Tsunade and Kakashi listened intently to Sakura as she offered her opinion on the matter of the mission ahead of them. Tsunade was left to hold on to every word Sakura gave her, searching for a hint of doubt within each sentence. The young genin was speaking clearly, not shying away from her feelings as she continued to offer her own. The emotional trauma of Naruto and Sasuke both leaving was mentioned and during that time Tsunade's eyes wandered to Kakashi's. The two shared a short stare on the subject of Team 7's current state before returning attention to Sakura, who was in the middle of expressing her clear understanding of the position Tsunade was placed in. The Hokage took a deep breath as she closed out her small speech, hands coming together in front of her face. Kakashi took the opportunity to step ahead of Sakura, his right hand being placed firmly on her shoulder. Tsunade's eyes raised to meet his once again, expression softening. There was confidence in Kakashi's very presence; with Sakura's laughably limited time under his constant eye she was still lacking in areas he was meant to fill in for her. If this could all be avoided she'd have asked another unit, yet all others qualified were deployed. They were her best option.

[b]"Lady Tsunade, Sakura knows the risks and I'll be right beside her during the mission. She's smart enough to know the threat of someone in the bingo book, especially someone you need a jonin to be sent against personally. If you still have doubts, I'd like our results to silence them. Send us." [/b]

[b]"This criminal is on the level of Zabuza Momochi, if not above him. I'm concerned that I can't send another jonin to assist you. No matter how confident Sakura might be that she can see this through, there's still the issue of me overestimating just the two of you together." [/b]Tsunade shook her head, taking a stand. Her hands settled down on the table and balled into fists.[b] "Kakashi, shinobi take risks, you are just as aware of that as I am. I sent one chuunin and four genin out against four of Orochimaru's chosen subordinates and most of them nearly died. If it wasn't for the Sand's intervention--"[/b]

[b]"You blame yourself?" [/b]Kakashi questioned.

[b]"I wanted to believe in Naruto," [/b]Tsunade looked up at Sakura, eyes holding remorse, [b]"and I want to believe in you, too. Kakashi, if you're behind her, then your mission begins immediately. If I don't hear something from you within three days I am coming after you myself, am I clear?"[/b]

Kakashi nodded and gave Sakura's shoulder a firm squeeze of approval before beginning to turn away, [b]"A-rank?" [/b]he asked.

[b]"A-rank," [/b]Tsunade confirmed, [b]"and so you're not surprised, Suna intends to help us bring this criminal to justice. Expect help to arrive shortly after you get there."[/b]

[b]"Understood,"[/b] A wave of his hand and Kakashi had departed, leaving Lady Tsunade staring intently at their backs in silence. The concerns of a Hokage were many, and many decisions would come into question once you had such a responsibility. Kakashi did not fault Tsunade for her concerns given his past skirmish with Zabuza. After a run-down of what transpired, the concerns were not related to Sakura in his mind. Instead it had come back to him. Could he protect Sakura? Would he be able to make the right decisions related to her safety? As the pair of them left the Hokage's building he would settle an eye on her, hands pocketed casually. He looked for an expression, a sign of how she felt after her inclusion in this mission. Excitement. Enthusiasm. Anxiety. All were valid emotions and each state was not mutually exclusive, all three were more than possible to have at one time. With preparations for today only meant for long-term training not too far from the village they'd need to pack immediately.

[b]"Let's get you back home so you can pack. I typically have a bag prepared, so I won't take too long when we get by my place. You can impress your parents, too."[/b] Genin receiving missions of this level were an extreme rarity. It would be something Sakura could appreciate, and the time on the road could be spent continuing her training as they closed in on Tanzaku Town.