Chapter TWENTY FIVE

Pakun ended up having to call someone to dig him out and Kakashi found himself talking to his team about the test from a bed in the hospital, which totally ruined the lecture he was planning to dish out.

He didn't really know where to begin, either, because Sasuke and Naruto had worked together and Sakura had brought in some outside help and worked together and the basis of the exercise had been met.

Kakashi mentally sighed and glanced around the room at the Genin. Sakura sat crossed legged by the door, humming a tune and already lost from this world. Naruto and Sasuke were arguing in the opposite side of the room, trying and failing to be quiet about to as they got more and more riled up.

The nurse tending to him wrote something down on her clipboard and placed it back on it's holder above his head. "You'll be required to stay here until tomorrow afternoon at the very least, Hatake-san." She said. "If anything happens, please call using the bell."

The moment the door closed, Sakura scrambled to her feet and skipped over. She plopped down on the bed, jolting his aching limbs. "So what now,Kakashi?" She asked. "I have an appointment with the Old man and I have to leave real soon."

Kakashi rolled his eyes. "Are you not interested in how you did?" He asked.

Sasuke and Naruto perked at this and they quickly made their way over. "I sure am." Naruto chirped. "But really, Kakashi, how did you get all those injuries?"

Kakashi sighed again at the last of formality. Kakashi, they said. Really, where was the respect?

"I chopped him up." Sakura announced.

"You didn't really." Kakashi muttered. "More like mangled all the important bones in my body."

"Really?" Naruto turned his shining eyes to Sakura, who let out a huff and mimed flicking her hair. "How'd you do that, Sakura-chan?"

Sakura's eyes gleamed dangerously. "It's Jashin-sama's blessing." She said mysteriously.

"Jashin-sama?" Sasuke asked.

Sakura nodded. "It's my religion." She explained. "Jashin-sama grants his chosen followers with lots of unique and very powerful abilities. He allows me to do all sort of cool things."

"Like break bones." Sasuke said.

Sakura nodded. "And I'm also immo-"

"Sakura." Kakashi coughed, cutting her off. He had no idea if this fell under restricted information. Sakura seemed to understand, though, and to his relief, she dropped it there.

"Anyways, if you want to know more, you're first going to have to swear your allegiance and loyalty to Jashin-sama and be willing to sacr-"

Kakashi let out another cough, once again cutting her off. Sakura turned to him, looking annoyed. "What now?" She asked.

"You cannot go corrupting people with Jashinism." Kakashi scolded. "Anko running around trying to mimic your rituals is more than enough."

Sakura shrugged apologetically at the boys. "Well, you heard the prick. I'm not allowed to say. I guess you'll have to do your own research and if it really interests you, I can teach you." She pushed herself off the bed and began walking towards the door. "Anyways, I have a meeting with the Old man I just cannot miss. You can send a Chunin to the T&I building before sunset, or directly to the Nara compound after that for meeting time tomorrow and if you have anything else to say to me."

Then she was gone.

Kakashi was glad his fingers were already broken and throbbing, because if he still had any, he was sure he would have broken them himself.

Sakura didn't even know if she had passed.

Kakashi sighed and wondered if it would be possible to call a nurse and have her knock him out.

Shikamaru was waiting for her at the entrance to the hospital. Sakura skipped over to him and the two began making their way down the street.

Shikamaru was first to breach the topic they both knew was burning in his mind. "Hey. Did you pass?"

Sakura shrugged, enjoying the look is disbelief that spread over the Nara's face. "Kakashi didn't tell me."

Shikamaru threw his hands up into the air. "If you tell me I left my own team training for you not to pass, I am going to go take a nap."

Sakura snorted. "Training? I doubt you were training."

Shikamaru nudged her and Sakura shoved him back just as they reached the T&I building. "Oh look Shika, I gotta go. No time for you nags." Sakura dodged away from Shikamaru's approaching elbow. "Maybe I'll listen to you later over a bowl of dango or two or ten."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes and waved as Sakura vanished into the building.

Ibiki looked torn between scolding her for half rendering one of Konoha's most powerful shinobi useless and praising her from doing just that. Anko, on the other hand, was as pleased as a mother hen and Sakura decided that if the woman bought her more dango, she would decimate Kakashi all over again.

Ibiki drew a line there, though, and he kicked Anko out without even flinching at her threats.

Sakura sat and pretended to listen to Ibiki's clearly reluctant speech about teammates and whatnot. She even amused him by nodding in agreement once or twice.

Both of them knew she didn't really mean it.

"I like Sasuke and Naruto, though." She told the head interrogator once he had finally stopped. "I think I'll keep them around."

"The Hokage's son is not a pet you can keep for a few days then toss out." Ibiki said, a smirk on hsi face. "Neither is the Uchiha second heir."

"You don't believe a word you are saying." Sakura pointed out.

Ibiki's smirk widened. "Oh look, we have an interrogator here."

Sakura grinned proudly and crossed her arms. "What can I say? Jashin-sama has decided he enjoyed my show with Kakashi and decided that I deserve a treat."

Ibiki snorted and halfheartedly chased her out of his office.

So, here's chapter twenty five~

Darque: So like I said, Sakura is awesome.

Raven: Is this story basically about Sakura beating people up in the most brutal ways possible?

Darque: Oh, how did you finally figure it out?

Raven: Are you asking how I figured it out or why it took so long for me to figure it out?

Darque: Both, but I don't really care for the answer so yeah.

Raven: Oh...okay?

Darque: However, things will maybe get more serious as she gets older, so yeah.

Raven: Okay.

Read and Review~