A.N. — This was written for a contest over at Allpoetry•com (allpoetry•com/contest/2800720-Naruto-), which gave me an excuse to give Sakura some time in the spotlight. It was then posted at Archiveofourown, and now that the original contest is closed (I got silver), it is being posted here. Poetry is near and dear to my heart, though I know it's mostly passed over on fanfiction sites. Dunno why; they're short and don't take much time to read. This poem rhymes, though that's not typical of my output of the last half decade or so. I kept the piece confined to the time skip to prevent it from becoming a sprawling mess. How'd I do?
Clanless, Not Helpless
Kunoichi shunted aside
by clan heir and jinchuriki,
a paper ninja, genjutusu type
career genin is all she'll be.
Sensei won't give her a chance,
so she finds one of her own,
teammates scatter to the wind,
pink-haired teen stays loyal at home.
With proper tutelage, Sakura blooms,
absorbing all there is to learn,
delicate features now toned and lean,
her hands can heal and kill in turn.
The Hokage's lone protégé,
a bevy of tricks under her belt,
eagerly awaiting Team 7's return
to finally make her impact felt.
