After stowing the letter, Sakura looked at the two men. "I understand Chief Soga's intentions. However, the tricky part is that I can't leave the village freely. So, I'd like to ask for your help with something."
"Please, don't hesitate to ask. Lord Chino has instructed us to cooperate fully if you require any assistance," the middle-aged merchant stated.
Sakura gave the merchant a surprised glance; it seemed this was indeed Lord Chino's private caravan. She nodded. "It's nothing major. In a little while, I'll need you to go to the village and submit a formal request for an escort mission back to your lands. Remember, when you make the request, please specify that I am to complete the mission."
If the client making the request was familiar with a particular ninja, the village usually wouldn't refuse, though a necessary background check would still be conducted to prevent ninja from walking into enemy traps.
"Understood. When would you like us to depart?" the middle-aged merchant inquired.
"You can go submit the request now," Sakura said, then, remembering something, added, "If the people at the Mission Assignment Hall say they don't know who I am, just tell them to report it directly to the Hokage."
It had just occurred to Sakura that since her ninja license had been revoked, her name might not be in the Mission Assignment Hall's active roster. However, if she went to sort out her registration now, it would probably be processed by the time they finished with their request.
"Alright, we'll head off then," Ryuichi said. "Is there anything else you need help with?"
"Nope, that's all. You two should get going," she said with a wave, not bothering to see them off.
After the two men had left, Sakura found a piece of paper, scribbled a note for Karin, and then headed out.
Once on the street, her stomach rumbled. Looking up at the sky, she saw the sun was high; it was already noon. She had woken up late, and with all the back-and-forth to her master's office, midday had arrived before she knew it.
She had intended to get her photo taken and deliver it to her master right away, but now she figured she'd eat first. The Mission Assignment Hall was probably closed for lunch around this time anyway.
She fumbled in her pocket and found a little money she'd forgotten was still in these clothes. She'd bought the outfit – a black t-shirt, a pair of super-short shorts, and open-toed sandals – after returning to the village. With her hair tied in a ponytail, she looked for all the world like a modern city girl, not a ninja in the slightest.
The new and the old, the advanced and the backward, all blending together in this shinobi world. What a contradictory place, Sakura muttered to herself as she walked towards Ichiraku Ramen.
Sakura wasn't particularly fond of noodle dishes, so despite Ichiraku Ramen's fame, she hadn't eaten there much. The few times she had gone were either with Naruto or when she was little and couldn't resist her parents dragging her there.
Today, for some inexplicable reason, she suddenly felt like trying it again. When she arrived at Ichiraku Ramen, there weren't many customers, as it was the middle of the day. Evenings were usually much busier.
"Welcome!" the ramen stand owner's beautiful daughter greeted her warmly.
Sakura thought for a moment but ultimately couldn't recall the ramen owner's daughter's name. She found a seat and tilted her head back to look at the menu hanging on the wall. "A bowl of tonkotsu ramen, please."
"Coming right up!" Teuchi's daughter replied politely. They didn't really know each other; if it had been Naruto, they probably would have chatted up a storm.
"Hmm?" Teuchi, his eyes usually narrowed to slits, suddenly turned towards Sakura, studying her for a long moment. "Are you... Sakura-chan?" he asked, his tone uncertain.
Her current attire was worlds apart from her previous style. Not to mention the changes in her appearance – her now well-developed, curvaceous figure and a temperament completely different from before meant that unless someone was quite close to her, they wouldn't recognize her immediately upon first sight.
"You know me?" Sakura tilted her head, looking curious. Teuchi might be famous, but he wasn't a ninja and didn't belong to her circle. Besides, she hadn't eaten here many times.
"I do," Teuchi said with a gentle smile. "You've been here a few times, and Naruto mentions you often. It's a bit hard to forget."
"Is that so?" A spark of curiosity lit up in her eyes. "What does he say about me?"
"He says you're the only one who was willing to be his friend, and that he wants to protect you always," Teuchi said cheerfully.
"Protect me? He can barely protect himself," Sakura muttered under her breath with a hint of disdain, though the expression on her face was undeniably happy.
"Indeed. That's why, before he left, he said he was going to train hard so he could come back and protect you," Teuchi clearly heard her quiet complaint.
"He tells you everything, doesn't he?" Sakura pouted slightly, then added with a sigh, "Then again, back then, you were probably the only one willing to talk to him."
"That's true. But seeing him make so many friends now makes me happy for him," Teuchi said, placing a steaming bowl of ramen in front of Sakura. "Your tonkotsu ramen is ready."
"Thank you." Sakura picked up her chopsticks and began to eat silently.
Yep, still not a big fan of ramen. She looked at the enormous bowl with a pained expression; Teuchi had probably given her an extra-large portion on the sly.
Her palate had become picky again since returning. When she was out in the field, anything tasted good, but back home, she was all sorts of fussy.
It wasn't that Sakura had any complaints about the taste of Ichiraku Ramen – honestly, it was quite good – but she just didn't have much of an appetite for noodle dishes.
Still, she'd ordered it, so she had to finish it, even if it brought tears to her eyes. Who knows why I inexplicably craved ramen today, she thought. After a valiant struggle, Sakura let out a satisfied burp and reached for her money to pay.
"No need. This one's on me," Teuchi suddenly said.
"Ah, I couldn't possibly," Sakura protested; she wasn't about to eat for free.
"Haha, it's alright. You don't really like ramen much, do you? I can tell," Teuchi said with a hearty laugh.
"Er..." Sakura's face flushed slightly. He saw right through me! This made her feel even worse about not paying. She quickly placed the money on the counter and dashed out. "Goodbye, Teuchi-ojisan!"
"Hey now..." Teuchi shook his head with a helpless smile. It was a bit disheartening that his ramen was being passed over for reasons other than its taste.
After leaving Ichiraku Ramen, Sakura headed straight for the photo studio. When she arrived, she found it even quieter than the ramen shop. After explaining her photo requirements to the owner, the picture was ready in no time.
Just as she stepped out of the photo studio, still admiring the image of herself in the photo – a blend of innocence, a touch of cuteness, and an air of valor in her eyes – an ANBU operative appeared before her.
"Sakura Haruno, Lady Hokage summons you," the ANBU said.
"How did you know I was here?!" Sakura was a bit irked at having her moment of narcissism interrupted. Do all ANBU have noses like bloodhounds? How do they find people so accurately?
"No comment," the ANBU stated flatly, then vanished.
"Tch." Sakura looked annoyedly in the direction the ANBU had disappeared. The Body Flicker Technique used a short burst of chakra to achieve speeds the eye couldn't follow. However, she no longer needed her eyes to see things; unless he was outside her sensory range, no Body Flicker Technique would be effective against her.
When she pushed open the door to the Hokage's office, she saw her master looking at her with an expression that was half exasperated, half amused. Sakura instinctively shrank back a little.
"Lady Tsunade, you wanted to see me?" Sakura said respectfully.
"Where's your photo?" Tsunade cut straight to the chase. "You know perfectly well why you're here. Hand over the picture."
"Hehe." Sakura gave an embarrassed laugh and handed the photo to her master.
"Here. This is your forehead protector. You'll need it for missions," Tsunade said, taking a Konoha-marked forehead protector from a drawer. "However, although the mission has been assigned to you specifically, I'll be assigning you two teammates."
"Oh, that won't be necessary," Sakura said, scratching her head.
"This is my only condition. Your current situation is very dangerous. Red Shoal Island isn't far from the Land of Water, and I won't feel at ease with you going alone," Tsunade said, her gaze fixed on Sakura.
"Er, alright then." Sakura had no choice but to compromise. As for whether they were meant to monitor her, she didn't want to think so poorly of her master.
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