AUTHOR'S Note:

I don't own Naruto but Oh how I wish I did. Then my boys would be going to a good school rather than a public one. sigh Oh well... I had a public education too.

Review if you see something to comment on. Review if you think this needs to continue. Review if you think I should give it up and go clean my house.

Chapter four

Naruto and Sasuke spent the afternoon in sparing while Sakura sat on the grass watching them. She was ready to heal either of them if they should get hurt but Naruto's words at the Ramen stand were true. He didn't need her to heal him at all and he was usually pretty careful not to hurt Sasuke enough to where she would need to heal him either. She knew he didn't mean to imply she wasn't needed on the team but that's still what she heard. She wasn't needed by either of them and she knew it. That's why she had gone to Tsunade-sishou for training. It wasn't like she would ever learn anything from Kakashi-sensei. After all, even Naruto had gone to a different Sensei to learn new moves. Only Sasuke-kun stayed with only Kakashi for his training. Well, that wasn't true. Even though he was the only one of them that Kakashi-sensei had been willing to really teach Sasuke-kun had left and gone to the Snake Sannin for more training. He had eventually killed the Snakeman when Orochimaru had become too persistent on gaining his body for himself. Sasuke-kun had got tired of telling him no and killed him. But he had come home and done his pennance for leaving and gone right back to Kakashi-sensei for more training.

Mostly these days the two boys sparred in the open field while she and Kakashi kept an eye on them. There really wasn't any teaching going on at all. They all knew it wouldn't be long before Jiraiya-sensei took Naruto away again so they were just basically killing time and renewing their bonds.

Kakashi came and sat down near her and she cast a quick glance at him.

"You ok Sakura?"

"Hai, Sensei. She was pretty rude and mean but she doesn't know me so it doesn't matter what she thinks."

Kakashi looked at her then. He really looked at the pink haired girl sitting in the grass twiddling her thumbs. "You think it doesn't matter when someone not only tells you you're rude but tells you why they think so?"

"Well, it'd be different if she knew what she was talking about or if she even knew who she was talking to. But she didn't so her opinion doesn't matter. I know I am not rude and I know Naruto is an ill-mannered Baka. So therefore her words were untrue. Lies don't bother me at all."

"Sakura . . ." She turned to face him and he continued. "She wasn't wrong. You were rude and you were wrong. Naruto may eat fast but he never makes a mess. She is never wrong when she voices an opinion of a person. It's her job."

"What!" Sakura jumped to her feet furious at her sensei. "How dare you defend that woman! She was rude to me. I was only warning her to watch where she sat because Naruto is a pig when he eats. It would have been rude not to warn her and let Naruto spill his noodles on her nice outfit." She was shouting now and breathing hard. Her grass green eyes flashed with the intensity of her feelings.

"Naruto when was the last time you spilt your ramen?" Kakashi calmly asked.

"Gosh Sensei. I don't know. Not for a long time. I think I quit spilling them when I learned how to outrun kunais."

"You see, Sakura? He doesn't spill his noodles. Ever. As she told you. That would be a waste of food and Naruto would never waste ramen."

Sakura was beyond pissed and turned on her heel. She stormed off towards the Hokage's tower. Kakashi watched her go for a minute. "Be right back boys," he said as he vanished.

He popped up in front of the Hokage's door and knocked quietly. "Come in."

"Lady Tsunade Sakura should be here momentarily. She's ticked cause Watarimono told her off this afternoon. It was justified but Sakura doesn't think so. Got to go now. The boys are sparring." He cast the teleport spell again and showed back up at the training field.

"Ok Guys, had about enough for the day?" He asked. Both boys just looked at him. "Come sit down. There's something we need to discuss." He waited while the boys sat down on the grass.

"The woman who told Sakura off today will be hanging around for awhile. The Hokage asked her to come to town and check out the mental well-being of our ninjas. So she will be talking to all of us from time to time and watching our practice matches. When we do missions here in town she might show up but I don't think we'll be getting any out of town ones while she is here."

"You know her don't you sensei?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah I first met her about ten years ago while I was running a message mission for the third. Then I met her again a few years later while on another mission."

"Why do you think she said those things to Sakura?" He asked apparently not noticing he left off the chan suffix he generally applied to her name.

"Dobe," Sasuke said.

"Don't call me that. But what does it matter what Sakura says to me or about me. I mean, at least she notices me."

Kakashi looked at Sasuke and Sasuke shrugged. Sasuke understood that for Naruto any attention was better than none at all. And he knew Naruto didn't really know the difference between positive attention and negative. At least not when it came to words. Kakashi closed his eye briefly and then looked closely at Naruto. It was clear the boy really didn't understand why Sakura had gotten told off.

"Naruto, I know that for you it seems that so long as someone is talking about you or to you, you think it's ok but there's a right way and a wrong way to talk about people. Sakura was talking about you wrong and worse she was doing it in front of you. You're supposed to be her friend and friends don't talk about each other that way."

"But...Shouldn't we," He indicated himself and Sasuke. "have stood up for her then? I mean isn't it our job as her friends to defend her as well?"

From behind them Sakura herself spoke up. "Yes you should have. You should have told that ol' busybody to bugger off."

Sasuke entered the conversation. "No, Dobe. We acted appropriately. We defend her if her life is in danger and we protect her from unfair attacks but that was justified."

"So you think people should just be allowed to slander me whenever they feel like it Sasuke-kun? What about my mental well-being? Doesn't that count as needing to be protected also?"

Sasuke snorted and turned his attention back to Kakashi. "So what are we supposed to do when she comes around?"

"Ignore the rude oba-chan," said Sakura. "That's what my Mother said. And by the way, Sensei," she sneered. "Mother wants a word with you about how you let strangers talk to me."

Kakashi cast a glare at Sakura and shrugged. "You will treat Watarimono with respect. She is a Shinrigakusha of well-known repute and it would not do to get her upset with any of you. As far as your mother's concerned Sakura tell her to go whistle Dixie. You got spoken to exactly as you deserved to. Now training is over. Naruto I suggest you hunt down Jiraiya and get your wallet back before he empties it completely. I'll see you all here in the morning." He pulled his orange book from it's resting pouch and wandered off.

"Although I'm sure he's emptied it already I really do need to get Gama-chan back. See you guys." Naruto wandered off also. Sakura looked at Sasuke with hearts in her eyes waiting for him to walk her home. Sasuke didn't even notice as he headed off down the street towards the Uchiha district.

Author Notes:

Review please. I really don't want to go clean my house but hubby says if I don't get some reviews soon than I have to quit writing and go do the laundry instead. Runs off crying