(A/N: Play music for more effect.)

"Smile, Sakura-chan, dattebayo!"

"I do not smile," she replied, staring into the lenses of the camera emotionlessly.

"Don't force her to do something she doesn't want to do, Dobe," Sasuke argued, defending Sakura.

"Whatever, Teme! I know that you want to see her smile, too, —ttebayo! It's just that you li—" He was stopped by Kakashi, who clutched both boys' head with his hands.

"Now, now," their sensei said in a fake-calming tone, "we shouldn't fight. This man in front of us took the time to go out here and take Team 7's picture for us."

"Yes," Sakura agreed, not bothering to look toward who was behind her, "but it is a requirement to have a picture for the Hokage's records of all teams, so it would not matter if the man left, because another would replace him."

The man taking their pictures sighed, then lifted the cloth from over his head to look at them. "Are you going to be ready soon?"

"Perhaps," Sakura replied, still looking forward without blinking, her arms behind her back casually.

:::

"I hate cats, dattebayo!"

"Tch, that's because they hate you," Sasuke scoffed, glaring at the cat resting in Sakura's arms peacefully. There were a few sticks and leaves protruding from his hair.

"How come Tora likes you, Sakura-chan?" Naruto complained, looking over the multiple scratches on his arms.

"I do not know. It seems I attract animals in general," Sakura said, patting the car on its head. "I do not like animals, however." She didn't have any scratches or sticks and leaves in her hair. These are the types of animals that foolish fangirls fawn over. I am not a fangirl.

"Let's just turn Tora in, for the fifth time this week," Kakashi muttered the last part, then began walking out of the woods, reading his book. His three students followed dutifully.

:::

"Can't we get something more exciting, —ttebayo? Like...a C-ranked mission?"

"Naruto! You're fresh out of the Academy, you can't handle it!"

"Iruka, calm down. Naruto, you understand that because you are a new genin, the only missions available are D-ranked. When you complete more, you begin to take C-ranked, and when you become Chūnin..."

"...and then I had some more miso ramen, and I even got my last bowl for free because I ate so much!" The blonde laughed. Kakashi listened, looking absolutely bored out of his mind.

"NARUTO!"

"Sakura-chan, Teme! Why didn't one of you tell me to listen?!"

"...hn."

"It was a form of entertainment that was amusing to watch."

"Mou, Oji-san, can't we have a cool mission?!"

:::

"This is still lame!" Naruto yelled. "Even if it's my first time out of the village."

"Number 20 of the Shinobi Code states, 'A shinobi must never question their commander.' Are you questioning the Hokage's authority and commands over you?"

Not that I am obliged to serve the Hokage. He is a foolish old man that will die eventually. My commander is Orochimaru.

"Wh-what?! No, —ttebayo!"

"I thought it seemed that way," Kakashi said absentmindedly, flipping a page of his book.

Sasuke smirked from beside Sakura, and kept walking with his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah...but, still! It's lame that our mission is to get a scroll from an old man and then bring it back! It's probably not even that important," Naruto muttered.

"Perhaps we should not discuss what we are retrieving," Sakura said. "It may endanger the mission."

"And us," Sasuke added in.

Kakashi looked up from his book and stared intently at the girl walking in front of him. This girl was made to be a true shinobi. She doesn't show concern for us or others, only the objective.

"..." Sakura didn't say anything.

"How much longer, —ttebayo?!"

"Ano...we should be here very soon," Their sensei responded, then looked back down to his book.

:::

"Ah, I saw you would be coming!" The old man cackled and then wheezed from the strong incense floating about in the room.

Kakashi stepped forward, and said, "Hai. I am their sensei, Kakashi Hatake. This is Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, and Sakura."

"No surname?" Jiro, the old fortune teller, peered over to the pinkette.

"It is not necessary," Sakura replied, her cold green eyes boring into the questioning man's sunken ones.

"Very interesting..." He sat back onto his cushion, stroking his long beard. Around him were all sorts of crystal balls, necklaces, and telescopes, presumably to help him 'see into the future'.

"Yes. We have been requested to retrieve a scroll from you," Kakashi said, glancing at Sakura before the man in front of him.

"Perhaps you could drop the genjutsu as well," the pink-haired girl suggested. "It is serving as a distraction my teammates and I. Am I wrong, Duckbutt?"

The Uchiha stepped forward, ignoring the insult. "Sakura's right. Drop the genjutsu."

Naruto stood there, trying to see what his best friends were talking about. "What genjutsu?"

The old man smiled. "Very good, you two." The genjutsu dropped to have a young man in his early 20's with light, curly brown hair. His eyes closed as he smiled, showing off his pearly white teeth. A noticeable thing about his appearance was a short scar that connected with his eyebrow, stunting hair growth in the area. "It seems the young lady is very talented in illusions," his light blue eyes gleamed at Sakura.

It is possible he knows what my true intentions are, Sakura thought staring blankly at the young man. Then she began to study him. He seems to have trained in the art of genjutsu. The scar suggests a fight.

A resigned shinobi?

He is very young.

"Yes...she is," Kakashi stole another quick glance. "But we have a mission to fulfill."

"Mou~" Jiro pouted. "It's not often I meet people. But fine," he sighed, taking a scroll out of one of the seemingly endless supply of drawers in the room. "Here." He tossed it to the grey-haired man.

"Thank you," Kakashi bowed to him, signaling his students to bow as well. None of them did. Sweatdropping, he turned to leave.

"Wait! May I offer you my hospitality? Or I could read your future?"

"That's okay, we must be going," Their sensei politely declined.

Sakura stepped forward. "The art of fortune-telling is a mystery to all. Perhaps I could gather information on it," she reasoned.

"I can sense a strong presence within each of you...would you like me to interpret them?"

Sasuke scoffed. "Sakura, do you really believe in this stuff."

"Creating artificial intelligence seems impossible, no?" Jiro smiled smugly at Sakura's teammates' two confused stares. "Come closer." He beckoned to the pinkette.

She stepped up right across from Jiro, her two teammates right behind her. "You have found two good friends. They will protect you," He said, nodding towards Sasuke and Naruto. Surprisingly, the blonde hadn't said much. "Now, Experiment #528, let me see your future," The young man grabbed her wrist suddenly, and Sasuke drew a kunai, ready to attack. Calmly, Sakura's hand was turned over, and the lines in her palms were traced by a set of soft hands.

Sasuke twitched in irritation, along with Naruto, at the close proximity.

"You have a short and shallow life line. You are easily swayed or influenced," Jiro noted, tracing the next line in her palm. "A long, wavy head line. You are very intelligent, and think things thoroughly before acting. You have a lot of inner conflict, and are usually unstable or untrustworthy." He looked up. "You don't have a heart line."

"Which means...?" Sasuke's eyes narrowed at the description.

"She is a person ruled by logic, and doesn't care for many people. I sense, however, that may change in the future." He looked from Sasuke to Sakura, his eyes twinkling.

"Is that all, or are you going to initiate hand to hand contact some more?" Sakura asked.

"Ah! No, I'm done here." He dropped her hand like it was burning him.

"Aa." Sasuke pulled Sakura up and nodded to Naruto, who nodded back. "Let's go, then."

As the trio headed to the exit, Jiro called out, "Open up to others!"

No one looked back, and they all left.

:::

"You are usually loud and howling like a monkey," Sakura said. "What is wrong, Ramen-boy?"

"Hn." I agree with Sakura, what's wrong with you?

"Eh...I just want ramen, dattebayo!" Sasuke sweatdropped, and then got into a fight with the blonde, tossing their usual insults at each other.

"It seems Ramen-boy does have an addiction to ramen," Sakura noted.

"Oi!"

What will bring Sasuke and Sakura closer together? (Yes, this is SasuSaku, because have you seen my profile?)

This scene wasn't in the manga or anime. Why did I add it?