"Ninja Tutoring"
by: QuasiAngel
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto...
Update Note: Wow… I don't want to toot my own horn, but I forgot how much fun this story was. I have a while LiveJournal full of notes. I think I have it flushed out until chapter 6. I just have to write it. Heh! And I noticed I haven't had to do much editing with these old chapters. That's a plus!
Note: 'Italics' are thoughts.
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Chapter 2: Do you want to call my bluff?
Sakura took her time getting home last night. She basked in the setting Konoha sun, walking slowly with her arms in front her holding a bag of lunch items. It was nothing unusual for her to take her time getting home after the Sunday meetings and she used her time to reflect on change.
She was happy for all her teammates and their accomplishments. She was also very grateful for Team 7, a loving family and the mere fact of being alive. She knew too many people that didn't have what she did, but she wanted more. Or so she thought.
When she stepped through her door, disposed of her bag, grabbed a clean towel and soaps and headed for the public bath on her floor. Once there, she locked the door, ran her bath and hopped in.
She felt drained and empty; her self-esteem was non-existent. She sighed in defeat, "Unsatisfactory?"
She had always tried to tell herself that what she had was enough, but she had to admit to herself that she was wrong. She had worked so hard throughout school. She knew she didn't deserve to stop here. But the thought of not being good enough frightened her. It shouldn't have been this way. She should have worked harder when she was a genin and focused on what she was good at. Instead, she just did what she could to get by. She only studied and never trained in her free time, although she could have. The effort she spent on Sasuke could have also been spent on training.
"Dammit, he was right!" she punched the surface of the water, suds exploded all over her face,"Stupid Sasuke. No- stupid Sakura! This is my fault."
When she started out in the academy, right away she was at the top of her class. Once it came time for the physical aspect of academy training, she got by with her excellent charka control and strategic planning. She didn't have any strong bloodlines or forbidden techniques. She was Sakura! And even though she was always a step behind everyone else, she got by. She needed to be determined enough to do it again.
"I've had greater challenges, right? It won't be so bad," she said out loud to herself, "You can do this Sakura! Hell yeah!"
She heard three loud thumps on the door and an angry male voice, "Yo lady, talk to your voices on your own time! Other people wanna use the bath too!"
"Yeah, yeah."
-
She got ready to start her new day in a leisurely fashion. Once she was finished her daily routine, she settled down with a cup of green tea (three sugars) and looked around her apartment. Sixteen was young to be living alone, but she had always promised herself that when she became Chuunin, she would get her own place. After much objection from her Father, her Mother held her end of the agreement and helped her move into an apartment of her own 2 weeks after she received her vest.
Her apartment was a small studio- it was literally one room. One section lead to another and the only things behind closed doors were a cramped restroom and a closet full of clothes and bedding. It was humble, homey, and hers. She loved it!
Her front door lead into the kitchenette area. It was confined and lacked the pantry space she was used to at home. She made most of her meals here, assisted by only a small refrigerator, 2 cupboards, a sink, and a hot plate. Her living room was modestly decorated with beige, plush, hand-me-down seating. There were 2 mismatched tables and lamps on each side of the couch and in front of it was a coffee table and beyond that was a rarely used television set on a broken TV cart. Behind the couch was an empty place on the floor. That is where she laid her bedding every night. Above this area was the only window in her apartment. On the windowsill were various plants, knick-knacks, books, and a picture. It was her Team 7 picture taken back when she was 12. Some nights when she couldn't sleep, she would take that picture and stand it up next to her pillow and stare at it. It reminded her of when she was equal with everyone else. It also made her realize she might lose her friends, not just to the enemy, but to change.
Watching Naruto and Sasuke achieve so much while she was left behind year after year (in addition to the encouraging words of the Hokage) drove her to yearn for a higher position, but she was in no hurry. Sure, it wasn't Jounin, but it was something. And come hell or high water, she was going to show everyone she could do it! Her tutor would make sure of it. She had no choice now. No one wanted to be a low level Chuunin their entire career.
-
A 16 year old Haruno Sakura made her way towards Jounin headquarters, skipping slightly in her high heels. Her shoulder length pink hair, adorned with a blue Konoha forehead protector, flew blindly behind her and in sync with her every step. She wore a red dress much like her old one, but it was a little bit shorter with a lower collar and hugged all of the curves Mother Nature recently blessed her with. Over her dress, she wore her Chuunin vest, but it was a bit lighter in weight than what the boys wore. And for all modestly concerned, she still wore her green shorts and mesh shirt under neither. You never know when you'll run into Jiraiya. The fact that she was young enough to be his great-granddaughter didn't matter much to him. Age was just a number, and a number was just a measurement, and so on.
She arrived at her destination 15 minutes early. She slowly paced back and forth in front of the entrance, trying to waste time before her tutor was to arrive. She couldn't help but notice the young Jounin recruit who stood guarding the door. He was tall, handsome, and a few years older. She could feel his eyes watching her with interest as she paced, his gaze wondering from top to bottom. She kept a cool exterior, but Inner Sakura was all smiles.
When you've loved a boy as long as Sakura had loved Sasuke, you tend to look past others. Her admiration for him was still present, but she gave up the idea of being with him long ago. If he decided she was what he wanted, she'd be at his door at the drop of a hat, but that was unlikely. His life as a ninja was more important than love. She didn't feel defeated. Instead, she took advantage of her self-proclaimed freedom. She could now notice other boys, or men. She also wasn't quick to pummel men with wandering eyes (except Naruto). Instead, she took it as a compliment. It was refreshing, but she had yet to have her first boyfriend, let alone her first kiss (though she was in no rush).
When she turned around to fully face the young Jounin, she was surprised to see him coming her way. Their eyes met and she smiled brightly. Her heart seemed to jump further and future into her throat as he got closer and closer. Then suddenly his eyes dropped to the ground and he turned around, returning to his post.
'Omygod, I must have something in my teeth!' she screamed to herself. She quickly whipped around and covered her mouth, but came in contact with a hard body. She would have fallen if that body hadn't grabbed her.
"Please do not distract the Jounins on duty, Sakura."
He let go of her and backed up a bit. Her eyes grazed the tall body and finally met his pale eyes, "Neji?"
Sakura hadn't seen him in what seemed like ages. He stood tall, taller than most men of Konoha, in his Jounin uniform. His hair was pulled back as it had always been with straps coming out from under his forehead protector. His cheek and jawbones had filled out nicely, making him almost a mirror of his uncle and deceased father. A Hyuuga, indeed.
"I'm surprised you remembered my name, Sakura."
"I'm more surprised you remembered mine."
The half smirk on his lips turned into a thin line, "I would rather not waste time with niceties. Let's go," he turned around and started walking away.
"Wow- wait a second! As much as I'd love to catch up on things, I can't. I am waiting for someone."
"I know."
"You do?"
"Yes- I'm your tutor."
She ran up behind him and tried to put her hand over his mouth, "Shhhh! Not so loud."
He batted her hand away, "What? Is little Sakura-chan embarrassed?"
"N-no, not exactly. Can we talk about this somewhere else?"
He nodded and took off.
"Wait up, Hyuuga!"
They traveled at lightning speed across the treetops of Konoha. She tried to keep up with him, but could only manage to close the distance by about 40 feet. Their travels weren't very familiar to her. She had never ventured this far away from town in this direction before, mainly because the property was privately owned.
She watched his back as he traveled, fixated on the bounce of his bound hair. Then suddenly, he was gone. She looked from side to side as she proceeded forward. When she took another leap, she didn't come in contact with a tree. Instead, she plummeted to the ground at the feet of Neji.
"Omph," she was laid out on her back, looking up at her tutor, "Why didn't you warn me?"
He shrugged, "I couldn't see you".
"Liar!"
"Just get up."
She stood up and dusted herself off. The knot in her lower back loosened and she quickly forgot about her stinging elbow by using the medical training the Hokage passed down to her. Once the pain was gone, she noticed the landscape before her. They stood on the edge of a huge grassy field that was perfectly manicured. It almost looked as if human feet had never touched it. It was secluded and quiet, surrounded by large trees on all sides.
"Where are we?"
"We are on my personal training ground provided by my uncle," he said in a bored tone.
"This is all yours?"
"All mine."
"Wow."
"This is where we are going to meet every morning, six days a week for six weeks."
"What time?"
"After my own training, so 10 AM would suffice."
"That works for me."
"Do you think you will be able to remember how you got here?" he asked. He was purposely trying to bait her. From her personality profile he was given, plus what he remembered from the past and from what others have told him, she was feisty and quick to prove herself. He automatically admired that in her, but also wanted to establish his authority over her right from the beginning.
"I think I'll manage. Thanks for asking," she said with a smile.
He was disappointed in her answer, but he let it go. A plan was hatching in his head that would make her respect and obey him, "Follow me. I'll review your files and give you the required contract material. I will do a through evaluation tomorrow."
"Wait, my files?" she asked, trailing behind him.
"Did I stutter?" He asked her, whipping around to face her.
"No, you didn't."
"Good," he stopped and sat before her, "Sit, please."
She sat across from him, putting a fair amount of space between them. He pulled two scrolls from behind his back and unwrapped the older of the two. She immediately recognized three of the five different types of handwriting. The first belonged to Iruka, the second belonged to Kakashi. The last was Tsunade's.
"Who's are these?" she asked, interrupting his reading to point at the two unidentifiable types of script.
"TenTen and Shizune. Don't interrupt me, please."
She sank back a bit, "Sorry."
She wasn't good at reading kanji upside-down, so she watched Neji intently. She had to admit; the haughty bastard was so damn attractive.
'Why are the gorgeous ones always so arrogant?' she thought to herself.
She took immediate notice of the sun playing with the lighter strands of his hair. From far away, you wouldn't have noticed, but sitting this close to him, it was hard not to. Her eyes made their way down to his forehead protector. The metal was scratched and dented beyond repair. It showed he had been to hell and back. She also knew he was hiding something behind that forehead protector. She was about to let her gaze fall to his eyes, but she was afraid. Of what, she didn't know.
He felt her eyes studying him. Even though his Byakugan wasn't active, he still could feel her eyes on him. He ignored it and finished reading what their current Hokage had written.
"Are you done staring?"
"I- I wasn't. I swear!" she sat back quickly, trying not to look at his eyes.
He raised his head to look at her. She was gripping her knees, probably so she wouldn't fall over. Her hair was a bit disheveled from their earlier trip over the tree tops, her eyes were wide, her cheeks were tinted red and she was biting her lip, 'Establishing my control over her might not be as hard as I thought.'
He rolled the scroll back up and handed her the newer one.
She took it with much hesitation, "What's this?"
"In this scroll are the details of your training and what I expect of you during our time together. I want you to read it over tonight and return with it tomorrow where you and I will sign it. Do you understand?"
"Yes! Read it, understand it, bring it tomorrow," she relaxed a bit, "May I ask what my record says about me?"
"Well, it says a lot of things."
"Like?"
"We'd be here all day if I told you everything."
"Can't you tell me anything?"
"Well," he rolled it up and it disappeared in a small cloud of smoke, "It has missions, grades, training sessions, injuries, evalutio-"
"Anything specific?"
He looked her in the eyes, challenging her, "You really want to know?"
She nodded, nervously.
"Fine. According to your records, you are smart, but you are weak. You have perfect chakra control, but don't know how to use it to your advantage. You have been trained by some of the best ninjas in Konoha, yet you are still a disappointment when it comes to combat," he waited until it sank in before he put the icing on the cake, "And according to Kakashi, your dream for the future is to be with Sasuke. Pretty pathetic if you ask me."
"Wait!" she squealed, "I was 12! My dreams have changed. I-"
"I don't care what your dreams are," he stood up and cleaned any dirt from the back of his pants, "You are dismissed. I will see you tomorrow."
He didn't hear her get up, but he felt it. Her anger radiated from her body in the form of chakra. He smiled and thought, 'One more button to push.'
"Listen here Hyuuga! I am a totally different Sakura and I am sure everything written on that little scroll of yours tells you that. And- and I'm going to show you that. I am going to show you my dreams! I am not her. I'm not."
"Prove it."
"I will," she turned towards the line of trees they came from, "See you tomorrow."
"Oh Sakura," he called after her, "One more thing before you go."
She turned around to face him, "Yeah?"
"I want to know what are you wearing under your dress?"
She stopped all movement. The only thing stirring on her body was her twitching eyebrow, "What?!"
"What's under that ugly dress of yours?"
"Y-you're a pervert!"
It looked as if he was going to reply, but he didn't. Instead, he launched himself behind her and grabbed as much of her hair as he could. Then, before she could stop his other hand, he grabbed the front flap of her dress, spun her around and pulled her firm against his chest. She was about to struggle, but she felt a pointy kunai at the base of her spine.
"Your wardrobe puts you in danger. That's why I asked," he whispered into her hair, "It also makes you look like a jezebel."
He took the kunai away and she immediately pushed herself away from him.
"How dare you?" she said to his chest.
"I'm your tutor. I am supposed to assist you in successfully completing the required tests for the positions you seek and making sure you don't get yourself killed," he took in her appearance once more time, "And I'm not doing this for my own pleasure and I sure as hell don't want to get my rocks off wondering what is under that atrocity."
Her twitching commenced.
He walked a circle around her, "Well, what's under the dress?"
"Shorts, mid-drift and a mesh shirt."
"Take off the dress."
"Are you nuts?"
"No. Now take it off or I'm going to do it for you."
Sakura put her hands on her hips, "I think you're bluffing! You are a Hyuuga, a family with much revere. You wouldn't dare disrespect a young lady."
He took a step towards her, "Do you want to call my bluff?"
She squinted her green eyes at him, he squinted his opalescent eyes at her in return.
"We can stand here all day if you like. I don't care."
"You don't care because you get getting paid. Plus, I am sure you love the look of humiliation on my face."
"Although the humiliation is an added benefit, I am not getting paid."
She raised an eyebrow, "Why not?"
"If I am to become a member of ANBU, one of my many tasks is to help shape the skills of a struggling ninja."
"Struggling?"
"Struggling."
"So you don't want to do this, you have to."
"Correct. And don't get it wrong, Sakura. That's not going to effect my performance, or yours."
"I see. Well, I-"
He raised an eyebrow, "You changed the subject."
"Inadvertently!"
His stern features became accentuated as he crossed his arms over his chest, "Take off the dress."
"Neji, please-" she pleaded.
"And while you're at, take off those shoes."
"Give me a break! What's wrong with my shoes? These are the same kind of shoes the Hokage wears!"
"I don't care if the Hokage wears stilts! You are nowhere near the ninja she is. You're going to get hurt. Take them off."
"I am glad to see you care about my well being, Neji-kun," she said sarcastically.
"It's required of me to care and I'd like to get through these six weeks without injury."
"Fine," she leaned down and undid the bands around her ankles and slipping the shoes off. Neji has always made her feel small enough, but now it was physically. She was at least 2 inches shorter than she was a few seconds ago and was positive her head would now fit perfectly under his chin, "I am not taking the dress off!"
"I know-"
She raised her head to look at him, 'I won?'
"I am."
He walked around Sakura and stood behind her. She felt his hands brush her neck when he gently took hold of her vest collar. He slowly removed the fabric from her shoulders and brought the garment down her arms, the brush of his knuckles sending chills down her spine. When he was done, he took her vest and draped it over his left forearm. He returned to his previous position in front of her and looked directly into her wide green eyes. He expected her to stop him when he reached for the zipper, but she didn't.
'Maybe she realized I was right.'
If you had not heard the conversation prior or hadn't noticed the look of discomfort on Sakura's face, you would think this sensual display was taking place between two lovers. But sadly, it wasn't.
He continued, took the tiny silver tab in-between his thumb and forefinger and slid it down, slowly opening the shiny metal teeth one by one. When the dress was fully open, he slipped his callused hands under the upper portion and rested them on her mesh-covered shoulders. Again, he waited for her to stop him, which she didn't. Little by little, he slid his hands down her arms the same way he did with her vest. Instead of catching her dress, he let it fall to the ground.
He gave her a once-over. She was telling the truth; shorts, mid-drift, and mesh shirt. It was quite modest, didn't stand out and was perfect for fighting. He didn't understand why she insisted on wearing such outrageous garments that would only get her killed.
'Women…'
He placed her vest over her shoulders and said, "Tomorrow, return here with the proper attire. Understood?"
She nodded, stunned.
"And," he stepped closer to her, so close his breath ruffled her hair slightly. He brought his thumb to his lips, licked it and ran it down her cheek, "No make-up either. Do I make myself clear?"
She nodded again, still speechless.
"You are dismissed," and with those last words, he disappeared in a puff of smoke.
She calmly put her vest on properly, gathered her dress and shoes in her hands, and headed home. It wasn't until she was safely inside her apartment when she started to cry.
TBC…
