A Will made of Iron

by Yasumin J

Seven-year-old Sakura was a smart and a sharp girl who wanted to be classified as a "flee-on-sight" in the bingo book like Namikaze Minato. AU! No Uchiha massacre

7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 [End of Arc 1 : Introduction]

Summary of the previous chapter:

-Sakura had a kunoichi class where she learned the art of disguise. She then had a rather interesting discussion with Madoka-sensei about the dangerousness of kunoichis.

-Sakura, Shikamaru, and Tenten decided to infiltrate the library to return a scroll Sakura had borrowed. Unfortunately for them, they were caught by Genma and Shisui.

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Sakura reunited with Shikamaru the day after their failed mission, meeting under the shade of the tall trees near the Academy during lunchtime. They sat quietly, their bento boxes resting in front of them.

"Shikamaru?" Sakura's voice held a note of confusion as she looked up at him.

Shikamaru, deeply engrossed in disassembling his bento with rapid chopstick movements, eventually broke the silence, his tone carrying a hint of detachment.

"Seaweed looks like the Uchiha's hair," he mumbled as an attempt at an explanation after Sakura nudged him in the shoulder. Sakura regarded him as if he had suddenly sprouted horns or confessed an undying love for taijutsu.

"Did your mother say something to you?" Sakura ventured cautiously, attempting to steer the conversation away from the impending destruction of Shikamaru's lunch. She empathized with him. She had endured a sleepless night herself, and not because her parents had given her the runaround- they'd waited until the next day- but rather because she had tossed and turned in annoyance in her bed.

Sakura wasn't the type to react impulsively. Except when she'd been provoked by Hatake Setsuka. In that moment, impulsiveness coursed through her veins so intensely, so strongly that she'd even hurt her hand by foolishly striking a tree. Sakura's temper didn't arise from immaturity; it was a result of calculated, strategic reasoning.

Well.

That's what she would have liked , at least. Frankly, she was just making up excuses. Annoyed with herself, she let out a sigh that sent the pink locks on her forehead flying. She should stop kidding herself and just accept that her temperament had got the better of her ninja logic and rationality. Perhaps everything would be much better. She frowned. Reflecting on the negative events of her life and trying to justify them was a persistent habit of hers, but ultimately futile. There was nothing she could do about it. Despite all her good resolutions, this incident remained firmly imprinted in her memory.

Her gaze shifted to her hand. The swelling had subsided significantly, and the pain had diminished. Looking back, her reaction had been undeniably foolish. She should never have acted that way.

That's enough, Sakura.

However, she couldn't entirely blame herself for that either. Standing up for herself and asserting her boundaries had been the right course of action. Sakura couldn't afford to be a pushover; otherwise, she'd lose all respect, no matter how insignificant the situation. It was something she inherently understood, but it was also a lesson her father had emphasized time and again.

"Never let someone cross your boundaries. They'll think they can get away with anything," her father had once told her during a family fishing trip. Her mother had been teaching her how to fish properly at the time. Sakura remembered her mother mentioning that her grandfather had owned a restaurant specializing in seafood. The sea had always fascinated Sakura. She had never been there, but she had read about it – an endless expanse of deep blue, even more vivid than the sky or the lakes surrounding Konoha. The water was even salty! She had never met her grandfather, though. Her mother had explained that he didn't particularly like Sakura's father.

Sakura turned her wide-eyed gaze toward her father, noticing the unmistakable grimace on his face. It was the same expression he reserved for encounters with ninjas he deemed particularly foolish.

"Don't let anyone walk all over you," he replied with a gruff tone, but then he winked at her, his dimples etching into his cheeks. Her mother let out an exasperated sigh.

"That doesn't mean you can afford to be rude!" she said to Sakura, stroking her hair gently and raising her eyebrows at her father, who simply shrugged, a faint smile playing at the corner of his mouth.

"I wasn't being rude to your father. I was just making my opinion about certain things clear."

Her mother had bestowed upon him a look that only she knew how to give—a look Sakura secretly yearned to learn. It was the kind of look that could make a person feel foolish even before a word was spoken. On that particular day, despite her persistent inquiries, Sakura had failed to elicit any answers to the questions she had asked.

Shikamaru's growl snapped her out of her thoughts.

She blinked, returning to the present. Shikamaru was still aggressively smashing his bento, like there was no tomorrow. He grunted, and glared at it, before before resuming his food-related antics. "Not really. And you?" Sakura struggled to hide a small grimace that momentarily distorted her face. She instinctively placed her hand over her mouth to conceal it, realizing that such a reaction wasn't very ladylike.

Shikamaru, meanwhile, jabbed at his seaweed with his chopsticks once more, his eyes dark and narrowed. She was pretty sure he was mentally enacting the same treatment upon Uchiha Shisui. Amusement tugged at the corners of her lips, and she had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing. She knew that laughing would only exacerbate his already murderous mood.

She understood him. Uchiha Shisui had managed to irritate her beyond measure as well. She hadn't appreciated his nonchalant treatment of them. It felt as though he regarded her as nothing more than a source of amusement, and her friends as mere distractions. Like fairground animals.

Perhaps she was mistaken. After all, she couldn't read minds. Nevertheless, the disconcerting feeling persisted. And then there was his uncanny ability to gauge her thoughts. She didn't consider herself that predictable.

"I can see you thinking from here," he had told her, his amusement evident. How exasperating he could be! Hatake Setsuka's entire entourage was nothing but a source of annoyance.

She sighed.

"My parents didn't say anything to me that evening," she confided in him, before hiding the grimace she couldn't suppress behind her hand. "They waited until the next day to give me a lecture. This morning, they made it very clear that they weren't happy with me at all."

Sakura had felt guilty the following day. Her mother expressed her disappointment for sneaking out so late, while her father remained relatively quiet, offering a comforting pat on the back. She had been punished. Luckily, she was allowed to go to the festival with her friends, since this marked her first "significant" misstep. However, after the festival, she would face a three-day grounding. This meant she wouldn't be able to join Shikamaru and Tenten for their training sessions.

Shikamaru continued to give deadly blows to his seaweed, each strike punctuating his thoughts with a muted "troublesome" before he sighed.

"Speaking of the seaweed head..." Sakura began, her gaze shifting somberly to Shikamaru's now-demolished bento, "my father met him."

Shikamaru shot his head up, a look of horror in his eyes.

"What?" he blurted out, his stare sharp. "If you're saying that, something must've happened because he's met mine too."

Sakura nodded solemnly.

"Yes, he was waiting right outside our house, and Uchiha Shisui spilled the beans, saying he'd caught me in the act of causing trouble."

Shikamaru stared at her, his jaw clenched, then aggressively speared his seaweed, shoving it into his mouth and chewing with palpable frustration. If Sakura hadn't been so taken aback by the events of the previous day, she might have burst into laughter.

"I really wasn't in the mood to talk with him, but he had the nerve to tell me I was 'thinking too much,'" she continued, still smarting from the memory. Her friend fixed his gaze on her for a long moment, his jaw clenched, before bluntly stating, "He can't be that insufferable. I'd have killed him on the spot if I was you!"

He pushed his bento aside, his annoyance evident.

"I never really considered how you'd handle him on your own," he muttered, scowling.

Sakura offered a comforting pat on his shoulder. "I guess you were more concerned about how you would deal with your father."

Shikamaru shrugged.

"Maybe I should have insisted we go by your place first, just so I wouldn't leave you alone with him."

Sakura shrugged gently. She looked at her bento, lightly nudging her kyaraben with her chopsticks. Her mother had made her sausages in the shape of little red octopuses, which she adored.

Before Sakura could reassure her friend again, someone plopped their bento box down between them. Sakura gasped, her brows furrowing briefly before breaking into a relaxed smile as she recognized the newcomer.

It was Tenten.

"There you are!" Tenten greeted them cheerfully.

Shikamaru gave her a casual wave.

"You look great," Sakura remarked softly, her gaze fixed on Tenten. Tenten responded with a wide, radiant smile before settling down between them with a satisfied sigh.

"It's so cool that we get to share part of our break for lunch today! What did you both bring to eat- oh Sakura! You have those adorable little red octopuses too!? I love them! My dad made me some rolled omelets too, I just love them! I also tried to help him by heating the rice, but I'm not good enough to cook it perfectly yet!" Tenten excitedly shared.

Without giving them time to reply, she continued briskly. "He kept teasing me! Man, it was hellish!"

As usual, Tenten spoke energetically. Her fascinating grey eyes shone with a zest for life that was uniquely her own. However, this time, Sakura sensed something different. She wasn't talking so much because it was natural for her and was simply bouncing from subject to subject naturally and enthusiastically.

No.

She seemed almost compelled to keep talking, unwilling to allow even a moment of silence, unable to tolerate the smallest lull in conversation.

Neither Shikamaru nor herself had the opportunity to utter a word. Sakura glanced at Shikamaru, wondering if she might be the one getting the wrong idea.

No. She wasn't.

Her friend stared at Tenten, dumbfounded, his chopsticks hovering near his mouth. Presumably, he was on the verge of finally eating after obliterating his bento, but Tenten's rapid-fire speech had him rooted in place.

"By the way! All his buddies know what happened, two of them stopped by yesterday.-"

Tenten made a frustrated hand gesture, grimacing. Sakura could already tell where her story was headed.

"...and I've been getting remarks all evening! All evening! Dad even set traps outside my window. I swear, he might as well have considered sticking explosive parchments up my butt! He said that if I'm going to sneak out, I might as well use it for training, and blah blah! This guy's really getting on my nerves! I'll get my revenge, you'll see!"

Tenten let out a deep sigh of annoyance and stabbed her food almost as violently as Shikamaru had earlier. Perhaps even more violently.

She saw him flinch a little and looked at her out of the corner of his eye. Despite Tenten's apparent annoyance, Sakura noticed that she'd managed to pierce the rice ball right down the middle. This reminded her of the precision with which she had managed to aim her shoe at Uchiha Shisui last night, while her father held her on his shoulder.

Needless to say, she was even more on edge than the night before.

Sakura had thought her parents had been the harshest, somehow, but she hadn't expected Tenten's father to be so vengeful. Or teasing. She still remembered the pressure she'd felt yesterday when she'd seen him. She still vividly recalled the apprehension she had felt when she first saw him yesterday. However, as it turned out, he had been surprisingly easygoing and laid-back. Instead of reprimanding them, as someone like Mizuki-sensei might have done, he ended up joking with them and teasing them.

Uchiha Shisui had taken care of that.

Sakura hadn't seen that coming. Judging by his physical appearance, he couldn't have been more than sixteen. Of course, he'd been an adult and responsible for himself for a long time if one looked at it through the ninja prism, but for a civilian such as herself, sixteen was still too young to be considered an adult. Most people she knew through her mother who had children older than Sakura didn't let them go until they were perhaps eighteen.

For civilians, that age was considered reasonable. It was the age when you were deemed responsible enough to run a store independently, manage finances, and even get married.

Shiranui Genma was quite eccentric, it would seem. Sakura wasn't sure what to make of it.

She glanced at Shikamaru. Having quickly forgotten Tenten's strange attitude, he had returned to his sullen state, wearing a gloomy expression.

He'd given up the idea of eating.

Sakura suddenly felt out of place. The atmosphere was strange, the tension almost palpable, and for different reasons for both of her friends.

Sakura cleared her throat and looked down, her cheeks flushed with shame. She felt a deep sense of guilt. It was all her fault. If it hadn't been for her completely stupid and unrealistic idea to break into the library... she wouldn't be punished. She wouldn't have disappointed her parents.

Tenten wouldn't have had so many troubles with her father.

And Shikamaru would never have been in such a foul mood. And he wouldn't have gotten such a brutal talking-to from Uchiha Shisui.

(If she ever saw him again...she was going to take revenge for this offense.)

She was so deep in thought, wracked with guilt, that she barely heard Shikamaru when he called out to her.

"Sakura!"

Startled, she looked up to find Shikamaru scrutinizing her with intensity, and she realized that Tenten had also stopped talking and was now looking at her with concern.

"What's wrong? Did you have a rough time last night too? I didn't even ask you! I hope your parents didn't give you a hard time! Dealing with that twerp on the way was bad enough!"

Sakura felt her face turn tomato red. She cleared her throat again and gently shook her hand.

"No, no, it's not that..." She fidgeted gently on the spot and forced herself to stop. Her body language was disastrous. She forced herself to speak. She couldn't. She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry I got you into this. Because of me, you're in trouble with your parents, and some ninjas have a bad image of you even though you're already known to their circle."

There, she had said it. The burn of shame consumed her as she voiced the harsh reality. Speaking the facts out loud forced her to confront the gravity of her foolish actions, which were even worse than she had initially thought.

In comparison, her situation wasn't so bad considering she was only a nameless civilian. Of course, it probably wasn't good for her either, but between Shikamaru being clan heir, and Tenten complaining about all the ninjas who'd already made remarks to her…

Tenten's almost indignant cry startled her. "What?! What!? What are you talking about, we were up for it! We were all in this together! If anything, it's my fault we got caught, I'm so sorry! I had to be really brave to come here and act normal because I blame myself, and I don't know how to face you all. I feel like I ruined everything. If my dad hadn't seen me leaving the house, you could have snuck into the library easily. It's not your fault, Sakura!"

At the end of her emotional outburst, she was breathless, her cheeks flushed, and her eyes shining. She covered her mouth as if she had just spilled a big secret. Sakura finally understood why she'd been acting so strangely all along. Why she hadn't let them speak and realized at the same time how Tenten hadn't looked at them once during her entire monologue.

She felt as guilty as she did. Worse, she felt ashamed. But she had no reason to feel this way! She hadn't been the one to instigate this stupid idea.

"Tenten," Sakura said, her cheeks growing warm. She rested her hand against her shoulder. "You didn't do anything wrong. I got you into this super silly idea. Shikamaru had his doubts, but I kept bugging him–"

"-What?! No, it's me who insisted we do it with that 'zero risk!' dumb idea! Don't blame yourself like that!" she interjected in horror.

Shikamaru suddenly interrupted with a loud sigh. Sakura turned her head, her mouth half open as she was about to say something. He was rolling his eyes so hard that she feared they might get stuck.

"Stop playing the martyr, both of you." He demanded in an annoyed tone. Tenten stammered, ready to respond quickly, even raising her fist. Shikamaru raised his hand to indicate that he hadn't finished. He gave Sakura a meaningful look that said it all. "I'm serious," he continued.

"We're all equally responsible for this mess," he began, his voice firm. "Your dad is a ninja, and so is mine. Of course, they caught us. My father was waiting for me and asked me how my excursion went, he was just too lazy to stop me and considered that we're supposed to do stupid things and get slapped around at our age to learn and think better."

Sakura breathed a sigh of relief at her friend's sensible words.

"Oh..." Said Tenten in a weak voice, eyes wide, as she slumped against the tree, suddenly appearing much less tense. "Oh! I hadn't thought of that..It did seem like a big mess no matter what we did."

Sakura thought about that quietly.

He was right. Entirely right. In either scenario, they would have been caught. Now that she thought about it, her father had been waiting for her outside their house. He must have gone to check on her and didn't find her in her bed. Or perhaps her mother went to check on her and then informed her father that she wasn't in her room.

They had been doomed from the start. She might have been able to escape her house through her window, but only because her parents were civilians. And even that did not hinder them from noticing her absence. She couldn't expect her friends to not be caught when their parents were ninjas . They couldn't expect that either. It was unrealistic.

Sakura nodded softly, a bit hesitant. She was feeling a tad better, but the idea still came from her. She didn't have to enlist her friends in her mischieves. They wouldn't have been scolded, or punished. Shikamaru was a clan heir, he could have had much worse.

Before she could open her mouth to make that point and apologize once more, Shikamaru interrupted her again.

"For Shodai sake, Sakura, stop blaming yourself."

He closed his bento with a deep sigh and gave her a stern look, showing some annoyance at the situation and the continuous self-blame.

"You can't expect me to not feel that way when I was the one who wanted us to infiltrate the library," Sakura countered with a soft frown, sticking to her position. Tenten looked between the two of them as if she was watching some contest. It didn't seem like she wanted to interfere for now.

" Fine , you had that idea, and I was against it at first, but it doesn't mean I had to follow you into it. I could have said no. I didn't. My father says we're responsible for our decisions. I'm responsible for what I decide to do. Do you understand? So stop beating yourselves up like this. Both of you. The only one who deserves this treatment is that dumb seaweed head." He growled as he rudely reopened his bento and glared at the seaweed in his lunch. "And that other idiot with his stupid senbon in his mouth."

"Seaweed head? Who are you talking about?" Tenten asked, a little confused. "And hey! I'm not going to say anything; my dad really had it coming with that one."

"Uchiha Shisui," Sakura whispered to her so Shikamaru wouldn't hear.

Tenten looked at them for a few seconds before bursting out laughing. She laughed so hard that tears welled up in her eyes.

Sakura finally relaxed and couldn't help but giggle too. Shikamaru merely rolled his eyes, but by now she knew him well enough to see the faint smirk at the corner of his lips.

"Bawahaha! He does have a seaweed head!" She exclaimed, trying to calm herself. She hiccupped and let out in another laugh a few words that Sakura couldn't quite catch. Shikamaru seemed to have understood what she meant, as he turned his head to the side, his shoulders shaking with sudden hilarity.

Sakura looked at them, confused. What? What had she said?

"-ui!" She hiccupped, completely slumped against the tree, unable to utter an intelligible word.

" Shisorui, Sakura." Shikamaru finally said, snorting.

At the ingenuity of this nickname, Sakura remained silent for a while, staring at them with her mouth half open, before a laugh rose from her belly to her throat. She released it with a joyous burst, burying her face in her hands.

Oh!

Oh, it was so bad of them! Sorui, meaning seaweed .

Tenten laughed, "I'm totally going to bring it out again in front of my dad, he's going to make a trend out of it and it's going to spread all over the village!" She chuckled as she stood up. "But for that, we'll have to survive this afternoon, I've got my kunoichi class starting soon!"

Shikamaru sighed. "I couldn't even eat properly!"

"You'll eat your Shisorui afterwards," Sakura teased him as Tenten broke into another burst of laughter. She waved them off and walked happily back to her classroom. Sakura stood up in turn and gently dusted herself off. She held out her hand to Shikamaru and gave him a small smile. He smiled back and grabbed her hand as she helped him to his feet.

"We may not have eaten, but at least we got to pour out what was in our hearts," she confided softly, her bento delicately clutched to her.

Shikamaru stretched with a sigh. He tucked his hands into his pockets and pivoted on his heels, "Me too. I don't like to leave things unsaid. It happens from time to time with Ino and it's a real pain to clear up. Even if nothing drastic has happened so far."

Shikamaru had already spoken to her from time to time about his friends, but not in such detail.

Sakura was curious but didn't want to ask questions that weren't her business.

"In any case, the lesson we can learn from all this is to work on our strategies better so we don't get caught."

Even though her heart was still a little tight at the thought of having missed their mission, Sakura threw him a small smile, as they made their way back to class.

"You bet!"

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It was with eyes full of stars that Sakura headed for the Festival, accompanied by her parents. It wasn't the first Festival she'd attended, of course, but it was the first she'd made with her new friends. She was so looking forward to it! Even the prospect of knowing she was being punished next didn't dampen her spirits. How could Sakura even be unhappy? Seeing the fruits of her labor hanging everywhere, knowing that she had contributed to the lights and decorations, made her all the more excited.

There was something almost magical about the Festival like the fairy tales her mother used to tell her from time to time. The jets of light almost formed a rainbow of red and orange, sometimes pink. She recognized some of her lanterns, which she had decorated with butterflies and the various birds she could sometimes see through her window. Sakura couldn't help the twinkling smile that suddenly lit up her face.

"I made these lanterns!" she said a little loudly to make herself heard over the hubbub of the Festival. Everything was so lively! The merchants had brought out their best clothes, and the food stalls were a merry mishmash. There were competitions between traders. Who was going to attract the most customers? Across the street, she recognized some of her neighbors, busy organizing children's games. Sakura felt slightly sick to her stomach when she saw the goldfish, condemned to swim around in a small tank. She had learned from her mother that the size of a goldfish was not what you saw at festivals and that they were actually much bigger. From then on, Sakura couldn't really bear to see them displayed like that. Her heart sank at the thought.

She looked away, uncomfortable, and tried to concentrate on something else. Soon, the colors of the Festival distracted her again, and her mind wandered into the meanders of color and joy.

She pointed to a shooting range. "Can you do that, Dad?" she teased him earnestly, her eyes playful. Her father looked at her, his green eyes shining mischievously. He gently tugged at one of the braids her mother had made to go with her pink floral kimono. Her mother, on the other hand, was wearing a light purple kimono.

"Are you provoking me now, my little runaway?" he asked her falsely sternly, his black eyebrows raised. Sakura turned her head to the side, acting as if she were snubbing him, with a small smile. She gently touched her braid. "You don't pull a lady's hair, Dad," she told him in a patronizing tone.

"I didn't know ladies played runaways on nights when their innocent parents are sleeping soundly because they think their daughter is sweetly in her roo-."

"Shigure." interrupted her mother in a firm tone. Sakura knew her father was teasing her, but it made her wince slightly all the same. She didn't want to be reminded of the fiasco of their mission this night.

Her mother seemed to understand. Her father sighed softly and ruffled her hair. Sakura looked at him shyly before glancing at her mother. The latter looked at her good-naturedly.

"No more quips, for tonight at least. Being grounded should be enough." Her father said, drawing her attention back to him. Sakura winced softly behind her hand, unsure how to react. She'd been so happy to take part in the Festival, the idea that her punishment would be postponed just for this occasion made her somewhat euphoric.

"Come on!" he encouraged her, gently pushing her forward, his green eyes so similar to hers crinkling happily.

Sakura laughed at last, a knot loosening from her belly all at once. All was well. Her mother laughed softly in turn, and when her father managed to buy a cotton candy the same color as Sakura's hair, she gasped and looked at her with wide eyes, unable to hide her reaction.

" Wouldn't that be my little angel?" he exclaimed, his eyes wide and bright with teasing. Sakura spluttered this time, her gaze riveted on the cotton candy in a pink so similar to that of her hair. "Cute and pink."

Her mother patted her on the shoulder. However, her lips trembled slightly and Sakura saw it. She flushed even more, at lightning speed, and couldn't help crossing her little arms over her chest, hoping to give herself some height. She pinned them with a firm gaze.

"If I'm cotton candy, you are too, Mom," the rosette remarked with a very unladylike sniff. And at the time, she didn't care. Her parents laughed and their little family kept walking, slowly discovering the wonders of the Festival.

When she saw Shikamaru in the distance, Sakura jolted with joy. He was dressed in a forest-green yukata. A medium-sized woman was busy re-doing his ponytail, much to his annoyance. Her hair was a shade lighter than her son's, and its texture was obviously not the same either, since she was almost snarling at her son trying to comb his hair. His face, which she had only seen in deep boredom, amusement or irritation until now, was drawn, frozen in a permanent grimace. He seemed both annoyed and embarrassed, the latter emotion undoubtedly overriding everything else.

Sakura watched their interaction with curiosity. She squinted, trying to see what they were saying to each other. She still couldn't read lips very well. Nor could she really see what Shikamaru's mother was saying. On the other hand...her gaze shifted to her friend once more. She could easily guess what he was saying.

"-Ouch!'

Was surely the only thing he could mumble. She felt a surge of compassion for Shikamaru, who appeared to be in agony. Her gaze then went to the man next to them, who looked exactly like him and whom she'd seen last night.

Nara Shikaku. Shikamaru's father, the leader of the jônin.

Last night, she hadn't really been able to analyze him, or look at him intensely. Hardly surprising; she'd been more preoccupied with her own fate, and with their mission, which had failed so miserably. She'd felt so ashamed. But now she could observe him at her leisure. He was a tall man, but not as tall as Tenten's father or Uchiha Shisui. The latter, though no more than sixteen, she supposed, looked well on his way to being as tall as her own father.

"Shigure!"

Outraged exclamation. Her mother cast a frowning glance at her father, who was sniggering into his beard.

"Be nice," she told him, her pursed tone matching her mouth. Her father held up his hands, a little sneer on his face.

"'Tis like even ninja children are not exempt from this kind of treatment," he said, winking at Sakura, who smiled back.

"Don't make fun of Shikamaru, Dad. He looks really embarrassed," she told him all the same.

"Sakura," her mother said gently, drawing her attention. Sakura looked curiously at her mother. Yuka smiled at her and pointed to Shikamaru with a jerk of her chin.

"I know you're supposed to be punished for your little excursion last night, but your father and I have decided to let you join your friends at least for tonight," she announced to her in a gentle tone. "Enjoy today."

Sakura's face lit up with joy. Of course, she knew she wasn't being punished, but still, she didn't think her parents would let her have this opportunity.

She glanced at her friend, who still hadn't noticed them. Her father, on the other hand, seemed to have seen them. Sakura noticed his piercing gaze lingering on them. Her eyes met his and she felt like fidgeting.

Was it the nonchalant attitude so similar to her son's? Or was it the terrible intelligence she perceived behind his dark irises? Sakura didn't really know, but she recognized the little gleam in his eyes. It was the same one Shikamaru had when he would notice something. But what had he noticed? That she was watching them?

It wasn't hard to figure out. Maybe she was imagining things too. She didn't know, really, and was reluctant to go looking for Shikamaru. Her mother didn't seem to want to let him go, and from what her friend had told her, she had a strong personality.

Although nervous, she went to meet her friend when her mother had finished combing his hair, satisfied with the result. His hairstyle hadn't changed a jot, but Sakura was careful not to make the slightest remark about it. Control yourself! she ordered herself curtly. The lump in her stomach increased in size as she came face to face with Shikamaru's parents. Her friend finally noticed her, and a flash of uncertainty passed through his eyes.

He suddenly looked away, and Sakura stopped dead in her tracks, unsure how to take his reaction.

Was he pretending not to know her?

Was he ignoring her?

A familiar fear stirred in her belly, knotting her insides. She watched him, holding her breath slowly, and tried in vain to convince herself that, no, her friend wasn't going to ignore her so deliberately. Not when she was standing right in front of him. Her old anxieties came flooding back.

"Don't tell me that's the famous Sakura-chan, Shikamaru?" his mother suddenly asked, her eyes as dark as her son's brutally riveted on her. Sakura's breathing stopped. Her thoughts cut off, too.

"Yes, Mom," he mumbled after letting out a soul-splitting sigh.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance," Sakura said, realizing that she hadn't even introduced herself. She felt herself slowly blush. She had already met his father, but it had been under less than glorious circumstances. She didn't want that to be the only impression they had of her.

"How adorable you are!" Nara Yoshino said. "I've wanted to meet you for so long. My son doesn't have many friends apart from Ino and Chôji, so I'm glad he's met you."

"Sorry to interrupt, we're Sakura's parents."

Sakura turned her head and saw that her father had approached with her mother. Her father's eyes shone with curiosity and Sakura realized that they both couldn't help but come to meet her friend's parents.

She felt her heart leap, happy and a little nervous about the exchange that was to follow.

Much to her surprise, Shikamaru's father seemed to get on rather well with his own father. "I've heard a lot about you from Sakura."

Of course, her father never missed an opportunity to talk about her. His tone was affectionate and proud, and Sakura felt like hiding underground when Nara Shikaku's piercing gaze met hers. He was so intimidating!

"I've also heard a lot about your daughter from my son," he said, and his eyes sparkled with amusement.

Shikamaru seemed to shrivel up beside her. Her mother's and Shikamaru's laughter caught her attention.

"Your daughter is adorable! Shikamaru has told me so much about her!"

"My daughter tells me about Shikamaru-"

"I think it's best if we go our own way," Shikamaru suddenly told her with a pale face, avoiding her gaze as he rubbed his face, before saying in a loud voice. "Dad, Mom. We'll go our own way with Sakura."

"Be a gentleman, Shikamaru!" his mother said, walking over to him to fix his hair one last time. His friend's face melted into a mask of horror, and he stepped back.

" Riiight! "

"Sakura, shall we meet in front of this stand later?" her mother said, smiling kindly at her. Sakura nodded gently and gave Shikamaru's parents one last look.

"Pleased to meet you again," she told them politely, while her father burst out laughing.

"See, I told you my daughter is the most polite little girl ever! Come on, sweetie, have fun with your friend."

Her father raised an eyebrow at Shikamaru, who held his gaze forcefully even though her mother was still fixing his hair despite his previous protests.

"Yes," said Shikamaru grumpily as Nara Shikaku gently shook his head as if he saw the most amusing thing.

.

.

.

.

Eventually, they parted company with their parents, to enjoy the Festival on their own.

"Did Tenten tell you where she was going to be?" asked Sakura. Shikamaru shook his head.

"She told us she could attend the Festival, but that's it. Remember? She's going with her father, but it's not certain she'll be able to meet us."

Sakura hid a grimace behind her hand. She'd already talked about it with her friends, but she couldn't help feeling guilty and shameful about it. She didn't verbalize it, because they'd already talked about it several times, and she didn't want to spoil the Festival mood. She had whined about it enough but she couldn't really help it. The truth was, it was her own bitter failure that was eating away at her heart. At first, the idea that her friends might have got into trouble because of her had certainly horrified her, but ever since they'd talked about it and cleared the air, she'd been more relaxed about it.

Instead, shame had taken the place of having failed so miserably. Sakura didn't like failure. Above all when something was close to her heart.

She forced herself to think of something else and stared at the lanterns, hoping that her ever-busy mind would find a detail that caught her attention.

Shikamaru stood silently beside her.

Sakura glanced at him and asked worriedly. "Are you all right?"

He grumbled under his breath, looking a little embarrassed. His eyes, so similar to his father's, plunged into hers.

Shikamaru looked deeply embarrassed. By the situation, she realized. Sakura relaxed, her heart beating much more slowly. Her fears were stupid and he'd probably reprimand her if he knew, but she couldn't help it.

He said to her, looking grumpy, "My skull hurts. And I feel so ashamed that I want to jump with both feet into the deepest crevasse I can find."

Sakura winced and couldn't stop a small laugh from escaping her mouth. She looked at her friend, sorry. She giggled again. How funny!

She didn't want to make fun of him or embarrass him any more than he already was, but the situation was somewhat hilarious. Shikamaru glowered at her, and tossed out, "I'd like to see how you'd look if you were me."

Despite his dry reply, and squinted eyes, there was no animosity in his tone.

To make up for it, because it wasn't very nice of her to taunt him like that either, she recounted a somewhat unpleasant memory, " Last night, after the seaweed came with me, my father was waiting for me in front of the house, just like I told you."

Shikamaru looked at her attentively, curious.

Sakura continued. "And my dad just had to call me his little pink pumpkin in front of him. Not only did he catch us and give us a lecture, but he also had the pleasure of watching my dad winding me up. "

Sakura was still blushing. It had been one of the most embarrassing moments of her entire life. She didn't really want to think about it, but there was no denying that the two events she'd experienced in the span of a week and a half, or even two, had left a lasting impression on her. Her unfortunate encounter with Hatake Setsuka and her confrontation with two actual ninjas for the first time in her life.

His friend looked at her in absolute horror. He opened his mouth. Closed it again. And sighed.

"You know what? We're going to avoid the seaweed topic," he grumbled in a flat tone.

Sakura agreed wholeheartedly. She didn't want any negativity that evening. They were supposed to be laughing, having fun, and enjoying the last moments before they were punished for good. At least in her case.

"Is there any particular activity you'd like to do? "she asked, gently smoothing a sleeve of her kimono. Her gaze darted around them, hoping to find a fun game they could join in with.

He shrugged and looked around. "Usually, darting ranges only exist for people who want to show off. We could go and catch some fish if you like, but that doesn't sound like a very interesting activity to me."

The pinkette preferred not to broach the subject of goldfish, at least not that evening. However, she didn't see any issue with enjoying a game of darts. It was true that this type of activity was usually dominated by older ninjas from the Academy who wanted to impress their parents. Most of the civilian children weren't very interested in such games. At least, not as much as the Academy students or the older ninjas who enjoyed little competitions.

"Do the ninjas in your circle enjoy playing darts too?" asked Sakura curiously. Shikamaru was accustomed to being around ninjas, so she might as well take advantage of it and ask him directly.

Her friend seemed to be thinking.

"I've got a few cousins who like to show off, or get into competitions from time to time."

"I guess that's not really your thing," she told him with a small smile. He grinned.

"I don't see the point of doing that. It's a festival, let's enjoy the food, even if I'd rather find quiet corners to wander around. But I can't really do that..."

His eloquent grimace made her laugh.

"Your mom?"

"Ino pulls me by the ear sometimes too," he muttered. "I have suspicions of a plot involving my mother. I don't get why she always makes me tag along. Usually, it's just for walks or to show off her fancy kimono."

"And Chôji?"

"He tags along, but it's mostly because he wants to stuff his face. He's good at keeping Ino from going ballistic. He usually keeps her from biting my head off," he sighed theatrically, but Sakura could see the laughter in his eyes. She wondered again if she would ever meet them. Sometimes she thought about it.

"Aren't you going to see them today?" she asked him anyway. She hoped she wasn't keeping him from spending time with his other friends.

Shikamaru stopped and gave her a piercing look. "Stop worrying, you've been a bundle of stress since yesterday."

Sakura gave him an apologetic look. "Do you think so?"

He sighed and took her hand, dragging her behind him. Sakura followed him, no longer surprised by his spontaneous outbursts. "Yes. And for the record, we should be running into them in no time. I didn't tell you because I didn't want to stress you out. You tend to worry over nothing."

Sakura stopped and looked at him with wide eyes. "Are your friends coming to see us?"

"Yeah. Well, maybe . We'll probably run into them, Ino's busy with Hinata anyway, so I dunno. She's feeling a bit better about her allergy."

"You mentioned that Inuzuka Kiba's dog was responsible for it, right?"

Shikamaru stopped and turned to her. "I forgot to tell you: NEVER mention her allergy, or Kiba in front of her."

Sakura looked at him a little puzzled, her lips parting slightly. "Why?"

"Because she hates him, and calls him or his dog names every chance she gets. They've already been at each other's throats during the exercise. She's sure he knew about her allergy in some mystical way. Now she has a deep-rooted hatred for him that I've never seen before and that – that scares me." he growled. He gave her a pointed look as if to say ' you understand why it must not be mentioned in front of her '.

Sakura couldn't help laughing once again. She felt like she was laughing at her friend a lot tonight, but he was such a good sport about it.

"I had no intention of mentioning Inuzuka Kiba, don't worry," she reassured him.

"I know you, you would have asked about her health," he muttered. "Please don't bring up anything about it. If we run into her."

Sakura laughed again and just nodded in promise.

It was then that she heard a familiar voice. She instinctively turned her head.

She noticed a tall man, his head covered by a bandana, and recognized him instantly. It was Shiranui Genma, Tenten's adoptive father and the man who had caught them red-handed. He was accompanied by his daughter, who was struggling to show him her marksmanship.

"...if only you were as good at sneaking up on me," Sakura heard. Tenten turned her head towards her father, her small hand gripping the dart she was about to send. All her attempts were right on target.

Sakura's eyes widened slowly as Tenten sent the dart straight between her father's eyes without warning. In a movement too quick for her to see, he caught her dart. A blink later, and Sakura could see it between his fingers. He raised an eyebrow at her and flicked her forehead.

"Well, well, are you trying to outright murder the person who cooks you dinner every night?" he asked her in a drawling tone.

Tenten pushed his hand away and glared at him. "'Oh, come off it a bit. Next time I'll aim for your eye, you'll see! Leave me alone or I'll stick explosive scrolls under your pillow!"

Her father merely chuckled a little before making a gesture with his thumb, clearly pointing at them, his senbon moving between his teeth. "Why don't you wait a bit before making a suicide bomber out of me, eh? Your friends are waiting for you right here."

Sakura tried to put on a poker face, even though she was still dumbfounded by the whole interaction. She couldn't see herself throwing darts or other sharp weapons at her own parents. Shikamaru didn't seem all that shocked, although she couldn't imagine him doing it either. He seemed used to this kind of interaction as if he'd been in similar situations before. Although, she had seen his eyes widening a little.

So this was what it was like to be a child of a ninja? There was a certain dynamic that Sakura couldn't have with her parents.

Sakura watched the scene with fascination, knowing that this was part of everyday life for ninja children.

She wondered how they managed to live in a world full of danger and violence. It was a world where parents taught their children to handle sharp weapons and where darts were used for precision games, but also for potential attacks.

In a way, she felt lucky to have grown up in a normal family. But at the same time, she couldn't help feeling a little excluded from this fascinating and terrifying world. Sometimes, she wished she'd been born into a ninja family, and learned the art with her family.

She wondered how she would react in a similar situation.

"Even in the middle of a Festival, he's annoying," muttered Shikamaru, rolling his eyes.

"Sakura-chan, Shikamaru!"

Tenten had noticed them and was waving her arms at them, smiling. She was happily chewing corn, but when she saw them, her face lit up and became even brighter than the lanterns they'd helped make.

"I'm only going for Tenten, who looks so happy to see us," muttered Shikamaru as he began to walk toward her, glancing warily at Shiranui Genma. A smile stretched the pinkette's lips.

"I bet you feel like kicking someone," she told him in a low voice.

"'Course I want to kick Tenten," Shikamaru told her, looking at her seriously.

Sakura stared at him in shock. What? "You feel like kicking Tenten?" she repeated, pausing for a moment, not understanding. "I was talking about Shiranui Gen-" She paused as she saw his eyes sparkle with mischieve. He was teasing her!

Sakura merely nudged him in a friendly rebuke.

"I'm so happy to see you! Come and try this shooting range with me. Genma-papa promised me a special present if I won this time!" Tenten said excitedly as they reached him.

Her father sighed, the senbon that Sakura had now got used to seeing between his teeth moving as he talked, " I can't believe you're supposed to be punished, I'm far too nice. And I've already told you to at least call me Uncle. Dad, that's for old people, I'm only 24."

Tenten sniffed and gave him a slightly dirty look, "There you go, you can't get a word in without reminding me of my 'grounded' status! And you think I won't fire back with something you won't like?!"

"Are you calling me Genma-papa just to annoy me?" he asked as he wiggled his senbon, raising an eyebrow. "I didn't know you got a mean streak in you."

Tenten threw up her hands, looking exasperated. "YOU. WEARY. ME!"

He chuckled and waved a hand towards the stall. "Go on shrimp, I'll treat you to this round."

"We're not 'shrimps'," Shikamaru sharply rebuked him as he walked past, glowering at him. "You pain in the neck. "

"Ooh," said Shiranui Genma, his senbon bobbing in his mouth. "You are a bad-tempered one, aren't you?"

" Don't . You. Start."

"Dad!" exclaimed Tenten, shaking her head. "Do you want him to play or not?"

"'Never said I was going to play,'" Shikamaru protested.

Sakura cleared her throat lightly. "We wouldn't want to take advantage of your hospitality," she tried, hoping to diffuse the tension. A tension only Shikamaru seemed to feel if she was being completely honest. Tenten's father had lost nothing of that nonchalance that Sakura had come to associate with him.

"Take advantage of my hospi-" he repeated, looking astonished before chuckling. " I did notice you were exceptionally polite, but tone it down, kiddo. It's fine if you act your age."

Tenten swiftly looked towards him, while at the same time, Shikimaru glowered at him, both in such perfect synchronization that Sakura felt the irrational urge to applaud them.

"Leave Sakura alone, will ya!" jabbed Shikamaru.

"Dad, you're taking this too far!" shouted Tenten, punching him in the arm.

Sakura looked around, a little confused, but couldn't help but frown. She looked at Tenten's father and pursed her lips. She had always been very respectful of authority, and even more so if it was a high-ranking ninja. But she had to admit to herself that she was finding it increasingly difficult to keep her reactions under control around her friend's father. Shikamaru had clearly given up on that particular matter and was making no secret of his contempt anyway. Then perhaps I could do the same , she thought, her jaw clenching as she turned her green gaze on him intensely.

"Ninja-san, how do I not act my age?" she asked, frowning.

Genma, busy dodging the blows from both her friends - even Shikamaru had got in on the act and was trying to trip him over a food stall - glanced at her, obviously highly amused by the whole situation, and hastened to explain quite succinctly. "You're so composed."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. She crossed her arms unable to stop herself. He looked all the more amused as he let out a little laugh that obviously didn't amuse Shikamaru. Shikamaru launched another attack, kicking him in the shin. Tenten looked appalled by the situation and shouted at her father to 'cut it out now', "I know at least ten very composed people at the academy, and all in my class. Starting with Aburame Shino or," she waved her hand at Shikamaru...who, she had to admit to herself, wasn't exactly the epitome of calmness at the moment. "...Shikamaru." That felt short.

Shiranui Genma avoided another kick to the ankle, and grabbed Shikamaru by the collar, like a cat with her cub. Sakura saw disbelief flicker across her friend's features before he started struggling vehemently. " Put me down!"

Genma arched an eyebrow. "Definitively the picture of serenity."

"Dad, let him go!" shouted Tenten as she ran to Shikamaru's rescue. Sakura watched the scene, horror-stricken before her body acted without her giving it a conscious command. She rushed towards Genma and jabbed him in the ribs to hurt him and force him to release her friend, targeting one of the pressure points they had been taught at the Academy. Her strike barely made him flinch, though, and he cast an almost inquisitive glance at her.

The scene was most definitely comical from the bursts of laughter Sakura could hear around her.

"Let him go!" she exclaimed in a powerful voice, and Sakura never shouted. Furious, absolutely livid at this man who dared to mock them in this way, the pinkette grabbed his clothes and pulled him towards her, unaware of the strength she was putting into it. Her hands were hot, she presumed from anger, and the heat was spreading through her body to...

Shrriiiik!

The tokubetsu-jonin's kimono tore through Sakura's hands with an almost shrill sound. In less than a second, Shiranui Genma found himself shirtless, and more in front of a hilarious crowd. For a moment, Sakura watched Tenten's father's stunned expression, a mixture of surprise and horror as he took in the full extent of what had just happened.

"Bouahahah! Naked daddy!" suddenly shouted Tenten, pointing at him and nearly rolling on the floor with laughter.

"Act like a smart aleck and that's how you'll end up: naked," Shikamaru growled, once again on his feet, arms folded, looking at Genma's face, firmly refusing to let his eyes wander lower.

Sakura finally brought her hand to her mouth in dismay. There was a "poof" and Tenten's father was back in his clothes. Probably a henge.

Tenten continued to roll around laughing, but Shikamaru looked more embarrassed by the situation than anything else.

"Okay, that's it, kiddo!" Genma grumbled as she grabbed Tenten, looking uncomfortable. "Why do you act like you have never seen my torso?"

"Bouahahahaha! Serves you right, Dad! You shouldn't have acted like that!"

"I'm so sorry!" blurted out Sakura, feeling terribly embarrassed by it.

How? She had never realized that fabrics could be torn so easily!

"Let's just not talk about it." He grumbled. "Come on, I'll treat you to a round of darts, and let's forget about it."

Sakura didn't dare look at him, so horrified by what she had done. She'd torn off his clothes! How had she done that? He was now looking at her weirdly! It was not her fault if his kimono was cheap, though…was it? She tried to not think about it for the moment , but she could also sense Shikamaru's eyes drilling into the back of her head.

"Well done," Shikamaru told her. "You can tell me how you did it later. It's for reference."

Genma's voice cracked, slow and jaded. "I heard you, brat."

Shikamaru retorted dryly. "Do I look like I care?"

Tenten ran over to the guy hosting the dartboard to continue playing.

"Oi! Shiranui! I'll put it on your bill!" he grinned at him. Tenten's father waved his hand, showing him that he was OK with that.

"Come on!" shouted Tenten.

"I hope you're much better at throwing darts than you are at going undercover," Genma tossed at Shikamaru casually.

Shikamaru shot him the most terrible look he could muster.

"I'm going to rip off what few clothes you have left-"

"Sorry!" Sakura whimpered.

"-Don't apologize Sakura!"

"-How heartless" Genma drawled.

"Hey! Look at me instead of arguing!" Tenten snapped as she turned to them, rolling her eyes.

"Hai, hai. Come on, show us what you've got. Again," Genma said, ruffling her hair again.

And that's what she did.

.

.

.

.

Tenten's score was perfect; her accuracy and agility, absolute. Sakura was still in awe of her talent. The pinkette opened her mouth slowly, admiration shining in her eyes. Her agility with weapons never ceased to impress her and Sakura knew she had to ask Tenten to teach her how to throw so well.

"Damn!" said Shikamaru, who seemed just as astonished. "Your aim is really good. It's even better than some of the chunin in my clan."

Tenten blushed at the compliment and rubbed the back of her head. "I like kunais overall, so I practice a lot."

Genma ruffled her hair. "Tenten here is just too modest."

"Well, I'll be damned! Are you breeding a shuriken-monster, there, Shiranui?" the man whistled, impressed as he handed over the set of kunais Tenten had won.

Her friend seemed even more pleased at the compliment. Her face lit up and she smiled, looking visibly proud of herself. Sakura took the darts in turn, a little nervously.

"You can do it, Sakura!" encouraged Tenten in a confident voice, happily examining her gift. "Throw it and it'll stick in the target."

"You're quite the teacher," Shikamaru retorted sarcastically. Tenten elbowed him in retaliation.

"Let her focus!"

Shikamaru rubbed his arm. "Ugh, do you have to be so rough? I mean, with Ino yelling at me, and even Sakura starting to beat me up, not to mention my own mother...girls really are -"

Sakura shot him a piercing look at the same time as Tenten. He closed his mouth slowly, a grim expression on his face, before raising his hands, as if to say 'I didn't say anything'. Genma chuckled beside him, his teeth rattling his senbon.

"You need to learn survival instinct, kiddo," he advised him, as Sakura assessed the distance between the target and her darts, a look of concentration on her face. She could do it, it wasn't that different from kunais or shuriken. When she threw the first dart, her movement was far too abrupt, far too strong.

"Get some fashion sense, you exhibitionist," she heard Shikamaru say dryly. Tenten's snicker made her smile, even if she was disappointed by her first failure.

"I'm clothed, you insolent brat."

"Are you kidding me? One word: henge."

"I can't believe it. I accompany you and pay for your round of darts, and this is how you repay me? By subjecting me to your bad temper?"

"Maybe if you stop being provocative for two seconds-"

"Wooow! Amazing, Sakura!" interjected Tenten in an excited exclamation as Sakura tried to change the angle of her throw, fingers twitching. This time, she hit the target under the amused gaze of the shopkeeper overseeing the stand. He whistled and applauded her with a huge smile, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes deepening and reminiscent of a lifetime of joy and contentment.

"Not bad, little lady!" he congratulated her as he picked up the small reward her throw earned her. She hadn't hit the center, but she was close. Sakura wasn't fully satisfied by this, but it was a small victory. However, she reminded herself to include in her training the throwing of items finer and lighter than kunais and shuriken.

Still a long way before becoming a ninja worth a flee-on-sight on the bingo-book.

Sakura held the small butterfly-shaped hair clip she had won in her hands. She gazed at it for a few moments, enchanted by her gift. The butterfly's wings displayed a beautiful pink hue, transitioning to a light purple at the tips. While it might not have been of the highest quality, she found herself liking it.

"Thank you," she said, beaming, gently clasping her clip between her small hands.

"Come on, Sakura! I'll put it on you," Tenten told her happily, clumsily slipping the hair clip between two pink locks, a look of concentration on her face. Her eyes, more gray than brown under the glow of the lanterns shone with excitement.

"There you go. Wow, Sakura, it looks so good on you!" she said excitedly and Sakura giggled, happy about her gift. Shikamaru and Genma were still arguing in the background.

"For the last time, I'm not buck-naked."

"That's right, keep telling yourself that, maybe it'll come true."

Sakura turned to Tenten's father, her face flushed. "I'm so sorry!" She couldn't believe what she'd done!

Genma shook his head gently and ruffled her hair in response. "It's okay, I've heard you apologize enough times."

"Dad! You're messing up her hair, seriously! I just styled her hair!"

"Sorry, sorry. Jeez."

Shikamaru took the darts Sakura passed him to play his trick. All the while, his friend and Tenten's father were poking at each other. Insults like "naked guy" and " worm" were hurled, much to their amusement.

Shikamaru performed well and won a small keyring which he stuffed into his pocket.

Eventually, they ended up eating some ice cream that Genma had bought for them. Shikamaru had reluctantly accepted payment for his ice cream with a dark look.

Sakura couldn't help apologizing whenever she could to Genma. She was absolutely appalled by the situation, even if a part of her found it hard not to laugh. Especially since Tenten wasn't shy about doing so, and Shikamaru followed suit by throwing in jibes.

She wondered how she'd managed to tear his clothes. She wasn't usually this strong. She had felt a heat in her hands, almost uncontrollable, and suddenly the fabric had become almost malleable between her fingers.

It was just like when she'd faced Hatake Setsuka . This memory made her pause. She looked at the hand she hurt while striking the tree. It didn't hurt her as much as it should have been. She remembered vividly punching the tree with all her might. She frowned softly. While she remained lost in thought, Shikamaru and Tenten were talking about the various stalls available. She shook her head. She would think about it later.

"I'm not a fan of fried food usually," Shikamaru told Tenten. "It makes me sick. I like grilled meat better."

"Seriously? It's all I like to eat, I don't know how I'd do without it!" she told him, wide-eyed.

"That's why I have to keep airing out the apartment, or I might end up suffocating from the smell," said Genma nonchalantly, ruffling her hair.

Tenten grunted a little and rolled her eyes. "Why do you always want to make me look bad?"

Her friend turned to her and handed over her ice cream cone. Sakura took it, a little surprised, and was careful not to drop anything.

Tenten lunged at his legs, attempting to topple him over, but he stood firm as a rock. Instead, she burst into laughter, seizing the chance to wrap her thighs around him and give him a hug. Genma appeared embarrassed by her actions and made an effort to detach her from him, but his attempts backfired as she clung to him tightly. Sakura quickly grasped from Tenten's mischievous grin that she was doing it deliberately, fully aware of the embarrassment it was causing him.

Shikamaru snorted. "Now that's clever of her."

"Not so cocky now, are you?!" Tenten exclaimed triumphantly before letting out a little mousey squeal as Genma untied her from his legs and dangled her head upside down by her feet. His senbon moved in his mouth as he smiled.

"I'm feeling generous today, so I'll let that one slide, stuntwoman."

Tenten shrieked a bit and tried to balance herself to hit him with her little fist. But Genma got her to her feet at once before ruffling her hair, again. He seemed to be expressing his affection in this way. Sakura gave her cone back to Tenten, who looked a little sulky before regaining her joie de vivre by eating her vanilla ice cream.

"I'll leave you kids in peace for the night. Try not to get into too much trouble, alright? It's not the time for playing little troublemakers. You know, like trespassing on public property," Genma said casually, his hands in his pockets.

"Do you need to remind us every second of what happened yesterday? You're so annoying," Shikamaru growled with an irritated look, nibbling on the last of his ice cream cone.

"You're such a buzzkill!" added Tenten, backing up her friend and shooting the same disapproving glare at her father, her nose slightly smeared with ice cream.

"I'd even say downright exasperating," Sakura finished softly in a burst of courage she didn't know she had, gently wiping her mouth.

"And then you end up in your underwear in the middle of everyone!" Tenten exclaimed. Genma swatted her head.

"I didn't, brat," he said, his senbon moving between his teeth. He shook his head, amused, and gave them all a pat on the head. But when he tried to do the same with Shikamaru, he swiftly slapped his hand away.

"It's time to move on," he said with a sharp tone, pulling both of them away from Genma.

"I'll come and get you at the end of the Festival!" he shouted to his daughter.

Shikamaru's thunderous silence was quite eloquent as to what he really thought of the whole situation. Tenten grumbled a "yeah, yeah!", before turning to them, a dart she had presumably kept with her in her hand. She narrowed her eyes, as if she'd changed her mind, spun on her feet and threw it with all her might at her father, whose back was turned. Sakura looked at Tenten, shocked, while Shikamaru quickly turned his head, face horror-stricken. That made him react, contrary to earlier. Her father shifted his head to the side in a nonchalant gesture, hardly even glancing back, and caught the dart in his hand in another swift movement that Sakura barely distinguished.

"Wow. Another assassination attempt against the person who feeds you. Do you want me to file a complaint?" he turned, smiling.

"Oh please! I just wanted you to give it back to the mister !" she told him, her hands cupping her mouth so he could hear her clearly, and pointing out the shopkeeper. "'Bye, now! Go and get dressed!"

She dragged her two friends along, farther away before her father came after her.

"...Why are you provoking him like this?" asked Shikamaru, looking at her with wide eyes.

Tenten blinked and looked at him. "Provoking?"

"You threw a dart at him from that distance."

"Shhiii! You're making a big deal out of nothing. "It's just one of the ways I goof around with my dad, you know." She told him with a laugh, waving her hand. "It's ninjas, you know! They all have weird quirks."

Shikamaru didn't seem convinced by her explanation. Well, maybe a bit. But not that much. She herself could never play like that with her parents (maybe with her father though).

"Speak for yourself. My mother would have me on a spit if I even dared to slam the door too hard. And I don't see myself throwing kunais at my father either." grumbled Shikamaru as he stretched. " Well, I did see some of my cousins play like that too, though. I just can't picture myself doing it."

Tenten shrugged. "Oh yeah?"

Sakura couldn't see him throwing kunais at his mother either. She'd kill him, and from what she'd seen earlier, she seemed to be running the family ragged, even if Shikamaru's father was higher up the ladder than she was. At home, that didn't seem to matter in the least.

"Sorry Tenten, but my parents would punish me for the rest of my life if I did the same thing," Sakura told her.

Tenten burst out laughing and put her arm around her shoulder. "Yeah...I guess it's natural for a civilian family not to act like that."

"Mine's a ninja family," Shikamaru pointed out to him, his eyes gently crinkled as he looked out at the dense crowd around them.

"Dad told me about your mother, Shikamaru," Tenten told him solemnly with a look of understanding in her eyes.

Sakura couldn't help but laugh at the exchange and nodded in Tenten's direction. Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "I'd love to see you there, huh!"

The two girls exchanged knowing glances.

"You kept provoking my father though." the brunette told him, crossing her arms in amusement.

"It was self-defense," he replied with a pout Sakura never thought she'd see in him.

Sakura laughed out loud as they happily began to argue over the 'Shiranui' topic.

"'How'd you like to catch some fish?" Tenten then asked them.

Sakura bit her lower lip. Noticing her discomfort, both her friends asked about the reason. She explained slowly that the poor goldfish were suffering terribly and she didn't want to catch any.

Tenten looked horrified to learn of the treatment these poor creatures were undergoing. Sakura could understand, she had had exactly the same reaction.

"Damn..." Shikamaru said finally in the heavy silence that had settled in.

"Sorry to have spoiled the mood," Sakura apologized with a grimace. But she really couldn't see herself going out to catch poor goldfish.

They shook hands at the same time.

"Oh no! I'm glad I found out!" reassured Tenten as Shikamaru nodded quietly in confirmation. "I wouldn't like to hurt them...Well, come on!" decided Tenten. "It's time to have a little fun anyhow!"

Sakura smiled and followed their energetic friend as she looked around. A small pout registered on her round face, an intensely pensive air making her frown.

"Well, we've already played the dart games. Goldfish are out of the question. We've eaten ice cream... though we always have room for good food!" She said, listing their activities on her fingers before she beamed at them. "I know lots of delicious little stands. Well, what would you like to try? It's also the first time I've had so much money to try whatever I want! My father gave me a nice little purse. Let's bust a gut with a lot of tasty treats! "

The three friends then began scouring the Festival for stalls that would delight their hungry tummies. Sakura felt feverish, her skin almost sensitive to the festive atmosphere. They strolled down the street, littered with people, the lights glittering with a thousand sparkles. Their small stature allowed them to squeeze through the crowd of humans swarming on all sides, but it sometimes impeded their progress and left them stuck in their tracks. Shikamaru's face scrunched up more and more, and even Sakura was starting to get irritated.

"That's it, I've had enough!" exploded Tenten, her fist raised in the air. She brandished it in all directions. "Let us through! You're blocking the way! I want my meatballs!"

After much hassle, they finally got to taste everything they wanted. Sakura had some delicious red bean pastries. Shikamaru didn't really seem to like sugar and was content to try skewers with salmon and grilled vegetables. As for Tenten, she gorged herself on sugar and salt, depriving herself of nothing.

"Tenten!" exclaimed Shikamaru, his face horrified. "Slow down, you'll make yourself sick!"

Tenten chuckled, her mouth full. "You worry too much!" She continued to gorge herself…to the point of stomach ache.

Concerned, Sakura patted her back gently as she bent double, a sick look on her face. Shikamaru pressed a hand against his face.

"I told you to slow down," he sighed, looking exasperated, his eyebrow twitching. Tenten was unable to utter a single word and let out a grunt. Sakura spotted a more or less quiet corner where they could settle down.

"Come on, we can sit here for a while," she murmured softly. With a glance at each other, she and Shikamaru positioned themselves strategically on either side. They guided Tenten as best they could. It was a bit rough going, but they reached the small alleyway, surrounded by two stalls. The corner seemed quiet and peaceful enough, and the sheets covering the structures of the stalls gave them privacy.

Tenten leaned against the wall, still grimacing. Sakura felt bad for her friend and wasn't sure how to help.

"I've had moments like that too, especially when I devour my mom's desserts," she said, giving her shoulder an encouraging pat, trying to reassure her.

"Ugh-My father tells me to-" she grumbled incomprehensibly. Sakura could guess what she meant. Shiranui Genma had probably warned her several times not to pig out, but Sakura couldn't blame Tenten. She herself had to keep a close eye on herself to avoid stuffing all that delicious food down her gullet.

"No kidding," muttered Shikamaru. "Don't talk too much, you'll end up throwing up in the middle of the street, and honestly, I have no desire to throw up my food too after this."

Sakura turned her head to her friend and gave him the stink eye. Be a little more delicate.

Shikamaru stared at her and sighed again, before adding, in a grumpy tone, to make it clear for both of them, "I'm still more worried about you than about me."

"Tenten!" a voice suddenly called out. "I'm glad to see you!"

Looking up, Sakura found herself face to face with a strangely familiar sight. She tried not to stare too hard, but it was far too difficult: his bushy eyebrows left her frozen in astonishment. She'd seen him somewhere before. But where? Sakura tried to be polite, but it was difficult...

The man wearing a green jumpsuit. The one who walked on water with his hands and had inspired her to learn to walk on walls. He reminded her of him. But before she could say anything, Tenten let out a high-pitched cry of pain and folded in half, clutching her stomach.

"Tenten! Wh-what's the matter?!" he exclaimed in a voice that showed concern. The familiarity with which he addressed her friend told her that they knew each other well.

"I think I'm going to die," moaned Tenten, bent double. "Is that Lee talking to me?"

Hearing his name, Sakura remembered that she'd seen him from afar during the preparations for the Festival. Tenten had told her he came from the same orphanage as her. He was apparently very enthusiastic, but Sakura couldn't help thinking that he looked a little strange with his eyebrows that seemed to have a life of their own.

Shikamaru glanced at him, unfamiliar with him either, but from the way his eyebrow twitched, Sakura understood that he was just as surprised as she was by...his bushy eyebrows.

"Ughhh heeeeelp," squeaked Tenten as she wobbled on her feet, her hand against the wall. Sakura widened her eyes slowly, and tried to pull her upright, so that she wouldn't fall. She cast a panicked glance at the two boys. Lee let out a loud exclamation, and with a scrambling movement that startled both Sakura and Shikamaru, he lifted Tenten above his head.

Sakura gasped again, and opened her eyes wide in panic. "Wait! What are you doing? Put her down, she's sick."

Shikamaru intervened immediately, grabbing Tenten as best he could to try to straighten her out and just stop Lee from lugging her around like that.

"Damn it!" he swore under the horrified gaze of Sakura, who in turn moved to try and help. Her kimono slowed her down and Lee took off like the wind, Shikamaru letting out an exclamation of surprise as Tenten gurgled, carried like a rag doll.

Sakura set off after them, trying to squeeze through the growing crowd. She could see her friends getting further and further away, Shikamaru stumbling behind Lee, but still managing to keep up a certain pace, and desperately trying to hold on to Tenten.

As Lee carried Tenten, he ran at full speed, shaking Tenten from side to side. Tenten groaned and said in a muffled voice that Sakura still managed to wait out as the crowd thinned a little, "Lee, slow down! You're shaking my sick belly like milk!"

Shikamaru stumbled and nearly fell several times as he tried to hold on to Tenten. "Lee, you're going too fast! Slow down! We're all going to end up dead if this keeps up" he snapped at him, looking disheveled. So much for his suffering earlier with his mother. The only time Sakura saw him like that was during their exercise he had been paired up with Uzumaki Naruto.

Sakura almost slid towards them, desperate to join them. But even if she managed to thread her way through the mass of people, Lee was running far too fast for her, not to mention that her kimono was in the way. Again.

She heard less and less of her friend's grunting, as well as Shikamaru's annoyed, panicked voice. And the crowd was once again becoming larger and larger. All of a sudden, Sakura put aside the manners her mother had instilled in her and began ruthlessly pushing the people in her way. This time, too, she felt heat running through her body and hands, but she paid it no mind, concentrating on a single goal: to reach her friend and help her. Despite her best efforts, she was finding it hard to close the distance between them. Her mind tried to think of a solution, any solution...

Her gaze fell on the entrance to a small alley. Sakura stepped into the alley, knowing the path well, and for good reason: it was the shortcut Hatake Setsuka had taken during their exercise.

Taking note of how the girl had threaded her way between the crates and into the narrow alleyway, Sakura quickened her pace, trying to imitate her fluid movements, which she had not been able to forget from then on. A sudden idea occurred to her, so abrupt that she applied it without thinking.

She circulated her chakra through her legs. She was no longer running, but spinning so fast that the wind whipped her face. Her kimono no longer restricted her so much, her powerful movements having torn it slightly. But she didn't care. Euphoria had gradually overtaken her, and despite the alarming situation (Tenten writhing in pain from chicken skewers ) a laugh escaped her. How could she not have thought of it sooner ?

This was how Hatake Setsuka had been able to be so quick! Of course, there was also her natural speed, Sakura wasn't fooling herself, but it gave her a definite advantage all the same.

If she could get around the alley, she'd pass the Uchiha police station. And from there, maybe she could cut her friends off and catch up with them. She hoped she would. And she hoped Tenten would get better soon, but from the way Lee was jolting her, Sakura feared the worst.

Her eyes fell on the Uchiha police station and her heart leaped in her chest. The street was completely deserted, but she was sure that at least a few policemen were inside.

But that wasn't really what had caught her attention. No. There was a staircase going up. If she could climb it and then walk on the wall, she could easily bypass the crowd from above and land in front of her friends, or at least closer to them. This way, she could take a direct shortcut instead of continuing down the lengthy street alongside the police station.

Her brain began to race, trying to come up with other, perhaps more effective ideas; she hesitated, thinking that maybe she could - or maybe she couldn't - do it.

You think too much, Sakura. Shikamaru had told her during their training session. Just do it!

And so she did.

Without missing a beat, Sakura rushed down the alley and took the stairs four at a time. She suddenly stopped in the middle and bit her lip, hesitating. Heat rose again in her body and, with an annoyed gesture, she tore off her kimono, as easily as a knife sinking into butter. It was already ruined anyway, and she would explain the situation to her mother.

The air whipped gently against her now exposed legs, but she paid it no mind and climbed the stairs one by one, her hand gripping the banister tightly. Once at the top, Sakura paused for a few seconds, trying to catch a glimpse of the street. The constant hubbub of the festival prevented her from hearing her friends, but she could see them, Tenten carried like a rag doll, Shikamaru trying desperately not to let go of her and to keep up with Lee's fast pace. If Sakura had arrived so quickly, it was thanks to the boost the chakra had given her.

" What -Sakura-chan, dattebayo?! Wahh you're so pretty!" suddenly shouted a voice she knew well. Sakura paused and glanced in the direction of the exclamation of surprise and the very recognizable speech tic. In front of her, the trio: Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto and...her emerald-green eyes turned cold as they met Hatake Setsuka's dark eyes.

They appeared to have just left the police station. Sakura hoped none of the policemen would see her, otherwise, she'd be in custody.

Her stomach clenched and she was suddenly aware of her appearance; the wind beating against her legs was a constant reminder, and even more so now.

"Your kimono's torn, Sakura-chan!" shouted Naruto, his eyes wide with confusion, driving the point home.

Uchiha Sasuke looked at her with eyes as wide as his friend's, and Sakura had never seen him so surprised in her life. She felt a shiver of enthusiasm run through her. It was the first time she'd looked down on them, and she wasn't just talking about where she was. For some strange reason she couldn't explain, Sakura felt powerful. Determined. Chakra coursed through her veins, she felt it acutely. It still pulsed within her, and euphoria had not dissipated; quite the contrary. Was this what ninjas experienced? Or was it because she was committed to helping her friends?

She was going to get stronger with her friends. Her name would be in the bingo book. She would never let anyone make a fool of her again.

Her eyes locked with Hatake Setsuka's, who was staring at her as open-mouthed as her friends.

A gleam shone in her eyes.

Sakura took a small breath and carefully stuck her foot against the wall, focusing her chakra along its entire length, keeping her eyes on them. She'd been doing this for so long, mostly when she was spying on the fifth-year class. She'd learned to be undetectable, and to slip between the camera angles. Sakura had learned on her own.

"I know, Uzumaki-san." she finally replied, her voice clear. "I just need to move more easily."

She was going to show them. She was a shadow ninja.

"Huh? What are you doing up there like that, instead of enjoying the festival-maybe-A prank?!" he blurted out suddenly as he approached her, the look of sheer astonishment on his face still on his face. "You're doing pranks, dattebayo?! That's so cool!"

His enthusiasm amused her and she felt like laughing, but she kept a straight face before shaking her head and refocusing on what she was doing. She had to find her friends.

"Come on Naruto, there's nothing interesting to see here anyway," replied Hatake Setsuka in a slightly acerbic voice. Sakura couldn't help glowering at her, her fists clenched, and she also couldn't help tossing her in a tone that was far too honeyed, as her blood turned from hot to cold:

"Then get lost. I couldn't be less interested in seeing you around."

Shikamaru would be proud of her.

Hatake Kakashi's sister stood still as she had turned to go back, clutching the kimono of the Hokage's son and the Uchiha clan leader's second-born.

Sakura felt the intensity of her ebony eyes drilling into her, and a charged silence hung between them. She remained unfazed, didn't break eye contact. So she had lost to her once; who cared?

Her father's words came back to her. Shikamaru's. And her self-made promises. She had vowed not to let this situation get to her, not to let it hold her back, but she couldn't help but dwell on it, so she might as well convey her contempt. Despite Hatake Setsuka's father coming to apologize, Sakura still couldn't shake off the hurtful words she had thrown at her when Sakura had only come to tell her that her lack of cooperation was problematic.

Although Shikamaru had made sure to outperform her in written tests, Sakura still felt a bitter taste in her mouth. So yes, it was a lesson she'd learned: she needed to be stronger and progress faster.

But that didn't mean she didn't want to settle the score with her. Trying to brush that aside, attempting to be the 'bigger' person, striving to move past that...she couldn't do it and didn't want to do it anymore. She had to demand respect.

"She had shown her that she had no intention of changing her fashion style. Now, she was determined to prove her competence as well. No more holding back. It was over.

There were battles one fought alone, despite all the support they received. Even Ami, who was causing her fewer and fewer troubles, had never infuriated or affected her this much.

"What's going on between you two?" Uchiha Sasuke suddenly inquired, his voice cutting through the current of hostility between them like a well-sharpened kunai.

Hatake Setsuka turned her gaze away and exchanged a sharp look with her friend, who returned it. Sakura couldn't help but draw parallels to her own interactions with Shikamaru.

"Don't bother, Sasuke."

"Ehhh? I didn't know you didn't like each other, 'ttebayo!" exclaimed Naruto loudly. "Setsu! You didn't tell us!"

"Because it wasn't worth it." she breathed, a frown breaking the image of the stoic shinobi she usually projected.

"Is this about the exercise we did last time?" asked Sasuke shrewdly, glancing at Sakura whose heart quickened. She threw back her shoulders a little. "Maybe you should talk about it. It doesn't seem worth it to argue with a classmate over it."

" No way, 'ttebayyo! Sakura-chan is too nice for arguing though!"

This comment surprised Sakura. She looked at him quizzically, then shook her head, trying to ignore Uchiha Sasuke's gaze on her.

"I wish you all a good festival," she said, because her mother had raised her to be polite, before adding, because her father had taught her how to be sarcastic, "Try not to bring your father into matters next time, Know-it-all."

"Know-it-all?" blurted Naruto a question in his voice, before turning his head to his friend. "Setsu! I think she's talking about you-!"

And with that, Sakura stuck her other foot and hand against the wall, moving her chakra smoothly and evenly, not too much so that she wouldn't be thrown off, nor too little so that she wouldn't hold on. Freer to move, she was able to execute her plan with ease. With one last glance at the trio, a strange satisfaction burning in her heart at the sight of the Hokage's son's wide eyes and her rival's officially livid face, not to mention Sasuke's open mouth, she dashed off without a second thought. She was tired of being cautious, tired of overthinking. She wanted to let go. She wanted to join her friends, to help Tenten.

Giving a blow to the wall, she propelled herself forward, her heart pounding in her chest, never having performed such an action, her stomach and throat were in knots. Euphoria and fear battled within her, but she gritted her teeth and didn't stop. She wouldn't stop. She skirted the building, running along the wall before glancing out at the crowd roaming the main square, and stopped for a few seconds, half-bent over, her feet sticking to the wall. A breath of delight escaped her. She was like a ninja!

Focusing, Sakura tried to see where her friends were. Fortunately, there were so many people and activities to do that no one had seen her. Sakura didn't like drawing attention to herself. Her eyes searched desperately for her friends - there! A block away, she could see Lee still running. Shikamaru seemed to have convinced him to slow down. Now, they were both carrying Tenten, although in their usual chaotic fashion. Lee was so full of energy that he managed to navigate through the crowd without any obstacles, leaving the onlookers in awe. They were heading straight for a tall woman. Her blond hair was parted into two distinct pigtails. At her side was a man with long white hair.

Intent on joining them, Sakura looked around. There! She hoped to land in the empty corner she'd spotted and join them as soon as possible. She took a deep breath before throwing herself forward. In the midst of her leap, Sakura realized she'd aimed wrong. Of course, she'd aimed wrong! She'd never done that before!

She suddenly panicked.

She should have thought better about the angle of her jump, her landing, and how she was going to do it-

Sakura braced herself for the impact of the landing, bending her legs as she'd been taught to do, her teeth clenched, her breath caught, that peculiar warmth coursing through her body as a scream caught in her throat. She prayed she wouldn't fall on anyone.

And then she landed.

In an explosion so powerful that the ground shook, a frightening earthquake. Sakura shrieked as small stones hit her bare legs. Her eyes widened and she literally didn't understand what had happened.

The crowd went into a panic, and an endless hubbub surrounded her. Her body trembled under the impact. A thick cloud of dust enveloped everything she could see and she began to cough, gasping for breath.

Powerful hands lifted her up and Sakura gasped in surprise, thrashing around in confusion.

"Calm down." a firm voice ordered her. Sakura struggled harder and threw her fist blindly, panic clouding her mind. She missed her target.

She blinked.

She recognized that voice. The pinkette blinked again, breathless, and froze when she was able to open her eyes and see exactly who was holding her.

There, in front of her was none other than Hatake Kakashi.

And she had tried to punch him. Then, as her brain comprehended the situation fully, she began to realize that she might be the one responsible for the chaos unfolding around her. He fixed a stern gaze on her, yet his face remained a serene mask, even though half of it was concealed by the actual one he wore. Sakura looked at him with wide eyes.

"Sakura!" screamed a voice. Shikamaru.

"Kakashi! What happened?" asked a voice, and something in her throat just tightened, because somehow, she recognized it too .

"Ughh–I feel–what?" gurgled Tenten, before hiccuping – "Euuuugh!" and throwing up.

Sakura turned her head around, though still in Hatake Kakashi's arms and saw none other than Namikaze Minato, the Fourth Hokage.

And Tenten just vomited all her food on him.

---

Author's note :

Thank you to all my sweet readers for your encouragement, your patience, your kindness, your kudos ?

I don't have the habit of replying to comments, but I take note of your precious feedback when you have any, and above all, I feel how much you like my story. And I read your comments very closely.?

I'm so happy you like that story of mine, even though I'm not the most consistent author of the lot. Don't worry, I have no intention of abandoning it!

This chapter marks the end of the first arc of this story.

I'm now working on the second arc :)

I hope you'll enjoy it as much as this first arc!