Summary: As everything she had ever known is turned upside down, Sakura strikes out with her newly founded team in a perilous time when friend and foe alike can become complications. AU. MultiSaku. Sakura centric. SakuraHarem. Sequel to "no good gift (goes unpunished)." Multi-chaptered.

Pairing(s): SakuraxNaruto, SakuraxSasuke, SakuraxSai, SakuraxGaara, SakuraxDeidara, SakuraxSasori, SakuraxKisame, SakuraxItachi, SakuraxHidan, SakuraxKakuzu, SakuraxTobi, SakuraxMadara, SakuraxPein, KakashixSakura, KibaxSakura, ChojixSakura, ShikamaruxSakura, HakuxSakura, ZabuzaxSakura, LeexSakura, NejixSakura, ZetsuxSakura, KimimaroxSakura, KabutoxSakura, ShinoxSakura, SuigetsuxSakura, JugoxSakura, ShisuixSakura, IzunaxSakura, KotetsuxSakura, IzumoxSakura, GenmaxSakura, KonohamaruxSakura, YamatoxSakura, BxSakura, CxSakura, DaruixSakura, MenmaxSakura, JiraiyaxTsunade, OrochimaruxTsunade, (implied) AxTsunade

Genre: Adventure/Romance/Friendship/Humor/Angst

Warnings: some cursing (they are teenagers!), general OOC-ness, dark and sometimes suggestive themes

Notes: I am so sorry about the delay! I've been having some major medical issues recently and the school work has been piling up. Not much of an excuse but it's the only one I have.

Anyway, how was it? Did ya'll enjoy my interpretation of Tenten? She's one of my favorite characters and I wanted to bring her into direct conflict with Sakura. Maybe she'll change her mind about her or maybe she won't.

Chapter Summary: In which feelings are hurt; misunderstandings abound; rivals are made; and friendships begin.

X

Notes: So, I have a poll on my profile about the next story I release, it's really important for you all to vote! Anyway, all of the ideas deal with the "Gifted" series. I'd like to get feedback on what should come next in the "Gifted" universe; the next chapter of this or one of the oneshots that I have planned that deal with the events that came between "no good gift goes unpunished" and "the gifted and i." I'd love to hear from you guys!

Chapter Summary: In which feelings are hurt; misunderstandings abound; rivals are made; and friendships begin.

"the gifted and i"
-5/26-
Of Foes & Friends

Sakura perused the four individuals standing in front of her, feeling increasingly uncomfortable the longer she stared. These people were responsible for her nightmares in adolescence, her constant fear and paranoia for the safety of her friends. She'd woken up near tears and sweating heavily on more than one occasion.

"What?" Sakon asked, ignoring the tension in the air as he sauntered forward. He smiled smarmily. "No welcome committee? Nice hair by the way, I've always been partial to brunettes."

Sakura's face twisted into a scowl. Sakon had only recently defected and while they hadn't interacted much Sakura still felt betrayed. "I have no pleasantries for traitors," she spat, fed up with being stabbed in the back by her friends.

"A pity," Udon sighed, moving forward. "You'd think that the Academy would have the decency to instill its students with manners of some sort." He made his way to Sakura, ignoring the way she and the others bristled. He ran a deft hand under her chin and up her cheek, quickly drawing away as she snapped her teeth at him. "Violent as ever I see. Four years certainly hasn't curtailed your…less admirable traits."

Sakura clenched her teeth, fighting hard not to automatically strike out. She did, however, spit at the obnoxious boy. "Go to hell!"

Udon stiffened, wiping the spit from his face. His expression twisted and darkened, but before he could lash out Naruto recklessly tackled him, nearly sending both of them off the edge of the train.

And with that, the battle began.

Tsunade frowned, looking down over the documents piled haphazardly all over her desk. She knew she needed to review each and every one of them, but she was so damn tired. Orochimaru's defection had taken a lot more out of her than she would like to admit. As the first Headmistress of the Academy, Tsunade was not allowed to show any weakness. She feared the Council would use it to get her to abdicate her position. The Headmasters before her had never had to hide their weaknesses in such a way. It was completely sexist, true, but the only two Gifted women in the world were forced to accept such unhappy truths.

Well, Tsunade thought with a wry twist of her lips, Sakura hadn't.

Sakura continued to defy the expectations placed upon her by people who had no right to do so, which brought Tsunade to her next concern. The clans had begun fighting amongst themselves, and to be honest Tsunade didn't blame them. The Academy was known as a safe haven for Gifted children to learn how to defend themselves, yet it had been compromised. There had always been an unspoken agreement between the sectors and any rogue organizations that the schools housed within each sector were not to be touched. At least, until Orochimaru broke that sacred, unspoken arrangement. Twice.

The clans were understandably riled as Orochimaru had swayed many of their sons away from Konoha to, if the reports were true, the nomadic sector Sound. Despite her newfound hatred for Orochimaru, she admired his twisted ingenuity. He was truly a genius. He'd manipulated many of the Academy's students away from the safety of the Academy from within the Academy itself! By the time they'd caught onto his schemes, it had been too late. He and Jiraiya had had one final confrontation that had ended with Jiraiya badly wounded before Orochimaru had made his escape. And he had certainly left his mark.

Tsunade shook her head, trying to dismiss her thoughts about her former teammate. The clans were also outraged over the fact that Sakura had left the Academy in such a time of turmoil. While Tsunade knew well that some of the clansmen were actually concerned for the girl, many were worried about her…unique qualities going to waste. Many clans had pressed for a betrothal between the Gifted girl and their future heirs, but Sakura had refused with all of the flexibility of a diplomat and the adamancy of…well, a determined woman. The clans were furious that Tsunade had allowed the girl to leave the Konoha sector, well out of the reach of their power. Unfortunately, Tsunade had no idea how to resolve and soothe the tensions that were rising amongst the clans. They needed to be united, especially if Orochimaru decided to attack while they were weak.

Tsunade mused on the ease with which Orochimaru had entered the Academy. Yes, he had insiders among the students and a few of the teachers, but no one knew her or Jiraiya's schedules. They'd been in a meeting with Danzo over, ironically enough, the security of the school. The only people who knew of the meeting were Tsunade, Jiraiya, Danzo and the Council. As much as Tsunade would love to pin the blame on Danzo she knew he would never act to injure and weaken the Konoha sector and the Academy. He would die first. That left the Council. Tsunade knew well-enough that the Council, comprising of only two members, were bloodless and ruthless enough to commit such treason. Especially if they got a hold of Sakura for all of their troubles.

Tsunade scowled fiercely, rummaging through the myriad of documents, pulling out one in particular. She poured over the mission statement, wondering, hoping her hunch was correct. She quickly wheeled her chair to the other side of the room, pulling open filing cabinets and flinging important documents around as she searched. Finally, she managed to dig up a slender manila folder marked only as "Motive." Apprehensively, she slid it open.

Hands shaking slightly, she began to read over the short missive, scowl deepening as she did so. "Shit," she murmured, rubbing her temple when she finished.

Had they misjudged Akatsuki? Their defection, unexpected as it was, had shaken the Council and the Academy to its core. Never in Konoha's history had such a large, intensely powerful group left the sector. The group had left, knowing many of the innermost secrets of the Konoha sector. Surprisingly, they had not used it against them yet. In fact, nothing they had done thus far had been in direct conflict with Konoha's agenda. From the reports she'd received, it seemed as though Akatsuki was something of a nomadic mafia group, dealing and dabbling in many of the shadier areas of the Gifted community, but they had not acted against their home sector. Yet, even with this being true, the Council had immediately written them off as rogue but Tsunade was having second thoughts. She'd never really thought everything added up and the proof sat before her. Akatsuki's defection deviated extremely from the modus operandi that they had followed while acting as S-ranked agents of the Academy. Everything they did was premeditated, well-thought out and utterly thorough. Akatsuki itself was comprised of the brilliant and the elite. Everything they did they did with a goal or even multiple goals in mind, which was why the defection had made absolutely no sense to Tsunade, but now…

Well, in light of the reports that her operatives had been bringing in, Tsunade had a much clearer understanding of their methodology. She even knew what Akatsuki was planning, and she personally didn't blame them. The reports she'd received were as shocking as they were repulsive. She breathed out through her nose, scanning over the document once more.

"Shit," she muttered, repeating the expletive under her breath.

Yes, she knew exactly what Akatsuki was planning.

War. A fucking war.

I don't have enough booze for this, she thought, steeling herself for the storm to come.

Naruto huffed, locked in a battle of strength with Jirobo, the biggest of Team Sound. He certainly wasn't the brightest though. Naruto gritted his teeth, calling upon Kyuubi for the strength to finish their current stand-still. Energy followed through the boy, granting him the ability to throw Jirobo against the top of the train car, denting it and leaving the large male completely unconscious. Naruto smirked, nodding in satisfaction. That was more like it.

He turned his eyes to his teammates. Sasuke and Sai were fighting off Kidomaru's attempts at advancement. Sakon was currently engaged with Sakura in a battle of speed and dexterity. That left Udon…where was he? The hairs on the back of Naruto's neck prickled and he ducked and rolled quickly, avoiding a jarring blow from his enemy. He scowled fiercely, jumping up and attacking ferociously. He ducked and rolled, coming up with a powerful blow. Naruto's eyes narrowed, focusing intently on the battle. Suddenly a muffled shriek of rage broke his concentration.

Turning, Naruto caught sight of Sakura struggling against Sakon, who was…Naruto felt rage take over. He wouldn't dare. He wouldn't fucking dare. Red haze took over Naruto's vision as he watched Sakon kissing a completely unwilling Sakura.

Sakura watched apprehensively as Naruto tackled Udon, moving quickly to parry a blow from Sakon. Her eyes narrowed as she assessed her opponent. Sakon had been one of the first students to defect during Orochimaru's second invasion. She didn't really know all that much about his fighting style, other than the fact that he and his twin could combine to create a crazy amount of power. Even before his defection to Sound, Sakon and Sakura had been major rivals in all the classes that they had shared, comparing scores and attempting to out-answer one another. Still, there had been some sort of camaraderie between the two; at least, Sakura had believed so.

Still, as she ducked and twirled away from Sakon she couldn't help but wonder just how twisted he truly was. She'd had no idea that he was a traitor up until his actual defection. Orochimaru had obviously had an in with the students at the Academy, corrupting and manipulating them into joining him and everything he stood for. Sakura whirled, grabbing Sakon's arm and bending it at a painful angle.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked calmly, unable to understand the logic of anyone who had defected thus far. Did they find joy in Orochimaru's sadism? Why would they turn to such a madman like this? Sakon grunted, writhing against her hold. She tightened her grip. "Why?"

"Why not?" he replied under his breath. "I don't think you understand, sweetheart. Orochimaru offered us, all of us, everything: riches, glory, honor; the works. What did we have to gain at the Academy? Good grades? Please. The Academy played favorites, everyone knows it. Did you know that we make the same grades in every subject?" His eyes narrowed. "No, I suppose not. Yet, who receives all the attention, all the fame at the school? You. You and your team. Me? I received a crap team, mediocre instruction and indifference from my teachers."

Sakura frowned, ignoring the pang that echoed within her at the truth in his words. The Academy did play favorites. Hell, the system was rigged to separate students out by their Gifts and ability to use them. The teachers played about the same way, picking and choosing the students that they favored and doted upon. Everyone who wasn't favored was treated with a general indifference, an apathy built off of the structure of the Academy.

Sakon grinned nastily, wrenching himself out of Sakura's slack hold. "I see you know exactly what I'm talking about. Orochimaru hand-selected each of us to join Sound. Udon first, and then the rest of us followed to form Team Sound. We are the first and foremost in Orochimaru's sector. We will no longer be ignored. The Academy will curse the day that they chose to treat us with apathy."

Sakura scowled, dodging a harsh swipe of the fist. "Isn't Orochimaru doing the exact same thing? Selecting and choosing certain students to represent him and to join his nomadic sector. How is it any different from the Academy?"

"Shut up!" Sakon yelled, color rising to his face as he finally lost his cool. "Shut your mouth! You don't understand what you're talking about! You don't know how much I fucking despise you!" He threw a wild punch, grazing her cheek. "You and your pretty lies and falsities, you always become the favorite of the class with a few choice words! You wouldn't last a fucking day without your 'sworn protectors!" You're weak, useless and pathetic! You mean nothing!" He grabbed her by the shoulders staring into her wide, hurt eyes. "So why can't I get you off my mind? You're too fucking perfect, always lying through each and every one of your smiles." His voice broke as he ducked his head away from Sakura, afraid of the condemnation he would find in her eyes. "Why?"

Sakura blinked, finding it hard to think with the way Sakon was shaking her about this way and that. His words hurt, digging deep into her mind and taking root. She'd had no idea that any of her peers felt this way about her. Did Kimimaro feel the same? Suigetsu? Jugo? She truly didn't know. Still, she did agree that the Academy had made many oversights when it came to its students. "I…" she paused, completely unsure of what to say to the conflicted boy.

Sakon tightened his grip on her, causing her to flinch. She frowned when she caught the wild look in his eyes. "No, you don't understand the conflict, the fight with the roiling darkness within. But you will; oh you most certainly will." And with that, he pulled her closer and mashed their lips together.

The kiss, if it could even be called that, was certainly not a nice one, all teeth and anger as Sakon tried to punish her for her very existence. She struggled blindly, forgetting for a moment that she had the Gift of Power and that she could easily escape at any time. Sakon bit down on her lip, jolting Sakura out of her stupor. She ripped herself away from the boy. Unfortunately, Sakura had overcompensated in her attempt to get away from Sakon's unwanted attentions. She fell, scrabbling for some sort of purchase and letting out a shriek of terror.

Her hands flew about uselessly as she went over the edge of the train. The wind whistled wildly in her ears and she thought she could make out the faint sound of someone screaming her name. She looked up, locking eyes with Sasuke who was staring at her with a desperate expression on his face. Sakura's mind was strangely blank and detached as she calculated what sort of injuries she would receive when falling as quickly as she was. It wouldn't be pretty. In fact, Sakura was almost quite sure she wouldn't even survive the impact. She braced herself for the end as best she could in the few seconds that it would take. Sakura wished she'd been able to say goodbye.

Suddenly, something warm encompassed her entire being, muffling the sounds around her. Claws dug into her skin as she was tucked in against a chest. She looked up bewilderedly, catching sight of multiple red tails waving about in the air. "Naruto?" Sakura questioned, honestly unsure of who was holding on to her.

The individual made a growl, tightening his grip on her and tucking her head more securely against his collarbone. Sakura inhaled the spicy scent of the male, recognizing it as Naruto's. Her eyes slipped close in relief. She felt him adjust her minutely, preparing for impact. "Naruto," she whined. "Why'd you follow me?"

He didn't have to reply as they hit the ground, Naruto curling himself around Sakura to take on the brunt of the fall. Sakura winced, bracing herself as the duo rolled over and over again. They both grunted in pain as they came to a stop. Slowly, Naruto uncurled from around Sakura, allowing her to sit up. She took stock of her injuries quickly. She'd received a few scrapes and a fractured wrist, when honestly, she should be dead.

With a grimace, Sakura scanned her eyes over Naruto, prepared for the worst. To her astonishment, the gashes on his body were healing at a rapid pace; wounds that should by all means kill him were closing up quickly. Sakura watched, stunned, as Naruto's eyes fluttered open, fading from red to blue. "Wha-" he began groggily.

Sakura cut him off, throwing her arms around his neck. She held him, trying to still the tremors that shook her body in the aftermath of the near death experience. "Thank you," she whispered into his ear, kissing him on the cheek and rocking back on the balls of her feet.

Naruto merely blinked up at her, overwhelmed by everything that had happened. "What happened?"

"You don't remember?" Sakura questioned, completely astonished.

"Not really," he replied honestly. He could only remember blurs; the pink of Sakura's hair, the wind rushing around him, the warmth of Sakura in his arms and the power that surged through his veins…Naruto shivered. The power had been incredible. Suddenly his eyes darkened and narrowed. "Did that bastard kiss you?"

Sakura colored. She'd been trying to forget about that. "Er…sort of? I think he was trying to prove a point…a very violent point." She brought her fingers to her lips, forcing her Gift into them as it healed the harsh bite marks.

Naruto growled aggressively, remembering why Kyuubi had taken over. "That bastard!" he bellowed, before doubling over in pain. Kyuubi had not finished the healing process yet.

Sakura snorted, placing her hands on Naruto's chest, partially to make sure that he stayed still and partially to aid in his healing process. The moment her Gift entered him, Naruto visibly relaxed. They sat comfortably in silence for a few minutes as Sakura healed him. "What do we do now?" Sakura finally asked.

Naruto did his best to shrug. "Follow the plan I guess. We'll just do our best to meet up with the team in Kumo. The question is how we get there."

The two exchanged glances before looking around at their surroundings. They were in a very rural area, practically in the middle of nowhere. "Um…Summons?" Sakura asked.

"Summons," Naruto agreed.

Sakura rummaged through her bag, searching for one of her scrolls. After a few moments of cursing under her breath, Sakura found what she was looking for. She gingerly pulled the scroll out, reverently unrolling it. Taking a deep breath, Sakura bit her finger, drawing blood to the surface. Familiars were known to be finicky, especially those of the cat family. If they did not respect their Summoner or his mission, they might ignore the instructions or even turn on the individual who Summoned them. Sakura had completed her contract with her Familiars less than a year. She knew better than to Summon them outside of battle. Still, they were desperate and they needed to complete this mission for the sake of the Konoha sector. She pressed her thumb to the scroll, feeling a tingle run through her entire body as the blood was absorbed into the scroll.

POOF!

Her Summon, a young tigress named Pakka, appeared in a flash of color. Sakura ducked her head reverently as her Familiar looked up at her curiously, scratching behind her ear absentmindedly. "Whatcha need Sakura?"

Sakura fidgeted, fluttering her hands nervously. "We need a ride if at all possible. We're on a S-ranked mission gone awry."

Pakka straightened, licking at a paw delicately before yawning. "I know Mama Darya doesn't really like us to take 'menial' tasks but…what the hell. What's the worst that can happen?" She cocked her head to the side, red fur shifting about as she did so. "Where'd ya need to go?"

"Las Vegas," Sakura replied, still expecting an angry response. Though Pakka was one of the calmer tigers, she still had her moments of vindictiveness and apathy. After all, Familiars in general did not care very much about the human wars, Gifted or not. Cat Familiars were the worst about it while Dog Familiars tended to at the very least care about the well-being of their Summoner.

Pakka stood, stretching out before baring her back to Naruto and Sakura. They exchanged quizzical glances. "Well?" Pakka asked, shaking a bit side to side. "Get on then!"

They stood in silence for a few moments before identical grins split across both teenagers' faces.

This was going to be awesome.

After Sakura and Naruto's dramatic exit off the side of the train, Team Sound had lost all interest in the battle, choosing to tactically retreat from the furious two remaining members of Team Seven. Sasuke and Sai had finished their train ride in taciturn silence, brooding over the loss of their two much more cheerful companions. They'd made it safely into Las Vegas without any problems and were currently hanging out in a pub.

"Pansy?" Sai finally said, breaking the silence.

Sasuke's hands tightened slightly around his glass of Coke, a fizzy beverage that Sakura had introduced him to only a few months previous. It burned his throat in a rather pleasant way, but it unfortunately did not distract him from the awkwardness that loomed over the quieter members of Team Seven. Without Sakura or Naruto around, there was no buffer between them. Sasuke realized with a bit of surprise that he'd never really had a true one on one conversation with the artist. "Yes?" he replied, doing his best to relax his hands.

Sai hesitated, looking almost apprehensive. "Are…are Best Friend and Dickless going to be alright?"

Sasuke sighed, remembering the adrenaline charged battle that they'd had with Team Sound. His memories were blurry; except for the moment he had turned and seen Sakura caught up in Sakon's embrace. The memory slowed then and Sasuke watched helplessly as Sakura pulled away, falling in her overzealous attempts to get away from Sakon. She'd disappeared from sight off the edge of train, but not before their eyes met in a way that spoke of finality. Naruto had been an orange and red blur of motion as he dove off the edge of the train after her. Sasuke knew that Naruto's Gift was special; was powerful beyond their imaginations. If anyone could survive such a fall it would be the two of them. Still… "They'll be fine," he muttered gruffly, trying to put the conversation to an end.

Sai looked down into his glass, lost in his own thoughts. When he saw her fall, he'd screamed her name, losing any sense of composure that he usually kept up. Sai was still not used to emotions but the desperate, hot and bitter sensation that had filled him during the Sakura and Sakon debacle was one that he knew but never wanted to experience again. Jealousy. Sai now understood why the Roman Catholic Church categorized it as one of the Seven Deadly Sins. It had absolutely consumed him and left him empty once Sakura went over the edge of the train. "I just keep repeating the moment in my head," he finally said, watching detachedly as his hands shook with tremors. "I keep wondering what I could have done to prevent what happened to her."

Sasuke's head snapped up. "You can't think like that. You can't." The youngest Uchiha had tangoed fairly frequently with regret since the Akatsuki defection. He always wondered what he could have done to prevent his brother from becoming a traitor. If he'd been stronger, if he'd been faster, if he'd been smarter he could have stopped it from happening. Yet, such thoughts got him nowhere. What happened had happened and Sasuke was left to deal with the consequences of his brother's mistakes. "We can't go back to the moment, it's already passed. We have to handle the fallout that comes with our actions." He reached out, placing his hand on Sai's shoulder in an awkward movement, praying for Sakura to come and take over. She was the one who handled the emotional moments. "They'll make it out alive," Sasuke said quietly, grey eyes warming slightly. "After all, this is Sakura and Naruto we're talking about."

"How much longer?" Naruto whined. While riding a tiger had at first seemed like the most epic experience ever, it certainly wasn't a walk in the park. For one thing, tigers moved in a completely different way from horses, making it highly uncomfortable for him and Sakura. There was a reason that tigers were not running about with riders on their backs. For another, there was very little for them to hold onto, making what should have been a fun, lively ride into a frightful ride from hell. He squeezed Sakura, who was situated in front of him. Still, he certainly would be bragging to the absent members of Team Seven about the fact that he got to ride on a freaking tiger.

Pakka growled, fed up with her Mistress's companion. "A few minutes more," she growled out tersely.

Sakura chuckled nervously, trying to relieve the tension. "It's okay guys! Thank you so much Pakka for what you're doing for us." She scratched behind Pakka's ear, sighing in relief when the cat began to purr. It was an odd sensation as the tiger's purrs created a vibration throughout her entire body, shaking her two passengers. Sakura reached down, pinching Naruto's hand where it was tightly wrapped around her waist. "Isn't that right Naruto?"

Naruto muffled a yelp in Sakura's dyed hair. "Yeah!" he was quick to agree. "You're great Pakku!" Sakura squeezed harder. "I mean Pakka! Yeah, thanks Pakka!" he squealed, nursing his abused hand. Sakura was so rough…

"Here we are," Pakka said, coming to a stop in the desert, very close to civilization. "Ya'll be getting on then. Follow the lights and ya'll be there."

The two companions dismounted from their places on Pakka's back, wincing at the stiffness in their legs and backs. Sakura went up to Pakka, smoothing over her fur and embracing her head. "Thank you for everything you've done for us," she said sincerely.

"It's all good Sakura. Let's keep this Summoning `tween you and me though. Mama Darya would have a conniption if she found out. Ya know how she gets." The young tigress straightened. "I should go now; I know that Mama Darya will get worried if I'm gone too long." And with that, the tigress disappeared.

Sakura and Naruto turned to each other, ready to make their trek into Las Vegas.

"Ready?" Sakura queried.

"Always," Naruto replied with a grin.

It took only a few minutes for the two to enter the actual city of Las Vegas. They looked around in awe, overwhelmed by the flashing lights and the general loudness of the city. Sakura glanced at Naruto. "Where exactly are we supposed to meet them?" she questioned.

Naruto scratched his neck nervously. "Well, I suppose we can always just press the panic button on our belts and wait."

Sakura smirked evilly. "That sounds perfect."

Fifteen minutes later on the dot, Sai and Sasuke came into view, running and panting as they made their way toward the seated duo. Sakura brightened visibly as they approached, pulling all three of her teammates into an impromptu hug. With smirks, scowls and laughter abounding, the separated pairs related their stories of their arrival in the bustling city of Las Vegas. The team was just happy to be together again after the scare that the fight on the train created.

"Isn't this nice?" a voice said in a mocking tone.

The quartet whirled coming face to face with their AWOL teacher. He looked a bit haggard, the circles under his eyes darker than usual and his hair oddly deflated. Still, he was here and that was all that truly mattered. "Kakashi!" Sakura exclaimed, running over and tackle-hugging him. Her Gift manifested, helping her lift her teacher up as she hugged him tightly. "We've missed you so much!"

"I can tell," Kakashi squeaked in reply, trying to escape from her vice grip.

"Oh," Sakura giggled, putting him down and stepping away. "Sorry."

"It's quite alright," he wheezed, patting his ribs down. His visible eye warmed with affection. "I have missed you guys."

"We missed you too Kakashi!" Naruto hollered in reply.

Team Seven, finally whole again for the first time since before Orochimaru's second invasion, got down to planning, trying to contain their joy at being reunited. They quickly sketched out a plan to get to the Excellent Academy without any more complications. They hopped on a bus heading to San Francisco, Sakura situated between Kakashi and the window. She stared out at the blurred landscape passing them by, barely able to see in the dark. Slowly, her eyes began to drift shut as exhaustion caught up with her. Her head landed on Kakashi's shoulder as she drowsily contemplated the murky future.

She fell into the beckoning arms of sleep.

Sakura woke as the bus came to a stop. Sleepily she rubbed at her eyes, peering at her unfamiliar surroundings. A hand came down on her shoulder. "We're here," Kakashi murmured in her ear.

She nodded, stumbling into a standing position as she shouldered her pack. She glanced over at her teammates who'd already gathered their materials. They piled out of the bus, looking around at their surroundings. It was now sometime around noon, Sakura's stomach began to growl in complaint. "Food?" she asked.

"Food," Naruto agreed wholeheartedly, taking off in a random direction.

The others shrugged, turning to follow after him.

As they sat in a trendy bistro, devouring the real food before them as opposed to the energy bars that Sasuke had been stuffing down their throats, Sakura felt completely satisfied with her life and her current situation. Despite the fact that her position in the Gifted society was bound to be tested harshly in the near future, Sakura knew that her teammates would always, always have her back, no matter what. She smiled softly, glancing around the café. Suddenly, she stiffened, catching the gaze of another of the patrons.

He was different from the other strangers that she'd made eye contact with previously. For one thing, Sakura knew that he'd been staring her down for quite some time, or so her intuition told her. For another, he was glaring at her angrily, as if he knew her. The male seemed to be two or three years older than she. His hair was a ruffled blond paired with cold, brown eyes. He was very attractive, Sakura noted detachedly, in a way that put him on par with her teammates. Still, she'd never seen him before and had absolutely no idea why he was staring at her so intensely.

He stood fluidly, making his way to her with a grace that immediately put her on edge. He was obviously Gifted and well-trained from the look of it. He approached their table, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up in response to her distress. Her teammates, finally catching on, looked up as he came towards them.

The stranger raised his hands in peace, never losing the serious expression on his face. "Team Seven?"

"Who wants to know?" Sasuke asked, eyes flashing back and forth between grey and Sharingan red. Sakura placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking her head. Now was not the time to draw a lot of attention to themselves.

"I am C," the man introduced himself. "I am an emissary of the Kumo sector and more specifically A and the Excellent Academy for Gifted Students. Our barriers alerted us of your approach. State your purpose."

Kakashi frowned, disliking the lack of respect this youth had approached them with. "We're on a classified mission from the Hokage. We must speak to the Raikage on urgent business."

Sakura noticed the way C's mouth tightened slightly at the sides in response to Kakashi's answer. "Look," she began in an attempt to placate any wounded egos. "We have news for the Raikage that may determine the future of the Gifted world. I apologize but I am not sure if you can be trusted with such sensitive information. If nothing else, we have assets that can lend to the school's benefit." She smiled. "It's a win-win situation."

C sniffed, looking her over with distain. "I am not sure what you can offer our prestigious Academy." He sneered when she gaped at him. "Oh yes, I have heard of you Sakura Haruno. Who has not? You are the only Gifted female alive aside from your precious Hokage. You possess the Gift of Healing, but frankly, I do not believe you are up to par with our medics." He smiled slightly. "I know for a fact that I am a better medic than you could ever dream to be." His eyes narrowed as he switched subjects. "If your…team will follow me, I will take you to the Academy." Team Seven watched stupefied and upset as he turned on his heel, making his way to the door. He turned to look at them, distain evident on his face. "Well, are you coming?"

The ride to the school was awkward and tense as the two parties avoided fraternizing with each other. Sakura, frustrated beyond belief with C, stewed angrily in her seat, refusing to converse with her teammates as her dislike for the Kumo male deepened. The team breathed a sigh of relief when they finally arrived at the Academy, watching with disinterest as they pulled up to the magnificent building. They were used to such sights at the Academy for the Gifted in the Konoha sector.

C played the reluctant tour guide, ensuring that the group would not get lost without anyone to guide them. Sakura prayed for a distraction to relieve the tension that grated between her team and C. Unfortunately, her prayers were answered.

"Hey-oh!" a voice yelled as heavy footsteps reverberated through the large halls. Team Seven looked up, surprised by the commotion as C hid his face in a hand, sighing in irritation. A tall, large man came thundering towards them, chanting something or other under his breath. Sakura watched, astonished, as the man, whose hair had been bleached to perfection, stopped directly in front of them, looking down at them with anticipation.

"This is…B," C introduced the eccentric man, head still hidden in his hand. "He is the Headmaster's brother and a general bother to anyone and everyone."

"Nice to meet you," Sakura said, cocking her head to the side as she sized up the man. "I'm Sakura." The others introduced themselves. He continued to watch her with an almost eager anticipation. "What?"

"Wait! Wait!" he muttered, scrutinizing her.

Under his breath, C murmured, "And here we go."

"Sakura, Sakura, I am so gonna rock ya," B said suddenly, shifting from foot to foot as he created a beat.

"Um…what?" she replied, flummoxed.

The next few minutes consisted of a poorly composed rap that B sang to the petite girl with the most serious expression of concentration on his face. Sakura honestly didn't know how to respond to this hulking man who towered over her by almost two and a half feet. When the rap ended, B looked down at her expectantly. "Um…thank you?" Sakura said, the statement coming out as a question. B stared at her for a long moment before grinning, pulling her off her feet into a hug. "Can't…breathe!" she exclaimed as Sasuke and Naruto yanked her out of the weirdo's arms.

"You're a fun one!" B exclaimed before sobering up a bit. "Now, for the official business. I'm to escort ya to my bro." Team Seven just watched him with a blank expression, unsure of how to respond to the eccentric man. "Well? We haven't got all day, ya know!"

And with that, he turned around and walked off down the corridor, whistling all the way.

Team Seven exchanged glances, sighed, and hurried after him.

-5/26-
Complete
-5/26-

So Team Seven has finally arrived in the Kumo sector! It's about damn time! Ha! And now we get down to the good stuff. What's going on with the Council? How about Akatsuki? Danzo and Root? Who knows. I apologize for the lateness in this chapter release, but I hope the length compensates at least a bit. Once again, please vote on the poll on my profile.

Also, hushnelle, C's appearance is just for you! Enjoy him and his bickering with Sakura. =)

-jay