Just a quick notice about the ages, Sakura is nineteen at the beginning of the fic and most other ages are based around this, the only exception is Genma. I won't specify his age- I know in the manga he is older than Kakashi but personally I imagine him as around 26 for this fic. That age is still quite a bit older than Sakura but probably not enough to offend anyone, and I just think it suits. Of course, you are free to draw your own conclusions; I just wanted to say that before any questions were asked.
Thank you all for the support I have already received, particularly to xXreapXx and Anon who reviewed.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the accompanying image that is a screen shot from the anime.
Chapter 2: Of Flirts and Fists
The morning loomed cloudy and grey.
"An ominous sign if there ever was one" Sakura bleakly muttered.
She quickly dressed in her ninja attire; a sleeveless red zip up top over her chest bindings and a short pale skirt that barely reached mid-thigh. The slits on each side of the skirt revealed a pair of tight black shorts, slightly longer than the skirt. Her kunai pouch was strapped to her left leg and her medical bag was slung over her shoulder. Black boots that reached her shins completed the picture.
Sakura liked her current outfit, although Ino was less complimentary. "It's nice Sakura... maybe a little too nice though. It was fine when you were sixteen but now you look like you are trying to relive those good times. You need everyone to realise you are ready to get back on the dating market."
Never could it be said that Ino lacked charm. The dating market Sakura had pondered. It definitely sounded fun... not at all like she was offering her remaining dignity up for auction.
Perhaps she was right, mused Sakura; maybe a change would be nice. She resolved to talk to Ino about it after the mission.
Sakura soon reached the gates. She was slightly earlier than the scheduled time. She could sense Sasuke's chakra signal nearby and she suspected he was sitting on the village wall beside the gates. She ignored him and sat at the base of a nearby tree, settling her back against the bark. She figured she may as well relax, knowing Kakashi it could be hours until he deigned to show up.
It wasn't until ten minutes later that she was joined by the other member of the squad. The figure of the approaching man could have been any shinobi but the shimmer of the sun glinting off what could only be a senbon was a tell-tale clue.
Sure enough, Shiranui Genma soon came into focus. Sakura took the opportunity to study the man- he was tall and lean like most shinobi, and move with the careful grace that spoke of his profession. His brown hair was tamed by a Konoha headband, facing backwards in the form of a bandana. His eyes had the tendency to be glinting either mischievously or in a flirting manner. It was all too easy to forget that he was an exceptionally skilled shinobi.
An elite body guard for the Hokage he had protected both the Fourth, Third and the current Fifth Hokage. There were also rumours that he was a member of ANBU- an elite of the assassination squad. Sakura had never been on a mission with Genma, and had shown only a vague curiosity in him- she now regretted that, wishing that she knew more of the skills of her soon-to-be teammate.
The jonin ambled over to Sakura; his standard ninja attire of a green Konoha flak rustling faintly as he sat next to her. Sakura had seen him often since she began her apprenticeship with the Hokage but had never talked to him much; they were vastly different and had remained politely distant from each other.
Perhaps it was the age difference, Sakura mused- when she had first ventured into the Hokage tower she was still a love sick girl pining over a lost teammate. Genma probably still remembered her as such. Sakura stifled a grimace, it was an unpleasant thought; she didn't think many people were particularly proud of aspects of their twelve year old selves but hers was worse than most. As Sakura matured into a well-respected and talented kunoichi the detachment between the two had faded only enough to allow Genma to greet her with his standard flirty comments. Not that that progress really separated her from the rest of Konoha's female population.
She would never admit it, but it had secretly warmed her to know that someone found her attractive- even if it was the shinobi renowned equally for his career as for his spectacular succession of women.
"Pinky, if only I knew you were waiting for me, I would have been here much earlier" he said easily, his senbon moving with a practiced air in its usual place resting between his lips.
Sakura rose a delicate eyebrow "Really Genma, I was under the impression you always arrived early?" she idly questioned.
It was a lie, and perhaps childish, but Sakura could not resist the opportunity to tease him- he was much too confident when he barely knew her. Unfortunately, Sakura had been subjected to numerous stories of Genma's various talents from gossip she overheard from both nurses and kunoichi traipsing in and out of the Hokage tower. When she was younger, Sakura had valiantly tried to suppress the memories and vivid detailing- now, she could only conclude that the rumours were vastly exaggerated.
Genma smirked deviously "Is that so Sa-ku-ra" he said, extending her name deliberately as he leaned towards her, "Are you sure that's what you heard, I know I could prove you wrong".
Sakura turned her head towards him, only to find him much closer than she thought. His voice was laced with promise, and something else... Before Sakura could contain her surprise long enough to reply with what she optimistically hoped would be a witty retort, they were interrupted by the arrival of the missing members of their squad.
Sasuke and Kakashi appeared almost simultaneously in separate clouds of smoke. Kakashi casually lifted his gaze from his orange book to take in the scene before him, his lone eye betraying a mild interest. Sakura quickly realised what he was looking at and scrambled away from Genma, who only seemed amused at the situation.
Meanwhile Sasuke had observed the situation with a stony silence. Only a slight flair in his chakra indicating he had witnessed the uncharacteristic exchange between the medic-nin and notorious flirt.
Desperate to change the topic Sakura greeted the two arrivals "Kakashi, you're almost on time too" she teased her genin sensei. It was only with the numerous missions aiming to retrieve Sasuke and subsequent revival of Team Seven that Sakura had began to spend time with her ex-sensei again. He had neglected her as a genin, although, with her teammates, and her own questionable attitude she could understand his reasoning if not his actions.
Perhaps because of this Sakura saw Kakashi as an older brother of sorts and enjoyed both the time she spent with him and even his hospital related antics. The latter was mostly because Sakura had become an important part in his vendetta against the hospital, allowing him to drop in at her apartment whenever her needed treatment. Sakura reasoned that it saved herself and the other medics the drama of dealing with a reluctant patient and ensured he would get the appropriate treatment. Her actions had encouraged other nin to occasionally drop into her place rather than go to the hospital. It never bothered Sakura- her nights were generally pretty quiet and she was glad that the nin sought appropriate medical attention rather than their own questionable solutions.
Kakashi's lone eye crinkled on what could only be a smile as he ruffled Sakura's hair "Nice to see you too, Sakura-chan".
Sakura grimaced at the suffix- she only supposed it was a teasing take on the name Naruto had permanently assigned to her since she was a genin. She didn't mind it though- she knew that Kakashi meant good-naturedly and she supposed it was his aloof way of being nice.
"Sasuke" Sakura began, she had to greet him in some manner in an attempt to relieve some tension- too bad all she could manage was an awkward, almost stutter she thought grimly. She noticed that the other members of the squad turned to regard the exchange- Kakashi in a more subtle manner than Genma whose gaze bounced avidly from Sakura to Sasuke.
The dark haired nin surveyed her briefly, dark eyes considering then easily dismissing her. He turned away, choosing instead to address the nin relaxing against the tree and apparently revelling in the tension.
"Shiranui" he said, almost rudely.
"Uchiha" Genma returned easily, seemingly losing interest in the young shinobi.
He turned to address Kakashi, "So, are we ready Captain?" he smiled impishly.
Kakashi sighed; it was going to be a long mission and one that he had not particularly been looking forward to for a week or more. Perhaps he should have really become lost on the path of life this time, he thought glumly.
"Yes, I suppose we are" the Copy Nin said, resigning himself to what was to come. Soon the team moved swiftly through the gates of Konoha, leaving behind the sleeping village.
The last four days had been tiring but worthwhile. The mission was finished- the package was secure in Genma's pack and all objectives had been achieved with little fuss. Sakura had easily kept pace with the group and had been proud of her contribution to the squad.
All that was left was the journey home but she had been plagued by both Sasuke's insults and Genma's seemingly innocent flirting. She knew that each was only encouraged by the other and had soon lost sight of her as the subject. Sakura had resolved to focus on the mission but it was becoming increasingly difficult.
The stress has also taken a toll on the seemingly aloof Copy Ninja- the tension in his shoulders and the way he almost clenched his book were sure signs that the grating relations in the group were getting to him.
No major injuries had been inflicted on the group- it was a relatively simple mission, but a few minor scratches were suffered by all. This was caused more by the quick retreat through dense forest and the scraping of thin branches. Sakura knew the cuts would sting and sought to alleviate her teammates discomfort as quickly as she could.
Sakura quickly moved through the group, healing scratch after scratch with her distinctive and soothing green chakra.
"Hn, perhaps you are worthwhile for something" Sasuke said cuttingly as he watched her heal him, his words echoing throughout the clearing, "but it doesn't hide the fact that you are still weak" he continued scathingly.
The words reverberated around Sakura's head. Sakura glanced up at Sasuke, he had briefly held her gaze but soon focused it to a point past her shoulder- no doubt where Genma was. Sakura could immediately sense the heightened auras of both Kakashi and Genma, knowing that each was angered and ready to spring to her defence.
Sakura's infamous temper rose- she had endured more than enough from her selfish and ex. She infused a slight amount of chakra in her fist and, never losing her grip on Sasuke's eyes, punched him in the jaw.
The crack resounded around the forest as Sasuke stumbled back and wiped the slight trickle of blood from his mouth.
Sakura stood shocked, she had assumed he would block the attack but Sasuke had not tried to avoid it. Vaguely she noted that his jaw was broken- an almost clinical break that would be relatively simple to heal. She dumbly moved forward to mend it, or apologise or something, when Genma appeared in front of her- his grip on her shoulders stopping her from advancing.
She briefly saw Kakashi flicker in front of Sasuke, his slouched stance betraying his readiness to restrain the Uchiha. Kakashi's voice whipped through her thoughts "Genma, take Sakura directly back to the village. Go directly to Tsunade and explain the situation but leave the final mission report to me."
Kakashi's gaze turned to Sasuke "I will take a slightly longer route with Sasuke. I think we should split them up for the time being. He can heal at the village... perhaps he will learn something from this, and, if nothing else, he might be a bit more thoughtful before he makes the effort to speak".
Sakura stared dumbly at her childhood sensei and friend, he gave her a strained smile- "It'll be alright Sakura... just try not break Genma's jaw" he said lightly, but a glint in his grey eye indicated the subtle rebuke.
Sakura remained rooted to the spot, but before she could form an explanation or apology, the two nin headed off towards the further most border of the Fire country.
Genma turned to assess the stunned looking kunoichi, his gaze showing a new found respect for her. Sasuke needed that response from the kunoichi and Genma had been goading them both in an attempt to cause something similar, but he had been surprised with how well it worked though.
Amongst the older shinobi Sakura had been known as the most promising kunoichi of her generation- until Sasuke's return and the start of their relationship. Then she had faded into the unconfident kunoichi she had been when she was younger. Maybe this confrontation between the two would allow Sakura to claw back the confidence that saw her become the temperamental but budding darling of the village.
Genma had heard of the spectacular end to the relationship and- like most- had been surprised it had lasted as long as it had. The two ninja were almost blatantly unsuited to each other- they clashed, Sakura would invariably concede to Sasuke's wishes and then they would distant themselves. It was probably a stage Sakura had to go through to provide a conclusive end to what had been a longstanding affection of sorts between the two. It had been rough on her, he conceded sympathetically- the backlash from the relationship had haunted Sakura for weeks.
Genma turned back to recent events, he knew that Sasuke could easily have avoided Sakura's fist if he wanted- he was a naturally agile shinobi which the Sharinghan only heightened to incredible levels.
Genma thought that perhaps it was the dark haired nin's version of an apology. Sasuke had humiliated Sakura but, maybe, in his typical round-about way, this was his effort to rebuild some of the old Sakura. Maybe even showed his regret for how the relationship ended, Genma mused. It was certainly a complex- and entertaining-transition in their relationship but he hoped they could mend it enough to rebuild their friendship.
"We better leave now Kitten, we need to beat the other two to the village" Genma said.
Sakura nodded mutedly, "Wait, what happened to Pinky?" she asked curiously. She did not miss the obvious and irritating moniker but was wondering at the abrupt change.
Genma laughed, and turned back to regard her speculatively, "The description just doesn't seem to fit as well anymore; you might look cute but it seems you may have claws".
A slight smile brightened Sakura's face and the shinobi soon faded out of sight, heading towards Konoha.
Tsunade was irate.
The Slug Princess was leaning over her desk in a predatory manner, looking all but ready to devour the two nin standing before her. The papers that scattered across the desk lay in defiance of the previously neat piles and careful order. A jug of sake was sitting conspicuously open and half empty upon the desk that seemed to be groaning under Tsunade's anger.
Sakura sighed; things were not looking good. Shizune had gathered Tonton in her arms and fled, followed shortly by what sounded like an evacuation of the entire upper levels of Hokage tower.
Everyone seemed to be preparing for a particularly volatile expression of Tsunade's temper- all of it directed at Sakura. Well, Genma was with her but he seemed irrationally unconcerned as she glanced at the nin who currently preoccupied with the view out of the window and absently fiddling with his senbon.
Although, he wasn't the one that had broken a teammate's jaw Sakura acknowledged grimly.
"Sakura, focus" Tsunade snapped, abruptly returning Sakura's attention to the Hokage. "So, you two have returned missing two of your four man squad and seem a curious mixture of bored" she said, eying Genma "and terrified" turning her gaze to Sakura.
"Shishou-" Sakura began, but was quickly interrupted by Genma.
"Hokage-sama, the mission was a success; however, unforeseen circumstances caused Hatake and Uchiha to return via a different route to the village. They are scheduled to be back this evening. Hatake confirmed he will provide the mission report and explain the reasoning behind his decision" Genma said concisely.
Tsunade analysed the two nin, "Impressive explanation Shiranui, but that really doesn't tell me a whole lot does it?"
Genma smiled innocently at the Hokage but Tsunade let the matter drop and turned to her attention to Sakura.
"I read an interesting report from a scouting squad that intersected the rest of your team. Their only noteworthy observation was that the Uchiha was nursing a bruised and broken jaw. Would you know anything about that Sakura?"
Tsunade again interrupted Sakura as she tried to redeem herself slightly. "I think I can piece together what happened and I have thought of a punishment to suit whatever transgression may have occurred".
Sakura was under no illusions that her Shishou knew exactly what had happened on the mission but she appreciated Tsuande's deliberate ambiguity. Without the incident being specifically mentioned by either Genma or Tsunade during the meeting, it prevented the obligation to record the indiscretion on Sakura's record.
The Hokage's eyes gleamed menacingly, "To improve team relations, you four will form a permanent squad that will remain active and functional until I believe the message has sunk in". The Hokage's stressing of particular words was duly noted- it could be a while until this new team operated in a manner that even loosely resembled the amount of natural cooperation common in other cells.
Genma looked mildly affronted- he wasn't convinced that the team dynamic would remain quite as entertaining if it was a permanent fixture in his life.
"Don't start Shiranui, I don't doubt you played a small but important role in this, now get out of my office. Sakura, you stay".
The Hokage waited until the other shinobi had taken his leave before addressing her apprentice, her eyes softening slightly. "Sakura, you broke protocol with what you did, but, under the circumstances, I cannot blame you." Her eyes soon narrowed "just don't let it happen again"
Sakura quickly nodded her assent.
"You will still work as normal at the hospital but you will be re-assigned to this team as well as any others where your skills might be needed. When Hatake returns he will organise team training sessions. Really, it will only benefit you with your aspirations of promotion" she finished.
Sakura readily agreed with the more sedate Hokage and was soon dismissed.
The pink haired kunoichi dashed across the rooftops- alternating between dreading and looking forward to the new team. It seemed the perfect opportunity to prove just how far much she had improved and motivate her to continue doing so. She might even surprise a few people along the way.
Sakura smirked; she was ready for this.