"Well, let's begin with introducing ourselves." Hatake Kakashi said, his single eye wrinkling in a smile.

"What do you want to know?" Sakura asked, watching her new sensei intently. So far he didn't seem to be anything like her real sensei, not after he fell for Naruto's prank.

"How about your likes, dislikes, your dreams for the future and things like that?" Kakashi suggested.

"Hey, hey, why don't you introduce yourself first?" Naruto yelled.

Sasuke stayed silent. Sakura glanced at him and supressed a grin. He looked so moody.

"Oh… me?" Kakashi said slowly, "Well, my name is Hatake Kakashi… I have no desire to tell you my likes and dislikes… dreams for the future… hmm. I have a lot of hobbies..."

"How are we supposed to trust you if you don't tell us anything about you?" Sakura asked, eyebrows raised.

Kakashi blinked, "Have a little faith in your sensei." He admonished lightly.

She had plenty of faith in her sensei. Her real sensei, anyway. Even though he hadn't shown up much lately, just mumbled cryptic hints about being too busy to teach her. As she had grown older, she had noticed just how young her sensei really was. Kakashi-sensei was a lot older than him. If her sensei had first started teaching her when he was thirteen… he'd be about eighteen now. In all honesty, their relationship had become awkward when she began asking questions.

She had demanded that he reveal his name. He had scowled and his chakra had rolled out in menacing waves. Sakura, used to her sensei's anger, had merely bore it and repeated her question. He hadn't replied.

At twelve years old, she was growing worried about who her sensei really was. He was similar in appearance to Sasuke, pale skin and dark hair and eyes. He was very handsome. Why, she asked herself, would an eighteen year old continue to travel to another village in order to train a little girl?

He was kind, she could tell. Whenever she screwed up he would reassure her, not scold her as she had once expected. The only thing he ever revealed about himself was that he was a pacifist, and he despised the human waste of life that the shinobi way demanded. He showed an odd dislike for the rules ninja had to follow – abandon one's comrades to complete a mission, never show emotion in front of your enemies and never be afraid to die for your village... Sakura privately thought he had once been a ninja – for he did not seem to own a hitae-ate – and that he had abandoned his village and renounced the ninja way.

"I have faith." Sakura replied, thinking of how lonely her sensei seemed, how he enjoyed talking with her more than training her. She had faith. She shouldn't question why he was willing to train her.

Kakashi just looked at her steadily. Sakura looked away first. The whole secret training thing had left her feeling oddly guilty. Her mother thought that she was still friends with Ino, that every time she disappeared off into the Nara Forest she was hanging out with Ino. If she knew she was really training with a man whose name she did not know…

"Well, introduce yourself then, oh faithful one." Kakashi grinned, his eye crinkling upwards.

"I'm Haruno Sakura." She said. Sasuke's head had turned her way the moment she began speaking, and she ignored the thrill it gave her to know he was listening, "I like solving puzzles and studying. I dislike idiots. My dream is to prove my worth."

"Prove your worth to whom?" Kakashi asked, his head tilting.

"Myself, I guess." She shrugged. She wanted nothing more than to prove to her sensei that she deserved his assistance.

"Me next!" Naruto shouted eagerly, "I love ramen! I don't like the way you have to wait three minutes for it to cook! And my dream is… to become Hokage and for the village to acknowledge my existence!"

Sakura smiled at him indulgently. The villagers all despised Naruto, and had done since she was a kid. She assumed this was because he caused so much trouble. She had never seen what was so awful about him – true she had thought him irritating, but it was really her sensei who had opened her eyes about Naruto.

She had complained about him once, and her sensei had told her off.

"He is alone, isn't he?" Her sensei had said darkly, "Isn't that enough punishment for him? Does he really deserve your hatred as well as everyone else's?"

Suitably chastised, she had looked at Naruto a different way ever since.

Sasuke barely even looked up when Kakashi said it was his turn, "I don't really like anything," He muttered, mostly to himself, "I dislike many things… I don't have a dream. I have… an ambition. To resurrect my clan and to kill a certain man."

To kill a certain man? Sakura frowned. An odd dream for a twelve year old genin. Sasuke looked as though he was off in his own world. Perhaps he was thinking of the man he was going to kill. Judging from the naked hatred on his face, Sakura thought the man must have done something awful.

Kakashi looked grim upon hearing Sasuke's response.

"I believe we understand each other," Kakashi said, straightening up, "Formal training begins tomorrow."

"Yes sir!" Naruto said eagerly, "What will our duties be? Our first real shinobi mission!"

Kakashi laughed quietly to himself, "Survival exercises!" He declared, "Be here bright and early tomorrow. Oh and… don't eat breakfast tomorrow unless you enjoy throwing up."

Naruto gulped.

Sakura's eyes narrowed, "There is no real reason why we shouldn't eat breakfast." She argued, "We'll need our strength if it really is a survival mission."

"Eat if you want," Kakashi said airily, "Don't say I didn't warn you!"

"Oh and, by the way," He added, "This mission has a 66 percent rate of failure. So don't screw up, or you'll be sent back to the Academy."

Naruto flinched. Sasuke just closed his eyes.

Sakura ran a hand through her hair. If she failed tomorrow, her sensei would undoubtedly be disappointed in her… She absolutely would not fail!

"Bring it on." She said in a low voice. Kakashi caught it and gave her an enquiring look. She ignored him.

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Sakura took out her kunai and set down a bucket of soapy water. She wanted her weapons to be perfect for tomorrow.

There was a tapping noise from her window. A crow was sitting on her windowsill, intelligent eyes staring in at her.

She set down her weapons on her bed and headed to the window, opening it.

"Sakura-san," The crow said in its deep voice, "Your sensei requires you."

That was what the crow always said. Sakura sighed, looking at her dirty weapons. Ah well, she thought. She could always clean them when she got back.

"In the Nara Forest?" She asked, as she always did. She didn't know why she bothered. The answer was always the same.

"Yes."

"Tell him I'll be there in ten minutes, please." Sakura said politely. The crow nodded and flew away.

She opened her bedroom door and stuck her head around it.

"Mum, I'm going to hang out with Ino!" She yelled down the stairs.

"OK," Her mother called back, "Don't be too late this time! I want you back before dinner."

Sakura sighed, "OK, Mum."

She opened the window and jumped out, landing perfectly without a sound. Her mother didn't like her using the window, but Sakura found it was a lot quicker than using the front door.

She hadn't seen her sensei in three months.

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Itachi had removed his Akatsuki cloak, despite the fact that Sakura almost definitely would not recognise it. Akatsuki kept their business secret.

He had been surprised by how proud he had felt when both Sasuke and Sakura graduated. He had heard the news from one of his crow spies, and had decided to come see Sakura sooner than he had planned. He had been pleased to discover that Sakura had been placed in the same team as Sasuke. That way, she would be his ally and hopefully his friend. She would also be able to tell Itachi more about Sasuke's progress.

Perhaps fate was on his side for once.

Sakura made very little sound as she entered the forest, just a few leaves crunching quietly underfoot. She had learnt a lot from him, and he felt justly proud of her progress. If only he could have had the chance to teach Sasuke, as his brother had always wanted.

"Sensei." Sakura's quiet voice came from the left with a twig snapping to signal her arrival.

He turned.

Sakura had grown so much. She was now quietly matured far beyond her twelve years. She had inherited his pacifist nature, and his reserved personality. She had a fiery temper, however, that he had found impossible to reign in. She was also kind-hearted and passionate.

"Congratulations on becoming a genin, Sakura." Itachi nodded at her.

"Thanks, sensei." Sakura said, allowing herself a smile, "Sasuke's my teammate, too. And Naruto."

"Are you happy with your team?" Itachi enquired.

Sakura made a face. "I don't know. I still… care about Sasuke. I don't think being on the same team as him is a good idea."

"Why not?"

"A ninja should not show emotion," Sakura recited, her smile self-deprecating, "I think I'd show a lot of emotion if I was with Sasuke."

Itachi's expression darkened, "Sakura, I've told you many times. Ignore the shinobi way. The rules that govern ninja are too harsh, especially for a twelve year old."

Sakura just nodded, leaning against a tree. They had had many clashes about the ninja way. Sakura disliked fighting almost as much as Itachi did, but she fervently believed in the rules she had been taught. A ninja could not simply follow their own rules. She had a team to work with now.

"Sensei," Sakura began warily, "Who are you?"

"No one important," Itachi glared at her, "I have told you that before."

"I'm not six years old anymore, sensei." Sakura said, with her own glare for good measure, "I don't want to blindly follow the advice of a strange man in a forest! Do you not owe me an explanation?"

"One day my training will save your life," Itachi said with quiet heat, "Do you need any more explanation?"

"Why me?" Sakura countered, "If you want to save lives with your teaching, why not become a jounin sensei?"

Itachi's fist hit the tree next to him, "Why do you always have to question everything? I don't want you to die!"

"Why me?" Sakura repeated, "I'm tired of this, sensei. Ever since I met you, you've been cagey about who you really are. I'm not stupid, sensei, you made sure of that. Stop treating me like a child and just trust me!"

"I do trust you," Itachi said, his anger still simmering, "But I don't owe you anything. Over the last six years I have taught you for nothing. I'm going to save your life one day, stop you from dying young. Isn't that enough for you? Do you still want an explanation? When I was younger than you, I watched other children die in wars every day, for the sake of their villages! I met you and I thought I finally had the chance to prevent one more death. Maybe one day I'll tell you who I am. But not today."

Sakura gritted her teeth. If only he would just tell her now! It would soothe her worries and her fears. She only wanted to know who the mysterious man in the forest really was.

"You know, when I was about nine, I thought I'd made you up," Sakura said, remembering, "That was the year you didn't come. I thought you were an imaginary friend, that it was just a game I'd played. Then a crow appeared at my window again when I was ten and I just thought who is this man, really? If you say you'll tell me one day, that's fine. I don't mind waiting."

Itachi gave a weary sigh, "Good. Now, tell me about your jounin sensei."

"He's nothing like you." Sakura rolled her eyes, "He fell for one of Naruto's pranks. He's making us do a survival exercise tomorrow that has a 66 percent chance of failure. I'm a little worried."

Itachi leant against a tree and listened to her concerns, nodding every now and then.

Sakura was growing suspicious, and he didn't know how long she'd wait before she stopped answering the crow's calls. He'd grown fond of his student over the years, and it had become more than just his quest to absolve himself and to help Sasuke. Sakura was one of the few people that didn't treat him with wary respect, as they did in Akatsuki, or outright fear, as his victims did.

He would hate to have to kill her one day. It was true they were technically enemies but he hoped that he would never have to face her on the battlefield.

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"Good morning, class!" Kakashi said cheerfully after he arrived in a puff of smoke.

"You're late!" Naruto roared.

Sakura glared at Kakashi. She did not wake up at the crack of dawn for this, honestly. Sasuke just ignored him.

"I've set this alarm to go off at noon." Kakashi announced, pointing to an alarm clock on a tree stump.

He explained the rules of the bell test. Sakura listened intently.

Naruto loudly bragged that Kakashi was going to get himself killed.

"Only the weak speak loudly. Now, let's forget the dunce and we'll start on my signal." Kakashi said contemptuously.

He was trying to anger Naruto, Sakura realised with a scowl. What a devious trick. Though Naruto could probably do with a lesson in humility.

It worked.

Naruto charged at Kakashi, kunai out, radiating killer intent. Kakashi disappeared. He had transported himself behind Naruto and grabbed his arm.

"Not so fast," He scolded, "I didn't say go."

xxxxxxxx

Sakura was hiding under a bush, whilst Naruto stupidly attempted to attack Kakashi.

Kakashi chided Naruto's careless behaviour, and his hands formed the tiger seal. Sakura's eyes widened. He couldn't possibly… want to kill Naruto?

Sakura leapt in front of Naruto and broke Kakashi's hand seal with a kick. She glared at him. Perhaps he secretly despised Naruto just as much as the rest of the village did, and had just been waiting for a chance to kill him. Naruto was just as alone as she and Sasuke were. She would not allow this man to kill him.

Her chakra flared strongly as she spread her arms out in front of Naruto, reacting to her anger.

"Oh?" Kakashi said lightly, rubbing his hand, "You want to fight me too?"

"Sa-Sakura-chan?" Naruto stammered, utterly shocked.

Sakura could practically feel Sasuke's contempt radiating from him. She must look a complete fool.

"A jounin versus a single over-confident genin is not a fair fight," Sakura spat, "Particularly not when the jounin uses killing techniques!"

"And if you'd used your head instead of your heart, you'd have realised I was not using a killing technique." Kakashi drawled.

Sakura froze, "You weren't?"

"Nope. And now you've revealed your position," Kakashi tutted, grinning underneath his mask, "Very poor form, Sakura."

"Psst!" Naruto hissed loudly, "Sakura-chan! Let's attack him together!"

"I'm reading, not deaf." Kakashi raised one eyebrow.

"No, Naruto. Go hide somewhere. Quickly!" Sakura shook her head.

"But, Sakura-chan…"

"Go!" Sakura turned and smiled at Naruto, "It'll be alright."

Naruto, overwhelmed at receiving a smile from his secret crush, blushed and nodded, retreating into the undergrowth.

"That bleeding heart will get you in trouble someday." Kakashi commented.

"Is it a bleeding heart or is it a distraction?" Sakura smiled.

Sasuke leapt onto Kakashi's back, hand scrabbling at the bells. They jangled in response.

The jounin reared back.

Sasuke was shoved away. He smirked, and held his hands up in a seal, blowing fire at Kakashi.

Sakura had long since hidden away again. She was grateful she had noticed Sasuke sneaking up on Kakashi. If he hadn't, she would have been forced to fight the jounin.

Kakashi disappeared.

"So obvious," Sakura rolled her eyes, "He's underground."

Two hands shot through the earth and seized Sasuke's ankles, pulling him down into the ground until just his head was showing.

Sakura giggled at the sight. Growing serious, she started run deeper into the forest, searching for a better hiding place.

She spotted Kakashi reading his book and cursed, rapidly moving back to hide.

"Sakura! Behind you!"

She jumped in shock, whirling around to see…

Kakashi, right behind her.

Leaves whirled around Sakura. Her eyes grew hazy. But then… her sensei's training came to mind… genjutsu! She knew how to break this!

"Kai!" She shouted, her hands forming the necessary seal.

The leaves fell, and Kakashi was revealed.

"Now where did you learn that?" He said, putting his book away.

"Kurenai-sensei!" Sakura said triumphantly. Lying of course, but she could hardly reply, oh yeah, this man I met in the forest told me how.

"Hm?" Kakashi said suddenly, turning around, "Be right back!"

He disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"What?" Sakura stared at the tendrils of smoke still curling where Kakashi had once been, "But…"

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The test had ended badly.

It turned out when Naruto ran off to hide, he came across a fallen bell and picked it up, springing a trap Kakashi had set for him earlier. Then he had decided to eat all of the lunches.

Sasuke had been buried by Kakashi and had not been able to get a bell before the alarm went off.

Sakura had been unable to find Kakashi after he disappeared, and hadn't managed to get a bell either, to her disappointment.

"Oh my, listen to all the stomachs growl!" Kakashi smiled, "By the way I have a little announcement to make about this assignment. There's no need for any of you to go back to the academy."

"Then… we all passed?" Naruto said excitedly, tied to a log.

"You should all instead… quit being ninjas!" Kakashi said with a smile.

Naruto looked desperate.

Sakura scowled and looked down at her feet. Damn it. She'd failed.

"Quit as ninjas!" Naruto shouted, disbelieving, "OK, so we didn't get the bells… but why do we have to quit?"

"Because… all of you are just punks who don't deserve to be ninja!"

Sasuke snarled and leapt at their sensei.

Kakashi intercepted Sasuke and forced him to the ground, sitting on him.

"That's why you're a punk," Kakashi chided, "You don't want to work with anyone. You think you're better than anyone else. Even if that were true, which it obviously isn't," Kakashi pushed Sasuke's face a little further into the dirt, earning a growl from the humiliated genin, "that's no reason to ignore your allies! Fail!"

"Sakura!" Kakashi said, looking up at her, "You never once tried to get a bell. You hid yourself well, but let yourself be goaded into leaving your hiding place. You didn't work with Naruto to attack me. Fail!"

"And Naruto! You showed you could be clever with those clones of yours but you allowed yourself to be fooled by tricks. You also tried to do it alone. Fail!"

"You all missed the point of the test." Kakashi said seriously, "Teamwork!"

"I'll give you one more chance! Eat your lunches, Sasuke and Sakura, but don't give any to Naruto!"

And with that, Kakashi vanished again.

Sakura unwrapped her lunch and looked guiltily at Naruto.

Sasuke smirked to himself, shaking his head.

"Here." He said to Naruto, offering his lunch to him.

"Huh?" Naruto looked stunned.

"Sasuke…" Sakura said uneasily, "Are you sure…?"

"He'll slow us down if he doesn't eat."

Sakura smiled. So Sasuke could be kind too.

She offered her lunch to Naruto.

At once, the sky rumbled and Kakashi appeared in a puff of smoke, his eyes glaring, chakra murderously angry.

Naruto yelled in surprise.

Sakura's eyes widened.

Sasuke readied himself for a fight.

"You guys!" Kakashi growled, "Pass!"

Sakura nearly fell over in shock.

"What?" She said faintly, "We pass?"

"Yep." Kakashi smiled, "Well done!"

Sakura was surprised to find tears welling up in her eyes. She could make her sensei proud of her, and prove her worth, to herself, to her sensei, and to…

Sasuke glanced at her as she cried.

"I'm a ninja!" Naruto yelled, with tears in his eyes, just like Sakura, "A ninja!"

I have no idea if Itachi can summon talking crows. Let's face it, it's him. He's awesome enough, no? A much longer chapter, since I had to write out the whole bloody survival exercise…. -_-

The poll result was mixed. I got the impression you guys mostly wanted Sakura to like Sasuke but to be less obvious about it, so, I hope I managed that :)

There was no way I was going to make Sakura strong enough to take on Kakashi and have her beat him up and steal all the bells for herself, or whatever. I hate fanfiction that makes Sakura all omnipotent.

Quick update, lol. I really pushed myself to write this :)

I hope you guys liked this chapter, and thanks to all who reviewed!

Quick poll take: Which pairing is best?

A) Naruhina

B) Sasusaku

C) Shikaino

D) Other! Let me know!