CHAPTER 13: Birds of the Same Feather

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The usually composed and stoic pinkette sighed dejectedly as she closed another book and placed it down the table, the soft slam audible within the empty library. Emerald eyes glared at the bold print on the cover of the book, Legacy of The Yellow Flash.

"This is going nowhere," she muttered as she sighed once more. Her head tilted back to look towards the ceiling in defeat. "Three days and zero progress." She pouted.

The pinkette scowled as she stretched her right hand out to reach her old, worn notebook filled with notes and diagrams. 'Why is perfecting the Hiraishin so hard?' She pouted once more. Honestly, the girl was so tired after spending three days cooped up in the library studying every book and scroll she could find about the Yondaime Hokage. She was dedicated to the point that she re – read all his old biographies and autobiographies for even the barest hint of perfecting the legendary technique. At this point, the pinkette could probably recite the Yondaime's life with how many books she's read.

"Zero progress in three days," she uttered again as she ran a hand through her hair, "I bet that Gaara's having the time of his life." Exhaling softly, the pinkette stood up to arrange her numerous books and scroll.

Sorely disappointed in having wasted another day, she swiftly exited the library.

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Uchiha Compound

"Asuma – san's not training his team?" Shisui cocked his to the side while keeping his eye trained on Sasuke's tired figure. "But all his members passed, why wouldn't he?" he asked the silver haired Jounin.

Beside him, Kakashi shrugged. Like Shisui, he was also focused on Sasuke who was training near the river with his brother and father. "He says that it's a free for all," he said, "That and that he couldn't pick one and neglect the other two."

Shisui chuckled, "Sounds like a petty excuse if you ask me." He moved a hand to comb through his hair, "I mean… kinda makes sense since he wouldn't want to show favoritism, but this is an exam."

"He didn't even get them tutors," Kakashi mentioned like the gossip he was.

The Uchiha scoffed in amusement. "Like you did anything to your team?" he raised a brow as a challenge.

"To be fair, Sasuke was taken off my hands far too soon and Naruto was dragged by Jiraiya – sama before I could talk to him. My third didn't even pass the preliminary."

"What a lucky bastard," Shisui chuckled. "So, why are you telling me this?" he asked. Being long term friends with the Copy ninja had its merits; knowing when he had something planned was one of them.

"A little brown bird might have mentioned that a lil' old pinkie's been cooped up in the library for the past three days now," Kakashi turned his head to directly look at Shisui, "She's still trying for Minato – sensei's Hiraishin."

"She already knows how to do the Shunshin, I'm quite impressed with the amount of dedication she has in learning the Hiraishin." The curly haired teen smiled a little. "Now, what does this have to do with me?"

"Genma and I are thinking of helping Sakura – chan out. She's going against Gaara, the Kazekage's youngest son."

Shisui winced, "I heard he was ruthless with Gai's student. He gave mini Gai a long term injury, right?"

"Well… I can't exactly call it 'long term injury' with the possibility that Lee might never get to walk again." Kakashi muttered before he coughed, "In any case, although I'm sure Sakura – chan has a back – up plan in case she doesn't master the Hiraishin in time, Genma and I thought that we could help her master it anyway. Asuma mentioned that she managed to progress to being capable of writing the seals, albeit not as similar as Sensei's, and traveling in short distances."

'That's impressive as it is,' Shisui thought with a nod, "And? Where do I come in?" he asked. Between the Yondaime's former student and former bodyguard, Shunshin no Shisui wasn't going to be that much of a help.

"You'll be our test subject, of course!" Kakashi grinned cheerfully, "that and you can help with lil' Sakura – chan get up to speed."

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Sakura scowled as she watched Kakashi sit beside her in the small Ichiraku store. "Don't you have students to train, senpai?" she asked before turning to continue devouring her bowl of miso ramen.

"Ah, how the mighty have fallen," Kakashi teased as he flicked her pink ponytail, "Eye bags are not a good look on you, Sakura – chan." He chuckled before gesturing for a bowl of his own.

"Mind your own business, please." She pouted softly. She internally sighed in defeat before reaching into her jacket and placing her small journal of notes on the table. The small, nondescript journal was worn in its edges but was obviously well – kept and clean. "I still can't perfect the Hiraishin."

The Jounin nodded his thanks as a bowl of ramen was placed in front of him, a lone onyx eye blinked at the pinkette, "You can travel to short distances, yes? What do you think is the problem on why you can't apply the same method for longer distances?" He questioned.

The pinkette blinked, "I've been questioning the same thing myself, senpai. I'm not that dense to realize that."

"Well, you're in luck!" The silver haired man's cheerful tone made the pinkette tilt her head to the side with a hint of uncertainty on her face, "Remember the Yondaime's Guard Platoon? A friend of mine is willing to help you complete the Hiraishin."

"I thought that the Guard Platoon being able to use the Hiraishin was a rumor?"

"Nah, in fact, I, myself, had experienced Sensei's Hiraishin enough to assist you."

"So, I'm miraculously getting two teachers to help me? That's a dream come true," Sakura pouted. 'All this time and I forgot about asking help from Kakashi – senpai?!' she internally fumed at all the previous months she and Asuma had wasted on.

"Also, Shisui's gonna be your training dummy."

"Joy."

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As much of a Shinobi Sakura was, she really hated the heat. What's there to like, honestly? Your clothes get sweaty and dirty, your whole body stinks, and nearly everything suddenly seems too close for comfort. Not to mention that her hair gets dry, frizzy, and annoyingly too heavy with all the heat around.

But it seemed like Shiranui Genma liked the heat. Hence, the day after Kakashi had 'met up' with her, the four shinobi were standing at an empty training ground with the sun at its peak. Despite the temperature, Genma seemed to make himself home and managed to look cool and collected even when the pinkette could practically see the ground sizzle from the heat.

"You see, it's not like you can't perfect it immediately," Genma drawled out as he mindlessly fanned himself with a paper fan to beat the heat, "It's just that Hiraishin was made to be tested and perfected a few times. It's like learning the Shunshin; you have to try short distances before you do any of those crazy, mind – blowing, long distant, instantaneous travels."

Ignoring a sweat dripping down her neck, Sakura raised a brow, "So, my version of the seal has nothing to do with it?"

The brunette shook his head, "Nah. The Hiraishin was initially created by the Nidaime, Senju Tobirama. It was later re – mastered by the Yondaime." He explained, "They both use the technique, but the difference comes down to their seal formula. The Nidaime's formulas included more characters that revolved around Kanji scripts while the Yondaime was more partial to the Kanji of 'Endurance', 'Love', 'Of', and 'Speed'."

"So, theoretically, all I have to do now is practice in doing more distanced travels?"

"Well, that and we do have to tweak your seal application a little more." Kakashi voiced out, "Sensei applied most of his seals with paper tags, but they're more permanent. His markings would be forever embedded to the object or person, unlike yours that are more or less temporary."

"And, the Yondaime had specially – made Kunai with his markings engraved. Just like the Nidaime used to if I'm not wrong." Shisui mentioned before turning to grab a bottle of water.

Wiping the sweat of his neck, Genma grinned at the pinkette. "Well, are you ready to nerd out and be the third person to master the Hiraishin, chibi?"

Sakura pouted and begrudgingly sighed, "It's not like I have a choice when I'm against Gaara's perfect defense."

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"Ah, Sakura – chan!" Mebuki cheered as she watched the tired pinkette collapse on the nearest seat in the modest kitchen. She looked at the usually composed girl's torn and dirty clothes before sighing, "Rough practice with the boys?"

The genin softly groaned, "I finally managed to redo my Hiraishin seal, but…" she trailed off, "I may or may not have bumped into trees while practicing."

"Practice makes perfect, love." The blonde chuckled before turning back to the soup she was preparing, "What does matter is that I heard you say 'finally managed'," she glanced back, "Were you really able to do it, love?"

Emerald eyes were closed in exhaustion and the girl was nearly dozing off, but her soft tone was full of pride, "It only took me nearly two weeks but I did the impossible," she said as she tried to make herself comfortable on the wooden chair.

Dark green eyes blinked as the woman mentally calculated the remaining days left before the finals, "That leaves you with more or less two weeks?" she turned to the pinkette, "Will you be alright with how much time you have left?"

"I think?" Sakura murmured in a daze, "I'll make it work somehow."

Mebuki silently chuckled at her sleepy daughter before focusing back on her soup, 'Why am I even worrying? This is my little genius I'm talking to,' she thought with a fond smile.

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A.N:

hiiiiii, I survived the first month of 2021! :)) BTW, thanks for leaving comments on the previous chapters, they've really helped me keep my motivation during my first semester in college uwu :))

Regarding the question I asked before, I might just publish two stories instead of choosing one over the other :)) Soooo, expect a bakugou - centric and sakura - centric story sometime soon :)) (presuming I don't die from studying :/...)