Author's notes:
Here's the next chapter! I would just like to know, would it help if I provided translations for the Japanese terms as well as techniques at the end of chapters? If you do have trouble with understanding them, please tell me so I can amend my previous chapters. Thank you.
Technique translations will be listed at the end of the chapter.
Disclaimer: It cost me a fortune in therapy, but I now accept that Naruto (and Misora-chan) will never be mine.
Sakura stepped quietly out of the Hokage's office, her mind moving in several directions at once in an effort to process the newfound information she had been given.
'According to Shishou, Naruto is usually at one of the ANBU training grounds or in his apartment. Now that I know where he's going to be…there's no way he'll get away from me! I'll get my best friend back in no time!'
"And we'll get to jump him as soon as we find him too! I bet he's grown…mmm…" Inner Sakura giggled perversely, a blush tinting her cheeks.
The noise broke Sakura out of her stupor as she shuddered at the giggle, finding it disturbingly similar to Jiraiya's when he had been…examining her.
'…Hentai. I'm helping Naruto, not molesting him. Get this into your perverted head for the last time, he's just a friend!'
"Boring! I want some action!"
Sakura growled in frustration at her inner self's perverted behaviour, desperately wanting to strangle something. She launched into a furious mental debate with Inner Sakura, determined to prove once and for all that she had purely platonic intentions towards her blonde team mate.
'What did I ever do to deserve this…'
Whistling a jaunty tune as he buried his face into the latest volume of Icha Icha Paradise, Inu made his merry way down through the Hokage tower. Seemingly unaware of the high levels of killing intent directed at him by an irate Kunoichi.
"Die…must…kill…" Neko muttered repeatedly, fingers twitching dangerously close to the Katana that hung on her belt. Her mantra attracted large amounts of attention, mostly in the form of alarmed looks or frightened genin trying their best to stay out of her way.
"Refrain from murdering your squad member, Neko." Naruto quietly stated, wondering what in the world he had done to deserve squad members who behaved like they were a quarter their age. "It might cause unnecessary paperwork."
Neko scowled at the infuriating and irresponsible pervert as if it was his fault, and nodded reluctantly in response.
"Hai, Taicho."
Finding it too difficult to look at Kakashi without feeling the urge to disembowel him, she cast her gaze towards her enigmatic Captain, Uzumaki Naruto.
To say that the boy was mysterious was an understatement. Commanding his own ANBU squad at the age of fifteen was no mean feat, and Neko had been understandably sceptical of the boy's skills when she had first heard that she was to be in his squad.
Flashback
"I assume you all have heard the rumours about a teenager passing the ANBU entry exam with a score equal to that of Uchiha Itachi?"
"Hai, Hokage-sama." Came the prompt reply from Tori, Neko and Kakashi, who had not received his mask. They were unable to keep the curious tone from entering their voice, all wondering how an obviously false rumour was relevant to why they had been called to the Hokage tower.
"I assure you that those rumours are indeed true." The looks of shock that were not visible to her, but she knew they were there. After all, none of them had expected this, and she couldn't blame them. Uchiha Itachi was a legend in Konoha, renowned for being the youngest and yet one of the best ANBU Konoha had ever seen. The idea that there was a second coming of Uchiha Itachi was frightening.
"Ahh…Hokage-sama?"
Tsunade turned her gaze upon the silver-haired ANBU, already anticipating what he was about to ask.
"I'm guessing that the reason you're telling us this is because we're his new squad, am I right?" After receiving a brief nod in reply, he continued in his usual lazy tone.
"What I don't understand is the reason I was called back into ANBU. If the new Captain is as much of a prodigy as you say, he shouldn't need me on his team."
Tsunade shook her head exasperatedly.
"The reason I placed you on his team is not because he needs you to do his job, but for more of a personal reason. Kakashi…I need you to take care of him. He needs it."
The man frowned, an expression that was invisible to the rest of the room's occupants.
"Tsunade-sama, I'm not a babysitter. I'm a Jounin-" Tsunade sighed, cutting the man's rant short. After all, he knew Hokage-sama well enough to know that people who angered her often ended up in the Hospital for extended periods of time.
"You're a Jounin-sensei without a team. Sakura is currently under my tutelage, the Uchiha is currently a missing-nin," Kakashi grimaced at the reminder of his failure as a sensei, still ashamed at the fact that he had failed to realise Sasuke's intentions. "And Naruto…well…."
Kakashi gaped at the implications of her statement. "You're not suggesting…Hokage-sama! That's…"
He was interrupted once again by the room's door slowly swinging open to reveal a lean blonde in standard ANBU gear, a Kitsune mask concealing his visage. All eyes turned towards the boy, sizing him up and deducing his skill level.
Despite putting him under heavy scrutiny, Neko could gauge nothing about the boy. His movements were tightly controlled, and his body language revealed nothing about what he felt. She felt a grudging sense of respect rise within her and decided to give him the benefit of the doubt for the moment.
Looking over to gauge her new squad members' reactions, Neko found Tori to be looking curiously at the boy with her head tilted at an angle. Kakashi, however…
"Naruto…is that you?" The silver haired man uttered in a shocked tone as his visible eye widened.
The boy nodded curtly in response, removing his mask to reveal a pale, angled face with whisker marks on both cheeks and cold cerulean orbs. Neko briefly wondered if he had the ability to control every muscle in his face, before moving her attention back to Kakashi.
"What happened to you?" To say that the Copy Ninja was shocked would be an understatement. What had happened to that cheery boy who was the binding thread holding Team Seven together? For him to have become so emotionally guarded and quiet…
When Kakashi saw that no reply was forthcoming, he slumped, visible eye looking resigned. Despite his laziness and obsession with pornography, Kakashi did care for his students, considering them to be precious comrades. That really left him with only one choice.
"Tsunade-sama, I accept the offer."
The Godaime nodded her satisfaction, knowing what his decision would be before he had made it.
"As of now, the four of you are a squad under the command of Uzumaki Naruto."
End flashback
And ever since, they had been on countless missions as a squad. Although their group dynamics were lacking, Neko found the squad to be highly successful, completing most of the missions they undertook and efficiently withdrawing from those they failed.
However, apart from his abilities, the purple-haired Kunoichi had learned next to nothing about Uzumaki Naruto. From the missions had been on together, she knew that Inu liked his perverted orange books and that Tori enjoyed singing.
But about the blonde enigma, she knew nothing. While all her other team mates had inadvertently displayed facets of their personality while on missions, Kitsune had never shown his personal side to his team. In all her years as a Shinobi, Neko had never seen someone as strictly professional as her Captain, much less a fifteen-year-old.
'I wonder why he's so uptight…'
Her thoughts were interrupted, however, when she felt something collide into her.
Too caught up in her argument with Inner Sakura, she never saw it coming.
It was only a few moments later, when she found herself sprawling on the carpeted floor that Sakura realised she had been knocked over.
'Déjà vu…why does this keep happening to me …'
The pink-haired girl sighed, brushing aside the bangs that had fallen haphazardly across her face. This just wasn't her day.
'I just hope it isn't the same person I bumped into this morning…'
Sakura slowly rose to her feet, dusting her form-fitting attire while she gave herself a casual once-over to ensure that nothing was out of place. When satisfied with her state of dress, the girl turned to face the cat-masked ANBU she had run into. She idly noted that the woman had long hair that was a bright shade of lavender, and carried a katana at her hip.
"I'm sorry that I bumped into you, I was thinking…" She sheepishly grinned, not knowing that both their thoughts had been occupied by the same person. Albeit for completely different reasons.
"It's fine, I was…distracted as well." Neko nodded at Sakura sharply, before turning to her captain.
"Taicho, we should get going. Godaime-sama is waiting for our report." She stated in a clipped tone.
Sakura curiously followed the direction of the purple-haired woman's gaze, which led her to a Kitsune mask. Sakura gasped in recognition as previous events flooded into her mind.
"Ah…you're that ANBU from this morning!"
Kitsune nodded sharply, radiating annoyance at the delay. Looking into his eyes, Sakura once again felt overwhelmed by an unexplainable sense of nostalgia. However, she could see that something about those pools of cerulean were different…
"Yes, Sakura. Now, if you will excuse us…"
Sakura growled under her breath. Who did this ANBU think he was, dismissing her like that?
"Wait! You know my name…just who are you?"
Kitsune surveyed her impassively, and she was struck by the coldness of his gaze. His eyes revealed nothing to her about how he felt, they were just…there.
'That's it…his eyes were shocked this morning, but now…they're expressionless. They almost remind me of Sasuke-kun's…'
"…You don't need to know." Sakura glared at the man as he turned his back on her and began making his way down the corridor. There was something about him that just screamed of familiarity, and yet she couldn't place it in her mind.
Deciding that she had no reason to bother with Kitsune any further, Sakura shifted her gaze to his team mates. Tori had shoulder length hair like her, but it was a dark shade of purple. Her jade eyes radiated mischievousness, and she gave Sakura a playful wink when she met her gaze.
When Sakura turned to the last squad member, she was confronted not by a mask, but by a familiar orange book.
"Kakashi-sensei…"
Kitsune turned around with a growl at her words, mentally cursing whoever had decided to put Kakashi in his team.
The man put his book down, revealing a dog mask. Giving him a cursory inspection, Sakura determined that almost nothing about Kakashi had changed since she had last seen him. The single visible eye under his mask was curved into a happy crescent, and she could only imagine the grin he had on his face.
"Ohaiyo, Sakura. It's been a long time, ne?"
An impatient Kitsune glowered at his infuriating squad member. "Kakashi, we wear masks for a reason. What's the point of your mask if everyone can tell you're under it?"
Kakashi sheepishly laughed as his arm instinctively moved to the back of his head.
"Gomen, Taicho. I have absolutely no idea how she found out!" His statement was met by a stunned silence as everyone was struck speechless at the stupidity of the statement.
The pink-haired girl recovered first with a snicker, glad that at least one person in Team 7 hadn't changed.
"You're the same as ever, Kakashi-sensei…still walking around with your face buried in those ridiculous books."
The man merely chuckled, before turning his attention back to his book. "It's good to see you again, Sakura."
Sakura smiled, casting a fond look at her former sensei. It had really been a long time since she had been on a mission with him, Sasuke and…Naruto.
'That's right, Naruto!'
"Kakashi-sensei! Have you seen Naruto around?"
The silver-haired man once again looked up from his book, and she could detect a hint of mischief from his visible eye.
"Can't say I have, Sakura."
The pink-haired girl narrowed her eyes at his amused tone as she began to piece her thoughts together.
'Something isn't right here. Kakashi-sensei was a Jounin-sensei, he wouldn't join ANBU without a reason…could it be…' She was struck by a theory so wild that it couldn't possibly be true, but…
"…Kakashi-sensei. Can you tell me one thing?" Upon confirming that she had his attention, Sakura continued. "Why did you decide to join ANBU?"
The only visible reply she received was a shrug, but Sakura had a feeling that her former sensei's grin was rapidly widening. She also noted out of the corner of her eye that Kitsune had stiffened ever so slightly, but it was enough to strengthen her suspicions.
"I can't tell you that, Sakura."
She nodded, expecting his response. The gears in her head began working as she put another piece of the puzzle in place.
'It's not that he won't tell me, but rather he can't…that would mean that he was ordered specifically not to by someone of a higher rank. Now for the confirmation…' She prepared to ask the question that would make or break her theory.
"Kakashi-sensei, when did you join ANBU?"
Before the silver-haired man could reply, his blonde squad leader interjected in an annoyed voice.
"Cease this pointless line of questioning at once, Sakura. You are holding us back, and delays are something I do not tolerate."
'Bad move, ANBU-san.'
The young woman merely smirked, placing her hands on her hips as she turned to face Kitsune. The Captain's reaction had all but confirmed her suspicions, and she could see the realisation dawning in his eyes.
"It was six months ago, wasn't it Kakashi-sensei." Sakura stated confidently, maintaining eye contact with the blonde as he stared calmly at her. "Six months ago when you joined ANBU."
"You go, girl!" Inner Sakura cheered, bolstering her confidence. "Show blondie who's boss!"
"It was also six months ago when someone returned to Konoha and began commanding his own ANBU squad, in which Kakashi-sensei was placed to keep an eye on him." Sakura slowly made her way to the impassive blonde, never breaking his gaze. "Isn't that right…Naruto?"
A silence permeated the air, and Sakura noted that all the passer-bys were beginning to give them curious looks.
"Maa, Taicho. She got you too." Kakashi drawled before diving back into his perverted literature.
Kitsune sighed, and for a split second she could see a flicker of the old Naruto in those sapphire orbs of his, before it was once again replaced by an emotionless gaze.
"…Yes, you're right. I would appreciate it, however, if you were to keep this to yourself."
Sakura grinned victoriously, knowing that it was indeed her team mate in front of her. She continued to stare into his impassive blue eyes while her she linked her arms behind her back.
"I'll do it…on one condition."
The blonde gave her a slow nod, and she saw the calculating look he gave her.
"It depends. If your condition inconveniences me too much, I could always order you as a superior to keep it to yourself."
"Who does he think he is!" Inner Sakura roared, punching the air in anger. "Hottie or not, no one can be this rude to us and get away with it!"
Sakura blushed slightly at the comment, and resisted the urge to check her team mate out. It wouldn't do for her to be seen ogling her best friend in public after all.
Looking over to the said blonde, she noticed with horror that from what she could see, he appeared to be raising an eyebrow at the red tinting her cheeks.
'Please…don't mention it…'
"Well? What is your…condition?" Sakura took a deep breath, willing her blush to disappear as she thanked the gods for small favours.
"Meet me after this-"
"No." His reply was instant and decisive. "I have no time to waste, this hold up has already delayed my training long enough. Now if you will excuse me…"
Sakura smirked viciously, a facsimile of a grin that would have caused any other male to run in the opposite direction when it was directed at them. The only reaction it gained from Naruto was a snort.
"Don't even try it, Sakura. I'm no longer the idiot I used to be."
The pink-haired girl shook her head, feeling her heart sting at the blonde's cold words.
'He's…so different…'
"No matter how much you change, Naruto…" She met his expressionless gaze with a determined one of her own. "To me, you'll always be my team mate. I know that deep down inside of you, the old Naruto is still there!"
The blonde's eyes hardened as he turned his back to face her and began making his way to Tsunade's office.
'I have no need for bonds. Someone like her…will only be a liability. I have no time for this, more training will be required in order for me to surpass Sasuke.'
"I will not say this again, Sakura. The loudmouthed brat you knew is dead. Any further attempts to waste my time will not be tolerated, so kindly continue what you were doing before you encountered us."
Sakura clenched her fist tightly in anger at the boy's words, nearly drawing blood through the gloves she wore. For a moment, she saw Sasuke in his place, walking away from her after she had poured her heart out to him. Then she blinked, and it was once again the blonde standing there.
'No…this is too much like that day…I can't lose him too…I won't!'
"Naruto! W-why…are you doing this? You're acting just like…Sasuke-ku-"
Naruto whirled around, a hint of red creeping into his eyes as he growled at Sakura.
"I'll never be like that traitor!" The words burst out before he was able to stop them. The anger he felt at being compared to the Uchiha was palpable, before he realised what he was doing.
'Damn it…why did I lose control like that…'His eyes slowly reverted to their previous icy shade of cerulean. 'After all these years…her words still affect me…how pathetic…'
The blonde continued to stare at the floor even after he had regained his composure. "Sakura…you might not understand, but I'll do whatever I must to accomplish my goals. But no matter what happens, never compare me to the Uchiha." Sakura stared at him in horror, seeing the parallels between him and her other team mate.
'Please tell me this isn't happening…' When Inner Sakura didn't offer a smart remark, tears begin to well up in her emerald orbs.
"Naruto…look at yourself and tell me that you're nothing like him!" The pink-haired girl yelled, resisting the urge to knock some sense into the stubborn blonde. "Please…I just want to talk to you…"
Kitsune shot her an icy glare, but she continued to look back at him with a stubborn intensity.
'I won't let you do this to yourself, Naruto!'
'It seems that she does genuinely want to talk to me…I guess just this once…'
Sakura saw the resigned look that appeared in the blonde's eyes and her lips curved upwards into a victorious grin.
"I see that you just won't let it go…Tori, take her to my usual training grounds, if you don't mind."
When she nodded, the Jinchuuriki gestured for his remaining squad members to follow him before disappearing in a puff of smoke.
'…After nearly three years of training under Tsunade-sama, I still don't know that jutsu…'
"So, your name is Sakura?"
To the pink-haired girl's surprise, Tori was the opposite of what she thought an ANBU would be like. Cheerful and easygoing, she was almost what Sakura had envisioned she would be like a few years down the road.
"I'm Haruno Sakura! Ah…you can't tell me who you are…"
The Kunoichi merely winked at her and removed her mask to reveal a heart-shaped face that was framed by her dark violet locks. Her eyes were a startling shade of emerald, and reminded Sakura of her own.
"What Taicho doesn't know won't hurt him, right?" The mischievous grin she had was infectious, and Sakura found her lips curving upwards into a smile.
"Hibiki Misora's the name! I'm turning twenty this year, and singing is my hobby!"
Sakura smiled fondly at the vibrant introduction, which reminded her of a certain blonde's. Her hand unconsciously moved to adjust her forehead protector as they made their way down the streets of Konoha.
'She's like a female Naruto…well the way he used to be anyway.'
"I'm fifteen this year, and I like…" Racking her brains for something she liked to do, Sakura came to a shocking realisation that her intensive training regime had robbed her of any spare time whatsoever.
'The only social event I attend is the weekly Rookie Nine gatherings…how embarrassing…'
She giggled in embarrassment at the sad fact and tried to change the subject.
"Ano…when did you join ANBU?"
Thankfully for her, Misora noticed her avoidance of the subject and didn't comment on the abrupt change of topic.
"The squad I'm currently in is my first! And from your earlier performance, you know when the squad was formed right?"
Sakura smiled sheepishly, a slight blush creeping onto her cheeks as she played with a lock of pink hair.
"Sorry about that, I just wasn't used to Naruto acting so…"
"Cold?" Misora supplied, gaining a fervent nod in reply. "I know, Kakashi-sempai told me that he used to be a loudmouth back in his genin days. I find that hard to believe though, Taicho is so uptight!"
The pink-haired girl sighed at the reminder of their genin days, unconsciously bringing a hand to her heart, which felt like it was being squeezed painfully.
"Believe it…Naruto was so loud and stubborn…but he always came through for us when necessary. Back then, he used to do everything he could to make me happy and keep me safe. Now…he's changed so much…"
A melancholy look crossed her face as she remembered the bright grin that used to be permanently fixed onto the blonde's face. His eyes used to be so open, brimming full of happiness, but now they were guarded and emotionless.
"I just want the old Naruto back…"
"Stop whining about it! Jump him and all our problems will be solved! You both need some stress relief!" Inner Sakura growled, once again displaying her twisted logic as she waved around a placard saying "Physical Therapy".
Sakura choked in shock as the violet-haired girl beside her gave her an amused look at the sudden mood change.
"Well, if someone can change him, it's you." Sakura tilted her head curiously, mentally wondering what the older girl meant.
Misora smiled brightly at her, trying to instil hope in the younger girl.
"In these six months, I've never seen Taicho say that much or respond with so much emotion to anyone."
Sakura looked at her in disbelief, wondering if the purple-haired girl was insane.
'He was as expressive as a brick wall! Maybe she needs to get her head checked…'
The ANBU giggled at her shocked expression, knowing exactly what the younger Kunoichi was thinking.
"I know that it sounds ridiculous, but trust me when I say Taicho doesn't usually show us what he's feeling. Even if he's angry, he keeps it all to himself, and we can never tell what he's thinking. That's why…" She paused to place a comforting arm on the younger girl's shoulder. "Deep down, I think that a little bit of him still cares for you. I'm sure that you'll be able to revive his old personality if you just keep trying!"
Encouraged by the jade-eyed Kunoichi's words, Sakura felt her lips slowly curve upwards into a slight smile.
"Thank you, Misora-sempai. I needed to hear that…"
The older girl laughed, a carefree sound that just didn't sound right coming from someone in an ANBU uniform.
"Any time, Sakura-chan. We should get together sometime after you succeed, hmm? I've always wanted to know if Taicho got drunk…"
The pink-haired girl snickered out loud as the mental image of a drunk Naruto brazenly putting the moves on a girl came to mind.
"He's mine! Hands off, hussy!" Her other persona jumped into the fray, engaging in a catfight with the imaginary girl while Naruto sweatdropped.
'…I refuse to believe that she's a part of me." Sakura thought, unwilling to admit for a second that she had been the slightest bit jealous. Nope, not at all.
"Yes, Misora-sempai. We will…"
Arriving at the training grounds, Sakura was surprised to see that it was largely undamaged with the grass well kept and maintained. Misora giggled at her stunned expression.
"Surprised, Sakura-chan? We are ANBU you know, not monsters. Environmental damage is kept to a minimum in ANBU training grounds…after all, we exercise more control than mere genin."
The medic-nin nodded in understanding, pausing to wipe some perspiration off her forehead.
"I'm just so used to training with Tsunade-shishou…and the grounds are usually wrecked after that, so this is new for me."
The purple-haired young woman snickered, shaking her head.
"Ah well, please try to keep the damage down to a minimum here when you beat some sense into Taicho. Anyway, I'd better get going now. It was nice meeting you, Sakura-chan. Ja ne!"
Once again donning her mask, Tori waved an energetic goodbye as she disappeared into a puff of smoke.
"…"
"Why does everyone know that jutsu except us!"
Sakura huffed in frustration as she began running through her taijutsu katas on a training dummy without using chakra to strengthen the blows.
"Naruto should know better than to keep a lady waiting…where is he?"
"Kitsune, you're free to go now. Your report has been submitted."
"Tsunade-sama."
The blonde Hokage smirked, knowing exactly what the ANBU Captain wanted to see her about.
"Why did you tell Sakura about my return?" he asked flatly, boring into her eyes with a merciless gaze.
"I am well within my rights to do so as Hokage, Kitsune. Or should I say…Naruto."
His gaze was unfaltering, and Tsunade almost found it unnerving that a teenager could have eyes so guarded that they were unreadable even to her. After a few moments, he bowed sharply and turned to leave.
"…I'm doing this for your own good, you know. The way you're behaving…it reminds me of Orochimaru just before he became a missing-nin." The Hokage smiled sadly at the boy's back, knowing that he would not respond. "I hope Sakura is able to find the real you once again, Naruto, before it's too late…"
Stopping at the door, the Jinchuuriki turned slightly and quietly said "Did you ever consider that maybe…just maybe…this could be what I want?"
Even after he had left, Tsunade continued to stare at the place where his back had been.
"I was afraid of that…"
Her body covered in a light sheen of perspiration, Sakura continued to pound away at the dummy. As her impatience grew, so did the amount of chakra she used till the point when wood chips began to fly into the air with every punch or kick she threw.
"When he gets here…I'm going to kill him!"
Coincidentally, it was at that point that Naruto chose to arrive in a cloud of white smoke.
"NARUTO!" Sakura stomped over to the motionless ANBU, fuming with anger.
"Why are you late?! And you're going to find yourself in a world of pain if your next sentence involves being lost on the road of life!"
The blonde shook his head in exasperation, inwardly disgusted that anyone could think he would use an excuse like that.
"…Tsunade-sama held me back. Now, please tell me what you want."
The pink-haired girl hesitated, realising that it was the first time she was alone with Naruto in nearly three years. She licked her lips nervously, finding to her dismay that they were cracked and dry from the heat.
"…Take off the mask, Naruto. I want to talk to you face to face."
"…" Without protesting, the boy reached for his mask slowly, fingers curling around the Kitsune's whiskers as he pulled it away from his face.
'Wow…'
"Damn…when did he get so…" For once, Inner Sakura was at a loss for words.
His slim and angular face was complemented by strongly defined features, and put together with his spiky blonde hair gave Naruto a mature and serious air. This, coupled with his lean and muscular frame that could only be achieved from a rigid training regime, forcefully reminded Sakura of a certain raven-haired boy she had been enamoured with during her childhood days.
'No way…he even looks like him…'
"Kyahhh!" Inner Sakura went into an insane fangirl rant. "He's smoking hot! Put a collar on him so you can have your very own bishounen!"
Naruto watched quizzically as his former team mate's visage went from stunned disbelief to a slight tinge of red.
'…She's even more bipolar than before…'
"Could you please get this over with, Sakura? I'm wasting my time here…" he stated neutrally, crossing his arms.
The girl cleared her throat and nodded, brushing aside several sweat-soaked tendrils of hair from her face.
"Naruto. I want you to tell me exactly what happened to you. The way you're acting…it's like you're no longer the Naruto I know!"
She was cut off by a snort as the blonde turned his back on her and began walking away.
"Naruto! Where do you think you're going?" Sakura ran towards him, grabbing his shoulder tightly with her right hand and spinning him around. She kept a tight grip on the shoulder, feeling the hard muscle beneath his skin as she glared into his indifferent eyes.
The Kunoichi was caught off guard by the bitter laugh that suddenly rang from the boy's mouth. It was a harsh and grating sound, the laugh of someone who had forgotten how to feel happiness. Remembering the cheerful laughter that used to emanate from the very same boy that stood in front of her, the happiness that used to shine in eyes that were now glacial, Sakura clenched her fists tightly as she resisted the urge to punch the imposter that stood in front of her.
'There's no way…this can be Naruto…'
"You're too late, Sakura." He brushed her arm off his shoulder, smoothing down the crumpled fabric where her fingers had gripped his uniform. "Kakashi tried the same thing, and I'll tell you what I told him. It's far too late for any of you to start caring about me…"
The girl felt his words strike her like physical blows, and lowered her head in shame as every insecurity she had ever felt over her treatment of the blonde came back to haunt her.
"I…we…always c-cared about you…"
A dry chuckle that was wholly devoid of mirth cut her off as the boy's voice hardened.
"Is that so? I truly doubt it, Sakura." His frosty cerulean eyes bore into her, and she looked away to avoid the guilt his gaze invoked.
"Naruto…why can't you see what you're doing to yourself?" She pleaded, trying with all her heart to make him listen to her words. To her dismay, Naruto's eyes remained flinty and unyielding, showing no signs of what he was feeling.
"It doesn't matter to me. Even if I have to sell my soul to the devil, I will gain the strength I need to surpass the Uchiha. These pathetic bonds that I clung onto for so long made me weak, and it is through shedding them that I will gain the power I need. It would do you good to remember that…Sakura"
Sakura felt herself go numb with every word that came out of the boy's mouth. When he refastened the Kitsune mask and turned to leave, she found herself paralysed and unable to stop him.
'Sakura…I'm not like you and Naruto. I will do whatever I must to gain power, even if it means breaking the ties that I have with Konoha. To me…nothing is more important than gaining the strength I need to kill that man."
The departing back in front of her flickered, becoming an indistinguishable mix of Sasuke and Naruto, and Sakura felt a wave of determination rise within her, knocking aside her hesitation and fear.
'I'm not that weak little girl anymore…there's no way I'll let this happen again!'
"What…" The blonde tilted his head to the right, narrowly avoiding a punch that would have shattered his jaw. "…do you think you're doing?"
Dispelling the chakra in her fist to avoid destroying the training grounds, Sakura tightened her gloves and turned around to reveal the feral grin on her face. One that promised pain and suffering for him.
"It's quite simple, Naruto…I propose a bet. A spar between the two of us."
She locked her emerald orbs with her team mate's cerulean, projecting all the confidence she could muster at him. A small spark of interest could be seen to rise in the boy's eyes, and it was enough for her to gain the confidence she needed to continue.
"If I win…you'll go to the weekly Rookie Nine gatherings, starting with the one at Ichiraku Ramen tonight."
She could almost see the gears working in his head as he weighed the potential hazards and benefits of his choice. When he spoke again, his voice contained a hint of a challenge. The uncharacteristic change caused Sakura to blink in shock, and she nearly missed the words that followed.
"And if I win, you'll cease your foolish attempts to rekindle our so-called bond. Do we have an accord?"
Sakura swallowed nervously as a wave of doubt washed over her. If she could make Naruto attend the gathering, the chances of him opening up would be much higher than what she could do on her own. But if she lost…
'What should I do…'
Inner Sakura awoke from her dormancy to answer the mental plea. "Take it, of course! If you let him go now, we'll never get him back!"
Sakura's jaw dropped as she considered her inner self's words.
'Oh my…did you just give useful, non-perverted advice?'
"Hmm? Did you say something?" Inner Sakura asked nonchalantly, her nose buried into a familiar orange book.
'…And I spoke too soon…'
Breaking out of her thoughts to find Naruto still waiting, Sakura gave him a firm nod.
"First to incapacitate the other or force a surrender wins. Anything goes-"
"No." The blonde interjected, eyes flashing with amusement as he seemed to revert back to his old personality for an instant. "I am an ANBU Captain, after all. What do you say to…restricting me to taijutsu?"
Sakura smirked, cracking her knuckles in anticipation. While she would have been angered at receiving a handicap in a normal spar, this was one which she could not afford to lose. Any arrogance on Naruto's part would be his loss.
"Let me tell you up front, Naruto…you're making a huge mistake. I'm not the same girl I was during our genin days."
Tossing aside his Kitsune mask, the blonde merely snorted as he moved into a taijutsu stance.
"We'll see, Sakura…we'll see."
Wiping perspiration off her forehead, Sakura subtly began gathering chakra into her fist.
"Ready…"
She tensed at his words, hunching over slightly as she bent her elbow slightly in preparation.
"Hajime."
Here's another long chapter…I really don't know how it ended up as 6000 words. For anyone who's interested, Misora is a character from Ryuusei no Rockman (which is my newest obsession). However, this fic is not a crossover, I placed her in Naruto's team solely as a character reference.
With that said, would anyone like to guess who Neko is (she is a Naruto character)? A cyber cookie for anyone who guesses right! Anyway, constructive criticism would be appreciated, so please leave a comment if you have the time. Thank you!
Thanks to the following people for reviewing, you all rock!
Legally Fabulous, arkard, pvt stewart, Denim88, Gnosismaster, uzukun7, dbzgtfan2004, mangalover248, full-metal-sousuke, IronicEnding, Wrathchylde, AgentBEATS, rickp2006, Yumizuki, dragonshaun9, Narusaku Romance, shankstar89, DemonicLove555, .