AN: I am so sorry for the long update and I'm not sure I can promise it won't happen again but if it do, I'll try to make the chapters long to make up for it. Long like this, if you like it this way. This chapter is very different from my last ones. It have more Kakashi in it and I guess, so action. You guys wanted one so I gave you my best. I hope you like it.
Anyway, 199 reviews, you guys are awesome. I don't think I ever made that much reviews since my Superville story and that was 133 or something close to it.
Again, sorry for the long update, I know you guys want to get on with the story, so here it is.
Enjoy
Kakashi was in his apartment preparing for his mission. It was seven-thirty in the morning and he was supposed to meet his client at eight o'clock sharp at the western gate of Konoha. He was fully clothed except for his sandals and gloves and his backpack was halfway packed lying next to his bed. Though, this was going to be a short simple mission, Kakashi felt it wouldn't hurt to carry extra essentials just in case. Feeling the need for a break, Kakashi sat down on his bed and pulled out his favorite orange book and started to read where he left off.
Pakkun stretched his small body from his short nap on the couch after following Kakashi into the kitchen after the alarm clock woke the two up at six fifteen this morning.
While Kakashi fixed himself something for breakfast, Pakkun took his perch on the couch to get some extra sleep before the mission.
Finally waking up and not seeing his master in the kitchen, he jumped from the couch and made his way to the bedroom.
There, he found his master sitting in his bed enjoying his precious book. Figured he'll find his master here, reading no less, before a mission, and wasting time as always to arrive late yet again.
"If I remember correctly, the mission detail said for you to be on time to meet and escort your client to Water country. And if my eyes are deceiving me, the time is seven fifty," the pup said looking over at the clock on the night stand next to the bed. "That's only leaving you ten minutes to get ready."
Kakashi's only answer for the pug was a flip of his page.
"Kakashi don't do this again, please, I'm begging you. Could we at least be on time for something for once?" Pakkun whined.
Another page was turned before it was lowered for Kakashi to see his puppy sitting in front of him.
"Hhm, you said something?"
"Kakashi," Pakkun barked.
Kakashi chuckled scooting to the edge of his bed and petting Pakkun's head after closing his book.
"Don't worry Pakkun, I heard you the first time," Kakashi stood to put on his gloves from his dresser.
"Then why do you persist on ignoring me?"
"To hear you bark and whine of course," Kakashi smiled with his eye.
With a growl, Pakkun headed out the room with the sound of Kakashi laughing behind him.
"Hurry up," he barked before taking his position back on the couch.
He's making sure to pay extra attention to the time and the movement in the other room for Kakashi, so the Jonin wouldn't stop to read his book again. He has five minutes, he thought to him self, not wanting his master to stray again from his task and be late for his meeting. He already knew the Jonin would find some way to be late anyway.
…….
At eight ten, Kakashi and Pakkun were walking up to the western gate. Like predicted, Kakashi managed to make them late again, but surprisingly, not by that much. He had to give the Copy Ninja some credit for only making them ten minutes late.
The two stood at the gate's entrance looking around for Mr. Tinashi.
From the picture he received with the mission detail, Mr. Tinashi was an older guy in his late fifties with a long jagged scar cross his face. He would be easy to point out since it was still early and hardly anyone was around at the gate, at this time of the day… except, of course, for the two chunins stationed there, but there was no sign of the old guy anywhere.
"I hope he didn't go ahead without us," Pakkun stated out loud.
"No I doubt it," Kakashi said walking over to the booth where the two chunins sat.
Pakkun over heard the conversation his master and the two chunins discussed and found out that Mr. Tinashi came to the gates thirty minutes early only to say he forgot something and turned back into town.
To where, they did not know but he hadn't showed up since then.
With a sign Kakashi turned to face the town and then to his small dog beside him.
"We'll split the town in half. You take the right half and I'll take the left. Check for any gambling house and salon you find there and if you find him just call," Kakashi explained. "I guess you can't blame me for being late this time," he put in before disappearing in a puff of smoke.
Pakkun growled before scurrying off to look around.
…….
Yoshi and the rest of the students from his seduction class were in the cafeteria waiting on instruction for their trip to the hospital. Mostly everyone was excited over the event. A day off from the torture of a class with Naruko was heaven to them, not to mention to spend a day with real women for a change. Others, like Yoshi, were terrified, but Yoshi has his own reason to be scared. But from what he heard around the room, most of the guys were scared of what the girls from Tsunade's school were going to do to them when they get there, exaggerating along the lines of saying that they will come out of the hospital inside out, organs in different positions, extra body parts, or worst… dead. Yoshi felt the need to set the boys straight about their false hopes in the training of his school and his friend's intelligence but he had others things on his mind.
For one, how was he to pull off being Yoshi and Sakura at the same time?
With the help from Sasuke and Naruto and some quick phone calls, they were able to come up with a plan.
What else was going through his head was will their plan work?
He could think of millions of ways this could turn out disastrous and his stomach turns with the thoughts. He kept saying to himself that this would be fine and everything would be okay but his body was saying things differently. He fidgeted in his seat, his index fingers tapped nervously, something he picked up from Hinata, and his knees were knocking against each other from his quivering.
"Yoshi stop your shaking, everything will be alright. We went over the plan twice this morning remember. Nothing will go wrong," Naruto encouraged.
With a weak smile towards Naruto, Yoshi put his hands in his pocket to keep from tapping and sat up straighter in his chair, but that didn't stop him from keeping his legs still and his knees from knocking. I can do this, everything will be fine Yoshi voiced in his head just when the four teachers walked into the room.
"Alright everyone, listen up, here is what's going to happen," Genma started. "Once we leave here and reach the hospital, we'll wait in the lobby until one of the teachers from the girls' school escorts us to a room to be blooded up for the exam and give us scripts on what happened to us. From there, they'll take us out of the room and lead us to the medic-nin to be examined and bandaged up. After that, please follow one of their teachers' instructions on where to go once you're done."
"I'd hope you guys are wearing something old because you guys will be looking a mess by the time this exam is over," Asuma put in.
"Including yours truly," Genma said pointing at him self and the other teachers.
"You guys are guinea pigs too," Kiba smiled.
"Yeah, unfortunately so." Asuma answered. "I mean who else is going to show you guys that there's no harm in being experiments for medic-nin in training."
The room filled with groans and laughter. Yoshi had to laugh at the poor excuse of encouragement by the teachers, even though some of the students still look worried about the whole thing.
While some of the students asked some questions, Yoshi was looking around the room for Kakashi. Again, Kakashi didn't show up Yoshi thought.
Why?! You worried about him, Inner Yoshi smiled.
No, I'm just…well; he should be here since we're his students Yoshi frowned.
Riiight, Inner Yoshi smiled.
With the roll of his eyes, Yoshi tuned back to the conversation in front of him.
"So all we asked is that you guys be on your best behavior while we're there…," Iruka said looking at every student in the room. "…Including you, Naruto."
"What are we, five? Iruka sensei, I think we know how to handle ourselves in public," Naruto addressed.
"Just be on your very best behavior Naruto," Iruka put very calmly.
"And perform well my bundle of youth," Guy said giving the students his best infamous pose.
Everyone shun away from the green spandex wearing Jonin except for Lee who stood up to perform the Guy pose him self.
"Alright, now that we are pumped up, let's get going," Genma said getting back everyone's attention.
Yoshi stood with the rest of the class to leave out the cafeteria. The four teachers split them up into two group of two to take the point and rear of the thirty something students walking to head for the hospital.
"We got your back, Yoshi," Naruto whispered, patting Yoshi on the back when he saw Yoshi started to tap his index fingers again.
"Yeah, I know," Yoshi nodded.
Let's hope this goes as we planned he thought once they reached the outside of the school.
…………
"I told you I didn't want to go back," Mr. Tinashi argued. "I want to stay here in Konoha where there's good sake and nice women and delicious foods. I don't want to go."
"Then why pay for an escort to take you back to your village if you didn't want to go home," Kakashi dully asked as he walked behind the stumbling old man with his book in hand.
"Well, I changed my mind," the old man stopped to cross his arms over his chest.
Kakashi stopped some few feet after the man and lowered his book.
"You have to go back Mr. Tinashi. You can't hide out in Konoha for long."
"I know," Tinashi pouted. "I just don't want to leave your beautiful town."
"No offense Mr. Tinashi, stay any longer in Konoha then that would make another debt you would have to own to angrier gamblers. Why risk it."
"I know," Tinashi whined. "I know."
Again the stumbling old man started to walk with Kakashi and Pakkun followed. Kakashi lifted his book back up to continue to read while also paying attention to his surroundings. He could sense they were beginning followed the moment they set foot out of Konoha's gate three hours ago after retrieving Mr. Tinashi.
It didn't take long for them to find the old man sitting in a tavern, half drunk, and instigating a game of poker. Thanks to Kakashi, he stopped him before anyone took the man on his offer of a game. Tinashi was resenting, being taken away from his drunken sanctuary, but settled down when they stepped out of the town's boundary and into the green forestry, walking along the path towards Water country.
"Kakashi, I sense six men following us, do we want to take care of them while the man is intoxicated?" Pakkun whispered.
"No, let's let them make the first move," Kakashi whispered back. "Besides, it's best for Mr. Tinashi to be sobered up before we do anything. Just keep me informed if more shows up. If so then a new plan will have to be made."
"Right," Pakkun nodded.
Acting like nothing was amiss; they continued to follow Mr. Tinashi on the path.
……….
The group of young shinobis finally made it to Konoha's hospital and waited in the lobby as instructed. With other volunteers, the room was slowly starting to get pack as they waited to be moved. Yoshi, Sasuke, and Naruto managed to find an empty space in a corner to go over their plan again.
"Where is she? She is supposed to be here by now," Sasuke questioned.
"I don't know she said she'll be looking out for us but…come on Ino," Yoshi panicked, looking around the room.
"Just give her time, it's probably taking her awhile to look for us through this crowd," Naruto added.
"Maybe if you didn't suggest this corner then she could see us a little better," Sasuke argued.
"Hey, I was just making sure no one over hear us discussing our plans okay."
"Guys, not now," Yoshi said.
The two teens stopped their arguing and looked around the room as well. There was not much to see due to the crowdedness but they managed enough. The shinobis stayed in a group to themselves so did the town people, occasionally a student would go talk to a friend in the other group but that was about it.
Soon the two groups of people quieted down when a woman in a medic-nin white clothing walked in with a clipboard in her hands. She was young and put on a welcoming smile as she addressed the crowd.
"Good morning everyone and thank you once again for volunteering yourselves for our students. It's nice to know you guys took the time off from your busy schedule to do this… and that is very thoughtful of you. Anyway, to get started and to move this along, we would like for the towns people to come up first, then our shinobis afterwards."
Some of the students were going to protest but they were quickly silence by Iruka. He mouthed the word "good behaviors" before turning back to the front.
"Again, the guy acts like we're five," Naruto complained.
"Come on Ino, now would be the time to show your self," Yoshi mumbled.
"I think I see her," Sasuke announced, getting his two friends attention.
Naruto and Yoshi looked over to where Sasuke was looking at and there they saw Ino standing, peeking over behind a wall waving them over. Yoshi smiled and waved back to Ino before turning to get Iruka's attention.
"Ah, Iruka sensei, I'm…just going to …go to the restroom," Yoshi said hurrying off to the restroom.
"Yeah me too," Naruto said following behind Yoshi.
The two made it behind the wall with Ino, and Yoshi and Ino hugged each other.
"Oh Sakura, I thought you was a goner the last time we seen each other but when you called… oh I'm so happy to see you."
"Me too, Ino"
"Guys, you can reunite later but we have to hurry, remember the plan," Naruto said looking from behind the wall to make sure no one was coming or looking.
"Yeah, Ino did you bring my stuff," Yoshi asked.
"Yes, its inside," Ino pointed to the women restroom. "Don't worry no one inside, I made sure," she said when she saw Yoshi was about to ask.
Yoshi and Ino hurried inside while Naruto stayed outside the restroom door to keep a look out.
………
"I'm so nervous," Sakura said behind one of the bathroom stalls.
The time the two made it inside the room, Yoshi undid the transformation into Sakura and Ino handed over the clothes she brought for Sakura. Sakura was so happy to get to wear women's clothes after another week gone by being and dressing as a guy, she rushed into a stall to get dress.
"Don't be, you got this in the bag," Ino said looking at her self in the mirror. She was applying make-up and straightening up her hair.
"That's easy for you to say, you had two extra weeks to study for this exam when I had none," Sakura pronounced.
"That maybe true but you had thirteen years of medic training prior to your whole two weeks at boot camp with the boys, so don't go making excuses forehead brow."
"I'm not, honest," Sakura laughed walking out of the stall. "How do I look?"
She was wearing her no sleeves red zipper up shirt and black short spandex. Over the spandex was her medic skirt and she wore her high heels, knee high blacks boots. To finish her look up, she wore the issued white jacket of a medic-nin and her head band.
"You look like a woman," Ino answered.
"Thank you Ino, so do you."
"As always"
Sakura looked at her self in the mirror and let out a long sigh. So far so good, she thought to her self. Just have to put phase two in motion and then every thing would be set.
"You know you have one stiff competition ahead of you," Ino said out of the blue.
"What," Sakura snapped.
"Yeah, you know the apprentice position. So far seven of our classmates have been recommended for the position. There's… you, TenTen, Temari, Lishi and her friend Hima," Ino rolled her eyes. "Saiya and some new girl, I can't remember her name. Anyway, I'm rooting for you and TenTen."
"What about Temari, she's our friend too?"
"Tsk, Temari's no contest. If I was put up for the position I'm sure I'll beat her."
"Says the other blonde," Sakura whispered.
"What did you say?"
"Nothing"
A knock at the door and then Naruto's voice caught the two women attention.
"Hey, guy you might want to hurry up in there, we're about to leave."
Sakura and Ino gathered their things and rushed out of the restroom. Naruto backed away from the door so he wouldn't get hit and stared at the new look of his friend.
"Whoa, Yoshi, I mean Sakura, you look…look different."
"Uhm, thanks Naruto, I guess," she laughed.
"Pss, you guys hurry up," Sasuke softly yelled at them just as the line he was in started to move.
"Right, go for it Naruto."
With a nod, Naruto put up the appropriate hand signs to bring up a shadow clone. Then with another hand sign he hinged it to turn into an exact copy of Yoshi.
"You think this will work," Sakura asked worriedly.
"Hey, I thought of it didn't I," the cloned Yoshi said with a smile.
"Don't worry Sakura, everything will be fine. You can count on us" Naruto answered pulling "Yoshi" to his side. "Come on Yoshi, let's go."
Naruto and Yoshi ran away to go catch up with the line slowly disappearing behind double doors.
"Come on Sakura we need to go too or we'll be late," Ino said grabbing onto Sakura's arm and pulling her to go up a flight of stairs to where the exams would be taking place. Sakura's only hope was for this day to play out the way she hoped.
………..
Kakashi stood, with his hands in his pockets, some feet away from Mr. Tinashi while he got some water from a running stream. This was their third stop to rest for the day and the first they strayed away from the path to their designation. Kakashi would have continued to read his book but with so many interruption and Mr. Tinashi non-stop talking about the many ways of knowing when someone's bluffing, he had to put his book away. It can't be helped, he kept telling him self that every time the men who were following them move in closer when they stopped. He wanted to at least make it to Water country borders before the men made their move but it seemed like that wouldn't get to happen.
Pakkun, reappearing after Kakashi sent him off to scout, jumped next to Kakashi's feet and whispered his observation.
"I don't see anyone around but my senses says that they're right on top of us."
"How many does this make it," Kakashi asked.
"Added to the three more from last time, twelve."
Pakkun looked up to his master to see the expressionless eye looking at Tinashi pouring water into his empty container. He could tell Kakashi was working up a plan in his head, working out the possible mode of what would or could happen. With the surrounding men being this close to them, it could only mean that they wanted them stopped and to fight here. He's been around Kakashi to know a few things about enemy's attack methods.
"What you want to do," Pakkun asked.
"We can't keep avoiding them."
Was all Kakashi said before Pakkun felt the surge of Kakashi's chakra level spread out, ready to attack at any sense of danger. Mr. Tinashi was heading back towards them before a shuriken was thrown at his feet, stopping and frightening the old man to death. He ran the rest of the way to Kakashi and stood behind him to hide.
"All we want is Tayo," a voice said among the trees around them.
A great choking pressure built its way around them and Pakkun watched his master lifted up his arm to pull up his slanted headband over his left eye to reveal his most powerful weapon, the sharingan. It spun into activation and Kakashi scanned their surrounding.
"You might as well come out, we know you're there," Kakashi said looking directly at a tree in front of them.
Within seconds three ninjas appeared standing side by side in front of them. They were dressed in brown shirt and pants with a mesh long sleeves shirt underneath. Their head bands had no distinguishing mark on them to tell where they were from and Kakashi frowned at this knowledge.
"I'm surprised with you Tayo. You finally find help to take you home and you find it in one Jonin." The one in the middle stated.
"I just want to go home," Tinashi bellowed behind Kakashi.
"Not until you pay back the money you stole from me and my men."
"I don't have it."
"Well, see that's a problem. No money, no going home…and since you don't intend to pay up then your life would be a big credit for what you own us."
"And you think I'm going to allow that to happen," Kakashi said pulling out a kunai.
"Just give us the old man and we'll let you live."
Kakashi could tell these guys were naïve to think that they could take him on, but from the reading of their chakra level, they were Jonins. Naïve or not, it would be a long fight fighting twelve guys by him self and trying to protect Tinashi at the same time.
Seeing that Kakashi wasn't offering Tinashi over, the three ninjas laughed.
"Fine, then you can die along with him."
Like how they appeared they disappeared again. With his sharingan, Kakashi could see the twelve ninjas around them. They were moving in closer towards them and with his free hand, Kakashi pushed Tinashi back within arm length distance. They were trapped and the only way out was through the ninjas. A yell to his right caught his attention to see one of the ninjas running towards him with a sword in hand. Kakashi prepared him self for the fight ahead.
………..
Sakura found her self in a big white room with many cubicles surrounding the place. The small cubicles were separated with curtains to form their stations. All of them were equipped with everything they would need to work with and extra essentials sat on a huge table in the middle of the room. Sakura left her friends to observe the room some more while watching students and teachers lingered around the room until the time for the exam started.
"Nice to see that you made it, Sakura," Kurenai voiced said behind her.
Sakura turned around to face her teacher.
"Kurenai sensei, it's nice to see you too." Sakura answered.
"I thought you wouldn't have made it due to the matter of your family having problems right now. Are you okay?"
Family problem, I don't have…oh yeah, it's lie, she thought remembering the lie Ino told her.
"Yeah, I'm fine but we're still having some issues but every things okay."
"Well take the time you'll need. You were a little ahead of your class then most in your level of training, that's why I elected you for the apprentice position with Tsunade. You're a smart woman, Sakura. You deserve this opportunity more then anyone at the school."
"Thank you sensei but I don't know about that position. I mean, do you think I'm ready for it."
"Well, we'll see won't we?" Kurenai said with a smile.
Sakura smiled back but started to get back that nervous feeling. We'll see, alright she thought just before a shout was heard over the crowd to get their attentions.
"Alright ladies can I have you attention please," Shizune yelled.
Everyone gathered in the center of the room to pay attention to the young assistant standing on a foot stool. Sakura, leaving Kurenai behind, found her friends during the gathering and stood by them to listen up on what Shizune had to say.
"Okay everyone, our volunteers are about ready to come in but before they do, I would like to go over how the exam is going to go. Let's first go over the scenario of this exam. Our town has just been attacked by enemy ninjas leaving a lot of our people badly injured. You are medic-nin on duty and must aid our people back to health the best you can. Now being that most of our techniques use chakra to help heal people, we would like for you guys to tell the examiner assigned to you what you're going to do and act like you performing it. This includes telling your examiner the amount of chakra being used."
Some of the girls groaned their protest about the chakra part, even Sakura made a face about it.
"I know, I know but its part of what you learned in class so there shouldn't be any complaints. Anyway, your examiner will explain your patients' condition(s) and with every patient you get you will be timed."
Another set of groans filled the room.
"Okay, now that that's covered, we asked that you all pick a station to work in and ready yourselves for your examiners and patients. Oh and before I forget, those selected for the apprentice position will meet with Tsunade after the exam where you'll know if you're her next apprentice. Thank you, good luck everyone and the exam will begin in five minutes."
"Come on Sakura let's hurry up to find a station together so we could all be close to each other," Ino offered.
Not giving Sakura time to answer, Ino dragged Sakura over to five empty cubicles where TenTen, Temari, and Hinata already took position at three of the empty ones. In the row, they were positioned TenTen, Hinata, Sakura, Ino, and Temari. Their examiners soon followed afterwards and stood at the opening of small cubicles. Tension was running high as they all waited for the patients to show. Sakura quickly went over everything she learned in school she could remember while slowly breathing in and out to calm her self. The door opened and the first set of patients made their way inside. They were all covered in red paint on different parts of their body and some had some kind of scaly brown tissue on them.
With all the commotion Sakura could barely hear Temari yelling out good luck to everyone and she had to smile. Saying her own good luck to her friends after theirs, almost not hearing Hinata if she wasn't close to her, she waited for her first patient to show up.
When he did, he handed the examiner his card and laid down on the small gurney in the middle. He had brown tissue going from his head down his left side all the way down to his feet. There was a blood stain on his shirt and a scrap on his right knee.
"Miss Haruno, your patient was severely burn on his left side and suffered a stabbed wound in his abdominal region. Please assist him," Sakura's examiner announced.
With the nod of her head, Sakura gave the examiner the signal that she was ready. Sakura positioned her hands over her patient and again nodded her head.
You can do this Sakura, Inner Sakura voiced.
I can do this, she repeated to her self.
"Okay your time start, now."
With the click of the examiner's stop watch, Sakura started her exam.
……..
"HELP, HELP ME," screamed Mr. Tinashi somewhere in the trees.
He was swiftly taken away from Kakashi by two of the mystery ninjas with incredible speed while Kakashi defend him self from three attacks from three different sides. Pakkun ran off to chase after the two ninjas who took Tinashi, leaving Kakashi to take care of the nine who were left. He managed to kill the one with the sword who attacked him first with a quick stab in the chest and stomach before the others jumped in.
With one kunai in each hand, Kakashi was able to block the three shinobis' swords far enough away from his body as much as possible. Sensing a present behind him, Kakashi kicked out with his left leg to the guy standing in the middle in front of him in the stomach, causing him to double over and taking his sword away to hold his stomach, leaving the two left in front of him sword blocked by one of Kakashi's kunais. With the same leg, he kicked behind him to forcefully kick one of the ninja coming behind him in the stomach throwing the ninja in the running stream.
Once Kakashi put his foot down on the ground to have both feet on the dirt, he spun around, taking the two swordsmen with him until their swords embedded in a near tree and with his kunais stabbed them in their chests, killing them instantly. Finally with his hands free, Kakashi made three shadow clones and had them fight off the seven ninjas while he go after the two who took Mr. Tinashi away.
Not having Pakkun with him to guide him the way Mr. Tinashi was taken, Kakashi used what he remembered before his attack and that was following the direction Tinashi was taken. He listened out for any of Tinashi's screaming but he heard none. He could only hope he wasn't too late.
As answers to his prayers, a screamed flooded out in the woods and Kakashi used it to drive him where he needed to go. As he moved closer to the screaming, he slowed down and concealed him self behind trees to stay in hiding. Behind masses of boulders, two of the ninjas were beating up Tinashi. He was knocked face down on the ground and then picked back up again to be yelled at by the bigger one of the ninjas.
"Where's our money old man," the bigger ninja demanded.
"Please, l-let me go. I don't h-have the money, please," Tinashi pleaded.
"Wrong answer."
With his fist raised to add some more punches to the old man, he was stopped by Pakkun jumping up and biting his wrist before his fist made contact.
"Ahhh, damn it Saku get this mutt off of me," the ninja screamed trying to pry Pakkun's mouth off his wrist.
Realizing Saku wasn't coming to his aid, he looked behind him to see his friend lying dead on the ground with Kakashi standing over him.
"What the…."
He was cut short with Kakashi knocking him out quickly and tying him up.
"Mr. Tinashi, are you okay," Kakashi asked rushing over to the prone laying man.
Pakkun joined him as they made their way to Tinashi. Kakashi checked for a pulse and there was one. Both Kakashi and Pakkun let out a sigh of relief at not losing their charge.
All of a sudden, Kakashi was thrown backwards, sending him straight to a tree. His left shoulder hit the tree causing him to spin hitting the ground. He tried to get up from his collision but something pressing down on his chest weighing him down into the ground.
"You let your guard down," one of the mystery ninja said, appearing over Kakashi with his sword held high.
"Kakashi," Pakkun yelled just when the ninja's sword plummeted down in Kakashi's chest.
The ninja laughed at his success at killing Kakashi and turned to face the pug and old man.
"You're next," he pointed.
"Think again," Kakashi said behind the ninja.
Quickly turning around, the ninja was faced with a kunai at his throat and a live Kakashi standing in front of him. He looked down to see his sword sticking out of a log and frowned at Kakashi for it.
"You're dead," the ninja declare to Kakashi.
Kakashi just raised an eyebrow at the man before knocking him out. With Mr. Tinashi helped, Kakashi tied the two men together with their dead comrade.
"Kakashi, I sense three more are coming," Pakkun sniffed.
"Let's get out of here," Tinashi ordered.
"They'll follow us again," Pakkun put in.
Kakashi looked down at Pakkun and then the three ninjas on the ground. Pakkun recognized the expressionless look again. He was thinking of another plan.
"Kakashi…what are you going to do" Pakkun asked.
……….
"Done," Sakura said out loud to her examiner.
She watched the examiner stop the clock and wrote down the time on her clipboard along with stacking the patient's card under the rest. So far Sakura went through fifteen injured shinobis and townspeople in three and a half hours. One more and then it would be all over.
The patient she was done with walked out of her workspace and she strained up a little to welcome her next patient. Sakura was kind of amazed for her self at how well she thinks she did. Obviously, working on fifteen people in three hours was impossible but for the time limited exam, she did well. If this was the real thing, she would be running on empty. Her hands were already starting to camp up due to taking so much blood pressure, pulse, and temperatures. They were allowed to use their chakra to check that then using it to heal and make incisions, but pretending was good too.
Sakura was almost done straightening up her area when she heard the foot fall of her next patient. With a smile she was ready to welcome him in until she found out who her next patient was and the smile quickly turned into a frown.
"Genma," Sakura said out loud.
"That's me," Genma said handing his card to the examiner.
He walked up to Sakura until there was only an inch of space between them and smiled seductively.
"How do you want me?"
"Please, sir lay down in the bed so we can get started,' the examiner answered.
With another smile, Genma backed away and laid down on the gurney making him self comfortable.
"Sakura, your patient was found under some heavy bean after the attack. He is spitting blood and has a broken leg, please assist your patient."
"Tell me when you are ready," the examiner offered Sakura.
Sakura took the time to observe the mess that was on Genma by looking him over. Blood was coming out of his mouth, well made to look that way, blood on his shirt and leg turned to look like it was broken.
He seems like an easy one she thought to her self.
Good the faster we could get this over with, Inner Sakura said.
I agree with you on that.
"Like what you see," Genma said breaking her out of her thoughts.
"Huh, what, no," Sakura rolled her eyes. "Why did you have to pick me anyway? There are plenty of girls here for you to choose from," she whispered.
She nodded to the examiner to tell her she was through with her observation.
"It is maybe because I wanted to be in your capable hands."
Sakura scoffed at that comment and waited until the examiner told her to start.
"Alright, you may start…now."
"I am starting by scanning his body," Sakura said closing her eyes and concentrating on her task. "I'm checking for any abnormities." She hover her hands over Genma's body an inch away and moved her hands up and down his body.
She could hear Genma snickering but chose to ignore him.
"The patient has two broken ribs, one puncture in his right lungs which is slowly filling up with blood. That would explain the spitting up of blood. He has an open wound in his chest and his right fibula is broken. The major part is his punctured lung so I will start there."
After cutting open Genma's shirt, Sakura place her hands over Genma's right chest and concentrated.
"I am exerting mild chakra at a time to regenerate the broken bones of the two ribs and restoring the damaged tissue of the lungs."
Sakura let her self picture her chakra actually fixing the lung and two ribs and smiled.
"Now I will perform the extraction technique to remove the extra blood fluid in his lungs."
Grabbing a bowl and pouring water in it, she gathered her chakra to form a ball with the water and held it over Genma's body. Pretending as if she was actually doing it, she put the blood filled water in another container and repeated it over again until she was done.
"Now that the lungs are done, I will start with the wound and broken fibula."
The pretending to heal the open wound and leg went by quickly and Sakura bandaged Genma up after checking his vital signs and giving him something for the pain. After issuing for the right type of blood for him, there was nothing left to do but to say:
"I'm done," Sakura smiled
"You are done with your exam Miss Haruno, well done."
With that said, the examiner marked down Sakura time and left.
Sakura was yet again straining up her workspace when she heard a laugher behind her. Looking back she saw Genma still laying on the gurney with his hands behind his head.
"You just wanted to see me shirtless."
"The exam is over with, you can go now," Sakura whispered to him after she rolled her eyes, turning back to tidy up.
"Admit it, you like me."
"What," Sakura turned fast back to face him.
"Admit it"
"No I will not admit it because there is nothing to admit; now could you please go, other people are still taking their exam."
"I bet you wouldn't be rushing Kakashi out if he was here," Genma said finally getting up off the gurney.
"Kakashi…" Sakura voiced.
"Ah, so you do have a sweet tooth for the mask Jonin."
Sakura didn't hear Genma. Her thoughts were on Kakashi now. She forgot all about him during the exam and now she's back to wondering where was he.
"Genma," Sakura said, stopping him from leaving.
"Yes"
"I've noticed when you guys were out waiting in the lobby that I didn't see him with you."
"Yes, so why do you ask?"
"I just wanted to know because I saw Yoshi and his friends here and since Kakashi is Yoshi's teacher and evaluator well, I didn't see him waiting out there with you guys. Is he here, back at the school or…?"
"You really want to know that badly," Genma smiled.
"What, of course not. No, I just thought that he would be here."
Genma let out a soft laugh before looking Sakura up and down with his menace smile. Sakura rolled her eyes again while putting her hands on her hips.
"Fine, don't tell me."
"He's on a mission."
"Really," she said, her demeanor quickly changing.
"Yeah a solo mission but it shouldn't take long. Those things are usually easy."
"Huh," she nods.
"Anything else I should tell you, like how much handsome I am than Kakashi."
"No, you can go," Sakura said going back to the ignoring mood she was in earlier.
"Fine, suit yourself."
Happy that the Jonin left, Sakura went back to tidying up. While she was cleaning up, she heard voices coming from the next cubicle next to hers where Hinata was. Slowly she walked over to it and listened to hear Hinata and Kiba's voice. Very carefully, she pulled back a section of the curtains to see Kiba sitting on the gurney and Hinata standing, doing her nervous finger tapping.
"I t-think you did good, besides pretending it all," Kiba laughed while scratching the back of his head.
"T-thanks y-you"
So Hinata is Kiba's crush, Sakura thought.
It was silence between them for a while before Kiba broke it.
"Uhm listen, a couple of my friends are planning to go to the Flaming Leaf this Saturday, if you want to, you could bring s-some of your friends and we could, I don't know, we could hang out or something." He was blushing through the whole thing.
Moving a little too fast there Kiba.
"Oh," Hinata answered with a blush of her own.
"I- I don't know, I- I mean I h-hardly even know you."
"Oh…well it was just a suggestion, y-you don't have to come." He stood up from the gurney. "I should be going, you know, with the other patients."
"Y-yeah"
"Bye"
"B-bye"
Sakura pulled back the curtains and stepped out of her cubicle to watch Kiba walk off with his head down. Poor guy she thought.
"Alright everyone," Shizune yelled standing back on the foot stool. "The exam is finally over and you will know your grades for it on Monday. You guys did a wonderful job and if you see some of your patients tell them thank you for volunteering. Now, with no further ado, I would like my seven elected apprentices to follow me please."
Shizune stepped off of the stool and walked to the entrance way of the room to wait on the seven.
"G-good luck Sakura," Hinata said standing by her. "T-TenTen, T-Temari, good luck," she added as they stood together to wait on Sakura.
"I'm rooting for all you," Ino put in. "Some more then others but, yeah. Just beat Lishi and Hima's asses, okay"
"Okay," Sakura, Temari, and TenTen said at the same time.
With one last encouragement from Ino and Hinata, the three friends made their way with the other four at the entrance and left with Shizune to meet with Tsunade.
……….
Kakashi stood in the middle of a war zone. Everything around him was in ruin and bodies of the ninjas were everywhere. After all the battling he did, only four lives were lost today and the rest were down for the count. He had to give these ninjas some credit, though, they scored their fair share of hitting their target. With this fight, Kakashi would walk away with minor cuts and bruises, a throbbing left shoulder, and a stab wound to the arm. Minor injuries, nothing he couldn't cure with some ointment and bandages.
Mr. Tinashi creped out of his hiding place in a small man hole and looked at the disaster around him. Pakkun stood by his master side the whole time, only helping when he was needed and moved when he was in the way.
"You did it," Mr. Tinashi cheered. "You did it, ehehe."
Kakashi pulled down his head band over his scarred eye and turned to face his client.
"Let's get you home, Mr. Tinashi," Kakashi said making his way to the abandon path they strayed away from.
"Yes, let's, ehehe," he laughed again.
Without looking back at the much wounded ninjas, Kakashi, Pakkun, and Mr. Tinashi followed the path to Water country. Hoping there won't be any more interruption.
………….
The seven young ladies found themselves sitting down waiting on benches for their result of knowing who would be Tsunade's new apprentice. There were seven well picked candidates for the position and if all could have the job then everyone would be happy, but unfortunately only one could have the spot. Tsunade wasn't a very patient woman and could only have time for one apprentice at a time.
Sakura, with her friends sat on a bench of their own while the other four on another. They held hands together out of excitement and fear and for strengthen only to grow tighter with ever minute gone by.
Finally, after fifteen minutes of waiting, Shizune stepped out of Tsunade's office to call the first girl in.
"Sorry for the wait guys but Tsunade had to carefully choose out the school's best medic-nins and well, I have to say it was a tough decision, but we made our decision already. But we would like to have each of you to come in and have a one-on-one with us before we make our final decision. So first up is Saiya Mahoi."
Saiya stood up and walked in with Shizune. The six ladies waiting outside the door sat still and held their breathe as they tried to listen to the conversation inside, but all they could hear were muffled sounds. It went on for ten minutes and the door finally opened.
Saiya walked out and the six young women waited to hear her news.
"I-I didn't get it," she said sadly.
Breathes were finally let out and they all started breathing again. With apologies to her they turned their attention back to the door to see who would be called next.
"Would Miss Hima Kai, please come in," Shizune ordered.
Again breathe were stopped once the door closed and again they had to wait. The process went on like this until there were two left to go, Lishi Mi and Sakura Haruno. Sadly Temari didn't make it but she stayed to see who was going to win it, so was Hima, staying for Lishi and to see who won. Now, TenTen was in the office with Tsunade and Shizune talking about who knows what. The ones that went before couldn't say anything to anyone about what was discussed in the room, a code of confidentiality.
"I don't know how you made it in Haruno; you skipped out on a lot of the classes. There's no way they are going to pick you, you might as well resign now."
"Ignore her Sakura; she's only talking crap because she knows deep down, that you are going to win this." Temari answered.
Lishi only replied with a scoff and rolled her eyes before the door opened up again. TenTen walked out and with a shook of her head announced she didn't make it in. She sat down with her friends and they pat her on the back for their condolences. Again Shizune was back with her clipboard and with a quick glance at it; she called out for the next person.
"Miss Lishi Mi, could you come up please."
"The final two, a guess we both know who won this," Lishi said.
"Yeah, you would say that. Whatever makes you get up in the morning," Temari smiled.
With a flip of her hair, Lishi stepped inside the room.
"Guys, what if she wins," Sakura asked.
"No, don't think that Sakura. They would have to be out of their mind to not pick you," TenTen comforted.
"Yeah, you got to stay positive here and think that there's a sixty-forty chance you'll win this hands down, no contest." Temari put in.
"Yeah, you're right, you're both right. I could win this. I have to stay positive."
"You see."
Yeah I could win this she thought to her self. I could beat Lishi and become an apprentice for the famous medic-nin known throughout fire country. I got this.
Yeah you do but that could also mean that there's a slight chance you won't win this, Inner Sakura voiced. I mean think about it, just because you made the cut and it's down to Lishi and you doesn't mean you automatic won it.
Thanks for the confidence boost.
I'm just making my point.
Sakura let out a long sigh and waited the ten minutes to find out the verdict. It was the longest ten minutes she ever stayed for and when the door finally opened, the three friends eyes were widen with anticipation.
Lishi walked out and took one look at the three friends before walking off down the hall.
"Come on Hima," she screamed.
Hima got up from the bench and quickly followed her friend.
Sakura was speechless, she didn't know what to do or think. From the looks of her two friends they were the same way. Could this mean…
"Sakura Haruno, you're next," Shizune said breaking Sakura's thought.
Slowly she stood up, still holding her friends hands as she made her way to the door. When she finally let go of their hands, she looked back to see them crossing their fingers together. She sported one her self as she continued inside the room.
It was smaller then she expected and much darker than what she expected. The blinds were half way down to cast the room in a semi dark setting and dim lighting from the floor lamp in the corner of the room. Papers and books were clustered everywhere, along with small sake bottles on the floor. A desk sat in the middle, with the medic-nin and headmistress her self sitting behind it. Her hands were on her fore head, pushing back the bangs that wanted to fall into her face as she look down to look over some papers in a folder. Shizune closed the door behind them and stood by Tsunade side and waited.
There was a pregnant pause between them as Sakura stood there waiting to start. She focused on a bottle near her to keep from looking at Tsunade looking at her folder. Suddenly, a light noise filled the room and Sakura looked around the room to find it. It sounded like someone was snoring and Sakura frowned at this. Continuing her search, she pin pointed to the source of the maker, Lady Tsunade. Bending from the knees just a little bit, Sakura looked very closely at the blonde and could see her eyes were closed. She's asleep she thought and covered her mouth from the snicker that was slowly coming forth.
Shizune, hearing the noise too and following Sakura's eyes, looked down at her boss and indeed saw that the Nin was sleeping.
"Lady Tsunade, please, you have to wake up, we are not done," Shizune yelled and shook Tsunade on the shoulder.
With a start, Tsunade sat up fully in her chair and pushed her long bangs out of her face. After her eyes started to focus, she glared at Shizune and then turned her amber eyes to the pink headed girl in front of her.
"Oh, another one, right," she said looking down at the folder and then back at Sakura again.
"Okay, Sakura tell me about yourself,' Tsunade asked.
Sakura was taken back by this question.
"Excuse me?"
"Tell me about yourself, go on."
Surprise yet still confused, she went on to answer the question.
"Okay, well I'm eighteen years old and a student here. I live…."
"Yeah, Yeah, that's good, tell me about the good stuff, like your hobbies and what you like to do for fun."
"Oh," Sakura yet again taken back by the questions being asked of her. "Well, I like hanging out with my friends at the Flaming Leaf and hanging out at each others apartments. Uhm, sometimes we go out to watch movies and talk about anything afterwards, but, I don't see what this have to do with the apprentice position.
"Right, right, the technical stuff," Tsunade said biting the end of her pen. "I see you're an impatient one. Ah, let's see… you walk into a bar and a guy fall over in a cold sweat, what's your observation?"
"From my guess, the guy was drinking until he passed out or he was too fat and the chair broke from under him but speaking from a medic point of view, the guy was probably in his beginning stage of a stroke. He would soon complain of pain in his arm traveling to his chest, feeling a tight pressure."
"Hum," was all Tsunade said as she wrote something down. "A comedian and a good observer," she wrote.
"What makes you think this position is good for you?"
"Well, personally I feel with this position will benefit me in becoming stronger and wiser."
"Oh really, how is that?"
"Think about it. In this position, I'll be working with one of the greatest medic-nin known to the world in saving thousand of lives. I'll will be gaining knowledge and learning new techniques to further my skills as a medic-nin. To me, that is like an honor to have and also, I will be able to save lives. Soldiers' lives who are out there risking their lives for us to survive and protect from harm and to be able to protect them in return would make me feel like a soldier too. I'm keeping these guys alive, protecting them from the world of death and fighting to make sure they make it home in one piece. And in that, that is making me stronger and wiser because I will be there fighting this battle with them, knowing that they are counting on me as I am counting on them." Sakura said lost in her own thoughts of being a shinobi. "I'm sorry, what was the question again."
Shizune was standing with a smile on her face while Tsunade sat with the pen twisting in her mouth.
'Not paying attention, Sakura is something we don't tolerate here."
"Sorry," Sakura said looking down.
"What are the chances you lost your concentration while on duty Sakura? I can't allow that, and from the looks of it, I have no one to fill my apprentice position."
Sakura closed her eyes from making a mistake and losing out on an opportunity like this.
"No one, well, except for you, Sakura. Congratulation, you are my apprentice."
"Really?"
"Yes Sakura," Shizune answered.
"Yes, in your face Lishi," Sakura paused in her celebration when she realized her mistake. "Oh my, did I just say that out loud."
Both Tsunade and Shizune nod their head.
"Oh, I-I…I'm just going to go outside now,' she motion to the door.
Sakura turned around and walked to the door in a calmly fashion until she opened it and ran to her friends to pull them into a hug.
"I won, I won, I'm Tsunade's apprentice," she screamed.
The three friends screamed and jumped up and down in the hallway. Shizune and Tsunade came out and the three women contain themselves enough to show some self-control.
"Again, congratulation Sakura," Shizune said.
"Thanks," the out of breathe Sakura said.
"Tomorrow at eight o' clock sharp you will meet with Tsunade here and begin your training."
"Okay," she squealed.
"Go, go on and celebrate," Tsunade smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow."
Three friends cut out running down the hall, eager to go tell the rest of their friends, and by friends, she meant Naruto and Sasuke too.
……….
Sakura made it to her apartment before the clock struck twelve. Her and her girlfriends celebrated the rest of the night at an expensive restaurant and said to continue their fun tomorrow night at the club. Mom I wished you were here to see this she thought looking at a picture of when she was younger, standing by her mother. Maybe I'll stop by and see you tomorrow.
Leaving the living room she went to her bed and fell over it. It was a long day and she submitted to her tired body and closed her eyes to sleep.
She remembered the day with ease as she pictured the day unfolding under her eye lids, the plan, the sneaking, the pretending, and wining the position. She remembered, right before she left with her friends, asking Naruto to once again use his clone to disguise as Yoshi again to use him to fool their senseis just as long until they get out of school. Understanding, Naruto agreed and thus, finishing the day hanging out with her friends.
She still couldn't get over the shock of being made apprentice yet. Everything happened so fast that her brain haven't processed it yet, the excitement was overwhelming. Now lying here in her bed, her body finally deflated its rush and let the sleep take over. With a soft moan leaving her parted lips, she fell into a deep sleep.
………..
Kakashi and Pakkun had finally reached Water country with no further interruption and Mr. Tayo Tinashi made it home safety. Their mission was complete, but they had another mission to complete first and that was getting home before Kakashi passed out.
Like always, the sharingan left a strain on his body from the overuse of it. Pakkun could tell, during their way to Water country that the fight with the mystery ninjas pushed Kakashi to his limit. The Copy Ninja strongest asset was his weakness.
Kakashi was just pushing his body to make sure Tinashi made it home first. Now they were heading back to Konoha and Kakashi was having a difficult time. They were walking now. Earlier they took to the trees but Kakashi was starting to get wobbly in his steps to continue jumping to branch to branch. They were three fourth of a mile back to Konoha when Kakashi had to stop by leaning against a tree. Pakkun stooped to look at his master in his weak condition. He could see, just by looking in Kakashi's one eye and body language, which Kakashi wasn't far from falling over, dead as a log, on the ground.
Kakashi hate to show his weakness and he hated it even more how powerless and vulnerable he was to it. He pushed him self up off the tree and stood straight on shaky legs.
"We're almost there Kakashi, do you think you could make it until then," Pakkun asked.
Kakashi frowned and shook his head from the two Pakkun he was seeing before him. With a quick nod to his small dog, they continued to walk.
It wasn't until they reached the outskirts of Konoha's gate did Kakashi's body gave up on him. He was render motionless lying on the ground, head turned to its side. Sleep was soon to overcome him and they hadn't made it to Kakashi's apartment yet. Pakkun would try to drag Kakashi the rest of the way to the gates but Kakashi was like a dead weight to be dragged by him. With no choice, Pakkun ran off towards the gate to call for help from the two on-guard chunins at the gate to help him.
The two chunins followed Pakkun back to Kakashi still lying on the ground, barely awake. Very few people ever seen Kakashi in this condition except for maybe his friends and it was very surprising to the chunins to see the infamous Copy Ninja like this.
"You have to help him to his apartment," Pakkun ordered the two chunins.
"Is he okay? Shouldn't we be taking him to the hospital rather than his apartment," one of the chunins asked.
"No, he's fine, just help him up and let's go," Pakkun barked.
With the two chunins help, they lifted Kakashi off the ground and carried him to the gates.
"One of us needs to stay here and monitor the gate," the same chunin said, looking to his partner.
With a nod, the other chunin helped position Kakashi lean more on his friend and stayed behind at the gate.
Pakkun and the one chunin quickly jogged through the quiet town to Kakashi's apartment. When they reached it, Pakkun unset the traps surrounding the apartment and let the chunin carrying Kakashi in. The chunin lowered Kakashi on the bed on his back very carefully and backed away, staring, while Pakkun took off Kakashi's sandals.
"You tell no one of what you seen here. Kakashi will be okay, he just need some sleep. Make sure you tell your friend the same."
"I will," the chunin nodded.
"You may go."
When the chunin left, Pakkun made sure to reset the traps to Kakashi's apartment. He went back to the bedroom and could see Kakashi was out of it.
"I'll inform Tsunade of your condition first thing tomorrow," he said to the sleeping Kakashi.
With a small leap to the bed, Pakkun walked up ahead of the bed and laid down on one of the pillows next to Kakashi, gently falling asleep afterwards.
They both, did have it tough today, sleep was all they needed.
AN: So what do you think about it? I hope you liked it. This was really enjoyable to write and I loved it.
Again, I would like to say I would really "try" to update sooner. Notice the stress when I said "try", but really I will, so you guys won't be waiting long.