Sakura Haruno is a force to be reckoned with. No one knew that fact better than the male shinobi of her age group. "How long has she been at it?" Shikamaru asked in his lazy droll as he watched the kunoichi beat a large bolder repeatedly.
"Sakura-san is amazing; she is the perfect example of the essence of youth. She has been training for three solid hours and she is showing no signs of tiring. Sakura-san's dedication is most admirable!" Lee answered as he watched in awe.
"God, Lee you're an idiot she's not training. She's pissed! She's taking out her anger. And if we know what's best for us, we should beat it before she runs outta rock to hit." Kiba scowled at Lee's comments.
"You know as well as anyone Kiba, she's our problem, we can't just leave her. We're the only ones that can stop her. She keeps sending tremors towards the village with each kick she lands on that damn rock. She is such a troublesome woman" Shikamaru closed his eyes as he began to formulate a plan to calm down the raging woman. It was times like these that he felt sorry for Sasuke and Naruto.
"Is she even using her chakra enhanced strength?" Choji muttered in shock. Neji started at him slightly repulsed, his mouth was agape and pieces of chips hung from the corners of his lips.
"No she's not. It only would have taken one punch to destroy a boulder, if she was using her full strength. She's just chipping away at with pure taijutsu. It's her natural strength." Neji curtly said as he continued to observe the only female member of team seven.
Sakura glared, as she wiped the sweat off her brow, at the rock. She had reduced the bolder to a third of its original size. She leaped into the air and brought her calf down on the rock-hard. She pushed off its side and arched backwards and landed on her feet gracefully. Her bare feet made contact with the soft grass. Growling she raced towards the large boulder at full speed and barraged it with a series of rapid kicks. Her brow furrowed in anger and a snarl ripped through her throat as she crushed what remained of the once formidable boulder.
"Okay the mountain is gone, who's going to calm her down before she rips off our heads?" Kiba was frantic now.
"What the hell happened to her when I was gone?" Sasuke snapped as he silently dared anyone to answer his question. To say he was surprised would be a ludicrous understatement. Sasuke was taking aback. It was almost as if he had the carpet removed from his feet again. Next to the whole Itachi actually being a good-guy thing this was the biggest surprise of Sasuke's life.
"Nothing, Granny just taught her how to harness all that raw power she always had. Teme don't mess with Sakura-chan. She will hurt you." Naruto said gravely, his baby blue eyes showing no hint of mischief. The Uchiha raised his eyebrow in amusement. But his friend hadn't broken his gaze from his female teammate.
"Well, whatever we're going to do, we better do it quick. She's heading towards us." Shino announced softly.
"Damn," All the remaining males, excluding Sai, said at once.
"Sai cant you bind her with your ink?" Kiba asked looking back at the pale ex-anbu.
"No, Ugly will just break out of it. She's too powerful" Sai said as if the menacing aura that was approaching didn't bother him.
"Sai for your sake as well as our own, DO NOT push her. You understand me?" Shikamaru gave the man a hard look. Sai nodded after hesitating a bit. After he was satisfied that he understood him, Shikamaru turned his attention back to Sakura. She had just grabbed her gloves and boots that she had discarded earlier. Her green eyes glared at the group of men. It is safe to say that the Leaf Village's finest has to resist the strong urge to run to their respective houses and cry.
"I'll deal with this. Haruno-san is a sensible woman; she will not let her anger cloud her judgment. She will calm down once she realizes that she has been acting irresponsible." Neji said calmly as he crossed the remaining distance between him and the head medic. Sakura eyed him warily as he approached.
"Haruno-san, can I have a word with you?" Neji asked calmly. Shikamaru groaned because Neji's tone has a slight condescending edge to it. Sakura narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms across her chest when she too detected the undertone.
"It seems like I have no choice in the matter, Neji-san." Her voice was laced with venom. Naurto whimpered in the background. He knew that tone, and he also knew that Neji needed to get out of there fast. Neji palms began to sweat as he forced himself to maintain eye contact with the medic. He took a breath and mentally steeled himself for what he was about to say.
"He better choose his next words carefully…" Kiba muttered to no one in particular. The remaining men nodded.
"You need to stop acting like a spoiled, incompetent, irresponsible and unreasonable child. Your behavior is not appreciated. You are setting a bad example for everyone in the village. Someone with your position of power should not be so-"He was cut off due to the wind being knocked out of him. As it turns out Sakura had just delivered a clean uppercut to the genius's jaw, cleanly breaking it.
Sakura stood over the unconscious Hyuga and dusted her hands off. "Damn you Neji, you just added fuel to the fire" Shikamaru cursed under his breath. The Hyuga defiantly did not have tact when it came to female shinobi.
The group went rigid as pure, unadulterated fear over took them when Sakura's gaze landed on them. "My dearest Sakura-san that was a brilliant display of youth! I will do one thousand pushups in your honor. Your delicate youthful being has inspired me to move mountains". Lee ran up to the kunoichi and took both her hands in his. Tears were staining his cheeks. "Now I will work three times as hard to woo you, my love!" Konaha's Green Beast was completely oblivious to the vein that was throbbing on Sakura's forehead. Naurto, Kiba, Shino, Sasuke, Shikamaru and Sai could see Sakura shaking from the tension in her muscles.
"Delicate?" Sakura's voice had gotten dangerously sweet. Lee nodded his head with enthusiasm but before he could open his mouth to explain himself he landed on the ground with a thud. He began to foam at the mouth and his eyes rolled back in his head. Naruto looked in horror to see a senbon laced with a fast acting poison, whose affects were only temporary but painful, sticking out of Lee's neck. 'At least he didn't have to suffer much' Naruto thought grimly, one could say he was almost envious of Lee's quick exit.
"Damn she's really mad now, Choji you ready?" Shikamaru briefly glanced at his best friend. His expression was set with hard lines of resolve.
"Yeah" Choji knew his voice sounded scared and meek even to his ears. But he had to protect his village. As a ninja that was the most he could do, give his life to save his people. His family would understand that he went down in a blaze of glory in the line of duty. He gulped as he waited for Shikamaru's signal.
"Here goes nothing. This ends now" Shikamaru was going to trap Sakura in his shadow strangle hold before she had a chance to direct her attention towards him. He grinned when he felt Sakura stiffen because he knew his technique had worked. Sakura's eyes filled with pure hatred as a ferocious growl ripped through her throat. Suddenly she felt two huge hands begin to bind her. It took her a split second for her to realize that Choji had managed to restrain her with his partial expansion jutsu. "It's over now Sakura. Now calm the hell down!" Shikamaru shouted at her, he was trying to make his voice heard over the animalistic sounds that Sakura was making.
"Don't you dare tell me to calm down!" Sakura yelled before she simultaneously broke out of Choji's and Shikamaru's holds with seer brute strength. Shikamaru's eyes widened in panic as he saw her charging at him with her fist poised for attack.
Naruto stared in wonder as he watched both Shikamaru and Choji collapse in front of them without a sound. "What the hell! All she did was look at them!" Naruto was clearly distressed now. Just then Naruto heard a scoff from his left and he wheeled around to glare at his 'brother' "What is so damn funny?" He hissed through clenched teeth. His eyes widened when he saw Sasuke's eyes were red.
"She placed a genjutsu on them when she looked over here after she knocked out Hyuga. It was very subtle even I didn't notice it until now. Who taught her how to use genjutsu on such a high level?" Naruto's eyes widened in realization at the Uchiha's words.
"Kurenai-sensei taught her. They have been spending a lot of time together after she had her baby." Shino filled in the two flabbergasted members of team seven.
Sasuke nodded in understanding. "Makes sense, she had a natural affinity towards it. She knocked Shikamaru out before he could find out a way to beat her."
"It looks like it's my turn, then. Why do I always have to come to the rescue? Ready ,Akamaru?" Kiba glanced behind him to see his dog cowering behind Shino's legs.
"Your dog has more sense than you Kiba. You're no match for Sakura-chan! She'll rip you apart." Kiba glared at Naruto. He puffed out his chest and closed the distance between himself and Sakura. A cocky grin graced his face as he stopped in front of her. Akamaru the ever loyal ninja dog slowly followed his owner with his head hung low and his tail between his legs.
"I always wondered what it would be like to beat a student of one of the legendary Sannin! And the weakest link of Team Seven, I'll prove to everybody that they just wasted their time on you." Kiba boomed cruelly.
Naruto chocked on his spit. Sasuke clenched his fists in anger. Shino and Sai shuffled their feet clearly uncomfortable. "What the hell is he doing? Is he crazy? Does he have a death wish?" Naruto was bewildered. "Who would deliberately say such awful things to Sakura-chan?" Naurto was not rewarded with an answer as the group watched the train wreck in front of them.
Sakura's eyes went cold; they turned a dark green to reflect the cold fury that was Sakura. Kiba had definitely hit a nerve, a raw one. Kiba was hoping that he would anger Sakura so much that she would lose focus in her blind rage and make a rookie mistake. But Kiba did not know Sakura well. No one had told him that push Sakura far enough and she will become detached from all her emotions. When Sakura was at her angriest she suddenly saw things more clearly than ever, she became surgical in her efficiency and she calculates everything perfectly. Her ability to see her enemy's weakness, and her analysis were only second to that of Shikamaru's.
Her body suddenly slacked and her fist unclenched. She let out a harsh laugh that chilled all five men to the core. A condescending smirk crossed her face, on that even Sasuke would have to strive to obtain. "Come and find out" She said quietly but every word was heard perfectly. Never has Sakura Haruno looked so intimating than at that particular moment. Naruto would face an irritable, cranky, hung-over Tsunade any day over this side of his female partner.
Akamaru transformed into a perfect clone of Kiba as both of them charged at Sakura with break-neck speeds. Kiba smirked as he watched Sakura continue to just stand there. "There is no way to stop the fang over fang head on! No matter how strong you are!" Kiba roared as he and Akamaru got closer to her.
"Sakura-chan!" Naruto yelled as he watched in horror. "He's gonna kill her! She can't take that much damage head on!" Naruto started running toward Sakura when he felt a hand grab his arm. "What's the big idea can't you see that she's in tr-"a furious Naruto was interrupted by Sasuke.
"Look idiot." Was all he said and he felt Naruto slacken in his hold. Sakura didn't look worried; in fact she was smirking like she had known all along that this would happen. Naurto noticed that Sasuke was observing Sakura with his Sharingan activated.
Sakura suddenly vanished what replaced her was a tornado of cherry blossom petals. "Damn her, she scattered her scent to trick my nose!" Kiba growled as he narrowed his eyes. The cherry blossoms continued to swirl around him and his hound, a sick feeling settled in Kiba's gut. He might as well have had his eyes gorged out. Sakura took away his biggest strength- his nose. He was completely disoriented and at the mercy of her attack, he was really beginning to doubt his strategy now.
"That fool, he just had to go in without thinking," Sasuke muttered under his breath. 'What the hell, when did she get so good?' Was the last thing that crossed Sasuke's mind before he saw a flash of red. Sakura appeared in front of Kiba for a second, Kiba did not even have enough time to raise his arms to protect himself, before she drew her fist back and swung out her leg as her fist caught Kiba in the face and her knee caught Akamaru in the stomach. "Guess you'll have to wait a while before you defeat me, huh?" Sakura asked hollowly. As she watched both of them pass out.
"When did she get so fast," the question was asked before Sasuke could catch himself.
"What you think that she has been sitting on her hands this entire time, Bushy Brow that's how." Naruto responded in a tone that clearly implied that Naruto thought Sasuke had brain damage. All the Uchiha did was grunt; he found that he could not take his eyes off the pink haired medic. 'Interesting,' he found himself smirking at newly acquired information.
"Yo, who's next?" She looked over at the four remaining. "You guys are doing wonders for my stress levels." Sakura's voice was flat but the men could tell by her eyes that she was truly enjoying herself. Her eyes held a mischievous gleam, a gleam that is not all that different from Naurto's. All traces of anger had vanished from her.
"Hn. Me. It will be fun to witness firsthand how much you have learned Sa-ku-ra." Sasuke rolled the syllables of her name seductively.
Sakura narrowed her eyes at him. "If you think I'm going to spare you because of some stupid childhood crush, you're sadly mistaken, you delusional freak." In the time she was speaking Sasuke had managed to close the distance between them. He was pleasantly surprised when she didn't back down or lower her defiant eyes.
"My, Sakura-chan, you wound me with your words. You truly do. I just missed you all these years that's all." Sasuke began to stroke the side of her face. He ignored the angry shots of protest Naruto was making from the clearing. If his plan worked he could knock her out. All he had to do was pinch the back of her neck, without her realizing. Sure she'd be mad as hell when she woke up, but he could always let Naurto handle her later. Sasuke felt Sakura lean into his touch and he heard Sakura giggle at him adorably. He couldn't help the smug smirk break out on his face. He closed his eyelids on his bloodline trait and lowered his face closer to her lips. Then all the Uchiha could feel was a searing pain that raced through him from his stomach. He quickly opened his eyes horrified to find Sakura's fist embedded in his abdomen. Then he felt a pinch in the back of his neck and his world turned black. It's safe to say this wasn't the Anbu captain's crowning moment of glory.
"That'll teach you, you bastard. The same trick will definitely not work on me twice." Sakura muttered. "So Hokage-sama you finally made time for little-old-me?" Sakura called out batting her eyelashes at Naruto.
Naruto involuntarily flinched at the sickly sweet tone. "Sakura-chan, you can't continue to take out my finest shinobi without even breaking a sweat. Rumors get around you know, and before you know it we will have nations attacking us left and right." Naruto reprimanded her lightly. But his broad grin never left his face as he made his way towards her. He reached out to take her hand only to have her slap his hand away-hard.
"Don't. Don't you dare touch me." Sakura hissed but Naruto could see that behind the façade of anger the hurt in her eyes. He sighed.
"Sakura-chan. I'm sorry. I'll try to be home more. I know I may seem like I'm ignoring you but I'm just really busy right now. And the princess from Wave country means nothing to me. I promise I don't even think she's pretty, or anything….Well she's nowhere near as pretty as you, Sakura-Chan!" Naruto glanced at her, the hope in his eyes was painfully obvious. His face fell when Sakura turned her back to him. 'Damn I thought that would work for sure.' " I've been a bad fiancée haven't I?" Naruto asked sheepishly ran his fingers through his hair as he read her body language.
She gave him a look that clearly said 'no shit.'"Please forgive me!" And with that Naurto got on his knees and gave Sakura his best pleading face. She huffed but Naruto could tell all her anger had melted away, who could stay mad at him when he pulled out his pouty face. He got up and enveloped her in his arms and held her for the longest time. "I love you Sakura-chan and I really hate it when you're mad at me. It leaves me stressed and cranky all day" He felt her almost immediately relax in his hold. He smiled 'all is well again' he thought. He went to kiss her when he felt pain jolt through every cell in his body. He fell to the ground completely numb and started twitching uncontrollably. 'Damn her chakra scalpel' was all he thought as he wiggled helplessly on the ground.
"That was for leaving the toilet seat up, you idiot!" Sakura left in a huff, leaving Konaha's finest littered on the ground, all of them in various degrees of pain. 'So that's what this is been about' Shino and Sai exchanged glances, they finally figured out what had set her off this time. "Don't be late for dinner. I have plenty of shenbon left!" Sakura called over her shoulder merrily. If Naruto could shudder he would have then. "Oh, and Naurto, love you too!" Sakura added almost as an afterthought. Naruto could not help looking longingly at his most precious person's retreating figure as she walked away. He was on cloud nine, Sakura was not mad at him anymore, he got to show his affection toward her publically without suffering much bodily harm, the village could now enjoy peace and quiet and she was waiting for him, all was good in Naruto's book.
Sai and Shino managed to blend in with the shadow so the pink haired vixen didn't notice them. They walked back to the training grounds and stood over their friend's incapacitated forms. "Fiancée?" Shino asked as he looked down at the hokage's pathetic form.
"Hehe Surprise?" Naruto asked lamely, smiling goofily up at Shino.
"Indeed. It seems like you have some explaining to do, Hokage-sama." Shino muttered as he none too lightly slug Naruto over his shoulder, whilst ignoring the blonde's complaints of pain. Naruto sighed it was going to be a long explanation but he owed it to his friends. He just hoped that he would make it in time for dinner. Because quite frankly he knew Sakura always carries out her threats.
The people of the Leaf sighed in relief, finally the tremors had stopped. Their Hokage had come through once again.