Sakura awoke with a smile on her face, Hoori was still slumbering on next to her and Inari was asleep on the other side of her. She really did feel like his older sibling. Both of her boys clung to her body encasing her with body warmth, body warmth that she really didn't need. Hoori's head was resting on her shoulder with her arm under and around his shoulders. Inari's head was in the exact same place on her other side.

She remembered laughing with the two as she cut the cake into slices and handed them out to her team, Tazuna, and Tsunami. She even rolled her eyes when Sasuke declared he didn't like sweets. She didn't exactly wait to hear the reactions to her cake and instead dragged and carried the two boys up to her room to talk and laugh and become closer. Inari had definitely taken on the roll of an otouto (I really don't know the spelling).

Now though she needed to get up and possibly go for a quick run and maybe practice water walking and the holy breath a little more before coming back to get ready to go with Tsunami to the market place this afternoon. She sighed knowing that whether she meant to or not she might end up waking at least one of her boys. She still had to try though.

She very gently moved Inari's head onto the pillow knowing that he was the least likely to be a light sleeper and she was correct to assume that. When his head hit the pillow he sighed contently and rolled away slightly inching his way to the edge of the futon. She smiled at the sight. Now she just needed to get Hoori off of her.

She gently lifted the boy off her and was about to sneak off the bed when a little hand clasped onto her sleeve, looking down at a very sleepy Hoori she smiled, "Kaa-san...?" He mumbled only half aware of what was going on.

"Shhh, go back to sleep." She whispered and kissed his forehead as he let go of her shirt and she slid out of bed.

She smiled and grabbed her bag to head to the bathroom, but looking in her bag she glared slightly at the stupid dress that she had so ignorantly thought would be perfect in gaining the attention of a certain some one that she just the thought made her shiver in fear. Maybe this village had some more practical clothes for her dire need.


It was still very early in the morning, the sun had yet to make its appearance. The moon did very little to illuminate anything as it was trying desperately to dived down below the horizon. Sakura didn't mind the lack of light, no not at all after deciding that it would be best to learn how to fight in any conditions and that included not being able to properly see. Although that night vision skill would still be quite the trump card in these situations.

She sighed and pored more strength into her limbs that carried her over the grass, she was heading back to the waterfall. There was no way in hell that she was going to fail this time. She would complete that quest and move onto level three. She needed to speed up her growth. If only to protect Inari, Tsunami, Tazuna, and Hoori.

However because it was so dark she couldn't see the roots sticking out of the dirt precariously. That was the reason she went face first into the ground. Her ribs felt jarred and she could hardly breathe it was so painful. She spit dirt and grass out of her mouth and pushed her tears away. The fall was so sudden that she couldn't even brace herself with her arms that were now gripping the grass in a desperate way to make the pain of her ribs go away. She breathed raggedly doing her best at keeping herself from crying.

She sat there breathing in and out doing her best to stunt the pain that literally blossomed from her chest. She couldn't think of being attentive to her surroundings this time. She couldn't even open her eyes, her jaw was beginning to cramp from being clenched for so long and so tightly.

"Are you okay." She nearly screamed at the new and very unfamiliar voice that penetrated her thoughts, but instead she shuttered out a painful breath.

"I-uh" She tried to talk but let out a painful groan.

"What happened?" Soft hands gently grabbed her shoulders and turned her over onto her back with her letting out a small cry of pain.

"My ribs." She breathed out keeping her eyes shut and cringed when the hands touched her ribs.

"Are they broken?"

"Yes." She bit her lip hard. She could taste the blood but the pain didn't effect her at all, she was too focused on her ribs.

Soft hands gently prodded at her left ribs making her whimper in pain occasionally when they hit a rather sore spot. Although it was probably a broken rib that moved slightly underneath the pressure. "You have one out of place." She felt bark touch her lips, "Bite down on this, I'm going to push it back into place. This will hurt."

She chomped onto the branch, then with out any warnings the hands pushed the bone back into place. Tears gathered into her eyes and threatened to fall. She nearly snapped the branch in half inside of her mouth.

She breathed a sigh of relief, she could finally breathe properly with out the sever burning. "You're very lucky." The hands gently took the branch out of her mouth and she fluttered her eyes open, blinking away the sun light. "If you moved it any more it would have pierced your lung." Her vision stabilized onto a very feminine boy. Well she thought he was a boy from his voice but the soft brown eyes and the long chocolate brown hair, soft oval face coupled with the larger poutier lips all screamed a woman.

"Thank you." She breathed and slowly tried to get herself to sit up on her own. The boy's or girl's hands gently helped her into a sitting position. Sakura then saw the pink kimono she wore. "I'm sorry if you don't mind me asking..." Sakura started gathering her helpers attention, "When I only heard your voice I thought you were male, yet you look like a very pretty girl..." She trailed off hoping that they would catch onto her question.

It laughed and smiled warmly to her, "I'm a male." Sakura smiled back practically relieved it wasn't a female who was about to rip her a new one for confusing her with a male.

"Well you are a very pretty male." She said playfully as she tried almost desperately to get to her knees to stand up.

He chuckled, "Thank you," He helped her to her feet as he got to his own before picking up a basket she had only just seen. "What are you doing out here so early?"

"Oh," Sakura started awkwardly. "I went for a morning run and well it was too dark for that and managed to trip."

He raised a perfectly arched eyebrow, "If you had broken ribs why where you running?"

"Training." She pointed at her head band.

"I see." He stated the warm smile never left his face even if it seemed slightly strained now, "Why did you become a ninja?"

Sakura smiled kindly and gently asked if she could help him gather what ever it was that he was gathering. A soft smile rested on her lips as she tried to decide whether or not it was okay to tell a complete stranger her reasons for becoming a ninja.


He sat there just listening to the rustle of each movement of both their hands as they pulled herbs from the ground. He waited patently for her answer.

"I really don't know how to tell you." She started then the soft smile grew slightly, captivating him. He never knew that a persons smile could just take all of a person's attention. "I wanted to protect my precious people. Do something heroic while at the same time loving and nurturing the people who need my help. I became a ninja, not for myself but for every one who needs that extra hand to keep them alive, that extra light to keep them from the darkness, that extra smile to fight away the sadness. I wanted to protect and this was the best way I knew how." She said handing over the herbs she managed to get.

He sat there stunned. Never in a million years did he think that he would find a kindred spirit. Some one who wanted to be there for some one else instead of themselves. Some one who would go to the ends of the earth to keep some one alive and well. Slowly a real smile, kind, happy, and dazzling stretched onto his lips.

He saw her cheeks powder with red as she smiled back. He couldn't honestly think of a response worthy of uttering after her confession. In all honesty he didn't really think at all when he leaned over and gently pressed his lips against hers. He was just as surprised as she was. They both stared wide eyed at each other.

He almost instantly pulled back and felt the reddening of his cheeks as he looked everywhere but at her. That is until he heard her soft giggle. His eyes snapped back to her soft heart shaped face. Her cheeks were dusted in pink and a small but beautiful smile graced her very soft lips. He felt his cheeks get warmer from just remembering the feeling of them on his. "You know," She began, her eyes twinkling in amusement. "That was my very first kiss." She giggled again.

He almost couldn't breathe his heart was pounding a million miles per second. "Oh." He tried to speak with out squeaking, "I'm sorry."

She gave him that smile again and shook her head slightly, "Don't be." She reached out and grabbed a hold of his hand, "My first kiss was with a very pretty boy. I'm quite happy." She giggled again and his face felt like fire. She was handling this quite well for some one who just had their first kiss stolen.

"I-uh." He cleared his throat trying desperately to rid himself of the blush that wouldn't leave. "I'm sorry, I really don't know what made me do that." He paused not looking at her, "You remind me a lot of myself." He breathed in finally starting to feel the heat leave his face. "I only ever want to protect my precious person." He risked a glance over at the pink haired girl that had captivating emerald green eyes and the perfect pair of lips, she was smiling gently at him, all hints of the blush gone. His eyes darted back to the ground quickly.

"Then I'll bet you'll be strong." She said softly. He glanced up surprised. She only smiled softly, "I once knew this man who was a civilian with a wife and a daughter." She began her eyes took on a far away shine, "He loved those two girls so much, he would do anything he could for them." Her smile became wistful and he was so caught up in it that he almost forgot where he was, who he was, that he'd eventually have to face her and her team. "I remember watching as he fought ninja with the strength and grace of a civilian to protect his little baby girl. He had relied on some hidden power nestled in his heart for his baby girl, but he had protected her with all his might. Even if he had died that night he still managed to make it safer for her."

He watched her smile turn sad and proud at the same time. She was talking about her dad wasn't she? He could only imagine what she could offer the world. "He sounds amazing." He answered truthfully.


She slightly giggled to herself as she pressed her fingers to her lips, they still tingled slightly from his lips. 'Haku' She thought with a smile. His name was simply beautiful. She looked down to her feet slightly surprised that she had yet to fall into the water. Maybe this was a good sign, maybe all she was doing before was forcing herself to think too hard about the water walking. Maybe it was just this easy.

She smiled and began to run along the surface, going really close to the drop off then back over the rapids and closer to her clothes. Her feet barely rose up off the water. If she kept at this she was sure that she would be able to glide over the water as if she was skating on ice.

She let her thoughts drift again, but not to the boy she had just met that morning. She thought that this was maybe a bit too easy now. Like the water was just there for her beck and call. Maybe this was her chakra element she thought remembering something about it when they were back in the academy. Of course she knew that her element would help by making it that much easier for a person to mold and control an elemental jutsu.

She stepped off of the water. If her assumption was correct, then that was were she should really start.


Okay, so I'm trying to get these out as fast as I can right now but my internet connection with my computer is acting up and trust me I have tried almost everything to fix this problem. The next chapter will be out as soon as possible I promise!

I would like to know your thoughts on what you would like to happen to Haku and Zabuza after the great battle on the bridge. Keep in mind that Sakura will be doing everything in her power to make sure that they survive.

Ja Ne