Sakura's mood was festering even more on her journey home, she made it through her front door to be greeted by clutter which angered her even more. With nowhere else to go, she decided to clean up and sort through her medical journals and scattered paperwork. Trying to make the most of the time off.

Sakura didn't mind her own company, she spent so much time focusing on her career she was used to her own thoughts. As she meticulously went through the books and recorded them on her shelves she began to realise that she had become a bit of a recluse. Maybe Ino was right, she needed to get a life.

After her organising was completed she headed out of her, now clean, apartment in search of company. Ino wasn't home or at the flower shop so she carried on to Narutos. He wasn't home either. She didn't fancy heading over to the Hyuuga compound and so headed back home to change so she could train.

Sakura grabbed some senbon from her weapons stash so she could work on her technique and headed to training ground 3 to make the most of the targets that were usually set up.

Sakura did a light warm up and began practicing her aim. She knew many vital points on the human body so if she could perfect her aim, she might be able to add a long range combat style to accompany her close range strength.

As with everything she did she threw herself into repetitively learning the techniques. Although she wasn't really sure if she was doing it right.

As the sun was starting to set she let out a frustrated noise. She still wasn't getting the angles she wanted. She went to collect them back up again. As she retook her position to throw them again, a voice interrupted her.

"You're holding them wrong," it said.

"Wha-Kakashi-sensei is that you? How long have you been there?" she asked angrily.

"I'm disappointed you couldn't tell."

Sakura threw the senbon angrily at the target, with more force than necessary. She sighed when it had embed halfway in and turned to her partner, "What do you want?"

"To talk," he admitted.

"So talk," she said, throwing another.

Kakashi sighed back and flickered to stand near her. "You're throwing it like a kunai. Hold it like a hammer and keep your wrist stiff." He instructed her.

Sakura did what he said and threw it, her aim slightly off from her last throw. "Have you just come to watch how inferior I am?"

"No-" he protested. "I just thought you'd appreciate the pointer. I copied that technique from that Haku kid. I really did want to talk?" He offered.

She threw another using his technique again and this time hit the target more how she wanted. She was secretly pleased with her progress and went to collect up the last few she'd thrown. Dispute the progress, she'd had enough.

Sakura walked back over to him taking her gloves off and stuffing them in her pocket. "So, let's talk," she said.

They walked to the edge of the training ground. She sat on the rocks lining the small pond, he leant against them with his arms folded.

"I didn't know she was going to do that," Kakashi admitted, talking about Tsunade sticking them on the same team.

"Me neither. Sorry," she said.

"Sorry?" He asked unsure what the apology was for.

"I can't imagine this is what you wanted. You've made it quite clear that you think I'm incompetent and not fit for active duty."

"Sakura, don't be stupid. I don't think you're incompetent. As a team captain, I didn't want you to end up in a compromising position because I'd guessed your skill level. I told you it was nothing personal. If anything, it's my fault for not checking in with you every now and again. I should be the one apologizing."

She sighed, again feeling stupid.

"Why senbon?" Kakashi asked, changing the subject.

"I don't have as many long range attacks as I'd like," she explained. Sakura went on to explain how if she could throw a senbon at a certain part of the body she could fake death or cause instant paralysis or even death. "I've been meaning to practice the skill for a while but never found the time." She shifted her position slightly more to face him. "If I'm not in surgery or with patients, I was studying. You know I've nearly completed the strength of a hundred seal? It's taken me nearly 3 years."

"Seriously? Wow. Not even Shizune mastered that. That takes some skill and serious chakra control." Kakashi was genuinely impressed.

She shrugged off his compliment. "I have a good teacher," clearly meaning Tsunade and not Kakashi.

"Harsh," he said, his eye slightly crinkly as he smiled in agreement. "Are you ok?" He asked, "with being on a team with me?" He added for clarification.

"Sure, why wouldn't I be?"

Kakashi shrugged. "You just don't seem very happy about it? I know I haven't been a very good mentor, we've established that. I always thought we made a good team though?"

"Honestly, I never saw myself going back out on missions. I don't want to feel like I'm dragging you down."

"Sakura, you made Jonin on your own merit. You're a doctor. You're a leader in the hospital. You're the Hokages apprentice. You have more titles than I do and as hard as it is for me to admit that I didn't contribute to that, don't ever think you'd be dragging anyone down by being on a team with them. Look, let's not rehash all this. Let's meet tomorrow and train together properly. You hungry?" Kakashi stood and shifted his weight back onto his feet.

"I am. I hate having time off. I never know what to do." She complained.

"I can relate."

They ate BBQ together and tried to push through the awkwardness. Sakura called it a night early as she was still tired from the previous night. "Please don't be late tomorrow," she told him as she headed back towards her apartment.

Morning came and Sakura was actually feeling a little excited. She wore a pink top with black training shorts and scowled at herself for not owning better training gear. She pulled her gloves on and wrapped her legs to accommodate the weapon pouch.

She was pleased to see Kakashi waiting for her when she arrived.

"Someone hand me a camera, noone will ever believe me," she laughed as she approached him.

"What can I say? I wanted to make a good impression on my new teammate." He smirked under his mask.

Sakura stretched her muscles out, waiting for Kakashi to give a direction. He had more experience than she did and was still the captain and superior of the two man squad by his rank.

"Shall we just do taijutsu only first?" He offered.

"Ok. No ninjutsu then." She agreed, moving to the middle of the field. "That means substitutions. No Sharingan."

"Ok," he agreed. "Don't kill me with a chakra infused kick then."

She let out a snort. Like she'd even be able to get close enough to land a blow.

They fought and they fought hard. Sakura twisted and kicked. Kakashi had speed and agility but Sakura had strength and his hits didn't have much effect on her. She could protect her body using her chakra almost like armour.

Sakura managed to land a kick square in his chest sending him skidding backwards. He panted trying to recover, as did she. They both took a minute to breath before running back to each other, exchanging only blows and not words.

Kakashi won their battle had Sakura pinned on the floor, holding her arm twisted upwards against her back. She laughed, panting, defeated. "Ok, I'm calling it. You win." Sakura shifted under his weight as he basically sat on her.

Kakashi released her, "thank god," he panted back putting his hand behind his head. He sat back, putting some distance between them.

She pushed herself back up off the floor and stepped towards him. "Let me heal you." She offered.

Kakashi let her heal what felt like a cracked rib, moving his jacket to the side. He watched over the concentration in her face as she knitted his bones back together, her green eyes squinting. She truly was incredible, he felt a pang of guilt again for being the one who has made her feel worthless. Not only was she an excellent shinobi, she was extraordinarily beautiful.

Sakura hadn't noticed him studying her face. She smiled once she was done and sat back to admire her handiwork.

Their eyes locked together and they held each other's gaze for a lingering moment.

"Thank you," he pulled away covering himself back up.

After a beat, Sakura decided to change the subject. "Naruto asked me to recommend him for the Chunin exam. I think it nearly killed him to do so but he's sick of C and D ranks."

"What did you tell him?" Kakashi asked, amused.

"I told him that as you're still his assigned sensei, he needs to ask you first. I'm not stupid enough to realise that sponsoring him means a few months in Suna and finding him a team."

"Why do you think I only approve people for exams when they're in Konoha?" He gave her a cheeky look.

"Honestly Kakashi-sensei, you're unbelievable. You're supposed to be an elite." Sakura shook her head at her teacher's blatant laziness.