Summary:

Team 7 had to protect their charge at all cost. But what if their charge couldn't get his dirty hands off their pink-haired teammate? Patience, patience, Naruto... Sasuke-kun.

Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine!

A/N:

Hello to everyone! After editing my first two fanfics, I decided to edit this one, too... since I have nothing better to do and am still trying to get over my writer's block... -sighs-

Anyway... Please do enjoy the edited version of this fic!

Mission... Impossible?

by fascinatrix femina

Chapter 01

"She might get mad at me."

Tsunade could see the frown forming underneath the jounin's mask. "I didn't say you have to," She raised an eyebrow at him. "it's just..." She intertwined her hands together in front of her face. "...a suggestion."

There was a moment of silence before she started to speak to him again. "It's your choice. After all, she's your student." She stared at him with her usual haughty look.

Kakashi couldn't help but slightly tilt his head to the side in confusion. "Why suggest it then? Is the mission really that dangerous? I'm sure my Sakura could handle it. She's gotten pretty strong..." He paused when a rather funny memory of Sakura and Naruto flashed inside his mind. The punch she threw at Naruto was so strong, he almost swore to himself that Naruto's neck would forever remain disfigured. "Not to mention, she's a really smart girl. Besides, I doubt it if the boys would let anything bad to happen to her."

He was rather surprised when he heard her sigh at this. "That's the point. And no... it's not the mission that you should be worried about."

He blinked. "Not the mission?"

"Your team can surely handle the mission." Tsunade bent her head down to study her well-trimmed fingernails before she looked at him again. Her face was serious. "I'm just not so sure if they could handle the guy whom they're gonna protect."

This caught Kakashi's full attention. Now that was... interesting. "What's wrong with the guy?"

He didn't expect her next reaction, so he was quite taken aback when he saw the fifth hokage's expression turned sour. She glared at him as if he'd just pulled a Naruto on her or said the most revolting words in front of her face.

He sweatdropped.

Moments later, Tsunade eventually calmed down, much to Kakashi's relief. She looked angry enough to kill him! Was his team's charge really that worse?

"He's... an idiot. A really big idiot..." Tsunade breathed with a low growl. Kakashi could sense the venom in her voice. He curiously narrowed his eyes at her when she mumbled something about huge money, dirty hands and... breasts?

Kakashi didn't dare speak his thoughts. He wasn't stupid enough to mess around with an upset Tsunade. So, he patiently waited for her to speak again.

Tsunade parted her lips as if to say something more, but strangely, she stopped and closed her mouth. A few seconds later, she let out a deep sigh. "Patience."

Again, he blinked. "What?"

She turned to glare at him. "Patience is the key... Honestly, if only the other teams were available, I wouldn't have to assign this mission to your team." She grumbled more to herself than to him. "That's why," she paused and looked at him straight in the eye. "I'm gonna say this again, if you don't want any trouble, you'd better leave Sakura out of this mission."

Judging from the tone that she'd just used on him, she'd just threatened him to leave Sakura out of it or else! And to think that she'd just told him a while ago that he had the freedom to choose whether he'd let Sakura join or not...

"Uhh..." Kakashi had always felt uncomfortable whenever the godaime looked at him like that. He scratched the back of his head in order to lighten up the mood. "Can I at least know the real reason why you want her out?" He asked. This person may be an... idiot, but surely, he couldn't be all that bad...

Heh.

Famous last words...

"It's getting late! Where in the heck is Kakashi-sensei?"

Sakura, annoyed at Naruto's non-stop grumbles, turned to glare at the blonde fox-boy to make him shut his big mouth up. "Naruto, you know how Kakashi-sensei is! Stop whining already!" Although she said that, she too was getting quite irritated at the constant tardiness of their lazy teacher.

Well, who wouldn't be? Here they are, standing in the middle of the field with the hot sun scorching their skins into crisps! And they've been standing here for the past three hours already! Heaven only knows what kind of hell the three of them must look like now...

"Man! This heat is driving me nuts! Just where in the heck is Kakashi-sensei!"

Sakura sighed. Naruto ignored her scoldings yet again. And it must be because the unbearable heat had gotten into that thick skull of his. There's no use trying to get Naruto to quiet down, is there? She thought as she bit back a small smile when Naruto tried to pull the ends of his spiky blonde hair in frustration.

"Get a grip, dobe."

Sakura's eyes immediately turned towards the source of the low voice. Sasuke, with his arms crossed, was sitting conveniently on top of one of the rocks. Sakura couldn't help but stare at him in awe. He didn't look at all bothered by the heat and their sensei's lazy butt! He still wore that cool and expressionless face as if he did not have a care in the world.

The pink-haired kunoichi blushed at the sight of him. Sasuke-kun is so...

"Shut up, Sasuke!" Naruto's yell halted Sakura's train of thoughts. "Stop pretending you're cool." He angrily spat the last word. "I bet you're just as frustrated as me!"

The Uchiha genius gave Naruto one of his infamous glares. "At least I'm not whining like a loud idiot like you."

Sakura sweatdropped as she continued to watch her two teammates trying to out-glare each other for the third time today. She sighed. Here we go again. Another bout of pointless squabbles from Naruto and Sasuke.

And it was all their sensei's fault! Why couldn't he just try not to be late for once?

"I'm not an idiot!"

"No, you're a dobe."

"Damn you, Sasuke-bastard!"

"Tsk. Tsk. It seems like Lady Tsunade's right about you guys."

All heads turned to the grinning Kakashi, who, like always, popped out of nowhere with his trusty perverted book. As soon as he came, he made a gesture with his hand to stop Naruto and Sakura from yelling at him with the usual 'You're late!'. "Save it for next time, kids. I intentionally came in late today."

Naruto snorted. "As if your past late-comings weren't done on purpose!"

Kakashi ignored him and continued on with his speech. "I was trying to see if my team has a decent amount patience. Judging from what I've seen earlier..." He glanced at both Naruto and Sasuke. "...but then again, you guys aren't patient enough to begin with."

Sakura saw Sasuke scowl at their teacher. "It's that dobe's fault." He pointed at Naruto. "He's too noisy for his own good."

"What? Why you..." Naruto was just about to strangle Sasuke with his bare hands when Kakashi caught his shirt and pulled him away.

"Sensei, why are you testing our patience?" Sakura finally asked as she watched Kakashi trying to restrain Naruto. She grew curious when their teacher let out a deep sigh.

"Sakura... I can't let you go in this mission." He suddenly said.

Naruto stopped struggling and gaped at Kakashi in surprise. "Sakura-chan's not coming? Why?" He asked almost desperately. "I don't want to be alone with that bastard!"

Sakura was shocked. Hundreds of possible reasons raced inside her mind... and one particular reason caught her full attention.

The mission was too dangerous and she wouldn't be able to handle it.

In other words... Inner-Sakura growled in her head. You're weak, therefore, a burden.

"Why can't I go?" She tried not to sound disappointed and angry. She had been training so hard for the past few months! She swore vehemently that if their sensei tells her that it was because she's weak, she would prove it to him that she isn't weak right here and now!

"Don't get the wrong idea, Sakura." Kakashi shook his head. "The mission's too... uhh.."

"Dangerous? Is that it? Is that the reason why you can't let me come with you?" She couldn't keep the anger in her voice. "I'll beat Naruto up for you, if you want!" She glared murderously at the fox boy, who began to shrink behind Kakashi's back.

Naruto immediately protested. "Hey, hey! What did I do?"

Kakashi chuckled good-naturedly. "No, no. The mission's a piece of cake. You three are just going to escort someone."

"Wait." Sasuke interjected. "So, you're not coming?"

"Yeah... and I can't watch over you guys." Kakashi scratched the back of his head. "We jounins have missions to do as well, after all." He turned to look at Sakura again. "Sakura, even if you're more patient that these two, I still don't think it's a good idea for you to come. It's for your own good."

"But why?" Sakura frowned. "Whatever your reason is, you can't be serious enough to leave these two alone! Honestly speaking, I don't think they're going to cooperate with each other!"

"Like hell I will! No way I'll stick around with that stuck-up bastard!" Naruto scowled and glared at Sasuke, who continued to ignore him.

"Come on, Kakashi-sensei! What happened to teamwork?" Sakura insisted as she tugged at Kakashi's arm.

"This is different..."

"I'm going to come whether you like it or not!" Sakura still persisted.

Kakashi looked at the pink-haired girl in front of him. "Well... if you insist." He gave in and shrugged. How could he say no to Sakura's pleading look? "Just don't get too close to your charge, okay, Sakura?" His tone was serious. "Lady Tsunade's gonna kill me for this..." He grumbled mostly to himself, but Sakura heard it loud and clear.

"What do you mean not to get too close...?" She asked him, but before their sensei could answer her question, team 7's charge finally arrived.

Their eyes widened in shock.

"Greetings, everyone."

His voice was slick and undeniably seductive. Sakura blinked at the sight of his well-built body and his expensive clothes. She turned to look up at his face and gasped. He has feminine features... and if it weren't for his deep voice and the way he carried himself, Sakura would have mistaken him for a girl. His long brown hair that was neatly tied with a string behind his back, swayed along with the gentle breeze. His whole entrance created a rather enchanting scene.

"Uhh... now then." Kakashi broke the strange atmosphere and stood beside the young man. "This is..."

"Allow me to introduce myself." The guy cut Kakashi off. He smiled brightly and revealed those perfect rows of white teeth.

Sakura instantly felt uncomfortable. For some weird reason... she didn't like the way the new guy was staring at her.

Before she knew what was happening, she felt someone tug at her hand. She looked down and almost shouted in surprise when she felt the young man press his lips on the back of her hand. "My name's Henta, pretty one, may I ask..."

"DAMN YOU!" Naruto whacked him on the back of his head. Henta fell face-first on the ground and was instantly knocked unconscious.

Kakashi sighed. He knew that this was going to happen. He turned to look at the dark-haired boy and noted that his fists were clenched on both his sides. His right eye was twitching.

Kakashi could only wonder with a frown what would happen to the four of them later. It seemed like letting Sakura join in this mission really wasn't such a good idea after all.

And as for Sakura, she was wondering about the same thing.

To be continued…