We're almost at the 100 favs mark! That's pretty overwhelming actually :) I really really want to thank everyone for your continued support even though your author tends to go for long breaks in between chapters, and for kindly pointing out mistakes and wanting to clarify things through PMs and reviews.

In a bit of a shameless plug, I have a short series of unrelated ficlets on my Fictionpress account, they can be taken as this Sakura's back story, her past, her future, she in all kinds of situations. Just a hand at seeing how differently someone of her personality could turn out, written in basically the same style as all my works.

Enough of my rambling whoops, I'd better post this faster and go study for my exam happening in 6 hours time...


Final Year 6

Preparation, Execution.


6 weeks in, and the test schedules were out.

Something amusing about the Academy grading system was the presence of a Final Graduation Exam.

If this was failed at the end of the year, the student would not graduate, but would be inserted into the next batch of final year students.

What was amusing about this was the presence of graded tests throughout the year, statistically standing for less than 10% of their overall grade.

Considering these tests were paper tests, one could note the almost sudden, if unforeseen shift from theory-based classes to more practical and hands-on lessons.

"Your final exam will be a 20 mark theory paper, and the execution of 3 skills that have been taught. 1 must be the Clone Technique. 1 will be chosen by the examiners closer to the date. Do take note that it will be the jutsu that our class is worst at. As of now, that is the Substitution Method."

Unlike his usual, Touji-sensei is serious, and Umino-sensei is absent.

Usually, Umino-sensei would be serious, and Touji-sensei would try to lighten the mood.

The latter was just for a comedic effect, seeing as how the Truant Squad would have laughed or joked by now.

"Where's Iruka-sensei, though?"

Complete 360.

The serious face flips, smile in place more fitting.

"On the way here with your test schedules."

Their class erupts in horror, and Umino-sensei walks through the door, whistling cheerily.

The look on the teachers' face is positively evil.

"Aburame Shino!"


The tests all come in sets, with a month or so in between.

Practical tests were checkpoints that didn't go toward their final grade.

It was just for the senseis to re-evaluate the final paper, and keep up-to-date with the classes' weaknesses and strength.

As whole for the paper, and as individuals for submission of the academy file.

As previously mentioned, the theory papers, which had always been the main concern for students, were easy to pass, provided cramming was done the night before, were still graded.

Sakura suspects that the sudden swap is meant to directly benefit and give Clan children an added boost.

In doing so, they weed out people without enough chakra, their grading anywhere from the sustainability rating of chaining techniques together, to the number of clones one could make with the Clone Technique.

Who knows, maybe there's some instrument to measure chakra output?

Speaking of the Clone Technique, it was their class' best jutsu.

At the same time, it was Naruto's worst for the past 2 years running.

The only reason why he's been promoted has been because the promotion test allows you to choose what techniques you wish to execute.

Umino-sensei did already say that of the class, only Naruto did not perform the Clone Technique.

Naruto could not, and in turn, when everyone performed the Clone Technique, the Replacement and the Transformation Technique or a supplementary skill, he performed his patented Sexy Technique.

It could be argued that the Sexy Technique was just the Henge, but no one the class would argue about that point.

Sakura looks in on one of Naruto's animated rants, as Umino-sensei rants back, and everyone else laughs.

That jutsu is in a class of its own. If it's a specific weakness, then it can always be considered different.

There's the trade mark poof of smoke, and a couple people go down for the count.

Umino-sensei is one of them, Touji-sensei is not.

He sighs, shooing all the students back to their seats, and hands out worksheets to be completed.

His fingers form the clone seal, a clone coming into existence.

By now, or at least since Naruto first performed the Sexy Technique, it's a standard procedure.

But each and every time that clone forms, Touji-sensei will give it the same instructions.

"Bring Iruka to the Nurse's then dismiss yourself."


"Ne, ne, Mizuki-sensei, why don't you fall for the Sexy Technique like Iruka-sensei?"

It's a funny thing, really, how Naruto's innocent questions are his form of information gathering.

Naruto isn't stupid by any stretch of the word.

Sometimes, even for Sakura, he's frighteningly perceptive, and he's a good reader of people's intentions for the most part.

"I have a girlfriend, Uzumaki-kun. And, I guess I don't like blondes."

To Sakura, Touji-sensei's tone is polite, well mannered, and distant, like most of the villagers.

For Naruto-kun, he picks up easily the unease, almost palpable hatred that floats between him and his sensei.

"What about this, then?"

Because Naruto can answer all the basic test papers that they give out, just that once it comes to the real thing his paper is always too hard for him.

The pig tails, clouds and face are exactly the same, but the hair is a brown shade.

That smile strains, "The whiskers make you look slightly animalistic, Uzumaki-kun."

He changes back, thoughtful look on his face, before nodding sagely, and then grinning.

"I'll get you one day, sensei!"

And his memory is just bad, he says, so he can never tell anyone what the questions he couldn't do were.

To Sakura, she sometimes feels an underlying sense of unease from Umino-sensei regarding Naruto.

She's also very certain that the test paper Naruto gets isn't the one that everyone else gets.

She tries not to think about it, because then this would be deliberate sabotage by the teachers, possibly even with Umino-sensei's knowledge.

And she tries not to think of it that way, because she knows how important that man is to Naruto.

As good a liar she herself is, it's still hard for her to tell when people are lying.

As much as she lies herself, it must be hypocritical of her to say that she doesn't like liars.

Naruto is a secret.

Something affiliated with him, at the very least.

It's not a good one.


6 years that they've known him, and 6 years being isolated by the civilian children, given wary glances by other clan children, and scornful, fearful, derisive looks by their constantly changing teachers.

Fear is a powerful, dangerous thing.

It makes people do irrational things, and Sakura won't have them hurting her friend.

So perhaps it frustrates her that there is so little she can do.

She can neither find out the secret nor stop people from hating him.

Neither prevent people from treating him unfairly, nor from isolating him.

She can only surround him with people who know him as who he is, but she desperately wants to give him friends of his own.

Not a rivalry, not one of association, but a friendship of his own.

Naruto is painfully afraid of rejection and of being hurt.

His upbringing leaves him craving affection and approval, and he is no longer able to accept defeat or setbacks, excusing them in any way possible.

Such a form of extreme doubt leaves him vulnerable to psychological attacks on the inside.

And as the exams draw closer and closer, and their group practises the jutsu together, Naruto spends more and more of his time on the Clone Technique.

Every time, he brushes off their concerns, "Sensei said it's natural because I have lots of chakra."

None of them calls him a liar, because it's a good quality he has to replace his shortcomings.

Of course, no one points that out either, but every session has him more and more desperately trying to control his chakra.

Hinata-chan tries, watching his chakra flow as he makes his clones.

Each shake of her head has his shoulders sinking that bit more, and he's there, trying to lessen the flow, hours after everyone has left.

Sakura thinks of Rock Lee-san.

They're the kind of people too stubborn to give up, too stubborn to admit they need help, and not the kind to give into anything.

These similarities have this uncertainty curling in her gut, and with Naruto's permission, and Hinata's guidance, she runs a full body scan.

"Naruto-kun's chakra is like the sun, he has a lot of it."

Sakura could almost get drunk on his chakra.

"He has more chakra than the rest of us combined. And there's even more, hidden, just beneath his gate points."

Sasu-chan can only see the good side to this, immediately suggesting that Naruto be a Ninjutsu Specialist.

Shika-chan only points out the bad side to it, telling him that Genjutsu was going to be hell.

Ino-chan counters only Shika's, saying that Umino-sensei said that Naruto wouldn't need Genjutsu, and that he could just forcefully shatter the illusion.

Chouji-kun merely smiles, offering Naruto a chip, and a simple word of encouragement.

"Everyone's different."


But Sakura is worried.

Worried about the implications of these things.

"Naruto-chan, let me try again. There's something I would like to check."

She's never been the most widely read, nor the most sensitive to her surroundings, but if she just tries, there are many things that she can do.

She looks him in the eye, and to on lookers, it must look queer, for a petite pink haired child to be staring so intensely at the blond haired menace of Konoha.

With a silent mental command, she has every chain materialise, extending into Naruto.

"Trust me."

Naruto, bless his young heart, only giggles, "It tickles Sakura-chan!"

Sakura closes her eyes, telling herself to just feel, and she finds it.

Below those gate points she can feel that distinct, separate layer.

Just out of her reach, brushing her senses.

She sends her chains to go deeper, and she realises that they hesitate.

Ah, it's easy to forget that they are sentient.

They feel, they fear, they hurt.

But at some point, she forgot whose emotions they were.

Gently, she presses, and there's this sensation of being submerged.

Slowly she breathes, drawing links between her chains being in water, and her being on land.

Finally, Sakura reaches what she assumes to be her destination.

While her chakra sings, to be in contact with like of its kind, the other chains, those not totally her own seem to cry out.


All of a sudden, there's this sight, a sight of a clear blue wrapping around a mass of red.

She stretches out, just trying to touch the bubble, and as her finger tips brush it, it disappears.

The blue around her goes white, and what had been ground turns liquid.

Her name bounces off the walls that fold in around her, and she clenches her fist, willing herself to open.

Sakura comes to and the sun is already setting.

"Ne, ne Sakura-chan, did you fall asleep or something?"

He pouts at her, stretching, "While you were sleeping I got really tired, so I had to stretch and then you woke up…"

She woke up.

She blinks.

"Naruto-chan, can you tell me what the villagers call you?"

There's a sudden flash of hurt behind his eyes, as he asks, "Why?"

"I think I might know why you're hated by the villagers."

He scratches his head, "I thought we were gonna fix my chakra problem."

She smiles at him, "If I'm right, then your chakra is not a problem, we just need to find you a technique that suits you better."

"Oh…" There's a crestfallen look, and Sakura admittedly, doesn't know why, it's covered by his smile, and she wonders if it's real.

"They called me all kinds of names, like demon."

"Naruto-kun is very sweet, that's what Hinata-chan says."

He blinks in turn, eyes shyly brightening.

"They say I'm a waste of space…"

"Shika-chan says that Naruto is troublesome, but a good friend."

"Evil…"

"Chouji-kun says you have a heart of gold, and he's an Akimichi."

"Stupid..?"

Naru-chan doesn't quite get where it's going, but Sakura knows very well where she wishes to.

"Sasu-chan calls you his rival, remember?"

There's this short silence, before he looks at her.

"Kyuubi brat."

And there's her answer.

"Sakura-chan says that she doesn't see a bijuu in front of her. Just a sunny blond, too warm-hearted to be anyone else."

Slowly, she builds him up, because she sure as hell isn't going to let others crumble this iron fortress.


They part ways then, and Sakura heads for the library.

Kyuubi.

10th October.

Red in blue.

Fear.

Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato.

Selfless/Selfish sacrifice.

Human sacrifice.

Sealing.

Uzushio.

Sealing.

And she purposely asks a Chunin whom she knows hates Naruto.

"Can demons be sealed too?"

He notes the books with her, and he nods.

His eyes are dark.

"He's dangerous, Lady Haruno. Best be careful around his kind."

"But he hasn't hurt anyone yet has he? All his traps could have been lethal, but they have never."

The Chunin shakes his head.

"If you lived through the destruction, and you saw it first hand, you would never be able to see his face, only the snarling maw of the beast."

Sakura nods, thoughtful.

Because fear drives people, fear drives people to do unspeakable things.

"You're scared."

It's a clean observation, and he's not embarrassed to say so.

"We all are, Lady Haruno."


He's confirmed it already, but she wonders, if Naruto knows.

Because he says he doesn't, but Sakura knows Naruto is very good at lying.

At a basal level, a truth like this, would Naruto be afraid of telling them, for fear of rejection?

She's not sure anymore.

"Oi, Sakura, pay attention!"

Immediately, she recovers, "Hai sensei," flowing easily, as she draws the ribbons to her chest, hands coming to make a crisp clap.

"Your voice should be gentler. Not so distant and polite. More demure."

"Hai sensei…"

Suzuki-sensei brings her to fit the kimono that was designed, a mostly pale pink dress, a thinner white obi, and scattered green leaf patterning.

"I had wanted mostly white, because then the dress would be more aesthetically pleasing, but with your pale skin tone, it would have clashed."

Sakura doesn't know much about colours, only that the white reminds her of the blank landscape that swallowed her.

The green is pale, blending with the pink in a natural way, but the white obi is almost jarring.

It's symbolic, the white obi, that is.

"I had the Haruno kamon sewn onto the obi, though if you ever need to hide it, you can reverse the obi. I'll tie into an adapted version of the bara musubi, we'll see if I can make it into a sakura musubi."

She nods, giving her okay.

"Though, sensei, I thought you said that the geisha were supposed to be dolled up and prettified, and that they'd wear elaborate, heavy outfits."

The look she's given, sends her into confusion.

Because it's in parts both frightened and protective.

A warm hand pats the top of your head, "I'm not intending to put you up as a piece of meat, Sakura. You're plenty pretty enough, and your dance is lovely, that's enough to grant you a pass. I have absolutely no intention of letting them recruit you as my successor."

There's a warm, fuzzy feeling that blossoms in her chest, and despite not quite understanding, she can tell the emotions behind those words are genuine.

The ribbons she's given are white, and somehow, they fit her dress.


"Kabuto-senpai, do you know why I have no scheduled medic test?"

I sigh, looking down at the pink-haired child bustling around patients.

"You're already a medic, Sakura-chan."

Her forehead creases, "There's no exam?"

She's a devoted student, always seeking to learn, and forever trying to justify herself to others.

"None. None for any medical student. As long as you save lives, Sakura-chan, you can call yourself a medic."

She accepts things as it is, and just as she affirms me, I like to think that I affirm her.

Affirmation comes from other people.

Only upon being recognised by others can one exist.

It is from the acknowledgement of others that one derives that image of self, from the creation of an image, and the solidifying of it by people who concur that one can be.

"Everyone here recognises you as a medic, Sakura-chan. Just wait a little longer, when they release the final year's file, I'll check for you, and by your word, I'll officiate it."

She nods, eyes focussed on healing the patient under her chains.

When her chains stop glowing, I update the clip board, and we tidy up for the day.

"Would you like to eat something different today, senpai? My treat."

I smile, "Sure, but why though?"

There's a pause, and I laugh.

"I like to think that we've gotten to the point of favours gladly given, without bribes."

She blushes lightly, at being called out, before she quips back that she expects candy.

"Hai, hai, we all know what an incorrigible addict you are."

She only smiles at that, before asking me about clone techniques.


"Well, considering you're still in the academy, I doubt you know your elemental nature, so other than the normal bunshin I don't see any other kind that'd be applicable."

Because Sakura promised, and she keeps her promises.

"What if the person had a lot of chakra?"

The eyes on her are suddenly concerned.

"Enough for the normal bunshin to be near impossible?"

She nods, "More than enough."

His voice is suddenly controlled, slow.

"The Shadow Clone could be possible…"

Kabuto-senpai cuts her off before she opens her mouth, "Sakura-chan, the chakra output for that is dangerous, I can hardly make one myself, I won't teach it to you."

They've paused in the middle of the road, and she looks up at her senpai.

His eyes try to find reason with hers, and she smiles.

"Not me, senpai. When we get there, I'd like to introduce you to someone. Then, you can judge for yourself, if you would advise him to do chakra control techniques, or to try the Shadow Clone."

And her senpai is dubious, but her walk has a light gait to it.

Because she knows that she can trust her senpai.

"Alright, if you say so, but I don't see how an Academy Student could have enough chakra to make one."

"Naruto-kun will make you eat your words."

They eat ramen, and by the blond inhaling ramen, Kabuto gives his kouhai an incredulous look.

"Will you teach him, senpai?"

She watches his face light up as they converse, and she's glad.

Because this is worth it.


Sakura holds her breath, letting sensei tighten the obi around her.

"It's simpler to fit people of your frame into kimonos. Less troublesome, as your patron would say."

Her legs fold into seiza, and she sits upright, to get the posture right.

She runs through everything she's meant to do, from the greeting, the bow, the seating.

"Your examiner will not ask you to pour tea. It's up to you to choose the timing. I recommend when their attention begins to drift. That way, your actions will be more natural. You're like a robot when under scrutiny."

She nods, taking the opportunity to pour tea.

The rattling lid betrays her apprehension.

Sensei holds her wrist firmly, and the shaking lessens.

"Remember to breathe. It'll be okay, I promise."

Sakura exhales shakily.

"Not so loud, child. The room is going to be absolutely silent until the dance. Everything you do, every shift you make, the rustle of cloth will be heard."

She nods again, trying to calm herself.

"The room will be a standard 3 by 3 meter geisha room, but that's all I can say. I have little clue as to how they will ask you to perform. Prior years, when I last had a student, and even my time, the test was before a live audience in an actual geisha house. Your examiner may or may not choose such a method of testing."

"Sensei, will you be there?"

Suzuki-sensei shakes her head, "I'm not allowed onto the examination grounds."

That sense of doubt, and fear comes back.

Fingers grip that cup tight, and sensei taps them.

"Hey, Sakura-chan, you'll do great, I'm sure. I believe in you. So believe in yourself."

She touches up the make-up, warning her student not to smudge the white base.

Slowly, they both run through everything once more, and sensei gives her once last smile.

Tightening the complex obi knot, she's ushered out the door.


Waiting outside that door, waiting to be called in made her mind race.

"Come in."

She quietly slides the shoji open, bending lightly even if her height placed her nowhere near the door frame's top, simply because it was meant to be polite.

There's a servant on hand who slides the door shut behind her, and she greets her tester softly.

It's just a short fragment of time for her to recognise her tester.

"Hyuga-sama…"

Voice trailing off, red lips curving gently.

She bows, and he nods graciously.

"Have a seat, Sakura-san."

Inwardly she's confused, because sensei told her that she would not be guided.

Her legs fold into the seiza, and her fingers instinctively find each other.

He spares her but a nary glance, checking all the points of her seated position, faint approval in his eyes.

The tea, like sensei said, is brewed, waiting to be served.

Too early, the tea will be weak, too late, the tea will be bitter.

Steam escapes the spout in an inconstant stream.

There's the sound of cups being over turned, and amusement lightly tinging Hyuga-sama's voice.

"I believe the tea is ready, Sakura-san."

Despite almost frowning, she quickly recovers, making her movements smooth, unhurried.

The tea is ready… just

She tugs her right sleeve up, fingers closing around the handle.

about

Cloth following, supporting the base of the pot, she raises it slightly, then letting it dip, allowing the tea leaves inside to be moved.

now.

She pours, clear green flowing, and enough tea bits to make the cup pleasing to the eye.

Wiping sideward, she repeats with the second cup, before setting down the pot.

But the second cup is only complimentary, and Hyuga-sama tastes only the first cup.

Because of the lipstick on her lips, she has to take care not to let that smudge too.

And until he gives his next order, she sits perfectly still.


"Will you perform, Sakura-san?"

She's almost caught off guard by the question in that statement.

"If I may be allowed, Hyuga-sama…"

His head dips, "Then please clear the table."

Carefully, she lifts herself from the seiza, into a kneeling position, then as she stands, she lifts the tea table.

The shoji door slides open, and the servant receives the table.

She murmurs her thanks, and the door slides shut.

Sakura takes her position, back facing the closed door, and bows once.

Suddenly, the other 3 walls, or doors, rather, slid open.

"Go Saku- mmmnft…"

She blinks, looking at her right.

Piled into that room, Naruto-kun, Sasu-chan, Shika-chan and Ino-chan, everyone dressed nicely, Sasuke silencing Naruto.

On the left, Nara-sama and Yamanaka-sama, while in formal yukata, still not as regal as Hyuga-sama in some form.

Unlike her friends, they're seated beside a table, and only Yamanaka-sama sits perfectly straight.

Hyuga-sama stands, retreating to the room behind him.

In her lilac and violet kimono, Hinata complements her father in blue, as they both take up positions behind their instruments.

Arranged diagonally beside each other, they look to each other, before acknowledging both being aware.

Hinata gives Sakura a small encouraging smile, and she picks the first note.

She watches carefully, those fingers vibrating the koto strings fast.

Hinata is playing support.

The music starts off almost bold, and she closes her eyes, trying to fix her dance moves into something that would go with notes so crisp.

She moves slowly, in a circle, gaining speed till her feet hit the floor in time with Hyuga-sama's notes.

Then the melody suddenly becomes familiar.

Sakura.

If she could, she would have laughed at the irony that she should have seen coming.

But upon that realisation, she waited, slowing as she waited for the specific note to be played.

Hyuga-sama strikes the beginning note, and she brings her feet back together, pausing for a moment, as they establish the pattern, and she follows.

Carefully, she watches them play, and her fingers move alongside theirs.

Swaying from side to side, she lets the ribbons move with the unseen wind, circling to the music that builds up.

She twirls when Hinata-chan moves to play in a higher key, and there's a general slow in their pace.

The volume and strength by which they strike the strings decrease, and she figures that this is yet another of numerous adaptions of the original tune.

It's peaceful, an almost stunning contrast to the previous speed.

She has the time to drag out her moves, and concentrate on her foot work.

She mimics the softly falling petals, letting the wind scatter, and her ribbons flutter.

They ripple when she jerks them back, and when the music tapers off, they fall, as if freed from their constraints.

Sakura folds inwards, gently coming to rest on the floor.

She bows, and there's polite, if restrained applause.

She breathes out, before bowing once more, and leaving though the door that slides open for her.


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