Chapter DEUX

Disclaimer: Still don't own them...still wish I did.

Thank you reviewers for being really kind, feel free to express anything you guys want I live off of CC (sometimes my ideas alone don't always fill in a chapter like I'd like)

So what if she had nearly plowed over Kiba? He was in her way. And that would be the story she'd stick to. Otherwise things may get a bit. Messy? Was that the right word? She doubted. No matter. She got Kakashi to agree to help her train for ANBU, something Tsunade would never do, having seen her boyfriend die on a particularly horrible ANBU mission was probably the reason Tsunade would try and stop it. The woman cared for her that much was true. But she was twenty years old. True she wasn't as seasoned as the Hokage but she was more prepared than she had been when she was ANBU. Sakura was confident if she put the skill set of Tsunade, and actual training from Kakashi she'd be pretty much unstoppable.

And she'd rub it in the faces of her two very powerful best friends. They were after all still all "Must protect Sakura!" Which got rather annoying. More often than not she had attempted to kick them at her enemy since she wasn't allowed to attack directly. This was why her skill sets started to fade. Bastards. The kunoichi stopped taking missions with both of them cause they'd deviate from the plan just to make sure she was quote unquote 'safe' it was ridiculous and frankly humiliating that she had yet to surpass genin in their eyes. Even if she had trained one team of well balanced and strong genin herself before shipping them off to other sensei when they passed their chuunin exams. She gave up teaching for a while after that…she found she wasn't quite ready to train Hinata's younger sister. She did it. But the idea of having more clans breathing down her neck made her quickly seek solace in missions and the hospital.

Waking up rather early for her day off Sakura decided to start off her training without Kakashi. To see how rusty she really was. This basically meant she'd have to use jutsu that didn't have to do with destroying the body directly…more like the ones that did that indirectly. "So troublesome," muttered the kunoichi as she got ready rather sluggishly.

With the grace afforded only to shinobi Sakura snuck up on a rather unsuspecting Uzumaki Naruto she had spotted on her to way to the training grounds. Unfortunately one of his own genin deemed it necessary to blow her cover. Naruto being…well Naruto jumped to conclusions and tossed a handful of shuriken at Sakura without even turning around. By the time he bothered to turn around Sakura had dodged most of the shuriken and used a bit of her chakra to allow her to catch the final one. With a bit of vindictive pleasure she embedded it into her rather idiotic blonde best friend. How anyone thought he was remotely intelligent was beyond her…

"Ow! That was mean!" The kyuubi container wrenched the offending metal piece from his shoulder and pouted. "You surprised me its no fair!"

Green eyes rolled skyward, "What's not fair is you wouldn't have sensed me before it was too late if it wasn't for your little snitch." The kid was an Inuzuka. One of Kiba's many cousins. She should have known better than to come from downwind. But it was much too inviting to get his dumb ass. "C'mere I'll heal you. Big baby that you are."

Naruto being just as she said half waddled half walked to her playing up his wound all the more. "It hurts." Big blue eyes began to water, "A kiss would make it better…"

"You wish Naruto."

"Oh Come on!" The blood from the wound started to make the jacket, orange of course, look less annoying or 'loud' perhaps she should soak it in blood then heal him…

"No." Sakura put her hands on her hips that demonstrated she was fully willing to make him go to the hospital and get man-handled by his fan-girls. Or worse…Tsunade and Shizune…who would invariably side with her. "You're lucky I don't fry your nervous system for trying to kill me."

Crocodile tears dissipated and the pools widened. "I'm sorry Sakura-chan! I really didn't mean to! I'll be smarter next time…promise!"

Sakura rolled her eyes and set about healing the really rather minor wound. She'd seen him take more and keep running. Why this one was suddenly such a big deal was beyond her. "So are you free for lunch today?"

"Yeah…why?" This seemed like news to the genin. But it wasn't unwelcome seeing as two cheered, "Who said anything about you three having lunch off?" The blonde asked airily. This caused a slight 'aww' to echo through the training area.

With a laugh Sakura said, "I have something I want to tell you and Sasuke…meet me at the café near my apartment at let's say…noonish?" She raised an inquisitive brow at Naruto who looked a tad suspicious.

"Sure…" surprisingly not begging for ramen he continued with, "You aren't pregnant, dying, or married are you?" The expression that spread across Sakura's face was priceless and made the beating he was about to receive well worth it.

"No you baka!" The word baka was punctuated with a swift punch to the head. It was after all the toughest part of Naruto's body she'd feel bad hitting him anywhere else. She smirked proudly at the whimper of pain…feeling not for the first time a tad bit sadistic when it came to Naruto.

"Ow! Again!" The fox boy cried.

"Oh you know you deserved that one!" Hands returned to her hips…glad she scared some sense into Naruto's genin, 'that's right kiddies fear me…know better than to ruin my sneak attack next time!' With a decidedly softer tone, "It's good news. Could you spread the word to Sasuke for me…I might not be done training and be able to get ready in time." Well at least she was honest as to why she wanted the place by her apartment. Easy access.

"Tell me what?" Speak of the devil. The last Uchiha was lazily strolling through the area with three rather battered looking children following him. Naturally the jounin hadn't a scratch on him. He didn't let them think. They ever had a chance. That was just his rather nice way of training.

"Oh that I wanted to have lunch with you and Naruto."

"Hn." Was the Uchiha's affirmative response. They had long since moved on from their awkwardness due to the crush and him leaving. Jerk face. So some animosity remained on her part. But it was more because she had to beat sense into is smug pale face when he got back to Konoha. Senbon were so effective at immobilizing people.

Sasuke's students didn't even bother to react to the prospect of a free lunch hour. He'd no doubt set them to running. He'd been particularly abusive to this class of Genin. Apparently one reminded him of Naruto back then…and she…a fact that surprised Sakura, really did they need a female Naruto? Ruined just about everything for the team. Sure Sasuke only did it to toughen them up…and beat her record. But seriously what was Shikamaru…or even Iruka thinking? Giving Sasuke a student like that.

"So why are we having lunch?" Sasuke asked questioningly as he took a moment to make sure the students were not too badly battered. He did have a soft heart. But only when he didn't think anyone would notice it. That was how he worked now.

"She won't tell me…I think she's pregnant." Sasuke's students all snapped their heads at Sakura who had the decency to blush.

"Don't be stupid Naruto. We'd have already found and killed any man who's attempted to sleep with her." He had a point anyone who ever showed any interest in her what so ever…that she returned in the least…would have been beaten up by two 'thugs'

With a pout Sakura asked, "Why can't you just wait until I tell you? Whatever forget it. Just be at the café by my place at noon." She lost her patience and took off she wanted to get at least a twenty minute run in before her typical routine and still have time to get ready.

Sasuke rolled his eyes slightly as he crouched near one of his students. Deeming them fit he stood up and briskly started walking once more. "See you at lunch Naruto."

"I can't believe we're not having ramen…" sighed the blonde wistfully. Causing everyone within earshot to sweat drop. Typical Naruto.

A certain someone was spying on a certain pink-haired kunoichi ad bidden by the Fifth. Really he didn't know how he'd gotten stuck with the job. He'd end up telling Sakura that he was doing it if she hadn't realized it was him yet. Sai would have been a better choice. The guy was still a strict rule follower and he was less suspicious looking than he was. Especially since he basically only ran errands for the Hokage anymore. Funny how his entire team ended up as her lap dogs. Shizune fell first. Then Raidou…Genma himself had attempted to resist. But no such luck. Old age caught up to him. He was thirty-seven at this point. Although capable of breaking out a can of whoop ass he was pretty much forced into a few things. Like teaching a student here and there. He was considered a liability on missions that were S-class now for some reason. Despite being a weapons master and the ultimate threat to enemy kunoichi…extremely sexy.

"You can come out now." Came an impatient sigh.

He had told her that it would happen this way. "Yeah, yeah I know Sakura. She thought I could sneak up on you…" The caramel haired ninja said as he dropped gracefully from the tree, "She should have just put an ANBU on you…or someone stealthier than me. Since you know my presence without sensing my chakra. It's really rather annoying. Just thought you might want to know."

Green eyes rolled for what seemed like the umpteenth time that day, "Well I'm sorry for having to deal with ero-sennin and Kakashi…and now Naruto. A girl has to be able to sense peepers. Even when they aren't naked."

Genma had to smirk at this. She was right. Most kunoichi wore rather revealing clothing to maintain their range of movement and the silence when they moved. And a rather fortunate side effect of this was that their assets were usually very well accentuated and the 'old man' had to admit Sakura had many assets. "But doesn't the fact they spy on you make you feel better about yourself? Knowing your worth the effort?"

A derisive snort was his only answer. He decided to take it as an affirmative just for kicks. "Glad you saw it my way." Her look was enough to make any man's blood run cold. "Joke…kami…learn to take a joke!" Another look, "Ok now you're just being mean."

"You sure talk a lot Genma."

"It's what I do." He added rather proud of himself for some reason.

"I noticed. So why exactly did she send you to spy on me?" Well Sakura knew the reason for the spying. Tsunade didn't like to have things kept from her. But it didn't explain why Tsunade sent Genma…one of her friends to spy on her.

"She thinks I'll get whatever you're hiding out of you? I don't claim to understand the inner workings of the woman, you know better than I. I just do as I'm told…" He feigned sadness, "It's a tough life when you've got to see a very attractive young woman train as your 'mission'!"

Sakura blanched, "You mean she made it a mission!"

Genma nodded, "Shizune said it was abusing power…but you know Tsunade-sama…if she wants it done. It gets done. I just don't get why she doesn't threaten you. I mean you are strong but she did kill Orochimaru." Well the death of Orochimaru was more or less because he had no use of his arms and Sakura killed Kabuto, and Naruto beat Sasuke's ass. This somehow snapped him out of his alliance with the snake king as Genma liked to call him. It was probably because Sasuke realized that Tsunade and Jiraiya had trained his two team members as best they could and they weren't a match for Itachi alone. Sasuke gave up on his quest to kill Itachi…though he would still have his moments.

Sakura had promised Sasuke that she would help him destroy Itachi, the only problem was the whole rest of the Akatsuki. They were bastards really. Sasori was enough of a pain in the ass…or rather chest. She didn't particularly enjoy getting ran through with a sword and not having Tsunade's regeneration technique.

Sakura smirked at Genma, "Admit it. You took the mission so you could get away from them all."

Her only answer was a shrug. Which she most definitely took as a yes. Gazing at the shadows created by the sun Sakura smiled, "Well I've got to go. I only have about a half-hour to get ready and go to lunch with Sasuke and Naruto…"

A/N: wow two chapters in two days? I'm surprised at myself. Anyways. I'm a bit at a loss for who to pair Sasuke and Naruto up with…suggestions are welcome! And yes this is a blatant attempt at getting you people involved