Transition

Sakura is perceived from the perspectives of others as she changes during the years into something else entirely. The people near her follows her transition closely and when she starts abandoning everything she held dear - she gets closer and closer to her goal.
/Non-Canon, Sakura-centric

Chapter 8

Through the Eyes of a Man with a Borrowed Eye, the Snotty Brat and a Prodigy

The Man of Shadows Shimura Danzō

Danzō read through the report the Root member's, who was now called Sai, and Haruno Sakura's mission report. They had successfully retrieved the scroll, as well annihilated fifteen missing nin from Kirigakure. He had not expected that. According to the report, Sai's leg had been shattered and deemed unusable due to a fire jutsu directed at them. Haruno had led little damage except for a few broken fingers and injuries to her back from tree splinters. Even so, she had somehow succeeded in breaking free of the chakra restraining chains and slaughtered every single one of the missing nin with only one katana. He wondered if he had misjudged her strengths even more.

He didn't trust her, he trusted none, but she reminded him of himself in his younger days. Eager to prove herself, raising through the ranks rapidly, always looking for ways to make Konoha a feared village. He found himself falling a bit for that likeness to himself. He gripped the mission report slightly in his hand, crumpling the piece of paper. He would train her. He would train her hard, so she would surpass everyone she ever saw as the strongest. She would be one of his shields. She had the right determination, she craved strength, she had the disguise of a weak looking body and her hair contributed to that image as well, and she had medical knowledge. If trained properly, she would turn into the perfect weapon. And he would be able to manipulate her according to his own will.

She had two simultaneous jobs currently though; one as ANBU and one as the double agent for himself as a Root member. But he would most definitely find the time to train her until she bled. Until she begged. He took out his schedule for the week and found a couple of blank spaces during the evenings. Accordingly, he wrote a draft for her training, where location, type of training and time was specified. He then called for a Root member to deliver her training schedule immediately. When the Root member disappeared with a nod and in a puff of smoke, Danzō leaned back into his chair. He was pleased with the recent developments. In a year, she would be ready to confront the last Uchiha. If she didn't die in the process of annihilating him, she would be one of his most useful assets in Root. Danzō stretched his hand and then tucked out a book from his drawer, a book on the ancient politics of Hashirama's reign. It always made him feel at ease, reading those frayed words which he already knew by heart. He didn't know how many times he had read this book, but it was never one too many.

The Man With a Borrowed Eye Hatake Kakashi

Kakashi was a clever and hard-edged man. He had lived through more than most other shinobi his age, even though he wasn't the only one who had lost people close to him - his loss and that situation had left more than just a scar on his face. The burden of his gift and last reminiscence of his comrade still plagued him, but it also always left him feeling proud of his eye. It was his reminder to always look out for those close to him, never abandon a teammate and strive to succeed in missions preferably without causalities. So when Kakashi had gotten tired of looking after those little Genin teams, scurrying around and not being interesting at all - he found himself missing the lost days of Team Seven.

He recalled the past in a moment of closing his eyes, when he perched in a tree hiding from his current Genin team, and his eye abandoned the pages of his book to drift in the abyss of memories. That little dysfunctional and oh-so-interesting team. That Team Seven consisting of a grinning fox boy, a powerful brooding survivor and a weak, annoying girl.

The Kyuubi container who bore the will of fire deep in his heart, that cheerful energy that could oppose the sun, those cerulean blue eyes that shone of the want to be recognised - to be seen. That blond bob of hair, and the whiskers on his cheeks, and that never ending cheering of 'dattebayo'. Kakashi felt his lips quirk slightly in amusement at the memory of his student. The most unpredictable ninja - with a heart so big and with room for everyone's pain, he just couldn't understand how the little fox boy hadn't imploded in and on himself. He was an idiot, but a powerful idiot with a big heart. That just made him so much more amiable and easier to relate to.

Then those crimson eyes flashed to his mind and Kakashi felt the smile falter. How much that boy must have suffered. Those eyes that could turn into a spinning scarlet colour at any given moment. Those handsome features that had earned him the infatuation of almost every kunoichi in the village. That raven coloured hair, that pale complexion, those always flexing muscles. That search for strength for all the wrong reasons. That day he left them for Orochimaru. Kakashi clenched his jaw. He had seen potential in the boy, so he had taught him the Chidori. A jutsu he had come to regret teaching the brat. The copy nin hummed silently. He recalled that bond that Naruto and Sasuke shared. How Naruto had been so ferocious in bringing the Uchiha back. How he would never give up on his first friend. And Sasuke, who had seemed for a time, to behold the bond they shared as something legit. But then it had all turned out to be wrong. Kakashi wondered if the Uchiha had fallen deeper into the hatred seeping in his heart, how much stronger he must be now. How different he must be. And if he ever would come back home. The silver haired man sighed deeply, his eyes still closed.

Then, Kakashi was reminded of the fact that he had kind of forgotten about the pink haired kunoichi on the team, whom was still in the village. He almost felt sorry for the girl as he opened his eyes and looked out to the streets of Konoha. He was reminded of her petal-hued hair, those big green eyes that shone with innocence, narcissism, blind love and the naiveness of a child - never the eyes of a shinobi. He hadn't met her for a long time now, but the latest news was that she had been dismissed as the apprentice of the Hokage and now only took up a few missions on her free time from the hospital, where she worked as the head of the nurses at times. He found himself feeling the tiniest bit guilty; maybe she needed someone. To only just... be there for her. He didn't know what had unfolded between the Hokage and Sakura, but he didn't need to know. Sakura was one who was too prone for emotional outbursts and that combined with the short temper of the Hokage he could see that there had been differences and difficulties with coping with each other.

But if she had been so unwise as to not obey orders or listen to the Hokage of all people, maybe she wasn't as clever as he remembered her to be. Kakashi pondered; she was after all his former student, so he had some kind of responsibility on how she had developed during the years. Maybe she needed to be reprimanded. Maybe he would need to remind her to respect authority, as she had once respected him, and accept herself. Kakashi's watched the sun fall in shafts through the canopy of the tree, playing with the shadows on the branch. Maybe it was time for a little visit to his beloved former student. He jumped down from the branch and went to give some simple instructions to his little annoying Genin team, as he came up with an excuse on why he was late.

A few hours later into the afternoon, he found himself outside of the pink haired girl's apartment, having successfully escaped his annoying Genin team, and then he knocked three times before she opened the door, appearing in the later afternoon sun light. It took him by a little surprise, not that she had opened the door unexpectedly, no. It was her appearance. Her pink, flowing hair was long and straight and reached below her collarbone. Her creamy complexion was framed by bangs, combed to the sides of her face almost symmetrically. Her features had matured, her green eyes sapphire-like and her lips were a luscious pink. Her figure had taken on an hourglass form, her waist hugged tightly by the black shirt she donned, yet showing slender muscles on her bare arms. She had a katana strapped on her back. The beige skirt she wore did nothing to hide her long and slim legs. Her ankles and wrists wore some kind of bracelets, ugly black ones, which seemed to fill no other function than a piss at the fashion industry. He was so surprised he almost dropped his most valuable treasure, but he fumbled with the latest edition of Icha Icha until it was in a hard grip in his hand. Her verdant eyes grew bigger as she took in the appearance of her former teacher, probably not having expected to see him any time soon.

"You grew out your hair, Sakura." Was all he could muster as he regained his steely composure. She seemed not to have noticed his little surprise outbreak.

"Very perceptive, sensei." Sakura quipped, smirking with her head tilted to the side. "It was a long time since we last saw each other. Would you like some tea? I have two hours to spare at the moment." She said, standing casually at the threshold, leaning to the door frame with her hip. Kakashi blinked.

"Do you have camomile?" He asked, stuffing his beloved book into a pocket, trying not to think of the matured woman in front of him having been his own student once.

"I'll go have a look. Ino went and bought a hundred different tea flavours, saying I drink too much coffee and should explore the wonders of brewed water." Sakura sniffed and rolled her eyes as she shuffled inside, leaving the door open for Kakashi to follow. He went inside after her, looking around her quite spartan, simple apartment. He didn't quite understand why she had moved out from her parent's house. Sure, she might want to be independent, but Kakashi couldn't help himself but to think of Naruto and Sasuke. How much they would have appreciated living in their parent's house. How they would give everything to have a family of their own. How they would feel if she told them that she had left her parents for loneliness in an empty apartment.

The clatter of tea cups from the kitchen brought him back, and he shook his head. He flash stepped inside the kitchen and Sakura gestured for him to sit down at the kitchen table without looking at him. Kakashi sat down and noticed a thin layer of dust on the table surface. He wrinkled his nose. Either Sakura was a horrible cleaner, or she was never at home. It must be the latter, he mused as she put down the blue tea cups in front of him. She strutted up to the water boiler and put it on. When she moved, her hips swayed to one side more so than the other, Kakashi noted. Then he cursed himself for looking at her hips. He told himself, to clam himself down instead, that he only looked at it since it meant she probably had an old injury in her right leg. That's why she swayed one way a little, little more than the other with her hips.

Kakashi looked up from deliberating with his fisted hands and saw Sakura watching him with a smile, leaning against the counter as she waited for the water to boil.

"It really was a long time ago..." He heard her muse under her breath.

"So how are missions going, Sakura? You're a Medic now, I presume. It must be a lot of hard work." He tried to stir up the conversation, maybe he'd be able to direct it to the apprenticeship to the Hokage. To why she had been dismissed.

"You haven't looked into the Bingo Books lately, huh, sensei." Her eyes gleamed. Kakashi cocked his head slightly to the side in inquiry, but she didn't elaborate on her statement any further, so he didn't ask. He hadn't actually looked into the Books for a while, since it wasn't necessary for the time being; what with him being chased by the Genin teams and they most certainly were no missing nin.

"Missions are going well. However, I am not much in the role of a Medic anymore. I step in sometimes, but I prefer being in the front. Would you like honey, milk or sugar in your tea?" She asked, as she poured the hot water into their cups.

"No, thank you. I like it with a strong flavour." He replied as she put the teabags into their cups and nodded. He only creased an eyebrow and watched the pink haired kunoichi sip her tea in silence. When she raised her head, she looked straight into his eyes and a smile crept onto her pink lips.

"What about a little spar, Kakashi-sensei? I won't use Izanami." She grinned almost playfully into her tea cup. Kakashi sipped his camomile tea. It was bitter, yet sweet. Maybe just like this moment.

"Izanami? Is that the name of your katana?" He chuckled at her cockiness and self confidence. She had always been a little too self confident every time she had learnt and perfected a little jutsu. He found the girl amusing, but a little disappointing. She hadn't changed much since she was a Genin. And the fact remained that she was still a Chunin, she hadn't even tried out for the Jounin exams a few weeks ago. Hyuuga Neji and Nara Shikamaru had passed, none else from teams though. But Sakura hadn't even tried.

"Yeah. Izanami is the katana." She replied as she scanned him with her verdant eyes.

"Why do you want to spar?" Kakashi wondered, scratching the back of his silver hair with a frown.
"Why not? For old times' sake. Maybe a replay of the bell test?" She suggested and he pondered it for a bit in silence, sipped his tea, then he turned his head to her. Her eyes were shining green in expectation.
"Are you up for it?" Kakashi's eye crinkled in a hidden, masked smile. He always had the bells on him, as a memento of their first spar with him. He brought the two bells up from his deepest pocket and the two bells chimed together. Sakura looked at the two bells with burning sapphire eyes.

"Are you?" Her smirk turned almost devilish as she finished her tea and stood up. Kakashi followed her example and they left to the training grounds. For old times' sake, they went to training area seven. They stood still, facing each other on the solid ground.

As he fastened the bells to his belt with a tingling sound, he thought about what he'd do after the spar was over. He'd lecture her. He'd pin her to the ground and teach her to respect her elders and to not be over confident in her abilities. She was, after all, still Haruno Sakura, the insignificant third of Team Seven. The one without abilities, the one without blood line heritage, the one without a monster sealed inside her belly. Really, didn't she know enough to just accept her place?

"If I win this spar, Kakashi-sensei, I will take off your mask and stop calling you sensei." Sakura suddenly broke the silence and she watched him with those worn glinting eyes. Kakashi almost felt his mouth open in question, but thought better of it. He'd accept that condition. But then he would have conditions of his own.

"Sure. However, if you lose this spar, you will go to Tsunade and apologise. Find another teacher and be humble. And wait for your team to come back." He said as he watched her reaction. Her facade didn't change and she only widened her grin.

"I won't agree to that last part, but the other first two - yes." She said and cracked her fists loudly.

Kakashi watched her silently and then he sighed. "Alright, Sakura", he said, "Let's spar, then." He disappeared in a puff of smoke when the last syllable left his mouth. He flash stepped to a tree branch nearby where he could see what her next move would be, so he could read his book all the while. But it seemed she had moved away as well, since the training area was empty of pink. He didn't have time to search for her presence or close Icha Icha as he felt something behind him. He swirled out of the way from her fist, down to the ground. A thump behind him told him that she had followed him closely and he had to dodge, fast, when a high kick directed at his head seared past him.

His black eye widened. When had she gained such speed? Kakashi was one of the fastest shinobi in Konoha. And she was almost matching him? When the pink haired girl's eyes flashed green he jumped back to avoid an upper cut, which was followed with a downwards kick. When had she learnt taijutsu to this extent? Her feet met the ground with a pending crack. Then the ground broke. Geysers of dust shot out from the ground as the cracks spread and the entire training area was turned into rocks and cracks. Kakashi had sprinted a bit further away and watched warily the chaos of stones and rubble. Something was wrong. That was inhuman strength. Something flashed on his retina and he was reminded of those black bracelets. He had seen similar bracelets on Gai once.

He ducked when several kunais were shot at him. The explosive tags that were attached exploded as they went over his head, and so he disappeared into the ground with a light jutsu. As he was underneath the ground, in the murkiness of the earth he let himself ponder. He had to re-evaluate everything he knew about her. He went through her abilities in his mind; perfect chakra control, scholastic intelligence, average ninjutsu, genjutsu and fuinjutsu. Weak frame. Medical knowledge and abilities. But that did not define her now. Then suddenly he heard a shout 'under!' and the ground split and he had to avoid her fists again, so he sprinted up from under the ground. When he saw her sharp eyes between the falling stones, he changed his mind. He'd give her a taste of his real strength, since she was... different.

Kakashi is fast. That, if any ability except for the Sharingan, is what he is good at. One could say excellent, even. He flashed behind her, she stood in the middle of the training grounds which was eerily similar to Naruto's tactic. When she turned around to deliver a blow to his face, he dodged but went with her momentum and in a second, he had her pinned to the ground. Memories flashed in his eyes of that first day of Team Seven. He heard a grunt when the pink haired kunoichi hit the ground, hard. She wriggled, then looked at him through a whirl of pink messy hair which had slipped out from her bun. With hot and jagged and sharp pale emerald eyes she glared at him - but with a hint of smugness, even though he had her pinned to the ground. He couldn't understand, why did it seem like she was... excited? He hardened his grip.

Then he heard a little chuckle as he was about to say that she should give up.

"Maybe it's time to take off the weights." She mumbled, her eyes darkening and her breaths turning slower and deeper underneath him. The blush on her cheeks didn't fade. And then, one click, then two, three, four clicks were heard, snapping the silence each time. Her black bracelets fell to the ground, probably opened by a chakra enhanced lock, and they fell hard and on impact with the ground, small craters exploded where they landed. And as they fell, so did he when she swiped him off his feet. He was fast to roll away on the ground as she continued the assault, even faster and faster, every strike delivered he barely dodged as he was up. She was faster.

"Feels like I'm flying." She whispered as she spun around to perform a round house kick. At this, he found himself unable to avoid it, so he blocked it with his arms. But in the last millisecond, she changed the direction of her kick to land in his side. With a cough, he flew several meters away and slid into the ground, gasping, the soil welcoming him. She had successfully broken several ribs in his side and he suspected they were close to puncturing his lung. What was that? He was beyond surprised. As he coughed slimy blood onto the ground, he saw in the corner of his eye that she seemed just as surprised as him. She had actually landed a hit on the famous Copy Nin Hatake Kakashi.

At this, he grumbled and rose. He had misjudged her dangerously much. In an instant, he produced several shurikens, ignoring the pain in his side, and cast the deadly projectiles as he ran towards her. She dodged them and ran towards him as well, stepping lightly. When she met him, she gave him a right hook to the face, crumbling it to pieces and shattering his jaw bone. Or well, his clone's jaw bone, as it dispersed in a puff of smoke. He was behind her, an old tactic where he jutsued himself into a shuriken and was left abandoned behind her, and so he kicked her hard in the back. She flew away and he saw how she grimaced in pain, but at the same time she somersaulted through the air and sent kunais his way, which he evaded closely, still too near.

He followed after her as she crashed into the ground and coughed, gasping, but he did not give her mercy. He kicked down, but she rolled away and jumped up, standing defensively with blood smeared on her face. But with green burning eyes. He was after her in a second, darting from side to side to evade the kunais flung at him, and then he was in front of her. Delivering a chakra enhanced punch to her arm, he heard a deafening crack and flesh ripping. He expected her to further the distance with a leap away, or cry, but she stood still. When he retracted his hand, he looked at the mess he made of her arm. It was broken and in pieces, hanging loosely from her shoulder. She grabbed her arm in a grimace to stop the blood flow, but she still stood in front of him. Foolish girl, he thought as he kicked towards her, but somehow she managed to flip around and get close beside him, stretching for one bell at his side with her good arm. But he sprinted away, she following close after. He saw her eyes pierce his, with those little dots of pupils, she looked like a predator.

In a flash she was besides him and delivered a swirling, strong kick to his side. Right on the wound she had inflicted earlier. Kakashi felt another rib break and his internal organs took a real bad toll. He rolled away, coughing, clenching his teeth, as he saw her coming after him. He needed to stall her. So he did, what he had done to no other student before, let out his killing intent. It seeped into the air, bloody and murderous, and reached the girl. Surprised green eyes, when she stopped hesitantly, as she felt how the goose bumps on her flesh told her to run away. A warning. But then, as Kakashi continued to leak his killing intent, she smirked. That girl actually smirked, when she was supposed to cry and fall to the ground and vomit her guts out, she smirked?

Then, something pressed into his mind. It started as something cold, then freezing, then it shattered into a million pieces of icicles and he groaned as the headache overthrew him. He felt blood run down in his mind, he felt that he would die today and there was nothing that could prevent it from happening, it was simple fate. He clutched his Sharingan eye, it reacted to the hatred and the blood lust and it was spinning, he huffed and squeezed his eyes shut.

Suddenly, the pressure was gone. He blearily looked up to the kunoichi, since he was sprawled on the ground he noticed, now standing in front of him. He felt warmth spread in his head as the headache slowly dissipated.

"Sorry, Kakashi-sensei. My killing intent slipped." She said sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head, blood still seeping out from her mouth and her arm hung uselessly at her side. Killing intent slipped? What was this girl on? Kakashi almost sputtered, but then the girl bent down and took one bell with a grin plastered on her bloodied face. When she reached for the other, Kakashi reacted. Almost unconsciously, he activated the chidori and hit the wide eyed girl. It didn't go inside her, but she was flung away by the sheer force of it, still clutching the bell in her grip.

Kakashi realised his mistake and tried to get up, but the pain in his side reminded him of the need to seek medical attention right away, but still he got up and jogged to the slumped kunoichi on the ground, biting back the pain. Sakura still held tight to the bell, even though she seemed unconscious. Kakashi bent down and touched her good shoulder lightly, shaking it however gently.

"Sakura? I'm sorry. Do you hear me? Sakura?" He called and felt fear clench his heart when she didn't respond. What had he done?

"Ugh." A muffled, annoyed sound came from the kunoichi's mouth on the ground. Sakura opened her sharp eyes and looked at him, then smiled a thin smile. She gazed over her shoulder with a frown and then he saw green, healing chakra seep into the wounds, knitting muscles together, coming form her good hand, the one without a scar in the palm. He looked on in silent amazement. He coughed blood, then sniffed as she looked at him.

"I'm sorry Sakura. I shouldn't have taken you so seriously." He said, looking down.

"To fear death is to fear life itself, and to fear life is not to live at all. I needed to test my limits and to stretch them further. That's why I wanted to spar with you. And that's why I'm happy you took me seriously." She breathed, but then she smirked and Kakashi noticed her hand swing in front of his face, holding the bell as it chimed a nostalgic dirge.

"At least I got this one." The Haruno said and grinned, as if it was the happiest day of her life.

"Yes, that is true. You half-won the bet, one could say." He smiled underneath his mask. He had never expected anything like this to go down this day. And she had actually succeeded in snatching one bell from him. Only that, made him look at her even more. In a different light. It wasn't like he had gotten slack. It was her who was different.

"Guess I'll go apologise to Tsunade later today. But since we were even, Kakashi..." Sakura drawled and huffed slightly, her cheeks flushing pink still. Kakashi stood with a hand pressing to the wound she had inflicted in his side. He regretted not having used the Sharingan at this moment, as he grumbled over the wound. The girl stumbled up from her position on the ground, up to him and he almost fell into a defensive position, but the spar was over, so she wouldn't attack him now. When she was close enough for him the feel her jagged hot breath on his skin, her eyes shimmered. In an unexpected movement she had him pinned to the ground in seconds, her knees banging hard into his arms, making him unable to move as she sat on his stomach.

For a second he was afraid she would do something stupid, but then a slender pale hand reached for his face. Slowly, ever so slowly, she hooked her finger into his mask, below his eye. Green eyes burning. And with almost a perverse slowness, she dragged it bit by bit down his face, revealing his high cheek bones and the middle part of his nose. She worried her plump lips, and her eyes grew larger, her black pupils expanding slightly.

Kakashi only stared wide eyed at the woman sitting on him. He couldn't move, he couldn't prevent her. The mask reached under his nose now, her finger trembling slightly in excitement. Then, in one swift movement with her finger, she dragged the mask down completely. Kakashi felt the chilly air blow on his bare skin. But what amused him the most at that very moment was the look on Sakura's face. Her light flush from their spar was replaced with an almost red tinted blush on her cheeks. Her eyes contrasting the blush made them even more sparkling green as she stared wide eyed at his face, her luscious lips parted. Kakashi found himself liking that expression on her face, and so he showed her an arrogant slanted smirk.

"Happy now, Sakura?"

She pushed herself off from him, probably too conscious of the inappropriate position by now, and she staggered away from him, still blushing.

"Jerk." She wheezed through her teeth as she tried to calm down. Kakashi chuckled and rose, but he flinched as the wound in his side made an evil reminder. He almost fell back, but he grit his teeth and rose. Sakura looked at his hand pressing into his side, to stop the blood flow and keep a rib in place. In a flash of pink, she was there, examining his side without looking at his bare, un-masked face. He felt her fingers push away his hand and then the green, healing chakra seeped into his skin, through muscle and bones and started the healing process. His own chakra protested at first, making the two bounce against each other, stretch, but after a while he succeeded in retracting it and letting her do her work.

Kakashi wondered why she didn't do Medic work anymore. Apparently, she was quite good at it. In fact, it had been a long time since he had had a Medic do the work so fast, so fluently and without the pain and stretch of rivalling chakras. She almost made it look easy as she retracted the rib. At that, she looked up at him for a second, maybe searching for signs of pain - but since he had very high pain tolerance, his face remained unchanged. When she looked at him she blushed again and went back to working on his wound. He smirked. So his face had that kind of effect on her, he mused. When she was done, her blush had faded and her eyes glinted hard again. She stepped back to take another look at him, but this time without that blush which had invaded her cheeks before. Now, there was only sadness in her eyes. Or maybe it was nostalgia.

"Wish they had been here to see it." She whispered. And Kakashi agreed silently, knowing the two young men had been trying all of their Genin days to steal his mask. But they weren't here to witness it. He shrugged, and draped the mask over his face again, covering his features. He had a bit of contemplation to do.

What had happened to his sweet pink haired student when he had looked away for a few years? Her eyes were piercing. Visible in her silent movements and in her eyes was a light he hadn't noticed before. And most of all, she had improved. Not only in the physical department, her strategic thinking and logical reasonings had improved as well. He wondered why she hadn't tried out for Jounin, since, because of this spar, he knew she would have passed. Something was off. But maybe it wasn't? Maybe she had changed for the better? He didn't know. He was simply confused, but still kind of satisfied. Satisfied with that she had decided to never be left behind again.

The Powerful Alcoholic Senju Tsunade

Sakura reported regularly about what information she gathered on Danzō's activities. But it was never much, since Danzō was highly secretive and he didn't trust anyone with important information. He was the kind of man that spread only necessary information to certain cells, cells of Root members that didn't know of each other and so couldn't spread the more important information in case of capture. Even though that aspect was quite impossible, since Sakura had reported that in case of capture of a Root member the seal on their tongues would prevent them from mentioning either Danzō's name or the existence of Root. In case of them trying to say anything of the like, they would lapse into a catatonic state of paralysis due to the seal. However, this information was important for Tsunade to know. That way, she could find loopholes in the seal of their tongues. Since Sakura had only sealed a chakra induced contract preventing her from mentioning Danzō or Root, they found ways to evade it. They called Danzō Mister Shady and Root as the Twigs. Maybe the names were too similar, but in regard to the two only knowing of the names and they were the only ones exchanging the information, they didn't need lesser inconspicuous code names.

The latest report had been given to her the night before yesterday, when Tsunade and Sakura met in the darkness of the night in the Hokage Tower - since it was the only time of the days they could meet because of Tsunade's meetings and signing of papers, and Sakura's training with Danzō and the ANBU missions. The report had been concise and short, only describing her latest mission with a Root member called Sai. It had been a retrieving mission and a success, with the exception of one attack directed on Sakura because of her presence in the Bingo Books. But she had managed, not going into further detail about how, and they had gotten home mostly uninjured. Tsunade didn't ask further. But she had noted that Sakura had a bandage on her arm, an injury not described in the report. The Godaime guessed a spar, or a training session was the cause of it.

The blond, busty woman pondered for a bit. That list, the check-list Sakura had shown her the other week, was still on her mind. It was engraved, and it stuck like glue on her retina. Then the Godaime realised what it was - the list; it was Sakura's embodiment of the Will of Fire. Her goal, the overall goal of her list, was to protect Konoha. It was to assist the continuation of the village and its spirit. Sakura had never stopped looking at her comrades and she was willing to sacrifice her own life for them. That was what Tsunade had understood when she had read the list. And in that moment of realisation she felt so proud of the girl she almost puffed her chest too much.

And yet, that nagging feeling of possible failure haunted her thoughts. What if Sakura failed? What would she do? And if, she actually did accomplish her goals, what was her next step in life? Tsunade had seen how indulged the girl was with her goals, she wondered if she would feel a sense of emptiness once the goals were done. She most probably would. The Godaime sighed deeply and took a swig of the saké bottle, but the taste didn't please her for once. Frowning, she put the saké bottle back into the hidden drawer in her desk. It was always a task to find new hiding places for her saké bottles, away from Shizune's scrutinising and probing eyes.

Tsunade cracked her neck with a light movement. That girl just proved herself to be more and more of everything, all the way from being useful, to complex, to hard to understand yet so interesting it almost made Tsunade irritated. She was so ever changing as well. In one moment, she seemed like the same girl who had strutted into her office and asked her to take her on as an apprentice, the other she seemed like an old withered war veteran - looking at the world with worn, weary eyes. Tsunade wondered when the girl would finally find herself; when she would be pleased with who she was.

The Snotty Brat Sarutobi Konohamaru

This was the worst day of his entire life. No matter how hard he tried, it didn't work. The affinity paper in the palm of his hand didn't budge, didn't move, and it just lay there - endlessly mocking him for his non-existent affinity. Ebisu had told them in class today had explained the affinities water, fire, earth and wind, and Konohamaru knew there were a few affinity papers available in the Hokages office. He had snuck there sometimes when his grandfather was alive, even though he had been shunned away so many times, he had seen the affinity papers. So yes, he had stolen a few affinity papers, but he was just borrowing them for a longer period of time.

So when he sat in the dark alley in a corner of Konoha, trying his hardest to make the paper burn, or soak, or turn into wood, or split in half, it didn't work. He felt the slight burning behind his eyes start and he couldn't help it as he started sobbing helplessly, clutching one paper in his hand hard. He couldn't be any less of a shinobi than Oya-bun. He just couldn't. And that blond awesome man, who however had left him to rot in Konoha all alone, had told him that he had the affinity for wind and so he could do cool jutsus, like the powerful Rasengan. Konohamaru knew that there weren't a lot of shinobi that actually had affinities, but all the same, he couldn't see himself not having it. So with tears in his eyes, still sobbing, he tried again. From what he had heard in class that day, one was supposed to stare at the paper, meditate and push chakra into the paper. As Konohamaru did, the paper combusted due to too much chakra infused and he retracted his hand, wincing. But he grit his teeth, snot hanging from his nose though he didn't care. He would have an affinity! He just knew he had one. It was the stupid paper that didn't work.

"You alright there, brat?" A voice interrupted his inner cussing and he looked up in surprise. A woman stood in front of him, her face shadowed due to the sun shining behind her, making her long pink hair luminous as she bent down. Even in the shade of her face, her green eyes clearly looked at him and seemed to pierce his heart. Konohamaru felt snot cling to his upper lip and he was fast to wipe it away in embarrassment.

"You-you! Aren't you the gorilla girl on Oya-bun's team?" He declared, though when he looked at her now, she was nothing like a gorilla. She was a beautiful girl.

"Gorilla?" The pink haired kunoichi snorted. "You're Konohamaru, right? You got close to Naruto, huh." She smiled and Konohamaru felt his hand clench the paper in his hand harder. He didn't answer her, only looked away, pouting.

"Affinity papers? That's why you're crying, brat?" She noted the papers besides him, all crumpled or combusted in his chakra induced anger.

"I'm not crying!" He thrashed and sniffed angrily.
"I know, I know." She smirked and sat down besides him on the dirty ground, to his surprise. She snatched one paper from the pile, observing it in silence. Konohamaru sniffed, not really knowing what to do. Her gleaming green eyes shone in the shafts of sun light let in to the alley.

"I can see you've combusted a lot of them. Some papers seem untouched by your chakra, even though they're crumpled. I can see you're having problem balancing your chakra induction." She said as she observed the paper in her hand. "You need to be careful, and not let emotions get into your head when you're searching for your affinity in these papers."

"But I'm doing it right! It's just the stupid papers that doesn't work!" Konohamaru shouted, anger clouding his mind. He didn't want to be weak! But when he looked besides him to her, her eyes made his heart stop for a moment. It was like they bore a hole through his head, with sapphire like hardness and coldness. He almost whimpered, as he took in her sharp glare. It was like she told him to shut up and calm down. So he did. He breathed, counted to ten in his head, and his clenched fist relaxed, letting the paper go.

"Now, here." The pink haired kunoichi said as she opened his hand and let an unused paper fall on his palm. "Your chakra - see it as a stream, running in currents through your body. It's a part of you. And when you let your chakra go, let it go slowly. Let it fill the paper with a part of you. Slowly, there. You got it." She said and Konohamaru closed his eyes and he felt his chakra seep into the paper, slowly, carefully. He felt the paper move. The grandson of the former Hokage opened his eyes and saw that the paper had split in half.

"Wind! I got wind!" He cheered, tears almost gathering in his eyes again. "I'm going to beat Oya-bun and become the most awesome Hokage ever!"

The woman besides him smiled and her green eyes gleamed. He didn't think they were so scary anymore.

"Nee-chan, nee-chan! Aren't I awesome?" He asked her and grinned.

"Wasn't it gorilla before?" She smirked. "Yeah, it's great. Not many ninjas have affinities. Congratulations, brat."

"Thanks, Nee-chan! Now it's your turn!" Konohamaru pushed one paper affinity into her palm. There was a hideous, pink horizontal scar across her palm where the paper landed. Konohamaru didn't see it as ugly though; many strong shinobi wore their scars proudly. She seemed to do the same, so he respected her for it.

"I had no response last time I tried." The kunoichi smiled, with a dip of sadness in her voice.

"But maybe it has changed?" Konohamaru tried.
"Affinities don't change, brat. Nor the inability to have one. See?" She said crookedly and he saw how she pushed chakra into the paper. The scar seemed to almost glow for a second when the chakra induced paper touched it, but then it vanished. A few moments went by and the woman only looked knowingly at Konohamaru. As if she herself had hoped that something would have happened.

"I better get going. See you around, brat." She said shortly and rose up from besides him.
"B-but-"
"It didn't work. So, see you." She almost snapped, but gave him a thin smile as well and then disappeared up on the roof tops. Konohamaru only looked at the place she had been a few seconds before, when he saw a movement in the corner of his eye. The paper that the kunoichi had held in her hand moved. With wide eyes, he stared at it. It just... moved. Shook, almost. He didn't know of any affinity that made the paper shake. Suddenly, the paper combusted. It split in half, was soaking wet, then it crumbled like earth from the form and it took on fire but didn't burn up. Then what was left of the paper bled and rotted.

Staring at the bleeding paper, Konohamaru didn't understand what had just happened. What kind of affinity... Or rather, was it all of the affinities combined together that he had witnessed? Konohamaru grumbled as he scooped up the bleeding paper and put it in his pocket. He'd ask one of his classmates to investigate on the paper, one of which he knew was the daughter of the Affinity Paper Maker in the village. A bleeding paper? Who was that gorilla girl?

The Prodigy Hyuuga Neji

He caught her on the street. With whirling pink hair, she turned around to face him when he had called her name. She smiled as she saw him and the Nara walking up towards her on the street, greeting them in return. She wore her black turtle neck top and black hakamas, and she had that cursed sword strapped on her back. It seemed she had just gotten back from one of her visits to Tajima in the later afternoon. A new weapon was probably safely stuffed and sealed in the scroll on her hip.

"You're coming with us." The Nara told her and she smiled as he grumpily went up to her.

"Is that so, little Jounins?" She said and posed with her hand on her hip while smirking. She looked dangerously much like the Godaime in the moment, quirky and cocky.

"We know you don't have any missions today and you have no training scheduled. So, you're coming with us." Neji said and took a gentle hold of her arm, dragging her with him. She didn't disobey, she only looked on with sapphire eyes, and let the two men drag her with them to the Hyuuga Mansion. When they got to the Hyuuga Main house, she was greeted by Lee, Tenten, Ino, Hinata, Kiba, Shino and Choji with a banner and presents.

"Congratulations on turning 16, fartface!" Ino cheered and flung herself on top of the pink haired girl, who acted surprised as she fell down.

"Thanks, Ino-pig." She said as she hugged the blond back, in a heap on the ground. They then celebrated Sakura with a few presents and saké in the late afternoon. She got an exquisite white comb from Ino, which could turn into a butterfly knife if infused with chakra. Sakura gladly accepted it and commented on the cleverness. Ino beamed.

She received a necklace from Lee, it was an unusually pretty necklace with one black magatama in the middle of the thin chain. None had expected Lee to give something like it, but when Sakura accepted the necklace she almost fell to the ground with a shout. Neji smirked; of course, it was a necklace weighing a ton. That explained things. Sakura laughed and said it was a good and pretty gift.

She got a guandao from Tenten, a large pole-like weapon similar to a fauchard. It consisted of a heavy blade with a spike at the back, having irregular serrations that lead the back edge of the blade to the spike. The blade was mounted at the top of a long wooden pole with a pointed metal counter weight used to balance the heavy blade and for striking on the opposite end. It had a clear crimson red sash attached at the joint of the pole and the blade. The blade was deeply curved, much like the shape of a reclining moon. Tenten described it as a weapon used for sweeping cuts where it relies on range and power, and that the considerable weight of the weapon made it a good form of training for the overall conditioning of the body. Sakura was pleased and thanked Tenten.

Several other presents later, Sakura had so many gifts surrounding her she almost disappeared in a flurry of medical scrolls and weapons.

Sakura thanked them all yet again. When they finished up, people left one after another as the night crept into the disappearing day. Until there was only Sakura, Neji and Shikamaru left in one of the Hyuuga Mansions many rooms. The Nara nodded towards Neji, signalling that it was time. Neji smirked and produced his and the Nara's gift for the girl.

"Happy birthday, Sakura." Neji said and gave her the present. Green eyes inspected the gift for a second before she accepted it, turning it around.

"A scroll?" The pinkette asked, smiling.
"Yeah, I found it in the back of the Hyuuga's library. None has used it for centuries, so I took it. I think it's an animal summoning scroll."

"Yeah, we know you don't have any animal summoning contracts yet, so we thought this would be a good idea. Even though we don't really know what it is." Shikamaru added, looking at Neji. "Was it a kitten?"
"No, I don't think so. Maybe a lion, or some kind of feline." Neji mused and Sakura only stared at the two of them.
"Neji, wait. Wait. You stole it?"

"Doesn't matter. It's yours now." The prodigy said and cocked his head. The girl wheezed, closing her eyes in a frown.

"You'll be in a lot of trouble if you're found out." She said, concern visible in her eyes.
"I'll deal with that if it even happens." Neji replied and smiled. Sakura shook her head but grinned.

"Thank you. I'm so happy." She grinned, looked at the scroll in her hands and then her eyes went distant.

"Hm. Byakko, now is it?" Sakura said dreamily as she looked at the withered scroll. "I hope Genbu and Suzaku will accept you."

Author's Note

Hi peeps!

I'm so so so sorry. I can't write fighting scenes, at all. Maybe in ten, twenty years but definitely not now. Oh, beta reader saviour, where art thou? And maybe I took a leap of faith with Kakashi, I don't know. It was fun to write, either way.

I have no idea when to write the next chapter, life right now is choking me. So many shoulds, woulds and coulds. So bear with me peeps, I'll come back soon!

Love, Fascalia