She briefly started to wonder about Kakashi. She hoped that he would be alright, and that he would come back home safely. While she jumped from tree branch to tree branch thinking about her silver haired lover, she noticed that she was being followed. To confirm her suspicions, a kunai came flying at her with great speed and precise aim. She managed to dodge the kunai and figured that TenTen had been the one to throw the kunai at her as she jumped to the middle of the clearing and stood her ground.

Chapter 5

Sakura looked around in all directions as she searched for TenTen's chakra. She knew the weapon's master was nearer than she thought and Sakura did not want to be caught off guard. Obviously, this was going to be their training for the day: Survival Training.

Sakura back flipped three times to avoid TenTen's shiruken and kunai, and then jumped up to a tree branch to hide herself a little more. If TenTen was already here...then that meant that Anko was hiding somewhere nearby as well. Sakura smiled, she had always sucked at Survival Training, but with Kakashi's help, she was just as good in that kind of training than Naruto.

She was ready for this, ready to show everyone that she belonged in ANBU and was just as good as Naruto or Sasuke. She heard something move beside her and jumped up to avoid a handful of snakes that shot out at her. Those snakes were Anko's Snake Hand jutsu.

Sakura threw some shiruken at the snakes and pinned them to the tree as she twirled off the tree's branch to land once again on the grass in the middle of the clearing. She wanted Anko and TenTen to take advantage of her being out in the open. She wanted to lure them in close because Sakura excelled in hand to hand combat more than anything.

Training under Tsunade had taught her many things. One of which being to take your enemies weakness and use it to your advantage. For both TenTen and Anko...that happened to be their over confidence. Also, she was a medical ninja, so she could dodge any attack she wanted to. That was one of Tsunade's more important teachings.

Sakura caught the three kunai thrown at her with her finger tips and let them stay on her fingers, ready to be thrown if need be. She bent her knees slightly and slouched her shoulders as she heard something whipping in the air behind her. She had to wait it out. She knew that Anko would be harder to take out than TenTen because she had more experience then TenTen. She had been doing this for years and Sakura was not about to take her lightly no matter what.

Sakura decided that her first target would be TenTen and then she could just focus on Anko. Sakura sensed TenTen's chakra peek when another shuriken was thrown at her and she smiled as she let the shuriken go past her face and ran up to where it was thrown from.

She jumped up to one of the trees and landed on the branch she thought TenTen had thrown the shuriken from but knew that TenTen would no longer be there. She had already moved to a different tree so Sakura would not get to her.

Sakura figured that this was what TenTen would be doing for the time being. TenTen will try to snipe her from afar, and then move so that her location would not be figured out. Fortunately, Sakura was not top in her classes for nothing. She studied TenTen's pattern for half an hour before she decided that it was the same way every time.

Sakura jumped from the tree as the kunai came at her, but instead of landing on the next tree, she jumped and landed on the tree across from her. TenTen stared at her with wide hazel eyes and a kunai at hand. Sakura smiled at her small success and swept her foot against the ground to trip her.

TenTen back flipped over Sakura's foot and stepped back a few steps to put some distance between them. TenTen glared at Sakura as they exchanged quick punches and kicks. Obviously, TenTen had improved in her hand to hand combat style; she was better than Sakura had remembered her to be. She heard something approaching from her left and spiraled to her the side to avoid Tenten's shuriken and Anko's flying snake.

A few hours later Sakura was hot, sweaty, and ready to die right there in the middle of the field. She was on her back, panting for breath while staring up at the sun. She found out the hard way that sparring on Anko's team was not really sparring at all but a constant battle for your life. In truth, Anko had lived up to "Survival" training. Every attempt Anko made to injure Sakura had really been an attempt at her vital organs.

Sakura could have dealt with any one of the two women by herself, but she found out that together, Anko and Tenten made quite an impressive team. She had expelled the last of her chakra from her body by healing the various injuries Tenten and Anko, including her self, had attained. The other two were worn out as well, but not to the same extent that she was. This was undoubtedly a normal spar for them, but unlike the other two, she had used up a great amount of her stamina in healing, so she didn't feel too bad about her condition.

Tenten flopped down in the grass next to her and wiped the sweat from her brow before she sat a few feet from them under the shade of a tree cleaning her weapon and Anko stood hunched over a few feet in front of her. It was oddly gratifying to see her new Captain tired out. She remembered how intimidating Anko had made herself seem when Sakura had her first chunnin exam. All in all, Sakura was grateful to Tsunade to have put her in such an amazing team.

Anko gave Sakura one of her trademark grins, "For your first time, you actually did great. Then again, for someone who trained with Hokage-sama, I expected no less. Great job Haruno."

All Sakura could do was give Anko a small smile as she slowly sat up from the grass. "Thanks a lot. You punch a lot harder than I had first thought. I'll have to work harder for next time we spar." Sakura raised her head to look at the sky and slightly frowned. What time was it? By the position of the sun, she assumed it to be at least one in the afternoon. That meant that she had an hour to get to the hospital for her shift.

Sighing, she stood up off the grass and dusted off her pants. "I have to go. I have to work at the hospital in a little bit and I don't want to be late." She paused for a moment before a small smile made its way to her lips. "And I wonder if one of my patients are still there. When's our next practice?"

"Same time tomorrow, Haruno," Anko replied with another grin as she stood up and disappeared in a 'poof' a moment later.

"See ya later Tenten!" Sakura said as she jogged towards the hospital, not really waiting for the girl's reply. She rushed as fast as she could to her mother's house to be able to take a quick shower before going to work...and she needed to stop at one of those pet stores to buy Mr. Puppykins dog food and some accessories. She had almost forgotten about that.

Quickly running into said store, Sakura purchased several items, including the bag of dog food, and then continued on her way. She burst through her mother's door and placed the food and other bags on the kitchen table before running toward the bathroom, encountering her mother and Mr. Puppykins on the way up the stairs.

"Hey mom, hey bubby! Can't talk, got to work!" she said as she passed them and jumped into the shower. After her shower, she quickly changed into a tanned colored skirt and black tank top with her white doctor's coat over it. Running back down the stairs with her hair braided and tied into a loose bun, she again rushed through the living room. "Again, sorry gotta fly! Dog food on the kitchen table!" she said as she closed the door behind her and rushed to the hospital. Making it there in record time, she let a sigh escape her as she checked in and walked the long hallway to what used to be Gaara's room.

As she reached said room, Sakura found a small pang of sadness when she found it was not in use anymore and no one was there either. She frowned a little, 'I wanted to talk to him a little bit more...'

"Looking for someone?"

Sakura turned on her heel to find herself face to face with Sabaku no Gaara. She smiled, "Yeah, you. I thought you might have left already."

Gaara crossed his arms over his chest and looked at her with an amused look. "I did want to leave, but my sister wanted to spend time with her boyfriend and Konkuro wanted to flirt with some of the women."

Sakura repressed a small fit of giggles that threatened to escape her mouth and was at the same time surprised that Gaara could sound...a bit jokingly. "By boyfriend I assume that you mean Shikamaru, right? He just got back a few weeks ago from a mission. Speaking of which, I need to check up on some patients, want to come?"

Gaara looked at her suspiciously before nodding his head and following her up the hallway to a wounded shinobi's room. He found that Sakura always treated her patients with much kindness and respect. Always asking if they were comfortable and going over their conditions to see if there was anything she could do. After walking with her from room to room, he found that it was her break time. Without asking her permission, he allowed himself to follow her to where she ate outside of the hospital.

"I hope I did a good job in healing you last night."

He watched her take a bit out of a sandwich and chew it several times before swallowing it. "You did. I am sorry that I consumed all of your chakra."

She smiled up at him, "No worries. I've done it several times before."

He sat down next to her, his dull blue eyes fixed on her soft green ones. "You have put yourself in danger for other shinobi? Why? Death is part of a shinobi's life, we come and go like the wind."

Sakura was slightly shocked at his answer, but after considering it, she understood where he was coming from. "True, death is always present in our lives, but...although it is there, it doesn't mean that you should just embrace it. I am a shinobi, I have killed a lot of other people with my own hands, and I don't morn for them because they tried to kill me...but...if they are my allies, my friends, people that I know and love, then I will do what ever I can to assure their life. That's what a medic is, Gaara-sama."

Gaara looked at her with a slight admiration. He nodded and looked up at the stars. "Then it takes someone extremely special to be a medic-nin. It takes someone special to do that kind of work, to always be able to willing put their life on the line to save another who you are not certain will live." He shifted his gaze back towards her, "I agree with him. You are very special."

Sakura smiled and bowed her head slightly, "Thank you. Agree with whom, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Uzumaki Naruto. It would seem that he is always right."

She again smiled as she thought about Naruto, "Yeah. He's amazing, huh?"

"Indeed." He brought his gaze to the grass, "...Sakura-san? What makes friendship?"

"Friendship? It's really quite simple. When you talk to someone, if you get along with them and always want to be there to help them, then they become your friend. One of your precious people."

"Then...you are one of my precious people. You are my friend now."

Sakura smiled warmly at his statement and placed her hand on top of his, "I'm glad. You are my friend too, Gaara-kun." Surprisingly, he did not object to her adding 'kun' to his name, and she was glad for that. He really had come a long way from the lost soul that showed up at the Chunnin Exams all those years ago.

The two of them stayed that way for a while before Sakura went back for one more check up on her patients before she signed out and went home. "I don't know when I will be able to return to Kanoha, Sakura, but when I do, I will make sure that you and I spend some more time together."

She nodded, "You had better come to see me soon. I don't care if you are Kazekage, I'll kick your ass," she said with a giggle and he, surprisingly, smirked back at her."See ya sometime soon, I hope, Gaara-kun!" They waved at each other and she watched as he disappeared in a large swirl of sand, then she walked to her house with a small smile tugging at her lips.

She was exhausted from her activities, and wanted to sleep on her comfortable bed at her mother's house the moment she walked in the door. To her expectations, her mother was already asleep and she assumed that Mr. Puppykins was, undoubtedly, in her room. She walked up the stairs silently and opened her door to find that she had been correct; he was sleeping snuggly on top of her bed. She threw her kunai pouch on her dresser, awaking Mr. Puppykins with a start before she changed into her pajamas.

The moment she laid down on the bed, Mr. Puppykins curled up underneath the blankets with her. Without realizing it, Mr. Puppykins reminded Sakura that she would not have his warmth with her tonight. It was easy to sleep without him last night because she had passed out, but now that she was conscious, she wished him to be in her bed with her. She hoped that he was okay, prayed that he would come home in one piece...wished for none of his teammates to die. She hugged Mr. Puppykins to her lightly as she curled up a little, sighing Kakashi's name before she fell into a light sleep.

Kakashi sighed with tiredness. Sakura would be asleep by now, sleeping with that mutt and not with him. He had to admit that he missed her a hell of a lot more than he had first thought when he left on this mission with Gai and Genma. The first night he was able to sleep through the night until it was his turn to stand guard while the other two slept, but tonight, he missed her too much to sleep. He wanted her warmth, wanted to feel her small form curled up against him, her head resting on his chest, her warm breath tickling his throat.

Genma walked over to him silently, but Kakashi heard him just the same. "Yo, Hatake, you were suppose to be sleeping while I stood watch not staring stupidly at the stars. What's up?"

Kakashi sat up and scratched the back of his head as he looked over at Genma. "Nothing. Is it my turn to stand watch?"

Genma shook his head as he sat down next to Kakashi, his senbon bouncing in his mouth as he spoke. "Nope, it's Gai's turn. He's already out there. Seriously though, what's wrong? Last night you hardly slept, and tonight you aren't sleeping at all."

Kakashi stared at him with a wide dark eye. Had it been that noticeable? "Noting Genma."

Genma gave Kakashi a know-it-all smirk. "It's Sakura, ain't it?"

Kakashi said nothing as he just stared up at the bright star filled sky. "Yeah," he whispered after a while and looked at Genma with a small smile.

"Ya miss her, huh? Shit, I miss her. She's an amazing woman; ain't no one else like her. You're one lucky son of a bitch, Hatake, I'll tell you that much. I actually had my eyes on her too. Looks like you beat me to her heart though, don't it?"

Kakashi nodded, "I just hope she's doing alright with her ANBU training. I heard she was put with Anko and TenTen for practicing. Anko can be ruthless with new recruits."

Genma rolled his eyes, "Pfft, please. If anyone can kick Anko's smart ass mouth, it's Sakura. I spared with her sometime last week and she only nicked my jaw and it still hurt like she really punched me on my jaw. She'll be fine with Anko, and she'll make an amazing ANBU captain one day too." Genma sighed as he rolled out his sleeping bag next to Kakashi's and laid down on it. "Better get some sleep, Hatake. We're on our way home tomorrow. It'll take three days to get there, no matter how fast we travel."

Kakashi looked at him and then back at the stars as he laid down on his sleeping bag as well. "Aa," he answered as he turned on his side, his left hand cushioning his head like a pillow. Genma was right, Sakura would be fine. There was nothing to worry about, absolutely nothing...

He closed his eyes as he attempted to sleep, if only until it was his turn to watch out for any enemy nin while Genma and Gai slept. Everything that Genma had said of Sakura had been right, she was an amazing woman, a woman that he wanted to be sleeping by his side instead of so very far away. He sighed out her name as sleep took him over after a long time.

"Guh, why can't I sleep?" murmured Sakura as she lifted off the covers and sat up on her bed, Mr. Puppykins sitting up and staring at her with curious eyes. She did not want to be at her house, sleeping in her bed...she wanted something more. Something that she could not place her finger on, but knew she had to have it. Whatever it was that she was craving for, she knew it was no where in her mother's house, so she got off of her bed, picking Mr. Puppykins up and cradling him like a small baby against her chest.

Silently, she opened her window and jumped out, landing softly on the green grass before she took off running towards Kakashi's apartment. There was something, something urging her to go to Kakashi's apartment even though she knew that he would not be back yet. No, it would take at least three more days before he would get back. So why was she wanting to go to his house?

Reaching his apartment, she noticed that one of his windows were open about an inch and she slid it open. She dropped Mr. Puppykins inside before she leaped inside of his apartment via the window. She looked around and noticed that she was in his bedroom. Closing the window behind her, she noted that she must have left it open when she was over at his house the morning before he left.

Reaching his bed, she laid down with Mr. Puppykins, smelling his scent on his sheets and pillows as she laid her head down on one of the white covered pillows. She allowed her self to be intoxicated, drawn in by his scent of rain forest and fresh dirt. 'Kakashi, I really miss you.' Sakura was able to fall asleep with almost no trouble after that. Mr. Puppykins right next to her, his small head resting again her flat stomach as he also enjoyed sleep.

What tomorrow would bring, Sakura did not know, and she did not care. She just wanted Kakashi back, she wanted to be able to sleep with him, feel his strong muscular body and heat against her small frame. She loved him, and she realized just how hard it would be on the two of them seeing as they were both elite ninja, both ANBU.

She knew what she wanted, she only hoped that later, Kakashi would not have any doubts in them. She knew that he had perhaps been in love once, if she was not mistaken, the girl who had loved him was Rin, his old teammate. Kakashi had never really told her of his past, but she had over heard Genma and some of Kakashi's other friends at the pub when they would speak.

She knew how Kakashi had gotten the Sharingan eye; it had been a parting gift from Obito right before he died. Later, she found out that Rin had loved Kakashi, though it was unclear if Kakashi loved her back. Either way, Rin had died on a scouting mission when Kakashi was in the Rock Country for an ANBU mission.

Sakura did not care whom he had loved before her, nor how many he had bedded before her either. She only cared in the now, in the loved they felt for each other. As long as he stayed with her, she would never question anything else.