KUNOICHI AND TANUKI
CHAPTER 3:
UNDER PRESSURE
The next morning, Sakura went to the cenotaph once more. Not to pray to Haku, to ensure his soul was kept from perdition, despite the sins of his master. No, she needed to talk to Kakashi.
Kakashi was there as usual, standing in front of the memorial stone. For a time, he gave no acknowledgement of her presence, before finally turning to face her, his one visible eye switching quickly from sorrow to his usual cheerful mask. "Ah, Sakura, did you get lost on the road of life too?" he asked.
"I guess you could say that," Sakura said. Actually, now that she came to think about it, that excuse seemed to be his best. Kakashi had many regrets, and often got lost thinking about them, mentally lost, anyway. "Kakashi-sensei…how did it feel going through the Chunin Exams for the first time?"
"I'm probably the wrong person to ask that, Sakura," Kakashi said, his cheerful demeanour once more replaced with solemnity. "I had a lot to prove. My father was disgraced because he chose his friends over the mission, and committed suicide to expunge that dishonour. Even so, I went out of my way to prove him wrong, being a stickler to the rules on a mission. I was a prodigy for many reasons, but a big part of it was to try and distance myself from my father's dishonour. This was in spite of him being perhaps one of this village's greatest shinobi. While one does go into the Chunin Exams to prove one is ready to advance…I did it also to prove I was better than my father."
Sakura fell silent at that. Eventually, Kakashi said, "I have to admit, at times, even I was a little scared. I smothered that fear. And I was even younger than you three when I took those exams. But I felt older. And I felt the burden of restoring what I believed to be the honour of the Hatake clan. In a way, I can sympathise with what Sasuke wants: to restore his clan's honour, as well as repopulate it. But there are many paths to restoring honour." Kakashi sighed. "I'm sorry, Sakura. As I said, I'm probably the wrong person to ask."
"That's okay. I…I just thought you could help."
"Sakura…I have faith in all three of you to be able to get through this. Yes, Team 7 is not as cohesive as it should be, but sometimes, pressure makes diamonds."
"Or garbage more compact," Sakura retorted(1). "I have no problem working with Naruto…but Sasuke…"
Kakashi nodded. "Anko told me you approached her the other day. Sakura, I'm not blind to my faults as a teacher. I have tried my best to get through to Sasuke. But he's increasingly isolating himself. And many parts of the council are pandering to him. As the Uchiha clan were one of the two founding clans of Konoha…despite Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju battling to the death, they held…no, they still reside on a pedestal for many. And with Sasuke the sole survivor who seems loyal to Konoha, many have put him on a pedestal. Of course, others are either envious of the Uchiha, or resentful. Some of the issues are not without reason: given the copying ability of the Sharingan, they were often accused of being unrepentant thieves of jutsus." After a moment, Kakashi, after debating with himself, eventually said, "And then, there are the Eyes of Betrayal. The Mangekyou Sharingan."
Sakura frowned. She had never heard of that. "Mangekyou Sharingan? A Kaleidoscope Sharingan?"
Kakashi turned to face her, and said, "What I am about to show you is not to be discussed, save with myself or the Hokage." He carefully raised his headband, revealing the Sharingan implanted within. Then, to Sakura's astonishment, it changed form. Instead of the three comma-like tomoe, it resembled a strange, three-armed pinwheel. A triskelion(2), the word popped into her mind. Kakashi only let it show for a couple of seconds, before the Sharingan changed back to normal.
"…Is that a Mangekyou Sharingan?" Sakura whispered in awe.
"Yes," Kakashi said, putting the headband back into place, and facing the cenotaph once more. "They call them the Eyes of Betrayal, as the Uchiha believed that to obtain them, one must kill a friend or relation. I personally believe that this is far from true, that it is the trauma of loss that awakens it rather than the act of killing someone close to you. Stress and trauma often unlock bloodline limits, after all."
"…You got it after killing Rin, didn't you?" Sakura asked, remembering Kakashi talking about his comrade, and how she, in order to stop the Sanbi within her from rampaging, put herself in the path of his Raikiri.
Kakashi nodded silently.
"…How powerful is it?" Sakura asked.
"Frighteningly so. I remember Sasuke mentioning that he talked to you about Tsukuyomi, the ultimate genjutsu that Itachi used on him. I have never used it, but I know something of its power: the ability to create a powerful illusion where time within it runs slower than outside it. A few seconds pass in reality, but in the illusion, it can take hours or even days. It can be used for the most brutal mental tortures. As I am not an Uchiha, and have not been privy to their secrets regarding the Mangekyou Sharingan, I only know a few of its powers. However, I do know its drawbacks. It places a massive drain on chakra reserves, even in Uchiha…and continued use destroys one's eyesight. That is perhaps the only consolation to us, that Itachi Uchiha will eventually go blind, a massive handicap for any shinobi."
"He deserves worse," Sakura muttered. "For destroying Sasuke's happiness least of all. It's thanks to Itachi that Sasuke's the way he is now."
"Mostly that, yes. But the Uchiha have also often had something of a superiority complex thanks to the Sharingan. That feeling of superiority was one of the few things Sasuke had left to fall back on when his psyche was devastated by Itachi's Tsukuyomi. And the idiots in this village who encouraged that only made it worse. Sasuke is bent on becoming an avenger. And that singular focus may be his downfall." Kakashi looked down at his right hand. "Have I ever shown you my Chidori?"
"No. You told me about it and the Raikiri, and you used the latter on…" Her words caught in her throat when she remembered Haku, impaled on Kakashi's hand, his beautiful face a dead, impassive mask. The mouth drooling blood in an imbecilic manner, not at all like the calm and gentle grace of Zabuza's ally.
"Quite," Kakashi said. "The Raikiri is basically an enhanced version of the Chidori, so for the sake of this analogy, assume they are the same. While immensely powerful and immensely fast, it also imposes a kind of tunnel effect on one's vision. In other words, one is open to attack from the sides. In fact, the Sharingan I possess negates that tunnel effect. But my point is that the Chidori's singular focus is both a strength and a weakness, just as Sasuke's obsession with revenge is. It will mean he will be blind to threats, perhaps even wilfully so, if they help him with his vengeance." Kakashi sighed. "You and Naruto work so well together, which throws my failure with Sasuke into sharp relief. I'm hoping the Chunin Exams help bring the three of you together. And you three are still able to work together in most circumstances, despite the current tensions. But the decision to enter these exams is yours. While I know Naruto and Sasuke will jump at the chance to do this, I know you have doubts. So…just remember, I have faith in you, Sakura. You have a better mindset than many other would-be kunoichi. You know you actually impressed me a little by doing research on me just before we met? Only a couple of prospective genin ever bothered to check the Bingo Book. And, of course, uniting Naruto and Sasuke to pass the Bell Test. I'll be blunt: without you, Team 7 does not exist. Without you, there is no glue holding Naruto and Sasuke together, save for bonds of rivalry."
"…No pressure, then?" Sakura asked wryly, to cover her anxieties.
"Not at all," Kakashi said, equally wryly, with a smile on his face, hidden by his mask.
Sakura decided she wanted to think about her decision some more. She did have her duty to her comrades, after all, and Kakashi's praise did help. So she changed the subject. "Kakashi-sensei, what do you know about the children of the Kazekage?"
Kakashi seemed nonplussed by the change in subject. "Hmm. I heard from Naruto that you met them, and you intervened to stop Konohamaru Sarutobi from getting hurt. Are you curious?"
"Particularly about one of them. The youngest. Gaara."
"Ah, I see." Kakashi became thoughtful. "I don't know much about them, frankly, though I do know that their mother perished shortly after giving birth to Gaara. I do know that the daughter, Temari, is an accomplished battle-fan user, and Gaara is known for his sand-based jutsus. It is rumoured he has gone on a number of high-ranking missions, and hasn't gotten injured during a single one."
Sakura paled. At first, she thought it impossible. But then, she remembered his sand barrier. "That must be why," Sakura mused.
"What must be why?"
"He has a sort of automatic defence, like living sand that bars any attacks," Sakura explained. "Actually, the odd thing was, when I met him yesterday, reaching around him to get some books, he seemed confused. He seemed confused also when he asked me to touch him, and nothing happened. Then again, he did say it reacted to any threat against him. Maybe it was because I didn't threaten him, at least not until he told me to punch him. Then, that barrier went up, and it was hard."
"Hmm. An unusual jutsu, but Suna shinobi are noted for Earth jutsus as well as Wind. And many powerful shinobi of Suna have been known to use Jiton or Magnet jutsus, including two Kazekage and a rogue shinobi from Suna known as Sasori, and they can use that to manipulate metal dust. Though if it is pure sand, it'd be more of an Earth jutsu." Kakashi shrugged. "Try to avoid him during the Chunin Exams, then. Try to avoid all three of them. Suna's shinobi-training is harsher than ours, though not quite as badly as Kiri, and their shinobi are more ruthless."
"Gaara looked like he hadn't slept a wink for ages." Sakura giggled, despite herself. "Poor boy looked a little like a tanuki." She then sobered. "Then again, maybe he can't sleep for nightmares or something. He said that his uncle tried to kill him. I wonder what drove his uncle to try and kill a kid?"
"Sadly, there are as many possible reasons as there are shinobi in Konoha," Kakashi remarked. "To have that happen may have caused some sort of psychological damage."
Sakura blinked when she heard Kakashi say that. Gaara told her that he got that tattoo of the symbol for 'love' after his uncle died trying to murder him. And then, she remembered that the name Gaara could literally mean a 'self-loving demon'.
That revelation sent a shiver down her spine, though she wasn't sure why. What sort of parent would call their child that?
Gaara held no illusions as to what he was. He was a demon who could only love himself, as others held no love for him. Not his uncle, not his father, and certainly not his siblings. He would allow that Temari at least showed something other than fear and bravado towards him: she at least cared a little for his welfare. But was that love? He doubted it.
And yet, that girl Sakura…she had gotten past the sand. She had shown little fear. Okay, she didn't know what he was, but even those who didn't feared him. He could taste the sour and salty stench of fear on the wind whenever he was around people. But she had gone out of her way to help him. Be nice to him.
Shukaku seemed curious about the girl as well, in between the rantings of how the beast would crush her and sup on her blood. After all, anyone who could get past the sand was a novelty. Few could, even if they didn't have any apparent ill-intent.
She had even led him to a friend who turned out to have quite the stock of plants that would do well in the desert. Why would she do that for a stranger? Suna and Konoha were (nominally) allies, but he would be a potential opponent in the Chunin Exams, if she entered. Why treat him like a friend?
It was an enigma, and an aggravating one at that. But all the same, there was an intrigue, something that drew his attention in more ways than just annoyance. Which was why he had asked Temari and his jounin instructor (more like a dog handler, given the way Suna treated Gaara) Baki to inquire discreetly about the girl and her team.
Baki came back first, and his information was drier than the desert sands back home. What Gaara was given were facts. Admittedly, one of them was impressive, as she and her genin team had survived and completed an A-Rank mission (originally a C-Rank that went sour) successfully. While Gaara had gone through such missions, he had the advantage of Shukaku and his sand. Then again, their teacher was Kakashi Hatake, the infamous Copy Ninja, though one of their opponents was none other than Zabuza Momochi, one of the most infamous rogue ninja to ever come from Kiri.
Temari was rather more successful, though she looked like she wanted to tease Gaara for having a crush. Which he did not, and she knew that he would have taken such an insinuation poorly. Wisely, she held her tongue. Her information was perhaps a bit more colourful and less clinical than Baki's, and while that meant accuracy might not be as good, Gaara found it a bit more palatable.
"Apparently she's already created two brand new jutsus, namely Hikariton," Temari said.
"Light Release?" Baki asked, frowning. "Do we have any details?"
"I spoke to that annoying brat in the orange jumpsuit," Temari said. "He was all too happy to brag about his teammate once I said I liked ramen. I think he once had a crush on her, but he's still enthusiastic. He only said about one of them, though, that it emits a massive blinding flash of light. Like a flash bomb, only much stronger. Anyway, she's a physical weakling compared to most shinobi, but she's pretty good with her mind and her jutsu." Temari shrugged. "That brat Naruto, though, he may seem like an idiot, but he may be one to look out for. He's got enough chakra to pump out Shadow Clones, enough to make his own little army."
Kankuro scoffed. "That brat? Impossible!"
"Hey, he showed me that he knew how to make them at least," Temari said. "Made one right in front of me. And the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu is practically jounin level. He'd need massive chakra reserves at his age to pull even one off."
"If he's actually an Uzumaki, that's hardly surprising," Baki said. "The Uzumaki were known for three things: their Fuinjutsu, their longevity, and their immense chakra reserves. And the third one? Was he an Uchiha like we thought?"
"Yeah. The last loyal Uchiha in Konoha, though Naruto didn't think highly of him. Sasuke Uchiha. The Uchiha is powerful, but has a major chip on his shoulder," Temari said. "What's more, he's already got at least a partial Sharingan. Anyway, we know that that team will probably go into the Chunin Exams: Naruto seemed raring to go into it, like an idiot, and he said his jounin sensei wanted him to go into it."
"Either Kakashi has really lost his edge, or he's really confident his students can make it through," Baki mused.
"It doesn't matter," Gaara said. "They aren't powerful enough to stand up to me. If they interfere, Mother will drink a deep draught of their blood."
But even as he uttered that threat, or rather, a proclamation of fact, something about his statement didn't ring true for some reason. Maybe it was because she had treated him like he was normal, more or less. Or maybe because she had aroused his interest.
He didn't like that uncertainty. And things he was uncertain of, he crushed, until they reached that one indisputable state of certainty: death…
CHAPTER 3 ANNOTATIONS NO JUTSU!:
More of Sakura and Kakashi, and some more from Gaara's point of view. There might be one last chapter set prior to the exams. Otherwise, I'll head straight to them, but do them from Gaara's point of view.
Review-answering time! Kay-Chan: It's hard to write Gaara's point of view. I decided to write him as someone who is not always unhinged, but has this animosity to most. He's actually more confused by Sakura being able to get by his sand. If someone is not being an overt threat to his existence, then he will tolerate them, I feel. And as she is being helpful, he's not going to kill her for shits and giggles, not at this time. He knows better than to kill someone with impunity in an enemy village, unless they have done something to piss him off (like Lee managing to 'challenge his existence', or Dosu actually wanting to kill him).
Duner89: He did. And as for his siblings' reactions, I think it will be Kankuro who will have that reaction more than most. Temari would either think Sakura doomed, or think 'Oh, thank God, he actually has a girlfriend who isn't scared of him'.
1. A reference to a Dilbert cartoon I once read.
2. A triskelion is an actual thing. Triskelion-like shapes are on the flags of Sicily and the Isle of Man, and is a common symbol used by many organisations and communities. I thought Kakashi/Obito's Mangekyou Sharingan was like a triskelion, hence the description.