And again! I don't have anything to do, so I'm typing. This is a long chapter, so… rejoice.

Disclaimer (I keep forgetting it!!): I don't own Naruto.

- - -

"Sakura. Sakura. Wake up!" Sakura blinked, trying to clear her head of the fuzziness. "Sakura!"

Huh – ? Ino…?

SAKU-CHAN, WAKE UP!!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAGH! Inner Sakura's "wake-up call" jolted Sakura back to consciousness. I'm up! I'm up! I'M UP!!

"Ino?" The blonde grinned at her, worry evident in her eyes. "What – ?" Sakura gazed around and noticed that they were walking down a hidden street.

"You finally woke up! No offence meant, but you weight a ton!" Ino laughed, letting go of the other kunoichi.

"Thanks, Ino. How's sensei?" Ino snorted, wrinkling her forehead.

"Didn't want to show his weakness," she sniffed. "He disappeared before we left." Sakura laughed, but stopped short as five men stepped out of the shadows, each wielding a club.

"Looky here," one snarled. "Two little girlies!"

"Come with us," another leered. "We'll show you some fun…" He motioned suggestively.

Sakura put two fingers to her temple, groaning. "Not now…" she muttered. "How troublesome."

Ino laughed, raising an eyebrow. "Have you been stuck around Shikamaru that long, forehead girl?"

"Hey – don't ignore us!" the tallest of the group of men growled. Sakura turned back to them with a sigh, a hint of annoyance flashing in her beryl eyes.

"Tch." She slammed her sandaled heel into the ground, resulting in a wall of debris which knocked the thugs off their feet. "I don't have the strength to deal with you right now. Ino-pig, let's o.

"Whatever you say, forehead girl."

- - -

Sasuke's eyes widened slightly. "I've never seen her like this," he muttered. "Those five should've been able to take her out in this state. Ino was practically carrying her!"

Kakashi shifted listlessly. "Let's just keep following them, okay? She'll come to training tomorrow and then we can watch her."

"Hai."

- - -

A certain aura alerted Sakura to a familiar presence. She did not slow her pace, but stiffened enough to that Ino could know something was wrong.

"Nani, Sakura?" the aqua-eyed teen asked, barely moving her lips.

"He said he was going to meet us at home, right? So what is he doing here?" the pink-haired gennin whispered. "And if he can keep up with us on the rooftop at this pace, why doesn't he show himself?"

As if in answer, one leaf floated down in front of them. Sakura read it impatiently and her eyes darkened.

Cherry blossom:

Use your senses.

I

Silently passing the note to Ino, Sakura closed her eyes and let her other senses scan their surroundings. She could faintly make out two chakra patterns, masked though they were.

Opening her eyes in satisfaction, she analyzed the patterns and nodded. "Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke," she mouthed to Ino, who nodded.

"You'd think they'd know to mask their chakra better, though…" Ino's face clouded as realization dawned upon her. "But maybe they don't know the reach of your senses…" Her eyes glimmered in anger. "They think you're too weak to notice them!"

"Then it'll be a bigger surprise for them, won't it?" Sakura said soothingly. "Let's go."

"We are going, forehead girl!" Ino reminded her. Sakura rolled her eyes. By this time, she was speaking in a normal volume.

"I mean by the rooftops, pig. Sensei won't like it if we get home late," she retorted. "We don't want to make him angry." Her voice lowered again. "Last time I was two minutes late, he gave me a lecture on how tow minutes could mean life or death."

Ino shuddered at the thought of an annoyed Itachi. "You're right. Let's go. Don't want to make him mad; nope, nop!"

- - -

High up above the rapidly moving figures, Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Since when does she think you care so much about her? Why would you get angry if she got home a little bit late?"

Kakashi's lone eye was focused on Sakura. "Since when indeed?" he mused.

The Next Morning

Saku-chan…

Sakura groaned. Don't tell me…

Actually, he hasn't attacked yet. But he's got three shuriken in his hand, and I think he's gonna use 'em soon… Just thought you might like to know.

Yeah. Thanks.

A faint whistle alerted her and she opened her eyes, rolling off her bed. Slipping out two shuriken of her own, she flung them to deflect the rest of Itachi's weapons.

"I'm up already!" Abruptly the attacks stopped. Itachi sat up.

"That was faster than usual," he remarked, watching her. Sakura shrugged.

"Inner Sakura got tired of controlling my body every morning and decided to wake me up before you attacked instead," she said. "Do you think you could stop attacking me in the morning?" When he just looked at her, she sighed. "Didn't think so. Why do you do it anyways?"

"To keep you alert," he replied.

"Ah. What are we doing up at… four in the morning?" she yawned, glancing at the clock. "Just wondering." He stood, silently throwing his cloak on.

"Hn."

"Hn"?! Answer me, you moron! I swear, all Uchihas sound the same… Inner Sakura huffed.

At least he doesn't call me weak, Sakura reminded herself sadly. He's nicer…

And you like him!
I DO NOT!!

Denial…

Shut up! Aargh…

"Sakura." Itachi's deep, resonating voice cut through her conversation (argument) with her inner. "Once you are back in this world – " she blushed " – I'd like to see your team's training grounds."

"H-hai," the pink-haired kunoichi mumbled, staggering to her cabinet to pull out a set of clothes. Once she had changed, they made their way to Team 7's training grounds.

On their way, they encountered a half-asleep Ino, who staggered directly into Sakura. The emerald-eyed teen caught her friend and shook her awake.

"Ino-pig! Why are you out here?" she exclaimed in surprise. Ino blinked and stretched, shaking her head.

"Oh, that." She shrugged. "Okaa-san was yelling at otou-san again, and I decided to get away from the noise." She and Sakura grinned.

"What did he do this time?"

"Apparently he ate the last apple in the house just as she decided to have one," Ino answered, rolling her eyes. "Tch. Troublesome parents." She froze. "Did – did I just say that?"

"You did," Sakura giggled. "Shikamaru's rubbing off on you!" Ino smacked her gently on the head.

"Before long, you'll be saying 'Hn' all the time, hanging around your sensei," she returned. Itachi blinked. How did I get dragged into this?

"Hn."

"See?" Ino demanded. "Just like that!" Sakura laughed, nudging Ino forward.

"Nah, I won't. So, what are you going to do today?" she asked curiously.

"I dunno. Maybe I'll find someone to spar with…"

"Sakura will need someone to help her," Itachi offered stoically. "You may train with her."

Ino's eyes opened wide, and she stared at him. "Really?" she gasped.

"Do you have your weapons?" was his only reply.

"Hai."

At the Training Grounds

"There is enough light to see by," Itachi noted with satisfaction in his voice. "Sakura, I would like to see how you fare with a shuriken." He looked pointedly at a practice dummy.

Fishing a throwing star out of her shuriken holster, the kunoichi flicked her wrist and sent it thudding into the dummy's chest.

Cha!

"Good one, forehead girl!" Ino cheered. Sakura looked at the former Akatsuki member behind her. His Sharingan eyes bored into her green ones.

"Again."

As she turned back to face the dummy, she grumbled to herself. What is it with Uchihas and their obsessions of monosyllable answers? Counting the syllables (how hard!) she amended, I mean short answers.

Hn.

She sweatdropped at her inner mind's reply and threw another shuriken. This one struck the dummy's head.

"The chest." Sakura's head twisted around to look questioningly at him.

"Nani?"

"The chest. Aim for the chest," Itachi repeated. "I want to see your accuracy" Sakrua's mouth formed an o shape. Understanding what he wanted, she sent another throwing star into the dummy; it landed, quivering, beside the first.

"Again."

One hundred throws later, Sakura dropped her throbbing arm and turned to her stony-faced teacher.

"You hit the target seventy-seven out of one hundred throws," he observed. "We need to work on your accuracy and stamina. You and Yamanaka-san – practice until you can hit the target fifty out of fifty times. Then work with your other arm. When you can do that, use kunai. I will watch from above." So saying, he disappeared in a flash.

Sakura looked at Ino, who shrugged. "I guess we should start, then," the blonde said.

"Hai. Why did he leave so suddenly?" Her question was answered as she felt three approaching chakra patterns. "Oh, I see."

Ino twisted her head around as she loosed a shuriken at her dummy, raising an elegant eyebrow. "What is it, forehead girl?"

"My team," the pink-haired girl replied through gritted teeth. Without another word, she flung a swarm of the steel stars at the upper torso of the lifeless dummy. Only one missed, and Sakura stepped back in satisfaction.

"Getting better, but not good enough. Should I bring out Inner Sakura?" she asked Ino, her eyes glimmering.

"Go for it!" the blue-eyed kunoichi replied energetically. "So long as you can keep her under control."

"Got it." Sakura grinned, flying through the hand seals. "Inner Kai!" She slumped over for a moment, and when she straightened up the words "Inner Sakura" were visible on her forehead.

"Well?" Ino demanded. "Who are you?"
"I'm here, Ino-pig," Sakura muttered, glaring at the ground in concentration until the words disappeared from her forehead. "Keep your hair on."

Ino sniffed. "Excuse me? My hair is attached to my head, thank you very much!" she exclaimed.

"Hn…" Sakura turned back to face the dummy. A volley of shuriken from her right hand flew, whistling, into the poor doll's chest. Not one had missed.

Take that! Cha!

Ino giggled as she counted the shuriken embedded in the theoretically dead dummy's chest. "Forehead girl, you only threw forty-nine!"

Sakura sighed and threw one last shuriken; however, a kunai knocked it to the ground before it touched the dummy. Whirling around, she found herself staring at Sasuke and Naruto.

"What the hell was that for?" Inner Sakura asked icily. They ignored her and kept arguing.

"See, teme?!" Naruto shouted. "I can too hit a shuriken out of the air!"

"Hn." Sasuke only turned away. Sakura glowered at them both before yanking exactly fifty throwing stars out of her shuriken holster.

"Hey, Ino-pig! Move, please!" she called. Ino complied, and once more a barrage of metal pelted the dummy. Again, not one missed. Ino cheered.

"Good one! Now your left arm."

"I bet you can't hit five shuriken out of the air!" Naruto challenged just as Sakura released her weapons. Narrowing her eyes as she saw Sasuke draw five kunai from the pouch on his waist, she slipped out five of her own.

"Hn." Ten blurs soared through the air. Metal clashed on metal, and five kunai glinted beside the fifty shuriken – all of which clustered around the dummy's chest. The two boys stared in shock at Sasuke's kunai, which had been knocked to the ground.

"Stop interfering with our training!" Inner Sakura roared. Then she blinked and stalked up to the dummy, calmly yanking her projectiles out and tucking them safely into their place in the pouch on her thigh.

"Ino. Your turn. How have you done?" A glance in Ino's direction confirmed her progress. "Good. Now kunai."

The instant the pastel-haired kunoichi lifted the shiny kunai, she balanced it on her finger and examined it.

Hm… It's heavier than a shuriken, so I'll have to use more strength… Inner-chan, you wanna help me out?

Sure, Saku-chan!

With a flick of her wrist, she sent the knife flying into the dummy's chest. Eyeing it critically and stepping back in satisfaction, she drew out five more. Ino mimicked her. Sasuke and Naruto eventually turned and left to wait for Kakashi.

Two Hours Later

"Yo!" Two hours later, Kakashi had finally arrived. Before he could even start to give an excuse, Naruto began yelling at the top of his lungs.

When he'd managed to calm Naruto down, he dragged them over to the weapon-riddled dummies. He scratched his head, staring at the newly acquired holes.

"Eh… Can we use these targets?" he inquired. Sakura gestured, and her weapons were tugged back into her hands.

"Hn." She turned and helped Ino gather her weapons. As they walked away, the boys heard Ino exclaim, "See? See?! You sound just like him!"

"I do not."

"Do too."

"Hn."

"SEE?!?!?!"

"Hey, do you want to train with us?" Naruto invited generously. Ino stepped forward eagerly, but Sakura cocked her head, as if listening.

"Shishou needs us, Ino." She leapt into the trees, not glancing back. Ino sighed and followed.

"Who did she sound like?" Naruto wondered out loud. Sasuke only shot him a withering glance before facing Kakashi.

"This 'shishou' person again," he muttered. There was a question in his voice.

Kakashi's eye narrowed and he nodded. "Your training today: follow them without getting caught," he ordered.

"Hai."

- - -

As she and Ino traveled from tree to tree in the direction of the Hokage's tower, Sakura burst out laughing. When Ino glanced at her curiously, she smirked and jerked her head behind them.

"He sent Sasuke to trail us…"

Ino sniggered along with her. "Increase our speed until we reach our destination. Hopefully we can lose him," the blonde smirked. "It would seem that following us is his objective assignment for today. I'm afraid he's failed it."

"Aa…"

"See?? You do sound like him!" Ino insisted. "I wouldn't be surprised if your hair turned black!"

"Whatever, pig." Both kunoichi pushed chakra into their feet and sped off, skimming the branches of the trees.

- - -

Sasuke watched the two exchange friendly insults until Sakura laughed. Muttering something he couldn't hear, they increased their pace. Focused intently on the girls, he failed to notice the wire secured by two kunai until it tripped him. By the time he'd stood up again, cursing, they were gone.

"Kuso…!" Sasuke spat, scanning the area. He found no trace of the two kunoichi; snarling angrily, he shook a fist at the trees and returned to Kakashi and Naruto.

- - -

Well, I'm done with the longest chapter (I think), so you'd better be happy! …Anyways… Review, please!