Kishimoto owns Naruto not me… /jealous
Entrust
It was nearing dawn. The sunlight crept in the window shades and danced across the whisker-marked face of our favorite Uzumaki. As the sunlight washed over his closed eyelids, he scrunched them, their own selfish reaction to not wishing to open and start another day. He rolled over in his bed, facing his night stand, and opened his eyes. His gaze fell on the picture of team seven. Even after a month, the pain of knowing what he did still washed over him as if it had just happened. He thought back to his talk with Sakura. He knew that it was important to share his feelings with the people around him, but over seventeen years of suppressing his emotions for the sake of others turned him into a 'worry-doll' of sorts. He had always been there to listen to others when they had problems, but when it came to his own, it seemed he was quite the opposite, and clammed up at the first sign that someone would pry into his feelings.
With a sigh, he sat up and stretched his muscles. He looked down and stared at all the scars that now marred his body as a result of his profession and duty. They served as a constant reminder that every day was precious and that he was not as invincible as people made him out to be. Despite all the cuts, scrapes, kunai wounds, rips, tears and other various injuries he had experienced over the course of his still very young life, one in particular stuck out contrast to all the rest. The large circular wound over his left lung had scarred the worst of them all. He traced his fingers over the rough pink and white flesh, feeling the grooves and wrinkles of scar tissue that would constantly remind him of his inability to bring his best friend and brother home to the girl that, in his mind, he would only love from a distance for the rest of his life.
Sakura.
How was he going to handle that situation? Sure, she said that he shouldn't apologize. Sure, she seemed fine on the outside, but Naruto knew better. Sakura was tough when she needed to be, but inside, Sakura was still the same tender and emotionally sensitive girl that she was back in the academy. What was there to say that she wasn't crying in her room every night, wondering why her Sasuke-kun was gone and why he didn't keep his promise to her to bring Sasuke back. There were just so many uncertain to grapple in one day which worsened his mood further. Despite the bright and sunny say that it was outside, Naruto was living in a world of over-cast skies and dreary rain storms.
After a few minutes of self-imposed guilt-tripping, Naruto made his way to the bathroom, showered and returned to dress. He put on his usual attire and walked to the window. The breeze was actually quite nice, and had he not been in such a poor mood, he might have been in the mind to enjoy it. Jumping up on the rail he took in one more breath, and threw one of his father's trademark kunai in the direction of the training ground and focused his chakra to attach itself to it. A slight tug was all he felt as he vanished in a flash of orange and yellow in the direction of one of his favorite places, training ground seven, to burn off some steam and keep his skills sharp. Nearby villagers smiled, glad to see the return of the yellow flash in the form of his legacy.
******Break******
Sakura was sweating profusely. This had been one of the more arduous exams she had taken. Tsunade stood behind her, arms folded under her breasts, watching her student perform the assigned task with a neutral face. Inside she was elated. This was the last in a long line of field tests that Sakura had to complete in order to be promoted from field medic to field surgeon and doctor. Not only did the promotional exam include a hefty pay raise, but Sakura would finally have the right to say that she could stand on equal footing with her master, mentor and closest friend minus Naruto. She watched as Sakura carefully and meticulously scanned each region of the body, looking for traces of poison as well as internal injuries.
Sakura's eyes were closed as she focused, deep in her concentration, looking for the miniscule parts of poison she knew were in the patient's bloodstream. Her eyes snapped open and she immediately snapped instructions to her aid for the exam.
"I have located the poison; I need water for the extraction."
The aid complied instantly passing over a small metal bowl filled with water. Sakura dipped her hand into the water and focused her chakra. As she withdrew her hand, a small globule of water came with it, encasing her hand in a small round glove of water. She focused more chakra into the water and it rippled. She proceeded to move the water over the left of the patient's chest.
"I will now flush the area with water and extract the water from the patient. Also, I need a small pan with small torn pieces of paper."
Tsunade found that last request odd, but nodded for her to proceed. Sakura leveled the water laden hand over the patient's chest and pressed down lightly. With the chakra infused with the water, it passed into the skin with almost no resistance. Sakura focused harder and the sweating began again.
She focused on the individual components of the poison that was affecting the patient and attached her chakra to them. Soon, spider web-like tendrils began to pull the various poison components in toward a central part of her chakra within the patient.
Tsunade watched, pride now visible on her face as her student performed one of the most intricate and difficult medical procedures known to the medical corps. The procedure requires the best chakra control and unshakable concentration. However, even knowing what a prodigy Sakura was with medical jutsu, she was completely unprepared for what she saw next.
Sakura, positioned to her patient's right side, remained fixed in concentration as her left hand hovered tediously over the patient's upper torso, drawing the poison out and into the water that covered her hand. This however was not what had Tsunade's jaw hitting the floor. What really got to her was Sakura hovering her other hand over another pan with flakes of paper. Within seconds, Sakura ignited the pan of paper with fire manipulation, creating a steady stream of smoke.
Slowly, snake-like coils of smoke gathered around Sakura's hand and she moved it over the navel of her patient. Slowly the smoke moved from her hand, forming lines over the patient's body; some running vertically, while others were positioned horizontally.
Tsunade's eyes widened at what she was seeing take place. She leaned over and whispered to her older apprentice, Shizune.
"Do you believe what we are seeing right now Shizune?"
The younger woman was speechless at first, but snapped out of it when prodded by her master. "This level of mastery is unheard of shishou. To be able to perform the poison extraction on this level is amazing to say the least, but she is performing one of the most difficult operations in battlefield medicine simultaneously with a meridian realignment. It's… simply amazing!"
Tsunade nodded at the observation. "Yes Shizune, it is amazing… and by every standard I know AND have written myself… it should be…" She looked back to her apprentice and wondered how Sakura had surpassed her so quickly. "…impossible."
Finally, the smoke flowing around the patient dissipated. Sakura moved her other hand over an empty bowl, the water now clouded with the poison that had been extracted, and let it drizzle from her hand into the bowl.
She performed one more diagnostic sweep of her patient before turning to her master and nodding that she was finished with her patient.
Tsunade motioned for her to stand aside as she did her inspection of the patient, though she knew that there was no need to. Sakura was thorough. Not only that but she was well beyond anything she could hope to be herself.
'I guess it really is true what they say, that the new generations will surpass the previous ones and shine brighter all before them.'
Tsunade turned to look at her apprentice, though at this point she began to wonder if she should be the one calling Sakura 'Shishou'.
"Haruno Sakura." Tsunade paused trying to keep from smiling. This was an exam and she needed to at least appear professional. "Based on your performance in advanced battlefield surgery and emergency techniques, I hereby remove you from the position of apprentice."
Sakura paled. Had she done something wrong? She mentally backtracked through every procedure she performed. She looked at her master, tears welling in her eyes. She had failed her master and that was worse than being stripped of her rank. Her thoughts were broken however, when Tsunade continued.
"You have been removed from the position of apprentice, because you no longer have anything to learn from me."
Sakura's head shot up, eyes wide.
"You will now be promoted to lead Medical Director, effective immediately." Tsunade smiled at her apprentice. She continued in a softer voice, much different from her previous 'Hokage' voice. "Congratulations Sakura, you have made me proud today, and have surpassed me by leaps and bounds."
Sakura was at a loss for words. At first it seemed that she was being demoted for some terrible gross negligence or something missed in her exam. Her mouth opened and closed, but no words came out.
Tsunade filled the verbal gap for her, noticing her student… no; her 'Equal' could not manage words on her own right now. "Your first duty as lead Medical Director is to go home, wash up…" Tsunade handed her a small envelope stuffed with money. "… and go out on a date with Naruto."
If Sakura wasn't already speechless, she certainly would be now as her cheeks flushed a deep red.
"A D-date? With Naruto?"
Tsunade found it amusing that a simple concept could turn her normally headstrong Sakura into a stuttering Hinata.
"Yes. The gaki needs a break as well, and I can't think of anyone he would rather hang out with more than you." Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "Sakura," Her voice sounding everything like the Godaime Hokage. "Don't make the same mistake I did with Jiraiya. Love is a precious thing to be squandered on pride. Don't let what happened to me," she fixed Sakura with an icy glare, "happen to you too."
With that, the Hokage spun on her heel, calling Shizune to follow her and exited the exam room.
Sakura stood there, stunned. Finally her eyes narrowed in determination as she knew what she had to do.
******Break******
Ino stood at the counter of her parent's flower shop staring at nothing in particular. It was boring working here for her parents when they were at clan meetings. She watched as the curtains in the front store window blew in and out with the small breeze that made its way through the streets of the market. Occasionally a small insect buzz by and she would lazily lift her hand to swat it away. Her hand never found its mark however, as she wasn't really trying hard enough to hit it, only shoo it away. She huffed and leaned her chin on her hand at the counter. A small lock of her hair fell over her eyes. She peered at the hair as if only mildly annoyed and blew at it, trying to return it from whence it came, but the hair decided that it would not comply and continued its rebellion by falling back over her eyes. With a sigh, Ino brushed the hair back behind her ear where it stayed, a temporary victory in the war with her hair. Just as she felt her sanity was going to be taxed further than she could handle from the boredom, she heard a ding from the front of the store, letting her know that someone had entered and unknowingly saved her from a slow and painful death caused by a lack of stimulus in the extreme.
"Welcome to the Yamanaka flower shop, how may I assist you- Forehead?" Ino was confused to see Sakura here. It had been a while since the two had really talked outside of missions.
Sakura greeted her friend with a warm smile, "Hey there Ino. How's my favorite pig?"
Normally this would cause the blonde to form a tic, but it had been long ago that she reconciled with her best pinkette friend and confidante. They both realized that after Sasuke was labeled an international criminal and how lacking they both were in Shinobi skills that they should focus less on being fan girls and more like being kunoichi. She smiled at her longtime best friend and former rival.
"Hey Sakura, what brings you here today? Need flowers? Or are you here for some of my juicy gossip that I KNOW you can't live without." Ino smirked at the last part. Sakura was always a sucker for gossip since she never really got much time away from the hospital under the strict tutelage of the Hokage.
"Actually, I was hoping you weren't busy. I kind of need your help with something." Sakura looked at the ground, trying to avoid the penetrating eyes of her platinum friend.
Ino smirked at the opportunity that had suddenly presented itself to her in the form of a suddenly bashful and shy pinkette.
"Ok, fine. It's almost closing time anyway. So who is the lucky guy?"
Sakura's eyes widened as her head shot up to meet the blonde eye to eye.
"Who said anything about a guy? I just said I needed your help with something."
Ino leveled her glare on Sakura and placed her hands on her hips. "Because, I know you Sakura, and you never get this flustered about anything except a guy. You are so easy to read sometimes, it's just silly."
Sakura could only hide her embarrassment by turning away. "Yeah, I guess you are right. Who would know me better than you? Well if you can break away from here, I need you help picking something out to wear for tonight. I… kind of have a…" she trailed off and mumbled the last bit, "d-date."
Ino placed her hand to her ear. "Excuse me? Did I hear that correctly? Perhaps you should say it a bit louder so I can be sure I heard what I think I heard." She grinned, loving the fact that she was making her friend squirm under her interrogation.
"I SAID I HAVE A DATE!" Sakura didn't mean for it to come out as a yell. She quickly slapped her hands over her mouth as she blushed a deep red.
"That's what I thought I heard." She tugged the girl out of the flower shop and flipped the sign on the door to 'Closed'.
"Let's go get you something proper to wear to this date of yours."
The two walked off toward the local popular clothing store, oblivious that someone else had seen and heard everything that transpired.
Naruto leapt down to the street and stuffed his hands in his pocket, a sullen look on his face. While he was glad that Sakura had finally dropped her feelings for the Uchiha Avenger, he was sad that this date was not with him. He felt jealousy rise up and quickly squashed it down.
'I will be happy for her, even if it isn't me that she wants to be with. Sakura has moved on. Maybe I should move on too.'
A single tear rolled down his cheek, staining his shirt. He closed his eyes and focused on one of the many special kunai he had placed all over Konoha. He felt a familiar tug on his naval and the world stretched for a second before the scenery changed to something else entirely. Now he was looking down over the village from the top of his father's head. He now had a lot to think about. What was he going to do now that the war was over and Akatsuki was destroyed? He leaned back into the grass, letting the small stalks of greenery ripple under the passing sway of his hands. He breathed in and closed his eyes.
His thoughts drifted to his pink haired teammate. How he wished she would return his feelings. He knew it would never happen though. He was her best friend and likely nothing more than that.
'Maybe I should move on. It's time I took up the mantle of spy master like Pervy-sage. Just because there is peace now, doesn't mean I can get complacent. Maybe Baa-chan will let me leave the village for a bit to check on the network. It would give me the time away necessary to give Sakura the space she needs.'
With a plan in mind he decided to move on to more pressing matters, like stress relief. He reached within himself, drawing on the strength that Kurama now granted him willingly. When his eyes opened they were slitted, but no longer red. He was encased in a golden cloak and covered in the markings of the Sage. With a smile he disappeared in a golden flash toward a training ground he set aside for himself, in an outer lying forest just south of Konoha, for moments just like these.
****END OF CHAPTER****
A/N: I know this update has taken forever, but I rarely have the time to write anymore which is why Inferno is currently on hiatus until I find time and inspiration. This story is a bit easier for me when it comes to conjuring story line, which is why you have an update here instead of my other story. Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed this short chapter and I look forward to writing another one soon. If you have any suggestions or constructive criticism, please feel free to leave it in your review of this story or send me a PM if you wish to keep it confidential. Thanks for reading and I hope you continue to follow this story.