As usual, she sits in her lonely corner in the back of the classroom. Black strands of hair cover her lowered face, her nose in another scroll.
It is now that Iruka tells the genins of their new predicament: teams. Sakura, unlike her anxious whispering classmates, is not surprised. She had known that this would happen. Neji told her, the day she became a genin.
"Iruka-sensei will mostly likely be announcing the new genins teams soon." He had commented as they rested upon the grass after their usual evening training practice.
"Hm." Was her bland response. She was slightly curious, her mind buzzing slightly at this prospect. However, she knew she would accept her destiny as it is; ninjas can't always choose their comrades. "I wonder who my teammates will be…"
The winds fly. She waits for him, patiently staring the sky as he gathers up the words for what he wants to say.
"You know that…you are always welcome on Team Guy."
She smiles. Ah, so that was it.
"I'm still coming to those absurd morning practices, Neji. I'm not going to abandon the team. After all, imagine what Lee would do."
They both grin as they imagine a bawling puppy-face Lee.
"Of course." Neji agrees. "And if you have any trouble with your teammates, don't hesitate to call for help."
"Do you really think anyone could actually do anything to me?"
Neji, of course, had reminded her to not get too overconfident. She had replied by calling him a hypocrite.
And now, she sits silently, listening to the teams called. She watches in amusement as the Sasuke and Sai fangirls all are praying and sweating to the heavens, Please let me be with -kun! It is their voices who clamour over all others in Sakura's ears, the ones that are the most high-pitched, the most annoying.
"Augh, I'm probably going to be with Shikamaru and Chouji…." It is Ino who whines this complaint to the friend next to her, Shoyu. "Just because our fathers know each other doesn't mean we actually work well together!"
"Hehe…too bad sucker!! Watch, Sasuke-kun's going to be all mine!" Shoyu grins her fox-like grin, her hand curled into a fist of determination. Soft-spoken Hinata cuts in.
"I hope that I'm on the same team as Kiba-kun…" She practically breathes out. Though it has been two years since she has stopped stuttering, her voice still remains the quiet mouse it had been her whole life.
"Man, I just don't understand why you don't actually try talking to him."
Hinata's eyes widen with fear just at thinking about it.
"But…"
Shoyu whacks Hinata.
"Don't let Ino bully you into confessing. She's just mad that Sasuke doesn't pay attention to her."
Ino glares at Shoyu.
"And he does to you?"
"He's secretly thinking about me, I know it!"
Sakura can only smirk as she hears Iruka call out their team.
"Team 7: Yamanaka Ino, Uzumaki Shoyu, and Hyuuga Hinata."
A groan and a scream of frustration are heard…along with sigh of relief? Sakura looks to Sasuke and sees his normal grouchy face looking slightly uplifted for a moment. Then, as if sensing her look, he glances back at her, their eyes meeting for a brief moment. She flicks her gaze back to her book.
Distantly, she hears Iruka call the teams out.
"Team 8: Aburame Shino, Inuzuka Kiba, and Namaishi Ami…Team 10: Akimichi Choji, Nara Shikamaru, and Hagane Suzume…"
And finally her team is called.
"Last team of them all is Team 13: Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke, and Sai."
Thirteen. It is an ominous number. Sakura lets out an annoyed sigh. Lovely, she got the "bishounen twins" as they had been dubbed. As for the name, she had no idea where it came from but apparently, Sai and Sasuke were "bishies" and even crazier then that idea was the belief that they looked alike.
Great, she's going to die a death by fangirls.
She gets up and tries to slink off into the shadows. Perhaps she might be unnoticed. Maybe the scary fangirls won't notice her at all.
"Oi! Haruno!"
Maybe not.
She turns her head slightly and sees orange out of the corner of her eye. Shoyu. The pigtailed girl rushes in front of Sakura's path and stops her before Sakura can completely formulate a plan of escape.
"I want to make a deal with you."
A deal? Sakura frowns. Unexpected. She'll give it a chance
"Specify."
Shoyu grins triumphantly.
"In exchange for you to introduce me to Sasuke (As if he doesn't know your name by the way you hang onto him like a parasite), I'll make sure none of the other girls do anything to you."
Sakura raises an eyebrow. Of course, any fangirl that would come after her would pose no trouble and the deal really had no merit to her at all. But Uzumaki Shoyu had many useful connections…
"I'll get Sasuke to spend the whole lunch break with you," Sakua starts and pauses, letting the words sink into Shoyu's mind. "…In return, I would like to have a favor."
Shoyu's eyes are already seeing Sasuke.
"What is it?" She asks excitedly.
"Nothing. Just a favor that I can cash in anytime I want. Fair?"
Shoyu latches onto Sakura's arm.
"Yes of course oh my god thank you so much you are so awesome oh my god oh my god Ino is going to be so jealous…" Shoyu begins to rant as she hugs Sakura. Before she knows it, Sakura is being dragged along to where Sasuke.
Sasuke flashes his eyes over her and the starry-eyed blonde beside her.
"Uchiha."
"Haruno."
Sakura pushes Shoyu forward.
"Spend the whole afternoon with her and I'll let you keep them."
She walks away, leaving Shoyu to Sasuke, who is wonderingly staring at the ear-plugs in his hand.
Sakura looks over her new sensei with wary eyes. The woman notices her stare and grins back, almost approvingly.
They are in front of a forest, surrounded by large barbed fences and signs warning people away. Ominous trees cover overhead, their shadows falling upon the group. The Forest of Death.
"SO—" Anko Mitarashi looks over them all as she leans on the boundary separating them from the trees. "Let's get to know each other, eh? You know likes, dislikes, dreams, hobbies, all that dumb stuff. You first, chicken-hair."
Sasuke visibly bristles.
"Don't call me that."
Anko raises an eyebrow.
"Hmm? You don't like that nickname?" Anko taunts. She gives a fake sigh. "Pity, I spent so much time working on it."
Sakura watches as his eyes start to narrow and his hackles start to rise.
"Don't mock me." He growls out in a low tone. His hand flies to his—
FWISSH!
Anko has pinned him to the fence and kunai dangerously aimed at his neck. Its blade nicks his skin barely, allowing a little stream of blood to flow out.
"You're really in no position to challenge, little genin. I guess I'm going to have to teach you kids some common sense." Anko murmurs dangerously, her tone of voice making Sakura shiver. She throws Sasuke back onto his old spot. "Now be a good little boy, and introduce yourself!"
Sasuke pushes himself, refusing the hand offered to him by Sakura.
"Uchiha Sasuke." He grits out. "I hate many things, and there aren't many things I like. My dream is…to…resurrect my Clan and to kill a certain man."
Anko nods her lips slightly upturning, her eyes oddly glittering. She turns to Sasuke's left.
"Alright, you next Ghosty." She says as she points to Sai. Sai cocks his head, his face shining blankly.
"…Ghosty?" He asks. Anko grins.
"Yup, you remind me a ghost."
"My name is Sai. I like drawing. I dislike…most girls. My dream…I have yet to find one."
Anko nods again and turns toward Sakura.
"Blacky, your turn."
At least her nickname was good.
"I am Haruno Sakura. I like peace and studying. I dislike loud, arrogant, or annoying people. My dream is to become a strong kunoichi."
Anko claps her hands together.
"Alright then. Now for the test!" The three glance up, surprised. Her smile only gets wider. "What did you learn about me?"
The three are silent. Looking around, Sakura notices the glare on Sasuke's face and she can tell that he's holding back from saying something. Then as she looks to Sai, she watches as his eyes blink owlishly, showing his complete and utter lack of anything to say.
"Keh. You kids are pathetic. Surely you can say something?" Anko goads on.
Sakura jumps in.
"You don't like the idea of revenge."
Anko glances at Sakura, a happy smile on her face.
"Okay, where did you learn that?"
"When Sasuke mentioned his dream, you had a scary look on your face."
Anko nods excitedly.
"Go on, what else did you notice?"
"You're slightly immature and cocky, and probably messy too. Your fighting style most likely using taijutsu and attacking directly, before throwing in a genjutsu to throw off the enemy. And…" Sakura pauses and hesitates. "…you're an orphan?"
By now, Anko's eyes are shining and prideful. And are those…tears?
"YOU'RE PERFECT!!"
She rushes over and gives Sakura a bear hug, squeezing her limbs to death.
"You have so much potential," She cries on Sakura. "Oh, I'm so happy to have you on his team…"
Like a flash, Anko has pulled away, her mood instantly changing to condescending and disappointed. She looks upon the two boys.
"You two are pathetic. Keh. You better work hard tomorrow to gain my good graces, otherwise I might kick you guys off."
Sasuke scoffs.
"You can't do that."
Anko pounces on another chance to show Sasuke who has the power.
"Oh yes I can. I am perfectly within my authority to send your little genin butts back to the Academy, so you better be careful."
Anko claps her hands together.
"Now then, that's it for today. Meet up here tomorrow at…9:00. Dismissed!"
She flashes off. Sasuke follows suit, and just as Sakura is about to leave, Sai stops her.
"Haruno-san, may I walk you home?" He asks. Curious about his request, she agrees.
They walk at a leisurely pace. The sky is still bright with blue shades.
"Sai, what is it?"
She notices his slight frown.
"I…" She waits as he struggles for words. "…Would you be able to teach me what you just did? Show me how you were able to read Anko so well?"
HAHHH?
Sakura looks down and thinks about it. How could she teach…Well, Neji did teach her…kind of…but could she teach Sai? How was she to teach something that she knew as second nature…Well…she should try…at least…
"Haruno-san?"
Sakura snaps out of her thinking and answers Sai's question.
"I could try to teach you…How about if our mission or our training session ends early, I could try to teach you something afterwards? That sound okay?"
Sai nods.
"…Yes."
For the rest of the way home, she tries to teach him what nicknames are used for and what can you get out a person with them. She can only hope that it does more good than harm.
They sit upon the grass as usual, resting from their training.
"How's your new team?" Neji asks. Sakura smiles, knowing this would be the first question asked.
"I have Sai and Uchiha on my new team," Sakura says and watches Neji's face for a reaction. None, as usual. "My new sensei, Mitarashi Anko, however, says I have the most potential out of them all."
Neji slightly upturns his lips.
"Smart teacher. I like her."
Sakura can't help but feel giddy, recognizing the subtle compliment.
"Hey, Neji, when I have to fight, what do I do…" She asks. Neji folds his arms in thought.
"…What do you wish to do?"
Sakura thinks about it; what did she want to do…
"I do not want to show Uchiha or Sai that I know Hyuuga clan techniques…however, I think I should at least let my sensei know, for it is unfair to ask her to teach me when she doesn't know what I can do." Sakura says. Neji nods.
"I believe that to be a fair idea." Neji then turns to her. "But you will not risk your life to keep your skills a secret, is that understood?"
Sakura gives a mock salute.
"Yes, sir!"
She wakes up, as usual at 4:30. Never would she understand why Gai-sensei insists upon having his training sessions at 5:00 in the morning (something about the "The flower blooms the prettiest in the morning!"), but she complied with his schedule for the sake of being able to train with Team Gai.
Half hour later, she finds herself at Team Gai's usual training spot, which happened to be in a forest with many flowers. Tenten, Lee and Gai-sensei are already there. They smile as they see her.
"Hey Sakura!" Tenten waves cheerily. "Tell us about your new team."
"Oh yes!! You must tell us if any of your team members are causing you trouble, for we will not hesitate to help!!" Lee proclaims.
Sakura smiles at Lee's antics. When she had first met him, when Neji had brought her along to one of their training sessions, he had proclaimed his love for her before asking her to be his girlfried. To Sakura's relief, Neji had answered for her with a definite no. Ever since then, Lee had been looking for ways to get into Neji's good graces so he could ask her out again.
"My teammates are Uchiha Sasuke and Sai. My sensei is Mitarashi Anko." Sakura turns to Gai-sensei. "Have you heard of her?"
Gai has a solemn look on his face.
"Oh yes, I know Mitarashi-san. She was a poor girl who had her Springtime of Youth die prematurely." Gai sighs dramatically while Sakura frowns. From what she had seen, Anko was quite the immature and childish one. "However, her connections are scary. I bet if you asked her to arrange training under one of the Sannins, she probably could do it."
Sakura raises her eyebrow, making sure to store it away.
"Oh you lucky girl Sakura!! You get to train with two hot guys!!" Tenten squeals, her occasional girl side showing. Lee looks appalled at Tenten's statement, probably thinking of the prospect of having more rivals for Sakura's heart.
"If you wish, I will gladly change spots with you then. I truthfully do not care much for them."
"That, I must say is a relief to hear."
The three turn to the Neji, who had just come. Sakura smirks.
"Oh don't worry, Neji-kun, you'll always be number one in my heart."
Neji gives her a glare that promises revenge.
AN: Summary - It's one of those Naruto becomes a girl stories...with a bit of a twist.
Please tell me what ya think!!
Edit: A lot of people seem to be getting confused, so I'll try to clarify. These are plot bunnies, not one-shots or an actual story. Also, all lot of these are AU. Actually, I think all of them are. Thus, Sakura will often have black hair, Gaara might somehow meet Sakura when they're young, and Anko will get the Sharingan. And other questions? PM me and I'll try to answer.