Hello un! My new story, yes, yes it is yeah. I know if your reading my other two your probably hating me right now, saying 'If she has time to write another story she should have time to update!' Well truth is, I've just been stumped with the others un. But no worries, I've got it all figured out and I should have them updated by next week un. Okay enough of this, on with the story yeah!
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Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto
--
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade
Or preferably
When life gives you blood, spill it
"FOREHEAD-GIRL!"
"INO-PIG!"
"FOREHEAD-GIRL!"
"INO-PIG!"
"Girls! Get along or so help me I'll take these senbons and give you both permanent--"
"--Anko! The hokage wishes to see you." Kurenai walked up to the three girls sitting in front of the ramen shop.
"Huh? What the hell could she want with me?" Anko mumbled to herself while standing up and stretching. "Well then, I'm outta here. Thanks for lunch girls!" She grinned and ran off.
Sakura and Ino both gaped in her direction, "HEY! WHO EVER SAID WE WERE TREATING YOU TO LUNCH?!" She was far to gone to even hear, or she just didn't hear on purpose.
"Geez, that woman's more like Kakashi than she usually seems." Sakura huffed, slumping against her seat.
"H-hi Sakura…Ino." Sakura and Ino both looked up to see Hinata standing next to Kurenai. They forgot about them.
"Oh! Hi Hinata, how did your recent mission with your team go?" Sakura asked, grinning and patting her hand on the seat next to her, signaling her to sit down.
Hinata did just that with Kurenai telling her she had some business to attend to and continuing on her way. "It went w-well. I-it was o-only a C rank so I-it was simple." Hinata smiled shyly.
"Your so lucky you get to go on missions with your team still." Sakura's gaze down cast at her comment.
Hinata caught her solemn look and knew her reasoning, "D-don't worry Sakura-Chan. I-I'm sure N-Naruto will be h-home soon."
Sakura sighed, "I sure hope so." Then shook her head and looked up, "Well, I should be getting to the hospital. I'm sure Tsunade has something for me to do." She stood up and waved a short goodbye, leaving Ino and Hinata to chat awkwardly about boys.
--
Sakura decided to stop at the hokage's tower first to give Tsunade a quick visit, even though it wasn't her day for training.
She walked straight in and up to her office door, about ready to knock, she stopped.
Placing her ear against the door and slowing her breath to listen to the conversation inside. Normally she wouldn't invade privacy like this, but when you catch part of a conversation consisting of the words 'I'm not going to resign! They can't make me!' you get a little curious.
'Anko, what do I do?' She clearly identified that slurred speech as Tsunade's.
'Tsunade! Please don't drink so much.' Shizune's concerned voice jumped in.
"So, Shizune, Tsunade, and Anko…strange grouping." Sakura whispered to herself.
'Your not going to listen, that's what!' Anko snarled.
'No Anko, you don't understand. It's not that easy, I have no choice.'
'Tsunade! Please stop drinking!'
'Shizune, I honestly need sake at a time like this.'
'Heh, fine I'll make an exception for this once.'
'Tsunade, why exactly do they want you to resign as hokage?'
"WHAT? Tsunade you can't!" Sakura burst into the room frantically drawing all eyes to her. It seemed Anko and Shizune weren't the only ones in Tsunade's presence. Gai, Asuma, and Kurenai were all there too.
"Sakura?" Tsunade looked taken aback for a moment, blinking evenly.
"T-Tsunade! You can't resign as Hokage! You just can't!" Sakura screamed, ignoring the looks falling upon her.
"Aa, so you over heard." Tsunade leaned back in her chair and chugged down some more sake.
Sakura looked at her frantically, "Yes, I did."
"I have no choice Sakura. It's the elders choice, and that's how it has to be."
"B-but what about me being your apprentice? What am I supposed to do?" Sakura wailed desperately.
All eyes flew to Tsunade waiting for her response. She hesitated a bit, then a small smile played on her lips, "No worries Sakura, I'll still teach you."
Sakura sighed out in relief and a huge weight fell of her shoulders.
"Now, go on Sakura, help out down at the hospital for a bit." Sakura bowed her head and ran out.
The room was silent until Shizune broke it, "Tsunade, you just lied to your student. You know she's going to find out sooner or later."
Tsunade looked down solemnly and took another swig of her sake, "I know Shizune, but I'd rather not be the one to destroy her dreams." She replied quietly, letting the empty bottle slide out her hand and clank against the ones already littering her floor.
--
Sakura walked down the hallway corridor to room A115. She was assigned to shadow an older nurse today.
"Hey Sakura." Sakura looked up at the owner of the voice only to see walking from the opposite direction of the hallway waving at her.
"Hey Tenten. Why are you here?" Sakura questioned walking up to her.
"Lee's in here again for over exhaustion. He kept saying 'If I don't win the heart of my Cherry Blossom by tomorrow, I'll run 200 laps around Konoha.' and kept saying it over and over each day, so yeah, I was just here visiting him with Neji." Tenten shrugged.
"Neji? Where is he?" Sakura asked looking around thinking that she just missed him or something.
"Oh, he's not here anymore. He left a little while ago." She clarified, noticing Sakura's wondering eyes.
"Oh." Sakura answered.
"Well I suppose I'll be going. See you later tonight at the ramen shop like usual right?" Tenten asked walking backwards till she got Sakura's answer.
Sakura waved back, "Yeah, I'll be there" then walked off to room A115.
--
"Choji slow down! You'll choke, honestly!" Ino scolded the boy stuffing his face.
She got a simple "mfhafj fhammf" as a response.
"Gah, whatever!" She huffed and turned to speak to Sakura.
They were all together like usual. Every Friday they went to the Ichiraku Ramen stand together, just to be able to spend time together. At 13 and 14 years old they were already as busy as could be.
"Hey, where's Kiba?" Sakura asked, only getting shrugs and questioned looks as a response. Everyone was there, minus Sasuke and Naruto of course.
"H-He said h-he'd be here." Hinata answered, curious to the whereabouts of her teammate as well.
"Guys!"
"Oh, speak of the devil." Tenten grinned and gave a little wave to Kiba who was now running into the shop.
"Where have you been?" Ino asked him as he got closer.
He just leaned down and put his hands on his knees panting roughly, Akamaru at his side out of breath as well.
"Hey, you okay?" Choji asked, gorging himself for once.
Kiba nodded and stood up, taking a deep breathe. "Guys, you'll never believe what I found out."
Sakura sighed, figuring he found out about the hokage being resigned. Not news to her, she already new.
Kiba continued after the others kept giving the go ahead. "The hokage's being resigned."
Gasps circled the group of friends, "Oh my god, no way." Ino commented, flabbergasted.
"Wait, that's not all…" Now this caught Sakura's attention, what else did he know "…There's a new law…" He paused, his voice dying off.
"Well, go on." Sakura urged.
He took a deep breathe and continued, "Women are no longer aloud to be ninja."
All eyes went to Sakura, Ino, Tenten, and Hinata.
"What?" That was all Sakura could say, that was all any of them could say.
"Come on guys, I'll show you." Kiba started to jog out of the shop and everyone jumped up to follow him.
"Kiba, where are you taking us?" Shikamaru asked, catching up to him.
"The Hokage's tower, hurry up." He answered, picking up pace.
They got there only to have to push through a crowd of arguing people. Once they got to the front Tsunade stood in front of them on the steps leading to the inside of the tower.
Sakura instantly took notice to a large line of female ninja, all handing in their weapons, gear, and ninja headband. "No, NO!" She ran up to Tsunade, desperate for some kind of clarification.
"Tsunade! This can't be real!"
Tsunade looked down on her ex-student sadly and only nodded her head. Sakura got her clarification, just not the one she wanted.
Ino, Tenten, and Hinata now stood right behind Sakura, looking up at the Hokage hopefully.
"I'm sorry girls, but it's true. The elders passed the law. No more Kunoichi. Please hand over you headbands." She reached out her hand for them to hand their headbands over.
Sakura jerked away, grabbing at her headband possessively, "Your crazy if you think I'll hand it over." With that Sakura took off with her three friends tailing closely behind her.
--
Sakura sat in her living room with Ino, Tenten, and Hinata, sobbing violently.
"S-Sakura, p-please…it'll b-be okay." Hinata tried to console her hysterical friend.
She only got dry heaving as a response.
"Sakura, your going to kill yourself if you keep crying like this." Tenten added, jumping in to help.
Yeah, they were extremely upset too, but they weren't going to cry pointlessly about it. Crying shows weakness after all.
Sakura just cried harder, if possible.
Ino just watched, eyes hardening, she'd had enough. "SAKURA! Snap out of it! We'll get no where crying! You hear me?!"
Sakura stopped, her hand flew to her cheek…Ino had, slapped her.
"Are you going to be able to pay attention now?" Ino asked, her speechless friend.
Sakura just nodded her head dumbly. They were right, crying was pointless.
"Okay, so what are we going to do now? There is no way I'm going to quit being a ninja. We've worked to hard for this. We can't give up." Ino added in, strictly business.
Tenten shook her head, "But do we do?"
Ino just shrugged and silence fell over them.
"Leave, let's leave." They looked up at Sakura questioningly. She stood up and started walking to her room, them following, "We can leave. Go to another place and train, then when we get strong enough, change everything right again." Sakura grabbed out a small bag and started shoving traveling supplies in them.
Ino looked at her with knitted eyebrows, "Sakura, your not serious."
Sakura rolled her eyes at her, "No, I am. We'll get strong, and come back to give those sexist elders a piece of our minds." Sakura gripped her hands into a fist and looked at her friends expectantly.
All she got were weary looks. "Oh come on. Your going to come with me aren't you?"
Hinata just bit her lip and turned away. Tenten rubbed the back of her head and cringed a little, avoiding Sakura's eyes. Ino didn't, she started right into them.
"Listen Sakura, I know your upset. We are too, but don't you think that's a little drastic? We have family and friends here. I could resort to working in the flower shop, Tenten helps make weapons, Hinata's always busy with family affairs anyways, and you can always still work in the hospital right?" Ino asked hopefully.
Sakura dropped her hands to her side, "Ino, you were just saying a moment ago how you wouldn't let this happen, and now your saying we could always resort to other things?"
"I just think leaving is a bit drastic. Can't we just protest or something?" Ino asked smiling innocently.
Sakura just shook her head and returned to packing, "Your unbelievable. I thought you had more guts than that."
Ino flinched a little, "Hey, I never said I didn't have the guts, I just think it'd be overreacting to do something so drastic."
Sakura raised her brows at her, "Mmhmm, whatever you say Ino-pig."
"Okay that's it, if you think I'm not going cause I've got no guts then I'll show you. I'm going." Ino scowled and pumped a fist into the air.
Tenten sighed, Sakura got Ino right where she wanted her. "Hm, whatever, I'm in to I guess. Could be fun I suppose." Tenten shrugged while she toyed around with a kunai.
Sakura grinned from ear to ear, "Yes! Thanks guys! So, Hinata, what about you?" They all turned to the nervous girl left fidgeting with her own fingers.
She looked up and was attacked with their most vulnerable puppy dog faces, she sighed in defeat. "O-okay, I s-suppose." She was suddenly laying flat on her back with three girls on top of her giggling madly.
"Thank you Hinata-Chan! You won't regret it!" Sakura squealed and they all group hugged just a few more minutes before Sakura instructed them to go home and get packed. They'd be leaving first thing the next morning.
--
They all met up at Ino's house around 6 in the morning because it was closest to the gates.
"Well, are you ready?" Sakura asked watching as Tenten and Hinata adjusted their bags onto their backs.
"Yeah, we are." Ino answered for them and they all jumped up and to the roofs, making their way towards the gates.
"Okay, we're almost their." Tenten grinned.
"Hey, where do you think you girls are going?" They all instantly stopped and turned to see two anbu members clad in weapons.
'Crap, and we were so close.' Sakura thought shakily. "Well, you see we were…" Sakura trailed off, she didn't know what to say.
The anbu chuckled, "You were trying to escape weren't you? Well I don't think that'll be happeing."
"Well personally, we really don't give a shit about your opinion." They all watched as the two anbu fell knocked out to their knees, revealing Anko and Kurenai behind them in their ninja clad glory, weapons and all.
"Anko, Kurenai…what are you doing?" Sakura asked dumbly.
Anko laughed, "The same thing you are kid, getting the hell out of here. I'll be damned if I let those sexist elders strip me of my title as anbu. I'll kick their asses the next chance I get!" Anko gripped her hand into a fist and grinned madly.
Kurenai rolled her eyes at her overly excited friend, "Anko that's all fine and dandy, but would you mind kicking ass after we escape?" Kurenai didn't even wait for an answer and grabbed Anko's collar, pulling her along. "Coming girls?"
The girls all exchanged glances then followed with grins smeared across their anxious faces.
--
Anko looked back at them all again, "Okay, this is it. No turning back after we step foot out of here, you all ready?"
Sakura grinned, "You betcha."
"Alright then, here we go." And that was that, they stepped out of the place they once called home. Heading for a destination unknown.
--
About a mile away the commotion started to catch up behind them.
"She went that way! After her!" They heard a man yell a little ways behind.
"Do you think they're after us?" Ino asked worriedly.
Kurenai shook her head, "No, they would have referred to us as 'them' not 'she'. Let's go into the bushes over there." They all followed her lead, masking their chakra and keeping quiet.
"There's someone coming this way." Tenten said in a hushed voice.
Anko nodded, "That's probably who they're after. I'll pull her into the bushes once she gets close enough. Keep quiet." They nodded and waited.
'Okay, 3...2...1..." Anko thought then grabbed the girl by her arm, hauling her into the bushes.
"OW! You didn't have to--" Sakura smacked a hand over Ino's mouth. She never did know how to keep quiet.
They waited till six anbu members went flying past thinking the girl went straight.
Sakura pulled her hand back, allowing Ino to rub her sore mouth and scowl at Sakura.
The girl Anko sat up and stared at them all, rubbing her arm where Anko grabbed her. "Who are you?" Sakura asked trying to see who she was but failing, due to the little amount of light.
"It's me, Temari." She could tell who they were cause of their constant talking, the voices gave it away.
"Oh, Temari!" Sakura hugged her friend and then jumped straight to the questions. "Why were you getting chased?"
"They tried to take my weapons and headband. I'm not from Konoha and tried to tell them that but they wouldn't listen. They threatened to lock me up in compound, so I made a run for it." Temari stated filling them in.
"Wow, what's Konoha come to?" Anko questioned herself, standing up.
"Well, why don't you come with us then?" Sakura asked Temari hopefully.
Temari looked at her as if she were crazy, "Why would I do that? I have a village to go back to that isn't passing that stupid law."
Sakura paused in thought, "Yeah but, isn't this bad for Suna as well? What if they get the idea to do this well? What if Gaara decides to turn into a sexist bastard like those elders?" Sakura asked in exasperation.
"Sakura, come on. Get real. Gaara already is a sexist bastard. He would have passed a law like that by now if he were planning on it happening." Temari answered honestly.
"Okay okay, but how about you just come with us for the adventure? It'll be fun. Come on Temari. You need a break anyway." Sakura watched for her reaction but she didn't say anything.
"Sakura's right, it should be fun. C'mon kid, lighten up and come with." Anko added in and gave her a pat on the back.
Temari seemed a little reluctant but none the less gave in, "Oh all right. If it'll really make you happy."
"All right Temari!" All the girls jumped on her as well, group hugging once again.
"Okay girls, I think we've acquired enough comrades for now. Let's get going." Kurenai broke up their group hug and they all took off. Not knowing what to expect, but ready for anything.
When life gives you opportunity
take it
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Kay, so what'd you think yeah? Keep going, or is it not worth it un? Let me know yeah!
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