Masashi Kishimoto owns Naruto and I own nothing but the plot of this story.
Note: Just so you guys know, there is going to be a pairing much later in the story, but that is still TBD.
Sakura had been both ecstatic and nervous when she had first heard about the Chūnin Exams. She wanted to show everyone – especially Sasuke-kun – the reason she was named one of the top in the class.
Looking back on her excitement, Sakura almost wanted to laugh. Top of her class? There was no way she even had the right to call herself such a thing. Even though she hated to admit it, Ino-Pig was probably a better kunoichi than her. At least she had some techniques that could prove useful to her team.
Sakura knew that she had been the exact opposite of useful during their mission to the Land of the Waves. All she could do was scream when she thought her sensei had been ripped to shreds and cry when she thought that Sasuke was dead. She had not even been able to carry out her own job of protecting Tazuna correctly. In the end, she had to rely on her teammates to help her, because there was absolutely nothing she could do to stand up to such powerful opponents, and she was quickly enraptured in fear.
Fear did not have a place in the shinobi world. If that fear had overtaken her in a solo mission, she would have been dead.
She did not want to admit all of that to herself, but the back of her mind kept telling her it was true. The inner-self she had stashed inside her mind taunted her about every aspect: her looks, her affection, her abilities, and most importantly, her values.
How useless can you get? You only care about saving your own skin.
You have no right to fight for Sasuke-kun's affection. He would never be interested in someone as weak as you.
You should just give up on being a ninja, just like your parents have always said. You are not cut out to be anything more than just a dainty little damsel that has big dreams but does nothing about them.
Sakura felt an amalgam of emotions as she allowed her inner self to berate her. She was usually stubborn, and she would formulate some sort of argument in her mind to dispel everything that her mind was trying to tell her. However, she could not come up with anything. She had no redeeming qualities as a kunoichi to keep her alive on the battlefield.
It was true that her parents had never wanted her to be a shinobi, but she knew that on Sasuke's quest for power, he would only want someone who was capable by his side. She wanted to be that person. However, that dream just looked like a circle she had been running in for many years with no end. Despite becoming a ninja, Sasuke barely spared her a glance. How could she be so stupid to think that he would fall in love with her?
Sasuke-kun would never like you. How can you live with the fact that he and Naruto almost died and you had done nothing but stand there?
But that was just it. She was barely living with that fact. The pain in her chest at the thought of losing the very person who she had been in love with for a major part of her life stung. She would have cried and screamed about how unfair life was if her teammates had just left her on the mission because they had to protect themselves. However, after a few days of contemplation, she realized that she would have supported their decision wholeheartedly.
Her weakness was the very reason that she was in the situation she was in. She sat on a rock on the outskirts of the village, crying her eyes out at how embarrassingly weak she was. She knew it was an immature thing to do, especially because if she wanted to achieve something, she had to actually do something about it. However, crying always seemed to be the easiest thing for her to do. It was her solace that she could close up within herself because she always expected to be comforted and praised afterwards.
Sakura buried her face in her hands, letting her long pink locks overtake her features. She had been so selfish to think that she had been strong just because she went against her parent's wishes and became a ninja. She thought that if she could pass the academy, then all of her problems would be solved and she would be a respected shinobi, because what kids learned in the academy obviously applied to real life.
But no, the academy did not tell her about the tragedy that went on outside the village. The academy did not tell her about the bloodshed that came with being a ninja. The academy definitely did not tell her that she could lose everyone she held dear with just a single swipe of the sword.
She also thought of herself as pathetic for still wanting to pin the blame on someone or something else. She wanted to blame the academy and Iruka-sensei for not teaching her what really happened in the lives of ninja. She wanted to blame her parents for not being able to convince her out of being a ninja, even though her action was of her own volition. She wanted to blame Naruto for not being more of a dead-last than her. A part of her even wanted to blame Sasuke, for making her fall for him and care about him so deeply that he made her cry for him.
Sakura shook her head to try to rid those thoughts from her mind. If there was anyone who should take the blame, it had to be herself. All the things she did were her own choices. The choices of a naïve little girl who thought that being a ninja just meant fighting for love. But she could not think that anymore.
If she did, then she would end up in the ground like many others had before her. Except her name wouldn't be carved onto the Memorial Stone, because she had done absolutely nothing to be remembered by.
On another note, she wanted Sasuke and, even though it felt a little weird to consolidate it within her mind, Naruto to move on without her and take the Chūnin Exams. However, Sakura was nothing if not inquisitive. Once she had heard about the Chūnin Exams from Kakashi, she had immediately researched the topic to see if she could find any information that could help to her advantage. She had not found anything useful about the exam itself, other than it changed every year to avoid the new generation of genin from cheating. However, there was another, depressing fact that she had found.
Kakashi had lied to them. The Chūnin Exams required a three-man squad in order to participate. Their sensei knew that Sasuke would be so determined to train for the upcoming test that he would start training right away and that Naruto would probably never walk into a library unless the situation was dire, but he seemed to have forgotten to calculate what Sakura's reaction would be to the news. Either that, or he just didn't care.
He probably stated that the exam was up to the individual to avoid putting too much pressure on her. She knew that Sasuke and Naruto would try to persuade her to just join, even if she did not become a Chūnin. It would not be a matter of what she wanted. However, Naruto and Sasuke had dreams to achieve and goals to accomplish. She had nothing that she was working towards, other than winning over Sasuke to make sure that Ino-Pig or none of his other fangirls would get to him.
No matter how selfish she might be, she would never think about hindering their goals. She supposed that this thought was also a bit selfish, considering the reason she did not want to be the one to make them stray from their goals was because she did not want Sasuke to hate her.
Sakura wailed pathetically because that's what she was: pathetic. When people looked at her, if they did not turn away from utter embarrassment that she called herself a kunoichi, then they looked at her as a little girl who just didn't understand the world around her. And it was true, she did not. And that fact just made her cry harder.
"When a youthful cherry blossom is crying, I cannot help but wonder why." A voice spoke from above her. Sakura gasped audibly as she looked up at the boy who had stopped to talk to her. Taking in his appearance, she immediately staggered back a little bit. The boy, who she assumed was about her age, had bowl-cut black hair that glistened with some sort of gel, bit, round eyes, and the most humongous eyebrows she had ever seen, as if someone had pasted two poor creatures to his face. However, the most appalling thing was that he was wearing green spandex that clung tightly to his body. It did not help that he was drenched in sweat either.
This guy looks like a total weirdo! Sakura thought.
She heard her inner self snicker from within her. Excuse you, but you seem to have a forehead that could accommodate those eyebrows perfectly. Sakura could not help but blanch at her consciousness's comment. Don't be so quick to judge, brat. You're nothing better than the bullies who used to tease you about your looks. Sakura looked down in distraught. Her inner was right. She really was nothing better than the means girls who used to bully her
The boy was still looking at her expectantly as she stared at him like he was some sort of alien. Sakura was quick to change her expression and wipe away her tears, even though they had already been blatantly obvious.
"I'm fine…thank you." Sakura said stiffly. Even though she had realized that she shouldn't judge the boy based on appearance when she barely knew him, she could not help but feel uncomfortable.
"If that is the case, then I believe that you would not be expending your youth through your tears." He stated, crossing his arms a little bit before kneeling down to her height. It was then that she got a true glimpse at his eyes instead of what was above them. His large black orbs held concern for her; concern she did not deserve in the slightest. "I will understand if you do not wish to tell me anything because you do not know me, but I just want you to know that the power of youth is still on your side, so there is no reason for you to be sad." He said.
What is it with this guy and youth? Sakura thought as she internally raised an eyebrow.
But then, Sakura had a slight epiphany about what he just said. Though it was oddly worded, he was basically telling her that whatever her problem was could be fixed. She looked at the Konoha symbol that was wrapped around his waist. So he's a shinobi too? Sakura thought to herself.
"I'm sorry…wh-what's your name?" Sakura stammered out as she sniffed a little bit. The boy did not seem to have expected her to ask him that, but his shocked face immediately turned into one of happiness as he shot her the most blindingly brilliant smile she had ever seen. Literally, she thought she might have gone blind.
"The name is Rock Lee. And what is yours, youthful flower?" He asked politely, still kneeling before her.
She knew that he was a stranger, but she could not help but let her guard down a little. Despite first impressions, he seemed to be very sweet. "Haruno Sakura." She decided to take initiative and stick her hand out for him to shake. He seemed even more elated, if that were possible, by her gesture and immediately took her hand in his wrapped ones, shaking it enthusiastically. Although it hurt a little bit, she could not help but find his eccentric actions amusing.
"A beautiful name for a beautiful girl." He cried out in admiration. Sakura could not help but blush. She had always wished for those words to come from Sasuke, but this by seemed to say it genuinely, and it made her heart swell. "Now that we are acquainted, can I trouble you to know what had been on your mind?"
Sakura froze for a little bit and hesitated. Even though he seemed to be a trustworthy person, she did not feel like sharing her faults with just anyone. However, she did not know who else to turn to. She knew that she could not confront her team about it – she would be too embarrassed. She did not want to tell her parents about it, because they would just tell her that they knew that she was not cut out to be a ninja and she should just quit immediately. She really did not have anyone else in her life that she could tell anything to, since she had severed her bond with Ino many years ago.
Sakura looked into the eyes of the boy before her. Perhaps he would be the one who she could entrust her secrets to.
Sakura flicked her head to the side to indicate that she wanted him to sit next to her on the rock, feeling a little bad that he had been kneeling down the whole time just to make it look like he was not towering over her. Lee immediately scurried over to the sport she designated, looking at her with manifested excitement. She had the inkling that not many people told him things, and that people probably even excluded him, kind of like people did to her. She couldn't help but feel a slight twinge in her heart. She was not just talking to a random stranger who she had just met. She was talking to someone who might be able to understand her.
She began to narrate all the events that had happened to her, starting from as early as she had entered the academy. She even told him about her silly belief that she was the top of her class because of her grades. She left out the parts about her infatuation with Sasuke, but she talked about him with an unconscious fondness that probably gave her away. She did not go into too much detail about what happened in the Wave, but she just told him that she had been utterly useless and was not able to do anything for her team.
"In the end, I've been nothing but a failure trying to hide from the truth. There's no way I can become a strong shinobi, just like my parents said. Now the Chūnin Exams are coming up, and I can't let down Sasuke…and Naruto." She quickly added afterwards. After saying all that she had to, she took a deep breath. It actually helped a great deal to have someone to talk to.
Sakura looked at Lee apprehensively to gauge his reaction. He sat with his eyes closed and his arms crossed in a deeply contemplative position. She bit her lip, wondering what he was going to say to her, if he was going to say anything at all. Perhaps he was also disgusted by how cowardly she had acted.
No…he doesn't seem like the kind of person who would do anything like that. Sakura thought to herself as she studied the boy's features.
"Sakura-san, I'm about to tell you something." Lee said as he opened his eyes. He did not look at her, though, and by the intense stare he was giving the tree in front of them, she knew why. He didn't want to scare her off. "I was born without the ability to use ninjutsu nor genjutsu. I am a pure taijutsu user." He said simply. At first, Sakura raised her eyebrow at the significance of this, wondering how it related to her problem. However, it then hit her that he must have been discriminated against by the other kids. He must have been called weak for not being able to pull of the simple jutsus that even Naruto could do to a certain extent. He must have looked like such a failure to others. Just like she did.
"Oh, Lee. I'm so…" Before she could finish, she was cut off.
"However, I swore to myself that I would become the best shinobi I could be without the use of ninjutsu or genjutsu." He said. "It was hard, and everyone was telling me that I could not do it. But I knew I could prove them wrong. I've worked my entire life to achieve my goal and become the strongest taijutsu user ever. No matter what other people told me, no matter what other people did to discourage me and tell me that I was delusional, I've never deterred from my goal. And that is because…" Lee paused a little bit before he turned his head quickly to look Sakura in the eyes. Although she was a little startled, she kept his gaze. "I have faith that I can do it!" Lee said, pumping a fist in the air for emphasis. Sakura could not help but smile at his ambition.
Lee then turned to her once again, looking at her dead in the eye. "Now, Sakura-san, do you believe you can do whatever you want to do?" He asked her.
Sakura had to think about this for a moment. She did not have a clue about what she thought. She had spent her whole life lying to herself that she was something special and that she was strong, and her sudden revelation had taken a heavy toll on her self-esteem.
"I…don't know. I don't think so." She said truthfully. "I have nothing going for me. Even you have taijutsu to fall back on. There's nothing I have perfected."
Lee put one of his bandaged hands to his chin. "That may be true, but from what you have just told me, you excel at intellect." He deduced.
"Not really…" Sakura trailed off.
"Do not think like that. You have to exploit any strengths that you have. If you had top grades in the academy, it must mean that you have proficient analytical skills. You can use that to your advantage. I do not have that ability myself, but I know for a fact that it can make for a dangerous weapon in battle." He said.
That made her feel slightly better. She did not want to think of herself with a big head anymore, but she could safely say that her intelligence was above the average person's. That was somewhere to start, at least.
"And also," Lee continued, "taijutsu is something that can be worked up to. Even if you do not have good physical capabilities at the moment, you can always improve. While the same can be said for genjutsu and ninjutsu, a person usually has to have an aptitude for those things." He explained.
"Yeah, I guess. But I don't know if I can learn taijutsu on my own. I'll lose my drive very fast and give up." She said as she sniffed a little, feeling her eyes line with tears. She cursed at herself internally. She did not want her new friend to think she was weak because she started crying.
Suddenly, Lee sprung up from his position on the rock. For a moment, Sakura was afraid that he was about to leave, but that fear quickly subsided when Lee stood upright in front of her with his hands on his hips. Sakura's jade eyes met his black ones, which were filled with determination.
"If that is the case, then I would be happy to be your youthful motivator." He said, and Sakura could have sworn that she saw a small fire blaze in his eyes.
"You would?" Sakura asked. She stood up to meet him, noticing that he was slightly taller than her.
Lee shot her one of his winning smiles. "Yes! I would be honored to work with you! I know how hard it is to become strong on one's own, but even I had a mentor to teach me." Lee said. His eyes then lit up with excitement. "I'll introduce you to Gai-sensei! He would be more than happy to help a youthful blossom such as yourself!" He exclaimed as if he was a genius for thinking of the idea.
"Gai-sensei?" Sakura asked. She had never heard of him before.
Lee grinned zealously. "He is only the coolest, strongest, most experienced shinobi in all of Konoha!" He exclaimed. Wow, Lee sure talks highly of this 'Gai-sensei'. I wonder what kind of ninja he is. Sakura thought. I think it would be great to train with him, but I hope that it does not distract me from my own team. She contemplated.
She realized that she was depriving Lee of her response that he was so desperate to have. "I would love to train with you." She answered honestly. Lee looked happy enough to do a little dance. "But…" She started, making Lee pause. "I don't want it to distract me from my own team. They're my top priority." Sakura said.
Lee nodded in acknowledgement. "Of course. I understand. We can train together when you are not with your team." He said. "But just to warn you, my regiment is harsh, and if you truly want to get stronger, then I won't hold back. You will have to do, or at least attempt to do, everything that I say." He said with conviction.
Sakura bit her lip, wondering if she would be up to the challenge. Her inner came back, telling her that no matter what she did, she would never become stronger and she would just be wasting poor Lee's time. She should just quit while she was ahead.
But that was exactly what everyone expected her to do. She did not want to be to person who just sat down and cried because life had not blessed her with the skills of others. If she wanted to look like a respected shinobi, given her circumstances, she would just have to work that much harder.
"Like I said before, I would love to train with you." Sakura repeated with a new resolve. What Lee was offering to her was an opportunity that did not come every day, and it was just the opportunity she had to take if she wanted to become who she wanted to be.
Lee smiled and nodded at her newfound drive. "Very well then. What time is your team meeting up tomorrow?" He asked.
"Kakashi-sensei told us to meet him at nine, which means that he will probably be there by eleven." Sakura replied. Lee did not question what she just said, even though she did not provide any background information.
"Very well. Meet me at Training Ground 5 at seven o'clock. Please bring something that you are comfortable in running in." He said. Sakura nodded. "Alright then, if that is settled, then I must be off. I have two hundred laps around the village I must do before noon, and I'm already behind schedule. Goodbye, and let the power of youth be with you!" Sakura did not get time to reply before he sprinted off. However, before he got too far, she called out to him.
"Lee!" She yelled. Hearing his name called, Lee immediately turned around to face her, jogging in place as he did so. "Thank you!" She said sincerely. Lee just gave her a salute before running off again.
Sakura smiled as she stared after him, already feeling so much better than she had a little while ago. She had hope that with her new friend's help, she would be able to achieve what she wanted to. She could not let her comrades down any more than she already had. It was time for the malnourished bud to finally blossom.
Sakura began to make her way back to the village, a smile on her face. But before she had made it a couple steps into her journey, she turned back in the direction that Lee went in with wide eyes.
Wait…did he just say two hundred laps!? Sakura thought in amazement and a little bit of fear.
She heard Inner cackling within her head. Good luck, kid.
What had she just gotten herself into?
Hello everyone! Thank you for taking the time to read this story. It is my first time ever writing a Naruto Fanfiction, even though I love the series to death. I've always enjoyed Sakura-progression fics because it is a great way to have another take on a character that could have had so much more potential.
If you guys could leave a review telling me what you thought, I would really appreciate it! I always love to hear what the readers think, and it really motivates me to write.
Anyway, I hope that you all are having a fantastic day wherever you are! See you guys next time!