Hey guys! I'm a day early from my projected weekly update. I'm bored at home (On a Monday, I know), so I figured I'd post chapter 2 a little early.
So, I realize I left a ton to be desired with my first chapter's little preface, so here is a little bit more to give you an idea as to what the hell is going on in my head for this story.
Naruto is, obviously, Sakura's closest friend in this. I ship them pretty hard as well, so I literally cannot leave him out. They are cute as hell in this story, BUT they are not the pairing .
This is a Kakashi/Sakura story, so no worries y'all. I'll be throwing Naruto over at Hinata soon enough, just for the sake of story progression.
I hope that makes for a little clearer understanding of the story... So if the Naruto thing bothers you just, I don't know, make a funny face and keep reading. That's what I do when I read something I don't like hahahaha
Enjoy!
Friday morning came quickly for Sakura, having worked 16-hour shifts the past two days. Konoha may have been at peace, but that didn't mean there wasn't a million things to do at the hospital. Patients to tend to, unruly nurses to keep in line, students to train…
There was no short supply of work for the world-renown medic. The hospital was, most days, the only place she could get away from being terrorized. The nurses generally kept their mouths shut and their opinions to themselves.
The legendary sannin, Tsunade, did not tolerate any sort of bad talk or gossip in her hospital, most especially when it pertained to her precious student.
No one ignored something the busty woman said, not unless they wanted to be pummeled into the ground, demoted, and then fired.
Sakura's fellow doctors respected her at the very least, and she was eternally grateful for that. It made working her long hours as second-in-command to Tsunade tolerable at best.
The pink-haired jōnin had no idea what the Hokage was going to want from her, but knowing Kakashi, it wasn't going to be anything easy.
If he showed up, that was…
Sakura was in bed the moment she returned home from work, setting an alarm for 4 am. The likelihood of the copy-nin being late were astronomically high, but Sakura wasn't taking any chances.
She did not like being tardy, no matter the situation.
The alarm sounded in what felt like the blink of an eye, and Sakura rolled onto her side to slap blindly at the offending noise. The pink-haired medic was used to being up early, but it did not mean she enjoyed it.
Sakura was mildly surprised by the second body in her bed, snoring softly into one of her many pillows that littered the comfortable king-sized bed. It was not uncommon for her to curl up in bed with Naruto, but she never felt him come in that night.
It was obvious she had been very deep asleep when he came in that night. Her body was used to the blond's chakra signature, so his sudden presence would not have woken her up anyways.
Sleepy blue eyes cracked open as Sakura forced her way into his muscular arms. He smiled softly into the pink head of hair nuzzling into his bare chest.
"You were tossing and turning when I stopped by, so I figured you needed some company…" His voice was rough with sleep, and she sighed contently when she felt his lips kiss the top of her head in a reassuring gesture.
Neither one of them felt any sort of romance towards each other; only a deep, comfortable friendship that allowed them to love one another endlessly and unconditionally.
Naruto was Sakura's most trusted friend, and she would take on the entire world all at once if it meant keeping that sunny grin plastered to his whiskered face.
They had, of course, slept with one another several times; but it was more for stress release or simply because they could. Life was too hectic for anything serious, not that either one of them were even looking.
Both her and Naruto were too focused on becoming the best they could be to bother with something so trivial as dating.
The medic had tried several times to get him to take Hinata on a date, but it never worked. Naruto had too much focus on becoming Hokage to even entertain the idea of a date with the pretty Hyūga.
Some day she would get them together… They would be such perfection in her eyes.
"If the Hokage kills me, just know that I love you." Her soft voice was muffled by the dark blue comforter on her bed, but he heard her every word. She felt the deep reverberation in his chest as he chuckled, pulling the lithe woman into his arms for a tight hug.
"I'm more worried about him than I am you. Try not to kill him, eh?" Sakura breathed deeply for a few moments before slipping from Naruto's sleeping arms and out of the warm bed.
She dressed quickly, gathered her med kit and weapons pouches that lay in a heap atop her dresser and padded down the hall to her small kitchen.
Sakura strapped up while her kettle made hot water for tea, an absolute must if she ever hoped to have a decent start to her morning. Just as some people were addicted to coffee, she was addicted to tea.
It was a bad day if she didn't have at least 4 cups of tea.
Sakura's mind whirred with endless scenarios and their possible outcomes as she poured the deliciously hot tea into a plastic mug, snapping the lid on the top with a tap of her palm.
That Hatake Kakashi was a very unpredictable man.
Locking the wooden door behind her, Sakura bit into a large red apple and descended the four flights of stairs that made up a portion of the six-floor apartment complex.
It was a cool morning, the sun only having just begun its rise into the clear sky as she stepped out through the front doors and onto the sidewalk leading to the road.
Sakura took a deep breath of the crisp air, smiling happily as she exhaled. It wasn't quite cold enough to see one's breath, but it wouldn't be long before that chill set in for the season.
There were only a couple shop owners and early-rising ninja out, so the pink-haired jōnin was able to enjoy her leisurely stroll towards training ground four in complete peace.
She arrived well over a half-hour early, so she sat down cross-legged at the center of the grassy training field to meditate and sip on her black tea.
Sakura found meditation to be one of her greatest assets in being the ninja she was today. Whether it was for a mission, training with Tsunade or to wind down from a particularly bad day at work, mediation helped the young woman reign her anger and soothe her turbulent emotions.
Her 'inner' Sakura had been a spitfire nuisance growing up, having basically come into existence as a result of her own, un-restrained anger issues.
But now Sakura found that she relied on that odd connection for problem-solving or to clear her head. Inner-Sakura was one of the medic's greatest allies.
Sakura caught the kunai aimed for the back of her head with ease, her emerald eyes still closed against the outside world. She spun it around in her hand and stabbed it into the earth beside her.
"Child's play, Hokage-sama. You're actually on time, too. Did Shizune shove you out the door?" She blinked a few times at the brighter surroundings as she turned her head to face Kakashi.
He stood only a few yards away, dressed in his usual ninja garb - not that he bothered to wear anything else.
Hokage or not, Hatake Kakashi was still the same aloof, orange book-loving ninja the village admired and the world feared. A grand title like that meant little to the tall man.
Kakashi watched the pink-haired jōnin come to her feet with the grace of a seasoned kunoichi. She tossed the empty tea mug to the side of the field as she approached the silver-haired nin.
"Mahh, you know you can call me Kakashi, Sakura. You don't need to be so formal with your old sensei." She stopped a few feet short of where Kakashi stood and shrugged her slender shoulders.
"Of course, Kakashi. Old habits, I suppose…" Her eyes gazed off at something behind him, allowing the copy-nin a moment to study how much Sakura had grown since becoming his genin student some six years ago.
Her pink hair was long once again, and the air of confidence that swirled about her with every step only enhanced her exotic beauty.
He could see the tired look in her green eyes, a look he himself knew all too well. The ninja way of life afforded little in the way of restfulness.
"You know you can't join Anbu until you're 18, right?" He said finally, shifting his stance so he could stuff his hands into his pockets. Sakura smiled at her old sensei, not at all dismayed by that statement.
"I did, yes. And as you probably know, I will be 18 in just about 7 months. That's more than enough time for me to better train myself." She crossed her arms beneath her bosom, determination set in her pale face as she stood there facing him.
Though she couldn't see it, a frown marred his masked lips. Anbu was no place for the young kunoichi, but he could see it wasn't going to be as easy as scaring her into submission and telling her to forget about it.
Sakura was too much like Tsunade for something like that to work.
Kakashi wasn't exactly sure why he was so against her joining Anbu; they needed new members desperately, especially after the complete destruction they faced as a result of Pein's attack.
Maybe it was from his own experience as an Anbu nin, or maybe simply because it was Sakura who was asking. Could he really afford to take her case so personally?
The masked jōnin was not going to make the mistake of letting her down a second time; not when he had this rare opportunity to make some sort of amends to their relationship and make up for so much lost time.
"If you're serious about it, then spar with me. No jutsu, no weapons." He tossed his weapons pouch across the field to where her empty tea mug lay. He watched Sakura do the same with her own weapons pouch.
She pulled black gloves from a pocket in her jōnin flak jacket and slipped them on, flexing her fingers slightly out of reflex. She hadn't worn them since her last training session with Sai nearly two weeks ago.
It was difficult to find the time to spar when you worked 16 hour shifts most days…
"You won't be the first Hokage ass I've kicked, Kakashi." Her smile was demure, but the look in her green eyes told a different story. The silver-haired jōnin merely chuckled.
His stance never changed from that oh-so-typical aloof posture, but Sakura knew better; he was ready to fight. Kakashi was always ready for an attack, even with his nose in a book.
Sakura made the first strike, dashing forward with a chakra-laden fist aimed right at his masked face. Expecting that as her first attack, Kakashi was already somersaulting to the side, forcing Sakura to aim her fist to the ground.
A decently-sized crater exploded into existence as her fist connected with the earth. She smirked as rocks and clumps of dirt flew in all directions. Her own monstrous strength never lost its splendor.
"You're too predictable, Sakura." His voice came from behind and she spun quickly, catching his gloved fist with a practiced ease. She wrapped her long fingers around his wrist and tugged him forward, her free hand already swinging forward.
The copy-nin ripped free of her grasp and deflected her upper-cut, using that millisecond of vulnerability between moves to slam an open hand into her chest and send the pink-haired kunoichi skidding backwards.
Sakura was able to regain her footing before she could fall and shot Kakashi a haughty smirk.
There was nothing quite like going up against the great copy-nin as an equal, and not as a bratty little genin student.
Sakura lunged forward once again, blocking a kick with her forearm and clipping the Hokage in the shoulder with her fist. He took a few steps back to a avoid a second punch from the kunoichi.
She of course didn't miss a beat, flipping forward with her left heel aimed for the top of his silver, gravity-defying head. The copy-nin didn't move, instead grabbing her by the ankle before it could strike him and whipped her across the large field.
Sakura slammed into the base of a tree, wincing slightly at the pain that shot up her spine. She quickly pulled herself to her feet, brushing some dirt from her backside.
"You could have tossed me away from the trees, Kakashi. Jeez…" The medic called out, green eyes rolling when he shrugged his shoulders and waggled his fingers in a sarcastic little wave.
Kakashi vanished suddenly from sight, so Sakura quickly shut her green eyes and focused on her auditory surroundings.
One deep breath… Two deep breaths…
There! A nearly imperceptible shift to her left. Emerald green eyes opened in a flash and shifted sideways just as Kakashi's gloved fist came for the side of her face.
Sakura swung around on him, her own fist not missing the mark and slammed into the side of his masked face. A victorious smirk blossomed on her lips as he rebounded off the ground, a disgruntled groan escaping his lips.
The smirk was short lived, however, as that Kakashi disappeared in a puff of smoke. A large log stood in his place.
"What the fu-" The air was forced from her lungs as the real Kakashi tackled her to the ground, pinning her arms above her head. Emerald green eyes narrowed into slits at the smirk she knew was beyond that damned mask.
The slight crinkle at the corner of his visible grey eye said it all.
"Always expect the unexpected, Sakura." He spoke quietly, studying her flushed, irritated face with mild amusement. She looked cute like that.
Before Kakashi could even scold himself for thinking something ridiculous like that, Sakura had used her monstrous, chakra-enhanced strength to reverse the positions.
She now had him pinned to the ground, a kunai at his throat as she straddled his hips.
"Always expect the unexpected, sensei." Her irritated sarcasm was not lost on him. Sakura hated being played like that. She pulled the kunai from his covered throat, sitting up so she could slip it into the back of her right boot.
So that's where the kunai came from… He should have guessed the kunoichi would have a few weapons hidden somewhere on her body. I suppose neither one of them were planning on playing fair.
Sakura grinned down at her Hokage, reveling in her small victory against the great copy-nin. His grey eye gazed up at her grinning face.
"You can get off of me now, Sakura." Her mouth made an 'O', his statement making her very suddenly aware of their overly-friendly position. She stood quickly and held out a hand to help Kakashi to his feet.
"It's easy to forget how strong you are. Tsunade certainly held nothing back from you when she taught you how to use those fists." He said, gripping his left shoulder as he rolled it a few times to release some of its soreness.
She really had hit him pretty good.
The pink-haired jōnin smiled sheepishly, unused to any sort of compliments towards her abilities. She really wished she could hear it more often…
Sakura stepped close to Kakashi, removing his right hand so she could lay her own, glowing hand on the sore shoulder. The silver-haired man sighed gratefully.
"Does that mean you will consider me for Anbu?" Her green eyes looked up into Kakashi's face, her glowing hand still working on the abused left shoulder. He was silent for a moment, his eye focused on the small crater her fists made a few yards away.
He wanted, almost desperately so, for his brain and mouth to both say NO.
"Yeah, I'll give you the application." No such luck then. Mind screamed no, mouth said yes. Sakura squealed with delight and hugged the tall ninja tightly.
"Thank you so much, Hoka- Kakashi!" She pulled back, a bright smile on her flushed face. That smile of hers was contagious, and he couldn't stop the small smile that crept onto his own, masked lips.
Since when did this pink-haired woman, the only female student to team 7, become so damned attractive?
He reached out and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Don't thank me, Sakura. Not yet, anyways. You'll resume training with me once I step down as Hokage." Green eyes widened to an almost comically large size. He was going to be her teacher again?
"I won't let you down, Kakashi." And that was a promise. Come hell or high water, Sakura was getting into Anbu. She turned away from the copy-nin and strode across the training field to her discarded weapons pouch, tossing Kakashi's over her shoulder as he approached.
"You can come pick up the paperwork whenever. It'll be on my desk waiting for you." He said as they walked, side-by-side, out of the training field and into the village.
The Konoha streets were already bustling with civilians and ninja alike, everyone starting their days. Several people bowed or said hello to the Hokage, never once sparing a glance to the pink-haired jōnin beside him.
He picked up on it, and it was easy to see that the 'invisibility' treatment she received ruffled her feathers pretty good. Kakashi knew he had certainly done the young kunoichi no favors by abandoning her in favor of Sasuke and Naruto, but at the time, she had shown nothing that warranted any further training from him.
Obviously, he saw now that it was a mistake, but that was all in the past. To err is human…
Sakura saw Ino and Hinata approaching them and tensed slightly. They both bowed politely to Kakashi once they had gotten close enough.
"Good morning, Hokage-sama." Was said in unison. Sakura would never get used to seeing everyone bow to the porn-loving man.
Hinata turned to address Sakura, a gentle smile on her pretty face. It was always just a treat to see her kind face; it was like a breath of fresh air for the pink-haired kunoichi.
"Y-you have a cut on your f-face, Sakura." Her voice was soft, but Sakura heard the pale-eyed Hyūga all the same. Her hand brushed over her forehead, feeling the small cut above her left eyebrow.
Ino scoffed loudly, her hands on her hips as she tapped her heeled foot impatiently.
"Forehead probably tripped and fell." Hinata instantly looked uncomfortable, her hands twisting anxiously as she looked from Ino to Sakura, and then back to Ino. Sakura shot Ino a dirty look, hating that she would force Hinata into such an uncomfortable position.
Kakashi put a hand on Sakura's shoulder, surprising the young woman at the sudden gesture. Ino's ice blue eyes looked up at her Hokage, a frown marring her lips.
"Sakura here was kind enough to meet me at the training ground this morning for some friendly sparring. Between the two of us, she certainly got the better end of the injuries. You would do well to train with Sakura, Ino. Your last mission report was a bit lack-luster."
Ino bristled with anger at having been talked to like that, but she wisely kept her mouth shut. Sakura smiled at Hinata as they bid goodbye and continued on their way.
The pink-haired jōnin turned to face Kakashi, eyes squinting slightly as she faced into the sun, shining brightly directly above the masked-nin's head.
"Thank you, Kakashi. Really, you didn't need to say anything on my behalf." He chuckled, his visible grey eye crinkling. He had seen (and heard) the insults and vicious treatment Sakura had endured throughout her years since the academy, but it only seemed like he was really seeing it for the first time.
He wondered if Sakura felt anger towards him as well and was simply using formalities to keep him at an arm's length.
He couldn't give her any sort of negativity if she never gave him a reason to, after all. This young woman before him was ten times the kunoichi any of the other female brats her age were.
"I never liked that Yamanaka girl anyways. There isn't an ounce of brain inside that pretty head of hers." Sakura smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. Those emerald green orbs, sparkling beautifully in the sunlight, looked defeated.
Sakura was tired of never being anything but hated and invisible to everyone. There was no respect, no kindness to lift her spirits and keep her moving forward in a positive direction.
It didn't take a genius to figure out Sakura's real reason behind wanting to join Anbu. Kakashi held up a hand as Sakura bid him farewell, her lithe form quickly disappearing into the throng of people.
He frowned, turning to stare up at the Hokage mountain when he could no longer see pink hair.
Anbu was not the way to prove oneself…
It was how you committed suicide.
