This piece was commissioned by @sayurinomoe (commissions info) for my story Healing Hands. I’m in love with it. Thank you so much.
I wanted to share the scene with you guys, even though it’s part of the second arc. There are some slight spoilers but nothing major. This is early edit stage so it might not look this way when we finally come to to the scene in story.
Ignoring Sakura, Tenzo dug through the pack at his feet and pulled out a sealing scroll. She arched one eyebrow skyward as he opened it to study the seals on the ground between them. He frowned, then channeled a flicker of chakra into one of the seals. The kanji glow golden for a moment, then a pile of clothing appeared in a poof of smoke.
Tenzo picked up the bundle and offered it to Sakura. “If you’re going to complete Anbu missions, you should look the part.”
Sakura fingered the black and silver fabric, surprised that Tenzo had considered the uniform. The black compression fabric of the shirt concealed something. Sakura shifted the garment aside and found an Anbu mask tucked into the folds. Laughter bubbled from her lips when she pulled the porcelain free. The stylized creature could only be a mouse with the pink whiskers spreading from its tiny nose. A blush of pink behind the whiskers and inside each ear were the only colors on the mask. "Seriously?"
"Go on, little mouse," Tenzo teased, sounding more like himself than he had in days. The early anger evaporated in the heat of the moment. Sakura felt like she could draw another full breath. "We all need our rest, and you most of all."
Sakura wanted to argue that Tenzo had slept less than she had over the past two days, but arguing wouldn’t get her anywhere. Going deeper into the forest, Sakura swapped her jonin uniform for the Anbu. The top made her feel uncomfortably exposed, but the freedom of movement that it provided could be life saving in combat. Long gloves were made of the same tight material, providing additional protection beneath the armguards. The pants weren’t much different from her normal ones, at least.
Eyeing the flak vest, Sakura rocked back on her heels. She knew from experience that the material was lighter than her jonin vest. If she hadn’t seen Tenzo put on and remove the same garment half a dozen times, Sakura wouldn’t have known where to find the hidden zipper that released the sides. Even so, it was more difficult to close than she’d expected. Much like the shirt, the silver armor fit snugly against her chest. She adjusted the fit a couple of times, tugging up and down until she felt like she could almost draw a breath.
Content that everything was in place, Sakura sealed her old armor away as easily as Tenzo had made the new one appear. She tucked the scroll away and stood, dusting stray grass from her pants leg. Next, she tried on the mask. The world shrunk around her, the hard porcelain narrowing her vision to pinpoint focus. Sakura couldn’t help but wonder if her peripheral vision would be limited by the mask. She supposed that someone smarter than her had figured out a way around that.
Content that she was as ready as she’d ever be, Sakura walked back toward their makeshift campsite. The cool air that brushed across her bare shoulders felt foreign as she spied Tenzo kneeling beside his bedroll. “Well, how does it look?”
Tenzo glanced up at the sound of Sakura’s voice. His eyes widened as they took in the sight of her in full Anbu uniform. “I-uh-I-”
“I look stupid don’t I?” Sakura reached up and removed the mask, hooking it on the belt with surprising ease. “I’m not Anbu. I look like a little kid playing dress up. This vest is too tight--”
“No,” Tenzo interrupted the slur of words that Sakura didn’t seem to be able to stop. Her cheeks flushed at the tirade, trying to stop herself from babbling. An almost smile played across Tenzo’s lips before he looked away. If the man started laughing now, Sakura was going to hit him, consequences be damned. Warmth colored Tenzo’s cheek as his eyes returned and traveled up to Sakura’s face. “You look nice.”
Nice? The adjective seemed to be the least fitting one that Sakura could imagine. Fierce, deadly, or powerful she could have accepted. But nice? Tenzo busied himself with his blanket, folding the fabric one way then the other to smooth out the wrinkles. Sakura huffed under her breath. “Nice? What is that supposed to mean?”
“Just that it looks to fit,” Tenzo answered almost as soon as the question left Sakura’s mouth. He glanced up again, pink deepening toward red on his face. “I wasn’t sure that I got the measurements right.”
“Oh.” Sakura hadn’t considered that Tenzo had guessed her sizes perfectly without asking. “Thanks.”
Tenzo raised his shoulder in one of his depreciating shrugs without looking up. “It was necessary for the mission.”
“No, it wasn’t.” When Tenzo didn’t respond, Sakura knelt and unrolled her blanket beside his. Tenzo continued preparing himself for bed, the moment passing as quickly as it had come. He was angry at her and had been since they left Konoha. The uniform had been planned, even when he was furious at her for refusing to sign his unconditional mission release. Sakura exhaled and pulled her knees up to her chest. She knew better than to press Tenzo when he was angry. She’d learned that much at least.
Tenzo had the final watch of the night, so he slipped beneath his blankets without looking back at Sakura. She could have responded with a petty huff at the way he was acting, but she saw the war inside that he tried to hide. He wanted the mission to go well, to prove that he could go back on the Anbu roster. He didn’t want Kakashi to know how bad things had been the past few weeks. He didn’t want to look weak. Maybe he was afraid that she saw him differently now, after everything.
Recalling the nights spent curled up in Tenzo’s bed, Sakura waited until his breathing took on the steady cadence of false sleep. She crossed the space between them, resting two fingers on his shoulder. Tenzo shuddered, a movement so brief that Sakura almost missed it. The tension bled from his back and his breathing eased just enough for Sakura to know he appreciated the gesture. That was good enough for her.
