Ok sorry it's been so long! Thanks to all the people who have finally reviewed for whatever reason! Many Thanks go to: AdariasWrath23, SuChAbAKa, animequeenofthenight, In True Meanings, and, Kureneko.
I've been thinking a lot about the plot of this story while at work and I am excited about how its going to develop, however time to actually write is scarce so there may be pauses between updates but have no fear! I will continue the story and someday finish it. I have read several awesome stories lately that I have found to my dismay to be discontinued without an ending. HIGHLY FRUSTRATING and I WILL NOT be following their examples. So as usual, please R&R Hope you enjoy!!
Chapter 5: I Gotta Get Outta this Place
Sakura lay face down in the dirt panting and sweating, grime covered her clothes, face and hair and little bits of grass clung willfully to her once freshly laundered outfit. In short she felt quite unladylike, undignified and for once completely satisfied in her performance. Well not completely, she was lying face down in the dirt after all. But none of that could compare to the feeling of accomplishment she had that not only in this first training session for the new team 7 had she finally gotten one over on that all superior, smut reading, one-eyed over proud copy-nin (with a little help from Naruto) but she had also been able to keep up with the training said copy-nin had set her. True he was still far more advanced then she, as was to be expected of and older and more experienced shinobi and after all he was a genius, but she felt sure that she had impressed him with her strength and stamina. She had been able to keep up, even with Naruto and his crazy ability to keep getting up after being knocked down. In truth, she had to admit to herself, Naruto was where she had learned how to "suck it up" and keep on going even after you thought you were beaten. Kakashi always seemed so effortless in his movements and fighting, it could be hard at times to compare yourself with him. When everything someone did looked easy and perfect and you couldn't even follow, it could get discouraging pretty fast. Naruto showed her the way however, and for a while now whenever Sakura felt she had reached her limits, she would always push herself that one extra step farther. And now finally after this training session she could truly see the results. She may never surpass Kakashi or Naruto when it came to fighting, but she could keep up, and knowing that she would never again have to stare at the backs of her friends on a mission made all the difference.
"Ugh," Naruto groaned laying not 3 feet away from her. "Bastard Kaka-sensei copy-nin, stupid no good-"
"What was that Naruto?" Kakashi asked, smiling widely beneath his mask. Both of his former students had grown leaps and bounds and he found himself excited to see how they would do on their next mission.
"Good to have you back!" Naruto edited.
"Sakura, are you still alive over there?" Kakashi questioned eyeing her limp form as it was becoming one with the dirt.
"Of course I was just regrouping for my next attack," Sakura lied amiably.
"Oh you want to keep going? I was thinking I would take you guys out to Ichiraku to celebrate but I can see you're still eager to-" Kakashi drawled lazily.
"RAMEN!" Naruto cried and sprung up instantaneously from the ground, grabbed Sakura by the shirt, grabbed Kakashi by the vest and proceeded to drag them both still blinking with shock through the forest and back across the bridge towards the infamous ramen bar.
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"Naruto," Kakashi started as he sat down on the stool in front of Ichiraku and placed on elbow on the counter, resting his masked chin in his hand.
"I'll have an extra large bowl with lots of barbequed pork!" Naruto exclaimed to the owner, eyes closed and a large ramen hungry grin covering his face.
"Naruto," Kakashi began again, turning his one black eye towards the young blond shinobi sitting next to him practically radiating content and excitement, whether over being together after so long or merely because of the ramen Kakashi wasn't sure.
"And go ahead and get another one ready, this time with Miso ramen with beef!" Naruto continued happily holding his chopsticks at the ready.
"Naruto!" Kakashi tried again, getting a little agitated.
"Maybe I should have talked to him before mentioning ramen," Kakashi thought tiredly.
"Yes sensei?" Naruto replied happily.
"I'm glad to see you're enjoying your dinner but there's something that I need to tell you from the mission I just got back from," the copy-nin began seriously.
"You came back because you needed Sakura-chan and my help?" Naruto asked excitedly as he wolfed down his ramen.
"No, Naruto, we've learned about some news that involves Sasuke." Kakashi replied.
"Oh no," thought Sakura suddenly sad as she gazed at Naruto from his other side, " I was hoping he wouldn't bring this up right away, but I guess its better to let him know sooner then later, and defiantly better from Kakashi then someone else."
"Has he come back?" asked Naruto quietly expecting the negative reply that he was about to hear from his former sensei and good friend.
"No Naruto, it looks as though Sasuke's gone," Kakashi said quietly.
"You mean he left Orochimaru?" the blond shinobi asked hopefully.
"No Naruto," Sakura interjected sadly,"It seems he had a falling out with Orochimaru over Itachi and the Atsuki and now it looks as though he's been killed."
"But that doesn't make sense!" Naruto cried, "Why would Orochimaru kill him and not just take over his body! That's what he's been waiting for all this time right?"
"He may have done just that Naruto, we can't be sure from the little information that we were able to gather, but it is most likely that either way our Sasuke is dead," Kakashi put in gently.
"So you don't know for sure then right?" Naruto questioned. "You're all just guessing."
"It's not quite like that Naruto," Kakashi snapped getting a little irritated. "We know for sure that they had a falling out and even if there is no proof of the outcome there is little to no chance that Sasuke could take on a demon like Orochimaru."
"You don't know that Kaka-sensei! Sasuke has always been really strong and smart and he's been training with Orochimaru for four years now, he would know him better then anyone, he could have figured out how to take him down!" Naruto confronted confidently.
"Yes but Orochimaru's also been studying with Sasuke, Naruto" Sakura put in sensing the rising tension between the two men. "And he's been an evil genius long before Sasuke was even born, don't you think he would be able to defend himself against a 17 year old?"
"Not if that 17 year old was our Sasuke! I refuse to believe that Sasuke is gone until I see the body, dead or possessed!" Naruto cried loudly.
Naruto quickly finished his second bowl of ramen and uncharacteristically, especially when someone else was paying, got up and left with only a parting wave and stalked away with his hands in his pockets.
"That didn't go so well did it?" asked Kakashi.
"Considering it's Naruto I think it was better then expected," Sakura sighed. "He has so much faith in Sasuke, I don't think that he's ever going to give up on him."
"Until he sees the body" Kakashi said flatly staring into his ramen contemplating.
"Maybe we shouldn't give up so easily either," Sakura suggested. " I mean we don't know for sure do we?"
"Are you still thinking that he's going to come marching back into the village with open arms and carry you away Sakura! I though that you'd gotten over him finally!" Kakashi said, instantly regretting the words, yet feeling somehow better for venting on the young Kunochi.
"No Kakashi SENSEI!" Sakura replied angrily, "I just don't want to give up on a member of our team until all the facts are in!"
"Sakura it's time to grow up, you've got fantastic skills as a medic and your ninja skills have improved dramatically, you're one of the brightest chunins around besides Shikamaru, but sometimes you are still just a little 12 year old girl crushing after the coolest guy in school," Kakashi said levelly staring straight into the eyes of a very startled green eyed shinobi.
"If I'm so emotionally immature how come I know that the only reason you're saying these things to me is because your upset about losing Sasuke and you don't know how to accept the fact that one of you first students and someone that you took enormous efforts to personally train and tutor may be gone and you're taking it out on one of the only people that you feel comfortable enough with to show this kind of emotion to!" Sakura replied with quiet anger.
"I know you're afraid he's gone forever with no hope of escape Kakashi, and you know I will always be here to talk about it with you, but I don't need you bringing me down just because I think Naruto may be right about there being some hope. I miss him too, as you know, but I'm not dreaming of some happy ending with a romantic scene. I've moved on from that! And I thought that after four years you would know me better then to say something so hurtful! I think it would be better if I excuse myself for the evening and see you tomorrow at training," stated Sakura calmly putting some money on the counter and getting up to leave. "I wouldn't want you to get the wrong impression of me and assume that I'm still pining over the loss of my one and ONLY crush I've ever had even though you KNOW I've dated before, so I will tell you that I am not going home to cry over a lost love, but I have a girls out night with Ino that I don't want to be late for."
With those parting words Kakashi watched as Sakura's sleek form stalked down the street and disappeared into the crowd and kept looking until even her still dirty bubblegum locks faded from view.
"I handled that well didn't I?" Kakashi asked to no one in particular.
"Not really no," said Ayumi behind the counter as she dropped the bill down in front of the masked ninja and carried on with a bit of cleaning.
Yay! Chapter five done! Sorry they're so short but I don't have too much time to write so I have to separate sometimes what I would prefer to have as one chapter so I can at least get stuff posted. Please R&R!