Sakura found herself in front of the Hokage, Kakashi, and the purple-haired proctor giving a detailed account of their time in the forest while Sasuke and Naruto were resting on two cots behind them. Sakura was looking forward to trapping the door and passing out on the third cot.

Kakashi was poking at the seal Orochimaru had placed on Sasuke and the containment seal she'd put around it to stop whatever it was from sinking it's hooks into her teammate any deeper than they already had.

She raised her eyes to find them all staring at her.

"Fuuinjutsu is extremely dangerous Sakura," Kakashi snapped, seemingly unable to stop himself. "Do you know what could have gone wrong? Did whoever teach you tell you the dangers of it?"

Sakura couldn't help but glare at him. "So I'm guessing I'm not going to get a 'Thank-you Sakura'? What about 'Without you taking the initiative to seek out a teacher actually willing to teach you something, Sasuke would be in a lot more trouble, and we'd still be chasing our tails trying to find one of the villages most dangerous traitors.' No? What about..."

"That's enough," Kakashi snarled coldly.

"I don't think it's near enough Sensei," she returned just as cold. "The only thing you taught me that got me through today was how to climb to the top of a tree. That's the only thing you've ever taught me and you were pretty useless at teaching that. You showed it to us once with no explanation on how to go about it and then let us try for ourselves. There was no 'Congratulations Sakura. Well done', when I achieved it, instead there was a backhanded compliment and then you used my achievement against the others. They resented me for getting the hang of it before them. The teamwork, you're so diligent about spouting every time we go get a mission- which you're always late for, and training sessions- where you spend all your time focussing on Sasuke and Naruto who don't care about working together, because they're in strict competition with each other, the teamwork is non-existent. You tell us we have to have it but you don't help us build it. With them it's 'Stay out of my way' or 'Don't worry I'll protect you!'. They have no interest in helping me improve. And neither do you. I've asked you- multiple times, for help with my taijutsu, to help me learn genjutsu, to teach me a ninjutsu, you fob me off with the most ridiculous excuses, and now you're pissed off that- what? I went out and found people who were actually interested in teaching me? Or is it that I'm excelling at what I'm being taught? By someone other than you? Maybe you're just pissed I'm being taught at all! You don't have the right to be pissed. I have that right and I am done. With you and them. As soon as I can, I'm putting in a transfer request. Maybe I can find a team that actually practices what they preach."

"Is this true Kakashi?" the Hokage enquired with soft disappointment and Sakura saw his jaw tighten under his mask.

"And you still nominated them for the exams?" the proctor asked incredulously.

"They have just passed the second stage Anko- and as the second team to have done so," Kakashi replied with a hard narrowed gaze. "Need I also remind you that they went up against Orochimaru in there and not only survived, but captured him."

"No thanks to you it seems," Anko retorted. The Hokage cleared his throat.

"I believe we have gone a bit off topic. My dear," he said turning back to Sakura. "How is it that you are able to use Mokuton and can you show me please?"

Sakura cast two handed signs and pressed her hands to the floor and vines sprouted in front of her. "Turns out if you have a natural affinity for both earth and water and excellent chakra control, you can combine them," she said quietly with a shrug.

"And the seal you used on Orochimaru?"

"It was a draft idea for the T&I upgrade. I was trying to get it to make chakra unresponsive. I'm still trying to figure out how it went from that to full body paralysis. It might have something to do with how closely the chakra paths align with the veins and arteries throughout the body. I haven't had a chance to pick up a medical book that can explain that in more detail." Anko's eyes bulged.

"Wait, you're the kid that Ibiki's been teaching genjutsu? The one with the explosive tags I want to get my hands on but Ibiki won't introduce me to?"

"Ah, you're the fiend who likes to see things go boom."

"The one and only." Sakura thought she sounded rather proud of that statement.

"Ladies," the Hokage interrupted.

Sakura ignored Kakashi who was staring at her like he had no idea who she was. It was valid, but it was his own fault. He'd never taken the time to see who she actually was. Never taken the time to train her and assess her properly.

"We've still got five days before the end of the second stage. I find it likely that you will be among those that make it through to the final stage even if there are preliminaries. I have someone in mind to train you one-on-one during the time between now and then."

"What about my team?"

"I will be training Sasuke- I'm the only one who can train him to use his Sharingan. But not to worry Sakura, Naruto will be taken care of as well," Kakashi said idly making Sakura fight not to roll her eyes or curl her lip up at the declaration.

Anko caught her eye and smirked back at her. Clearly she hadn't hidden her thoughts as well as she thought she had.

"I believe it's time to go and speak with Ibiki and no doubt you would like to rest. I look forward to seeing just how far you can go Sakura-chan. I wish you all the best with the rest of the exams."

"Thank you sir."

"Anko as proctor, you need to stay here. Kakashi..."

"I think I should stay here in case something goes wrong with that seal on Sasuke," he interrupted.

"I've looked at it too Kakashi, and I believe that Sakura has done an excellent job containing Orochimaru's seal. There's nothing we can do until Sasuke wakes up, we'll have another look once he does, but Sakura's quick thinking has stopped the worst of it. Perhaps after she's rested Sakura could have a look at Anko's seal. I've discovered that she often sees things with fresh eyes and new ideas."

"You knew about her using fuuinjutsu didn't you."

"Who do you think approved her to work on the T&I upgrade?"

Kakashi shot her another glance but Sakura was already looking at Anko confused by the Hokage's earlier comment.

"I'll explain later kid. You need to rest," Anko said with a small shake of the head. Sakura sighed but nodded. She needed all her faculties to deal with new seals, and she was tired.

"Can someone stand guard while I go and wash up?" she asked.

"As your current sensei, Kakashi will be standing guard, as the other jōnin sensei's will stand guard as soon as their teams arrive. Anko can show you to the showers." Sakura bowed and almost stumbled, her exhaustion catching up with her.

She cleaned up and put a new set of clothes on. She was glad she'd taken Atsuko's advice and entered the exam as if it were a week long mission. She washed her dirty clothes in the shower with her. She wrung them out and carried them back to the room.

She hung them up on an improvised washing line that was made from two kunai and a length of rope. Kakashi was lounging on the empty cot and instead of interacting with him in any way, she stabbed a few more kunai deep into the walls with a bit of chakra enhanced strength and hung up a hammock in a corner, crawled in, and promptly fell asleep.

Kakashi wondered just who had turned his fangirl genin, into someone strangely serious and weirdly competent.

Review time! Don't be shy! Tell me what you think!

~G