"One on one? What about Sakura-chan?" Naruto frowned in confusion sending said Kunoichi a glance.
Sakura smirked and held up a single bell. "Because I've already passed that test a year ago."
Naruto's jaw practically dropped on the ground as he looked at Kakashi, searching for any signs that maybe Sakura-chan had lied only to be met with a slightly embarrassed look from Kakashi.
"Maa, that's right." Kakashi admitted, both proud and still a bit miffed about the accident.
"How?" Naruto curiously asked.
Neither Sakura nor Kakashi was surprised. It would have been surprising had Naruto simply let the matter drop.
"Did Sakura-chan beat the living daylights out of you? Did she use a super awesome jutsu? Or have you gotten old?" Naruto fired off not noticing how Kakashi's eye twitched at the last remark or how Sakura had to stiffle a giggle.
"It was a cheapshot." Kakashi cut Naruto off before the blonde could open his mouth.
"Ninja." Sakura flatly reminded her lover.
"Gah! You two are being so vague about it and that's making me more curious, dattebayo!" Yelled a frustrated blonde.
"I didn't know 'vague' was in your vocabulary." Kakashi dryly commented not even batting his eye as Naruto charged in to attack in anger.
'Well at least he's decided that his test is more important than how I got my bell.' Sakura thought, slightly relieved that she didn't have to share the embarrassing story with Naruto yet.
Meanwhile Naruto aimed a punch at Kakashi's head only for Kakashi to grab the blonde's fist and twist him into a loose chokehold. Naruto tensed up, not because he thought Kakashi would attack him or anything, but because of how brotherly their position felt despite the situation.
"Well, it looks like you haven't changed at all Naruto, you're still reckless."
"Oh yeah? Well you haven't changed at all!"
"Why, thank you."
"T-that wasn't a compliment!"
Sakura's giggle managed to break Naruto and Kakashi's banter.
From underneath his mask, Kakashi's lips curved up a bit. Maybe, he mused, Team Seven really will be whole again one day.
"I didn't say start yet." Kakashi scolded Naruto and nodded at Sakura.
Getting the message Sakura body flickered away, leaving Kakashi and Naruto alone.
"Well?" Naruto asked.
Kakashi released him. "I hope you haven't been slacking off on training."
Naruto snorted. "Right back at ya Kakashi-sensei."
"Sakura's been pushing me since you left, but just to be sure I'll give it my all and teach you a thing or two while I'm at it." Kakashi informed lifting up his headband to reveal his Sharingan.
"Your sharingan looks different." Naruto noted in a confused tone.
"Didn't I tell you I haven't been slacking off?" Kakashi asked with a closed eye smile causing Naruto to tense slightly.
This only made Kakashi's smile grow, he was genuinely excited to test his Kamui against Naruto. "Well then, shall we begin?"
In response Naruto got into his fighting stance with an excited grin. "You're not the only one with tricks up his sleeve!"
After the declaration clones started popping into existence surrounding Kakashi.
.o0omo0o
Ino rested her cheek on her palm as she gazed outisde the coffee shop through the wide windows, her elbows resting on the table sitting between her and her childhood friend.
Sakura looked up from reading Icha Icha, slightly surprised that Ino stopped ranting on her own without the medic's intervention. She followed the Yamanaka's gaze to find a couple walking outside.
'Ah.' She immediately realized what was wrong as she looked at Ino, her green eyes softening.
"I mean where's my happy ending, y'know?" Ino continued her earlier rant in a much softer tone not noticing that Sakura was actually listening at this point.
"You'll find it." Sakura assured startling Ino a bit.
Ino looked at her childhood friend, absently noting that Sakura had closed the orange book. Then the blonde girl sighed.
"You have Kakashi."
Sakura had to resist the urge to beam at that fact. Damn right she has Kakashi.
But Ino was obviously sad at the moment and Sakura didn't want to make things harder for the girl by being visibly happy at the mere mention of Kakashi.
"Temari has Shikamaru."
Sakura hummed in agreement. Those two were on and off again, but that was simply because of politics getting them into arguments.
"Choji has Ayame."
Perhaps a bit surprising, but Choji had been smitten with the girl for months before taking a chance and asking the girl out. They've been steady for almost a year now.
"Tenten has Lee. Still don't know how that happened though..."
Sakura sent Ino a scolding look.
Ino ignored it.
"Kiba has that cat girl with the cat lady grandma."
"Tamaki." Sakura supplied.
"Whatever."
"Look," Sakura started knowing that Ino could continue on and on about the couples in Konoha. "I don't know why you're feeling sorry for yourself."
Ino sent the medic a glare. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" She hissed.
Sakura gave Ino a flat look. "You're appealing to the male population yet you keep rejecting everyone." She distantly recalled Ino saying those exact words to her a few months ago.
"So?"
"Do I have to spell it out for you? You're still pinning after Sasuke and hoping for him to return your affection if he ever comes back instead of, I don't know, moving on?"
"I'm not pinning after him!"
Sakura scoffed. "Ino. Let's be honest here."
Instead of answering Ino simply stormed off, perfectly playing out the part of the bratty Yamanaka heiress everyone sees her as.
Out of everyone Ino's the only one who hasn't changed after all.
Though Sakura wondered what would happen in the future. Would Ino really end up with Sasuke? Or someone else?
Sakura then shook her head.
"Silly girl, you don't force yourself to love someone. It's called falling in love for a reason."
"Cheating on Kakashi?"
Sakura raised an eyebrow as Asuma took a seat in front of her. "Shouldn't you be with Kurenai?"
Asuma gave her a friendly smile.
"I am." He said nodding to Kurenai who was sitting at another table. "We just couldn't help hearing that Ino is pinning after someone?"
Sakura froze. No way was she going to tell Asuma that Ino was still very much attracted to her former teammate.
"Ah! I forgot that I have to take Pakkun to the vet today!"
Asuma watched as Sakura disappeared in a swirl of petals with an almost annoyed look.
Kurenai chuckled from her table.
Both being reminded that Kakashi was a bad influence on his girlfriend.
.o0o.o0o
"So Naruto was doing pretty well until he used his trump card?" Tsunade skeptically repeated.
Jiraiya, who had secretly observed Naruto and Kakashi's spar, nodded.
"He used a deadly technique. The sexy harem jutsu."
Tsunade almost face palmed. Of course Naruto would have something as stupid as that as a trump card.
"No wonder it didn't work."
"On the contrary it was working quite well."
Tsunade's eyebrow twitched, her faith in her male shinobi force going down once again. "Then how did Naruto lose?"
"Oh, one of his clones just happened to have transformed into someone vaguely ressembling your priced student."
Realization dawned Tsunade.
"It was a massacre afterwards."
Tsunade snorted at the statement. "Of course. If Hatake wasn't able to do at least that much, I would have put an end to his relationship with my student already." A threat she had used countless times in the last months to get Kakashi to actually start up with some stamina training.
Jiraiya certainly didn't envy Kakashi.
.o0o.o0o
"Thought I'd find you here." Sakura smiled taking a seat next to Naruto.
Three guesses at to where they were and if one of them weren't Ichiraku then...well, whatever.
"Sakura-chan." Naruto greeted with a grin despite being preoccupied with eating his ramen.
"So? Who won?" Sakura curiously asked.
A blue cloud seemed to appear above Naruto's head as his grin died into a slightly scared look and a gloomy one.
Sakura wasn't exactly sure how he managed to pull it off.
"I thought I was going to win with my ultimate strategy...but it backfired and Kakashi-sensei...he just...think I saw the Shinigami..."
Sakura sighed at the incoherent words slipping through Naruto's mouth.
But she did understand that Naruto lost. So she simply decided to pat Naruto's head making the boy give her a surprised look as she smiled at him.
"You'll get him next time." She was sure of it. "So cheer up!" She pinched his cheeks making him whine.
"Sakura-chaaaan.." He whined as she stretched his cheeks.
"Considering you only just got back and probably don't have any money I'll pay for your meal."
"Ehh? Really?"
Sakura nodded.
"Sakura-chan, you're the best, dattebayo!" Naruto grinned wasting no time to order two more bowls, one for him and one for Sakura.
"Don't think this will happen again. Starting tomorrow we'll be taking missions again."
Naruto cheered. "I hope we get to save a princess or something!" He grinned.
Sakura stared at Naruto for a moment.
She contemplated whether or not to crush his dreams.
"Naruto. You're a gennin."
She was trying to let him figure it out for himself. But her hint didn't work at all.
"Which means D-ranks only."
Naruto's grin slipped off of his face.