Cel number 7 wandered exhaustedly through the woods after a day's training. Naruto, having the most energy left, looked around him and realized this wasn't a part of
forest he remembered ever being in.
"Kakashi-sensei, where are we?"
"Hm?" Kakashi lifted his head from his book to look at him. The company had stopped several feet behind Kakashi and was looking across a clearing with an old house to one side.
"K-Kakashi-sensei? What is this place?" Sakura asked in a listless voice. The wind blew strands of her hair across her face.
The chounin walked to where they were and looked himself. "That...," he said in a low tone, "is a grave."
His students looked at him in wonder, with the exception of Sasuke, who never appeared to be suprised at anything.
"W-what?"
Before they knew it, Kakashi had continued on the trail.
The Rose that Blooms part 1
"Whaat!"
The pink haired diva was literally screaming beside Naruto's ear. He stuck a finger in it to help soothe it, "Damn, Sakura-chan! Explode my eardrums, whydoncha!"
Sakura and Sasuke ignored it and just stared at Kakashi; Sakura with disbelief and Sasuke with indifference.
Kakashi smiled under his mask. "That's right. After watching you three for a while, I'm sending you to another sensei for a little while. But don't worry, when she's done with you, she'll send you back."
"But whyyyyy, Kakashi-sensei?", Naruto pleaded. "What've we done wrong?"
"Nothing. It's just you three are strong, but you have no control. This new sensei will help. Once you learn to control your power and chakra, she'll send you back to me."
With that, Kakashi wandered off leaving his students huffy, aggravated, and slightly confused. The three sat in silence started by disbelief. Sasuke was the first to stand and start his walk home. Sakura and Naruto soon followed. A thought finally donned on Naruto.
"Hey, Kakashi-sensei said 'she'. Does that mean our new sensei is a girl?"
Ideas started flowing into the thoughts of Sakura and Naruto. Sasuke ignored them.
"What's she like, I wonder," Sakura asked herself.
Kakashi sat talking to Iruka about his most recent decision.
"You're calling her in to teach them!" Iruka was about jumping out of his skull.
"Yes, she could be a good experience for them."
Naruto's former teacher stared at Kakashi in the same disbelief as his students did.
"But, Kakashi..Are you sure it's okay for her to come here? I mean, considering the last time?"
"I'm sure everything will be fine, Iruka." Kakashi silenced himself now and sat coolly reading his book.
Daylight soon gave way to night, and a full moon lit the roofs of the houses. The glow fell onto a slim figure crossing over the gate. Light reflected on the hitai ate around the figure's arm The light reflected shown into Naruto's window, making him unable to sleep for a few moments. He sat up, only to catch a glimpse of the figure disappearing into the forest before letting his head crash down upon his pillow again.
Morning came, bringing a letter to each member of Cel 7. The three met in the main street.
Clutching his letter, "Hey! You guys got one too," Naruto screamed eyeing the letters in his teammates' hands.
" Haruno Sakura, " Sakura began reading hers aloud while the boys read their own, " be at the burnt grave by noon to meet your new sensei. The burnt grave?" Her eyes were perplexed trying to think.
"Yeah! That place we saw with Kakashi-sensei with the old house and stuff," Naruto proclaimed.
Sasuke apparently already knew as the look of realization passed over Sakura, but seemed to ignore him.
After some figuring out where the place was again, the three parted ways and ate lunch and began preparing for whatever training awaited them.
Just before noon, the three found themselves standing before the burned field with no sensei. A look of aggravation soon swept over them. They sat quietly thinking insults to have ready for when their sensei appeared. They knew whatever first word was spoken, fighting would start between them; and they didn't feel like dealing with it.
As the clocks drew nearer to noon, Naruto, finally being the first to move, stood and stepped close to the burnt part of the field. He thought it was strange. The grass was green, but in the middle of the clearing, was a blackened brown square with a distinct line where the green stopped abruptly. He stood at the edge of the green and crouched down on his heels to look closer. He raised a finger to touch it.
"What's so special about thi-GYYYAAAAAAAHH!"
The sudden noise seemed to force Sakura and Sasuke to their feet. Where Naruto was just standing, a kunai had found its temporary home, and Naruto was on the ground a few steps back.
"Rule number one," a sudden, unfamiliar voice called to them, "you will never touch the field."
The team looked to the porch of the old house to the owner of the voice-and kunai-a woman sitting on the ledge. Her black hair, which would fall in her eyes, save for a bandana around her head, fell around her face.
Naruto, now fully awake, pointed at her shouting, "When did you get there!"
Sakura just stared at her. Sasuke glared thinking to himself, "I didn't even sense her presence. She's good.."
The hard, cold eyes of their new sensei bore down examining them. She stood, stuffing a hand into her pocket.
"You will address me as Hikaru-sensei."
Hikaru-sensei (c) me
Naruto characters/etc (c) Kishimoto