Chapter 6 : Sparring with sensei
Two days had passed since the invasion of Konoha and Sakura return. Both her and Sasuke had to stay in the hospital because of their broken ribs. But after they got released, she went directly home to make sure her parents were alright.
The next day, she had had barely the time to wake up and prepare to go out for her morning training session, when her mother knocked on the door of her room.
Sakura, your sensei is downstairs. He said he wanted to talk to you.
Even thought she knew that her sensei would want to ask her some question about her new skills, she was agreeably surprise he had made the effort of coming to her house instead of just talking after one of their usual reunion with team 7.
I'm coming.
She heard her mother go back down and she quickly put on her clothes before taking her pouch and attaching it to her right thigh.
When she arrived downstair, she saw her sensei seated on the living room sofa with a cup of tea in his hand. Her mother was in the kitchen preparing her lunch.
Good morning sensei.
Good morning, Sakura-chan. I hope it's not too early to talk a little.
Not at all sensei. Thought I was going to start my morning training session. So would you mind if we talk while I do it?
Kakashi-sensei seemed a little taken aback by the fact she was actually training but ended up nodding. She quickly let her mother know they were heading out before putting on her sandal and going outside.
She started her training session by running once around all Konoha. Kakashi following in her lead slowly running along side her. The silence between them stayed for about fifteen minutes during which Kakashi sensei seemed to observe her. Finally, thought, he started talking.
I see your stamina has greatly augmented since one month ago.
I trained.
Her answers sounded cold even thought it wasn't her intention but she couldn't stop herself from remembering the total disinterest her sensei had show about her a month ago.
He seemed a little surprised at her cold response but ended up asking her more questions.
What about you healing Sasuke? When I went to check on him at the hospital, the nurse told me whoever had closed his wound had done a perfect job. But you never learned medical ninjutsu, Sakura.
She had expected her sensei to ask her how she had been able to heal Sasuke wound. After all, she had effectively never learnt medical ninjutsu and it wasn't something anyone could learn and alone at that.
But she had do it, whit some help from inner, but she had still do it nearly by herself. She obviously couldn't tell her sensei about the second soul in her mind so she opted for a more believable answers.
I learned medical ninjutsu during the past month by myself. I can't do much for now thought, barely heal wound but no broken ribs or anything worse.
Kakashi sensei looked at her slightly shocked but she didn't seems to realize it. He started thinking that maybe there was more to his female student that appeared on the outside.
That's pretty impressive, Sakura. No one just learn medical ninjutsu alone.
She nodded and started running in the direction of the training ground has she had just finished running. Once they arrived to the training ground, Sakura started stretching a little while Kakashi keep staring at her.
Let's spar, Sakura.
She raise her head so fast that she nearly hurt herself. Kakashi sensei had just asked her to spar. That was something he had never done in all the time she had been his student. During training, only Sasuke and Naruto sparred between them. She usually was left on the side to do her own training while Kakashi looked over her comrade.
I want to see how much you improved during the past month by myself. I know I haven't been giving you much attention since Team 7 was created and I'm truly sorry about it. Please let me try again.
Sakura thought about this and didn't seem to find any inconvenient about letting her sensei a second chance. So she simply nodded and put herself in a fighting stance.
Everything is allowed, don't hold back Sakura chan.
Oh, she wasn't going to. She wanted to prove her sensei that she also could become stronger. She, for obvious reason, couldn't uses any inner skill that would be suspicious like the 'genjutsu reversal' technique or the 'Aura' technique.
But she could use the 'Intention reading' technique to predict Kakashi sensei attack because it would simply look like she was really good at predicting her enemy move.
Kakashi sensei also put himself in a fighting stance and waited for her to attack first. She had the elements of surprise since her sensei didn't knew what her actual skill were. He didn't knew she had become quite fast and that she could break the ground.
Like he didn't know she could use elemental jutsu. Or that she could uses genjutsu and was actually immune to most of them. And more than everything, he didn't know that her chakra poll had become four time bigger since she was hiding her chakra good enough to make it seems like her old one.
She started by attacking him with taijutsu without putting chakra in her kick because she wanted to get used to her sensei combat style.
She tried kicking him with her right legs but he blocked her and before she could try to punch him, he had already throw her away from him.
Landing in a crouched position, she went at him again. This time she tried to punch him but he blocked her again and throw her a few feet away.
She was happy she didn't use her super strength just yet because now she knew for a fact her sensei wouldn't evade her next attack. So he would take her chakra infused kick in full blown thinking it was a simple kick.
She felt a little smirk form on her face and saw Kakashi sensei frown a little not understanding what was making her amused. Without waiting any longer she launched herself at Kakashi sensei again going for a roundhouse kick.
And like she suspected, her sensei was ready to block it again. The only difference this time was that she actually put chakra in her leg which would result in a extremely stronger kick.
Her leg made contact whit her sensei arms and she could see his eyes widening from the shock of such strength. Before he could do anything, Kakashi sensei was sent flying into the nearest tree effectively cracking it.
Using the shock to her advantage, Sakura didn't wait for her sensei to get up. Instead, she launched herself at him again and tried punching him while he was on the floor.
Seeing her arrive at a relative fast speed, he quickly dodged her punch and got out of reach. Her punch ended up on the ground making a wide crater.
She slowly got up again and turned to stand in front of her sensei a full mischievous smile on her lips.
So sensei, how am I doing?
Kakashi was still totally shocked and simply couldn't respond so she started laughing a little.
I'll take your silence as a good sign. We're not finished thought.
Hearing her word, Kakashi went stiff and fell back to a fighting stance. This time, thought, he was the one to attack first. He took out some shuriken from his pouch and throw them at her.
She easily dodge them thanks to her inner skill and block her sensei kick immediately after. They keep going with taijutsu for about twenty minute. During which she sometime used chakra infused attack and sometime not, to confuse her sensei.
This way he always felt like he had to dodge them instead of blocking them and had more difficulty in trying to land his own attack. When she start feeling like the battle is going nowhere, she decide to pass on ninjutsu.
Kakashi land a hit on her but she suddenly puff away. Coming from under the ground she uses a earth release jutsu.
Earth Release: Head hunter jutsu
Suddenly Kakashi sensei body is under the ground only his head sticking out. The fact he didn't expect her to know any elemental jutsu caused is actual position. If he had know, he might have changed himself with a clone but not knowing he didn't and was now stuck in the ground.
Sakura wasn't stupid enough to think she had beaten him. She knew very well he could get out of the ground in less than one second. And she also knew that all the hit she had been able to land on him were only due to the surprise effect.
But she liked to tell herself that in a normal battle where her enemy didn't know anything about her those were actually good advantage and she would have done a good job.
Seeing as Kakashi sensei still didn't get out from the ground she slowly approached him and crouched before his face.
So sensei how does it feel to be stuck in the ground? If I remember correctly during the bell test you used the same technique on Sasuke-kun. Let's just say it's a payback from him.
Well, my dear little genin, I didn't expect you to have improved that much. I actually think you broke some of my ribs with those powerful punch.
Ah, sorry sensei.
He shrugged and got out of the ground before cleaning his clothes as much as possible. She got up from her crouched position and smiled a little at the sight of her sensei covered in dirt.
Well, now that I saw how much you improved, I guess I have no excuse not to teach you something. Is there anything you'd like to learn from me or I could arrange a sensei for you if I can't teach it to you.
Sakura thought about it a little bit before nodding to Kakashi.
Actually I'd like to learn the water jutsu Zabusa used during your fight. I already know the hidden mist jutsu and the water clone jutsu but I'd like to learn the water prison jutsu and the water dragon jutsu.
I can teach you the water prison jutsu but your chakra reserve are a little too low for the dragon water jutsu.
Sakura frowned a little, she was sure she had enough chakra for both jutsu. That's when she remembered she was still cancelling her chakra.
Oh, right, about that, that's not actually my chakra capacity. I was just concealing it for your fight. Here, wait a moment.
She quickly stopped hiding her chakra and when she looked at Kakashi sensei face she couldn't stop herself from laughing. It was priceless, the shock on his face. Well she couldn't really blame him, one month ago she had just enough chakra for a low genin but know her chakra pool was more like the one of a low chunin.
Well, Sakura Chan this was quite unexpected. Your chakra reserve are nearly as big as Sasuke one. That's even more impressive. Very well, then I have absolutely no reason not to teach you the water dragon jutsu.
Thank you sensei. I also wanted to know if you knew someone that could teach me kenjutsu?
I guess I could ask Kotetsu and Izumo to teach you since it's their speciality. But why do you want to learn kenjutsu Sakura Chan?
While shopping for new ninja tool, I came across two beautiful katana and I bought them, so might as well know how to uses them. Plus, since my principal combat style is hand to hand, I thought it would be great to have a secondary style with katana for when I have to fight other kind of enemy.
I guess it's a reason like any other.
Once he finished cleaning his clothes from the dirt, Kakashi start teaching me the sign for the water prison jutsu and the water dragon jutsu. After that I train a little more with those two jutsu before heading back home where my parents are eating breakfast.
I sit with them and start eating when my mom look at me.
Sakura, me and your father will have to go away for about two week. We have to make a trade of merchandise in a nearby village.
Okay mom, no problem.
I let you money on the kitchen island and I let the neighbour know we weren't home so you can ask her if you need anything.
Ok, when will you leave?
Tonight actually, we have to arrive for tomorrow night and the village is about a day from here.
Very well.
She get up and wash her dishes before going to shower and change. Once she get back downstairs, she let her parents know she's going out and start heading for the library. She would like to read a little more about medical ninjutsu and poison.