Sakura missed Tsunade.
She thought it'd be easy not to. If she were to be honest with herself, most days the last Senju hardly crossed her mind because she was back in the past, she was twelve again and the present was relatively calm and bright and dream-like enough that it had her drunk-on happiness more often than not. Naruto had yet to know that not everything could be fixed with a smile and a promise, no matter how sincere and well-intended. Sasuke had plenty of demons surrounding him but they were quiet. He had yet to embrace darkness, chase power and push them away.
And he won't do it again if Sakura had anything to say about it.
Kakashi-sensei saw ghosts whenever he glanced their way. Every loud proclamation of Naruto's, every dignified scoff of Sasuke's, every gentle smile of hers did nothing but remind him of himself and his former team. But the comparison was more sweet than bitter. After all, there was hope that they won't join his regrets.
Team 7 occupied most of Sakura's thoughts but Tsunade's fierce eyes, strong will and even stronger chakra-infused fists would pop up from time to time. It took everything she had not to burst crying whenever that happened. She'd repair some damaged tissue, heal a bruise, notice a bottle of sake, cause the ground or target to split and break or simply have years of motherly advice and sensible lessons echo faintly in the back of her mind in a voice that sounded too much like her mentor's for it to be okay.
That's it. That was all it took for Sakura to shrink back into her twelve-year-old shoes. Almost if she never outgrew them in the first place.
Her shishou wasn't dead. She knew that but her traumatized self was having a hard time separating 'gone' from 'dead'. When you get used to seeing and talking to someone every single day only to stop, no rational argument can convince your heart otherwise. Tsunade didn't know her, not anymore. The legendary Sannin would regard her coldly, like a stranger and not at all like her most prized pupil.
And Sakura was sure, so very sure, that she would hardly recognize her sensei in the coward and arrogant gambler that she had been seemingly a lifetime ago, prior to Naruto's meddling.
If she somehow succeeded in stopping Orochimaru from attacking the village, the Sandaime would live and... Tsunade might be lost to Konoha forever.
Sakura held back a sob and punched a tree in her anger. "Kuso." she cursed under her breath.
Is this what I am now? she wondered bitterly. The judge, jury, and executioner, all at the same time? She drew her hand back only to deliver a much harder blow. Heartless enough to let a comrade die if that means I get to keep another one, much more important to me? The tree bark shattered, courtesy of more punches. How can I claim to be any better than the criminals I had vowed to protect my team against?
Sakura let out a deafening scream, trusting the night sky and the heavy distance between her stationary point in the forest and Tazuna's house not to reveal her inner turmoil. She didn't notice her bleeding knuckles, nor did she register the pain. Her gloves were back at the house, having forgotten them in her haste to get away.
The pink-haired girl clenched her hand and made it a fist, ready to strike again an invisible opponent that only she could see. She imagined Orochimaru' snake-like eyes and sinister smirk, she saw Kabuto's glasses and the arrogance that his posture always radiated. Instead of another tree in a sea of trees, Sakura's only thought was Sasori of the Red Sand and how closely the branches seemed to resemble his many puppets.
Thinking of Sasori made her recall a face worn down by time, wars, and loss but whose small, knowing smile and stubborn attitude swore that age was just a number and a shinobi was still a shinobi even when old and gray and how sacrificing your life was worth it if you knew that you had nothing more to lose but the world around you did and wasn't Gaara too young to die anyways?
Chiyo-baa-sama hadn't only pulled her own weight that day but also supported Sakura's. Her end had been self-catered, noble and worthy of admiration because really, how many ninjas got to decide how they die? Didn't most of them settle for what fate had in store?
Sakura would have pummeled the Sasori tree had Naruto not sneaked up behind her. He had his arms wrapped around her torso but that wasn't the most shocking thing. The knucklehead Uzumaki had an itch when it came to letting people suffer alone. Sasuke backing him up, however, was surreal. Even as he stood in front of her, his larger hand covering and holding back her fist, Sakura still found it hard to believe.
The woods were suddenly silent.
Until they weren't but it was Sakura who spoke first. The boys were behaving as if she were an explosive tag, ready to go off if they did so much as shift.
"Let go." she gritted her teeth and trashed against their hold.
Their only response was to tighten their grip on her, strong enough for her to feel uncomfortable but not harsh enough to bruise. Sakura equally loved and hated how they knew that she wouldn't, couldn't harm them.
Not in a life-threatening sort of way, at least.
"Since when it's a crime to train?" she switched tactics.
The last Uchiha stared her in the eye, unfazed. "That wasn't training." he argued.
Witnessing Sakura, arguably what should have been the most sensitive and least emotionally scarred member of their Team, snap and leave such destruction in her wake had Sasuke wondering how much of her daily-self was the real Sakura. He wondered how much he knew her, how much all of them really knew her.
Looking at her now, green eyes sparkling with grief and so much anger, wild in her gaze and mannerisms, fingernails full of dirt and grime, damaged knuckles and bloody fingertips, bubblegum pink hair tangled up in knots, he concluded that they never did. That there was so much more to Sakura than what she had allowed them to see and that Kakashi wasn't the only one to wear masks.
They all did. Even Naruto, the moron that he was. And it took Sakura breaking for him to realize that maybe, he fit in with Team Seven better than he thought he would and that for all his perceived genius, he knew close to nothing about people.
Sasuke internally winced. He had nearly forgotten just how dangerous his teammate's fists could be. Not that he planned on loosening his grip any time soon, though. Out of pride, mostly and something else that he'd be quick to blame Kakashi and his annoying lectures on teamwork for.
Naruto had wanted to jump in and stop their female comrade much sooner, long before she subjected herself and the forest to any considerable damage but teme had convinced him to wait.
Wait for what exactly, Sasuke didn't say but when it became clear that Sakura-chan was not, by any means, blowing off steam but punishing herself instead, he threw caution to the wind.
He figured taking a punch or several for Sakura was nothing when compared to what she had done for him. For them. So, Naruto had truly believed that he'd get at least a broken nose. Suffice to say, it eluded him, just how easily it was to invade her personal bubble. She must have been so focused that she didn't sense either of us. He thought, forehead creased into a troubled frown.
Wave Country, if you asked Naruto, held no edge over Konoha when it came to dangerous people. Home was home though and foreign territory was still foreign territory, no matter how pitiful it seemed at first glance. That scum Zabuza and the hunter-nin could have taken the coward's way, spy on them when Kakashi-sensei was not present and catch Sakura-chan too far gone in her rage to notice two chakra signatures other than her own.
The thought of losing her, or any of his teammates really, yes, even Sasuke the asshole that he was, filled him with dread and a sense of overprotectiveness that Naruto had yet to understand the magnitude of.
"Are you angry with us?" he settled for asking.
Sakura found that she wasn't. If anything, she was angry with herself. They did nothing wrong. Quite the opposite, in fact. The two had cast aside their differences and worked together.
Just like Kakashi-sensei taught them.
"I'm not." she replied and hated herself for sounding tired, defeated by her own temper, the shadows of their enemies and an uncertain future. Most of all though? Sakura hated herself for letting them see her like this. She was supposed to be the marble pillar they held on for support, not the glass window they guarded in fear that it'd shatter.
Naruto and Sasuke shared a look then let go of her. They were still in her personal space but no longer caging her in. She didn't know how she felt about them joining forces for her sake. She feared they'd never look at her the same way.
"Sakura-chan..." the blond briefly hesitated. "You know that I am are here for you, right? Sure, I'm impulsive and brash and could use some of the sensible logic that you and teme seem to have in waves..."
"Spades, dobe. Seem to have in spades."
Naruto threw the dark-haired avenger a dirty look. "That's not important right now."
Sasuke let out a soft 'che' sound before his eyes narrowed. She didn't realize what he was looking at until her gaze followed his and it fell on her gloveless, injured hands.
She'd heal them later.
"I know, Naruto." she intoned, hoping the soft smile she gave him reached her eyes. "I know and I thank you for it." she faced Sasuke who was now busy inspecting the beat-up trees. "Both of you." she added. Let it not be said that his contribution went unappreciated. He acknowledged her words with a solemn nod.
Sakura hadn't expected him to say anything.
"I second what dobe said."
Her eyes watered a bit and Sakura looked away to gather her composure. The black, once upon a time endless hole that had stretched wide and far between them seemed to have gained a bridge.
She would see that bridge protected at all costs.
"Naruto, did I hurt you?" she had to ask.
The Uzumaki shook his head negatively. Leave it to Sakura-chan to fret over their well-being when she should be focused on her own. "I'm good." he gave her a thumbs-up. "We should go before Kakashi-sensei decides he has had enough porn for one evening and comes looking for us."
Basked in the light of the full moon, she saw him as the man he had grown-up to become and less as the boy he very much was.
Sasuke reached out and held Naruto by the collar of his jumpsuit. "Do you remember what happened last time Kakashi saw Sakura looking worse for wear?"
The one in question shuddered. "You have a point there." he agreed.
Sakura was plain confused and had no idea what the boys were talking about. As far as she could remember, they only got a painless scolding and a lecture. "I don't follow."
"Kakashi made us catch that stupid cat." Sasuke said, a scowl marring his features.
"Over and over again." Naruto complained. "The weekend that followed, Sakura-chan? You had it free but teme and I?" he continued, wailing dramatically. "WE WERE TORTURED DATTEBAYO."
The time traveler deadpanned.
And there goes the mature Naruto.
Knowing Sasuke and his strong dislike for the blond's theatrics, Sakura was baffled to see the Uchiha agreeing.
"He'd ensure Tora escaped more often."
She crossed her arms over her chest. "Humans are wired to adapt if they are subjected to something several times. Didn't you?"
The jinchuuriki begged to disagree. "This is Kakashi-sensei we are talking about, Sakura-chan."
"He cheated." Sasuke flatly explained. "There were traps waiting for us at every turn and..."
Naruto finished the sentence for him. "He had that crazy snake lady bombard us. We were lucky to make it out alive. I'm telling you."
"Idiot. Anko-san isn't the devil incarnated."
"She might as well be if she has you using honorifics."
Sasuke pointedly ignored the statement and focused on Sakura. "Can you heal yourself?"
The pink-haired girl thought about it. She did use a pretty significant amount of chakra during the day as well as earlier. But, she supposed, I must push myself if I hope to achieve my full potential.
She willed her hands to glow green and saw the damage repaired. Before he could protest, Sakura seized her teammate's wrist and healed the aftermath of him stopping her fist. Sasuke flexed his fingers and mumbled a 'thanks'. Sakura recalled how he stopped Naruto. "Do I really look that bad?" she asked them.
"No."
"Yes."
At least one of them is honest. Inner sarcastically mumbled.
"Naruto, don't lie." she reprimanded him.
"I wasn't lying, Sakura-chan. You are the prettiest girl I know and..."
Sasuke snorted. "She wasn't referring to overall appearance, moron. Generally speaking, Sakura looks fine." he grunted. "How she does from Kakashi's point of view...that's the problem."
Naruto seemed to get it. He had this 'I know what we must do' proud air about him. "Teme, you handle Sakura-chan's hair while I take care of her nails."
Wait a second...
Sakura opened her mouth but the boys left no room for arguing. They were frightening in their persistence. Kakashi-sensei really did a number one them. "Ano, guys..."
Her protests fell on deaf ears. They lead the way to a nearby lake and while Naruto took her hands and lowered them underwater, Sasuke tackled his mission with the same seriousness he showed everything else. Nevertheless to say, she was starting to believe this was a genjutsu.
Or a dream.
Before she knew it, her fingernails were clean off blood and dirt while her hair no longer resembled a bird's nest.
Sakura wanted to bottle how safe and content and at ease she felt. Naruto and Sasuke had, quite literally, seen her at her worst and instead of fleeing, they chose to stick around and help her. It was different, she decided, from the way things happened the first time around. She wasn't the helpless little girl and devoted fangirl who stood watching their backs. Sakura was now their equal in all the ways that counted.
The world seemed to grow quiet, as if to give this moment the weight it deserved.
Team 7 was whole again.
Kakashi was, without doubt, a full-fledged shinobi. He performed well out in the field, be it espionage, silent assassinations, or straightforward battles. Though he'd rather choose the first two and resign himself to the third if there was no other option. As a sensei, however, he couldn't help but feel that he was lacking. He had apathy mastered down to an art and had resented the Sandaime for shoving generations of brats upon him. This year's bunch took the cake as far as dysfunctional went. He came in with low expectations and was proven partially right.
Sasuke had the skills and brain, but not the heart. Sakura had all three which she shouldn't. Not so soon, not so young, and what Naruto lacked in skills and intelligence, he made up for in heart, which could only mean an early grave.
Overall, he would have failed them. Should have. The Hokage and The Council of elders be damned. Kakashi had enough blood on his hands already.
So, when the three of them refused to give each other up for ambition' sake, he saw what they could be, not what they were. Time passed and he wasn't disappointed. They were coming along nicely. Some days he wanted to strangle them while other days he'd commit murder if anyone did so much as look at his little genin in the wrong way.
Kakashi the shinobi was brilliant. Kakashi the teacher however? Not so much. Things were a lot easier back when he thought of Team 7 as duty.
Just as duty.
The fact that he cared if Naruto ate healthy a few times a month, Sasuke took his PSTD meds and Sakura didn't suffer chakra depletion whenever she pushed herself said something.
For the first time in his life, Kakashi got personally attached to his mission. The last few days he had spent trying to make peace with that. As soon as he did, the jonin concluded that his students deserved someone worthy enough to follow and not only because Konoha's laws demanded it. Clueless as to how he should go about it, he thought of Minato-sensei and the answer came easily. He ought to treat them equally but train them in different ways, tailored after their respective talents and needs.
One-on-one sessions weren't excluded, either. But he'd take turns. Naruto was first on Kakashi's list. Personal reasons, mostly. Sasuke and Sakura's bond also happened to be the weakest. Forcing them to rely on each other should help with that. It wasn't unheard of for teams to split during missions because of external forces.
Kakashi had learned that the hard way when he found himself with just Obito, their sensei leagues away and their teammate in need of rescuing.
Suffice to say, how well they got along, mattered.
Feeling Naruto's eyes on him, he shut his book and put the introspection on pause. The blond was...looking at him skeptically.
That's new.
"Do you have something you want to share?" he arched a brow.
"Do you?" the prankster retorted. "Don't take this the wrong way, Kakashi-sensei but we have been walking for fifteen minutes during which you pretended to be reading your porn but actually weren't." Naruto was far from dense when it came to reading people, it seemed. But then again, he was more lenient with his guard when around his team.
"I didn't think you'd notice." he admitted, judging him for a reaction.
The brat grinned, proud. "That's the deal. A spy is only awesome if no one suspects him." he paused. "I've been watching people for some time now. Sakura-chan told me it's important to know your friends and your enemies."
Kakashi nodded, pleased with Naruto's progress though a little miffed. Spies and orange didn't usually mix. "Sakura is right. What am I then?"
His answer surprised him. "You are a friend to me and the others back home but you'd be an enemy to foreign ninja."
"How so, Naruto? There is peace now." Kakashi challenged.
Naruto made a face as he pondered this. "It's a fake one. If it were real, jii-chan wouldn't be stressed all the time and we wouldn't have several ninjas guarding the village walls and gates."
He didn't have anything to say to that. Their conversation got him thinking, though. Initially, Kakashi had planned on teaching Naruto stuff related to brute force since Team 7 was meant for combat and the kid had a knack for jumping headfirst into battles. He would have left intel gathering to Sasuke whose quiet demeanor and stealth made for a good fit.
Kakashi had committed worse crimes than ignoring tradition. "Tell me what you know about the kage bunshin no jutsu, Naruto."
His student considered this. "Nothing other than how I wasn't supposed to learn it." he faced him. "Shadow clones are horrible game partners, Kakashi-sensei."
The Copy Cat felt as though Naruto had punched his gut. Guilt ate at him for not being there all these years. He swallowed it down and claimed a deserted park bench, silently urging his youngest student to follow. He pulled out a tiny scroll, opened the seal and spread out a deck of cards. "I haven't played in a long time so, I'm kind of rusty. If you can excuse your old sensei..." he stopped when he heard a sniff.
Naruto wiped at his face furiously as if ashamed. The sight pulled at his heart strings. "I'm sorry, it's just...nobody has ever wanted to play with me before."
Kakashi's visible eye softened as he ruffled his blonde hair. "Maa, it's alright." he paused. "I have a condition, though."
He perked up at that. "What condition?"
"The kage bunshin, Naruto, is a high-level technique because it gives you the upper hand inside enemy territory. Your clones can scout the area for traps, buy you time and help you gather information. When they dispel, their memories become part of your memory. "
Naruto opened his mouth, then closed it. "That actually explains a lot dattebayo. I thought it was my imagination or the stupid fox playing tricks." he shook his head. "You didn't say what the condition was."
Kakashi prepared the cards, shuffling them. "You make several shadow clones and have them walk around Wave Country. Watch out specifically for mercenaries and thugs then write a list of names, how they look and anything else you think it's important. Then I want you to send the list to Sakura and Sasuke through another shadow clone."
He had every reason to believe Zabuza was hired and if the man's bingo book status was anything to go by, he wasn't cheap. Granted what Tazuna told them, it was safe to assume Gato was the only person wealthy enough to have a ninja do his dirty work. If Team 7 took care of Weave Country's tyrant and returned the money that was stolen, Zabuza and his partner would see no point in attacking them.
Naruto gave his signature thumbs-up and grinned. "Sure thing, Kakashi-sensei. Then we go kick their butt, right?"
He didn't look up from his cards. "We leave that to Sakura and Sasuke."
"WHAT? WHY?" Naruto protested loudly.
Kakashi was calm when he answered, having expected the outburst. "They will keep Gato's men busy while you and I take the money and give it back to the villagers."
"That's boring." the blond pouted.
He shrugged impassively. "Maybe, but the people will think of you as their hero, Naruto."
"Really?" he blinked at him, bewildered.
Kakashi arched a brow as he slapped one of his cards down on the wooden bench. "Wouldn't you, if the roles were to be reversed?"
Naruto sobered up as he reached out with his hand to take a card from atop the pile. "Point taken."
.
.
.
Sakura had trouble remembering the last time she and Sasuke were alone. Alone as in - no Naruto and no Kakashi in sight or vicinity. She went out of her way to ensure that rarely happened. Oh, the irony.
To think once upon a time, she would have given anything for such an occasion. She couldn't fault him for being annoyed with her in the past. She had been naive and stubbornly persistent in her attempts and for all her smarts, Sakura had failed to realize that was the last thing Sasuke needed.
She didn't know him. Not really. Not in a way that mattered, at least. Sakura knew Sasuke as much as she knew the old lady living across the street; slightly more if she considered knowledge of his future actions. The fact that she was better at reading body language meant little. It was all surface level data.
And it showed.
She wouldn't call the silence that settled between them uncomfortable since they were cordial now. The sole fact that he had been there for her last night, calling a truce with Naruto, was more than enough proof. The pinkette had to tread carefully.
What drove Sasuke forward?
Revenge.
What did he seek out?
Power.
How was she going to stop him from leaving?
I have no idea.
Sakura could use violence, she supposed. Her past self would have never thought to be on his level, let alone to dare raise a hand against him. Her current self had no such reservations. She'd rather see Sasuke beaten to a pulp than gone and forever out of their reach. Naruto fought him then, though and lost. She knew for a fact that she wasn't stronger than Naruto.
Not when he used the Kyuubi.
Sakura wondered just how much of its chakra had the blond used during their fight. Then she wondered just how much Naruto held back only because it pained him to fight his best friend. She knew but the end result- Sasuke victorious and Naruto nearly shoved into a coma.
What if he didn't hold back and Sasuke was just that much stronger than him?
The thought was disturbing. So much so - that Sakura felt sick to her stomach. She doubted she'd be any more successful than Naruto if it came down to that. Which was why it must never do. At this point, she was more shinobi than they were. Sasuke and Naruto always faced each other straight on.
Fairly.
And though she was at her best during close combat herself, Sakura figured going for a different approach would increase her chances.
Best case scenario- she'd ensure that Orochimaru never marked Sasuke.
Worst case scenario- she'd sneak inside his hospital room, drug him, and have Naruto carry him. She'd say they are pulling a prank that somehow involved their sensei's house. Cue the team sleepover Sakura was robbed off. Surely the Sound Four would have enough common sense not to attack Sharingan no Kakashi.
She pinched her eyebrows and sighed quietly.
"Teme! Sakura-chan!" a familiar voice yelled in the distance.
Besides her, Sasuke straightened up. "Why would dobe send a kage bunshin?" he voiced out loud her exact thoughts.
She shrugged. "Beats me."
Naruto's clone ceased running upon reaching them. He thrust his hand forward. The Uchiha heir took the piece of paper and scanned it.
"The men written on that list work under Gato. Kakashi-sensei wants you to catch them." the blond's replica disappeared with a puff of smoke.
Sakura shuffled closer to Sasuke and craned her neck to look over his shoulder. He stiffened at the proximity but didn't brush her off. Naruto's messy writing was impossible to decipher. His brows furrowed as he handed the paper to his female teammate.
"Who is our first target?" he required, limbs twitching in anticipation. Sasuke longed to fight.
"Asai Hiro, brown hair, grey eyes, has a katana strapped to his back, wears baggy clothes and is as tall as Kakashi-sensei."
"Is he a ninja?" he asked.
She shook her head negatively. "None of them are. Thugs, mercenaries, thieves..." her voice trembled next. "...rapists."
Sasuke's jaw clenched. "You handle the first two categories while I deal with the rest."
Thinking that he mistook her reaction as fear rather than anger and disgust, Sakura's eyes hardened. "You don't have to coddle me."
"I'm not." he replied simply. Not after what I witnessed last night. Sasuke didn't doubt her skills, hadn't doubted them in some time. Her most recent display of strength erased any lingering sentiment of that sort. "There is two of us, might as well get this over with fast. Zabuza and the hunter-nin are the bigger threats."
The pinkette calmed a bit, taking his word for it. Sasuke was many things but a liar was not one of them. "To be honest, I don't think Kakashi-sensei plans for us to fight them again."
He gave her an 'are you mental' kind of look.
"It's the wisest course of action..." Sakura froze in the middle of wording her sentence. Instinctively, her hand went to her kunai pouch. Then her eyes widened when she remembered Tazuna, standing a few meters away on the bridge. I know these chakra signatures. She met Sasuke's eyes and titled her head backwards.
He got the silent meaning and stuck his hands inside his pockets as he walked past her and stopped near their client. "You got bored, didn't you, son? Guarding an old man such as myself..." Tazuna rambled, utterly oblivious.
Sakura was at loss. She didn't know what she was supposed to do. She and Sasuke were no match for them on their own. Did this happen the first time around? If so, how did they win?
Come on Haruno, think.
They needed a distraction.
"Sasuke-kun." the affectionate honorific slipped off her lips and it struck Sakura just how natural it sounded, even after so much time had passed.
He jerked his head in her direction and narrowed his eyebrows in disbelief. "What, Sakura?" he might as well go along with her plan.
She made a show out of battling her eyelashes at him. "I bet my clone can outran yours."
Sasuke huffed, dignified. "I thought we were past childish games." he paused, seemingly to consider what she said. "Fine, I'm bored anyways. If I win, you and I train together when we get home."
Her mind drew a blank at the strange request but then she figured that was the closest thing to a prize he could have named without losing all sense of self.
"If I win..." she hesitated. "You have to promise me something."
Sasuke tried to gauge when their pretense had stumbled into real territory. Come to think of it, he had meant what he said about training with Sakura. He waited expectantly for her to state what that 'something' was. Surely, she didn't think he'd agree without knowing to what. "Well?" he probed.
Sakura stilled. "You have to promise me that you will never leave us, leave Team Seven."
The raw, naked emotion in his teammate's eyes made him feel uncomfortable. Sasuke adverted his gaze and nodded curtly. "Let's play then."
Both went through the hand seals and performed shadow clones. Both ran but Sakura's got underneath the bridge and set explosive tags while Sasuke's went in the direction of the city market, to let Kakashi and Naruto know they needed help.
Their high ranked foes emerged from the woods.
"You kill the brats, Haku, while I wait for The Copy Cat to show-up." Zabuza showed off his teeth. "He and I have some unfinished business."
A/N: Someone asked whether Gaara and Itachi will team up with Sakura later on. I haven't planned that yet. I know as much as you do regarding these two. Shikamaru and Lee make for good partners in crime, I agree. I can't help but wonder just how realistic my version is, to be honest. I try to write Team Seven's character development in a believable way. I know I put a lot of emphasis on bonds but that's just my style. Sakura will make some drastic changes soon, you will see in future chapters. Overall, thank you for reading and showing your support! I'm shook. When I started this, I didn't think I'd get such feedback. I hope you enjoyed reading the chapter.