A/N: Did anyone ever tell you guys how amazing you are? Only two chapters and already 719 views. So this update is for you beautiful readers who makes a writer's day a whole lot more bearable.
DISCLAIMER: DO YOU SEE THIS DISCLAIMER? SEE HOW I DISCLAIM THINGS? LIKE I DON'T AND NEVER WILL OWN NARUTO OR THE ANY MERCHANDISE MADE BY THE COMPANY. I BARELY CAN OWN A PEPSI CAN SO...DISCLAIM.
Er... any who, on to the next chapter.
~Siralia.
The Second Chapter: Weighing Me Down
Weeding a garden. Weeding a fucking garden! That's our mission. Sakura thought to herself as she grabbed all the unwanted plants by the roots at a rapid pace.
Well, someone's got a mouth on her.
Not now, Inner.
Geez, don't get you panties in a twist.
Not now, Inner.
...
Sakura sighed and drifted back to reality, noticing that her sensei was looking at her. She gave him a 'innocent' smile all the while cursing him inside. She wasn't the only to feel that way as she noticed Naruto and Sasuke sulking in their own respective parts of the field.
"UGGH! I can't take it anymore!" Naruto yelled, his hands tangled in his hair. He started to pick random plants and throw them into a big pile, he went at a rapid pace and ended up on Sasuke's part of the field. Uchiha was quick to strangle him. Sakura half walked, half drug herself to where Kakashi was and plopped on the ground next to him, causing a small dent in the ground.
"Umm, Sakura..." Kakashi started, but was cut off by the most evil glare that the pinkette could conjure.
"Yes, sensei?" her voice was thick with sweet anger.
"Why...did you create a...dent in the ground?" Kakashi asked curiously. Sakura looked down and realized the the level of ground changed, she knew why.
"It's probably the weights my father forced me to wear. He said he got this idea from an 'old but spirited friend" whatever that means." Kakashi had a hunch.
"Weights? How much?"
"About 33 kilos each."
"And you have..."
"Four. One for each limb." Kakashi smiled for a minute.
"Does your father happen to be Kizashi Haruno?"
"Yes, why?"
"I think I know where the idea came from."
"Really? Where?" Sakura asked, looking hopeful, hoping to find this source so that she could try to talk her father out of it. Though chances of that were slim.
"I think it came from this person... Might Gai." Kakashi said. Unbeknownst to Sakura, Gai and Kakashi were long time rivals, fighting it out. So far Kakashi was winning 54-52. The pinkette looked determined, a fire was burning in her green eyes, a wide grin was on her face. For the first time in today her mood was finally brightening. Though, the feeling was cut short after hearing Naruto's cry for help.
"SAKURA-CHAN!" Both of them looked over to see Naruto get pummeled over the head by some elderly lady who was screaming about medicinal herbs and idiots. Sasuke smirked as Naruto was getting hit until the lady saw him and reverted her wrath out on the raven haired boy.
"Well, I better go over there." Kakashi sighed.
.
..
.
Sakura looked at the sight in front of her. This could not be Might Gai, a friend of her father's. She imagined someone cool, not someone like him.
Why is a man his age wearing spandex?
Umm...
Good Kami, my eyes. They've been mutilated by this sight, and look at that green. Inner said dramatically. Sakura had a good image of herself slapping her hands over her eyes.
Inner, would you calm down. I-It's not that ba-
HOLY CRAP! THOSE EYEBROWS ARE HUGE! THEY ARE LIKE LIVING PORCUPINES ON HIS FACE! I MEAN, WOW!
Inner, stop yelling in my head. Like I was saying, it's not that ba-
HE HAS A BOWL FOR HAIR, AND WHAT IS THAT WHITE STREAK IN HIS HAIR? HOW OLD IS HE LIKE FIFTY? HE IS VERY ODD!
Inner, quit interrupting me. It's not...that...bad. So calm down. Sakura said irritated.
"What might you be doing here on this day full of youth?"a voice abruptly pulled her back to her senses. Sakura turned to see none other the green human in front of her.
Youth? She thought. "U-Umm... are you Might G-gai?"
"Ahh, so you, little flower, have heard of me?" Gai said, a smileon his face.
Sakura nodded. "Y-yes. You were-"
Gai laughed boisterously. "Ha ha ha, I knew my legend was being spread among the next generation. After all, I am KONOHA'S SEXY GREEN BEAST!"
Well, he got the beast part right.
"Well, what youthful drive brings you here this glorious day?" Sakura paled a bit, though it went unnoticable since her skin was already fair.
"Umm... d-do you happen to know my father, Kizashi Haruno? He said you were an old friend of his."
"Ahh, Kizashi and I go way back. I didn't think the punk had a daughter though. In fact, I didn't know he got married." Gai stroked his chin for a moment, clearly lost in thought.
"Well, he s-said that he got an idea from you and made me put these weights on-
"THAT IS VERY YOUTHFUL OF YOUR FATHER! THOSE WEIGHTS ARE A SIGN OF YOUR EVERLASTING BLOOMING!" Gai interrupted. Sakura threw Gai a intense glare. Youthful? Everlasting blooming? What is youthful about heavy metal objects clinging to my limbs, huh?! Gai gave the rosette a nervous smile.
"Why do you wear those glorious weights, anyway?"
"That's the idea my father took from you... I told him that I wanted to be a stronger shinobi and he made me wear these", Sakura attempted to lift her arms but only succeeded in falling to the ground. She looked up at Gai. "He said that this would help my speed and stamina but all it does is just drag me around. It...it pisses me off." She unknowingly banged her fist on the ground, again causing a crater. She didn't notice because her eyes were filled with tears, slipping down her dirt-covered cheeks.
"Hmm... so you are mad, huh?" Gai's voice went low and sharp. "You don't like what you are going through, huh?" Sakura looked up at the man in front of her and was shocked by his expression. It wasn't soft and understanding like her father's; it was harsh and unforgiving, completely opposite from his attitude before. "For one, Haruno, no matter what a ninja goes through or what hardship they face, a shinobi must always keep a proud face. Not one shinobi that I know ever complains about what they go through, and if they do, they die." Gai's smile came back. "One must always take the day by the throat, accept that that's another day to be alive, because for a shinobi life is the most important thing to hold on to." Sakura's eyes widen as she looked at the exubrant man, who's smile was blinding.
Damn, that was deep.
Way to ruin the moment, Inner.
"Oh, and the thing about the weights helping your stamina and speed. Your father wasn't too far off." Sakura looked confused as Gai bent down to until the orange leg warmers revealing shiny metal objects around his forelegs. "Now let me show you what real youth looks like!" He held a thumbs up before taking off at a speed so quick that if one would've blinked...
"HOW'S THAT?" Sakura turned around to find the green one in a tree 5 meters away from where he originally was. Her jaw dropped.
"H-how did you do that?"
"Well, that's only the beginning. I can show you how to move that fast." Gai said appearing in front of Sakura.
"Really?" Sakura got excited, temporarily forgetting who this man was.
"Yes, oh colorful one. Hmm... how much do your wieghts weigh?
"33 kilos." Gai shocked the pinkette by laughing.
"I can get you up to 60 kilos in two weeks." Sakura looked bewildered. 60 kilos...that's almost 132 pounds for each limb.
Well, great. Look what you just got us roped into. We can't back out now.
I know.
Gai kneeled down in front of Sakura and put his hand on her shoulder. "What do you say, colorful one? Can I train you?"
Sakura couldn't help but smile at her new sensei, not knowing that the next few months would be her journey through two of the circles of Hades.
.
..
.
"45, 46, 47...48,49,50!" It was about six in the morning and thankfully not dark due to the summer approaching Konoha. A week has passed since her 'deal' with Gai was made and improvements where starting to show. She was able to move around more and her mood had gotten better. Whatever miracle was granted to the males of Team 7, they were grateful. Sakura herself, though nowhere near as fast as the rest of her team or Gai's team she could at a faster pace without getting winded. The weights more or less became a second skin on Sakura and she was happy.
Sakura had just finished her set of push ups and was about to start on her sit ups when three other people entered the training field. Gai halted her movements and waved her over. "Sakura, this is my team, Rock Lee, Hyuuga Neji, and Tenten. Guys, this is the colorful blossom, Haruno Sakura." Gai said, a glistening white smile plastered on his face. Sakura examined the trio. They were a sight to behold. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
Tenten hopped over to the pinkette. "Ooh, you are so adorable." The bun-haired girl started to play with Sakura's hair which fell down her back. "It's so long. Doesn't it get in the way?"
Sakura smiled. "Sometimes."
"I do agree with Tenten." a voice blurted out, interrupting the girls' conversation. "You are beautiful." Sakura looked over to see a split image of Gai, albeit a younger version, but a version nonetheless. Sakura was stunned, she had gotten used to one but two. Holy-
Well, at least he flatters us. I find it...uplifting. Though those eyebrows...Sakura could literally feel Inner shudder inside of her head.
I think you might have a case of chaetophobia.
Actually, it's more like extremely-rectangular-bushy-eyebrowophobia.
That's not even a thing.
It is now. Sakura jumped slightly when her hands were grabbed by someone else. She looked to see that is was the look-a-like, Rock Lee. "Will you go out with me? I'll protect you with my life."
"Umm... about that..."
"Can't you see that you are scaring the girl, Lee?" Tenten jumped in, dragging the spandex-wearing male by his ear. She then turned to Sakura. "If I may ask, why are you here?"
Sakura wasn't the one to answer. "I took this little rainbow of youth under my wing to help her grow strong and become the best shinobi she can be!" An awkward moment of silence settled over the group as they let the words sink in.
"Huh? So she is training with us? Doesn't she have her own team?" Tenten asked, a smile graced her face as she looked at her new female companion.
"Well, I don't meet them for another four hours." Sakura replied. Technically, she only had one hour but her sensei didn't show up until three hours after the appointed time. Not that they needed to know that.
"Cool!" Tenten said and ran to give Sakura a bear hug that could rival Naruto's. Sakura smiled and hugged Tenten back, though moment was cut short by Gai's booming voice.
"Alright, let's get back to training! Sakura, do another 50 push ups. Rock Lee, do 500 push ups then 500 sit ups. Neji and Tenten...," he paused seeing those two already fall into routine, ..."never mind. Sakura, once you've finished do five laps around the field. Lee, you'll do ten."
"Yes, Gai-sensei." was muttered by the duo as they rushed through her set. "28, 29, 30." "145, 146, 147!"
.
..
.
Sakura raced toward the bridge after bidding farewell to the people she had just met. IT was kinda wierd really. How well, she got along with a team that she wasn't on compared to the tension on her own team. Heck, she even got along with the dark and broody of Gai's team rather than her own. Why was that? She contemplated it until she reached the bridge where Naruto and Sasuke sat. "SAKURA-CHAN! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" Naruto yelled, even though the rosette was right next to him.
"Ahh, sorry. I...uh... slept in. Yeah, I slept in." Sakura laughed nervously. Naruto looked at Sakura with a disbelieving look while Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "I'll tell you later, okay Naruto-san?"
"Hmm... okay. Hey do you want to hear something cool?" Naruto smiled completely brushing aside the incident. "Well, while waiting for you and Kakashi-sensei, me and Sasuke-teme had a rock-paper-scissors match and guess who won?" Sakura smiled at the energetic boy. "Me! I did! Three times!"
"You just got lucky, idiot." Sasuke scoffed, crossing his arms and walking away from Naruto and Sakura.
Sasuke couldn't believe he got put on a team full of idiots, complete idiots. Not to mention that the two of them put together are the equivalent of a fucking rainbow. He knew what Kakashi said about teamwork was wrong. He just couldn't see the point. So what if the pink- haired brat topped him in the academy finals by getting the perfect score and making him place second. So what if she caused him another chance at having his father's acceptance. So what if she was oblivious to it all, especially the fact that she has the IQ to match that damned Nara. Why did she have to be better? A girl, who is obsessed with the very ground he walks on. Or was?
Sasuke glance back at his female teammate, taking in her physical shape, the slight visibility of muscles on her arms and legs, the demanding light of her green eyes about as striking as Naruto's blue ones. He could see the charismatic aura of the pink-haired brat that Naruto possessed as well. They had the ability to draw people to them, even unwillingly, to make friends.
Then there was Naruto. How in the hell that idiot even passed was beyond him, even so, Naruto at the bottom of the class who couldn't preform a clone jutsu or henge jutsu to save his life, comes out of the academy with strength and stamina albeit sloppy to boot. Naruto was a force to be reckoned with, even Sasuke had to admit that.
Why is it that his team seems to be progressing at a fast pace? Why does it matter to him?
Could he be...jealous?
Sakura and Naruto watched as their broody teammate scowled at nothing in particular and glanced over at them with confusing eyes before scowling at the nearby tree like it had offended him by just being in his presence.
"Is Sasuke okay, Naruto-san?" Sakura asked, genuinely worried for his mentality.
"Ah, he's been like that. Probably just mad because he lost to me."
Sakura looked back at the poster child for doom and gloom, tuning out Naruto. Sasuke looked up as well and as they held gazes, Sakura noticed two things.
The way her heart didn't skip a beat anymore and an fleeting emotion that could only be hurt.
A/N: Well, that is Chapter Two of TPOIL. I hope you like it. Please tell me what you think. Constructive criticism is always allowed. It helps to see the voices of my readers. So speak LOUD AND PROUD! XD
On a sidenote: I want to go ahead and thank and reply to some reviewers out there.
Wihelm Wigworthy, Cal-Kitty, PoppyGraveDreams, Cc, Kiral, FairiesDescent,96bittersweetblackcat, Netag SilverStar, and Guest. I would also like to thank the people who didn't review but added this to your favorites and alert list. You guys are awesome. If I could throw a party and invite you all I would but I don't have a place or the money to do so TT_TT.
I guess I should stop rambling now, ne?
As always review, review and read as well.
Enjoy.
~Siralia.