Chapter 11: Tag You're It 1
"I guess what scares me the most now is the thought that I won't be able to protect you."
-Julia Hoban
This would be her last attempt at trying to get Sakura and Naruto back on speaking term. It's been a week since Sakura has been declared mentally stable and a week since the attack that cost Ebisu his life. Both Udon and Moegi were awake and are going through rehabilitation. Konohamaru wasn't so lucky the young genin was currently in a coma due to the poison attacking his brain. They had no way of knowing that the poison would attack the brain no matter where it entered the body from. On the bright side, his teammates and Naruto haven't left his side unless forced to.
Tsunade sighed and sat back in her chair to look up at the ceiling. "Tomorrow morning." That would be the day where she sends Sakura and Naruto off on their own personal mission. She figured that by making them both leave at the same time that will force them to say something to each other. Then again she could see the plan blowing up in her face.
A knock at the door took her out of her musing. "Enter."
Shizune popped up with a box and an excited expression on her face. Tsunade raised an eyebrow at how happy she was. "It's done."
"Uh, what's done?" She didn't order Shizune to do anything just yet unless she forgot due to everything else going on.
"The new uniform for our very first special team." Shizune sounded a bit overly excited and what new uniform was Shizune talking about?
"What new uniform?" Shizune sets the box on her desk and took out the outfits.
"I overheard you mention to Kakashi about him and Sakura being our very first special team. So I took it upon myself to make them a new outfit." Tsunade wasn't sure whether to be surprised or curious.
"Well, what do you think?" The outfit was definitely a huge step up from the usual jounin outfit.
The new outfit that Shizune designed still had the usual flak jacket but instead of it being green it was black with a different shape to it. The flak jacket covered the torso and lower groin that came with clipped-on shoulder pads with high-collars and a strap across the waist. The traditional Uzushiogakure symbol was no longer present on the back of the flak jackets, but was instead emblazoned onto a red armband. That seemed to be the only change to the usual jounin outfit. The only thing different about the pants was the darker color. Also, the sandals were higher then the usual pair.
Tsunade had to admit she was impressed by the outfits and couldn't wait to see how it look on Sakura and Kakashi. "Shizune you're a genius. What made you come up with a new outfit for the special team?"
She just plainly shrugged it was a mission about gathering intel wearing the usual green vest would automatically associate them with Konoha. "I figured that since we have a new division we could give them their own outfit."
Tsunade was only half listening since she was admiring the material. "Do you think you could have three more made before tomorrow morning?"
Shizune looked up at her surprised she wasn't expecting such a request like that from Tsunade. "T-Tsunade-sama it took about a week just to make one for Sakura and Kakashi. Why do you need three more anyway?"
"One is for Sakura and Kakashi knowing those two they'll probably get in some trouble and mess up their outfit. I also want to give Naruto one I figured it'll motivate him to master the Kyuubi's power and come back and join his team." Shizune looked at the outfits laid on the desk in deep thought. She could try but that meant she would lose all of her sleep.
"Shizune if you need help I'll be happy to assign some people to you."
"No no I'll do it what time by tomorrow morning?" Tsunade smiled proudly she was honestly admiring how good the new outfit came out.
"6 but don't try to make that deadline since Kakashi will be there you'll have an extra two hours." Shizune nodded quickly before rushing out of the office to start the three other outfits.
Tsunade folded the gear back in the box and set it under her desk. She would give it to them later on that day. She wondered what her student was doing at the moment.
X
Sakura panted from the strenuous spar session she just had with her sensei. They decided to start early on the training instead of waiting to leave the village.
It was their fourth day sparring much to her frustration she wanted to learn jutsus not be sore for the rest of the day. She sighed and sat down on the ground while staring up at the sky. A few clouds pass by calming her rising irritation.
She could see why Shikamaru enjoyed it so much. It was relaxing. Unfortunately, that relaxing mood was ruined by the voice of her closet-perv sensei. "Before tomorrow I want you to go by Gai and get some weights. I've already informed him that you'll be coming by for them."
"So he's going to just give me them no questions asked?" Kakashi smirked behind his mask as she asked a question she already knew the answer to.
"If you tag Gai before we leave then he'll give you the weights...if you don't we're not leaving the village." His serious tone and words made her look at him with shock.
"Are you kidding me Gai-sensei is like the fastest person in this whole village!" Still, he didn't waver once so ever in his decision she was starting to think letting him train her was a bad idea.
"Use any means necessary this is part of your training." With that, he was gone only god knows where leaving a livid pinkette behind. Nonetheless, she started thinking of ways she could tag Gai-sensei. First, she wanted to see how fast he would run away from her.
Sakura got up and went searching for Team Gai who she hasn't seen in quite some time. Then again the only people she saw on a daily basis nowadays was Kakashi, Ino, Ino's parents, and her parents no choice there. She gently touched the bandages on her face wondering how they'll react to the scars. That same event haunted her every waken hour and when she's sleep. She doesn't know if she'll ever be able to forgive him or he'll ever be able to forgive her.
Sakura sighed she had no idea where Team Gai even was the only place she had in mind was the training grounds. She was cursing Kakashi using every word in the book as she trudged to other training grounds in search of Team Gai.
It was a stroke of luck that she didn't spend all of her time searching for them. "Sakura-san our youthful blossom!" She inwardly groaned almost forgetting Lee's crush on her.
"Hey, guys is Gai-sensei around?" She hated the look of pity they had on their face and could feel her face heat from their gaze being on her bandaged scars.
"Sakura..." she already knew what came next. The words of encouragement.
"Can we see it!" Sakura looked at Tenten with surprise since that was the last thing she was expecting to be asked. Even Tenten herself looked surprised at her own words.
For the first time in a while, a genuine smile spread on her face. Finally, someone wasn't walking on eggshells around her. It made her feel like she was human and not some kind of freak show that everyone pitied.
"I mean that came out wrong I'm sorry Sakura." Tenten tried to apologize but Sakura wasn't having it.
"I guess I can show you guys the scars it's no big deal." Sakura peeled the bandages back to reveal the scars to Team Gai.
They eyed it closely making her feel slightly uncomfortable.
"You look like a badass with those scars." Tenten grinned brightly as Neji smirked from beside her agreeing with a nod.
"Agreed that scar is very youthful!" Lee shouted giving her a thumbs up with tears in his eyes.
"Thanks, guys that actually made me feel better but have any of you seen Gai-sensei?" She was once again back to seriousness on her current task.
"No, he even missed our training session which is so unlike Gai-sensei."
"Indeed what do you need to see Gai-sensei about?" Neji asked.
"I'm supposed to tag him before I leave tomorrow morning for my weights according to Kakashi-sensei." She resisted the urge to roll her eyes at such an impossible task.
"Good luck with that," Tenten said feeling a bit sorry for the pinkette for such a difficult objective.
"I'll help you find Gai-sensei Sakura-san." Sakura gave Lee an appreciative look. She would need all the help she could get.
"Are you sure I don't want to interrupt your training?" She knew that Lee would probably drop everything and do as she asked it was in his nature to help others. That's a dangerous trait to have.
"Of course Sakura-san this will be like training." He flashed her a bright grin that damn near blinded her.
"O-ok thanks." She covered her eyes trying to not get blinded by how bright his smile was.
"We'll also help you Sakura this should actually be entertaining." Sakura smiled at Tenten's kind offer. She would have all the help she needed.
"Great! We should spilt up and search for him I'll make a shadow clone for everyone so if any group finds him you guys just take out the shadow clone and I'll know his location."
"Yosh great idea Sakura-san!"
"Sakura I'm assuming Gai-sensei isn't just going to let you tag him so what do you plan to do?" Sakura turned her attention to the usually stoic Hyuga who was waiting for an answer.
"I want to test his speed first before I do anything else." The Hyuga looked like he wanted to say something but decided against it.
"We should regroup back here before the sun goes down." Sakura agreed to Tenten's idea. Before performing the jutsu she put the bandage back over her scars.
"Kage than no jutsu." 3 clones of Sakura appeared and everyone finally took off in different directions. They were ready to find Gai and help Sakura out.
Meanwhile Gai-sensei was in the trees with a familiar sharingan sensei. "Are you sure about this my eternal rival?"
Kakashi for once was not reading his pervy book but watching his student closely. He could see that her social skills were slowly coming back to the way it was before the fallout. He had to admit he wasn't expecting Team Gai to help her with the task.
He was expecting her to fail since this was his last ditch effort to save her life. But with the help of Team Gai he didn't know what to expect anymore. "Just make sure she doesn't catch you." With that Gai was gone in a blink of an eye.
Kakashi sighed wearily. "Now to check up on my other student.
X
It was rare to see Naruto not in the hospital beside Konohamaru's bedside. But since he only had today to pack he decided to see the comatose boy later. He was going to train hard and tame the Kyuubi so he can protect his friends from those traitor Anbu.
His eyes automatically went to the pictures of old Team 7 and new Team 7. His eyes lingered on the pinkette much longer then he would have liked. He wouldn't admit it to anyone but he missed her and he would be lying to himself if he said he didn't still have feelings for her.
He laughed bitterly at his thoughts. Even after everything he still fucking loved her.
It was a good thing that he was leaving so he could not only control the Kyuubi but also get his thoughts straight.
"Yo." Naruto turned towards his window to find his sensei crouched there with what he presume a smile on his masked face.
"Kakashi-sensei what are you doing here?" Naruto hasn't seen Kakashi all week.
Kakashi shrugged, "just wanted to visit before you leave tomorrow."
Naruto nodded and continued packing in silence. "Naruto whatever happens everyone in Konoha believes in you. You've come far you even completed the rasengan."
"Which I'm unable to use." Kakashi sighed he wasn't use to Naruto being so negative. He didn't know how to talk to him especially when he got like this.
"What do you plan to do once you come back?" Naruto paused in his packing for a moment thinking deeply about what he wanted to do.
"Akatsuki is still out there and I won't rest until every single last one of them are either dead or behind bars." Kakashi nodded he accepted that answer and thought that maybe he would join the team on finding Akatsuki later on.
"Well, whenever you're ready to do just that don't hesitate to find me. See you around Naruto." Although it was small and almost nonexistent there was a smile there and Kakashi took it.
Whoop the last chapter of 2k16 I can't wait for 2k17 the year I'll be graduating.
The outfits are the new generation Jounin outfit but in this story, it hasn't been bought out like that yet. I needed a reason to change the Jounin outfit and I have it. Next chapter is all about the game of tag and team 7 leaving Konoha. Hopefully, to kick off 2k17 I'll have a 3k word chapter for you guys.
