Hi

An other chapter... had some problems to write it... but that what I came up with...

For those who are waiting for some action it should come soon... ;)

Thanks to all the reviewers : I-Hate-Computers ; Shadow-Sensei ; xX Konoha Ninja Xx ; MysteryLady-Tx ; Songbird21 ; LanierShazar (Your review was The 100th) ; sweetsorrowthroughEternity ; nancy lo ; gohon ssj4 ; Kitsune.Iru and SakuraIsABitch (That's a good screen name... I love it !! But Sakura can't be a real bitch in this story...)

Up to the story !!

Painful Praise 9

She watched as the red liquid made its way down her wrist and red gorgeous crimson drops slowly falling on the light pink enamel wash-basin. She, once again, approached the sharp edge of her razor near her delicate white skin and slowly, carefully pressed the blade breaking the skin and forming a new thin red line next to the first ones.

"Sakura?"

Her heart leaped inside her chest as she heard her mother voice on the other side of the door.

"Sakura-dear, are you in here?" She asked.

Sakura quickly put her razor away in its shell closing it, then she concentrates her chakra on her right wrist and soon enough the injuries had healed themselves only leaving behind crimson blood trails. She then turned the faucet on.

She heard the door opened and the soft steps of her mother approaching her. She quickly dived both her hands under the flowing water, watching enthralled as the red blood slowly melted away in light pink with the water then being swallowed up in the pipe.

"Sakura?" Her mother voice called her back to reality. "You should hurry up... it's nearly 7."

Sakura turned around now facing her mother, passing her still wet hand in her pink hair. Then she quickly put her hair back in a long pony tail and walked out of the bathroom.

"You're right..." She said with a forced smile as she looked back at her mother. "No time for breakfast then..."

She quickly walked down the stair grabbed her bag and walked out of her home.

'That was a close call !!' She sighed. 'I definitly need to find my own place.'

When she arrived to the Hokage tower, she found her teammates already waiting for her.

"You're late." One of them complained.

It was a petit woman in her mid-thirties. She had no special feature and she could easily passed as average in her look.

She was wearing a traditional black Capri and dark purple Chinese styled dress. Her glove covered right fingers were playing unrestlessly with a tuft of her dark purple hair which was sticking out of her long braid. Her tanned face was slightly chubby and despite her best effort, the small wriggles already forming around her mouth and eyes were painfully visible under her make-up.

She passed her tongue on her Cherry red shaped lips, her small sharp black eyes narrowing at Sakura.

"Just a minute, Tarako." Sakura answered flatly.

"A minute is a lifetime for a Kunoichi." Tarako answered bitterly.

Sakura ignored her, walking pass her as if she did not exist. She turned her sharp emerald eyes to the last member of the team.

"Hello Shohei." She said pleasantly.

"Sakura..." Shohei answered bowing slightly his head. "You're in beauty today."

Shohei was a tall man in his twenties, with refine feature. He was muscular but not too much. He had a beautiful flawless white skin that any women would die for. His slightly feminine face was adorned by full faded pink lips, a small discreet nose and framed by short black hair falling slightly over his dark blue eyes making them getting out even more.

"Thanks." Sakura answered with a seductive smile.

She could hear her other teammate fuming. It was no secret that Tarako was 'in love' with Shohei.

Sakura shocked her head slightly at the foolishness of her teammate. In the two years, they had worked as a team, she could never get along with Tarako and Shohei had barely spoken to her.

At first, Sakura had kept quiet, being a freshly promoted Chûnin and all. But She soon understood that she had to stand her ground if she ever wanted to be respected!! Tsunade's training at help her a lot on that.

And one day, she simply blew off at Tarako. That had of course not done any good for her relationship with the simingly more mature woman but it had surprisingly had a great effect on Shohei.

Flashback.

She was once again being scolded by Tarako.

"You're reckless!!!" Tarako yelled at her.

Sakura winced at the loud voice, bowing her head so her eyes were hidden by her long pink hair. She bit her lower lips slightly, breathing in and out slowly.

She closed her hands in fist, her all framed shaking uncontrollably.

"Oh no!! Don't tell me you're going to cry..." Tarako said her voice dripping with discuss. "Why do they let useless things like you become Kunoichi?"

Tarako sighed loudly. She was about to add something more.

"You shut your big trap," Sakura whispered.

"What?!" Tarako asked dangerously."

"I said..." Sakura began trying to control herself.

She slowly raised her head, her green eyes darkened with anger.

"SHUT THE HELL UP YOU OLD ENVIOUS BITCH!!!" Sakura yelled.

Shohei who had until now stand silently aside from the 'fury' as he loved to call Tarako, looked up eyes wide at Sakura. What was she doing?

He glanced quickly at Tarako whose jaw was slackened down. She was shaking badly with suppress rage.

"How dare you speak to me like that?!" Tarako said, if look could killed Sakura would be dead by now.

"How I dare?!" Sakura asked grinning manically. "How dare I?! Simply! I would have accepted if you criticized me when I did wrong. But flaming me every day for every little things I do, just because you can't stand being the oldest member of the team... That I really can't accept!! Now I don't care!! Go to hell old hag!!"

Sakura rushed out of the room not letting any time for Tarako to recover and attack.

Shohei looked back and forth from Tarako to the door, to the door and Tarako. A small smile crawled on his lips, as he silently leaved the room letting Tarako dealt with her own anger.

"Hey!!" Shohei dark silky voice called.

Sakura turned around her pink her flying around her.

"What?" Sakura asked harshly. "Ah it's you Shohei-san... I thought it was this insane woman... again!!"

"Sorry to disappoint you..." Shohei said with a small smile.

Flashback end

Since then, Shohei and she had been friends getting out together after every mission; some even thought that they were an item. Unfortunately, those rumors got to Tarako. And her relationships with Sakura worsen.

"You vile stealing bitch…" Sakura heard Tarako whispered between her teeth.

Sakura simply ignored Tarako and entered the Hokage tower winking at Shohei.

"Sakura !!!" Ino cried seeing her friend entered the mission application room.

She waved madly at her friend not minded the curious looked she received. Sakura walked slowly to the table at which Ino was sitting.

"Any interesting mission for us?" Sakura asked gently with a smile.

"Yep, yep...I've kept the interesting mission for you... and your teammate...s..." Ino said winking at Shohei.

Shohei smiled gently at Ino, a smile that could mean : 'Sorry I'm already taken'. Ino turned to Sakura.

"Can't you lend him to me?" She asked smiling.

Tarako was fuming, glaring daggers at Ino. She was about to launched one of her cutting remarks at the blond teen when she was cut short by Sakura.

"Ino, the mission..." Sakura said sternly, effectively cutting Tarako before she did anything too drastic.

"Ah the mission... B-ranked..." Ino said throwing the scroll at Sakura.

Sakura gracefully gripped it before it was snatched away by Tarako.

"I'M the team leader... don't forget about that... Kouhai (1)" Tarako said vehemently while opening the mission scroll.

She walked on not looking where she was going and soon found herself knocked backward as she collided with a strong hard chest. She looked up ready to yell at whoever had the nerves to be on her way, when she saw a strong tanned hand stretched out to her.

She observed the long graceful pianist like fingers as they closed around her chubby palm.

She blushed slightly as she looked up at the smiling face of one of her idol.

To her eyes, he was perfect, true he was not as perfect as Shohei... no one was...

A strong pull lifted her up effectively cutting her out of her daydream.

"Are you ok, Tarako-san?" The sweet gentle voice of her 'savior' asked.

She became even redden and trying to put her most seductive smile on, batting her mascara covered lashes, she tried to answered but was once again interrupted by her pink hair teammate.

"Iruka-sensei!!!" Sakura cried happily.

"Sakura-chan..." Iruka answered enthusiastically. "Long time no see..."

"Ah... I've been busy..." Sakura answered casually. "But I know that you too have been quite busy."

Sakura looked up at Iruka, her green eyes sparkling with cunningness.

"Do you have a girlfriend?" Sakura asked greedily waiting for any gossip material.

Iruka blushed a little.

"No... No it's not like that." Iruka defended himself.

Sakura took a step up to Iruka ready to asked other embarrassing question.

"Or is it a boyfriend ?" Sakura asked enjoying seeing Iruka embarrassed expression.

"B-Boyf-friend..." Iruka shuttered becoming even redder.

"Ah Sakura-chan stop teasing poor Iruka-san... If that continue he will blow a vessel..." Shohei intervened jokingly putting an hand on Sakura's shoulder.

"We have a mission!!!" Tarako interrupted rudely not liking how Sakura had taken the spotlight away from her.

"Ah... true and I've a mission report to give in." Iruka said smiling. "I hope to see you soon, Sakura..."

Iruka walked up to the mission report desk there sitting was Ino.

"Mission accomplished." Iruka said sternly handing the mission files at Ino.

Ino smiled at him gently.

"Would you like to take a coffee, Iruka-sensei? You looked like you're going to die..." Ino said holding out a thermos.

"No thanks I would rather go home..." Iruka answered politely.

Iruka turned around walking away from Ino.

"Oh I forgot..." Ino yelled pushing loudly the table away as she stood up. "You're put off duties. Order of the Hokage..."

Iruka did not turn back, not letting show any sign of him having heard what the young Kunoichi had said.

A few minutes later, Iruka threw his flat door open. Things had not changed much since Naruto disappearance. The only changes were the scrolls and books once scattering carelessly on the floor had been replaced by Kunai and Shuriken.

Iruka walked up to his bedroom, throwing carelessly his Chuunin vest on his worn-out couch.

He collapsed on his bed, glaring at the white ceiling above him. He just came back from a A-ranked mission and he had not the strength to move anymore. But he had too.

He sighed loudly closing his eyes.

An image of a twelve years old Naruto waving enthusiastically at him crossed his mind.

A small tear escaped Iruka's left eye, slowly falling down his dirt covered face. But Iruka did nothing to stop it. Soon another tear followed and another one and so on.

Iruka had not the strength to stop his tears, and like every time he fell asleep crying.

End chapter 9

(1) : Here it's mean Junior, new (young) generation.

Short but it's the prize to paid for quicker update... (I know they are not shorter than the one I wrote before but...now I've a good excuse... XD)

Please No unconstructive flames on grammer or and spelling : If you've to say something about my grammer say it and explain it so I can try to correct myself. Thank you very much !!

Please Read and Review !!