather around as Sai cuts through the rope tying the figure's hands together and pulls the blindfold and gag loose.

"Are you okay?" Naruto asks, concern lacing his tone. "Did they hurt you?"

The figure blinks up at them in confusion for a moment before their eyes narrow.

"They didn't hurt me," they say. "They wished to hurt another. I was not the target."

Sakura frowns. Something is… off about the figure. There is a strange aura around them, that almost reminds Sakura of… Sai?

"What's your name?" Naruto continues. "You're safe now. We took care of the gang."

"I am Haku," he replies absently, as if distracted. "You four… defeated the gang?"

"Yep!" Naruto answers, beaming proudly. Sakura exchanges a nervous glance with Sai. Something… isn't right. When she looks at Sasuke, he seems a bit uncertain as well. Sakura tugs at Naruto's mind worriedly, but he just shoots her a confused expression.

A roar sounds from behind them. It sounds like Zabuza. Haku's head snaps up just as Sakura feels a jolt of pain from Kakashi, even through their muffled bond.

"That's not good," Sasuke breathes. "Should we go help him?"

Suddenly, Haku moves.

One moment Haku is there, the next moment he isn't. The freed hostage fades into the mist as easily as Zabuza does. Sakura starts to cry out a warning, but it's too late. Something hits the back of her head, sending her careening to the floor and making her vision flicker for an instant. Next to her Naruto yelps and falls as well. Sasuke and Sai manage to avoid the strange projectiles and tense in anticipation of more attacks, but none come for several tense seconds. Sakura slowly sits up and grimaces when she sees the fist-sized chunk of ice that had hit her.

Sasuke's sharingan whirls to life, and he peers through the mist. His side of the link lights up in alarm.

"Haku's going for Kakashi!" he yelps. "Kakashi won't see him coming!"

"Let's move!" Naruto shouts, and they're sprinting through the mist toward their guardian's mind.

Zabuza and Kakashi's battle has been fierce enough to create a clearing in the center of the mist. Sakura busts into the empty space just in time to see Haku raise his hands and create a storm of glittering ice needles.

"Look out!" she screams, too late—Haku fires the senbon right for Kakashi…

But the senbon are aimed at Zabuza, as well. Sakura blinks in surprise as the hail of senbon force the two fighters apart.

"What?" Sasuke mutters, and Sai frowns.

Haku walks in between the two fighters fearlessly. "Enough. There is no reason to continue this battle."

Kakashi narrows his eye at the newcomer.

"Why should I listen to you?" he asks. Across from him, Zabuza is still tense, but Haku turns to face the swordsman and gestures for Zabuza to lower his sword. Shockingly, Zabuza complies, placing the massive weapon across his back and relaxing just a bit.

"Zabuza is my Protector," Haku says. "He will listen to me. And our reason to fight you has become nonexistent."

Kakashi's visible eyebrow shoots up, and Sakura gasps. Zabuza had claimed he'd killed his two teammates.

"Explain," Kakashi demands, easing up out of his fighting stance. Sakura isn't fooled—his body is still tense and ready for action. Haku sighs.

"Zabuza found me after he had disposed of the other two teammates, and somehow we were still connected. I was too young to understand what had occurred, and he could not bring himself to kill an innocent child as he had his teammates. I do not judge him for such actions now. He has proved time and time again to be a reliable Protector."

"You're his Sealer," Kakashi says incredulously. Haku nods in confirmation.

"I was kidnapped by Gato's gang, who took me by surprise. They used me as leverage to force Zabuza into compliance. Now that I am free, he has no need to fight you." Haku makes his way to Zabuza's side and glances at his Protector meaningfully. Zabuza nods slowly.

"How did you escape?" the large man asks, voice gruff but softer with care. It's such a dramatic change from his roars from earlier that Sakura blinks in surprise.

"I didn't," Haku answers. "The Connected team took out my captors." He shoots Sakura's teammates a small smile. "They were most efficient. I owe them for their help."

Zabuza hovers a little awkwardly, as if unsure of how to continue. Eventually, he shakes his head and looks back at Kakashi.

"One day we will fight again and learn who is truly better," he rumbles. Kakashi nods once in acceptance as Zabuza begins to turn away.

"We're going to lay waste to everything Gato has, to avenge the way he exploited us," Haku tells them coldly. Zabuza growls in agreement, fury evident on his face. "I would assume that was your mission?"

"It was," Kakashi confirms. "You'll take care of it, then?"

"He will die painfully," Zabuza hisses. Kakashi takes a deep breath, and finally he relaxes for real.

"Good luck, then," he says. Sakura's jaw drops in shock.

"Thank you," Haku replies. Almost as one, he and Zabuza fade into the mist and disappear. The mist goes with them, and when the parking garage is clear again, the two Connected are nowhere in sight. Neither are the gang members Sakura had knocked out.

"You really think they were telling the truth?" Sakura gasps to Kakashi. "And how do we know they'll do anything of the sort? We have no reason to trust them?"

Kakashi joins them wearily.

"Zabuza is not one to give up on a fight like that," he says. "Not unless the things Haku claimed were true. That explains why he survived killing the first two teammates, after all. As a Protector, it's nearly impossible to die unless the rest of your team is already gone."

"They'll take care of Gato," Naruto says fiercely. "It's personal to them. And Gato deserves it for using a teammate like that!" His eyes are bright and filled with righteous fury. Sakura envies his ability to trust so easily. Sai and Sasuke look a little uneasy about the whole thing as well, but they trust Kakashi enough to follow him back to the van.

Kakashi has a horrific slash on his side that Sakura yells at him for not saying anything about an hour down the road. It only makes her more skeptical of Haku and Zabuza, because anyone who hurts her teammates are not easily forgiven, regardless of the circumstances of the fight.

(Four days later, after they've returned to Konoha, they get news that Gato's entire operation has crumbled and the man himself had been found dead in an abandoned warehouse. Naruto and Kakashi are smug about the whole thing, and Sakura, Sai, and Sasuke just roll their eyes.

It must be a Protector thing.)

A/N: As stated before, updates will slow as the school semester starts, especially with stories with long chapters such as "Only in Sleep" and "Way Down We Go". "Dominoes" will probably get updated slightly more often as its chapters are shorter. Sorry about that, it can't be helped!

I've had the first half of this chapter written for SO LONG. And I apologize because the ending of this chapter is a little weak, but I was getting frustrated with it and just needed to end it and move on. So, sorry, the ending isn't my best work, but I hope you enjoyed it regardless. I was sick of staring at this chapter, so here it is! Perhaps I'll come back and improve it later, we'll see.