Kakashi followed a pathetically wailing Sakura down the hall and onto the training grounds across from the quiet hospital. He approached her silently but stopped occasionally--mostly when he felt her chakra go through a drastic increase with full intensity. He had already been caught in the onslaught of several blasts and he wasn't prepared to become a victim of another. Especially from his former student who just happened to be the most emotional one of the trio.
And anyway, it wasn't like Kakashi was able to comfort Sakura. The first time Kakashi tried to comfort Sakura was when she was six. He was in his prime years in ANBU and he had gone on a mission with Sakura's father to Takigakure. Some poorly trained shinobi had started to reek havoc on the unsuspecting citizens when Shibuki, their leader, had gone to a funeral for Gaara's father, Sunagakure's kazekage. Their jutsu seemed to be ice based, much like Haku's. They had also called it hyoton but it did differ from the actual bloodline limit Haku possessed. It enabled the user to manipulate large amounts of water and mix it with their chakra alone to create ice.
The cowardly shinobi had decided that Takigakure was the best known place and was plentiful with water supplies although they failed to remember Kiragakure itself. Unfortunately, Kakashi and Sakura's father weren't surprised when the shinobi quickly surrendered, bowing down to them and begging for mercy. Kakashi, being the egotistical sixteen year old, smirked and kicked one of the men in the stomach. The man had toppled over and Sakura's father grabbed Kakashi's shoulder. He had scolded Kakashi for his immature actions and Kakashi had mouthed off.
Nothing else had come out of it but when Sakura got home from another quarrel with Ino over Sasuke, she had entered through the shoji and met with the face of one troubled father. She had politely asked what troubled him and he had told her that one of his team-mates had been rude but it was nothing to worry about.
Contrary to his words, Sakura had ran around Konohagakure yelling and screaming and demanding to know who had done such a terrible deed. Kakashi happened to be at the bookstore beside Ino's flower shop looking for an interesting read. He had spotted the pink haired girl and just as easily ignored her incessant nagging. She had marched up to him, smacking his hand away from the mysterious orange book he was about to pick up.
"I demand to know who had done something so horrible to my daddy!" She had wailed terribly loud and Kakashi pulled his mask up over his ears.
"I don't know little girl. Please leave me be."
Sakura ignored him and continued her rant. "My name is Haruno Sakura and I'm the daughter of your team-mate! It was you, wasn't it?" She had caught Kakashi's attention now and he backed up, kneeling down to level their eyes. Jade met black and they stared at each other for a second, Sakura being clearly agitated while Kakashi stayed calm and collective.
"How do you assume that I, Hatake Kakashi, of all of your father's team-mates, could have done something like that?"
She had pondered the reasoning for a moment but a light dawned in her brain and she smiled. "A cute boy, not as cute as Sasuke-kun, had said that when people move their eyes 32 degrees to the left meant that they were lying."
"I hadn't denied your accusations though." Then Sakura had huffed at him, raising her hand and slapping him right across the face. Kakashi hadn't moved because he felt that he did deserve it for causing so much misery to a worried little girl. Sakura had then raised her hand a second time but he quickly grabbed it. "I'm sorry, ok?"
"Shut up!" Sakura decided that it was the right time to learn about what happens when you strike a man's genitals so she did just that. Kakashi fell back in excruciating pain and she smiled. "I am just like my father," she had said proudly, before marching off with some of Kakashi's dignity on the scrapes in her hand.
As of now, Kakashi was currently staring at the sky with clouded eyes and Sakura took this chance to huff. He cast his eyes upon her and followed it by a strained 'I'm sorry.' Sakura looked at him quizzically before he realized what was going on. He took a step back for his own safety but when he noticed her confused expression he waved to her. The last thing he needed was a mad Sakura who thought that Kakashi thought she was still that conniving six year old.
Sakura inched closer, wiping a cascading tear from her eye. She crossed her arms instinctively and gave him a glare which he gladly accepted with grace.
"Aren't you going to comfort me?" Sakura asked, wondering why he had followed her out and stood there pondering for the longest time. She tried to find any hint of feeling in his one eye but sighed when all she found was the orb of darkness that revealed nothing.
"Sakura, you know I don't have the ability to comfort someone."
Sakura laughed half-heartedly and gave Kakashi her contagious smile. Of course, all she could make out were the minute creases that popped out near the ends of his face under his mask.
"Well, I'm alright if you need to know. I'm off to find sensei so I can continue my worthwhile training. Tell Neji that I hope he gets better. Unfortunately, I'm not able to cure his rare case of 'stick-up-the-ass' syndrome. One day I might just walk up to him and take it out...then smack him with it. He'd be cured then...right?"
"Wel--"
"Hopefully," Sakura said, walking off into the distance as Kakashi stood there scratching the back of his head. Yep, she was definitely mad.
Two buff men burst through large mahogany doors, panting while adjusting their ANBU masks. They looked directly in front of them and a huff escaped the men as they noticed the dishevelled mess everywhere. They both turned their heads instantly as they heard a long groan and a gasp on the right. Immediately running to the two people, they pulled off their ANBU masks and bent over to help the inebriated Hokage. One man got up and stared at the person kneeling beside the Hokage, revealing at the shiny hair that lit up the gloomy room.
"Are you Gai-sempai?" He asked, scratching his brown locks in pure confusion.
Lee looked up at the two figures with mock tears in his eyes. He cuffed his fists and shot them into the air as a strange aura started to loom around the figures. "One of you, get Sakura-san! Hokage-sama needs her expertise!"
The two men looked at each other for a fraction of a second before they both looked from the man in the green suit to the Hokage. Lee's green suit was torn in several places, bloody, slightly dampened, and leaking from the openings. One ANBU reluctantly walked up to Lee, pulling his leg on top of his thigh to inspect the damage.
"What are you doing?" Lee asked, concerned for his and Tsunade's health.
"Glass, you were cut by glass." The ANBU that was inspecting Lee clenched his teeth before he glanced at the Hokage. She was also cut in several places, with bruises and abrasions on her face. Her eyes were slightly darker, with a glazed hue that reflected off the sunlight that shone through the broken window. The second man rushed to the window and peered outside to see a chair literally destroyed at the bottom and a man with yellow spiky hair cursing. The ANBU member jumped out of the window and landed on the approaching ground swiftly, gaining the attention of a battered Naruto.
"What is going on here? First a flying chair, then a flying Hokage, then a flying Lee, then a flying ANBU! What else is going to fly down, a freakin' pig?" Naruto yelled while the town's people gathered around with uncertain steps.
"Sir, do you know of any past disappearances in the last month or so?" The ANBU asked, unbeknownst to him that the boy he was talking to held the nine tailed fox's spirit and power in his stomach. Naruto ignored the man's question and stormed past him, running up the side of the wall and into the Hokage's office. He ran over to Lee and grabbed him ungracefully by his collar, hoisting him up to his eye level.
"What is going on? Someone tell me now!" Naruto demanded, his voice becoming deeper as his huffs receded.
"Hokage-sama has had an accident. Get Sakura-san!" The surety in his voice caused Naruto to drop him onto the floor and ponder whether or not he should listen to the man. He didn't seem very assuring in his green torn suit. But nevertheless, Naruto blew through the doors once he saw the Hokage lying there, in a worst state than when she fought his Orochimaru.
Sakura eagerly blew through the hordes of people surrounding an interesting scene. She glanced to her right but one villager's head was so large that it completely blocked her view of what was going on. She looked up and noticed the large cracks in the Hokage's window but chose to ignore it. Being Tsunade's student taught Sakura that no one could seriously harm the Hokage herself, especially Naruto. Feeling that everything was alright, she slowed her steps and carefully manoeuvred her way through the town's people. Her thoughts lingered to her fight with her sensei earlier.
She needed to gain more skills in taijutsu. She had figured that much out when she faced her sensei's kuchiyose. In close combat, she had no skills whatsoever and it weakened her greatly. As a medic ninja, she needed to be able to fight in close combat with shosen jutsu since it was a medical ninja's famous technique. Naruto had told her about the time when he was nearly beat to death by Kabuto when he was using that technique and Sakura was amazed. Such a technique could be used to kill someone? Unfortunately, Sakura was not able to kill anyone with that technique.
She was horrible at taijutsu and Kazuki showed her that first hand. He purposely told the beast to beat her to the point where she was in excruciating pain just so that he could prove his point. At that moment, Sakura just wanted to kill Kakashi for not teaching her any essential skills, not even weapon mastery! But she was also hit with a pang of guilt for not being responsible enough to take the initiative to train herself.
But none of that mattered now. She needed to train and learn from someone more experienced. The first person that came to mind was Lee and Sakura instantly grinned. Lee would do anything for her and she needed him most. Suddenly Sakura stopped, standing in the middle of a park with a twisted face. She couldn't use Lee like that. She couldn't take advantage of his kindness for her own selfish measures. It was disrespectful and downright rude. The only choice she had left was sucking up to him.
How does one suck up to a boy that always talks about the power of youth and is always dressed in green? This question racked at Sakura's mind for a full five seconds before she decided to just meet him. She'd let it all play out. Fate would decide it for her.
Ha, I'm sounding more like him...
Sakura spat onto the adjacent birch tree and lifted one leg to jump into a tree when an arm grabbed her, stopping her venture. She turned around, her pink locks swinging right into the culprit's face. The person, now identified as a man, stepped back, stretching the skin under his eyes. Sakura pouted but that went unnoticed as she stepped back, her eyes meeting his. His eyes were a pearly white and Sakura squinted hers to make sure that her eyes weren't deceiving her.
"Are you a Hyuga?" Sakura hesitantly asked, scratching the back of her head.
"Yes, and I've come to deliver a message for you," the man said as Sakura stared him down from head to toe.
She assumed he was in his twenties and was shy considering he tapped his fingers together much like the way Hinata did when she was talking to Naruto. Sakura smiled and that's when she noticed his hair. It was a chestnut colour like Neji's but it was more apparent and defined. He probably took more care than any of his family members did with their hair and Sakura took that into account.
"So, is it that important?"
"Yes, Hiashi-sama would like to speak with you."
"Oh..." Sakura sighed, her arms planted at her sides. The man motioned for her to follow him and she did, the two disappearing as a cloud of smoke and cherry blossoms ignited in the air.
They both appeared on the front steps of the Hyuga mansion and Sakura suddenly bent down to tie her shoes, feeling somewhat insecure as of then. She didn't exactly understand why the contents of her stomach were doing waves and it worried her. She assumed that she was nervous. She had never been inside the Hyuga mansion before and only met some of the elders once. She was known to be boisterous but she knew when to respect people when necessary. The only problem was that she didn't know if respect was necessary. Something obviously was up if the head of the prestigious Hyuga clan decided that they needed to have a talk with you.
Sakura didn't feel special at the moment--actually, it was basically the farthest thing away from that feeling. The tumbling in her stomach rose with each step and she didn't know how to react. She was becoming scared and she didn't know how to deal with it. Well, they couldn't do anything to her without the Hokage's permission.
Right?
Sakura began to doubt her thoughts as the man standing in front of her turned around to wave a hand before her face. Sakura clearly ignored the shaking hand. Her eyes were heavy and clouded and the man noticed this. Being a Hyuga, he also knew how eye movements related to feelings and emotions and he was proud to say that he was better than Neji when it came to interpreting them. He watched her eyes wobble and shoot to the left before slowly returning to the middle as though they were riding on bumpy waters.
Sakura shook her head and upturned her lips now aware that the man was waiting for her to stop her strange antics. He led her inside and they paced through a dimly lit hallway. There was a large vase that was probably painted before Sakura was born considering it had a painting of a woman in a small kimono clashing swords with the nine tails fox. Sakura found it very enticing and pretty and she nearly bumped heads with the man in front of her when he halted. Sakura mouthed an ow in pain and the man whipped around and covered her mouth.
She slit her eyes at him and he smiled while letting go of her and pointing his index finger upwards in front of his mouth. He grabbed her hand and they walked on the carpeted floor. Sakura loved every moment as she scanned each and every flower and painting on the wall. It was placed so strategically and she couldn't help but look at it. She knew that one painting must have been more expensive than anything she bought. A wave of jealousy washed over her but that went unnoticed as the two walked through a shoji leading into a small indoor training room.
Surprisingly, the room was very plain. Beige walls lightened the room to a certain extent as twin dragons intertwined their scaly, glittering bodies and fought on a small mat centered in the middle of the room. The only significance the walls held was the prime job--to maintain the structure of the room. No pictures or paintings adorned them except for a portrait of an older man placed to her left. His eyes were the same pearly white and he looked like an exact replica of Neji and as soon as she realized that, she turned her head away in mock shame. The last person she needed to think about was Neji.
Her head turned to the direction of another shoji as a man walked through and stood in front of them. The man that brought her to their mansion quickly bowed his head, mumbling something incoherent in that position. Sakura easily followed suit, not even knowing who the man was. He obviously was an important figure since he seemed to be the only person in special robes. The robes were a silky white and had a grained sketch of an ox embroidered on the left sleeve that shone in contrast to the bland room that the trio stood in.
The older man gave a stern stare to Sakura's accomplice and the man bowed again before hastily exiting the room, leaving Sakura with the figure. She smiled weakly and lifted her leg slowly to take a step into the room but froze in her position when her eyes met with that of the man's. Why was she so terrified? Why was he so terrifying?
"Do come in. I wouldn't want you to catch a cold," the man greeted, pointing her to the mat that was placed in the center of the room and the little girl that suddenly sat there casting her eyes on Sakura's awkward form. Sakura seethed inwardly. She had so politely stayed at the door awaiting his permission and he had given her such a cold glare when she had decided to take measured into her own hands. Then he had the nerve to say something like that. Although her thoughts wanted to give the man a piece of his mind, she reluctantly walked forward and knelt on the mat, bowing down to the sight in front of her.
The man smiled slightly and knelt down beside her, showing his respect by clasping his hands together and bowing his head slightly. He then turned her head to Sakura and began. "How come you bowed?"
Sakura looked up to the ceiling as if looking for the answer herself. It was a kind of reflex. "Well, you know when you do something so often that you kind of forget that you're doing it until someone reminds you. Instinct I guess," Sakura bowed her head and laughed silently before shifting her attention back to the man and the young girl, "It's just that the picture of the man up there looks so similar to yourself and you seem highly respected. I just assumed that he was respected too and since there are candle by his portrait I thought that maybe..." Sakura trailed off, suddenly feeling the atmosphere and wanting to change the subject.
Sakura glanced to her other side and gasped when she saw the empty mat and shoji wide open. She looked frantically around the room for any sign of the girl and tensed her shoulders. How could she disappear so easily? Sakura grinned. One of the great pros of being a Hyuga she mused.
"I'm deeply sorry for not introducing myself earlier. I am Hiashi, head of the Hyuga clan. You must want to know why I've called you here Sakura-san." Sakura nodded pathetically as he spoke. He seemed like one of those human enigmas. Maybe he even had a split personality. Sakura couldn't pinpoint the reasons behind his cold yet soft demeanour and it was causing her body to become dense. He seemed so surreal and the girl beside him said nothing as her eyes continued to pierce through Sakura's thoughts.
"Truth be told, your skills are envied from all around, am I correct?"
Sakura tapped her cheek lightly, "I guess you could say something like that..."
"As the head of the Hyuga clan, I know all too well of the Byakugan and it's affects on the human body. Unfortunately, the genes that have been passed on through generations has weakened greatly. I'm afraid that our bloodline limit may become...extinct."
Sakura stared into his pearly orbs and her body stiffened when she noticed the sliver of worry that swam around in his pupils. It was this action that caused her to realize how important this meeting was really meant to be. There was no apparent reason why the Hyuga clan would need someone like her for an easy task and now Sakura was left to blame for setting her expectations extremely low. Also, she wouldn't be able to escape his mental grasp on her mind easily. What would become of her hard earned reputation as a pink haired medic ninja if she rejected an offer from the prestigious Hyuga clan?
She did not want to find out. But somehow, it all felt so sudden. It felt as if she had gone through this before, as though the spotlight was set on her to make the most appropriate decision or be shunned by her fellow shinobi, friends, and family. Well before she could contemplate all of the ways she could become an animate object or shrivel up and die, she had to hear the question.
"Where do I fit in?"
Hiashi picked up his cup with some herbal tea floating inside and gently sipped on it, seemingly intent on wasting more of Sakura's precious time. There were many more things she could have been doing at that moment and the most important one seemed to be finding Lee. Of course, you can't find anybody when you're virtually stuck inside the bland mansion of the Hyuga.
"Hanabi needs training in the medic field, especially eye healing, in order to accompany many clan members on missions that may require the use of Byakugan."
Sakura stared blankly at the younger girl now named Hanabi. Physically, she reminded Sakura of herself when she was younger and that caused a smile to creep onto her face even though she knew that Hanabi's skills surpassed her own at the same age. Nevertheless, would she accept the offer? She felt compelled to but she had to take into consideration the fact that she had to complete shifts in the hospital and go on missions. Did he fail to take into account that she was a kunoichi and therefore needed to protect her village also? It seemed that way as he stared at her for a reaction.
"I'm sorry Hiashi-sama but I'm unable to fulfill your request. As you already know, I'm a kunoichi and I vowed to protect Konoha and its inhabitants the day that I became a Chuunin. Also, as a medic ninja, my services are required by those who desperately need and request it in the hospital. I take great pride in my work and I do find it rather rude to...leave my clients behind to train your already excelling daughter. I'm sure Tsunade-sama or Shizune-san would be able to help you." Sakura finished, ready to leave the room and continue her search for the taijutsu master.
"I commend you active lifestyle in the maintenance of our shinobi and kunoichi and as a precautionary measure, I've humbly asked Hokage-sama to see to it that your duties are post-phoned until further notice. This basically means that your missions progress and assessment program has been cancelled and you're on temporary leave in the hospital."
Sakura's face after that statement would have caused a riot on the streets. It was perplexed, twisted into many different shapes and its deformed figure was nearly defying the laws of gravity and stretching the limits of her skin. The muscles in her face contracted, causing wrinkles to form in many places while her mouth was left agape to sway lightly as she brushed her tongue of her bottom teeth.
The nerve of this man!
She hadn't expected him to go to such drastic measures just to ensure that she would in fact accept his offer. He had probably stayed up all hours of the night to prepare himself for her onslaught of rejections and this was the effect. She had no choice now. The Hokage would be the next person on her case if she rejected. Inebriated, Tsunade would yell at Sakura and complain about the massive amount of paper work she had to complete for one measly person. As if her day could get any better.
Sakura sighed dejectedly and nodded an affirmative before quickly nodding the opposite direction. "If I'm on temporary leave and my assignments are cancelled, I won't get paid..." Sakura drawled, clearly aggravated at the man. He merely chuckled and replied.
"It is covered. I shall pay for every lesson you teach Hanabi while you're stay."
Sakura nodded and stood up, rubbing her nearly frozen fingers on her wool pants for heat. She was a fool to think that the Hyuga would put time and effort into reinforcing their wooden walls. Bowing to the two figures sitting on the mat, Sakura made her way to the shoji. A sudden realization struck her as she reached the edge, pulling herself around to look at the two.
"My stay?"
"Mhm," Hanabi replied, "You'll be staying at the Hyuga household in the guest bedroom while you train me!" Hanabi smiled and Sakura cringed. They're practically acting like her parents and that thought alone made Sakura's body instinctively shudder.
"...Does Neji live here?"
"Yea..." Hanabi trailed off, clearly uneasy when it came to the mention of his name. But that was not what Sakura literally lurched over for.
Could it possibly get any worse?
TBC
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