Sakura's Trials pt1 – New Team, Old Enemy

Sakura sat neatly in the visitor's chair within Kakashi's hospital room, knees together, hands carefully folded in her lap, head bowed. Beside her, Kakashi seemed asleep and oddly naked without the presence of his forehead protector. She was glad that the other jounins had insisted that the medics not remove his mask. Of all the schemes that she, Naruto and Sasuke had devised to try to see what lay behind it, this had struck her as a cheap way to succeed. So now she sat and waited patiently, and hoped that Kakashi would wake up, and that the next two rooms would not soon be filled with her other two team-mates.

After all, the last time I saw Sasuke-kun he looked so wild and almost frightened. She shivered as she remembered Sasuke's sharp orders to her outside Naruto's apartment. I looked everywhere for them both. Something that could scare Sasuke-kun like that could only have been Orochimaru's return, or so I thought. I wanted both of the boys safe from him, before he hurt either of them again. She bit her lip. I felt so guilty that I couldn't find them before I went to hide at Kakashi-sensei's place but really, what help could I've been? Then to find out that it was someone else, someone who they thought as dangerous as Orochimaru, and that Sasuke was gone and… Her thoughts trailed off as she tried not to cry again. No. No more being weak and stupid and waiting around, crying and watching their backs while they fight. I promised myself I'd become better than this. She scrubbed angrily at her eyes, then looked up hurriedly as someone else came into the room. "Is there any news, Kurenai-san?"

The jounin nodded. "Gai just returned with one of your team-mates. The medical ninjas are seeing him now." She moved to place a hand on Sakura's shoulder. "I'm so sorry. Rest assured Aoba will be disciplined for leaking classified information like he did to Sasuke."

Sakura shook her head. "I just don't understand. What information could do that to Sasuke-kun? Make him so afraid for us, so protective?"

"As I said, that's classified." She smiled warmly at Sakura. "But your Sasuke-kun is exempt from such restrictions, although he's been asked not to talk too freely about it. I'm sure if you asked him, he would explain why just the mention of a name would do that."

"It was a name?" wondered Sakura. "Just one name made him that disturbed?" Her expression hardened. "Was that name 'Orochimaru'?"

Kurenai flinched slightly, but shook her head. "No, but given his history, I can see why he might be equally disturbed by that name." She raised a hand to stall Sakura's further questioning. "Please, Sakura. Don't ask me any more, I've already said what I can without lying." She looked towards the door. "Would you like to go see him? I'm sure that they've finished the examination by now."

"Can I?" Sakura was on her feet without realising it.

Kurenai nodded. "If you'll follow me?" She started towards the door, turning back slightly to make sure that Sakura was following, before going out into the hospital corridor, and leading Sakura to a room further down that a nurse was waiting outside of. "Here." She pushed the door open, then stepped aside to let Sakura in alone. "Take your time. I'll be discussing his condition."

Sakura nodded then stepped inside, where her breath caught in her throat. "Sasuke-kun…" Quickly she moved over to his side, eyes watching him for any sign of life. He looks so peaceful, like all he's doing is sleeping. Just like Kakashi-sensei. She tentatively reached out to brush at Sasuke's hair. Unlike Kakashi, Sasuke was still dressed for battle, and Sakura could see the remains of tear-streaks down his face. He was crying? Oh Sasuke-kun, what happened to you and Naruto? Why isn't he here too, telling you to wake up? She moved to pull a chair close to the bed then sat, taking Sasuke's uninjured hand in her own and holding it close. With these supports on his other arm, it must've been broken and reset using medical jutsu. They must've taken care of all of the bruising as well. She lent in close, whispering. "Wake up, Sasuke-kun. Please. Don't do this to me again. Not again." Seeing no sign of movement, she squeezed his hand. Then I'll watch over you again. Until both you and Kakashi-sensei are well. She moved her hand in a stroking motion over the back of his hand, lost in her own thoughts until someone coughed nearby. Looking up, Sakura saw an apologetic looking Gai.

"I'm sorry, Sakura-kun. If I had been faster then maybe he would've escaped the same fate as my eternal rival."

"Gai-san…" Sakura blinked a few times, trying to force back tears again. "Do… do you know what happened to Sasuke-kun and Kakashi-sensei? No-one's telling me anything. And where's Naruto?"

Gai sighed. "They both were put into this coma by psychological trauma caused by genjutsu." He paused to check on Sakura's understanding before continuing. "It was the same attack, and both of them fell to it while trying to protect Naruto-kun from danger. He and Jiraiya-sama, one of the Sannin, have gone to find a medical expert to help bring both my eternal rival and your young love back."

Sakura felt herself blushing the same colour as her dress. "A-actually, Sasuke-kun and I… we're not…"

"Now don't be modest," said Gai, giving a toothy grin. "To hold a comrade so dearly, you must love Kakashi's protégé very much." He leapt to his feet. "There can only be one solution to such devotion, and that is love! The love of two such wonderful young people will be the strength that sustains you both until help arrives!"

"Um…" I don't think he's listening to me. Sakura sighed and reached over to stroke Sasuke's face gently again, trying to brush away the tear-tracks. "He looks like he's been crying. Do you know anything about it?"

Gai shook his head. "I think it was from the genjutsu, but what horrors visited him I haven't a clue."

Figures, thought Sakura. Something terrible happened to him, and yet again I have no clue what it was. At least this time I caught on faster than I ever did about his family. "… What am I going to do now?" she asked Sasuke's prone form. "You and Naruto and Kakashi-sensei aren't around. Kakashi-sensei can't teach me any jutsus to become useful, and I can't even train myself on them because Naruto's gone off with some stranger, and you're just lying here, looking like you're sleeping, but you're not and you'll never wake up again and…" She trailed off, hiccupping slightly, and rested her head on her arms on Sasuke's bed, close enough that her fingers still brushed his.

"All right, it's decided!"

Sakura jerked back up at the exclamation, and looked at Gai. "Decided? What's decided?"

Gai gave her a wide grin. "Because it was through my inaction that both Kakashi and your young love were hospitalised, I shall take it upon myself to see to your training until they are well!" He turned away, raising a fist. "Fear not, my eternal rival; I shall take good care of your little flower until you return to us."

Sakura blinked a few times. Is he saying what I think he's saying? "Uh, that's very kind of you, Gai-san, but you already have a team, so…" She was rewarded with a finger pointing straight at her.

"You cannot serve Konoha alone as you are now, and neither can my precious subordinates." He turned away again, covering his eyes with his arm in a melodramatic sign of sorrow. "With the adorable Lee still recovering, both Neji and Tenten are unable to take any missions beyond the most simple rebuilding work, which is a waste of their talents. You are their only hope of returning to active duty!" He turned to look pleadingly at Sakura.

Sakura blinked again. Does he have to be so dramatic about everything? She turned to look at Sasuke. It would be an opportunity to keep training, and would keep me busy enough to stop me worrying, but would it be a betrayal of my own team? She smiled sadly and brushed a careful finger along Sasuke's hand. Right now, I have no team. She looked back at Gai and nodded. "I accept."

Things quickly settled into a routine for Sakura. Meeting early in the morning with her new team-mates outside one of Konoha's coffee shops, Sakura became used to Gai's early morning exuberance and Neji's always taciturn responses. Gai seemed a much more active and present teacher than Kakashi had been, making the three of them train daily in strength and endurance. The early start, hard training regime, and then being expected to help in the reconstruction quickly took a heavy toll on Sakura's stamina.

It was after a training session, a week into her new placement in the team, when Tenten decided to say something.

"You know, you're starting to look really worn out. Are you okay?"

Sakura looked over from where she was laying on her back, panting, as Tenten sat down beside her heavily. "I'm fine. Totally, totally fine."

"Really." Tenten started to stretch her legs out. "Seems to me that you're trying to keep up with us and failing miserably. Didn't your Kakashi-sensei train you at all?"

Sakura flushed hotly. "Sure he did. He taught us tree climbing, and he's taught me a little genjutsu… And we did do all the normal drills and stuff when he turned up for training."

"When he turned up for training?" Tenten looked startled. "I don't think Gai-sensei's ever missed one."

"It's not like Kakashi-sensei missed them," said Sakura defensively. "He was just… late."

Tenten raised an eyebrow at that. "Late? Like the time we saw him an hour late?"

"Hour?" Sakura laughed. "We'd be lucky if it was an hour. The problem is, he somehow knew if we hadn't been there on time."

"Never try to fool a jounin." Tenten smiled back. "They always seem to know."

Sakura sat up and winced. "Well this jounin seems to want to kill me slowly." She rotated her shoulders slowly. "How do you and Neji-san do it?"

Tenten made a face. "To start with, I really couldn't. I was as outclassed as you were. Comes with having the genius of a clan in your team, I suspect?"

"Yeah, Sasuke-kun always seemed so far ahead of me and Naruto I thought we'd never get anywhere." She smiled. "Then I beat them by a whole week on the tree-climbing training."

Tenten laughed. "I bet that was a real blow to their male pride." She tilted her head towards where Neji was still practicing forms. "Neji got it first out of all of us, but I can imagine how annoyed it would've made him if one of us got there first. Especially Lee. He was really driven to always be the best." She looked down again. "Now, who knows if he'll ever be here, training with us again."

Sakura put a supportive hand on Tenten's arm. "If this Tsunade-sama that Gai-san keeps raving about is good enough to bring back Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke-kun from whatever they're trapped in, I'm sure she's good enough to help Lee-san too." She gave Tenten a hopeful smile. I'm sure everything will be alright soon. I can't imagine life without the boys constantly annoying me with their silly contests. "I'm sure Naruto will find her and bring her back. Once Naruto makes up his mind, nothing can stop him."

"Naruto…" Tenten looked over at Neji again, then back at Sakura. "You know, when I ask Neji about the exam, he won't say a thing about what they talked about in the arena, or how Naruto beat him after he had his tenketsu sealed. He just starts talking philosophically about birds." She sighed. "Why is it that it's always the mysterious and angsty ones that are the ones I fall for?"

Sakura giggled slightly. "I think it's because they're like that. They look all cool and stuff, but they're not worth it. So many problems, they never notice us." She got up, brushing grass from her legs. "Or at least, that's what I've decided about Sasuke-kun. There's something on his mind that won't let him notice anything else. What that is, I don't know, but I'm happy that it means that while he doesn't feel that way about me, there'll never be another girl stepping in, either." She offered a hand up to Tenten. "Means that maybe, if I wait, and I help him with whatever this great task he has is, one day he'll see me. Until then, I'm happy to be at his side."

Tenten took the outstretched hand and got to her own feet. "I feel the same way about Neji. One day, he'll notice me, so I'll remain at his side until then." She smiled. "But that's going to take time and training. Men like them, they only like useful women."

"Yeah." Sakura slumped again. "And at the minute, Naruto is more useful than I am, no matter what I try." She kicked at the ground. "Think that Gai-san will help with my taijutsu?"

Tenten laughed. "Knowing Gai-sensei, he'll insist. Takes it as a point of personal pride that his students are all proficient at that."

"That's a relief to know." And it means that maybe I can catch up a bit to Naruto and Sasuke. They both seem to have so much more strength and stamina than I do. She looked at Tenten. "So how long did it take you to catch up to Neji-san and Lee-san?"

Tenten shook her head. "Oh, I never did. You can't beat someone like Neji at something that's in his blood, and Lee works so hard that I can't compete." She smiled. "So one day, Gai-sensei took me to one side and explained all this to me, and said that I was best off not trying to copy them but to just do my own thing, and if he couldn't help me enough he'd find someone else who could." She patted her weapon holster. "So I went for the fact that my weapon accuracy was better than even Neji's and his vaunted bloodline. Trained myself on that, because it compensated for both Lee and Neji being close-range fighters."

"Hmm." Sakura started walking from the training grounds, Tenten falling into an easy pace alongside her. So Tenten-san is the same as me. She can't compete against someone as stubborn as Lee-san, or as gifted as Neji-san. So she refuses to compete at their specialities and instead has her own. "Do you know if Gai-san has any skills at genjutsu, Tenten-san? Only Kakashi-sensei was trying to teach me some before… he got sick, and I think it's my place, same way that weapons are yours."

Tenten shook her head. "I don't know. I've not really seen him use any, but that doesn't mean a thing with jounin. You'd have to ask him."

"Okay."

They walked together in silence for a while before Tenten spoke again. "You know, Sakura, I was going to visit Lee in hospital this afternoon. Do you want to come? We should really tell him that you're on our team for now."

Sakura was surprised. "You mean you haven't yet?"

Tenten shrugged. "Well I haven't. Neji might've, but he visits separately from me. I think he and Lee talk more easily when I'm not around. As for Gai-sensei, who knows? I know he visits Lee daily, but spends a lot of time talking about how Lee's going to be fine soon, as soon as Tsunade-sama returns."

Sakura nodded. "Plus, it would probably be best coming from me. I should at least try to tell him, even if he already knows." She looked down at herself, taking in the grass and dirt stains on her clothes. "But I'm hardly in a fit state to go visiting at the hospital." She looked back at Tenten. "How about we meet outside the Yamanaka Flower Shop in an hour, and go together?"

"Works for me," said Tenten, turning away. "See you then."

Sakura nodded. "Later." And maybe after we see Lee-san together, I can drop in on Sasuke-kun and Kakashi-sensei, see how they're doing too.

Over the next few weeks, Sakura trained with her new team. She applied herself as hard as she could to what Gai showed her, putting in extra practice outside of training to try to master the taijutsu skills that he taught her. Slowly her stamina and skill improved, enough so that Gai consented to arranging for Sakura to meet with Kurenai for a one-off training session in genjutsu. In both cases she repaid his kind faith in her with hard work and dedication.

In between the training and work on the reconstruction of Konoha, Sakura would go to the hospital and visit Lee along with Tenten. Neji always declined to go with them, although Sakura made sure that he knew that the offer was there. There, she and Lee would discuss each of their progress, her with her training and he with his rehabilitation. In both cases, Tenten would give complements for their efforts and encouragement to keep working hard.

After seeing Lee, Sakura would always slip away as he and Tenten started to reminisce about the time before she had become Lee's temporary replacement. Alone, she'd move through the hospital, first to Kakashi's room and then to Sasuke's. Sometimes she would replace the flowers waiting at their bedsides, sometimes she would just sit in silence, but mostly she would sit and retell, as she had done for Lee, what events had been happening in her life and around Konoha. Every time she sat with them, she'd watch for a sign of them returning from their coma without the help of the elusive 'Tsunade-sama', but none ever came. She would even hold on to Sasuke's hand as she talked, hoping that the touch and her voice would somehow reach him to show him he was not alone.

Each time she visited, she asked for news of whether Tsunade had been found, hoping to get news of Naruto. Without his presence, Sasuke's illness seemed somehow worse, as if his stillness was heightened without Naruto there fussing over him.

"Of course, that makes no sense," she told Sasuke's prone form one day. "Why would Naruto not being around to drive me nuts make you seem worse? It's not like you were ever that emotional, except when he was around." She forced a slight laugh. "Honestly, sometimes it seemed like you two thought you were the only people in existence with your silly arguments. You'd be so busy fighting, you'd forget all about me." Her voice took on a teasing tone. "If I didn't know better, Sasuke-kun, I'd say that you were more interested in guys than girls." She half-hoped that the accusation would work where medicine had not, and make Sasuke splutter and look at her like she was crazy. A silly hope, really. I know Sasuke-kun isn't gay, and neither is Naruto, but when else am I going to get a chance to tease him on it and not wind up hurting his feelings?

She sighed and sank lower into her chair. "Today was really boring, you know. We got stuck working on where someone's doton jutsus had torn up the street and bust some pipes. The civilian contractors had finished fixing them, but we had to fill all the holes back in again. At least with this done, I think your apartment will have its hot water back, rather than just running off the storage tank." She stretched slowly. "Plus, I think I've finally figured Tenten-san out. I think she's kind of like a reverse Kakashi-sensei." In her mind's eye Sasuke raised an eyebrow a fraction, as if to say 'You're kidding, right?'. Sakura smiled. "She's around all these crazy people, like Gai-san and Lee-san. Gai-san's always doing the silliest things in training, and I guess Lee-san must've used to be the same. So she and Neji-san just stand there scowling a lot, sorta like you did when Kakashi-sensei and Naruto got too silly. Then if Gai-san gets totally silly, with his 'Springtime of Youth!' and stuff, she'll start giggling too. She sets me off all the time and then Neji-san looks at all three of us like we're crazy." She laughed slightly. "You know, I don't think I've ever seen Neji-san smile. He really is a lot like you, Sasuke-kun." She blinked. "Not that I'm looking to replace you while you're in here! Of course I'm not! It's just he does the serious thing, and seems to have this obsession with Naruto. That's pretty much all he'll talk to me about." She shook herself slightly.

"Anyway, Tenten-san is a lot more lively when Gai-san isn't around. Yesterday, she even went with me to Ino's shop to buy flowers." She gave him a glance. "Of course, if you don't like the red and white tulips be sure to tell me, okay? And I'll get you flowers you like next time. Ino was raving about the colour symbolism for an age until I said that it was the only colours I'd seen you wear except for blue or black, and flowers don't exactly come in those colours, do they?" She shoved lightly at Sasuke's arm. "Why can't you be easy like Naruto? At least I know what colour he likes." She smiled, then picked up the thread of her day again. "So anyway, Tenten-san came with me to Ino's shop, and because we got talking there, all three of us went to the little café down the street from there and drank green tea, and we got some sweets and stuff to share. I'm afraid that there wasn't anything non-sweet on the menu for you, so I guess when you wake up we'll still be going to Ichiraku. But while we were talking, we made 'boys' an off-limits topic, except to complain about." She laughed. "Tenten-san had some stories! She had me and Ino howling with laughter at one point, and she was laughing too when we told her about Naruto, and Shikamaru and Chouji."

She sat forwards slightly, dropping the volume of her voice. "I do want you to wake up again, you know, Sasuke-kun. Being able to talk with other kunoichi was great, and Ino offered to trim my hair again next week, and Tenten-san said she'd explain the sealing technique that lets her carry all those weapon in scrolls, but…" She sighed. "But they're not you, Sasuke-kun, and they're not Naruto, or Kakashi-sensei either. And no matter how nice it is to see that I'm not the only kunoichi, and that we all have the same difficulties keeping up with you guys on strength and stamina, I wouldn't trade you guys for them, not for one second. Because you're all on my team, and…" A gentle knocking on the door interrupted her and she turned to see Tenten and Neji standing in the doorway, Tenten looking apologetic and Neji as expressionless as ever.

"We've got a mission, Haruno."

Sakura moved her gaze from Neji to Tenten, who nodded. "Sorry to cut your time short with Sasuke-san. Neji came and found me while I was still talking with Lee."

"No, no, it's all right," said Sakura, getting up and brushing imaginary dust off her clothes. She leant over Sasuke to touch his hand. "It's a mission, but I promise if I have to leave the village, I'll be back as soon as I can." She dropped Sasuke's hand and turned to walk towards the others. "Don't tell me we've got more drains to fix?"

Neji snorted. "No. This time I think we've been summoned to do more than just work."

Tenten nodded. "I've been asking around. Other teams have been sent out on missions, because Konoha's been taking any work going. It's odd that we haven't been asked before now."

"It's probably my fault," said Sakura, going out of the door and walking along the corridor. "After all, they can't send you out on missions unless you're in a team, and we just didn't know how to work together to start with."

"That's not your fault, it's just bad timing." Tenten smiled, but seemed unable to give any further encouragement as they walked. Sakura supposed that her mind was on Lee and their former teamwork, just as her own was on Sasuke and Naruto.

At the mission centre, things seemed very quiet. Sakura supposed that it was because the majority of missions were assigned in the morning, rather than the late afternoon, as it now was. She felt a slight pang of regret that the Third was missing from his normal seat, but with each return to the centre, the feeling faded. She was sure that it would soon fade completely, but she was unsure as to whether that was a good thing or not.

Neji strode forwards to the harried-looking man in a chuunin vest at the main desk. "Maito Gai's team reporting as requested."

The chuunin nodded and sorted through the papers, producing a mission list scroll. Sakura was concerned to see that it was not the usual D-rank scroll from which they were assigned reconstruction work, but the C-rank scroll. And my last C-rank mission almost killed us all. I hope that this time the client hasn't lied to get a cheaper rate.

"Your mission is an escort contract," said the chuunin, reading through the scroll. "You are to assure safe passage for the messenger from the Sand Village to the capitol and the Daimyo's Palace through our territory, and then escort them back with the reply to the Daimyo of Wind Country. The messenger will assure you safe passage through the Sand's territory.

Sakura nodded. So we're to make sure that they deliver their message, and then that they don't tamper with the reply on the way back. At least it means that the feudal lords are trying as much as the hidden villages are to sort out the mess that Orochimaru left behind.

"Will it just be us?" asked Tenten, "Or will Gai-sensei be leading us?"

The chuunin checked his papers again. "You'll be travelling without him. Maito Gai currently has another mission to perform. In fact, he's been declining missions until he was happy with your training as a group."

Sakura flushed, unnoticed.

"You will be forming a four-man group," continued the chuunin, "with the Sand's messenger. As they have the rank of chuunin, they will be provisionally in charge of the mission. Please do not go against their orders without good reason. The peace between Konoha and the Sand is fragile enough as it is." He sighed and looked up at the group again. "Any objections to the mission?"

"None," chorused Sakura and Tenten. Neji just tilted his head slightly.

The chuunin nodded in response, then leaned around Neji slightly. "Send in the messenger, please?" Another chuunin nodded and opened a side-door.

Sakura felt Tenten tense and saw a flash of silver as she produced a kunai from under her clothes. Sakura automatically raised her arms in a guard to back up her team-mate, then stopped as she saw who the messenger was.

An obviously weapon-less and escorted Temari folded her arms and glared at Tenten from the doorway. "Put down your knife, little girl. This time we're going to be working together."