Another Chapter

I thought long and hard about writing her training

with out Naruto, Sasuke and only a bit of Sakura.

I decided it would be good character development!

The sun was rising. My muscles were buzzing, crying actually. I had never seen so much of the leaf village then I had in the last 60 hours. Day one was a bust. I was at the training ground till late at night trying to land a hit and I couldn't. So we ran those 50 laps. There were tiresome and never ending. I had slept the day almost away if it hadn't been for some ration bars so boost my calories. Mid day yesterday I had tried again. I was even slower then the day before, muscles fatigued and swelling. I still tried. I really did.

Of course I didn't land a blow and here I was running 50 more laps, much slower then I have ever ran before, it was more like a light jog. I glanced over at Gai-sensei. Even though these were my punishment for not being able to touch him he ran then me with me, at my pace. The time before he was a buzzing bee, non stop talking about Kakashi-sensei and their competitions. Oddly enough I couldn't actually picture him doing anything like running laps around the village or walking on his hands. Today was different, he was quiet and watchful. Maybe waiting for me to collapse. I was going to have to get myself of a stricter schedule if I wanted to keep this up.

It had taken me twice as long so do the same amount of work as the day before. The sun was fully erect and it was starting to get hot and sticky. I had 7 more laps to go. I wouldn't give up though. Never give up. Just keep moving Suiren. "Hey Suiren!" I stopped dead in my tracks. My eyes scanning for the source of my name. I was huffing and puffing but smiled when I saw the blond lingering by the village gates. I glanced at Gai-sensei and when he gave me a nod I walked over to the boy. "What are you doing up so early? You're all sweaty." I chuckled and ran a shaky finger through my hair. I was pretty sure I had never been this tired before. "You know training and such. Where are you off too?"

I had noticed the back pack, his hands gripped tight around the straps. It was then that I noticed a man with long white hair and a huge scroll on his back. I hadn't even sensed him at first. "I'm off to train with Pervy Sage!" I cocked an eyebrow as the man walked over. "How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that in front of people?" Naruto rolled his eyes. "Master Jiraiya, It is good to see you." I glanced over at Gai-Sensei and then over at this Pervy Sage that Naruto was running off with. Apparently Master Pervy Sage, that was interesting enough. "Gai, I see you have been doing some of your special training huh?" He had a large grin on his face. "Been doing a special run around the village since last night." I mumbled, my legs aching at the thought.

I watched him look over at Mr. Green Spandex. "Special training? Kakashi blew you off to huh? It's always Sasuke, Sasuke. "I chuckled, I hope he never changed. "I'll be training with Kakashi in two weeks. When will you be back?" I couldn't help but frown. It seemed our team was parting ways for this month and I wasn't liking it, not one bit, especially with Sakura being a bit of a moody one lately. I hadn't even gotten to talk to her since that day in the hospital.

"Till the finals I think." He rubbed the back of his head, face turning soft probably at the expression I held. I was to tired to hide my emotions. Sweaty or not he grabbing me into one of his bear hugs. Lifting me off the ground and squeezing me tight. "Don't you worry Suiren. Ill be back before you know it and when we're Chunin we can go on all types of cool missions together, Believe it!" I stumbles back when he let me go. I couldn't help but smile. "Well I have seven more laps around the village. You better train hard Naruto cause I know I will." He gave me a thumbs up and turned to leave.

I felt a tug in my heart. My knuckle head. I quickly wrapped my around his neck from behind give him a kiss on the cheek, "Be safe." His face turned around red, a smirk on the sage's face. "Come on Squirt." I waited a bit, watching them leave down the dirt road away from the village. When they were almost out of sight I let a small gasp leave my lips. "I am sorry Gai-Sensei." I bowed my head. "Seven more laps, right little bud!" I smiled, I could see how he was so likable.

I finally had myself on a regiment. Six hour intervals of sleep, yoga once a day, twice if I had to run. Ration packs and fruit, some times food pills if I just didn't have the energy. Looking around my room the house felt empty. I sighed pushing the thought away. It was about mid day, to late for lunch and to early for dinner. I didn't have training until the sunset, something new today. I got up, my body ached. Only a few days of special training and I was already starting to thin out, fat dissolving being replaced by sheer muscle.

Once I had done some light yoga I changed into dark blue shorts and my purple v neck shirt. I decided to walk to Sakura's, I missed her. She was the only one of my teammates still in town and I hadn't gotten to talk to her. "I'm sorry dear by Sakura went out a little while ago." I bowed at her mother, thanking her even though I was no more closer to finding the girl. Sighing again I walked through town. It was like it always was, hustling and bustling. Passing the Ramen shop I thought of Naruto and wondered how his training was going. Then I thought about Sasuke. His power hungry face flashed through my mind, the greed in his eyes. I shivered at the thought. "Hey it's you." I was pulled from my mind and looked over at an open window.

Walking aimlessly I had found my way to the BBQ place. My stomach lurched a bit but I ignored it. "Hello Shika, Choji. Asuma-sensei." Watching Choji shove half a dozen pieces of meat in his mouth suddenly took my hunger away. "I hear you've been training with Gai." Nodding my head at their sensei Shika's eye brow cocked. "I'm surprised your standing." I chuckled at his words. Seems that Gai-sensei's training was known throughout the village.

"This is such a drag, Asuma is a slave driver." A bead of sweat rolled down Shika's face. "I would have never pushed to get this far had I known it would be so troublesome." I leaned against the window, my legs were getting tired from standing up. "Hey, their are people who would give their right arm for the spot you have." I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes. I feel like some of us gave more then just a right arm already. "Who are you fighting in the final?" Propping his elbow on the table he let his head fall lazily in his hand, "That sand ninja girl." I saw him sigh and I clicked my tongue on the rood of my mouth. "Your fighting the other sand ninja right, with the puppet?" I nodded realizing that I hadn't had a chance to find out how every ones match went.

"Speaking of if you have some time to spare in your training I would really like a good recap of the preliminary fight. Since I didn't get to see Kankuro fight but he saw me I'm at a pretty big disadvantage." Choji stopped eating for a moment before looking between Shika and I. I watched the boy, his eyes calculating. He was so smart. There was no doubt in my mind that he was going to become a Chunin. "Sure. I'm not sure how long you're free. I'm training right after lunch." I bowed my head in gratitude. "I start training with Gai at sunset. As soon as I find Sakura. I should probably be free for lunch tomorrow."

"Last we saw she was going toward the hospital to visit Lee." My brows furred together. "Right you didn't see. Lee faced Gaara in the preliminaries." Oh god no. I pressed my lips into a thin line, Gai had said nothing about the boy. I should have realized something was up when we never crossed paths even thought I was training with his sensei. "I'm sorry but I have to go. Good seeing you all. See you tomorrow Shikamaru." I was out of there. Taking the roofs to get to the hospitals. It took a lot out of me to sprint and when I got inside I was trying to catch my breath. I noticed Sakura at the desk talking to one of the nurses. "Suiren is everything alright?!" I put my hand up to tell the nurse I was fine. "I'm alright ... just winded." When Sakura turned I noticed the single Daffodil in her hand. "What are you doing here shouldn't you be training?" I shook my head finally getting enough air into my chest. "You never told me about Lee." Her eyes went wide for a second.

"I'm so sorry. I completely forgot that you didn't know." My eyes softened a bit. "That's alright. Things have been crazy around these parts." She gave me a small smile. "So we are both here to see Rock Lee." the nurse smiled and nodded her head. "Like I was telling Sakura here, Lee is still in pretty bad shape so you can really only stay for a little while." We understood and followed her to his room, "Lee you have two lovely ladies here to see- Lee?!" She dropped her clip bored. "Oh no not again." His bed was empty, sheets on the floor. "Look." Sakura pointed out the window and we wasted no time heading to the court yard.

"Come on we had a deal. If I can not complete 200 push ups then it is 200 Squats. 190, 191." He looked completely beat up, one of his arms was in a cast and his foot too and here he was trying to do push ups. "Lee stop this, you need to get back inside." The nurse bent down to try and get him to stop. "Stop! Please do not interfere with my training. I have to finish 192, 193. Come on. 194." I felt helpless and did the only thing I could do. Walking forward I bent down in front of him. He looked at me. Trying to catch his breath. I got into the push up position. "Lee take a moment. Let me catch up and we will do it together. If we cant do 200 we will do 200 squats right?" Before he could say anything I started to pump out as many as I could.

I didn't want to force him to stop but he needed to. Beads of sweat where rolling down his face and I could see how much pain he was in. There was no use telling him to stop but I figured if I could just get him to pause for a moment. Just wait, catch his breath and think logically. He let his knee rest down while I was mumbling numbers I had hit about fifty when he laid on the floor. The stress of moving his unhealed body finally catching up to him. "Please watch him while I go get a stretcher."

"Yes ma'am." Sakura bent down moving a strand of hair from Lee's face. "Why do they do it? Why do boys push them selves this far." My head tilted to the side. "It's the will of fire engraved in their bones. The will to be the best they can be no matter how hard they have to push and how many times they break. To be Hokage, to be an avenger or to be the best Shinobi they can be. What ever the dream they have burns with in them. That's why they push themselves. Death being the only thing strong enough to stop them." I watched the nurse come back to move the boy and I went so that Sakura could leave the flower for him so he had it when he woke up. We left the hospital together. Tension between us thick and I didn't like it.

When she stopped I stopped. We were close to her house. She turned to me, turmoil in her eyes. "You win." I nibbled the inside of my cheek. I didn't know what she was saying. "Sakura I-" She waved me off. "Please Suiren, I've been thinking about this for a while just listen. You win okay, you can have him. You are the perfect ninja, beautiful, strong, loyal. You're an Uchiha and he deserves you. You deserve him too. I know that there is something going on. Something you two haven't told me and Naruto. I can see you are keeping secrets from us, from me. I see you are so close, a closeness I haven't even been able to touch in all the years I've known him and you haven't even been here a year." Big fat tears welled up in he eyes. I ached. I had no idea all of this had been in her head, manifesting, brewing.

"Oh Sakura." My voice was soft. "You're right we did keep something from you and Naruto but it's not what you think. I swear it to you. In the forest. When we were attacked, it was by Orochimaru, one of the sannin. All I know is that he is after Sasuke and we didn't tell you guys cause we didn't want to worry you." At this point tears were falling from eyes. "I've been so worried about him because he is my teammate, the last of my clan and so I've been acting weird and over protective and hovering. I wouldn't lie to you Sakura. You're my best friend and I love you. You and Sasuke, Naruto and Kakashi. You're all the family I have left." My hands were shaking, my body trembling. I was trying to take one day at a time but everything was just eating me alive. At night id see those eyes, blood thirsty. I'd hear that laugh.

I whimpered softly and the pink haired girl pulled me into her. The embrace so tight we smacked heads but it didn't matter. I had my friend back. "I'm sorry Sakura please forgive me." I whispered trying to calm my self down. She pulled me away, her sea foam green eyes searching mine. "You never have to suffer alone. I'm here for you. We are family right?" I nodded my head and she smiled, a real smile. Everything was alright, for now. "I wish you would've told me soon. I could have helped you with this." I shook my head softly. "I wanted you guys as far from it as possible. Orochimaru, he is to strong. I'm not close to being strong enough to protect you from him." She frowned softly, "You don't need to protect us."

"But I do. That's my goal. Ill train till I drop every day till I am strong enough to protect those precious to me. I will never give in or give up. That's my nindo, my will of fire." She cracked a smiled and grabbed my hand squeezing it. "I think you are good for Sasuke. I think .."

"Stop, just stop." I squeezed her hand back. "That is the furthest from my mind right now. Boys and marriage and kids. I want to be a great Kunoichi, strong. Someone who others can look up to and who can protect this village." She nodded her head, "Well I look up to you and Ill get strong to. For you and Sasuke and Naruto." We talked a bit more about Lee and his condition. I couldn't believe that there was no way he could be a ninja anymore. I felt so sad for him because that was his dream. There had to be another way but Sakura said that there wasn't much else they could do.

"What are you doing tomorrow?" I thought about it for a second, "Well I train with Gai-sensei tonight and then tomorrow I'm meeting Shikamaru for lunch." I jumped when she squealed. "Like a date?!" My eyes went wide for a moment. Was she not listening to anything I said before. "Absolutely not. Shikamaru has one of the brightest mind of our generation. I'm getting his information about Kankuro from the match that I missed. To help with my training." She rolled her eyes. Like I took the fun out of everything. "That's no fun. Maybe I can come over and make you dinner. You're by yourself now that Kakashi-sensei is off training Sasuke right." I nodded. "Sounds good to me, I better get going." Looking up I noticed the sun was starting to make it's descend. "I have training." She nodded quickly. "Right right. Ill see you tomorrow then. Don't train to hard now." I smirked. I always trained to hard.

Disclaimer: I don not own Naruto ™ only my own Oc's thrown into the mix.