A/N: Thanks for all the reviews, I'm glad you all enjoy this story so much. Sorry for the long wait but here is the next chapter than finally.

Melody: Thanks for the review, I'm glad you like the story so much. I'm trying my best to do something different and to keep them in char. I hope I succeeded so far :).

Angel1897: Thanks for the review and I'll take your ideas into consideration. some parts of your reply made me rethink some things of the plot and I thank you for it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I own my OC's that's all.

Chapter 4:

With the sleeping arrangements taken care of, Sakura hastened herself back to her father. The episode with the young child had taken up much of her time and she feared that her father would be angry when she finally reached his stall.

Reaching the market place, she tried to find her father between the human mass. It was overly crowded by so many people, Sakura couldn't even see the stands they were standing for. Shouts of the sellers could be heard over the loud chattering of their costumers, some even leaning forward to hear their requests.

Worming herself through the people, she found her father's stall quickly. Hayase and Kanae standing behind the stall was a dead giveaway. Hikaru nodded his acknowledgement and wordlessly pointed to his pack where he'd pulled the money pouch earlier from. Just like her father always told her, his products were a big hit. There were so many people surrounding them, it amazed her that her father could hear all of their requests and knew which one had said it.

She wanted to help him out, but the way he moved like an oiled machine, she would only get in the way. She sat down on their wagon, her eyes resting on her father as she continued watching him work. His movements were fluent, not hanging around a costumer too long to lose other clients, but not too short either, giving them a feeling that they meant something to him.

He reminded her of Kakashi. He always knew what he was doing, always having a calm demeanor and knew how to act around people to get them to trust him. His movements were always well calculated, no more moves made than it was absolutely necessarily.

Just like her father it seemed. He made some of the costumers laugh, knew what to say to them to get them to buy the product. She already lost count how many costumers waved the change off when they paid him too much. The nods, the small chitchats and the smile on his face worked like a charm. Sakura never really thought much over her fathers profession, but seeing him at work, she began to admire him in a whole different way than she always had.

When the wave of costumers went away, leaving her father alone to get a moment to regain his breath, Sakura slowly started to clap. Her father turned around surprised, but smiled at seeing his only child cheer for him.

"That was completely awesome dad. I never have seen you move so fast," Sakura smiled. "Besides when mother asks you to do the laundry, then you seem to disappear like air!"

"Don't tease your father young lady," her father chided, but a smile remained on his face. "Not bad for an old man like me huh? I can teach you a thing or two. Now come here and help me out, the tips we've gotten is almost floating over my pockets."

Sakura jumped down from their cart, running off to help her father. He was in a much happier mood than he had been earlier this day, plus he hadn't mentioned her rather lateness of her arrival. Maybe he shrugged it off as her losing her way or couldn't find him within the grounds. Either way, Sakura didn't mind.

Now that most costumers had gone, Hikaru had the time to teach Sakura the profession. He let her handle the costumers that now came to the stand, sitting much in the same position like she'd done earlier. Every now and then he would give her a few tips, guiding her through the steps when she needed it. Quickly Sakura caught on to the point her father took off to get them some lunch, leaving their stall under Sakura's charge.

The day went on without much trouble. Even if this wasn't what Sakura wanted to do, while working with her father side by side, she was having a great time. When their stocks attended for this village was gone, they packed up their space and moved back towards the inn.

The next day they reached Wajima late in the afternoon. It was the second largest city in Water country, the hidden Waterfall village being the largest. This huge, prosperous city beside the open sea is best known by their harbor, the millions famous or well known fishermen's boats that lay on dock and the best fish you could get. The majority of the inhabitants were in that aspect either fishermen or traders. Besides the big harbor, the village was noteworthy for its lush public gardens, the most beautiful ones or so they claimed.

Sakura looked around, her mouth slight agape as she stared in awe at the large city. It was easily just as large as Konoha, maybe even bigger. The houses were tall but average in width. You could clearly see that this city held many wealthy citizens.

The market was already breaking down, so they settled in the inn in the coast side of Wajima where they would stay for the upcoming two days. Hayase and Kanae were put in the stables, fresh hay and water placed before them. Sakura stayed with them, brushing their manes and fur while her father would settle their sleeping arrangements.

When she was done taking care with the two black horses, she carried their supplies up, following an employee to the rooms her dad ordered.

"Have a nice stay young Miss," the man bowed to her after opening the door. Sakura thanked him, watching him go before entering the room. Her eyes widened in surprise at how large the room was. The large sized bed was resting in the middle, one large closet at the other side of the room. A big screen was on the opposite side of her bed, the remote resting on the smaller closet below. In there she could see the silvery through the glass, even a set of small dvd's were neatly packed on one of the planks. Further there were two doors. One probably leading to the bathroom and the other door to her fathers room.

But what caught her eye the most was the balcony. Throwing the brushes she carried on the bed, she ran outside, her hands now resting on the stone ridge as she stared at the view. From the point she was standing she could overlook the whole city if she looked to the right, but if she turned her head left she could see the open sea and the famous harbor and the beach. Closing her eyes, she inhaled deeply. The fresh aroma of the sea entered her, making her smile in delight.

"So you discovered the view also huh?" Came a mocking reply from behind her.

Sakura jumped, startled but the sudden entrance of her father. She twirled around, her face flushed red of embarrassment. Hikaru had his arms crossed, his form leaning against the door post as he smirked at his daughter.

"It's beautiful."

Hikaru stared at his daughter for a bit longer before he nodded in agreement. "It sure is. Come on, let's get some dinner." Her father turned away, moving to his own room to grab his coat and wallet.

They went to Lotus Room, a restaurant known for their exotic food. The floor was set out with marble tiles, a grand aquarium was placed in the middle. Sakura even began to feel a bit under dressed as she stared at the place. Her father didn't seem to care and neither did the host as his brilliant grey eyes widened with surprise behind his glasses when Hikaru appeared in his view. He stepped away from his counter, a smile settling on his face as he walked towards her father with opened arms.

"Hikaru-san what a pleasant surprise!" The man greeted. He briefly hugged her father, who simply nodded at the man, not returning the hug or even making the move to do so.

Sakura eyed the two of them warily. Her father seemed unaffected, bored even. But with the unknown man, he brightened up when he noticed her father. She tensed when the slightly taller man turned towards her. His grey eyes studied her for a minute before clapping his hands together. His light brown hair slid over his shoulder as he kneeled down to her height.

"And who may this charming young lady be?" He smiled. He took her hand, kissing her knuckles. Before Sakura even had the change to answer, the man released her and straightened his stance. "Your daughter I presume? She's a splitting image of your mother, except the eyes. The eyes are from Kaede-san."

Her father remained silent. Only a short nod was the answer he gave. The man pushed the glasses back on its place with the tip of his index finger. The smile he gave was soft. "Enough with the talk, I shall escort you to your table."

The man led them through the restaurant, up the chic stairs to what seemed the more vip arrangements. They got a seat that overlooked the restaurant. Her father's friend pulled the chair back for Sakura, helping her seated before he bowed, excusing himself and went back to work.

The moment the man was out of hearing distance Sakura started to talk. "Who was that man?"

Hikaru sighed, his dark eyes following Miku as he descended the stairs before resting his eyes on his daughter. Waves of curiosity and confusion rolled off of her. Just like her mother, she was curious little thing. "He was an old friend back at high school. He dated your mother for awhile before she realized she liked me instead of him." Her father sighed, sipping from his glass filled with water before he continued. "For awhile he accused me of betraying him. Several years of no communication I met him again. This time he was broken, a common thief on the street and living day by day. I patched him up and got him back on his feet. I helped him setting up this restaurant."

Sakura listened with awe, her green eyes going from her father to the man that could have been her father if her mother didn't go after her father. It was strange how life could sometimes twist into weird angles. It showed you that even though you think you have if figured out it can still throw you off balance. Like her father once said, expect the unexpected.

After dinner and her father saying goodbye to this old friend Miku, he gave Sakura small surprise when he didn't walk straight back to the hotel. Instead he continued on, moving to the beach as Sakura trotted after him. The sunset had already began, creating a beautiful mix of orange, pink and blue in the sky as the sun slowly sunk into the sea.

Hikaru stopped momentarily, taking off his shoes when they reached the sand. But unlike last time he waited patiently until Sakura was done, letting her walk at his side instead of behind him. The pair kept walking for awhile.

They talked, they laughed and for the first time Sakura felt she was bonding with her father. Something she had never done before and decided she liked it. Maybe to the outsiders her dad looked like a grumpy, stoic man. Sakura herself had thought so long ago. But now she finally got to see another side of him. Probably the side that made her mother fall in love with him in the first place. It made her see her father in a total different way.

xXx

The next day Sakura helped her father setting up the stall. The air between her and her father was now way better than at the beginning of their little trip. They chatted a little while they were working and sometimes even an affectionate pat on the shoulder or a hand going through her hair. It made Sakura happier than she had been in the past few days. When the waves of costumers got a bit thinner Sakura was allowed on a small break. She sat down on the edge of their cart, nibbling on a sandwich her father had made back at the hotel. Just like in the last town they had visited, her father's goods were popular. The people came to them in waves, drawn to it as bees were attracted to honey.

When she pushed the last bit of the bread in her mouth, Sakura jumped off the cart, wiping her hands off with her pants and ready to help her father again. Her father on the other hand, had other plans in mind.

"Sakura, back in my pack there is another package, a note is attached covering paper." Sakura grabbed the pack her father was talking about, zipping it open to reveal the brown package with the note her father was talking about. Hikaru glanced backwards to her, seeing that his daughter had found the object he was talking about.

"Good, now on the note you see an address, go deliver that package for me. Don't worry, it's already paid off."

Doing as her father instructed she took the package out of her father pack, placed it back against the cartwheel before checking the address where it was needed to be delivered. The address was close to the harbor she noticed.

"I'll be back in a bit Dad," Sakura called over her shoulder as she walked away. She didn't know if he heard her or not through all the noise and chatter from their costumers since no reply was shouted back to her, well not that she had heard.

With a quick strive she walked through the streets, her eyes not dwelling and other stalls or plants she met on the way. She could do that later. For now she just wanted to drop of the package her father entrusted her with and be back as soon as possible so he could eat his lunch. Not to mention that the sky was turning darker with every step she made. It made her wonder just when the hell would break loose up there. The wind continued to blow with force as she arrived.

The old home was creaking in the wind, and with another rather powerful gust of wind she was afraid that it would fall apart any moment now. As she inspected the wood better, she noticed with shock that it was rotten. No wonder the house wasn't stable anymore. Now determined to get those people out of their house for their own safety she knocked on the doors three times, careful not to hit too hard before she would go straight through it.

A few moments later she could hear child's footsteps stomping down the stairs, the front door opened minutes after. Her eyes trailed down, her mouth already opening to deliver the speech. But as she watched the kid better she knew that she knew the kid.

"You," Sakura gasped out, forgetting momentarily why she was even there.

"Ohayo Miss!" The young boy smiled, opening the door further as he saw a familiar face. "You have the package my mother ordered?"

Sakura nodded numbly, handing the package over as she watched the kid wild mild curiosity. "Do you live here?" She asked after a short moment of silence.

The child nodded, his smile brightening before the look turned grim. "Yes, I arrived just this morning. Mother had ordered this delivery yesterday and told me with a note to stay home to wait for it to be delivered.

Sakura nodded in understanding. "Where is she now? The storm will start any moment now, and this house isn't safe to stay in."

The young boy shrugged his eyes saddening even more. "Mother is already on her job. She won't come home till tomorrow morning. But it's okay, I'm used to it. Besides, I'm a big boy. I can fend for myself."

Sakura smiled, ruffling his hair like she did a few days ago when they first met. "I don't doubt you for a bit. But you really need to get out of there, it's not safe."

"It will be fine, the house survived many storms so this one would add just one more on that list. Thank you for the concern though Miss, it's really sweet." With that the young boy bowed before closing the door rather rapidly.

Sakura stared at the door. A bit startled at the interrupt ending of their little chat. Slowly she turned around, walking out of the front garden and making her way back to her father. But just like she predicted, the storm broke loose when she was half way there. Her heart clenched with worry over the small boy. One part of her said she needed to let go. It wasn't any concern for her if the child was safe or not. She did her job with delivering, it was up to the boy if he would take her words seriously. But another part screamed at her to turn back. To check out if the child was safe like she hoped or help him might he need it.

Torn in half, Sakura bit her bottom lip with worry. If she go back now her father would surely expect something was wrong. Or, if she was lucky, he would think she was just sheltering against the storm. Either way if she would go back she would return later than planned. Knowing that she couldn't live with the guilt, she turned around sharply on her heels, running back towards the harbor to see if the boy was unharmed and offer him her bed in the hotel for the night. She would worry about her father later how he would react to the matter.

As she reached the house of the young child her worst fear came to life. A part of the house had already collapsed. Her eyes widened with shock before she gritted her teeth in anger. Why didn't the boy just listen. Channeling chakra into her feet she ran through the whole that was created by the wall that had collapsed. She took in a breath of air, ready to yell the boys name when she stopped. She didn't even know the kid's name. She was risking her life for a mere stranger.

'Not a stranger. We've met before. I saved the kid's pet.' Another hard gust of wind took her out of her thoughts, refocused at the task of hand. The rest of the house was ready to fall apart any moment now. She and the kid needed to get out and fast before that happens. First she searched the lower grounds but no child was left to find. As she ran into the hallway, another part of the roof collapsed, making Sakura scream and fall to her knees as she lifted her arms up to protect her head. Cold rain drops soon landed on her and as she lifted the arms from her head, she could see a large part of the roof was ripped away whilst a large chunk of the left wall had fallen. The stairs that led to the next floor was now broken, the weight and the force of the fragments falling on the stairs torn it to shreds.

'How the hell do I get up there?' Sakura thought irritated. The storm was getting heavier with the minute so the time was running low. She could run up the wall like she had down with the old pole, but when she would carry that kid they were way too heavy for the wall to hold the two of them.

"I'll worry about that later," Sakura grumbled to herself. Just as quick and swift she had done it days ago on the ancient latern, she now walked up the wall to the landing. When she was almost there, the wall gave a final grunt before failing her. Her eyes widened with fright, her eyes big as she fell the solid wall crumble beneath her chakra infused feet. With a quick jump to the landing, her hand snatched the side as she now dangled above the wooden spikes of the stairs. Gulping loudly she reached out with her other hand, trying to lift herself up and continue her search. Just when she had a good grip, the chunk of wood broke through, leaving her once again dangling with one hand keeping her from her fall. A loud scream erupted from her mouth as she noticed the bits and pieces of wood fall down.

A cold but small hand touched hers. Her green eyes lifted up to see the young boy she had been looking for stare back at her. "What are you doing?"

"Coming to find you. I told you it wouldn't be safe!" Sakura yelled outraged. But she couldn't stay mad for long. The sad but frightened look in his eyes made her forget it all. "Don't worry, I'll get us out of here."

The boy nodded, his demeanor calm even though his eyes told her otherwise. Putting the package aside, he tried to help Sakura on the landing. "I can't lift you up, you're too heavy!"

'There must be another way,' Sakura thought desperately. The cold raindrops falling on her made her even colder than she already felt, making it hard for her to hold on for much longer. 'Think Sakura think. Iruka-sensei had said something about one hand seals that could be as much as effective as two hand seals. You just need the chakra control to send to right amount at the right time otherwise it won't work. But which jutsu do I need to use?' Sakura forcefully closed her eyes, cracking her brains to think of something.

A mental image appeared in her head then. If was of her and her teammates waiting for Kakashi-sensei to show up. And when he did, he teleported away just as quick as Naruto threw Sasuke's shadow windmill at him because of his lateness he missed happy hour at Ichiraku's. Her eyes snapped back open as the flashback faded into the back of her mind. She knew now what she needed to do. It was going to be a high risk. She never teleported herself before. And now the very first time she would take a person with her.

No. She couldn't doubt herself now. That young child needed her. If she doubted herself now, the whole plan won't work. Taking a calm breath she snapped her now determent gaze to the boy. "Do you trust me?"

The kid blinked, his innocent blue eyes staring at her with wonder before he nodded. "Yes."

"Good. When I tell you to jump, you're going to jump." The boys eyes widened with shock, hearing what she just asked of him. His mouth opened to disagree but another hard groan of the landing they were standing on was a sign that it wouldn't hold for much longer. With fearful gaze he nodded again, is hand fidgeting with the package in his hands as he looked at her in doubt.

"Jump!" Sakura saw the boy closing his eyes as he jumped. The moment he fell past her she let go of the railing, snatching her now free hand around the boy's wrist as they both fell down. Her other hand came up, summoning the right amount of chakra that hopefully was enough to teleport them both whilst forming the one hand seal required for the jutsu she was about to use.

"Teleportation jutsu!" She called out. She closed her eyes on her own, afraid what to feel if they would touch the ground. But unlike the wooden spikes she had dangled over they fell on the streets, the place where she imaged them to be. The air was pushed out of her longs as she landed on the hard concrete. She gaped for air but noticed with satisfaction that the child was lying on top of her. Unharmed.

"That…that," the boy stood up shaking, his legs trembling as he tried to regain his balance. His face turned towards her, and unexpected grin plastered on his face. "That was awesome!" He shrieked out.

With a groan Sakura let her head fall back on the road, rolling her eyes at the kid's antics. But she couldn't help but smile herself. It was the first time she ever used one hand seals and teleportation. Not to mention she took another living being with her. "Just please, don't get into more trouble," Sakura panted slightly. "I can't always be there to save you."

The child nodded, sat down in her lap as he threw his chubby arms around her for a hug. "Thank you so much." Sakura smiled, standing up and looking around to see if people already noticed the now fully collapsed house.

"I'm going to my mom's now, I think she would want to know what happened to our home," the child chuckled. Even with all this drama, he still found humor in the situation.

"Do you want me to come with you?" the child shook his head.

"No. Mama doesn't like strangers. But thanks." With a quick peck on the cheek the child raced off, just like before.

Sakura shook her head, but smiled as she watched the child go. She could still feel his small lips on her cheek. She hated it to admit it. But that was another reason why she became a shinobi, to help other people that needed her help. A pang of sadness wafted over her as she stood up. Knowing that after this little adventure such things wouldn't happen anymore. She probably would forget how to use the chakra at the point she would be done with school. Sighing Sakura stood up, not bothering to dust herself up before walking back towards the hotel. In this poor weather her father probably would have cleaned up already.

Shizune entered the bar, ordering a cup of tea as she opened the file she had written in earlier. Sakura had really surprised her today. No one at such a young age accomplished to pull a two hand seal jutsu with one hand. Not to mention she took her with her in the jutsu. That was an incredible feat. As she wrote down her observing and discoveries she couldn't wait to see how Sakura would react to her final test.

To be continued…