Inner Demons

Sakura POV.

It was late in the evening when it all began.

An ANBU operative knocked on my window and told me I was being summoned to the Hokage tower. I got dressed in something decent and made my way there.

The street lights were lit up in the village as I jumped from roof top to roof top. The brightest ones were in front of the hospital. I had only finished my night shift there an hour ago. Maybe Lady Tsunade wanted me to go back? I certainly hope not. I may be a qualified medic-nin but that doesn’t me I like to work over time. Could it be a mission?

‘I hope not, I’m fucking tired of her alcoholic attitude. We see her more than enough on a regular basis, so why now at 2am?’ -Inner Sakura

‘Because it is our-my obligation to serve the Hokage of this village no matter what time it is Inner and if you have opinions about it, keep them to yourself.’-Sakura

‘Whatever, just be careful Sakura, she’s probably drunk as a skunk’-Inner Sakura

I arrived at the tower and made my way to Lady Tsunade’s office. I knocked twice on the door and I heard someone say “Enter”. As I let my self in and I noticed someone else’s presence in the room.
“Shikamaru?” I said to him as I walked closer to the Hokage’s desk. Why the hell would his lazy ass be here so early in the morning?

“Ahh, you’re here too, Sakura? How troublesome.” He replied. Shikamaru as stoic as ever, but he looked worn out. Stupid Tsunade waking everyone. That pineapple hair still bewilders me, even when he has bed head.

‘How annoying, he needs to learn some manners’ Inner grumbled in my head. I rolled my eyes mentally.

I looked up at Tsunade, and she also looked tired. But that’s what you get for becoming Hokage. And not to mention the sake bottles hidden behind those stacks of paper.

“Okay, now that you are both here, let’s begin.” She said with the sound of impatience in her voice. “What I am about to say here is completely and utterly confidential. I have a mission for both of you, but it will mainly involve you Sakura. It is S-Class and highly dangerous. You could die.”

“What does this mission involve Shishou?” I asked. Inner was getting restless and I was definitely curious.

“The Akatsuki.” She replied.

There was dead silence throughout the room. Was this related to Naruto? Could they be planning something to hurt him? Or the village?

“What does the Hokage of the Leaf want us to do with the Akatsuki?” Shikamaru asked. I honestly don’t know how Shikamaru stayed so calm. Runs in the family I guess.

‘HELL YEAH! FINALLY SOME ACTION! LET’S GO KILL SOME CRIMINALS!’ and now Inner's shouting was giving me a migraine.

Lady Tsunade cleared her thoat and continued. “I want them eliminated. They are becoming a thorn in my side and it needs to be ripped out. And its not just me. The Elders are questioning why it hasn’t been done yet. So I have chosen you two for the job. You will be infiltrating the Akatsuki and taking them down from the inside. Once you gain their trust, I will give you word of when to eliminate every single one of the bastards.”

“I’m sorry Shishou, but why would the Akatsuki be dumb enough to accept both of us?” I asked.

“They aren’t stupid.” Shikamaru stated as if it was a world known fact.

“Correct. Shikamaru will be staying here. You, Sakura, will be gaining their trust. Shikamaru will be… sort of a liason for you in connection to me.” Tsunade sure knew how to intimidate a girl.

“Why me Shishou?” I asked, “Aren’t there jounins more experienced for this mission?”

“Sakura, you are a qualified jounin and medic-nin with ANBU experience. Who else would I pick other than my own apprentice to trust with a mission such as this?” She sounded sincere.

I stayed silent. Its one of the many times she praises me.

Tsunade continued, interrupting my silence “To make sure you are recognised as a missing-nin, you must complete this task before you leave.” She handed both Shikamaru and I a scroll.

I opened mine up and skimmed the page.

‘So all we got to do is rob the Leaf Village of its most prized scroll and we’re done with this shit hole?’- Inner Sakura

‘Inner, shut it. This is for the good of the village, not for you.’-Sakura

‘Yeah yeah MissGoodyTwoShoes’-Inner Sakura

"Once you steal the scroll, Sakura, you will sell it to a business man, also known as Shikamaru and he will bring it back to the village under secrecy."

“How will Sakura keep in contact?” Shikamaru asked Lady Tsunade. The only genius I know who still asks questions.

“By using the Swift Wind Commute Jutsu that Sakura and I developed. It is very simple and undetectable. So in other words-”

“-Sakura wont be in danger of getting caught contacting the Leaf”

“Exactly. And you, Shikamaru will be in charge of her needs. Such as depositing money, information and anything she needs, at safe points on this map here.”

She presented a small tattered map on her desk.

“Study them, seeing as your life may depend on it, Sakura.” Tsunade stated.

“Hai, Shishou.” I replied.

Tsunade let us mull over the information for a few minutes. Then came the question.

“Well? Do you accept under the terms that you know you may not be coming back from this mission Sakura? Will you serve this village as its protector?"

This felt like the most important decision anyone could ever make. Would I die? Or never be able to come back to the village due to treason?

‘Take a risk Sakura. You never know, maybe some things might change for the better?'-Inner Sakura

‘And what about the worse? I would become an S-Class Missing-nin and be hunted by any and all other villages. I could die and never see Naruto or Kakashi or Sai or even… Sasuke ever again. I would be betraying everyone I know. How is that for the better?'-Sakura

‘Well, someone once taught me that if you don’t do something then the opportunity may never come again.’-Inner Sakura

…..
…..
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“I accept.”