Rokudaime

Chapter Seventeen

The Sixth's Reign

"Sayuri, you still can't throw a kunai properly. How are you suppose to be a shinobi if you can't do something as simple as this," A young girl scolded critically to her classmate, and she easily threw the kunai she held towards her target, hitting the bull's eye with high precision on the practice targets in the school yard. The arrogant academy student sent her self-conscious peer a cocky grin, as a few of their classmates applauded and cooed over her skills. She was top of her class for a reason, and it made her highly popular among her peers.

Sayuri's cheeks were flushed red from mortification and shame, her cooper colored irises were misty with incoming tears that she fought to contain. It was bad enough that she was being teased by Rei for her poor skill set, but to cry like a baby in front of everyone will make things ten times worse.

"I'll try harder..." Sayuri muttered lowly as she tightened her hands into fists, her eyes staring towards the dirt ground in an effort to avoid her classmates judging gazes.

Rei glared down at Sayuri, her amethyst colored irises were firm and filmed with thin concern. "You should just quit now, Sayuri, and save yourself the pain from failing the graduation exams. I'm only telling you this, because I care." Sayuri brought her startled gaze towards the dark haired girl, stunned and confused by Rei's bold words. Did she really care?

"I-I-I..." The words were difficult for Sayuri to get out, and at the sound of her agreeing classmates the young girl turned to run away from their taunting words and laughter. Rei stood silent as her peers continue to laugh at the retreating Sayuri, her eyes firm and conflicting.

Sayuri found herself crying silently on a bench in Konoha National Park. Rei's words echoed in her mind over and over again, and she found herself conceding to her classmate's words. Maybe she should quit now. It was clear that she was not very good at being a shinobi, despite it being her dream. She wanted to be like the Sixth, strong and beautiful.

"I'll never be like the Sixth." She stated sadly, her cooper colored irises depressed and dark as a gentle breeze passed through her wavy dark hair.

"I'm just too weak, and useless." She cried once more, hot tears following soon after as the twelve year old mourned openly of her lost dream.

"Sitting there, and crying about it isn't going to change things, now is it?" Sayuri stiffen at the sound of a familiar and strong voice. Her tears stopped flowing, and she quickly lifted her head towards the direction of the familiar voice.

Sayuri's cooper colored irises widen in pleasant surprise at the appearance of the Sixth Hokage. The twelve year old stood up swiftly and presented the Sixth with a low bow, to show her respects. It wasn't everyday the Sixth was seen wandering around the village due to her busy schedule.

"Sixth, what are you doing here?" Sayuri questioned anxiously, clearly confused as to why the Rokudaime was here with her instead of being at the Academy where she was supposed to be delivering a speech to the upcoming graduating class.

"I thought it was more important to see if you were okay than giving the same old speech, neh?" Sayuri was stunned by the Sixth's response, and blushed when the Sixth took a casual seat on the bench she occupied only seconds ago. The powerful kunoichi didn't seem to have a care in the world from her aloof appearance, but her peppermint colored irises told a different story. Her piercing gaze was troubled and displeased, and Sayuri wondered if it was directed towards herself.

Sayuri took the moment to admire the Rokudaime. This was her second time seeing the Hokage in person since her coronation five years ago, and the pink haired woman has changed a lot since then. The Sixth's appearance has changed over the years, but the real change could be felt from the aura that surrounded her. The petite woman radiated power, confidence, and authority.

The pink haired leader contained a certain poise and confidence to her posture and gait. No longer was her famous pink hair short, but long and down to her thighs with soft curved ends. She kept her lengthy hair in a high ponytail where a single thick braid that was dyed a soft blonde could be seen from the right side, and just before the start of her bangs.

It was rumored that the Sixth had dyed that section of her pink hair in honor of the late Tsunade-sama, a week after her death. The Sixth had only been in office for a year when the Slug Princess passed away in her sleep.

The Rokudaime's long bangs framed her heart shaped face, and in the center of her forehead stood the purple rhombus seal, which signified the Strength of a Hundred Seals. A token and an inheritance from the late Fifth Hokage.

The Sixth's facial features were soft and feminine, yet sharp at the jawline, and matured along with her feline shaped eyes with their dark, long lashes. On her shapely lips, she wore a bold red lipstick that could rival the color of her sleeveless qipao that split opened at the top of her navel, revealing her tone abdomen. A pair of black pants that cut off above the knee, and a pair of black high heeled shoes completed her look.

An amused grin spread across Sakura's lips as she caught Sayuri's admiring gaze. It happened often among the new generation, especially among the soon to be kunoichi, and it was something that Sakura was getting used to.

"Are you going to have a seat with me, Sayuri-chan?" She asked with a teasing tone, catching the young pre-teen off guard by the face that she knew her name so easily. The experienced kunoichi knew the names and faces of all the academy students, especially the upcoming graduating class.

The dark haired beauty nodded quickly before taking a seat besides her rather stiffly. Sakura inwardly sweat dropped at how nervous the girl was to be around her.

"Now, what was it that you were sad about? Why did you think you were weak and useless?" Sakura questioned as her expression became serious and thoughtful.

The girl's mood changed swiftly from nervous to depressed. Her shoulders slack and her head dropped low. "Rei and everyone in class thinks I'm useless, because I'm not very good at taijutsu or ninjutsu. I'm not as skilled as the others are, I'm pretty much at the bottom of my class. They said I should just quit now and save myself the embarrassment of failing the last exams next week." Sayuri explained sadly, her hands crumpling up her pants at the recall.

"I felt the same way, too, when I was your age." Sakura confessed with a tender and nostalgic smile. Sayuri was in disbelief at the Sixth's admittance. "But you were at the top of your class! The only thing you lacked in was taijutsu, but even then you were average at it." The young girl exclaimed, finding it hard to believe that she was once weak, because she was so strong now. She suddenly felt embarrassed at having memorized The Sixth's record, but she soon pushed passed her feelings.

"You're one of the strongest kunoichi in the village. That's why you're the Hokage." Sayuri protested with passionate filled eyes.

Sakura's grin widen before she let out an amused chuckle. This Sayuri was a sharp one.

"Well, I wasn't always this strong and confident. There was a time where I felt useless and weak, especially compared to my teammates. They were always so strong and ahead of me. I was always watching their backs as they protected me. I got sick of it, and was determined to catch up to them one day." Sakura opened up slowly, effectively catching Sayuri's attention.

"It wasn't until Naruto left the village to train with Jiraiya-sama that I gathered the courage to ask Shishou to train me. I was determined to become strong enough to fight side by side with Naruto to bring our teammate back home. We still haven't given up on him." Sakura revealed, and her right brow ticked in annoyance as she recalled their latest failed mission in retrieving one of the last Uchiha. Sasuke was really becoming annoying, but she was determined to get him back home one way or the other.

Sakura laughed to herself then, realizing that she was getting off topic, and she brought her warm peppermint colored irises to Sayuri. "The point I'm trying to make is, if I had given up, I wouldn't be the kunoichi I am today. Just because other people say you should give up, doesn't mean you should. It's your dream to become a kunoichi, right, Sayuri?" Sakura asked with bright, seeking eyes.

Sayuri nodded passionately. "I want to be just like you, Sixth." She responded brightly, her cooper colored irises shining brightly like stars.

Sakura smiled gently at her before sending her a cocky smirk. "Then prove them all wrong, especially Rei-chan. Become stronger and never give up. Isn't that your ninja way?" Sakura told her proudly as she stood up, her white coat flaring slightly in the breeze along with her hair, as she turned around to face Sayuri with an outstretched hand.

Sayuri was momentarily stunned by Sakura's beauty, and she smiled widely at the boost of confidence the Sixth instilled within her.

The dark haired pre-teen grabbed Sakura's offered hand, and nodded with new found determination. "I won't give up my dream. I will become stronger." She promised evenly.

Sakura's gaze was warm and proud. She was glad she was able to save and reignite the Will of Fire within Sayuri. She had witnessed what happened between Sayuri and the others on the school yard. It brought back unfavorable memories of her childhood during her academy days. So instead of showing up on time to deliver her speech to the upcoming graduating class, she opted to speak with Sayuri personally.

"Let's head back to the academy now, I have a speech to deliver and I'm pretty sure Shino-sensei is going to kill me for being late." Sakura suggested with a sheepish smile as the two headed back to the academy.

Konoha Academy

Sakura's gaze sweep across each student in Shino's classroom, mentally assessing each student. Inwardly, she was pleased. Despite this being Shino's first year teaching as an Academy Instructor, he was doing a great job teaching the next generation.

"Class, does anyone have any questions for the Sixth before she leaves?" Shino asked stiffly, causing Sakura to inwardly sweat drop at his overly stiff tone and posture. It seemed the nervousness hasn't left Shino just yet, but Sakura was positive he would come to relax with the next incoming class.

At first there wasn't any raised hands, and Sakura chalked it up to the students being nervous, but then a single hand rose. Sakura saw that the hand belong to Rei. "Yes," Sakura answered with a raised brow.

"What advice do you have for those who are struggling to pass the class, never mind the exams coming up next week. Do you think they should quit?" Rei asked evenly, her gaze serious with thinly concealed concern. She didn't bother to send a look towards Sayuri, who visibly stiffen at her question. It was clear to everyone who Rei was talking about when she asked the Sixth for advice.

Sakura openly frowned at the question and walked closer to the front of the class to be near the students. She knew where this was going, and she was going to answer Rei's question.

"When I was in the academy, my teammate Uzumaki Naruto was the dead last of my class year. His dream was to become Hokage and have everyone acknowledge and respect him. With the exception of the Hokage title, Naruto has fulfilled half of his dream already, because he never gave up despite the adversity he faced. Naruto is one of the strongest shinobi I know, and he still hasn't reach his full potential yet. The moral of the story is to not count out anyone, because they can end up surprising you by how strong they can be with the right motivation and support from friends. Never give up on your dream, and work hard to achieve it. Becoming a shinobi isn't going to be easy, but I promise you all that if you work hard enough you will become great shinobi of the leaf. I encourage everyone to support one another and form bonds, no matter what, because the person sitting next to you might either be the one who saves your life on a mission or the one who holds your hand in comfort as you draw your last breath."

There was a chilling air that filled the room, and every academy student's eyes were wide in horrified shock at Sakura's bold words. The tone she used to answer Rei's question was low and grave towards the end of her small speech. The black haired prodigy remained silent, and cast a thoughtful gaze towards Sayuri who sat in the row in front of her, three seats to the right.

Sakura closed her eyes, momentarily wondering if she went a little too far with her reply, but figured it was for the best. These students were going to become Gennin next week when they pass their exams, and they will learn the true meaning of a shinobi either way.

"I hope that answers your question, Rei-chan." Sakura stated a moment after while her bright peppermint irises stared at the girl with meaning, and as expected Rei understood what she was trying to relay.

"If there isn't anymore questions, Shino-sensei, I'll be taking my leave." Sakura told the Aburame instructor, and before she left she gave the class one last words of encouragement, "Good luck everyone, I'll be looking forward to handing out your headbands next week." With a final wave, Sakura left.

Akimichi BBQ Restaurant

"The Captain is late as usual, you would think being Hokage would help improve her punctuality, but it hasn't." Kiyoshi grunted out in annoyance as he sat against their reserved booth across from Kin and Toushiro. His amethyst colored irises were narrowed and irritated. It was clear by his body language that he didn't want to be there for their little reunion. He had things to do that were more important than waiting around for his pink haired Captain.

Kin sighed in dismay at his friend's moodiness and bad attitude. Despite Kiyoshi's new appearance with his spiky short hair, he was still the same cocky and arrogant guy from before. The only difference now was that Kiyoshi had been promoted to Captain of Squad 13 since Sakura's promotion to Hokage five years ago.

"You should refer to Sakura-chan by her official title, Kiyoshi-niisan." Toushiro pointed out with slightly narrowed eyes. The fifteen year old still held Sakura in high regard since she took him in and gave him a home years ago. The Fifth wanted to remove him from Sakura's custody upon her promotion to Hokage, but Sakura protested. He never felt so wanted and love before in his life until that moment, and it was on that day that he vowed his eternal loyalty to Sakura.

The years have done him well and he has matured and developed into a fine young shinobi. His dark jet black hair was short with a wild look to it that suited him well, his bangs falling over his forehead, highlighting his silvery blue eyes. His jaw was sharp, and his eyes more narrowed out than in his youth. The two jagged markings that adorned his cheeks deepen in color from an electric blue to a midnight blue color. His canine features sharpen along with his senses. The people in the village often mistook Toushiro for a member of the Inuzaka clan, and thanks to Sakura's influence as Hokage she was able to give him a cover story as being a distant cousin to the well known clan to explain his odd appearance and coloring.

Kiyoshi rolled his eyes at the ever proper Toushiro coming to Sakura's defense. "Even after these five years your still Sakura's lapdog. Grow up Toushiro." The Anbu Captain grunted out in a bored tone. "Besides, I'm starving, so I am going to order. If you want to wait for that woman, then by all means go right ahead! But, I, for one won't wait on a lazy and inconsiderate female who probably doesn't understand the concept of being on time." He exclaimed with a scowl as he waved the waiter over.

It was at that moment that Kiyoshi's head was flung forward by a fist, his forehead successfully hitting the wooden table in front of him with a loud thud. Kiyoshi cursed loudly as he pulled back to hold his wounded face. A bright red mark appeared on his forehead, and he brought his heated gaze to his assailant.

"What was that you were saying, Kisho?" Sakura confronted with an agitated glare, addressing her old teammate by his nickname.

"Damn you, woman! Do you always have to be so violent when you hear the truth." Kiyoshi muttered out angrily as he glared resentfully towards Sakura. "You have an odd way of showing up." Kiyoshi muttered to himself.

Kin and Toushiro sweat dropped at the interaction between the two friends. "You should learn how to be more respectful, Kiyoshi-niisan. Then you wouldn't be in these types of situations." Toushiro snickered out in amusement before bringing his brightly colored irises over to his favorite person in the world.

"Sakura-chan, I'm glad you made it! I knew you wouldn't forget about us." Toushiro commented with a grin as Sakura took her seat besides Kiyoshi. She sent him a dark look before smiling over to her ward.

"Of course, I wouldn't forget my boys." Sakura stated with warm eyes. It's been a while since she's last seen the three of them. It's been about a month since they were reunited. Mostly because she had to send them out on long term missions with the exception of Toushiro. She preferred to send him out on short term missions, mostly because she feared for his safety, and he was always under a watchful eye of a Jonin. She recalled Shishou's words regarding Toushiro, and of Shikamaru's concerns. There was a possibility that Toushiro contained a beast, but so far he hasn't shown signs of actually having one. His markings and heighten abilities could be part of a familial inheritance. The only indicator had been a weaken seal found on his navel, but since then it has been reinforced by Jiraiya.

They ordered their meals and caught up with one another's lives. Sakura was pleasantly surprised to find out that Kiyoshi was dating, and from his grunts and sour attitude it was getting pretty serious. Kin has been seeing his girlfriend of three years now, and finally bought the ring of her dreams yesterday morning. He was planning the proposal for tomorrow evening. Even Toushiro had a crush on his teammate, even though he didn't realize it by now. He was as dense as Naruto. It was obvious even to Sakura how much his teammate liked him.

Everyone had a love life, except for her. It has been all work for the past five years since her coronation with the occasional nightly outing. It was a choice she made five years, and to make matters worst she and Neji did not end on good terms, especially after what she did to Neji. She clenched her fist from underneath the table as she felt the creeping feelings of regret and anger simmering in her chest.

It would be any day now that he will return to the village, and she was not prepared for the backlash Neji will unleash upon her with his return. Just the thought of him returning to the village made her sick to her stomach, not because of him but because of what she did to him. If his biweekly messages were anything to go on, Sakura was certain that Neji was still furious with her.

"Sakura-sama?" Sakura was brought out of her thoughts by Kin's concerned voice. She snapped out of her mind and saw that her boys were staring at her with concern.

Sakura covered up her mindlessness with a chuckle before she saw a white cake in the center of the table with sparkling candles lit up, and in the center of the cake were the words, Happy Birthday Sakura-chan!

Sakura was astounded and shock at the same time. Her eyes grew wide at the realization that her birthday was today, and she forgot it, again.

"See, I told you guys that she would forget again this year." Kiyoshi announced with a deadpanned expression, but inwardly he was slightly concerned about the fact. This was the third year in a row that she's forgotten her own birthday.

Sakura sent him a look before making a wish and blowing out the candles. "I did not forget..." Sakura muttered out lamely, but in all honesty she had forgotten. No doubt, Ino was planning a huge celebration with Shizune behind her back again this year, which meant by the time she got home tonight she will have to do all the clean up work after the party.

No wonder the others had been so quiet today, they were all secretly plotting.

"Don't you think your birthday is special, Sakura-chan?" Toushiro questioned openly, as he recalled Sakura being excited about her birthday until the year the Fifth passed away.

A dark shadow cast themselves from underneath Sakura's eyes, as she pondered his question. Her birthday didn't feel special anymore because the two people that she loved dearly were gone from her life. Shishou was no longer here, and Neji, well, the Hyuuga hasn't physically been in the village for a long time now. She doubted he would care about her birthday anymore now.

Yes, she had her friends and family, but it wasn't the same. It didn't fill the emptiness she had in her heart, and it was something she carried on a daily basis. Her personal life was just a mess, which is why she worked all the time to forget.

"Thanks guys, I really appreciate this." Sakura told them sincerely, despite her weak smile and darken gaze.

After the cake was eaten, the four of them traveled back to Sakura's condo by the Tower where Ino had planned for Sakura's birthday party. The group of shinobi all celebrated well into the early mornings before everyone started staggering to their homes.

Kiyoshi crashed on Sakura's couch while Kin left with his soon to be fiance. Toushiro placed a blanket over Kiyoshi's drunken body before heading to his room to retire for the night, but before he left he went to check on Sakura. He found her looking out her balcony, her hair loose from its binding and swaying gently with the breeze. He caught sight of the think blonde braid, and his eyes soften in remembrance of the late Fifth Hokage. He had been there when Sakura decided to dye that portion of her hair. He had never seen Sakura so broken before.

"Are you alright?" He asked her softly, knowing full well that she heard him. She sent him a soft nod before bidding him goodnight, and with that he trekked to his room.

Sakura sighed once she heard Toushiro's room door close for the night. She really wanted to be alone. Despite the fun she had tonight with her friends and family, she craved solitude. She gazed up at the full moon and allowed her thoughts to wander to places she did not allow for it to go to during the day, because of the sadness it will bring her.

"Another year older and another year as Hokage, Shishou." Sakura whispered out softly to the sky. She could imagine her Shishou's face in the moon with her signature smirk and piercing amber irises. "I still miss you a lot. I hope you're doing well wherever you are. As for me, I'm getting by." Sakura continued with misty eyes that were beginning to glisten with salty tears.

It wasn't long before a lone tear descended her cheek, followed by another one on the opposite side. The Hokage wiped them away, soon after, and inhaled a deep, refreshing breath. Tsunade's face was soon replaced with Neji's stoic expression. She flinched slightly before tearing her gaze away from the moon. She couldn't stand staring into his accusing milky white orbs. The guilt stabbed at her chest, and she entered her room to retire for the night before the feeling consumed her entire being.

Somewhere in Konoha

Sakura strolled through the village, greeting the villagers as she went along her path. As Hokage she wanted to be open to the people, and they received her well because of it. She stopped by an ice cream store and decided to get a cone since she had a light lunch. It wouldn't be long until she had to go back to the Tower and finish off some paper work. After paying for her cone she took a quick stroll through the park, and for some reason the fine hairs on the back of her neck stood up in warning. Her peppermint colored irises sharpen in alarm and she quickly turned around to find the person glaring at her intensely.

The day suddenly turned into night, and Sakura stood alone with the hooded figure in a stand off. Neither made a move, and Sakura tighten her fists in preparation for a fight. In her mind, it wouldn't be long before reinforcement arrived, but as she took in her surroundings she noticed the difference in day to night, and the lack of any people around besides them.

"Who are you?" Sakura demanded fiercely.

The hooded figure simply trekked forward in a slow meticulous pace towards her. Sakura widened her stance and taunt her body for any attacks he may throw at her.

"You've forgotten me already, I'm not really surprise." The smooth voice revealed with a slight expectant sneer to his tone. Sakura's eyes widen at the familiar voice, and her stance loosen to the point where she left herself opened to an attack.

"Neji..." Sakura breath out anxiously.

The hooded figure removed his hood then, and revealed a grown Neji glaring hatefully at her.

"So, you remember my name. I suppose that's a good sign considering how long I've been away from the village." He informed her with a tight frown, before pausing just a few feet away from her.

Sakura remained silent, too shock to respond. She wasn't expecting him back this soon, but she found her voice again and acted like the Hokage she was instead of the frighten girl she was moments ago.

"As I recall, you accepted this mission knowing full well the terms." Sakura reminded him with a frown.

Neji laughed then, and it was an ugly sound that reached Sakura's ears. It was nothing like Neji's chuckles from their past together.

"Yes, I did accept this mission." Neji started sarcastically, his brows furrowed deeply as he regarded her with cynicism.

"It was for the good of the village, I recall you saying, but we both know the truth." Neji continued, his expression growing more stoic by the second, and it was then that the painful feelings of guilt started to stab at Sakura's chest.

"I had no choice, Neji. I had to send you away." Sakura argued in an attempt to justify her actions and judgement, but even she knew she couldn't defend herself with that excuse.

"Yes, you had no choice. You had no choice, but to send me away for five years, Sakura!" Neji shouted angrily, causing Sakura's heart to race painfully within her breast. Her breathing hitched in anxiety and her eyes wide in shame.

"I hate you, Sakura." Neji seethed out with contempt before charging towards Sakura with the intent to kill, and the Hokage just stood there, frozen out of fear.

Sakura's Condo

Sakura awoke with a silent scream, her body drenched in sweat as she shot up in bed with her arms crossed protectively in front of her. Her heart was racing painfully fast in her chest and she had to take a moment to orient herself to reality. She gasped in relief when she realized it had just been a dream, which was more like a nightmare to be exact.

The dreams were constant, but in different variations.

The end of the dreams were always the same with Neji accusing her and heading to strike her, but she always woke up before he landed the final blow.

She passed a shaky hand through her loose hair, her thumb skimming by the thick braid.

"I had to send you away, Neji." Sakura whispered out mournfully.

"I couldn't handle seeing you anymore, because I was a coward." She finished before deciding to get up and start her day.

It wasn't abnormal for her to get through the entire day with only four hours of sleep. She would catch up on her sleep later on tonight.

Hokage Tower

At the Tower, Sakura was half way done with paper work when a message hawk arrived at her window. She placed her pen down and walked over to receive the message. She opened the small scroll and read its content, and her entire frame stiffen in shock.

Her peppermint colored orbs widen before turning to look out the window towards the village gates.

The day finally came, and for Sakura it was all too soon. She wished she had more time to deal with her feelings, but time was already up.

"He's back..." She muttered out with conflicting emotions. A part of her was glad that he returned safely back to the village, but the other part of her was afraid. She didn't know how Neji was going to treat her now that he was back, because she was more than certain he knew her true reasons for sending him away for so long. The Sakura of five years ago had been broken and emotionally strained. It was her only solution at the time to deal with her broken heart and anger towards him.

"Sakura-sama, Squad 1 has send word to the gate guards that they will be arriving at the front gate within the hour." Shizune reported suddenly, causing Sakura to flinch slightly at her appearance. She inwardly berated herself for being so unaware of her surroundings.

"Thanks, Shizune-chan." Sakura told her with a small nod, and she inwardly wondered why Neji would send her a message if he had already sent word to the front gates. The thought troubled her greatly, and made sudden thoughts enter her mind that she did not like.

"What game are you playing at?" Sakura wondered briefly with a frown before preparing herself for the inevitable meeting.

A/N: Hey guys, so here's part II of Rokudaime! Tell me what you all think about the chapter! The beginning portion of the chapter was somewhat of a filler, but also important in it's own right because it displays Sakura's involvement with the upcoming generation and of the village as a whole.

The time skip was five years from the last chapter, and some changes have happened. Sadly, Tsunade did not make it T.T but her memory will live on through Sakura. There's a lot to look forward to in the next chapter regarding Neji's return, the Hyuuga Clan, and Toushiro's part in the Akatsuki's plan. So, prepare yourself for A LOT of action!

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Lady Manami