Chapter Two: Studying and Training

Edited

Sakura was happy.

No, that wasn't the right word to use.

She was ecstatic that someone so well known as Anko Mitarashi would be willing to take her under her wing.

What was even better was that the man at the library, Hiro Takashi, had offered to help her as well. He would quiz her on her studying whenever he saw her, so she had better study well. If he was impressed or satisfied, then he would get her more advanced books. So far, he had given her Chunin level books and told her to treat them well. Sakura had been happy when she left, so happy in fact, that when Kakashi had appeared in front of her explaining he wouldn't be able to meet with the team for a few weeks, she simply thanked him for informing her and went on her merry way.

Kakashi's confused look was so worth the sting in her arms.

They were aching from carrying the mountain of books Hiro had given her, but it felt good to her.

And now that she was home, she knew she had to go through some major changes in order to take the first step forward.

Like figuring out a new look. Inner offered, happy with that thought. Sakura nodded in agreement. While her current outfit was stylish, it was useless when it came to training. The dress only got in the way of her legs and her long hair only served to get in her eyes. We're not cutting our hair, but maybe we could tie it up? Inner offered again, a little nervous at losing her beautiful hair.

'Don't worry, we won't be cutting it.' Sakura stated. She loved her hair, loved the length and the color. But Inner was right, it only got in her way and she felt certain that Mitarashi-sensei would use it to her advantage.

"Alright, a new wardrobe it is." Sakura said softly to herself, stripping out of her dress and shorts. She was glad her window was closed and the curtains were pulled over it. And she was also grateful that her parents weren't home to see her toss her dresses and frilly things into a corner. She would either throw them away, or donate them.

Sakura looked at her closet, and deflated a little. There was hardly anything left after she had gone through it all. She had two pairs of black nin pants, two black, sleeveless turtlenecks, a black jacket that zipped up sideways and diagonally, creating a high collar that protected her neck and a black skirt.

She had taken out all her bright clothes, which left her barely anything.

"Black it is, then." She said, grabbing a pair of pants and the jacket. She found a grey tank top and quickly got dressed. She grabbed a random hair tie and threw her hair up into a high ponytail, then proceeded to braid it. That way it wouldn't get in her way when she trained.

Satisfied with her new look, Sakura grabbed the first book on chakra control and cracked it open, intent on reading it all. She was gonna prove to everyone that she just wasn't a paper ninja, but that she was an actual physical ninja capable of great things.

And so, she read.

Sakura's head hurt and she was pretty sure she saw double of everything.

When she had set out on her goal, it had been 9 in the morning. Now it was 5 in the evening and she had only read three of her ten books. One on basic chakra control, one on human anatomy, and one on basic senbon techniques for Genin. She didn't remember asking about it, but guessed Hiro-sensei had added it after thinking about her request. She hadn't known that Hunter nins preferred to use the small needles, and was thankful for Hiro-sensei's thoughtfulness. Then again, she did remember that boy on the bridge using them to "take out" Zabuza before Kakashi-sensei could. Huh, guess there was a lot she didn't know.

All the better that she had Hiro-sensei to help point her in the right direction.

With all that information running around her head, Sakura decided to take a break. She was originally going to get some food and head back to her books, but after looking at her pile of cast offs, she figured she could do some shopping. And after looking at her weapons pouch and meager supply, she also decided to get some new weapons.

She cursed her foolishness. No respectable ninja would keep dull and chipped weapons.

She also cursed her stupidity for allowing herself to do that.

Being a fangirl had clouded her judgment to the point that it could have gotten her killed.

She would buy as many senbon needles as she could, because that was going to be her weapon of choice from now on.

Fake it till you make it. Inner whispered in her ear, silently cheering her on.

"Time to go shopping," she said with determination. She just hoped she didn't run into anyone she knew, because they would ask questions and she just didn't have all the answers. She only had her determination and her desire, and those wouldn't be enough, especially if she ran into Ino-pig or her teammates.

Maybe this would be a good time to practice her skills in speed and stealth. She picked up the two books and did a quick scan through, not realizing she had spent an hour scanning the important information. By simply running her eyes over the pages and picking at the important parts, she was able to retain more. When she was done, her head didn't hurt as much as before.

She grinned; she just found a way to read two books in the shortest amount of time, while retaining all the important information without the added headache.

This would definitely help her later on when Hiro-sensei decided to quiz her. But, just to be on the safe side, she would go back and reread the book entirely. Just in case she missed something important.

Sakura grabbed her wallet and opened her window. The sun was still shining, but she could see the shadows stretch further. She applied some chakra to her feet and launched herself forward, thinking it would help silence her landing. Landing on the road below her without any grace, she decided that her theory was correct, however, that did not apply to her grace. She gritted her teeth. She would have to work on her landings. Glancing, she saw no one was around and shot off the ground, landing on the roof of a house nearby. Her landing was a little smoother, but far from perfect. It would take dedication and practice in order to get it right, and she could only hope she would get it mastered by the time Kakashi-sensei would be back. She looked around and faced the direction of the market, where she would be able to get her weapons, clothes, and possible some more books. She wasn't necessarily in need, but she wanted to start her own collection. All in do time, she figured. After taking a deep breath, she applied a small, even amount of chakra to her feet and shot off.

She wasn't aware of being watched from nearby.

"So that's your student, Anko?" Ibiki asked, chuckling when his friend and partner nodded. He knew Anko was sadistic, sometimes downright evil, but he didn't figure her to be a pure psychopath. He glanced over at the girl's sensei, noting the way his shoulders were tense despite his laid back position.

"Mind telling me why you want to train my student?" Kakashi asked, flipping a page in his infamous orange book. Anko rolled her eyes and bit down on her stick of dango. It wasn't the same one from a few hours ago, as this woman had quite the craving for the sweet buns, and therefore it was probably her fifth or sixth stick. Today.

"She wanted to get stronger, and she was holding a lot of books that relate towards Hunter nins." Anko explained, smirking when Kakashi put his book away. So, he was getting serious now, eh? That was fine with her. This would make what she had to say next all the more sweeter. She knew, just like him, how dangerous being a Hunter nin could be. He was probably running multiple scenarios through his head right now, all of them involving her inhumane death.

"So, you took pity on her?" He asked, venom laced into each word. Anko sneered at his accusing tone.

"Please, I pity nobody but the dead. The brat was talking about how she wanted a new sensei who would pay attention to her, and I happened to be there, so..." Anko trailed off, knowing she had hit a sore spot with that explanation. Kakashi's eye narrowed a little, but he had no one to blame but himself. Sakura had been right in stating that she was being ignored by her sensei, and here he had been trying to protect her from the cruelty of the world. Maybe he shouldn't have doubted her. If he had just paid her a little more attention, maybe she wouldn't go looking for trouble. If he had been a better sensei, she wouldn't feel like she was being ignored. With so many questions running through his mind, he shifted away from his colleagues.

Without a single word, Kakashi poofed away in a cloud of white smoke.

"Geez, dramatic much?" Anko asked herself. Ibiki chuckled darkly and shook his head. Anko had hit him pretty badly, and she knew it.

"So, what are you gonna do tomorrow?" He asked, curious. Anko wasn't known for being kind, not even to kids.

"I'm gonna put her through hell and see if she can handle it."

"And if she can't?"

"Then I'm dropping her like a hot shit."

"You're cruel."

"I know."

"And what if she passes your test, then what? You gonna become her teacher?" Ibiki asked, pushing off of the wall where he had been leaning against for the past ten minutes. Anko gave the imposing man a toothy grin that was said to send shivers down a grown man's back. Ibiki had yet to feel that, probably because he knew her better than anyone else.

"It's about time I pass on my tricks to someone." Anko stated, laughing to herself when Ibiki disappeared. She had always wondered if she could cut it as a teacher.

Sakura felt the hair on the back of her neck tingle a second before she heard the puff of smoke beside her. She was carrying a few bags filled with new clothes, all in dark colors. She felt that until she was experienced enough, she should stay away from bright colors. Well, her hair didn't count in that equation, because well, genetics. She was headed in the direction of the weapons shop where she knew the owner sold the best and sharpest. She was hoping he would have some senbon needles for her.

"Yo!" Kakashi greeted his pink haired student. She glanced at him and continued waking, not bothering with speaking to the man. Kakashi visibly deflated at her lack of acknowledgment. Guess Anko had been telling the truth. Sakura was tired of being ignored. But it was more than just that. She was tired of always being overlooked in favor of her teammates. She figured he was only here to ask her where Sasuke and Naruto were.

"Hello, Kakashi-sensei." She greeted in an even tone that was empty of emotion. It was the kind of tome she used when she was talking to a stranger. Kakashi's eye narrowed a little. Yeah, he had been a bad sensei, but that didn't merit such blatant disrespect from her. He grabbed her shoulder and halted her movements. He felt the slightest flinch under his palm. He let her go and moved to stand in front of her. He wasn't sure why, but feeling her flinch because of him made him feel much worse.

"A little birdie told me you found a new sensei, Sakura-chan." He stated. Sakura nodded not looking up at him. He saw the wheels turning in her head as she observed her surroundings. Her eyes flickered all around them, refusing to land on him. When had she become so aware and attentive? Also, when had she become scared of him? It wasn't like he had ever done anything to her-

That thought made him stop, allowing her to bypass him and continue on her way.

"Is there something you want, Kakashi-sensei? I don't have much free time left before I have to get back home." Sakura stated, finally meeting Kakashi's gaze, even if it was from over her shoulder. He followed after her into a nearby weapons shop, continuing his train of thought from before.

When had she decided to become serious about her training? Last he checked, she was still concerned about impressing Sasuke and beating Naruto to a pulp. Had something changed in the last two days? Did this have anything to do with their mission to the Land of Waves?

Was he really that bad of a sensei if he couldn't see the signs when they were so clear?

"Ah, hello miss. How may I help you?" An older looking man asked, smiling fondly at the young shinobi. He noticed the bags in her hands and how her arms gave off the slightest twitch when she moved them. "Would you like a sealing scroll?" He asked, noting the way her eyes lit up. Sakura's interest was piqued. She nodded eagerly.

"Yes please. Oh, and a few sets of new senbon needles, please." She asked, bowing her head respectfully. The man nodded and shuffled into a back room, coming back a few minutes later with the scroll in one hand and three sets of senbon needles in the other. Kakashi's eye widened. Why would she need that many needles? Was she going to learn how to prick her enemies to death?

"Do you know how to use this scroll?" The man asked in a kind tone. He wasn't being rude, he was simply making sure she knew what she was doing.

"No, not really," she admitted, blushing a little in embarrassment. The man nodded and opened the scroll and gestured for her to come closer.

"It's very simple. You simply bite your thumb and swipe a small amount of blood on one these seals, then apply some chakra to the area. And poof! Your belongings are safely sealed away in this scroll, allowing you to go about your day with free hands." The man explained. Sakura nodded and followed his instructions, aware that Kakashi was watching her every move. She bit her thumb and ran it over a seal in the middle that was slightly bigger than the others and applied a tiny amount of chakra to it. She watched as her bags disappeared in a small cloud of white smoke. The seal glowed a faint blue before returning to a plain black.

"Thank you sir." She said, bowing her head again. The man chuckled and waved her thanks away.

"Such a quick learner you are. You know what, because I like you and you're so polite, I'm going to give you something a little extra." He said, before disappearing back into the back room. Sakura heard him talk to himself and then some rustlings, before he popped back out with two closed fans in one of his hands, and shiny, black blades in his other. The blades were simple in design; they were shaped like tear drops, with both ends sharp as hell. The curved edged was fatter than the point. "These are specially designed fans. You open them and load them up with as many of these blades as you want, then close them. When you snap them open, a spring underneath the blades will push them forward and out. Or, if you want, you can channel your chakra into the springs so that they will only work when you want them to. It's quite useful when you want to surprise your enemy. With a little practice and luck, you'll be able to kill your enemy before they even realize what happened." The man explained, chuckling when Sakura's eyes sparkled in excitement. She had found a new weapon to learn and study; something to help with her goal.

"Oh thank you so much!" She said, reaching for her wallet to pay the man for his kindness. He held up his hand, stopping her.

"Consider it a deal. You only have to pay for the scroll and the needles, and from now on, you buy all your weapons here with a discount. How does that sound?" He asked, smiling when Sakura nodded excitedly and paid him. She grabbed her scroll and fans and placed them in her weapons pouch. Without thinking, she jumped over the counter and hugged the man. She jumped back over and ran out of the shop, shouting behind her,

"You have yourself a deal, sir!" She chirped out, smiling happily. Kakashi could only watch as he followed after her, only to notice that she was gone. He applied chakra to his feet and shot up to the roof or the shop, quickly spotting a flash of pink heading in the opposite direction of her home. He wanted to follow after her, but when he felt the presence of someone beside him, he sighed and turned around.

He had horrible luck.

Sakura was giddy. Not only did she have new weapons and clothes, but she got a sealing scroll and new fans. She was so excited to try them out, but had to tell herself to wait. First she had to practice walking on water, like that boy had done.

She knew walking on water was somewhat similar to tree walking, but it required more concentration and focus. Water wasn't like a tree; a tree was solid and consistent, and required a medium amount of chakra. Water, however, required large amounts of chakra. Water was always moving, was changing. It was inconsistent. She would have to account for every little ripple, wave, and current. There were fish to also account for. Their movements could disrupt her concentration or disrupt her chakra flow. She had to account for every little break in the surface of the water, and that would be her hardest challenge.

She would have to practice and practice, and practice until she got it right.

But before she did that, she took off her weapons pouch and set it somewhere high where it wouldn't get wet. She wasn't sure what would happen if her new scroll got wet, and she wasn't ready to find out.

Shaking her arms and hands, she walked to the bank of the slow moving river and watched how the water rippled over the rocks and shifted. Okay, that was one more thing she would have to account for.

Taking a deep breath, she applied chakra to her feet and began the slow progress. Once she could stand on top of it, she would practice running, then jumping, then she would try sliding across it.

So far she was doing good. Her feet were moving up and down with the waves, creating a gentle swaying motion. She kept walking until she was near the middle, where she knew it was at it's deepest. She opened her eyes and looked down.

That was her mistake.

Her concentration was broken and she immediately went under. She swam upwards, coughing as water went in her lungs.

"Don't break concentration." She told herself, channeling chakra to her arms so she could pull herself to the top of the water. She was thankful that she had put her hair up.

Second attempt.

Third attempt.

By her fourth attempt, she was able to stand and walk across the water with very little difficulty. She mentally cheered and narrowed her eyes. Time to run.

By the time she had to go home, Sakura had accomplished all her goals. She was able to walk, run, jump, and slide across water. Sure she was soaking wet and cold to the bone, but she felt accomplished. She could do something that neither her teammates could do, and that made her proud.

She was slowly but surely approaching her goal.

And once she reached it, her teammates would have hell to pay.

Gaara: 23
Itachi: 20
Neji: 8
Deidara: 3
Shikamaru: 3
Hidan: 2
Sasori: 1
Zetsu: 1
Kiba: 1
Kankuro: 1
Ino: 1

Temari x Naruto: 1