I sadly, do NOT own Naruto, or else I would have renamed it Kakashi!
White Fang, Lightning's Howl: The Secret of the Hatake
Sakura Vs. Sano
The small intermission/break was too short for Sakura. She had fled to the bathrooms where she met most of her friends also gathered there.
Hinata. Temari. Ten Ten (still recuperating from her fight with Jien). Even Shizune and Kurenai showed up to encourage their teammate. Shizune brought a gift from Tsunade for the upcoming fight – needles and poison. Kurenai gave her some larger kunai to throw. Hinata, opening her ever ready medicine box, produced a special salve for Sakura's various cuts and bruises. Temari massaged her tired, aching and tense muscles.
Ino burst in.
"Sakura! I know you and I are rivals about Sasuke – but let's forget about that now! I swear to you – you must leave this match. Everybody would understand!"
"I'm sure that Sakura can cope," Shizune said, "Tsunade-sama –"
"Tsunade-sama does not know that Sano is a freak!" Ino gasped. "Shikamaru was just in the bathroom and he said that Sano was bragging to the guys he'd beat Sakura and do – nasty things to her!"
"Are – are you sure it's okay to go out there?" Hinata asked.
"It's just man talk," Temari said calmly. "He might just be trying to scare everybody…"
"But isn't he much older than us?" asked Hinata. "He looked pretty big to me – what twenty or so? His taijutsu must be great."
But all the girls shuddered. Shinobi like Sano were heartless bastards often better dead since they always brought shame to their clan and their village.
Sakura frowned. "He sounds like he needs to be taught a lesson!"
"Darn right!" Ten Ten agreed. "He should be taught to respect the kunoichi of Konoha!"
"Try your best, Sakura." Kurenai said. "I believe you can do it…. And besides, there's always Genma…."
"Uh-huh," Shizune said in a I-don't-believe-you-believe-that voice.
Hinata looked down.
"Sakura-kun, Neji tells me that this young man has been a genin for many years now. Perhaps he maybe strong – but no doubt – I believe that – you may be able to outsmart him!" she ended in a small voice.
Ino looked worried. But as she looked into her ex-best-friend's face, she realized that within those often innocent, mild eyes was born a flame of determination.
Sakura, she thought with pride and envy, I see you have truly become a blossom. May you bloom brightest today.
Anko stuck her head in the door.
"Time to go, girls!" she yelled.
Everybody winced.
"Yeah, yeah," they said. "We're coming!"
As Sano walked toward Genma people cheered sporadically and booed. As Sakura stepped out into the arena, and walked over to the pair, everybody roared with approval.
A hot kunoichi about to defeat a malevolent and revolting shinobi! What an exciting fight to end an exciting day!
In one moment, Sakura felt as if she could conquer the world. The next moment, her shoulders drooped imperceptibly as she realized the burden now placed on her shoulders because of the crowd's expectations.
Once again, she turned and looked at Tsunade.
Once again, Tsunade gave a solemn smile back.
Don't shame me. Don't shame Konoha. Be who you were meant to be.
That was easier said than done, especially for a girl who had civilian parents who had no family or even clan ties to the ninja community.
How did I get here? Asked Sakura.
Then, she felt it. A pair of eyes watching her keenly.
Quickly scanning the arena as she walked up to Genma, she looked for whoever was staring at her.
Nobody leapt to her sight.
With a sigh, she focused to the task at hand.
Sweeping his hand up, Genma pronounced the match between the two Genins, then, hand sweeping down, he darted away.
Without warning, Sano socked her hard in the jaw. There was a definite crack. The audience gasped. Kakashi winced.
Keep up your guard, Sakura! Kuso! I should have spent the time encouraging her taijutsu – it's so weak!
For several pain-filled moments, to all the fans of Sakura, it looked like Sano's promise would be fulfilled as he pummeled her to the ground.
Swaying as she rose back on her feet, Sakura looked up. At the clouds. At the trees. At the blue and the green.
Was I ever made for this? Who was I kidding when I signed up to join the Academy? The Haruno never had any abilities. Just because I have a small amount doesn't mean anything really. And he – he is sooo much bigger. I'm just a tiny girl who doesn't even weigh over a hundred pounds!
Then she saw him. Among the blurring crowds of people. Standing there among a group of yelling civilians.
Kakashi-sensei.
He noticed the look, smiled proudly, which crinkled his only visible eye closed and gave her a thumbs up.
"Kakashi-sensei," whispered the girl, wiping the blood from her lips.
"What," Sano said, "Calling for your teacher already? Why don't you call to your parents, baby? Oh wait! They can't do anything since they've got no talents to speak of. And your teacher – what's his name Hata-something or the other. Isn't he just a lazy bastard who reads perverted stuff all the time?"
Yes. I hope you do well. I know you will do well. I know I sometimes don't sound like it but I have faith in you
Sakura's eyes turned dark as her Inner Sakura woke up.
WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, ASSHOLE! DON'T YOU DARE MOCK MY PARENTS OR MY SENSEI!
But before she could verbalize everything, Sano lunged at the girl, intending to finish her off with a final blow. However, within a second, she had disappeared and all that was left was smoke and thin air.
Sano once again started the offensive, raining needles down on the whole arena. After a few minutes, he stood back, laughing.
It had been too easy.
Genma, from aloft (he had had to retreat to a railing area) looked for a sign of Sakura.
There was a silence. Then, suddenly, Sano had to jump away quickly as a fist rose up from the ground.
A finger touched his chin and he was thrown back hard into the arena wall with a crash.
Sakura smiled.
"That'll teach him to take my sensei lightly."
She frowned.
"That'll also make him take me more seriously."
Quickly, she disappeared, and hid herself.
Sano, with a curse, pried himself off the wall.
Catching sight of Sakura hiding behind a tree, he laughed.
Stupid female can't even hide properly.
Once again, he pronounced his signature jutsu and rained down needles and weaponry down on the arena. However, instead of a body hitting the ground, the Sakura merely disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
A buunshin. Heh. Like he'd fall for something like that!
He moved away quickly from his spot, keeping a wary eye on the ground.
Suddenly, he was enveloped in a cloud of smoke. For a moment, he thought he saw a slim figure but then, he felt something touch his arms. Looking down, he gasped.
Everywhere, as far as the eye could see, there was sakura cherry blossom petals. The arena walls had disappeared.
Shibato! He thought. I've been trapped in a genjutsu! Where will she attack from, I wonder. Not from the ground, she'd know I know that I'll be on my guard for –
The thought never finished in his mind, as suddenly, he felt two pinpricks in the back of his neck.
Pulling out two tiny needles, he laughed.
He was the needle master. A champion in taijutsu. Did she think that two needles were enough to bring him down?
Concentrating hard, he broke out of the genjutsu, only to be showered by tiny knives, which he easily beat off. Then he did a double take.
Kuso! They're carrying talisman's for bombs!
Tensing his muscles, he tried to jump out of the cloud of paper, when he realized he couldn't move. In fact, he was falling.
Falling to the ground, totally paralyzed, all he could see was dirt, grass and two hastily dropped needles, dripping he saw now, with blood and poison.
"SAKURA FUBUKI no JUTSU!" yelled Sakura, throwing a final flaming talisman at the Genin.
As the smoke cleared, everybody in the arena craned their necks.
Was Sakura finally able to finish Sano off?
Or was he ready for a final counter attack?
Announcer: We will now pause for a momentary intermission, knowing we have all left you with a cliff hanger... Nanny-chan, what do you need to say?
Nanny-chan: (shuffling feet) Just want to say that I've written one Saiyuki fan fic and two other Naruto humour pieces... so if you're bored, you can check them out for some laughs...
Announcer: Are these things lame?
Nanny-chan: ... um... you can decide...
Announcer: Anyway... back to the program!
