Chapter 8 Team Prepares – Godaime's Apprentice

Sakura, unlike the other members, went to the market place. She needed to stock up on medical herbs for the mission before packing her personal equipment. Through extensive reading, she understood that there were several common herbs that can be used and mixed to combat nearly most traditional poisons used by shinobi and bandits.

Assuming the Medic-nin gets their diagnosis correct on the type of poison ailed on the patient, mixing the correct herbs can cure the poison within minutes. The problem was though how quick the medic-nin could determine the type of poisoning, and how long the patient had been suffering from the poison. The longer it took, the more the ailment would spread throughout the patient's body, meaning more herbs would have to be used.

The more disturbing fact to this as well, was the patient's health deteriorating over long periods of time from exposure to the poison. Sakura herself had treated shinobi that had returned to Konoha while exposed to the poison for days, the results was numerous treatments, as well as being bed ridden for weeks.

The pharmacist greeted Sakura as she entered the store, "Greetings Sakura-sama, what can I do for you today" she asked.

Sakura flushed in embarrassment and replied, "Ayamei, as I keep telling you, just Sakura is fine." The pharmacist nodded, although Sakura knew she would still call her 'Sakura-sama'. Sakura still hadn't quite become accustomed to being idolized yet by other villagers or fellow ninja, it was a thought that she honestly expected to never happen throughout her life. That quickly changed however after her first official mission as a Medic-nin.

The town of 'that' mission consisted of hundreds of civilians that lived a few miles away from Konoha. Some sick bastard thought it would be funny to poison the town's water supply, causing a widespread exposure to the people and animals of the town to a poison.

The poison itself wasn't lethal, it did however cause symptoms equivalent to the flu, along the addition of mild hallucinations, and general lack of Energy. Tsunade herself was going to go and help the town, but the elders were practically breathing down her neck denying it. Seeing as the other medic-nin's were all out on missions she turned to now their only hope, Sakura.

Sakura travelled together with Shikamaru to the town, and the sight she saw was something she wasn't going to forget for the rest of her life. The town was in complete a complete state of disaster. Children were crying and trying to embrace an invisible being, dogs were baring fangs at inanimate objects, and numerous elderly people were bed ridden. She felt tears fall when she had learnt that the town had already suffered numerous losses not only from the elderly, but even from young children.

The old Sakura before becoming apprentice to the Godaime would have cried and done nothing, because deep down she knew she could do nothing. However the new Sakura was by far not incapable, and quickly wiped away her tears and went straight to work on creating a vaccine. That was the first non-traditional poison Sakura had ever cured. By the end of the day, Sakura had cured over several hundred villagers and pets in the town.

Sakura didn't stop there though, she then began working out a way to remove the poisoning from the water supply, without making the water unhealthy to drink. It took a bit of convincing from weary villagers, but after Sakura had given a demonstration by drinking the water herself and showed no signs of the poisonous effects, the villagers began drinking again. The bastard was never caught, but Sakura swore to herself that when the person was found, She would personally give them a taste of the pain they had caused to that town.

It was only days after that mission where there were numerous talks and praises about her in the village. She even heard the occasional praise of 'The next Tsunade' come her way every now and then. A few days later came the idolizers from nurses and new shinobi alike. It had been three months since that mission, and being considered an idol was still something Sakura was coming to terms with.

After she had brought the herbs she needed to the desk, and paid for them. Sakura sealed them into her special sealing scroll that contained her other medical tools which she carried in her weapons pouch at all times, then bid her fair wells to the pharmacist and began her journey home to begin packing. She paused down the street not long though at the recollection of what happened earlier in her office. It appeared her wish of wanting to see Naruto earlier than before was being granted to her surprise, only she felt less ecstatic about it than before.

"Eh? I think your forehead is getting bigger again."

Sakura shot her eyes up from the ground to see the person that just teased her and groaned, "What do you want Ino?"

The platinum blonde haired kunoichi's eyebrow rose, "Just picking up herbs of course, since I am a medic nin too you know!" Sakura chuckled while pointing her thumb behind her.

"The pharmacist is back there...I am here."

"Oh can it and tell me what's up Sakura." Sakura frowned at her best friend but explained the mission, ironing out mentions of the Kyuubi in her summary, as she had done whenever Naruto was brought up. Ino's eye widened, but a grin formed.

"So you are catching up with Naruto? That's great then!"

"Yeah..."

Ino's lone visible blue eye narrowed on her friend, "Don't tell me those stupid thoughts are still lurking around inside your billboard of a forehead Sakura."

Sakura cursed the day she opened up with Ino about that, "They could be..."

"I swear you are hopeless."

"Shut up..."

Sakura didn't know when she turned and walked with Ino back to the pharmacist, "...What do you think I should do Ino?"

Ino clicked her tongue while opening the door to let them back in, "Get over it of course you idiot!" Despite how simple it sounded, the actual carrying out of the action was impossible to Sakura's will. Ino frowned while going through the ales, grabbing the herbs she needed, with her silent follower behind her.

"I treated Choji and Shikamaru the same in a way too Sakura-"

"Did you ever HIT THEM though!?"

"No..."

Ino watched her friends down demeanour deepen and she shook her head while continuing, "That doesn't mean I didn't give them a lot of flak though."

"So what did you do?"

"Well I didn't sulk like you have been about it. I simply chose to accept I was being stupid, and made it up by treating them the way I should have originally."

"But Ino, he wasn't even here?"

"And what stopped you from writing to him? Hokage-sama surely would have been happy to pass along any message surely. And don't even say 'he could have wrote to me', this is Naruto we are talking about after all."

Ino formed a smile, while bringing her items to the counter, "It has worked for me, you should give it a go."

Sakura gave a small grin, "I guess I will try..."

Ino opened the door to allow them both out, while giving her friend a nudge, "Hey, cheer up forehead, you should be happy you're seeing Naruto earlier than expected! Don't you lie to me and say you haven't missed his loud shouts!"

Sakura shrugged while forming a more genuine smile, "I have missed him..."

"You should get him something."

"Huh?"

"You know, something to plant a smile on his face, it will make you feel better too."

Sakura blinked for a few moments and shrugged, "What do I get him?"

Ino groaned while face palming at her friends stupidity, and childishly flicked Sakura's forehead, "You're his teammate! You should know the loud mouthed shrimp better than me!" Ino gave it a seconds worth of thought and voiced her answer like it was a fact.

"Ramen forehead! Isn't it obvious?!"

Sakura rubbed her neck sheepishly, "O-Oh..."

"Well best of luck on your mission Sakura, and be happy for god's sakes, Naruto will probably be surprised to see you."

"Thanks Ino..." Ino then left Sakura on the street, while Sakura nodded her head and decided she would follow Ino's advice on bringing to Naruto the food he loved the most. She didn't get far though when she caught glimpse of Gai, who appeared to have...well Sakura didn't know what else to call it than 'garbage' in his mouth.

The fact that he was walking around on his HANDS instead of feet didn't help either. She could have sworn she heard mutters coming from the man, cursing a former sensei she was familiar with. Sakura knew better, but her interest was killing her and she approached Gai. Meanwhile Gai on that matter was struggling to find a way to place the garbage in the bin, considering that his head was a mere foot from the ground, and the bin was four feet tall.

"Umm….Gai-sensei, what are you doing?" Sakura asked, when she had noticed that what was in Gai's mouth was a very old and rotted banana peel she had to turn her head in disgust. Usually Sakura had matured enough to avoid using what she referred to as 'girly' terms, but only one thought came, 'Ewww'.

By this time Gai had worked out some bizarre way to get the rubbish in the bin and then came back to his feet before addressing Sakura.

"Your Sensei indeed is a slippery one Sakura, he won in our match of hide and seek, and as part of my failure, I am cleaning up this market place with nothing but my teeth." Gai beamed, unbelievably happy, even though his task ahead was extremely revolting.

'Something tells me, Kakashi-sensei made himself scarce when you were distracted, and you assumed he was challenging you to a children's game of hide and seek…you idiot.'

Sakura mused, "I see…" Was all she could muster up, trying as best as she could to keep her face neutral, although it was clearly turning to disgust.

Gai was oblivious however, "Your Sensei better prepare himself though, because I WILL WIN IN OUR REMATCH!" Gai shouted at the end, giving his traditional nice Gai pose.

Sakura covered her mouth, and her face unconsciously shook rapidly. Gai didn't seem to notice that he had a bit of garbage stuck between his usually metallic like shinning teeth.

'Bleh! That is repulsive!'

"I-I got to go, sorry Gai-sensei I have a mission that I am leaving for soon." And at that she turned her head and almost got into a jog, desperately trying to flush that horrid image out of her mind.

"Good luck on your mission! May your youth shine your way till the end!" Gai beamed.

When the sight of Gai's teeth finally flushed from her mind, she returned to her previous thoughts, 'I wonder how long it has been since Naruto has eaten ramen? Knowing him and his endless bickering he gave on missions... I would say he would downright refuse to eat other ramen other than the store that only makes 'real' ramen as he used to put it.' Sakura could not resist the silent chuckle.

Seeing the familiar small boxed store with its fire red kanji was all she needed to know she was at Ichiraku's.

'Now, what was it he said in his constant praises of this place? Oh yes, Miso pork was 'the ramen of ramen'.' Sakura mused, while now for the first time today, finally felt the long overdue joy of seeing her teammate again.