"I hope you now understand your severe oversight on this mission. How easily you could have lost your entire team". Kakashi had been getting chewed out for the past hour by the Sandaime. "I hope you now know the consequences of failure, Kakashi it is time you take their training seriously". Hiruzen sighed tiredly. 'I am too old for this'.
"I understand Hokage-sama, I apologize for my shortcomings on this mission". Kakashi's voice hardened like forged steel, and Hiruzen could see the resolve on his face. "I'll make sure to train them to the best of my capabilities". Poof Kakashi disappeared in a flutter of leaves.
….
Sakura remained apprehensive, her eyes darting across the plain. She watched for movement; her ears strained to pick up the smallest of sounds. Sun was high in the sky casting shadows in the vegetation; numerous trees would be able to obscure her sight.
Rustle. She was already launching shuriken at the source before it fully registered on her. Sasuke bursts out of a bush deflecting the ninja stars with a kunai before charging toward her.
She slipped into the Uchiha kata and focused chakra into her feet before darting forward.
She flowed like water, sidestepping, she jumped in the air twirling, her kick landing harshly on her opponent's forearm.
Sasuke launched a series of attacks, forcing her on the defensive. Using her superior agility she dodged, ducked, and slipped through his attacks.
They engaged in a fierce exchange of blows.
Suddenly she jumped flipping over him she attempted to slam the heel of her foot on his head.
He dodged, her foot making contact with the ground. Shifting stance, he lowered himself to the ground, and his leg sprung out tripping her up. She caught herself from falling balancing on her right foot.
He spun around using her as the focal point, their backs facing each other as he then grasped her arm, continuing with his spin he kicked at her lone leg, before thrusting a palm to her midsection.
She went with the momentum, rolling across the floor she used her hand to push off the ground. Somersaulting in the air. Her leg blurred as her leg impacted his arm.
Grabbing her shirt Sasuke threw her away from him. Sakura managed to land on her feet.
Their eyes met, as both black and green morphed into red and black.
Sakura acted first, she lunged at him with a series of quick jabs. Sasuke expertly dodged each blow. He countered with a swift quick aimed at her chest, she leaned back feeling the rush of air as she narrowly avoided the kick.
He followed up with a flurry of punches, she parried and evaded most of them but was caught harshly in the abdomen, sending her stumbling backward.
She glared at him, regaining her balance and charging forward again. This time she was ready, weaving under his punch, she grabbed his arm and flipped him over her shoulder.
Sasuke hit the ground, but was up in an instant, rolling out of the way of her next attack. She continued attacking with a barrage of kicks, she then spun on her heel, launching a roundhouse kick. Her leg whipped through the air, the momentum of the spin adding extra force to the blow.
Sasuke Sharingan dilated, before kicking off the ground and countering with a heavy kick that collided with her stomach.
She hit the ground violently, gasping and coughing. She looked up. A fist inches from her face.
"It's over, I win", she tried to reply but was taken over by a series of coughs. He handed her a bottle of water. She accepted it gratefully, before chugging the water.
"You've improved a lot", Sasuke meant it full-heartedly. Over the two weeks team 7, had been awarded a break. Sasuke had been training her. Her improvements could be seen visually.
She had put on some lean muscle, their morning run, and calisthenic exercises to increase their stamina, agility, and speed had worked their magic.
At first, she had struggled to run even a quarter distance from his morning runs. She was awkward at the start her lack of skill in taijutsu, lack of stamina, and combat ability was alarming.
It didn't take long for her to acclimate to her new environment. As he watched her, he realized she wasn't the same girl as in the academy. Wave at shaken her as much as the rest of team 7.
Her dedication was admirable, she did her best to keep up with him, so he pushed her to her limit every day. Brutal taijutsu practice followed their morning activities, he forced her to adapt and improve. Her mastery over the Uchiha katas grew because of this.
Ninjutsu and bukijutsu training took up their evening. He introduced her to some more fire techniques. Sharpening her accuracy with kunai's and shurikens he introduced her to using ninja wires.
Sasuke was proud of her development, though he would never tell her that.
"I thought I had you there", Sakura sighed, a pout appearing on her face. 'Jeez, doesn't he know how to hold back?'. His counter kick would definitely leave a bruise.
"Two weeks is not enough time for you to beat me" he smirked; she felt a spark of annoyance at his arrogance that flowed out of him in waves.
"Maybe your right, but I'm sure I'll get you next time!", their relationship was friendly, a far cry from what it had been before waves. She had always put him on a pedestal, Sasuke embodied strength to her. Like Ino embodied confidence, how now Naruto to her embodied boldness, and perseverance.
Don't get her wrong she still thinks Sasuke is amazing. But she had seen his lowest, his lifeless body. Sasuke, the boy who would never lose, the boy who grew stronger in the face of adversaries had lost.
Before she never really saw him, she had upheld him as something not human. He was victory manifested. She saw how even after the worst day of his life, he never wavered, but in truth, he just didn't express his pain.
Over the last two weeks, she had gotten closer to him. She couldn't imagine the sheer loneliness he must have felt, simply living in the deserted compound. So, Sakura decided the get to know Sasuke the boy, rather than what he had represented to her.
And as she trained with him, the times when they ate together exhausted, after intensive exercise. She began to understand him a little bit more. Not allowing him to wallow in sheer loneliness. The empty words of pity from the village could not fill the void in his heart. To be in a room full of people and to still feel alone, even as they try to talk to you showering you with pleasantries.
She can't even fathom understanding his pain. All she could do was try to close the void in heart.
"Who are you, Naruto?". Sasuke said. 'Wait, was he trying to make a joke?' she looked at him seeing the slight upturn of his lips. "Since when could you make jokes?" she decided to tease him.
"Whatever, go clean up we have to meet Kakashi at 10 O'clock". Kakashi had informed them to meet up at training ground 7.
Quickly taking a shower they left for training ground 7. When they got there, the familiar blond hair and orange jacket combo clued them on their knuckleheaded teammate. As they approached Naruto heard them and turned around. "Sakura-chan! You're here feels like I haven't seen you in a while".
"Did you seriously ignore me dobe", miffed at the blatant disrespect he glared at the idiot.
'Here we go again' Too tired to play the mediator of the two of them, Sakura laments.
"HUH, I didn't even see you there. Don't blame me just because you have a weak presence!" Naruto spoke indignantly.
"Having a weak presence is not an insult, as shinobi being able to remain undetected is important, too bad an idiot like you wouldn't understand".
"WHAT DID YOU SAY!" angered by his comment Naruto began stomping forward with righteous anger.
"You guys haven't seen each other in two weeks and you're already fighting?", The familiar voice of their silver-haired teacher sounds from behind Naruto.
"DON'T SNEAK UP ON ME LIKE THAT KAKA-Sensei!", Naruto screamed startled by the sudden intrusion.
Kakashi glanced at him not even deigning to reply to him. "I hope you guys enjoyed a much needed break". Of course, he was aware of what all three of them were doing over the past week." I hope you all have been working hard because we're going to be having" He paused for added suspense. The three genin leaned in curious.
"A Surprise Test!", reaching into his pocket he brought out a singular bell and tied it to his belt.
"I'm sure you are all familiar with the bell test since this was your entrance test into team 7. You have one goal, find a way to take this bell off me before the alarm rings". His eyes crinkled clearly showing his amusement. "That's if you can now".
Sakura watched as he fiddled with a clock before setting it down. "Time starts" he began. She reached into her pocket, she risked a glance at Sasuke catching his eyes, she motioned towards the tree line. His eyes shown in understanding. "Naruto follow my lead" she whispered.
"Now!", a flurry of movement, Sasuke engaged him with shuriken before she dropped a smoke bomb on the ground filling the area in a thick dark cloud of smoke. The genin of team 7 dashed towards trees intent on getting out of sight.
'Hmm, they're already acting differently', they decided to move as one, having realized as a team teamwork was their greatest weapon. 'I wonder how their teamwork will hold in face of a direct force'. In a blur, he caught up to them, he stood in front of them. Clear sky blue and two pairs of Sharingans stared back at him. "Just so you know, I'm not going to hold back".
For one second it felt like they were sparring against their lazy, laid-back sensei. The next, their gasping the intense aura of death rolling off Kakashi in drove. Their goofy teacher was not there. The singular eye of the cyclops stared down at them. The miasma of death petrified them, immobilized they could simply stare in horror.
They never really respected Kakashi before. Even though he's a Jonin. An elite shinobi one of the best in Konoha, a man who could kill all of them ten times before they could even blink. Their instincts screamed at them to run. Their nervous system overloaded with fear.
Sakura brought her hands up shakily Kai, 'It's not genjutsu, and it can't be poison'.
Kakashi spoke up. "If you're wondering if it's genjutsu, it's not" He stared coldly. "Retrace your memories, it's a sensation you felt not long ago, the most important sensation for a person to survive".
"It is called fear" He took a couple of steps closer, "For those weak, who come across others infinitely stronger than them. Anything and everything is suspicious, making it impossible to even think straight".
Kakashi stood in the centre of them "You all are already consumed in fear by me" The three children shivered, his aura was even more malicious than Zabuza's "Jonin are the elite of a hidden village, it seems you have all forgotten that, as genin, you have no chance against one. You Naruto wish to be Hokage, why would someone as weak as you become Hokage rather than someone like me".
"I was five when I graduated from the academy, 6 when I became a chunin, and I was promoted to jonin at 12" He retracted his killing intent, but his aura still pressed down on them "I believe you all have potential but for now, how about I show you the gap between us".
The next two hours could only be described in one word.
Pain
Sakura always taught sparring with Sasuke was a humbling experience, she also taught it was excessive in the pain department. 'Well, all that training, is nothing compared to this'. The three members of team 7 were exhausted and injured with bruised egos.
"You guys improved a lot since the last bell test", none of them responded, too busy gasping in pain, unable to catch a breath. "I've observed all three of you during your two weeks off. Wave has lit a fire under you, and to be honest it is the same for me. I let you all down, and your lives almost paid the price. From now on I'm going to be taking this teaching thing too seriously".
"I am going to whip all three of you into shape, the strength you yearn for, you will have", he hauled all three of them onto their feet patting them down. "In the next couple of months, I am going to break you, you will feel pain, and you might despise me during it but afterward? You will experience what it means to be strong". His eyes crinkled in amusement. "Lesson one!".
"Taijutsu"