Chapter 4

Sakura had not been this exhausted since she was Harry in the final battle. For the last four years she had been running with Naruto and Kiba in the mornings, now often doing 10k through the Konohan forests every day, doing kata with Shino and Sasuke in the Academy style, punching posts with Naruto and Chouji and working on flexibility with Hinata and Ino. It had allowed her to get to know the boys much better, though admittedly she felt closer to Naruto. Sakura remembered what it was to be an outcast orphan and admired how he was always upbeat about his treatment from the villagers. They weren't abusive to him as such, they didn't jack up prices of goods or refuse to have him in their stores. They were cold and wary of him though, something Harry had experienced a lot of from the Dursleys. Thus Sakura made it a point to stay by Naruto's side in public and stare guilelessly into peoples eyes, daring them to say something. Sakura had also decided to teach Naruto how to live by himself, as he had left the orphanage at age six and had no idea how to cook anything but ramen or to clean his apartment.

Thankfully with attention from his year group Naruto had calmed somewhat. He still pranked, of course, but they were more ambitious pranks that showcased his rather advanced stealth and trap skills. All the group had helped him raise parts of his grades, from Kiba showing him a bit of taijutsu, to Shikamaru trying to teach him strategy, to Sakura and Shino (surprisingly) trying to nail some book knowledge into his head, although the latter to no avail. Bringing Naruto in was also the best thing Sakura could have done for Hinata's confidence; although she was even shyer at first around him, her training skyrocketed since she was so scared to look bad in his eyes. This had the happy side effect of improving her performance at home. While she was still not willing to brutally beat her sister, she began to gently defeat her. Being at a new level of strength due to her training she was now secure enough in her skill to not harm Hanabi as she defeated her.

The Help-Sasuke-Plan was ongoing. He was not as cut off as he had been at the beginning; and Sakura was right that likeminded people in his class like Shino were a help to him emotionally. The quiet support that Hinata, Chouji provided also seemed to be a balm to his broken soul. Ino, being a Yamanaka, played psychiatrist for him, going to extent of asking her father to increase her training. Even Kiba's loud boisterous nature at least gave him something to sneer at (although without any great disparagement behind it). Both the Uchiha Massacre and helping Sasuke seemed to mature the heirs and heiresses. The true culprit for starting to break down his barriers however was Naruto.

Naruto, to put it simply, wouldn't take no for an answer. In anything. So when Sasuke was released from the hospital a week after his brother put him there, Naruto was ready. Sakura was by Sasuke's side, having brought him clothes to wear from his home. Thankfully the Uchiha compound has been cleaned of bodies and blood, but Sasuke still had to decide what to bring to his home, what to sell and what to put into storage. No, he wasn't living in the compound. He had wanted to stay in the shell of a place but fervent disagreement was met on all sides; remaining in the reminder of his motivation for vengeance was eventually agreed to be a bad idea by Sakura (who talked sense into Sasuke) and the Hokage, who deigned to personally handle Sasuke's new accommodation plans seeing as he was the last of a founding Clan.

As the pair left the hospital Naruto had come up to them at a determined canter, and promptly proceeded to declare that no matter what happened to Sasuke, he, Naruto, expected him to be on his best game and be his 'usual teme self'. Sakura had wanted to cry it was so insensitive. Sasuke on the other had had seemed, well, not unhappy or murderous at the jinchuuriki's speech, and instead turned the corners of his mouth into a smirk. He had responded with a simple "we'll see, dobe", and she had quickly steered Sasuke to his new (rather snazzy) apartment in the shinobi housing district.

This had not been the end of it. Every day in the Academy Naruto invited Sasuke to spar with him. Despite loosing technically every time, Naruto was a good challenge for Sasuke, for the simple reason that Naruto just didn't tire out. Itachi had used this method against his brother before so learning how to counter someone with greater stamina. Unlike when Sasuke battled, and 40% of the time lost, against Shino, or even Shikamaru when he got off his arse, it was not about technique or flashy moves. But simply grounding himself and using the most tiring techniques for his opponent while conserving his energy and chakra.

It was not just Sasuke or Naruto who had improved. Ino had begun to take her training, both physically and in the mind arts, seriously. She had also shot to the top of the kunoichi classes. As a Yamanaka, even as the clan heir, she was prime material for an espionage and poison specialist. She had also had a good effect on Shikamaru and Chouji - she forced the duo to practice with her as they group had deduced that the Ino-Shika-Chou trio would most likely make Genin as a team to continue their father work. That was not to say that the Massacre had not shaken the boys; Chouji worked out and ate just a little less but remained a thoroughly kind boy and Shikamaru had improved his shadow jutsu and begun to put some effort into taijutsu himself.

Hinata's improved physical and mental state meant that her father allowed her to remain friends with Sakura and their friends, and whether he disapproved of Naruto's presence, Sakura couldn't say. Shino she quickly made close friends with, since he was a fellow quiet person by nature, and Hinata had the utmost respect for his kikaichuu. Her medical creams had come to the attention of Shikamaru and by extension the Nara, who worked together with the Akimichi and Yamanaka to make medicines for the hospital and she was taught a little more medical knowledge by watching in the Nara R&D (nothing clan sensitive though - she was a Hyuuga after all). Kiba, not wanting to be left behind also had improved himself and Akamaru with him. Although he was just a pup now, in a few years they would be fearsome together. Kiba's taijutsu was able to beat Sasuke some days, and he had become more empathetic, loosing just a little of that brashness that came from his inferiority complex with his sister.

As for Sakura? Her workout had been stretched and stretched and she was the best she could be in Taijutsu without a personal style to work on, she had strength behind her blows, speed on her side, and was flexible. She was also the chakra prodigy of the group; for all the clan jutsu they learnt, she worked with her slowly rebalancing chakra - she had found out that as she reconditioned her body she increased her physical chakra which balanced her excess spiritual chakra, which appeared to be stronger from her time as Harry. She was the best at chakra control of the group, with Hinata second and Shikamaru a close third (oddly enough). Her pool of chakra had very very slowly increased since she first found it, and although still smaller than the clan kids, would hopefully come up the their level when she got a jounin-sensei. She was number one in book-work, a big change from her last life, and second after Ino in kunoichi classes. She was number one of the girls in Taijutsu (since Hinata couldn't use her clan style due to the damage it would bring - gentle fist her arse), and overall number two in class, after Sasuke.

Sakura was proud. She had worked damn hard, harder than she had as Harry at Hogwarts to be sure. Now, as she stood in the hallway having taken the Genin Exam, she knew it was all worth it. Smiling at the others in the hallways, she walked over to her friends to calls of congratulations as Hinata entered the exam room. It had been a long road, but she had got there in the end.

As one by one her friends went in, only to come out with a gleaming hitai'ate on standard Konoha blue cloth she felt her excitement swell. Even Naruto passed by the skin of his teeth, and by making about 50 clones instead of the 3 the proctors requested. As the whole group, even Sasuke, smiled and some went whooping through the corridors they burst out into the golden sunshine. In that moment, everything seemed perfect.

—

Sakura spoke too soon. As each member of the 'Rookie Nine' as Kiba excitedly dubbed them went home to their families, or to celebrate by themselves with Ramen (Naruto) or by cleaning the Uchiha temple and talking to his family there (Sasuke). Sakura herself went home to a surprise celebration from her mother, who was excited if sad to see her daughter become a shinobi and legal adult.

However that night, an alarm rang out across the village calling Chuunin and up to the Hokage Tower. It shut off after a few hours, but Sakura was worried. She had a bad gut feeling about this. It was proved correct the following morning at the Academy. Naruto entered the classroom half an hour after her, Sasuke and Shino with a scared look in his eye and a different headband that looked strangely like Iruka-sensei's. When the three gently pressed for details the whole tale came tumbling out.

Naruto had been approached at Ichiraku's that evening by Mizuki-sensei. He was told that the teachers had spoken and had decided to rescind his Genin status on account of his bunshin being more than the required number. Naruto, so panicked by this had then been taken in when Mizuki had declared that he could secure his promotion again by stealing the Scroll of Sealing and bringing it to him in the forest by 9pm, having learned two techniques from it to demonstrate perfectly. Naruto did so, learning the Tajuu Kage Bunshin to make up for his bunshin problems in the academy, and also memorised a seal called Kongou Fuusa, which allowed him to make this awesome chain when he put his chakra through it. When he got to the specified area of the forest, Mizuki met him there and tried to get the scroll of him. Naruto faltered for a moment at this point before summing up how he met Iruka, learned that Mizuki was a traitor and used his clones and chain to defeat him and save Iruka's life, and got given Iruka's hitai'ate by the man himself as proof that he did deserve to be Genin.

The three friends could tell he was holding something back, Naruto was a terrible liar, but didn't want to press him with others around. The classroom had filled up as he spoke and the rest of their group approached when Naruto was done. Almost immediately after they sat down, a pale Iruka came into the room to announce team assignments. Sakura's thoughts wandered during the speech until she tuned in to the actual announcement. Since Teams 1, 2, 4, and 9 were already in circulation, Teams 3, 4, 5 and 6 were announced with members of their classmates she didn't know filling them. So far, none of them were separated. Team Seven was announced. "Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura and Uzumaki Naruto" was called out "Under Jounin Hatake Kakashi". Sakura could have squealed in glee she was so happy. The two boys she felt closest to, she was on a team with. As Team Eight was announced as Hinata, Shino and Kiba, under one Yuuhi Kurenai and Team Nine as Ino, Shikamaru and Chouji under a Sarutobi Asuma, grins were had all round. They were together. The Rookie Nine had begun!

As the hour went by, Jounin-sensei came around to pick up their charges. The other teams went first, then Kurenai, a pretty woman with black hair and wine red eyes (darker than Voldemort's) picked up Team Eight. Then a fairly attractive smoking brunette man picked up Team Nine. Both teams excited waved and hugged them goodbye. The newly formed Team Seven were left awkwardly with Iruka for another hour.

Iruka said "I'm sorry Team Seven, I really have to leave and go to the Mission Assignment Desk now. I am sure you sensei will be along…soon. Sakura," he tossed her a key "I am trusting you to lock up the classroom when Hatake-sensei comes, and push it back under the door." As he left the room, the three were left to look at each other in silence. This was not the best start to their careers. As the next hour went by, the three played card games and practiced kata for the next half hour until their patience wore thin.

Sakura then had had enough. She had to ask Naruto about what had really happened. She gently began, "Naruto."

"Yes Sakura-chan? Whats up, 'ttebayo?" He replied, nervously scratching the back of his head.

"What really happened in the forest last night? I can tell you didn't tell the whole truth back there…I don't want to press you but you seem pretty worried…are you ok?"

As Sasuke and Sakura looked up at him, Naruto sucked in and out a breath. He knew he had to tell them the truth. He was their teammate and they were two of the best people he knew. So in a near whisper he sat and told them about how the Kyuubi was sealed inside him, and that was why people didn't really like him and he had to leave the orphanage so early. After his confession, silence fell across the room. Naruto's heart sank and his head drooped. After a second though he felt soft arms wrap him up in a hug. He opened tear blurred eyes to see pink hair in his vision, and he felt a firm pat on his back from Sasuke. They had accepted him.

Sakura was shocked. She hadn't even thought of that as a possibility. But Naruto was no demon, just another kid with big dreams and a bigger heart. She wrapped him up in a hug and Sasuke too stood and stroked his back, which was the Uchiha version of a hug. They would be ok.

As the three broke apart, Naruto appeared to be in much higher spirits. Their sensei was getting towards three hours late, Sakura noticed, and with a sense of petty vengeance, she didn't stop Naruto's prank on the door, but helped him. Sasuke contributed his copious amount of ninja wire and help as the three trapped to door and windows to high heaven.

Another fifteen minutes later, a tall figure stepped through the door to be confronted by bright orange paint bombs and glitter smacking into his vest and face, a chalkboard eraser falling on his head and wire trapping his feet. The man who simply dodged the wire but otherwise was a complete mess, wiped the gunk off his masked face and looked at the trio staring somewhat mutinously at him. His one exposed eyelid seemed to droop even lower.

"Hmm. My first impression is - I hate all of you."

—

Hi All!

A Wild Chapter appears!

Hope you like it, Review if anything is unclear! I had to time skip quite a bit but I hope this covers the general background. Remember - Sakura is not an all knowing Narrator. She doesn't see and know everything…

Tajuu Kage Bunshin = Multiple Shadow Clone

Kongou Fusa = Adamantine Sealing Chains

Lots of Love,

NL

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