Her Destiny

Planning for Travel

"Shisui, I have to go, I'm the Otokage. It's not like I can just skip out on meeting another village leader because you say so," Sakura explained, rolling her eyes.

The two had grown rather close over the last two weeks while they and the others were working on getting the village in working order. Sakura had been able to delegate some of the others to talk to other clans, specifically Shikamaru and Hinata, as they were clan heirs before they left, and would be the first of the Clan Head's here. Hinata was currently trying to find a way to remove the caged bird seal, with Minato's help, with the hope that she could give Neji the Clan Head position. It wasn't as if they didn't share blood.

At the moment she was waiting for Hinata and Shikamaru to return from their missions, classed A due to the fact that the clans they were going to see weren't allies. Hopefully, upon their return, they would find that any missions to see those clans from now on would be lower ranking.

"It's the Akatsuki Sakura!" Shisui argued, getting far more bent out of shape than she thought he would. She knew for a fact that he had no clue who his soulmate was, due to his almost dying. It seems that his mark had faded, but the gods had seen fit to torture Sakura with the knowledge of who his soulmate really was.

Which brought her back to the current argument. He was acting like an overprotective soulmate. So, she told him so. "Kami, Shisui. You're acting like an overprotective soulmate."

Shisui reeled back, as if he had been physically smacked, a hurt look on his face.

When she saw his face, she immediately regretted what she had said. The hurt look on his face nearly broke her. "Oh, no. I'm so sorry Shisui. I didn't mean anything by it, I'm just so stressed out right now, and you're getting on my case, and Hinata and Shikamaru aren't back."

Sakura begged him with her eyes to forgive her for lashing out at him.

The hurt look receded from his face, but it was still in his eyes. She had cut him deeply with what she had said.

"It's okay, Sakura-sama. But as one of your ANBU commanders, I can't allow you to go alone. It would be a suicide mission. I want myself and Shikamaru to go with you."

Great. She was back to him calling her Sakura-sama. Fuck.

"Shika will have just gotten back from his mission, if we follow the schedule and leave tomorrow. He will be exhausted."

"Well, then we take Tobirama-sama with us. He's the best strategist. I suggested Shikamaru because the Nara's are known to be a bit scary when provoked, but Tobirama can be just as bad."

Sakura thought about it. If they did bring the former Hokage, they would definitely have the intimidation factor down, even with Shisui in his ANBU mask the entire time. The fact that they had the Nidaime helping them would be a pretty good deterrent. The issue was whether or not they were ready to have others see the inner circle that Sakura had built up. If anyone but the Akatsuki were to see him, then it would spread like wildfire that someone had reanimated the Nidaime, and it would bring undue stress and attention to the new village, bounty hunters looking for the Nidaime to claim the honor of taking him out.

"Look, I know what you are thinking, but if we skirt Fire, and keep to the less travelled areas, we should be fine. While he is highly recognized, the smaller countries that border Fire are less likely to recognize him," Shisui reasoned.

Sakura sighed. "That will add at least another day and a half of travel."

"I would rather have you take the long way with the protection of the two of us, than to have you go on your own, straight through the country you just left," he stated, stubborn in his stance.

"Fine, go find Tobirama. Tell him that I need him here in an hour for the mission brief. Find Minato, Hiruzen, and Hashirama, too. While I am gone, they will be left in charge."

Shisui nodded before disappearing out the balcony doors, flying across the village toward where he felt the four Kages chakra.

Sakura groaned, letting her head fall to the desk, as Kabuto walked in with a stack of papers.

"Stressful day, Sakura-sama?" the silver-haired shinobi asked.

"You have no idea. Shisui is demanding that I take himself and Tobirama to Rain with me," she whined.

Kabuto snorted. "Doesn't even know that you're his soulmate and he is acting like one."

"Yeah, I told him that too, and I just about ruined him by saying so. Kami, I suck. I knew how he felt about it but I spouted off anyway because I'm tired, and stressed, and frustrated."

Kabuto cringed. "Not a good move."

Sakura sighed. "I know. I told him I was sorry, but I feel like the trip to Ame is going to be awkward."

Kabuto made a sympathetic face, before setting the stack of papers on the desk.

The medic ninja had been very wary of Sakura when she took over. He wasn't sure what to think of her at first, wondering what she really wanted from the village, but the more time that they had spent together, the more that she began to grow on him. Watching her take command and implement all of the new policies had been something amazing to watch. He had known that she was skilled, but this was something else entirely. She had already forged two separate alliances, one with Takumi Village, that she had mentioned in the very beginning, and Nadeshiko Village. Takumi had asked for nothing but recognition and help when they needed it, supplying Oto with valuable weapons and armor. Nadeshiko had loaned some of their kunoichi, as they were a matrilineal village, to help the academy and shinobi forces. They only asked that Oto come to their aid if need be, and to give their kunoichi an opportunity to stay in the village if they wished to do so. This had the added benefit of more kunoichi being around Oto, giving the growing girls aspiring to be kunoichi, someone to look up to as an example.

Overall, Kabuto was very happy with Sakura as the Otokage, though he still had his reservations. Best not to get too close to her fists, he reminded himself.

Only a couple more chapters until y'all meet the Akatsuki!