(A/N: I know the chapter name is stupid. I mean the "Rose" as a Sakura for a reason. Yes I know her name means cherry blossom, by the way. Please don't hate me. Anyways enjoy my first fanfic I've ever written of this pair. Please no flames since I'm just a rookie and also 'cuz it's long for one chapter. You can insult my writing if you mean for me to get better.)
Disclaimer: No I don't own Naruto. Wish I did…
Title: Old Wounds are Hard to Heal
Chapter 1: The Rose has Thorns
"Do you still feel the same way about me as you did before, Sakura?" The blood red Sharingan eyes asked her. Sakura looked up at him, who owned those eyes, with rage holding Naruto in her hands and healing his wounds. She calmed down and smirked, "Don't flatter yourself, Uchiha Sasuke," she hissed as she finished healing Naruto who finally woke out of his daze.
Sakura woke up to something blinding her eyes. The sun shone brightly on her face as she lay there looking at her clock. It read 5:36 am as she sighed getting out of her bed and towards the shower. 'It was that dream again,' she thought dousing herself with cold water turning gradually warmer within each second. For awhile now Sakura was staring at her hands. The hands that healed, held, killed, and long ago loved. 'Why do I keep dreaming about that boy and how he came back home?' she thought again. She got out and toweled herself dry. Ever since he came home she's been avoiding him as well as Kakashi-sensei and Naruto.
Every time she swore she heard them around some corner she'd use all of her stealth skill to not even meet up with their eyes. She took extra shifts at the hospital, trained more, and even went on one-man missions. Anything just to get away from them. Why was she acting this way? Simple she just couldn't face them. Nothing bad happened between the four of them, she just told herself, she had a bad case of nerves is all. Every single day she's been hearing from everybody, "That Uchiha boy is back!" "Who, Itachi?" "Never! It's the younger one," "He's still so kewt!" Well you get the idea… Then hears how her team was the one to bring them back… "You know, his former team was the reason for his coming back," "I heard they beat the crap out of him! Come to think of it… who wouldn't?" "Two of the people of that team was the Hokage's young apprentice and the Kyubbi container," "It's weird, but when you think about it, all three of them were trained by the Legendary Sannin!" "You don't say?"
'Enough,' she thought. It wasn't that big of a deal. All these things the nurses and passersby's have said were ticking her off. So what if they brought him back? It wasn't that much of a big deal. "Yeah, they should mind their own business, dammit!" Inner Sakura screeched as Sakura headed towards the Hokage's office. She stopped before opening the door and put her ear to its surface straining to hear a conversation between her current teacher and two familiar voices. "COME ON BAA-CHAN! I WANNA KNOW WHERE SAKURA IS! SHE'S LIKE AN ENIGMA THESE DAYS!" "Naruto…," the old yet beautiful Hokage muttered under her breath clearly irritated. But poor Naruto kept laying it down on her pretty thick. Soon the Godaime had a little blood vessel popping out from anger but before she exploded someone butted in. "Hey dobe, shut the hell up and let her speak. If she doesn't give you an answer then drop it," he said nonchalantly.
"Sasuke," she said to herself. She never remembered him talking as a peacemaker, usually when they were Team 7; she was the one to do so. "Hmph, who asked you, teme! I don't like where this is going," he stated grumpily. The boy who had returned to Konoha rolled his dark eyes in annoyance. 'The dobe didn't change that much after all,' he thought to himself. He then felt tempted to look at the exit, leading to the outside where he felt a presence, with his Sharingan. The Hokage, who took notice of this, knew it was Sakura. She felt herself clearing her throat to get his attention. For sometime now she's noticed Sakura's absence with her original team members as well. She somehow felt obligated to help Sakura in her ordeal only to question her herself, later on. He still didn't turn when he was about to see through the door with his Sharingan and that made her get impatient. She coughed rather harshly this time and Sasuke turned around to see a glaring Tsunade. He sweat dropped.
Sakura smiled nervously to herself as there was silence. She started to panic even more when it came to at least 30 seconds of the impending, almost deathly, silence. "Get a hold of yourself! Since when did you become paranoid? Just go in and challenge those two idiots' suspicion!" Inner Sakura raged. She nodded in agreement with herself and started for the door knob. B-bump. B-bump. Two of the hands that did many things started to shake and perspire. Her hand inched closer and closer towards the shiny round circle. She stared at it, studying its features, looking at scratches containing dirt (eww), dull edges made from shinobi's rough hands, and it's gold tinted paint worn away in the middle. 'This thing has been through a lot. I can tell it has a lot of harmful germs on it…,' she reminisced. "Stop stalling! SHANNARO!" However, Sakura's outside appearance was different and slouched rather than holding her chin up in pride and striding in to defy her friend's logic. I mean for crying out loud she was acknowledging an inanimate object's existence. 'Aaagh, I can't do it!' she screams to herself holding her head running a different entrance to her teacher's office. Hopefully when she got there, they wouldn't be. When she was running she didn't notice the figure she passed who continued to look at her in bewilderment.
Shizune, shrugging at her younger comrade's actions with a worried look, walked towards the office door. "BAA-CHAN! Stop holding out on us. You of all people should know that it's strange!" a familiar voice rang. "So what am I now her keeper?! Get out you brat, matter-of-fact, the both of you!" Shizune heard all this outside the office. "Maybe she should get a sound proof office," muttering under her breath, holding her accomplice Ton-Ton. She lifted her head to the door whooshing open at the pinnacle of their argument and a black pant leg in midair. (obviously the action creating the door's reaction) Out came a piping hot Naruto and ice cool Sasuke walking by his side. "Ah, ohayo Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun," she bowed slightly with a warm smile. "Hn," was the Uchiha's greeting still walking straight ahead as Naruto spun around to find Shizune in his vision.
Target dead-locked she found the teenaged boy staring at her. She smiled nervously edging closer to him to let him know she was going to listen to his complaint. "I don't get it Shizune, how do you and Sakura handle that old hag?" he asked pointing at the already pissed off Tsunade. "Eh?" Shizune stammered pretending not to know what the heck he was talking about. Just before he could add to his accusations he found himself dodging 10… no 15 kunai knives. Naruto was plastered to the adjacent wall, eyes bulging, obviously afraid. Shizune hurried into the office closing the door behind her quickly but not before sneaking a peak down the hallway. It was clear. No Sasuke corpse or any bystanders' at the least. She sighed leaning on the door in relief. At the same time, the younger of Tsunade's two pupils came in the secret door, smiling. "You asked for me?" she implied. Tsunade stared at her recently talked about student. "Speaking of the devil," she muttered. Sakura cocked her head in obviously faked curiosity, and then looked at Shizune with the same expression. It worked on Shizune but not their teacher as she sighed and looked hard at Sakura. Sakura gulped and tried to force a smile, which was pretty weak. Tsunade stood up and walked over to the pink-haired kunoichi. Sakura backed up against the wall not looking her teacher in the eye. She felt herself flush at fear and found Tsunade leaning over her with her right arm blocking any means of escape. 'Uh-oh,' Sakura said in her mind.
\ . /
As he walks out of the building occupied by the Hokage, the wind blows his hair over his right eye making him annoyed and having to pull it back. Just as he did that he swore he heard several teenaged girls scream. He leaned on the wall waiting for the number one hyperactive knuckle headed ninja everyone knows and loves. After what seemed an eternity of people staring at him with caution, embarrassment, and adoration he heard a series of loud steps running his way. The owner of those steps ran right past him stopping 10 feet in front of the building, looking around for his dark haired friend. "I'm right here you idiot," he sighed running out of patience. Naruto spun around obviously ready to make a comeback.
"Stop sneaking around all over the place, teme! You're my responsibility!" Naruto yelled. Sasuke walked forward towards the Ichiraku Ramen Bar. "This'll shut him up," he muttered under his breath, clearly ignoring Naruto's so called sense of responsibility. "Hey, I'm talking to you teme!" Naruto called out. "Well I'm obviously not listening dobe," Sasuke replied. "What did you say you ungrateful lil'-," "Hey Naruto…" Sasuke interrupted. He stopped, looking down and hard at his shoes, "Why'd you bring me in there with you to ask about Sakura?" he asked. Naruto's angry cerulean eyes suddenly softened with confusion. "Isn't it obvious? You're her friend too and you have a right to know what's going on with her…" he trailed off as Sasuke started walking again. 'She hates me. She made it clear that day her and Naruto came back for me for the second time. Why would she befriend someone who broke her heart countless times? Not that I care...' he rambled in his head.
Naruto cocked his head to the right out of concern almost reading his mind. "She doesn't hate you Sasuke. That much I know," he stated as he caught up with him. They finally walked up to the ramen shop. Both sat down in silence before they ordered. 'Well that's a surprise, Naruto is telepathic, and that's just great. Still. I wouldn't blame her if she did," he rambled on some more. Naruto ordered beef while Sasuke just sat there, so Naruto assumed, and ordered another bowl. "Wow, don't you look like you're about to cry?" a voice called out. They turned to a Sasuke look a like. Sai was also on the team to find Sasuke and bring him back. As far as the youngest Uchiha was concerned, he didn't like him one bit. It was an intense distaste for the mysterious artist but now it had settled down a bit. Naruto always found the two glaring at each other as if laser beams would come out any second.He felt hurt when he had been replaced, though he'd never admit it, and Sai didn't like the fact that people always said they looked identical. Sai had read many books on human emotion but couldn't quite put his finger on what he felt. Was it jealousy or envy? Are they the same? 'I'll have to ask Sakura about it the next time. No way am I going to ask the kyubbi container or ice statue,' Sai thought. He sat down next to Naruto. Naruto was too busy eating to talk but he did steal a glance at Sasuke's former fill in. 'He's got that face again. Wonder what he's thinking,' Naruto thought. He set the bowl down that was now empty. He ordered another one. "You know, I haven't picked out a nickname for you yet Sasuke-san," Sai said looking at Naruto clog up his arteries. "Hn," Sasuke could care less. "I mean Naruto is already "the dickless wonder" and Sakura's already a "hag" but all I hear from others these days about you is enigma, ice block, heart breaker… traitor," Sai stated.
Sasuke glared at Sai who glared back with that freaky smile of his. Naruto finally realizing that he'd been insulted choked on a noodle. "Hey, you jackass, If Sakura was here she'd bash you one! And stop it with the dicks already!" Naruto breathed in and out heavily clearly frustrated. Sai merely stared at Naruto not intimidated. "Does she know that you talk about her like that? It isn't very flattering to talk behind people's backs," Sasuke challenged. "Ah yes she does know and I pay dearly for it," Sai started, 'What an idiot,' thought Sasuke. "There was even a time when I was your early replacement that I talked about you… you remember Naruto?" Sai said. Naruto nodded in anticipation for the next bowl, not really paying attention. "She socked me a good one, threatened me, and taught me something you should know," he finally finished leaving an accent for something more to be said. Sasuke raised his eyebrow in curiosity. "I couldn't help over hearing your conversation earlier with Naruto," Sasuke's right eye started to twitch, 'So he followed us? I didn't even notice. He should hurry up and explain why…' he stared intently at Sai for newfound information about his old teammate. "Her feelings for you are far from 'hate,'" Sai got up and bid farewell indicating he only came to talk.
"Weird guy isn't he? At first me and Sakura didn't like him either," Naruto implied. Sasuke nodded in agreement. "But despite all of his trash talking and impolite antics he's ok. You'll get used to him," Naruto stated, "By the way all that he said was true." Sasuke stared at his untouched ramen. He still had a chance to apologize for all the hurt he put her through without being castrated. About the feelings he had for her never changed. Although Sakura still turned out all right at 15 years of age, even with anticipated beauty backing her up, he still felt nothing about her. She too now had a fan boy mob of her own. He'd hear that she gets asked out at least three days a week. Very impressive. If she still felt the same way he'd feel horrible. "Hey, you gonna eat that? It's getting cold," Naruto replied. Having a feeling that he wasn't going to be hungry for dinner he started to eat.
\ . /
Sakura sighed walking out the door. 'She hit me pretty hard on my so called "attitude,"' she complimented her recent teacher.
Flashback
"So what's up with you and your team?" Tsunade asked her shameful student. Sakura looked down not wanting to lock eyes with danger. Tsunade sighed and pushed herself off the wall. She turned to look outside the window seeing the two previous visitors walking toward that godforsaken ramen shop. "Do you hate that Sasuke boy?" Sakura looked up and turned her head quickly to an indifferent teacher. Sakura looked down and felt her eyes getting watery. Face burning. "I-," she choked. Shizune looked sympathetic as she was filing paperwork routinely. For a long time there was silence, the only thing that was heard was the shuffling of papers. "I do!" Shizune dropped the files that contained several team profiles in shock. There were times when Sakura, during the 2 ½ training period, was found crying under, ironically, a cherry blossom tree mostly asleep screaming his name. If Sakura wasn't lying, than the world must be ending, Shizune felt faint. The Godaime, eyes wide stared at her pupil crying a river, face flushed, and sniffling. "What the hell is your problem?" Sakura gasped in surprise from her mentor's words. Sakura was crying because she hated Sasuke. It didn't even make any sense. "I, sniff, can't stand the sight of him. He, he reminds me of so many, sniff, painful memories. It's like an omen or something. Him suddenly coming back…" Sakura trailed off. SLAP. Sakura felt her face sting in pain from the eldest kunoichi in the room. "Get a hold of yourself Haruno Sakura! You're the one who brought him back in the first place! You dreamt of that day several times. Kami knows because I was there watching you mentally torture yourself because of this self proclaimed weakness," the slap's owner said.
All of a sudden Tsunade sees Sakura fall down to the floor, bowing. "I know! Please forgive me I didn't finish. He, of all people, makes me feel weak. I feel weak when around him. You mention torture. Yes he tortures me. In here," Sakura sat up pointing her index finger at her head, incidentally, not her heart. Looking down at this pink haired girl, Tsunade once again sighed, she walked backed to her desk and plopped down on her chair. "Well then, what are you waiting for?" she asks refusing to look at her sniffling student. Sakura still on the floor started to get up. "E- Excuse me Tsunade-sama?" Sakura said confused. "I'm saying it wouldn't hurt to take out all these frustrations on him. He partially deserves your beating anyway," "But how am I-," "You're smart, you figure it out. You're also dismissed," Tsunade finished the conversation in one swoop. Sakura nodded, bowed to both of her senpai's, and then vanished in a puff of smoke.
Return from Flashback (long ne?)
She looked up at few messenger birds docking on the building. 'How am I supposed to come up with such a thing? Guess I'll go practice my jutsu. Clearing my head by exhausting the body to think is a good way to get ideas,' she reassured herself. She ran through the crowd to the training grounds. She begged for pardons and excuses inevitably leaving a hint of happiness in her face as people were pushed or bumped into.
She passed by a certain boy whom she felt a familiar aura from only to turn around and look at a sea of people. Staring at the crowd she looked left, right, forward, and backward, but couldn't find the familiar aura anymore. 'I'm imagining things,' she waved it away, thinking it was just her excitement.
The black diamonds bore down on her from above, following her to the forest. "So that's where she's been going," he stated to himself. "TEME! Where the heck are you?!" Naruto called out for his friend that slipped away while he was on his 5th bowl. He started to open his loud mouth once again to yell out for the whole world to hear, still having people staring at him, but was soon stopped by the Uchiha himself who happened to drop by. Literally right in front of the blonde, holding his hand against his mouth. "Don't call me out like you're searching for some lost dog of yours," he scolded. "Stop telling me what to do, teme! If you'd just stick to me you wouldn't have to. It's not like I love babysitting you or anything, but Baa-chan would have my hide if one of her tattle tale Anbu freaks tell her I did lose you," Naruto complained. "Whatever, come with me," he commanded. Naruto was teeming with anger right now, again ready to open his mouth, until Sasuke finished what he was going to say. "I know where Sakura is. Well not completely since you halted my search with that stupid mouth of yours," Naruto steamed down easily brightening his face. "Well c'mon already! What are we waiting for?" he called out to Sasuke running past him. Sasuke looked on to see Naruto disappear in a thick crowd only to see Naruto run towards him panting. "Ano… where did she go anyway?" the hyperactive teen asked scratching the back of his head beaming. "Dobe…" the dark haired boy muttered under his breath. 'Someone's patience virtue must have rubbed off on me,' a flash of pink hair entered his mind, he snorted, 'No way. She had patience up until a certain extent,' a flash of Icha Icha Paradise knocked the pink haired image out of the way, 'Nah, he was just lazy and loved ignoring Naruto,' he walked on comparing the newfound possibilities.
\ . /
"Pant. Pant. Pant," the pink-haired kunoichi looked at her doppelganger with eyes full of determination. This is how she always trained by herself. She hated the fact of a sparring partner while using her superhuman strength, afraid to hurt anyone she actually cared about, other than Tsunade-sama. Finding herself hot and sweaty she zipped down her velvet vest to reveal a white sports bra. This was her habit since it was a different training ground than most shinobi used. If she didn't feel comfortable with something she made herself comfortable. She folded it up. Clearly knowing that it can't be the case in real time combat, she did it anyway. She walked towards a tree that offered a grand shade to her small demeanor but instead ignored its generosity leaning down to get her water bottle and putting down her vest. Taking a few swags she noticed a shadow in the corner of her left eye. Pretending not to notice she routinely took her last gulp of water letting some drip down to her chest defining her shape. She tossed the bottle back where she picked it up in the first place and got in a fighting stance towards her solid shadow clone.
"Ready?" she asked herself. The doppelganger nodded. They both rushed at each other with war cries. In the shadows of the trees two onlookers looked at this disciplined girl. One couldn't keep his mouth closed and the other couldn't stop blushing. Never taking their eyes off of her they looked at her detailed body thanks to training. She had a cute little two pack that seemed to ripple with every turning action she made. It along with everything else glittered with sweat. Her curves were everywhere they should have been swaying this way and that way in the entire flower's glory. The legs tensed showing them her tendons complimented with high heeled boots.
Sakura kept doing a series of punches and kicks in a verbatim, leading her fight to the air as she tried to do a roundhouse knocking the doppelganger flat where the peeping tom's were at. Sakura smirked. She reached in her shuriken holster and threw a series of twenty with just one wave. The poor victims' eyes bulged in fear trying to dodge every shuriken that for some reason passed the fully clothed doppelganger. 'She knew we were watching,' Sasuke figured out smiling nervously. Naruto failed to dodge five as he stuck to a tree in the back. Noticing how they didn't come out of the shadows, Sakura disappeared in a swirl of cherry blossoms popping up right in front of the one pinned to the tree. She narrowed her eyes in disgust as he smiled nervously, "Heh, heh, hey Sakura! Long time no see," he greeted. A vein popped out of sheer anger. "Naruto, you idiot! What if those shuriken hit you fatally!" she yelled. Remembering that there were two shadows she sensed that familiar aura but refused to turn around. "Is that any way to greet your friends, Sakura?" the shadow asked. She froze. It was his voice. She whipped around throwing a right jab which he dodged holding her wrist. He looked at her hateful eyes in surprise. "Nice to see you again, Uchiha Sasuke, fight me!" she hissed.
Naruto eyes widening in fear quickly plucked off the well stuck sharp objects. "Sakura wait! What are you saying? It's Sasuke!" he says in unbelief, walking up to her as Sasuke still kept her in place looking at the challenging kunoichi. The dark haired boy cocked his head in confusion. "Whatever for?" he replied. She answered with her doppelganger holding a kunai knife right at the back of his neck. "Just a friendly little spar," she answered accenting the "friendly" part. Sasuke didn't like this, he narrowed his eyes. Could she be mad about them looking at her in that state or is it just plain contempt towards him. In all his time using his blood line-limit, he read the eyes of each of his late opponents; he was able to figure out their feelings or thoughts alone, he doubted if he used it on Sakura that she would reveal anything that "felt." After all it didn't work before when she and Naruto tried to get him back. He gazed at her cold glare demanding an answer. Sakura was the type to hold her feelings in when someone was noticing if she acted weird. He could always tell each time, but now this was a different Sakura who had matured, until now.
"Fine," he answered her challenge. Closing his eyes for a full 3 seconds he opened them again to reveal the Sharingan. Sakura smiled deviously, rage obviously boiling inside, with blood lust. "Wait a minute that's not fair Sasuke!" the blonde objected only to be faced with a glaring cherry blossom. "It's alright; he has my strength to worry about," she assured. Naruto relaxed at this statement but still didn't like the look of it. He swore when he passed out in her arms when fighting Sasuke, that time, something had happened. Sakura looked at him coldly instead of pleadingly. Even when they came back home she barely said anything on the way back. Then disappeared, for a full month and a half, only to find her challenging Sasuke of all people. Her first crush.
The duo walked out in the open training ground. While the doppelganger explained to Naruto nothing bad was going to happen and that he shouldn't worry. 'WORRY MY ASS!' he screamed in his head obviously disapproving. The two stopped in the middle of the clearing then turned to each other. One was glaring and the other staring. Naruto looked back and forth in nervous anticipation, jumping at the sound of her shadow clone poofing into a cloud of smoke. He thought that boys were the only ones who itched for a fight, especially when it came to Sasuke. Naruto stopped losing count around 250-something the second week Sasuke's probation kicked in. "So any rules you want to set before the spar?" Sasuke asked turning his suspicion into satisfaction. He figured she had turned alright after all. She nodded, "We will not hit each other's obvious weak points, use any means necessary to bring down the opposing fighter, no holding back, and…" she hesitated, "…no killing," she finished in a mocking tone smirking. Both Naruto and Sasuke seemed to flinch simultaneously. What happened to Sakura? She didn't know herself. All she knew was she wanted to see his blood drawn.
"Any requests of your own?" she asked trying to be fair and holding any sense of ruefulness. Sasuke stared in surprise. 'I just can't figure her out. Girls have way too many mood swings for my taste,' he thought to himself, "There will be three rounds. Naruto…" Naruto looked at Sasuke in amazement. "…will referee the fight," she nodded in agreement. "WHA-?! Don't go making me your human shield teme!" the fox's eyes slit in an utter whining protest. He knew what Sakura would do if he judged something wrong. This was most likely possible at 98 to happen. The two fighters rolled their eyes. "Why don't you just get it over with and put bets on as well?" Naruto added fuming. Sakura smiled wickedly at the unsuspecting blonde, who soon regretted his words, she turned quickly to Sasuke seeing him shaking his head. "What's the matter Uchiha? Are you afraid your human shield will let you down that "made" you lose the bet?" she teased. She used past tense on purpose. Sasuke's eyes slanted at this taunt. Sakura knew he wouldn't back down. "Ok, fine if I win then you have to monitor me 24/7 with Naruto for that month and a half you were scarce of hang out time," she didn't say anything for awhile staring at his face. 'Crap, I did that without thinking,' she considered, '…what should I come up with?!'
Sasuke smirked. He had her now. He knew she didn't want to be around him. "What's the matter Haruno?" he taunted her in a little baby teasing way. Sakura snapped. 'That BASTARD is copying me!' Inner Sakura reappeared. "Shut up!" she spat making that defiant smirk of his wipe off. 'I got it!' "If I win you'll call me Haruno-sama for a month and a half!" she stated with pride taking Sasuke's smirk and gluing it on her, like Eeyore's tail constantly having to be put back on with a nail and hammer. Sasuke was speechless. Sakura just made him fall short on his gained dominion exchanging his pride along with it. Naruto looked at the pair loving this new twist every second, though it kind of pissed him off that Sakura got Sasuke's feathers rustled and he didn't first. Surely when he returned Sasuke was called names, looked down upon, and talked about, but it never even made Sasuke twitch. Not even with Naruto, long time rival, seemed to irk him. But she did. The blonde boy ran towards the middle of the clearing as well. He held up his right hand raised in the air. "Alright you two ready?" he asked them both looking at them for acknowledgement. The two swore the boy protested a few minutes ago but shrugged it off nodding at the hyperactive boy's request. "Ready?" the both of them got into their fighting stances. Naruto looked at them both, sweat dripping from his temple; "GO!" he confirmed running back to his original position in utter caution, 'GetoutofthewayGetoutofthewayGetoutoftheway!!!'
\ . /
Tsunade gulped a pint of sake out of her bottle that had been hidden in the drawer of her desk. A hint of red accented the bridge of her nose as she started to hiccup wondering if Sakura found out how to vent her frustrations. Just then an Anbu appeared as she quickly stuck the bottle back into its safe haven. "Lady Hokage, I come for the report of Uchiha Sasuke," the Anbu stated. The Hokage got annoyed looking up at the clock behind the Anbu. "You're four hours early. It better be something important," she threatened. The young man nodded nervously, "He was seen entering the forest with Uzumaki Naruto," he stated. Her eyes twitched, but before she could yell at him he added, "We followed them to your apprentice training…" he paused. "Probably to clear her mind, go on," she egged. "And they are now engaging in a fight," Her eyes widened at the possibilities but soon relaxed. "Leave it alone for now," she ordered, "But madam-," "Take Shizune there to survey the fight out of their range of vision; she's on her lunch brake, so see if she's at the cafeteria. I don't want to hear anything more from you guys unless something serious happens or it's during your usual report times. Understood?" she commanded in a very serious tone. "…Yes," he confirmed and left in a poof of smoke. Tsunade sighed, a sigh of relief, once again reaching for her sake bottle. 'Sakura probably challenged him to spar. She's not stupid enough to kill a friend out of rage. I didn't believe a word she'd told me when she was here earlier. If she does make the mistake of killing him she's liable to punish herself for it rather than me. I still don't trust that boy anyway,' Tsunade counseled herself. Still she was worried about her current apprentice as she looked out the window to the forest.
\ . /
"GO!" the referee yelled running back to safety as Sakura charged. She continued her series of punches kicks usually having them blocked rather than dodged. 'How is he taking those punches?' she thought in frustration pretty much sure she was using her superhuman strength. Sasuke smiled at her disappointed face mocking her instantly making her notice and landed a kick on his left rib. He winced and looked up at Sakura's satisfaction pulling out kunai knives and throwing them with explosive notes. He read one before dodging. DIE. He gulped disappearing in the shadow of smoke. Sakura squinted her eyes and calmed down her breathing listening out for any sudden movement. Just as she heard something behind her she turned only to be slashed from the front with his katana. She held her stomach. It wasn't deep but it was enough to get her pissed.
Sakura knew that the problem was the smoke and that he was manipulating it with his speed. She held her hands up for protection and slowly started to spread her chakra to keep tabs on his movements. This of course, was without little effort, paid off because she could now follow his movements. She decided to run in the middle of the clearing trying to dodge as many slashes as she could. Sasuke saw everything in the smoke, but he couldn't understand why she was running away and asked her why. She ignored him and continued to run, blood seeping out of her cheek, arms and legs. He decided to be cautious a little too late, because before he knew it, he saw her smash the ground with her fist a little harder than she normally does. Walls of dirt started to rise in disturbance trying to push him this way and that. He dodged each and every single new pillar, finally landing on one, trying to calm his nerves as everything became quiet.
He shivered. That really was some awesome strength. 'Now where are you,' he asked as he surveyed the new plain with his kekkai genkai. He looked left, right, behind, forward, and under but couldn't find her. He swore his shadow on the ground looked bigger after he settled down and tried to look up but was crushed by something soft on his back. His hand and leg were held tightly above him and he felt something cool on his neck. He tried to look up and saw a flash of pink in the corner of his eye. "Shit," he swore wincing in pain. Naruto jumped from one pillar to the next looking at Sakura's handiwork but being interrupted by seeing her looking in his direction waiting for his judgement. He snickered but not before being told by Sasuke to shut up. She got up off him and jumped on a ledge still waiting for Naruto to call the match while healing wounds that were way to close to main arteries. "Heh, Round 1's winner is Sakura," he pointed.
He lifted his hand once again looking at both players and asking them if they were ready. He started the match, but not before, seeing Sasuke's neck bleeding a bit. This time Sasuke started the match, mad that the cherry blossom had won the first round. He felt warm liquid feeling its way down to his chest and touched it, smirking. He pulled out a scroll and lined some of the oozing blood along the middle summoning five huge demon shuriken. He threw two of them at her making her lose balance and landing on a lower pillar. Sakura looked up. 'Che, at least he's not hiding anymore,' she reflected, she heard a slashing sound around her and saw several pillars fall. Her heart was thumping hard trying to get out of her chest as she ran away from a shuriken that made its way to her. She looked back. It was following her. She smiled in disbelief. "So that's how it's going to be," she said as she ran through her newly created maze. Suddenly another shuriken made its way in front of her and she jumped up to see the two sharp objects still following her. 'Get away from me!' Inner Sakura yelled at the two inanimate objects. 'There she is,' Sasuke confirmed making hand signs. 'Majestic Fire Flower,' he stated in his mind as he inhaled and let go of 12 quick exhalations of fireballs.
Sakura looked to her left as a dozen fireballs pursued her as well. She twisted her body towards them keeping her mind on the two below. She held her hands out lining them with chakra and molding it into a fan. "Blow Back Counter!" she announced as she clapped her hands making a huge wind blow not only the fire out but three hidden shuriken away back at Sasuke. Sasuke's eyes widened at her "counter" holding his hands before his eyes trying to see the wind and dodging the shuriken. He looked at Sakura glance at the previous shuriken catching them with excellent precision. "Not bad," he called out. Sakura looked towards him with utter disgust. He flinched keeping an eye on the shuriken that were in her hands now lined with chakra. He didn't know why but it mattered to him that she looked at him that way. Sakura looked at her opponent not satisfied with his little impression of her. She wanted more blood. He was going to hurt tonight.
She closed her eyes and concentrated on the shuriken now in her hands. The shuriken started to grow out a bit looking like swirls with spikes. Sasuke stared. She was manipulating the shape and amount of element in those two weapons! He had to get to her quick before she threw them, afraid of their potential damage. She opened her eyes half-smiling as she saw Sasuke trying to get closer in a panic. "Too late," she whispered to herself. She sent some chakra to her feet and jumped up in the air carrying the two heavy wheels of doom. (Sorry couldn't come up with anything better to put down.) Sasuke looked up swearing and trying to retreat. She threw at a dot jumping up and down towards the trees that were unaffected. One after the other struck the ground right before Sasuke and throwing him off balance catching him with a wave of dirt with tremendous force. An earthquake followed. The shuriken didn't stop until hitting a hill grinding all the way shaking the ground and robbing hundreds animals' of their homes. Quite a few birds flew away to Konoha.
Sakura landed on the now level ground and pursued where she saw the spiky haired boy last. In an instant Sakura was covered by someone huggin… no holding her. "Chidori Nagashi," he heard someone say in her ear seductively. She saw black as lightning filled the air making her scream out in pain and feeling limp in his arms. Naruto rushed over to see Sasuke laying her down on the ground waking up from grogginess. He stood looking down at her from concern. He didn't use as much chakra as he should have for that last attack but she was bleeding still from her previous cuts. Naruto looked them both over waiting for a few minutes so they regained some strength. Sasuke now had blood seeping from his head dripping from his chin making him close one of his eyes, dirt covered him head to toe, and definitely had a broken rib, arm, and leg. "You guys ok?" he asked in a concerned tone. They nodded and asked him to start the final match. "You've got to be kidding me. Sakura-chan I doubt you can move after he electrocuted you like that and Sasuke, you've got broken bones everywhere!" he tried to disapprove. "Just start the damn match already," they yelled in unison, realizing there was an echo they glared at each other locking eyes and connecting with invisible electricity. "Ok. Fine, but there is a penalty," he sighed under his breath, finally understanding what the proctors felt during the chuunin exams. They looked at him in uncertainty. He pointed at Sakura. "I forbid your inhuman strength," and then pointed at Sasuke, "I forbid that Sharingan," he finished. "What?!" yelled Sakura. "I have no problem with it," Sasuke said calming down. She shot a glance at Sasuke who ignored her. She agreed reluctantly as she thought, 'I'll make you look at me Uchiha.'
\ . /
Shizune looked at the damage made by her kohai and sighed with relief as she spotted the three teenagers who weren't corpses. She rested her chin on the newly formed rock looking at the two monstrously huge, mutated shuriken stuck in a hill. "Geez," she muttered under her breath, "It's as if she wants to kill him," "Shizune-senpai, shouldn't we stop them?" She looked down at the Anbu who had asked her. She shook her head, "Don't you think she's doing a good job of distracting him from his current goal in life right now?" she implied on the nervous 4 with her. "Uh… I guess senpai, but… she's the Hokage's apprentice. What if an accident happens to her?" "That's where we fit in. If something like that happens you rush in on my signal," she explained, "Otou-kohai?" she called out. "Yes, ma'am?" a figure on the far right turned to her. "I want you to retrieve the blonde one, after they start fighting again, so I can interrogate him on the situation," she stated. The figure in black clad and an Anbu mask teleported into the trees.
\./
"Phew, ok. Fighter's ready?" Naruto held his hand up wearily looking at both of his companions one put back on his cool demeanor while the other one steamed on the floor. The cool one walked over to her and offered his hand to lift her up. She closed her eyes insulted and got up herself. He sighed obviously tired of this behavior as well. "Okay…GO!" and they started again, canceling each other's kunai, shuriken, punches, anything the other threw at them they returned. They started to edge away from Naruto who suddenly disappeared out of their awareness range.
Naruto found himself against a tree, hands behind his back, and the left side of his face against wood. "Hwey! What's thuh bwig idea?!" (I think you guys can read that. It's not like its l33t. . ) He wrapped his leg around the captor's and tripped him backwards. Reaching in his holster he pulled out a kunai and held it near the person's neck. He sat on the stomach, making the poor Anbu grunt in pain, holding two arms up with his free hand and pushing his knee down on one of the legs. "Gasp. As I'd expect, uhn, from one of the apparent-ihces of the three Sannin, Uzumaki-san," the Anbu stated with a female voice trying to grasp air. Naruto cocked his head to the side in bewilderment. It was a Leaf Anbu who attacked him and even more it was a woman. He looked a little further down than the mask towards her chest that was heaving up and down, it was true as he got up off her with a hint of red showing in his face, and she started coughing in reaction. "I'm so sorry but you-," "It's alright it was my mistake," she calmed him down. "So did the Hokage send you to talk to me about those two?" he pointed towards the sound of clanging and slams echoing in the clearing.
"We're normally the Anbu that watch over Uchiha-san when you don't, but we're here with Shizune who was asked to survey the problem building up between those two that is if you'll accompany me to her," he paused for awhile. "But no one will be watching them," he said. "Don't worry about it," she reassured him holding out her hand. He nodded and grabbed it as they teleported to Shizune accompanied by three others. He bowed as Shizune made introductions between the next Hokage and the dispersed nin from the current Hokage. "So you guys watch while I don't?" he asked. They all nodded. "It must be boring to watch him all the time. I should know, I'm with him as soon as he wakes up," he grumpily states putting his hands behind his head. "We usually see him eat, train and sleep," Otou says with a smile in her voice. 'So this is the nine tailed fox. If only he knew about his reputation…' she thought. "If it's not too much trouble, Naruto-," Shizune started, "Oh right! About Sasuke-teme and Sakura-chan…"
\ . /
'I'm not going to lose here not to him,' Sakura told herself, 'there have been too many times for that and I'm still living after each mistake. It's disgraceful but I'll get rid of that with your defeat,' she predicted confident. She was finally beating down the person she had admired for those years, telling him through punches, kicks, and slashes that she was not weak and he was not going to deem her as such. Telling him through violence how much it hurt to have her feelings not returned, and on top of that crushed stating that it wasn't fun to have to pick herself, up again and try to forgive and forget. There was too much of that and she wanted him to pay here and now. 'He will,' she told herself. HE WILL. She finally landed a punch in his gut making him cough out some blood. 'More,' she told herself. MORE. She gave him a series of punches and kicks that he suddenly couldn't follow. The boy was giving up. She sensed it but didn't say anything till she kicked him to the ground.
"That's not what I want, Uchiha!" she spat, "Didn't I say no holding back?" He looked up at her standing there with her arms crossed. He didn't say anything. There was absolute fire in her words he knew it all too well. After all, that was how he was back then. He started to say something when it struck him, she hated him. Did breaking her heart really bring out all of this rage? Did she still love him? If it was one thing that Orochimaru was wrong about it was bonds. The bonds she had with him regarding love. They made her stronger while the snake claimed it would make him weak. It made Naruto strong too. But Sakura was different, she had no pain that could compare to Naruto or Sasuke, she had everything he lost and still developed hate. How did that happen? She used to have a sweet smile that was filled with hope, love, and care. Now he sees a frown carrying hate, pain, and coldness. He blamed himself. It was like in this sense he was Itachi. He ultimately did something so unthinkable to make her life change drastically. Never mind Naruto who still had to worry about Akatsuki.
"Get up!" she demanded. "Don't tell me what to do… annoying," he suddenly swore he saw stars as he was hurled into the air. It wasn't an abnormal punch but damn it, it still hurt like one. He struggled to get up only to be surprised finding a panting Sakura. An angry Sakura. He for the first time saw her angry face directed at him. He felt his heart drop and at the same time wondered why. Blood trickled from his lip. At least his teeth and jaws were still attached. If he kept acting the way he did they wouldn't be for long. He charged at her torso knocking the wind right out of her and slamming on the ground. He grabbed her arm and her, his neck. The spar turned into a wrestling match if not already a death match. Sakura's body grew hotter at their actions. Adrenaline took the liberty of pumping itself through her veins. She bit his hand and immediately got a cry from Sasuke.
Still holding onto his neck she tried to free her arm but couldn't. She drew chakra to a certain spot that touched the ground next popping them up 4 feet in the air. She did that for 10 minutes but to no avail with her screaming her head off in frustration. He wasn't going to let go and she wasn't going to let go. They were both stubborn, rolling on the dirt like little kids trying to get free of each other's grasp. His breathing started to halt as she squeezed his neck harder. He tried to move his head but then found himself in a headlock being pushed against the side of her breast, amazed at how soft it was. He blushed furiously trying to push that thought out of his mind still holding her other hand. His previous free arm was intertwined with one of her legs which she wouldn't let go either. Her other leg blocked his leg. They stood in that position for five minutes, where was Naruto?
A half an hour passed as Naruto arrived with Shizune and Anbu in hiding. He looked at the view, distraught of what he saw. The two looked like a mutilated pretzel both exhausted not letting go waiting for the dobe. He ruled it with a tie as he told them that they could let go of each other now. He was literally trying to stifle his laughter wondering what the others thought in the bushes. "Shut it, Naruto," Sakura called out annoyed. He couldn't help it and let it all out. Sasuke was humiliated blushing madly seeing someone in the bushes. Naruto fell on the floor tearing and holding his aching sides. "We got it dobe, just help us get untangled, both of our blood circulations cut off a few minutes ago," Sasuke simply stated that they couldn't move. Naruto stared at them in amazement then started to laugh again and called to whoever was in the shadows to help him out because he needed to recover from busting a gut.
Glossary-ohayo-good morning, senpai- upper ranked person, kohai-lower ranked person, chidori- flight of a thousand birds, nagashi- discharge, teme-bastard, dobe- (forgot), shannaro- (means nothing), sake- japanese alcoholic beverage, baa-chan- old lady/granny, kyubbi- fox or nine tailed fox, (I think) ano- um, kunoichi- female ninja. That's it for now… I think, sweat drops.
Preview: It was a great thing she wasn't living with her family because in an outburst because she yelled, "FUCK OFF!" It became quiet for awhile and then she went to sleep again in peaceful bliss. Then the knocking started again with a familiar voice. "Aw, c'mon Sakura-chan, don't be like that, it's us!" he called out, "I could care less if it was the Hokage! It's my day-off, go bother someone else!" she screamed.
(A/N: Well how'd you like? Interesting ne? To be continued if I get at least 5 reviews. I need encouragement to continue. In the mean time I'd like to apologize for making it too long. If you skimmed or stopped halfway I'll understand. I'll try to cut down on the next chapter. And yes I innovated and invented two techniques forgive me.)