T H E; fool_ (open)

[Haruno Sakura]

A wraith with an angel's body.
A demon with a smile of gold.
A killer with the perfect weapons,
Crystal eyes and a heart of coal.

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The Hermit;; A FEELING.. A NEED FOR OBSERVATION; MEDITATION, ASSIMILATION. PERHAPS IT IS TIME TO REFLECT UPON CIRCUMSTANCE. SHALL WE CONTINUE OUR BAD HABITS OR FIND AN INNER CALM.

Perhaps it was the nightingale who woke her from her slumber with his song of love and misery. Or was it merely the vibrant sun touching her skin with it's hot hand? Another suspect rose from the darkness in her mind as shattered pieces of a dream revealed itself. Slowly, yet miserably and in vain, did they preform the act of trying to keep up it's presence in the young woman's mind. Inevitably giving up, she lost it. Turning her body and lifting the blanket over her head, she delighted and engulfed herself in the warmth. Persistently, the noise of going to work today forbade her from her leisure. Sitting up and letting her pink locks create somewhat of a shadow upon her features, she juxtaposed her hands and stared blankly at them. Clenching g her hands into a tight fist, she slowly released her grip. Exactly what was she trying to prove? Nevertheless, she pulled her hanging robe over her bare chest and lifted herself off her bed. Jade eyes observed her apartment as she grabbed a handful of her robe around her neck. The silence was deafening.

The Tower;; A SUDDEN.. DRASTIC CHANGE; CONFLICT, DISRUPTION. THIS OVERTHROWS THEIR WAY OF LIFE. IN THE END THERE WILL EITHER BE FREEDOM OR IMPRISONMENT. IT WILL BE ENLIGHTENING.

The isolation managed it kick Sakura out of her own apartment appropriately after a shower and getting ready. Not wearing her nurse's gown (instead but a dark blue skirt with her sleeveless red top which showed her clan symbol visibly on her back) justifyingly gave her the option of going into the hospital today. A chuckle under her breath told her not to be immature for patients could need her or the assistants could need he r help. The thought was short lived while she enjoyed working there anyway. Her emerald eyes still felt dry, but strangely exhaust-in did not overwhelm her, for her sleep was cut short a few hours. Even still, she entwined her fingers behind her back and walked with a brilliant smile. As if Clio fluttered about her mind, Haruno Sakura began to think of the past. Although memories are just memories and some bring a certain pain of guilt or anger through her system, she couldn't help but think of days past. Yes, Clio was certainly tormenting her. But things have certainly changed like the ever changing sick moon; pale and starved from sunlight. And things will continue to change, for nothing is ever as it seemed and it was simply life, correct? And like a moth to the flame, we will all continue to be drawn to change as it seems comforting at first, but eventually burns you. Of course change is usually good in the instance of bettering yourself, the way you live, and certainly the ones around you. Yes.. the ones who have stayed in your life who you love, and then the ones who leave and come back.

The Star;; NEW HOPE.. RENEWAL; PROMISE, PROTECTION. OLD WOUNDS HAVE BEEN HEALED AND NEW OPPORTUNITIES HAVE ARISED. HOWEVER, THEIR MAY BE OBSTACLES TO OVERCOME WITH IT. CHANGE IS AMONG THEM.

Her smile left her face and her new habit of biting her lip took over. The once long, confident strides she took turned to slow and awkward as she mentally cursed herself. Surprisingly, Sakura knew it was a matter of time; she wouldn't give up.. they wouldn't give up. And when she thought of the achievements, she couldn't help but smile once again. The cherry blossom's hand position changed to one hand grasping her other wist. Yes, there was no horrid salt thrown in to the wounds and deep scratches. Instead but a scar in her mind that would eternally remain as a reminder.. like all important memories and she supposed it was to have roses in December. In this new day and age, the past is now the past and she starts today to put everything behind her. Even still, memory is a way of holding on to the things you love, the things you are, and the things you never want to lose.

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Look how pretty she is when she falls down.
There is no beauty in bleeding mascara.
Lips are quivering like a withering rose.
Back again..

A/N! ~
• I rambled -- a lot. Some parts do not even make sense, but it's okay.
• In the part (last paragraph) where I talked about her grasping her wrists and then I went to talk about wounds and cuts.. I didn't mean Sakura literally cut herself or anything if it seems that way..
• And No. She is not Sasuke angsting through the whole thing. =p It's an overview of everything and everyone.
• Also, the "The Tower, The Star" things, those are just tarot cards.
• The lyrics I got from Atreyu's "Bleeding Mascara"

[Hatake, Kakashi]

Behind the mask...

His soft steps hardly made a scratching sound in the dirt as he walked along the streets of Konoha. As always the same book sat in his right hand, he could not go anywhere without reading this book. His only uncovered eye would remain transfixed upon the pages that he had taken in so many times before, would take in so many more times still. To many it was a mystery how he could read the same thing over and over and never seem to tire of it. He would chuckle to himself as he thought of all of those that were probably confused by that aspect of him. To some he was an enigma, but to a select group he was a great friend, an excellent Sensei, and almost like a father. He would smile beneath his mask as he passed the ramen shop.

His eyes wandered to the opening as he passed, taking in those who were inside at the counter. No orange jumpsuit was in sight, which meant that it was probably still way too early for Konoha's number one knuckle headed ninja. Perhaps that was a good thing, however today it was not. He wanted to speak with them, to mention a few things about their teamate that had been returned. While it was a sigh of relief to have Sasuke back, he could not help but feel that there was something that was going through the young mans mind. Just what had the Akatsuki member told the boy when they were together? It seemed that Sasuke was constantly plagued by something, however he could not seem to place his finger on it.

Lost within his thoughts he would not notice the young Kunoichi until he was within ten meters of her. His eyes passed over her face casually as he took in her expression. It also seemed that lately that there was something that was bothering her as well. He could tell that it probably had something to do with Sasuke, or at least that was his assumption from years of experiance with her. Closing his book he would raise his hand in the air and wave it from side to side enthusiastically. "Oi, Sakura!" he would call from his spot in the street as he stopped walking. Getting her attention, hopefully, Kakashi would think about his next move carefully. 'How should I go about getting her onto the topic...?' he pondered as he beamed at her. "It seems I have run into you first, the other two seem to be missing!" he said with another chuckle.

...No one can see the pain.

[Haruno Sakura]

"Oi, Sakura!"

Naturally, her interest piqued as she scanned for her caller. Emerald eyes immediately locked onto signature grey hair and a more than half hidden features. Lips curved to a smile as she recognized her sensei. "Kakashi-sensei!" she spoke as she continued to walk to be within conversation distance from him.

As the pink-haired kunoichi shortened the distance with her sensei, she contemplated the possibility of a mission. A strange eagerness welled up, for a nostalgic feel came as well. She disregarded her curiosity and wishful thinking, because they were all much older and probably busy with their own things. It was just a passing thought. Upon reaching him, he told her that he could not find the other two, obviously meaning Naruto and Sasuke. She blinked as she tried to figure where they could be. Naruto, for one, would probably be in bed because of how young the day was. There was also a possibility for Sasuke to be home as well. She gave a sheepish smile. "Well, Naruto's probably still in bed.. Have you tried his place yet?"

[Hatake, Kakashi]

Kakashi would laugh softly, it did not surprise him that her first guess was also the same as his. Naruto was always lazing about, waiting until the last minute to do anything. However it also made him laugh that he in a way was just like Tsunade. There had been a few times that he had caught her sleeping at her desk, however he had left her be to avoid being almost killed like Jiraiya. Naruto was still the same as ever, but that was not what worried him. Sasuke seemed a little different lately, as if he had become more withdrawn from the village. "No, no. I didn't feel the need to stop by and bother him if he wasn't already about." said Kakashi with a smile as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "It was actually you I needed to find the most anyhow." he stated as he motioned to a bench. Walking over he would take a seat.

Still close enough to talk while she came over, he would begin to explain what he wanted to discuss. "I need to talk to you about Sasuke." he stated bluntly. Out of all the people he could talk to on an even level, Sakura was definitely the best one to approach for this. "He seems to be acting a little odd as of late. It's been concerning me, the real reasons to his odd behavior. Perhaps his captive did something to him or told him something that he should not know." he stated simply. He would move his hand to his chin for a moment and massage it gently. "This could potentially be a danger to us all. Therefore I would like to ask you to do something for me...I need you to spy on Sasuke." he said with a look of dead seriousness. He knew it was a hard thing to ask one friend to do to another, but he had to get information and she was one of the few who could get it.

"I know what I ask of you is difficult to grasp, but I just can't shake this feeling..." he stated as he watched her reactions with great interest. This was by far one of the most important missions she had ever been asked to embark upon. "I also wondered if you would be trying to advance to the rank of Jounin anytime soon?" he stated now, trying to lead the conversation in a cheery direction. She had grown quite a bit in the many years that had passed since Sasuke's desertion. "With your skills you should easily be ready." he said with a smile as he gave her the nice guy pose. The ease at which he could go from dead serious to sort of whacky was amazing, but that was one of his many aquired skills. 'I know this will be hard for her, but she has to do this...' he thought to himself through the smile.

[[[artist]] Sai]

Maybe we're trying...
Trying too hard...
Maybe we're torn apart...
Maybe the timing...
Is beating our hearts...

"I am sorry, but I could not help but overhear your conversation."

Looking dully at the two people in front of him, Sai had a sketchpad in one hand and a brush in the other. A soft smile was plastered on the Root Anbu's face, before walking up to his teammate and team captain. Sai had only ever talked to Yamato-taichou, and at times on a rare occassion dickless and Sakura. Arching a brow, a sense of confusion had aroused in the boy's mind.

Silence took over for a moment, Sai gave a quick bow of the head. "Konbawa, Sakura-san, Kakashi-sempai," Sai murmured quietly, the polite artiste brought his head up again and his smile remained. The Konohagakure headband shone against the sun's rays, and Sai's confused look had turned to something...Emotionless, in a way. Clearing his throat, he quietly placed his brush back into a pouch he had with him; the sketchbook in his unoccupied hand. The same obsidian eyes closed for a moment, before scratching his cheek.

...I overheard your conversaion on accident, suimasen (excuse me,sorry) . But it intrigued me and now I feel somewhat odd asking this but..." Sai's voice faltered, he seemed hesitant. Sai had not really wanted to disrupt the two, as they were talking privately but something had made him approach them. He had heard the names 'Sasuke' and 'Naruto', and the Anbu member had recalled just a year or two ago- meeting the both of them. Sai was quiet for a moment, he remembered something that Sakura had said to him on their first mission together with Yamato-taichou and himself.

Naruto and Sasuke were like brothers, did that mean Sakura felt the same way about the two other teammates? Contemplating whether he should really pry into this situation, Sai took a small step back from the two. " ...Um...Nevermind, I do not think I should have really pry myself into this. Gomennaisai (sorry,excuse me), Sakura-san, Kakashi-sempai." he stated quietly. Almost embarrassed that he had come up to them and wasted their time, Sai grimaced for a small second. Dark locks of hair hovered his eyes as he bowed his head, in respect and quietly started to walk the other way.

We're [[empty]]

ooc.// Hope you don't mind if I jump in here. D: I felt a bit lazy to make a new thread. x.x

[Haruno Sakura]

The woman nodded and followed her sensei. As she mimicked him by taking a seat on the bench as well, she heard him begin his topic with Sasuke. With a nod occasionally here and there, she listened to his reasonings concerning Sasuke's actions lately. It all made sense, after she thought about it. Then again, Sakura wasn't really sure what to do. Sasuke has always been Sasuke.. distant and rather cold to others around him. Again, she wasn't sure on whether or not to pry into his mind, even though something told her that there was something wrong. It could have been merely out of fear on Sakura's part as to why she just let him be and keep at least some type of distance; she certainly didn't want him to have any more aspirations to leave again or anything.. But one thing was for sure that something was perhaps tormenting him. And while she thought of herself as a friend towards him, she couldn't let that go, should she? A friend should always help out one another. She chose her road.

With Kakashi becoming concerned, Sakura knew it was time to confirm her beliefs. At first, Sakura blinked and slightly showed that she was a bit taken back with her sensei's commands. To spy on Sasuke.. Shortly after, her face appeared stern and she nodded. A slight pang came upon her, but she hid the feeling. It was just all so wrong to her. She hated the way that Sasuke could not be trusted. She loathed the reasons as to why even more. Sakura listened to Kakashi changing the subject a bit and soon the word 'jounin' repeated in her mind. Of course Sakura would like to be promoted to jounin, but things seemed to occupied her at the moment. Even still, she replied with a smile. "Thanks, Kakashi-sensei. I would actually love to.." She trailed off a bit as her stare turned to the incomer.

Eyes immediately locked on to just black. His sketchbook in hand, the one Sakura has come to know as just Sai, greeted them formally. She nodded back in response to his polite gesture. She watched his awkward act as he stumbled and she tried to smile as a symbol that it was OK. Still, he turned to walk away, and Sakura mindlessly spoke. "Sai, it's okay," she said with a sheepish grin while her palms faced him waving for his attention. "...really. What was your question?" A few small beads of sweat rolled down her cheeks, but quickly vanished.
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ooc.- I hate this post. Sorry. D:
Also, it's set in the morning Sai.. just to let you know.

[/blockquote]

[Hatake, Kakashi]

Just as he would mention the task he had wanted her to perform he had felt someone approach. Apparently this one, known as Sai, had over heard the conversation. While it was not something he had really wanted many other people to hear, this one was also directly affected by this as well. Watching him, he seemed to feel out of place, or perhaps like he should not have interjected. Waving his hand he would motion for the boy to stay. "You have already heard, therefore it becomes your business too." he stated with a serious tone. His look was grim. This one was known to have ties with Danzou, he had also been aware of what he had tried to do back at Orochimaru's lair awhile ago. Since then he had not been so suspicious but with Danzou close by one could not be too catious. "Now that you know this, you will assist Sakura." he stated simply.

Noting the look on her face, he knew how she felt about the way Sasuke was treated. This however could not be ignored, it was of top priority. "I know this is unfair of me to ask you, however we have no choice. This is a mission, therefore it must be done against all complaints." he stated firmly. Never had he felt like he was in this type of position with them. Had they ever heard Kakashi issue a command that didn't sound very kind? Perhaps it was simply due to the grave times that he seemed to have hardened his heart a bit. There was something about that Akatsuki, something he was unsure of. In a few ways his behavior was something that kinda made him feel like at one point he had known him. However that would have to be kept pushed back in his mind, it was impossible...right?

"Im sorry for this, but I have so many other missions that are top priority for us right now that you are the only ones I could trust this to" he said as he stood up. With a quick stretch he would yawn. The day was already beginning in earnest. "I also have another thing I'd like from you, Sakura. I need you all to come see me later for another training session. I would love to see just how strong you all are." he stated. However his main target was Sasuke, even she should have caught on to that. He mostly wanted to see where his abilities were. If they were as great as he thought, great enough to beat Itachi, then was there any chance that Kakashi could control him should he strike out?