Team 7's Strength
By: Sara Coyote
Reunited at Last
Author's Note: Hello everyone! It is I, the author of Possibilities! I decided to do another Naruto fanfic, but fear not, Poss. has not been forgotten! This first chapter may seem to jump into things really quickly, but that's only because I want to focus on the Team AFTER Sasuke's return. That's where my real story is.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters; however, any moves you may not recognize in future chapters are my own.
Five years since Sasuke left, and nobody expected things to turn out the way they did. Tsunade was so worried that Naruto would beat himself up forever about letting Sasuke escape, and the Kakashi would never be able to teach again since the only team he ever passed fell apart before his very eyes. But, it was Sakura she was most worried about, everyone thought Sakura would just break apart and isolates herself from everyone and ends up killing herself slowly. This was just another time in which the true strength of Team 7 was underestimated. This was truly the miracle team, and the loss of one team member was NOT going to stop the rest of them.
After Naruto fully healed, he set off on a training journey with the perverted legendary Sannin, Jiraiya, and promised Sakura to come back before Sasuke resurfaced so that the two could retrieve him as a team. Sakura stayed in Konoha and received some serious training from the second legendary Sannin, Tsunade (a.k.a the Godaime), where she learned all that there was to know about medical jutsu and a little something more. Kakashi stayed as well, but never decided to go back to teaching. Team 7 being his first real team, of course he would feel an extremely strong connection to them, and he too wanted to bring Sasuke back as a team. He was also weary of being disappointed by any other team he would be assigned to. I mean, having ridiculously high standards without actually passing a single team…the stakes are going to be much higher now that he passed ONE team. When Sakura had days off, he gave her some extra training to build up her physical strength.
After three years, Naruto returned a new Shinobi, and he returned to meet an entirely new Kunoichi. The Team 7 reunion was a joyous one, save one missing face, and another bell test from Kakashi. This time however, Naruto and Sakura's victory would be the marking point in a new road that Team 7 would be going down. The enemies are getting tougher, and whatever lies ahead at the end is still to be determined.
For two years after Naruto's return, he, Sakura, and Kakashi have dedicated their time to figuring out how to find Sasuke, what to do when they find him, and how they will need to fight him, Orochimaru, or any other Sound Shinobi that they come across. Of course, they were still sent out on retrieval and delivery missions in the A class area, but Tsunade understood how important their main priority was to the three. She also did not want Orochimaru taking advantage of the boy, or possibly gaining yet another unstoppable force against Konoha.
It has been five years since Team 7 was a full team, and now both Naruto and Sakura are 17 years of age and stronger and wiser than when they first met. Kakashi can hardly stop himself from sobbing with pride every time he sees them these days, and Tsunade can't help but laugh at how much the Copy-Ninja has changed, all thanks to those three kids.
But, enough of my history lesson, the story that you really want to know starts out over there, on the grassy hill underneath that large tree, just kicking back and enjoying the glorious early spring weather.
Kakashi was lying on his back, with his head propped against the tree trunk of a tree with only a few leaves, and tiny little buds. Lying, with their head on his stomach, was his favorite little girl (think of a father x daughter relationship) and lying with his feet propped up on Kakashi's legs and head resting besides Sakura's stomach was the fox-boy. Kakashi could never stop smiling when the three of them would pass out outside after a sparring session.
Naruto and Sakura had grown so independent, but the three still needed each other to lean against, and none of them were too proud to admit it. Kakashi looked from the pink hair of Sakura, to the vibrant blonde hair of Naruto, and gave a great sigh. He looked up at the clouds, and just had a gut feeling that this would be the last time the three of them would get to spend afternoons like this for a while. He just decided to enjoy the peacefulness of the moment, and not too soon either. Thirty minutes later Naruto and Sakura were groggily lifting their heads to the sound of Shizune's voice in the distance.
"…Naruto!...Sakura-chan!...Kakashi!" Shizune was heaving from all the running, and finally met up with the three.
"Shizune-san," Sakura asked with great concern for her second mentor, "what's wrong, you're totally out of breath?"
"Yea, what does Tsunade-baba want now?" Naruto whined while stretching and yawning.
"There is no time to explain," Shizune was frantic and grabbed Kakashi and Sakura's wrists, "I must bring you to the Gate Entrance immediately!" Kakashi grabbed Naruto's hand before Shizune pulled them with such speed that Naruto was flying off of Kakashi's hand like a kite.
The four finally reached the gate, but Shizune made them wait a good 10 feet away from the entrance. As they were running, the sky started to cloud, and the wind was picking up speed. The dust and sand from the ground was being picked up by the wind, and blowing in front of the three, making it difficult for them to see.
Naruto could feel the hair on the back of his neck stand on end, Kakashi was actually giving his entire attention to the gate, and Sakura shivered. From the dust storm, three silhouettes were walking toward Team 7. Tsunade and Shizune emerged, and stepped aside so that the three could see who this third figure was. Time seemed to slow down, and Naruto, Kakashi, and Sakura were almost hoping it was a captured Orochimaru.
Naruto's eyes widened like saucers and Kakashi sucked in his breath so hard, he almost choked on his own mask. Sakura however, much to our surprise, had no dramatic reaction. She just kept her eyes straight at the figure, with an almost all-knowing look in her eye.
"God…" Naruto managed to choke out, pulling Kakashi's attention away from the gate, "two years of research, down the drain," the bitterness was apparent behind the disbelief.
"Not completely," Kakashi began, very softly, "there's still one more part left in our little research," the wind died down, and the sand and dust finally settled, and standing before them was none other than their missing team member. The traitorous Uchiha Sasuke.