*   *   *

 

            "Sakura?"

             "Huh?"
 

            "Are you ok? I called you about 5 times. . ."
 

            "Y, yeah, what is it?" Asahi and Sakura had just finished lunch. It had suddenly started raining so they were walking home sharing an umbrella.
 

            "Is it that Sasuke dude?"
 

            "Huh?"
 

            "Are you having second thoughts about me because he came back," he glared at Sakura seriously. It scared her a little. "He left you that miserable, he may even do it again, and you still have feelings for them."
 

            "I don't! I forgot about him, we were kids then!" she exclaimed. "Things have changed, it's just hard to get used to it. . ."
 

            She stared blankly at the pavement, the rain made it shine like silver. Why did this have to happen? If he'd stayed out of her life she wouldn't have felt like this, she could have just lived her life, gotten married, and had a happy family. "Well thanks for taking me home," Sakura muttered when they arrived at her gate. 
 

            "Yeah, come over sometime," Asahi said.
 

            Sakura said she would as she opened the gate and stepped into her yard. She stared at her porch; the rain could be heard falling around her.

 

*    *    *

 

 

            Sasuke sat in his hotel room. The words were echoing in his head, "it's too late now." He buried his head in his hands; he knew it was his fault. If only he wasn't so stupid!
 

            The doorbell rang. Sasuke got up to answer it; probably just room service or something. "I'm fine now thank you," he said, unwilling to answer the door.
 

            "Hey Sasuke! Is that you?" It was the voice of a man. It was deep, but at the same time soft. He sounded like the playful type.
 

            "Who is this?"

             "It's me Naruto!"

             This was unexpected, Sasuke opened the door for his long-time friend. "Hey! Long time no see!" a voice came from the outside. Naruto had certainly grown taller. His hair was still spiky and a little messy, and it looked like his fashion sense was still with the orange suit, although the zipper was undone so his baggy black shirt could be seen under it. It was still clear he had been training though, he looked more fit, and certainly more buff than when he was twelve. His face had changed quite a bit though, Sasuke thought it looked a little like the fourth Hokage, other than the whisker-like lines on the cheeks.
 

            "Hey Naruto," said Sasuke. He couldn't sound enthusiastic.

             "What's wrong with you?" Naruto asked as Sasuke looked downwards. "Oh I see," said Naruto as though he suddenly understood something. "You met Sakura. . ."
 

            "How'd you know?"
 

            "It's written all over your face," replied Naruto, walking in with no invitation. "Thought you were the one that dumped her," he said, slumping on the bed and helping himself to a rice ball that was supposed to be Sasuke's lunch.
 

            "Hey, that's my rice ball!"
 

            "You don't have time to eat it anyway, Kakashi sensei told you to come to the Hokage Headquarters immediately," said Naruto ignoring Sasuke's complaint.
 

            "Kakashi? What for?" said Sasuke raising an eyebrow.
 

            "I dunno. Probably about the Jounin test coming up, looking for judges or something," said Naruto smiling. "I'm gonna enter it, you better give me good scores!"
 

            "It's not a matter of scores usuratonkachi," sneered Sasuke. The phrase brought back memories. He remembered when the three of them entered the Chuunin test together. Him becoming a Chuunin, higher rank than the two, was probably the start of their separation. "Well I guess I'll go see the royal Hokage," joked Sasuke. "You leave my room the way you found it ok?"
 He headed towards the Hokage Headquarters, a big building in the middle of town. It was easy to spot because it stood out so much, despite all of the new buildings around the area. He spotted the guards in front of the building and showed them his ID. When they'd confirmed it they let him in. He walked down the dark hallway with them and into the small room that Kakashi was waiting in. He was sitting behind a desk with his back to the window. There were two chairs in front of his desk, and in one of them was. . .
 

            "Sakura?"

             "Sasuke kun?"
 

            "I see you've met each other. . ." Kakashi smiled.

             Sasuke looked irritated, "look Kakashi, if this is some kind of joke I don't have time for it. I'm a Jounin now so I don't play games like I did when you were the leader of group 7. . ."
 

            "You didn't then either," said Kakashi glaring at Sasuke. Sasuke could tell he was serious this time. He sat himself in the red plastic chair next to Sakura. "The reason I called you two here is because I have a mission for you," Kakashi began. "It's an A rank one, you know that electronics company that's doing really well these days, "POW" or something."
 

            "Yes," Sakura and Sasuke both replied.

             "Well, apparently some runaway Jounin from the Mizugakure town are after the boss of that company," said Kakashi. "They're having an auction tomorrow, and they've just called informing that a note came saying the boss would be assassinated on that night."
 

            Sasuke and Sakura looked at each other, puzzled.
 

            "That's where you come in, you have to sneak in to the auction, pretending you're just a normal rich couple that wanna buy stuff, and be the body guards of the boss. The boss' name is Takasugi or something, keep that in you're heads."

             "Wait a minute sensei," Sakura was the first to talk. "Why does it have to be us? Can't I do it with Asahi san or something? It's only an A rank mission."

             "Well, it's a rich company's rich party, so we'll need people that will blend into that environment. What would be better than the winners of the Ms. Konoha and Mr. Konoha contest?"
 

            "You still remember that. . ." muttered Sasuke, putting his hand on his forehead. It was something that Ino had arranged for fun, they'd won the "Best Couple" award, which was titled as Kakashi had just stated.
 "I still don't see why we have to be the team," Sakura protested. "Kakashi sensei, I'm getting married in a week you know, I shouldn't be teaming up as a couple with someone else."

             "Hmmm. . . I'd never thought I'd hear that from the old Sakura," muttered Kakashi. Sakura glared at him.
 

            "Excuse me, but that was five years ago. I was a kid then remember?"
 "Well let's just call this a reunion mission then ok? Would that be ok with you Sakura? A memory for before you go off and get married."

             Sakura still looked unsatisfied but it was decided. Sasuke sat there, dumbfounded, after Kakashi had announced the meeting was finished. Sakura getting married in a week? He couldn't believe it, he didn't want to believe it.

 

*    *    *

 

-TO BE CONTINUED-