Arc of Creation

Chapter 1: Breaking Reality

{Sakura}

It had been my day off, an odd occurrence, but an appreciated one. I had slept in till 9:00, before I arose and got ready to greet the day. After a quick shower and putting on my usual outfit I grabbed a piece of toast and a protein bar before heading out the door forty-five minutes later. I had met up with TenTen and Hinata at the public training grounds for morning sparring with Yuhi Kurenai-sensei, who had been involved with my outside teachings in Genjutsu.

Secretly Hinata had been teaching me Juken, and TenTen had been teaching me the basics of swordsmanship. Kurenai-sensei had even volunteered to teach me her highly prized Jubaku Satsu, the Demonic Illusion: Tree Bind Death technique. I had been surprised by all the attention, since Kurenai-sensei had in the past refused to teach anyone her top genjustsu. But I wasn't complaining.

Our training took up the rest of the morning, and early afternoon before I decided I had had enough. Usually my friends would accept that I was just leaving to go home and stop training. And yet Hinata, TenTen, and Kurenai-sensei seemed to insist much more forcefully and multiply that I stay and train more until the late afternoon. They looked desperate for me to stay with them, as if something bad was about to happen.

I didn't pay much thought to it then, and insisted that I needed to leave because I had a lunch-date with Ino. Once they heard Ino was going to be with me, they immediately backed off. They looked oddly nervous and concerned as I left. And I could feel their stares drilling into my back as I traveled further away from them. But I shook any idea that something was wrong out of my head, and focused on meeting my best friend.

-

We met at quaint little outside café outside the park that served great tea, and a light lunch. Ino was on her break from training with her own team, so she could relax for only a little while. They greeted each other with a pleasant hello and sat down to order. Ino ordered a seaweed and dumpling soup, with grilled eel, and green tea. I ordered rice balls with pickled ume fruits in the middle, teriyaki chicken, and lotus tea.

We had talked softly of things going on in our lives presently. Though I hadn't told her of the weird way some of the guys had been acting lately. I got filled in on the latest gossip, well the romance gossip anyway. It seemed my suspicion about my other friends feelings had been right. Hinata had gotten over her crush on Naruto, and had fallen for the quiet Aburame Shino. It seemed Shino was very protective of his new found girlfriend, and the two had been secretly dating for sometime. I had raised a brow at that, it had surprised me, they made an odd couple. Hey, but who was I to comment, to each their own.

Next of the gossiping list was TenTen. It seemed she was starting to get sweet on Rock Lee. Lee had out grown his crush on me, and had set his sights on his own teammate. If I hadn't been surprised before, now I was. But this match did make sense. TenTen had known him longer then me, and they were the same age. Plus I could only see Lee as a friend, missions partner or sensei. He had helped me with my Taijustsu a lot, and that had helped in my training with Tsunade-sensei.

And of course Ino had to tell me for billionth time about her relationship with her own teammate, Shikamaru. She rambled on and on about their dates together, and about him all together. The girl was talking so fast that I could hardly catch anything she was saying. I think even the sound barrier had broken because of how fast she was talking. I smirked at the mental image. I sighed as I prodded my chicken with my chopsticks, I had to say I was a little envious of my friends at times. Sure I'm happy for them finding boyfriends, but it made me wonder if there really was someone out there for me.

'You would think, Sasuke, right? Well that relationship went down the tubes once he had left. Sure I still very much love that guy, but a girl gets fed up at some point in her life and is just sick of waiting. The first year I had staid faithful to the idea of Sasuske coming back, heck even as the second year had passed I had remained hopeful and loyal. But as the third year progressed other things in my life started to become more important to me, like my training, my friends, and just having a good time. True I would always remain hopeful for Sasuke to come back, but I doubt that our relationship would be a romantic one. It had always seemed like he either treated me as a friend, or an annoyance. Yes, annoyance, that was hitting the nail on the head.'

'My life just couldn't necessarily revolve around a guy that probably didn't care about me , and wasn't even here. Plus I didn't believe in long-distant relationships. Well, if I loved him above everything else, which I don't.'

'Oh.. I'm rambling again. Plus Sasuke didn't count…'

'Oh no! Ino was right again!'

She had given me that same advice that I just came up with. But her words were more like "Forget that looser, forehead! Get a real man, like my Shika-baby,"

I snorted at the statement, how could those two have gotten together? It still baffled me, especially since it had seemed Tamari and Shikamaru had been interested in each other a year or so ago. Ino and Shikamaru were complete opposites, but then again the saying went "Opposites Attract". I just wondered how their children would come out if those two got married later in life. Perhaps a nagging-genius boy, or a lazy-confident girl? Oh, the possibilities!

I smiled slightly at my thoughts, but was snapped out of them by the feeling of someone staring at me. For a split second I thought it was one of the boys looking at me, but my gaze only came upon Ino staring at me intently with worry. I blinked in surprise, but then weakly smiled at Ino.

"Sorry, Ino. I was zoning out. What were you saying?" I asked softly.

"Are you ok, Sakura-chan?" Asked Ino seriously, her stern blue glare still fixated on me. Her gaze was piercing to say the least, so much, that I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. A tense silence settled into place for what seemed like hours, it was so thick you could cut it with the katana I had been using earlier.

"Yes, I'm fine. Why, Ino-chan?" I said blurted out quickly, a little too quickly to be believable. Ino's glare disappeared and melted into a "Yeah right, sure, now tell me the truth or face my fiery wrath," look. A thin blond arched brow contributed to the look. Ino was just daring me to try and cover up what I was really hiding. Normally I would rise to the challenge with just as much vigor, but with the revelation of my feelings for Sasuke had darkened my good mood.

Ino must have noticed my real feelings of that very second, because her skeptic expression turned into a concerned one. I mental slapped myself for letting myself be so easy to read. My inner self was cursing myself, Sasuke, and my friend's intuition at the moment. I had to whole-heartily agree with her.

Damn the female intuition!

Ino was patiently waiting for me to start explaining myself. At first I wanted to just try and cover up my blunder, but sighed in defeat. Once Ino wanted to know something, she would fight tooth and nail to find it out. And to tell the truth, I wasn't up to getting into an argument on my day off. So I took a deep breath and began my explanation. I told her of how it seemed my teammates and sensei had seemed to not even acknowledge my new found strength, or the person I had evolved into.

I was the same person I was three years ago, but I had also changed too. I am wiser, braver, I take my life as a shinobi more seriously, I am more stable, both emotionally and mental . I had grown up, both physically and mentally. Yet it seemed many people still couldn't see that, as if they only saw the weak, cry-baby teammate of Uzamaki Naruto, and Uchiha Sasuke, and Sai. The small kunoichi Kakashi-sensei kept around because he felt sorry for her.

But that wasn't me any more! I had surpassed everyone's expectations! Many have said I will surpass my sensei very soon, and I've become a very good medic-nin who can work under pressure and with efficiency. My chakra-control is excellent, I know enough Justus to help me in battle, and I could develop strategies almost as fast as Shikamaru. I mean when people are going to wake up and see this!

I am stronger then ever before. I admit that I still need to improve, but all the same! Plus with my mixed feelings about Sasuke, I really had pent up a lot of what I was holding back. So I told her, straight out, no nonsense. When it came to personal matters I think that you should be straightforward, and not beat around the bush.

Once I was done, Ino's eyes were narrowed slightly, her smile had twisted into a frown, and her nose was wrinkled. Meaning she was thinking over everything I had said, and concluding just what exactly to say to me. I sat quietly in my seat, my eyes down, finding the table's wood work very interesting. All the while past memories of when I was twelve again, replayed themselves of every single screw up I'd made. This didn't help in anyway, hell, it made me feel even worse. But this was just something I did when I felt down. I made myself feeling ten-times worse. I could even feel the urge to cry suddenly, and cursed myself again.

But a warm sensation gripping my right hand, which was currently laying on the table, and in shock my head shot up to attention. My some-what frantic gaze fell on another hand gripping my own in a gentle grip, Ino's hand. I stared at the contact, before I looked up to see Ino's face soft with compassion and support. I looked at her in confusion, my eyes asking my questions for me. Ino only smiled brightly at me.

"Sakura, you really should let go of these feelings. Your better then this, just believing you're weak. Because your not. And to hell with that Uchiha, he doesn't know what he's missing out on! Sakura…"

"Sakura,…You're strong. You're really strong. Stronger then anyone I know. Those guys don't know what they're talking about. And don't you worry, one day you're going to make them see that you really are strong!" She finished in a soft voice, and once again smiled brightly at me. Her words had hit a cord in me, and I could she was being sincere. It made my eyes water again, but in a good way. I felt better now, and I gently squeezed Ino's hand in thanks. I spared my friend a soft smile, my sign that I had heard her and that I would be fine.

Ino's smile only got bigger, and she squeezed my hand right back. "Thank you…Ino-pig."

"You're welcome, ...Forehead-girl." At the hearing of our old nicknames for each other we started to laugh, thinking how stupid we had been back then. I may have been rivals with Ino, perhaps even now in some odd way, but that hadn't stopped me from seeing her as a friend. And what a friend she was! She could be have like her lazy-ass boyfriend said, a "troublesome woman", but she could really come through when her friends really needed her. She got up and came over to me and wrapped me in a tight hug.

Once we had embraced, and she had reassurances that I was just fine now, is only when we started up our conversation again. Ino had asked how my training was going, and if my sensei had killed me yet. I had laughed at the comment, light-hearted now, I answered cheerfully back that it was going fine, and Sensei hadn't finished me off just yet. I started to explain about the recent teachings of my training, and only when I got into the middle of my explanation is when I realized something.

I missed my training.

'You may be thinking: Is she nuts! That blond woman puts her through hell and back everyday! She pushed the poor girl to her limits and beyond. She should be bowing down of her knees for this chance to relax. But that wasn't how it is at all! I love my training, it's the exact opposite! I love being pushed to my limits and beyond, because it proves that I can only go higher! I love the tightness of the muscles, the feel of blood pumping, the adrenaline rush surging, and the feel of chakra pulsing through my veins! And that's what makes me train so hard, not just because it's my duty, or because I need it to get stronger. But because I enjoyed it!'

' Having to think on your toes during a fight helps your mental decision making in life. It helps you make the most beneficial and helpful decisions on everything in life. I mean you shouldn't over analyze everything, but it does help. Plus training keeps you in shape, and helps relieves stress. Plus one of the most important things of being a medic, was just helping and healing another person. I think it's one of the most concrete things a human being can do for another. I love seeing a smile come onto the faces every time they are cured, and how their families smile right back. Just the simple thing makes it all worth while. '

I was so inspired that I suddenly stopped talking, and stood up so fast that I almost knocked over my chair. Ino jumped at my sudden movement. I pulled out my wallet and pulled out some yen to pay for my food. I smiled brightly at Ino, who just stared at me in confusion. "Gomen Ino, but I'm so pumped! I have to see sensei! I'll see you tomorrow and arigatou Ino-chan. I got so into my talk about my training that I have to find sensei and training right now! Arigatou again, Ino-chan, you've been a real friend today and I enjoyed lunch!"

"Please, give my regards to the happy couples to. I hope you don't mind me going early, and if you do I'll make it up to you some other time. Just right now I have to train!" And with that I sped off. Well I would if Ino hadn't nearly flattened my on the sidewalk, it seemed she had gotten up and tackled me with in the time of a half a mini-second.

She had a tight grip on my shoulder, and I firmly undid her hand from my shoulder. I whirled around to face her, and she had a nervous/serious look on her usual happy face. I recognized the expression as the one's my friends and Kurenai-sensei had on early that morning. Something was wrong, very wrong. What could have had everyone so nervous, I thought I was the only one doing that these days!

"What, Ino-chan? What's wrong?" I asked. Ino looked shaken, like she didn't know exactly what to say. Being the concerned friend I am, I rested my hand on her shoulder, and gave her a reassuring smile. What ever she had to say had to be very important for her to act this way. But why was she so distressed? I would just have to listen to what was wrong, after all, she had done it for me. It took her a few minutes to get what she was trying to say out, I just hadn't been expecting the response.

"Sakura-chan, you can't go to the Gondaime right now!" She said breathlessly. To say I was surprised was an understatement. I pulled back from my friend and looked at her skeptically.

" What? Why not?" I asked uncertainly. Ino looked like she was having an inner power struggle. Like she didn't know if she should tell me or not. Now I was really worried, could something be that important to have her in this kind of state?

"You just can't go Sakura! Something's going on, and you just can't go!" Oh, now it made sense. Something big was going on and sensei didn't want me to find out about it. If it had been that no body else knew, then it would have been fine. But it seemed every ninja I encountered knew about this little event that seemed to have been occurring all day long. And to tell the truth I was annoyed by this, and very suspicious. I was the Gondaime's second apprentice, for god's sake! I should know about what's going on! At least the big stuff anyway! I set my jaw tightly, I needed to know what exactly what I was missing.

"What's going on, Ino? Please, tell me." I asked softly to my friend. It again looked like she wanted to tell me, but shook her head no. So she couldn't tell me. So it was that big huh? Well fine! I'll just have to go to the source and find out what this big meeting was all about! And with that I turned on my heel and started walking determinedly toward the Hokage tower. I could hear Ino's pleads from behind me.

"Stop Sakura! Please, stop! Wait! Wait! Please! Wait! Please, Sakura! Sakura!"

But not even her pleadings could stop me, I was a woman on a mission now. I increased my pace, and started to put the puzzle together mentally. It all made sense now, every single last detail of today.

The reason why Tsunade-sensei had said out of the blue I would have the day off. That my friends had begged me to spend more time training with them more time then usual. That was the reason why Kurenai-sensei had offered to teach me her prized Genjutsu, which I had mastered quite well, thank you! That's why Ino had begged me to stay! They had wanted to keep me busy. And to top it off everyone knew what was going on, except me!

And come hell or high water I was going to find out exactly what!

-

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Note: I own my story, ideas, and plotline.