Title: Wishes Are Free
Author: Cheza-chan
Rating: PG-13 (for now)
Pairing: KakaIru, SasuNaru
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto—oh, but I wish I did—but I own Kan'you, all the characters of the Hidden Wave Village. I own the Hidden Wave Village because I created it. I own the Hidden Wave Village's special jutsus, etc.
A/N: Because this is a joint chapter sorta kind of thing with chapter six, I don't really have much to say in the Author's Note -.-; I can say give me more reviews... (dances around) That's going to be my mantra. I wasn't going to beg for reviews... Heck... I'd gladly take flames right now... (fades off the radar of life)
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Chapter Seven - Sakura's Plight And Determination
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"We will meet in front of Kan'you," Tenko informed her students. They were the last Team remaining in the school building.
"Do we get ramen?" Naruto exclaimed, eyes wide.
"For breakfast?" Haka snapped.
"Ramen can eat anytime!" he said in defense of his favorite food. Shikyo was biting into the tip of her thumb as she watched the argument.
"Just... meet there," the female Jounin groaned, hand pressed to her forehead. "Hai!"
‡‡‡
Naruto sheilded his eyes from the sun as he looked out from under Kan'you's awning, squinting. "She's late," he grumbled.
"Aa," his teammates agreed.
It was the Monday to begin practice and the whole world felt sluggish. With a deep sigh, Naruto leaned back against the hard restaurant wall, fiddling with his forehead protector. He chuckled softly as he remembered last night; the kyuubi had slept in Sasuke's room and the events that took place there left him with a growing feeling of rapture.
"Naruto-kun."
The boy's eyes widened and he snapped himself from his reverie, staring at the redhead before him. Tenko smiled and held out her hand. "Ikimashou."
"Hai!" Naruto laughed. Team 8 soon set off to begin their first day of practice.
§§§
"Ta-da!"
Shikyo covered her mouth in a gasp. Haka and Naruto's eyes widened. "T-Tenko-sensei!" the blonde sputtered. "This... We cant..."
"Sugoi," Haka offered at the boy's loss for words.
"Sugoi!" Naruto yelled, voice loud enough to scare nesting birds from their trees.
Tenko had led them to her own personal "Secret Garden": a natural grove with towering tress that cast lengthy shadows across the well-trimmed, plush and luxurious grass. A mini-waterfall deposited sparkling water into the wide lake before them.
"Tenko-sensei," Shikyo whimpered. "We can't practice here. Something so beautiful... We can't harm it!" She shook her head in refusal.
"Daijoubu, daijoubu," Tenko laughed. "It won't mind. Ne?" She closed her eyes, sighing as a cool breeze caressed her face. As it passed, the air itself surrounding her changed. "Two minutes to form a plan," the Jounin stated softly. "Two... minutes." Wild green eyes stared back at the kids, causing them to gasp.
Naruto took Shikyo and Haka's hand, leaping away with them so they could talk. In a crouching position with their heads pressed together, the triad of Genins formulated a strategy.
§§§
"Ha... Hahaha..." The redhead's laughter came haltingly as a sign of her own exhaustion. Never in all her years of training had she felt like this. The grove had been moderately destroyed and a spent Team 8 sat around a large tree for the shade and rest.
"Kyaa!" Naruto was sprawled out across the thick grass, a lazy grin resting on his dirtied and bruised features. "Tenko-sensei!" he called out. The leader on the lowest branch of the tree looked down to hear what he had to say. "When do we start missions?"
"Not any time soon. You haven't had enough practice time," Tenko replied.
"Not fair..." Blue eyes slid close, then opened slowly in a blink.
"This break goes on for ten more minutes then more team training," she added.
The trio offered their consent in different forms; Naruto closed his eyes once more, Shikyo smiled, hugging her knees to chest, and Haka actually felt like she was in a worthy team. Her proof of such came from the first session of practice.
The blonde allowed his head to fall to the side and fill with thoughts of a certain raven-haired boy. He was thinking of the few facial expressions Sasuke had and deciphering the subtle changes in them when the boy's mood shifted. Naruto folded his arms behind his head, grinning as he added Sasuke's flustered image to what he had so far.
"Time's up."
"Ten minutes can't be over," the kyuubi whined, kicking his legs.
"Get up!" Tenko yelled, disappearing from the tree. Haka and Shikyo sprang to their feet and knocked the handless kunai away from their original path towards Naruto, allowing him to stand. They leapt away and landed with their backs pressed together, a kunai pointing outward in each hand.
"Naruto," Haka started with a smirk. "I need to get to the lake."
"Hai, hai."
The three disappeared as Tenko landed where they had just been. Naruto braced himself further ahead of Haka, both before the large body of water. The Jounin tilted her head as she heard Shikyo and Haka's whispered voices calling out mixed hand seals. She smirked, tossing her hair. 'I love my students.'
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Sakura fell to her knees after she'd leapt from the tree to the ground, coughing harshly.
"Sakura-chan!"
Takai yelled, chakra blasting away the shuriken aimed at the pink-haired girl.
"Sakura-chan. Sakura-chan!"
Dropping his stance, the young boy turned to see Oyasa hugging the girl's shaking frame.
"Sensei! Sensei!" the long-haired boy called out, hands hovering over the girl. Hizaku dropped down from the trees and instantly rushed to Sakura's side. She found the strength to protest as he lifted her into his arms, but had another coughing fit.
"Is she... going to be all right?" Takai asked hesitantly.
"Go back to Shuku-san! Tell her to meet me at the hospital!" the Jounin yelled.
"Hai!" the boys chorused, leaping away.
"Hizaku...sensei..." Hizaku looked down at the girl in his arms. "I'm fine..." Sakura said with a weak smile.
"I don't want to take any chances."
She sighed and closed her eyes, grimacing as her teacher began the quick journey back into town across treetops then rooftops. He spotted the large, two-story structure, and, landing as gently as possible, the sandy-haired man hurried in.
"Sensei!"
"What happened?"
While those behind the desk asked questions, active nurses instructed him to follow them to an empty room where Sakura was placed on the bed; Hizaku was ushered out. He sighed and crossed his arms over his chest, determined to wait until good news was brought back. His turquoise eyes narrowed. Had May known this would've happened? He shook his head and kept his thoughts until his supervisor arrived.
§§§
The on-duty nurse behind the front desk stared at the two Genins rooted to their seats. They had entered the hospital about two hours earlier, but ventured no further than the line of seats where they currently were. "Ano..." she started.
Oyasa's eyes snapped open and he pulled his fingers from the palm of Takai's hand.
The young woman leaned over the desk, smiling apologetically. "Are you friends with a patient here?" she queried.
"Hai," Oyasa answered. "Haruno Sakura. She was admitted hours earlier."
"Oyasa," Takai huffed, looking away crossly.
The more polite young boy bowed his head in the nurse's direction. "We were meditating in hopes that our partner's health returns," he explained. "As mean as he looks, he's real sensitive inside." Takai snorted.
"Ah. Sumimasen" She smiled and leaned back, returning to the files before her that needed her attention.
Oyasa placed the fore- and middle finger of his left hand back to Takai's right palm. They closed their eyes once again as the oak-haired boy performed a one-handed deal in his lap, finishing with a hushed whisper of the skill's name. Takai grimaced slightly as multiple sounds came rushing to his ear, relaxing as his teammate sorted it down to two voices. Quick on his feet, Oyasa had lied to the young woman. He couldn't quite tell her they were eavesdropping on May and Hizaku, could he?
"-know?" Hizaku had just finished asked.
The woman was staring down at the sleeping child, hands clenched at her sides. The doctors informed her they would keep the girl until the end of the week or until her chakra leveled out and stabilized. "Tch." She looked away. "I didn't know," was in reply to the question moments ago. "Iruka-kun never mentioned it."
"And her guardian?" Hizaku snapped.
"I don't know!" the village founded yelled, head bowed.
Sakura winced at the raised voices, shifting in her sleep. At her slight movement, both Jounins decided it better if they took their conversation outside.
May pressed the palm of her hand against the cool, green wall, struggling internally. "Kenshiki, listen to me. I didn't know," she repeated. "But I did assign you that team because I know you."
"Takai and Oyasa won't like me singling her out," the man sighed.
"They have no choice," May scoffed. Unless they wish to attend a funeral." She clenched her fingers into a fist but restrained herself from punching it into the wall, afraid that her anger would affect the control on her strength.
Oyasa gasped, pulling away, and buried his hands in his lap. Takai's mouth turned down into a scowl and he tried to burn a hole into the tiled floor with his hard gaze. He inhaled sharply while the other boy exhaled deeply.
"What now?" Oyasa murmured.
"Maybe practice will be postponed," Takai assumed.
"Hai..."
After several moments of uncomfortable silence, he stood sharply and ran out of the hospital, hissing through clenched teeth. With narrowed gray eyes, Takai pushed his way through a startled crowd, disappearing into the town. Oyasa sighed and leaned his head against the wall. 'Takai-kun...' His teammate's weakness was women: having losting his mother and sister to a disease not even chakra-healing could've cured, Nago Takai vowed to become stronger in order to protect every female that came into his life.
The long-haired youth pulled a knee up to his chest, resting his head on it. That's how he stayed until May and Hizaku walked down the hall to enter the lobby. He stood slowly, smiling at the Jounins.
"She's resting," Hizaku stated. He looked around. "Where's Takai?" Oyasa's smile widened as he shrugged.
"Never mind that," May interjected. "Can you inform the Uminos of Sakura's current state?"
"Hai." The oak-haired boy bowed then ran out of the hospital. He smiled to himself at the thought of the structure not being sound or stable enough to withstand the blonde once he got the news.
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As worried as everyone was, time and life moved on. The Shuuha Genin teams practiced and Sakura received many visits, right up until the moment of her release. The pink-haired girl laughed sheepishly at the crowded front hall, Hizaku leading her way.
"Sakura-chan," Naruto whimpered with a trembling smile.
"Naruto. Sasuke-kun." Sakura nodded at her leader and let her original teammates take over in assisting her. As they each took an arm, she felt worse at that moment than the days she spent in an empty hospital room. 'At least I'm not looking at their backsides.' Her self-esteem went down another notch, but she maintained a weak smile while pulling away from the blonde and brunet.
"Sakura-chan...?" Naruto mumbled questioningly.
"I'm fine," Sakura smiled, waving a hand. With her arms swinging, the young girl marched from the hospital, inhaling deeply the fresh air that greeted her. She sighed softly at the feel of the sun's ray on her skin, then laughed, spreading her arms a little. She wanted to get as far away from the hospital that stood behind her.
Sasuke and Naruto flanked her and she smiled, taking their hands in her own. The blonde kyuubi grinned, squeezing gently. Sasuke did nothing but close his fingers lightly around the girl's. Iruka bowed to the Shuuha shinobi watching them leave then followed the children with a sigh. 'Kakashi-sensei.'
The silver-haired Copy-nin had gone on patrol while they visited the hospital. The Chuunin was sure May thought Sakura's guardian was a worthless excuse for a human being: not visiting your child while they're injured is something he was sure she looked down upon. 'It can't be helped.' Iruka sighed and hurried to catch up with Konoha's Team 7.
May crossed her arms over her chest, frowning with distaste over the current situation. She looked up at Hizaku to see he felt the same way, then back at the other Team leaders; they were just glad that Sakura was okay. She tugged on the arm of the man beside her to get him to lean down.
Takai and Oyasa both watched the whispered exchange between the Jounins. Grays eyes narrowed as May and Hizaku disappeared.
'What's going on?' Takai wondered.
§§§
"Do you want us to stay until Kakashi-sensei returns?" Iruka questioned politely.
"Un." Sakura shook her head and waved, closing the door. She bolted it and left her trembling hand on the wood. 'Am I that weak that someone has to be with me at all times? Naruto and Sasuke-kun... They've always made sure I'm kept out of harm's way.' She reflected on her chakra control skills and realized how little it meant if she couldn't keep up with her team.
Taking her time in getting up the stairs, the pink-haired Genin stopped to stare at Kakashi's closed door. 'He couldn't even check in on me.' "I thought your 'comrades' were more important," she muttered harshly, stepping into her own room. Sakura sighed and lowered herself onto the bed. The question weighing on her mind now was how to increase her stamina without killing herself. She admitted it, her body wasn't ideal for the action, but she would work on that.
With a smile, she stared at the new photos she had taken and reached out to grasp one in each hand. One was of her new team, Takai and Oyasa beside her and Hizaku behind his students. Hizaku and Oyasa smiled along with her, but the other member of Team 5 glared at the camera. The other image was of the original Team 7-inclusind the leader-and Iruka, all wearing Shuuha forehead protectors. Iruka was blushing brightly at the scarecrow's antics, Naruto had shot the camera a "V" for "victory" sign, Sasuke simply stared, face expressional, and the pink-haired girl offered a wide grin.
Sakura placed the pictures on her bed and stood, young face contorted into a determined scowl. "I won't be left behind," she stated firmly. "If anything, I'll move so far ahead, no one'll see me." Grinning as she had in the picture, the young girl ran out of the room and down the stairs. She stepped out onto the streets, not sparing the Umino household a glance, and jogged off.
"Sakura..."
She spun, green eyes wide at the unfamiliar voice that whispered her name.
"Sa...kura..."
"Nani?" the female Genin whimpered, covering her ears.
"Sakura?"
"Yamette!" she cried.
Takai grabbed Sakura's wrist gently, placing it back at her side. "You should be resting," he snapped.
Sakura relaxed and twisted her wrist to take his hand. "No. I decided to go out. Oyasa-kun showed me most of the village. Now, it's your turn."
Takai's eyebrows rose and he opened his mouth for moment then closed it. "Fine," he mumbled. He let his fingers hang open, his teammate doing the holding, and turned to lead her back in the direction she'd just come from.
Sakura did glance up at the windows of the house then, waving with her free hand to anyone that happened to be watching.
She came back earlier than with Oyasa, bidding her current "date" farewell at the door. Takai waved over his shoulder, disappearing into the darkened streets. Sakura closed the door and turned around to find Kakashi standing a few feet away. "Kakashi-sensei."
"Sakura. Forgive me for not coming to see you."
She shook her head, smiling. "It's all right. You were on patrol."
"That's no excuse," the jounin sighed, lowering his head.
"You'll just make it up to me," the girl giggled, patting her sensei on the shoulder as she passed by him in her reaching the stairs. "Oyasumi."
"Oyasumi, Sakura." He listened to her footsteps on the upstairs hall and her door closing then sighed again, rubbing the back of his neck. "Ara, ara. First Iruka, now Sakura. Something is wrong with me." Kakashi debated on whether to go across the street or stay with his "daughter". Staying won out because Sakura came first tonight. Until she could manage on her own the way he knew her new team could teach her to, he would be there for her.
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The next day was overcast, promising rain that would never come and making the air dry and stuffy. The Umino house was lively as usual, well-placed threats from everyone flying through open windows, while the Haruno residence remained sedated. As much as they were enjoying themselves now, all the Konoha ninjas knew they were in the calm before the storm.
Kakashi knocked on the decorated door of Sakura's room. "Sakura." He was greeted with silence. "Sakura-chan?"
"Hai...?"
"It's time for school."
"Un..."
The Jounin stared curiously at the door. It was the emptiness in the girl's voice that drove him to push it open.
"Kakashi-sensei!"
The silver-haired shinobi ducked the flying lamp then sidestepped a framed picture.
"You don't enter a girl's room without permission!"
"Gomen...!" He ducked out, wincing at the thud to the door from another thrown item. 'A woman scorned...' He sweatdropped with a deep sigh and decided he should head out, but the broken picture frame in the hall stopped him. Bending to pick it up, the Copy-nin noted that it was the group photo they had taken. He placed it on the hall table then headed down the stairs.
The scarecrow became Shuuha's Team 12 leader. Kentan walked out of his house and strolled down the street.
Sakura held her brush with a lax grip, staring at her reflection. All her energy seemed depleted. She figured she was suffering from a minor setback in returning to everyday activities. The brush's clatter atop the wooden floor made the pink-haired shinobi gasp. Sakura smiled weakly and headed back to her bed, lying down. That was not her original intention, but she couldn't stop herself.
§§§
"She doesn't look like the type of person to be late," Takai growled, arms crossed. 'Especially after spending an evening having fun.'
An hour had just crept by and the third member of 5 remained missing. "We'll wait another hour," Hizaku stated.
"Can't we just go get her?" Oyasa asked softly.
"No." But that's exactly what the Jounin wanted to do.
"Kuso." Takai gave the nearest object a chakra-powered punch and Oyasa watched the light pole bow slightly down to meet him and shook his head.
The oak-haired boy returned to watching the long street for any sign of their female teammate. 'Sakura-chan.'
"He warned me!" Energy renewed, Sakura dropped from the roof she'd just leapt onto, skirting townspeople. "I've never been late for anything." She whimpered and put on more speed, clearing the bridge that passed over a rushing river to enter a more desolate and underdeveloped part of the village. Sakura grinned as she spotted the outlines of her team, but gasped when she realized they were leaving. She drew a shuriken from the holster on her right thigh and threw with all her strength.
Hizaku stopped at the weapon lodged in the dirt beside him. "She's here."
Oyasa and Takai turned around, aqua and gray eyes widening at the sight that greeted them.
"Baka!"
"Sakura-chan!"
They ran out to meet the girl, catching her before she sank to her knees, terrified of a repeat of their first practice. She claimed she was simply catching her breath, for the run had not been too extensive.
"Sakura-chan, doushite?" Oyasa cried.
Sakura grinned, knees trembling as she placed her weight back onto them. "I was late... And I didn't want us to miss anymore practice."
"Baka!" Takai repeated, slowly easing away his arm that had been around her waist.
"I guess so..." Pulling away from them both and standing with her feet planted firmly, the pink-haired young girl faced her leader with a hard stare. "Hizaku-sensei."
The Jounin returned a more calm look and dropped the hand that had been tapping his chin in thought. "Takai. Oyasa, go on ahead," he ordered. "Begin a two-man spar until I give you further instructions."
Sakura blinked at the icy glare Oyasa shot his teacher, surprised that he was able to show such an expression. Takai's brushing against the boy reminded him of what the conversation they'd eavesdropped on and they both left to do as they were told.
"Sakura-" the sandy-haired man started.
"Hai. I know I overslept," she rushed out. "But I promise, it won't happen again."
"That's fine."
"Eh?" Sakura blinked at the warm smile on the gruff face, uncomprehending.
"I want you to focus on the now. You're more experienced in Genjutsu, right?"
She nodded.
"Hmm."
Hizaku rubbed his chin, staring down at her closely. "What I'm going to do from today here on out is work with you-just us two-to build up your stamina." Green eyes widened slowly. "For ninjutsu," the Jounin finished.
"Un!" Sakura cried, hugging him around the waist. The man laughed nervously at the unexpected action, but smiled at the girl's tear-filled laughter in his flak jacket.
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A/N: Yup! A chapter just for Sakura. (grin) I mean... you know, some people don't like her... I kinna... sorta... think she's useless, but... she can redeem herself, ne? (shrugs) Anyhoo, her presence is greatly needed in this fic, so there'll be a lot more of her appearing. Not... in whole chapters anymore, but... well, you know what I mean! XD
