Yo! Yet another chapter done, well I had this one done but I had to get it beta-ed. So thanks Maahiyum for being my Beta!! Glomp attack! Okay well enjoy this chapter! More is yet to come!

Oh! And if yall can't remember what happened so far. Remember Sakura got hit by this syringe full of this fluid like stuff from Kabuto which jump started her aging process by 14 years. In other words she's about 27 or 28 years of age. So this is her story on how she deals with this studden jump. Well enough recap! Enjoy! Always enjoy reviews too!

Chapter 8: Coming Out of Society

The sound of birds and giggling children slowly floated into Sakura's ears as she laid in bed. Her hand clenched slightly from reflex as she took a deep breath in. She slowly cracked open a green eye to stare ahead of her, her gaze fell onto her hands and then the morning light that silently fell to her floor.

It was morning, the start of a brand new day.

She blinked her eyes and snuggled further into her warm blankets, thoughts finally coming out of their nocturnal slumber. She shifted onto her back so she could stare at the ceiling; a small smile graced her lips reminding her of last night's events. At the moment Sakura felt comfortable and refreshed, with an arm above her head and the other resting on her stomach, she could have easily fallen back asleep. But she wasn't feeling up to it.

"What a night." She whispered to herself as she rolled onto her other side. She snuggled further into the blankets regarding the question.

Her eyes snapped open remembering her argument with Kakashi. She bolted upright, thoughts in a wave of panic.

"What did I do? I wasn't that drunk was I?" she said clutching her head. "I mean I only had three drinks."

Dude, calm down. It's too early morning for drama Inner Sakura said while she stretched. I mean come on, you finally told him what was on your mind and well he heard you.

"Yes, but I didn't mean to be that mean."

You are too forgiving

"Oh, thanks."

Hey, let me remind you I was actually silent for once, you were the one doing all the talking

"Yeah, but—"

Listen, he was asking for it. We've been waiting for him for a long time, but he chose to not open to us. We had the last straw in this; don't regret what you said to him.

"I know, but it's just that," Sakura swung her legs off her bed and settled them onto the wood floor. "I don't know what it's going to take for him to trust me."

Beats me, maybe a mission together?

"Like that's ever going to happen."

She pushed off her bed and went toward her desk which had several piles of her borrowed clothing resting on its surface. She pilfered through the piles till she settled on a pair of Jounin pants and sleeveless blouse. The black pants matched the green blouse nicely and with her jacket from last night, it would complete the ensemble.

She made her way toward her bathroom when her bare foot kicked the strapless bra that Genma bought her. She stared down at the black piece of material till she decided to scoop it up.

I wonder how Genma knew our size Inner Sakura said regarding the article in their hands.

"Beats me, but I have a hunch that he talked to a certain Pervy Sage."

Inner Sakura only giggled at her as she tucked the bra under her arm and continued her way toward the bathroom.

So what are we going to do today? Inner Sakura asked.

Sakura glanced at herself in the mirror as she vigorously rubbed a towel over her wet hair. She could see Inner Sakura hovering just above her in the reflection of the mirror. She found that Inner Sakura could not only be seen in her mind but also in mirrors, lucky she was the only one that could see her.

"I don't know," she said through the towel. "Since it's my day off I thought we could…….."

Could what?

"I don't know, finally go shopping?"

She heard no response from her other self, she glanced up at her after she took the towel off her head.

About time. She said crossing her arms.

"Shut up."

"Are you sure you really want to do this?" she asked looking over her shoulder for the tenth time that morning.

Don't talk yourself out of it, we need to do this whether you like it or not

"I know but," Sakura looked down at the ground for a minute before looking up. "I'm not sure if I'm ready to be going 'out in society'."

You proved that by last night.

"Why do you—"

"Miss. Haruno good morning!" a cheery voice greeted her. Sakura broke her inner argument with herself and turned her attention to the elderly lady to her left. Her green eyes lit up recognizing the person.

"Good morning Mrs. Hanaka. How are you this morning?"

The woman only smiled at her and bowed her head in return to Sakura's question.

"Very fine, thank you!" she smiled at the young woman as she continued to water her plants. "I was just telling Felise here that it's soon approaching fall, and I want to remind you to make sure that you bundle up when you're out walking around at night."

Sakura smiled at her. Felise was the old tabby that Mrs. Hanaka kept around her home.

"I'll keep that in mind, thank you Mrs. Hanaka."

"You're welcome, deary!"

Sakura glanced down at the roses that she was watering, they still were in bloom but if you looked at the others they were wilting at the tips and turning a pale pink. Sakura looked at the old woman in question.

"Might I ask how you know that fall is already coming? I mean it's barely even summer."

The elderly woman only chuckled at her, wrinkles around her eyes made her even more ancient than she already was.

"Oh, just my women's intuition that's all, when you get old, you tend to sense things that younger folks normally don't feel."

Sakura only grinned at the reply.

"That's understandable." She said nodding her head. A thought suddenly crossed her mind. "Mrs. Hanaka, how are you holding up by the way?"

"What's that deary?" she said looking up from her watering. Sakura only smiled at her.

"I asked how are you doing? Your last visit was a little over a month ago; I was wondering how you have been since then?"

"I've been doing fine, just fine."
Sakura raised her eyebrows at the elderly woman. Mrs. Hanaka had a running case of arthritis in her knees and wrists. She would come in once a month to get chakra therapy sessions with her or with one of the other nurses on the floor. Mrs. Hanaka would normally ask for Sakura due to the other nurses being too rough or jerky with their applications.

"Really?" she asked.

"Yes, I'm not sure what you did on my last visit but I've been pain free for weeks and I think it will last me till next month!"

The woman proved her point by crouching down to pick up the old tabby, when before she barely could touch her toes.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that Mrs. Hanaka." Sakura said smiling.

"It is deary, it is." She said glancing down at the old feline in her arms.

"Well it's nice seeing you again—"

"Oh, but I want to give you something in return."

"Oh, Mrs. Hanaka I don't want—"
"I insist!" she said waving her hand at her. "Since you've been a wonderful doctor to me, you deserve a reward for your efforts."

She settled the fat tabby down so she could pull a pair of clippers from her pocket and clipped one of her roses and handed it to Sakura.

"It would match your hair very nicely." She said smiling at her. Sakura looked at the rose she was given. The petals were a very pale shade of pink, nearly white in comparison to the others.

"Well thank you, Mrs. Hanaka." She said bowing towards her. "It's beautiful."

"Here, let me help you put it in your hair."

Sakura handed back the rose to her so she could slip it into the messy bun that held her hair back. She felt a tug and a little pull but the flower was gently put into place among the pink strands.

"There!" she said whipping her hands on her sides. "Come by any time deary!"

"I'll keep that in mind." She said reaching up and gently touching the flower petals. "See you again Mrs. Hanaka!"

"You too deary!"

Sakura waved good-bye and continued her way into town.

See! You it seems that everyone respects you more for what you're doing Inner Sakura said punching her inner self in the arm.

Sakura continued walking regarding the statement; a smile broke onto her lips remembering the happiness the old woman sprinkled on her.

"You're right," she said lifting her head up. "Now let's go shopping."

Cha!

Sakura laughed at her inner self as the business district of Konoha finally came into view.

"Where do I go now?" Sakura muttered as she peered around the various shops in the shopping district. Jade eyes peered down at the bags hanging from her wrist and into the new shoulder bag that she had slung over her shoulder.

I can't believe you bought that thing Inner Sakura muttered as the real Sakura ducked into another clothing store suited for all ninjas. She had been referring to the shoulder bag. And I thought that buying your own syringes was a waste of money. You could have easily taken them from the hospital.

"Hey, I needed this thing," she snapped back. Sakura halted her pilfering through a clothing rack and realized that she had said her outburst out loud.

A women that was looking at some shoes gave her a strange look. Sakura ducked her head a little and continued looking through the clothing rack.

"It's kind of hard to carry all these bags around in your hands."

"Talking to yourself Sakura-chan?"

Sakura froze slightly recognizing the voice that addressed her. She turned her head and saw Maito Gai directly behind her as he too was pilfering through a clothing rack.

"Gai-sensei."

Gai shook his head at his name preference.

"Now, now we're both adults and equals no need to be calling me 'sensei'."

Sakura closed her mouth in thought about the statement, Kakashi told her something similar to that.

Gai only gave her a trademark smile before resuming his own shopping. Sakura grinned at his friendliness before she too continued.

"What brings you out Gai sen-" Sakura stopped herself from using the honor title. Gai ignored her phrasing and picked up her dropped sentence.

"What brings me out and about when I should be training the future Youths of Konoha, are you asking?"

He turned his head to look over his shoulder as he asked this; Sakura nodded her head to the question. He grinned at her before turning his head back to the clothing rack.

"I too have an outside life Sakura and sometimes I am in need of such things like….ah-ha!"

Sakura turned around to see just what he was talking about; it was then that she watched him pull out an identical matching pair of green spandex suits that both Lee and him were quite fond of.

Sakura inwardly shuddered as she watched the older man happily skip over to her and tugged her toward the teller. She had her purchases already in hand she just thought it would be rude if she suddenly up and left while talking to Gai.

"But enough of me. I see that you're getting along quite nicely."

He nodded toward the bag over her shoulder that was carrying a number of her purchases she made earlier that day with a few more bags hanging off one of her wrists.

Sakura glanced at her shoulder bag and gave a slight grin at the Green Spandex clad man.

"Just catching up on some shopping," she said as she watched Gai settle his purchase on the counter. "Haven't had the time really to go out and around town."

"Yes, Yes, The wonders of Youth."

Sakura gave him a weak smile. The last time she went shopping, she was with Ino, Hinata, and TenTen. But due to recent events, Sakura found herself walking the Konoha streets without a friend on either side of her.

Sakura inwardly held in a sigh, no need to be thinking about such things when she had such a good afternoon. Naruto even volunteered to go shopping with her when she finally decided to go but Jairaya announced an impromptu training lesson on him that morning.

Sakura looked at Gai for a little remembering the time in Suna when Kakashi out did himself with his Sharingan. A small smile lifted on her lips on his little "stunt" to get Kakashi back to Konoha as quickly as possible.

Speaking of the stunt, Sakura was wondering why Gai was acting mellow around her. Normally he would be proclaiming the wonders of youth to her like he always did and how training will make you better, faster, and stronger.

But she had a hankering that he was being mellow to her due to her not being used to his over exuberant ways. Her thoughts went back to the few encounters she had with the Spandex man but Kakashi kept interfering. A little twinge of worry came at the mention of the Copy Nin.

"Gai…"

The Green Beast looked over at her after thanking the salesclerk.

"You wouldn't have run into Kakashi lately have you?"

The Green Beast looked at her for a little before responding. She had no idea why she was so upset about him, she finally told him a piece of her mind last night and with the way she was fretting over him made it seem that she was regretting her words and also her decision.

Gai looked at her before answering.

"You haven't had lunch have you?" he asked with a shift of his shopping bag.

Sakura blinked at his response as her mouth moved into a thin line.

"Um, no I haven't and you—"

"And I will tell you your answer during lunch. Come Youthful Flower, I hunger!"

"Great." Sakura thought as she was gently guided toward the door and down to the food district of Konoha.

Sakura looked over at Gai as he devoured his second bowl of ramen, she was beginning to wonder if not only Naruto ate more than what was considered healthy or just men in general ate a lot. Sakura leaned back in her chair and glanced over at her purchases, on their way toward the food district Gai actually pulled her into another Ninja paraphernalia store and wandered around there for about another hour. She in turn got some new kunai and ninja boots, due to her old ones not being able to fit her. This then caused her to look at some of the Kunoichi clothing, which then prompted her into buying some fishnet under armor and a brand new set of shin guards that Gai persuaded her into buying.

"I really did not see the need to buy those things," she muttered as she took another sip out of her tea, she had been talking about the shin guards.

But I would have to admit they did look good on us.

Sakura hid her grin behind her tea cup again.

Her shoulder bag now sported the items that were on her wrist earlier while she carried the new ninja gear, which was too heavy to be placed into her bag. She spent enough on clothes in one single day than she had in a whole year. Talk about feeling broke at the moment. Sakura wasn't normally the one to be fickle with girly matters; she thought it overly tedious and annoying. Why spend so much on clothes when you could simply buy a new pair of katanas for half the price?

Many of us are not Shinobi Inner Sakura reminded her.

The real Sakura nodded her head agreeing with her inner self.

"So Sakura."

Sakura turned her gaze back to the green lad man in front of her, who also happened to be buying her lunch.

"What was it that you wanted to ask me?"

She swallowed the small portion of tea that she was holding in her mouth before answering him.

"I was wondering if you'd seen Kakashi?" she repeated as she helplessly noticed her gaze falling down to her lap.

Gai leaned back in his chair hearing her question.

"Sakura, can I ask you something?"

Sakura fought the urge to raise any eyebrow at his avoiding questions.

"If you're thinking that I'm avoiding your question, I'm not but it is in regards of the one you speak of."

Sakura looked at him and nodded her head.

He tilted his head at her in debating thought.

"When you were in the bar last night," he said. Sakura opened her mouth to counter his assumption but he swiftly continued. "Were you fully aware of your actions?"

Sakura's eyes widened a fraction at the question.

"Of course I was," she said pushing some hair behind her ear. "I'm sure that many shinobi may think that I'm still the fifteen year old girl but I think I was fully capable of my actions the other night."

Gai shifted in his seat a little from his inclined state.

"Yes, I think you were but do you think Kakashi thought the same thing?"

Sakura opened her mouth to respond. That could explain the mellow attitude toward her, Gai was recovering from a hangover from hanging out in the bar last night.

Swell..So he's only nice to us because of his little drinking escapade last night.

"Sakura I know it has been a couple months since the accident but remember Kakashi is still taking this change like the first night it was discovered."

"I know," Sakura interjected. "He still thinks it's his fault."

"Exactly and I don't think it was in your best interest to be flaunting your new adult body at bar of all places."

Sakura's jaw dropped at the statement.

"I wasn't flaunting it," she said sitting a little straighter in her seat. "I was enjoying the night out with a fellow Shinobi…."

Sakura stared at Gai noticing the raised caterpillar like eyebrow. She felt some heat creep onto her cheeks; she ducked her head slightly realizing the late comprehension on last night's events.

"…okay. I guess it wasn't a good idea but what else could have I done?"

"You could have done many different things, but going out to a bar wouldn't be one of them."

Sakura leaned her elbow on the table and rested her forehead in the palm of her hand.

"Great. Now everyone is going to think that I'm some tramp or something."

Gai chuckled at her little comment.

"Just think a little more before you act, you'll get a hang of it in no time," Sakura nodded at his words as he leaned forward and took up his cup of tea. "Actually Sakura I wanted to ask you something on a more Shinobi level."

"Like what?"

Sakura raised an eyebrow at him, on a Shinobi level?

Gai took a sip from his tea before he answered her.

"Have you been training since the accident?"

Sakura looked at him as she thought about it. In all reality she hadn't had found the time to even get away from the hospital to train. Due to the accident, working at the hospital and getting used to being an adult left her drained at the end of each day.

Her lack of response told her answer to Gai.

"I take that as a no," he said. "Its very important that you train Sakura and especially with your new body."

Sakura rose an eyebrow at him, she was the nurse and she was getting medical advice from a Tai-getsu Master.

"What do you mean?"

"During the years when you were training with the Hokage, you and your body were becoming in sync with one another. Both knowing how much chakra is needed to increase your strength, leap over trees, or treat the wounded. Since the accident your body has taken on a new surge of chakra that it's not used to. You don't know how much more or less chakra is needed to do the things you used to be capable of doing.

"If you suddenly are thrown into a mission and without training during your leave, you'll find yourself in a serious predicament. You will find yourself fighting your own abilities due to your body trying to cope with these new changes. While at the same time its being subjugated to extreme pressure and stress.

He was received with a calculated look from the woman in front of him.

"But the important thing is that you don't know what your capable of doing at this point. Lady Tsunade and myself included, are wondering the same thing. I'm also to the assumption that you don't even know what your chakra element is as well."

Sakura tilted her head at him in slight though to the question. She heard that Naruto was a wind element chakra wielder. She on the other hand had no idea just what element her chakra preferred. From what she gathered Kakashi was lightening, Yamato was an earth and water element, which in turn created a wood element due to the blood transfusion he had when Orochimaru captured him when he was an infant.

Gai received a shake of the head as his final answer.

"What has that woman been teaching you?" he asked leaning back in his chair. Sakura found that comment a slight insult but Gai moved on in the conversation.

"Don't find it an insult Sakura, but you really need to know your chakra element if you want to continue to being a Shinobi. I learned in an early age, that all my training and skills would be chakra-less but since you already work with medical jutsu its important to know just what element your chakra works best. Any element will work but if you want to specialize your jutsu's or even attacks its important to know just what element you need to base them off of."

Sakura nodded her head in eager understanding to the question.

"So I need to be trained, in order to get used to everything again?" she said piecing his words together.

Gai smiled at her.

"That would be correct, I take it that you would normally train under Kakashi or Lady Tsunade but under the circumstances neither teacher is attainable at the moment."

Sakura pinched the bridge of her nose at this, again he was right. Kakashi and her were having complications with each other and their little argument last night clearly proved their distrust for one another. Tsunade at the present times, was under a lot of pressure with the upcoming Shinobi exams which included the Chuunin, Genin, and Jounin Trials.

Sakura looked back up at the Green Beast.

"So who do you have in mind?"

Gai gave her his signature smile, causing Sakura to slightly die inside. He wasn't?

Sakura raised both eyebrows at his expression, she leaned back in her chair with a slight slouch.

"You're not suggesting?"

Gai leaned an arm on the table.

"That I be the one to train you? Why of course!"

Sakura nearly fell out of her chair at the response and how he said it. He sounded so confident and so optimistic.

"What makes you think that I'm going to train with you?" she asked pushing some escaped hair behind an ear.

"Well for the fact that none of your acquainted instructors are present at the moment nor are they willing to train you."

Sakura slouched a little more in her chair at his words. She knew that Kakashi wouldn't want to train her not after what she said to him, Tsunade was too busy with Hokage business, Yamato was gone on ANBU business, and Shizune was busy keeping tabs on the Hokage.

"But also," Gai continued. "I have a hankering that you could learn a jutsu that my Lee-chan can't perform."

The pink haired woman tilted her head in question.

"Why's that?" she asked reaching for her forgotten tea cup.

"Because the certain technique that I'm talking about requires a great deal of chakra control and my Lee-chan bases all his attacks without chakra."

Sakura moved her mouth into an "o" before moving her eyes from the man in front of her. She already knew that Lee based his attacks without chakra but he was capable of tapping into the Eternal Gates that dwell inside his chakra highways. She knew that he could open at least Four of the Six Gates, any more than four and Lee could kill himself due to the chakra exertion.

Sakura looked at the adult in front of her, fingers circling the rim of her cup.

"So what you're saying is," she said leaning back slightly to get a better view of him. "that you want to train me so I can figure out my chakra element and also learn a new jutsu that your Lee-chan couldn't learn?"

Gai nodded his head with a slight grin pulled onto his face.

Sakura tapped her fingers on her cup, thoughts going over his offer. It seemed very tempting but there was no way in hell was she going to be training under a green spandex clad man. She had a bet that he would stick her in a spandex suit too, if he dead she would gladly commit suicide. If she was going to do any training, first it would be by herself. She would only need an instructor if she was trying to perform some complex move, but she wasn't so she didn't need his services.

She returned a jade gaze to the black orbs in front of her.

"I thank you for the offer Gai, but I think I can train myself."

Gai's grin broke into a slight smile, causing Sakura to raise an eyebrow.

"Ah yes, still wanting to claim your independence like an adult. Alright fine, I understand that but my offer still stands."

He got up and laid out a number of paper bills on their table, Sakura was about to make a move to her wallet but Gai stopped her by handing their fee to the waitress that happened to walk by.

"Remember Sakura, train whenever you have the time. The sooner the better," he got up and scooted his chair out. "thank you for having lunch with me and I rather enjoyed our little shopping excursion."

Sakura glanced over at the bags sitting next to her. The money she spent today, would take about a month's worth of missions or about three months of hospital shifts. Either way she had started her wardrobe shopping and was about halfway done of replenishing her dressers and closet. Now the only problem that was left was longerie shopping and also finishing her Ninja gear collection. Gai had her get those new shin guards and Sakura already spent enough on some new fishnet under-armor.

Sakura turned her gaze back at the Tai-Justu master in front of her.

"No problem, it was rather nice not shopping alone."

Gai gave her a sparkling smile.

"Glad to be of service. I'll see you around."

"Yah, you too."

Gai gave her a curt nod and started walking in the direction back toward the business district of Konoha. Sakura watched after him, thinking on his words.

So what are we going to do now?

She had already got up and was picking up her shopping bags and turned in the direction of her home.

"Well, first get home, check the mail, eat something if I'm still hungry, put my clothes away, and..."

She shifted her grip on her bags as she thought of the other possibilities to spend the rest of her evening.

Thats it?

Sakura remained silent for a bit as she walked.

"And I think that tonight would be a good night to out and train."

Kabuto glanced down at the vials that he had in his hands, a sign that yet another test failed again. He cursed under his breath as he disposed of the vials and began refilling them with a base chemical agent.

"Yet another month goes by and I'm no step closure to replicating the Serum of Reverse Death."

His gaze leveled with a very tattered and weather beaten scroll, it being so old and decrepid it was difficult to read the words written on its surface. He traced a finger down the withered paper reading what he could make out.

"If only that stupid Sakura Haruno did not get in the way, then Hatake Kakashi would be dead already," he said more to himself than to the figure that was leaning up against the wall a little ways from him. "If only your friends did not get in the way, Sasuke-kun."

Kabuto's glasses flashed a little when he turned his gaze upon the remaining Uchiha. Sasuke merely crossed his arms across his chest.

"It is not of my concern if my old comrades foiled your mission Kabuto. You failed in terminating Hatake Kakashi and in turn wasted the only copy of the Serum."

Kabuto's fingers clenched around the vail that he still had in his hand, he settled it into a wood stand to disguise his agitation. But the Uchiha noticed the aggravation and continued.

"Orochimaru-sama is still wanting another copy of that Serum Kabuto, he's been rather patient with you up till now. I suggest that you hurry in appeasing your Master."

Kabuto's jaw hardened as he heard the Uchiha's footsteps leave the small laboratory. He turned back toward his lab table and stared at the scroll in front of him.

"Just wait Sasuke-kun, just wait."