Stage Two
"Sakura-chan, I am sorry you lost," said Naruto as they walked down the busy street of the village heading for the hospital. The surprise preliminary matches had pitted Sakura against Ino and the taller blonde had not held back, still fueled by rage for what she felt was Naruto's prank, she had beaten Sakura quickly and pointed at Naruto screaming he was next.
"It's OK, I have other things I have to focus on," said Sakura, knowing her real mission was to get close to Sasuke. Not once had her family said anything about being a Chunin or a Jonin only that her change would set them free, whatever that meant.
Entering the hospital they found Lee walking a ring into the floor, he was moving so fast he was a blur of motions. Spotting Naruto and Sakura he rushed over.
"Sakura-chan my eternal love, I see you have come to visit your teammate.", yelled out Lee at the top of his lungs even as he stood two feet away.
"Get away from me, you creep," yelled back Sakura, trying to push the green-clad boy back with both hands. She would have had better luck moving the whole hospital, as Lee didn't budge an inch.
"You have such fire in you; we will make great children together," said Lee, looking down at Sakura's hands pressed into his chest.
Letting out a scream at the very idea, Sakura slapped Lee and stormed off to the front desk to find out what room Sasuke was in. Naruto grinned at Lee, seeing him fail to make any headway with Sakura.
"How is your teammate? I forget her name," said Naruto, rubbing the back of his head, pulling Lee's attention off of Sakura and back to him.
"Tenten is alive, and the doctors said she will recover in time. If it wasn't for Guy Sensei pulling her free from the sand, she would be dead," said Lee, recalling the fight between Tenten and Gaara. Everyone had told her to forfeit, but Lee had told her to show them her springtime of youth. The fight had been so one-sided that Lee now felt it was his fault that Tenten was in a body cast and wouldn't be able to walk or even move for months even with the help of the mednins.
"Naruto, you coming," said Sakura as she headed for the stairs.
"See you around, Lee," said Naruto as he jogged off to catch up to Sakura, who hadn't even looked back to see if he was following her. Sasuke's room was on the third floor, and she ran up the stairs two at a time. The fear of what her father would do to her once she got home and he learned that she hadn't gotten any closer to Sasuke pushed her to move faster.
Bursting into the room, they found Kakashi Sensei standing next to the bed with Sasuke's unmoving form under the sheets. Kakashi was on a pair of crutches, having broken his leg in the battle when he and the other Jonin sensei went into the Forest of Death to find and ultimately battle Orochimaru. He had learned that he was the one that had bitten Sasuke.
"Kakashi Sensei, how is Sasuke?" asked Sakura as she walked up to the bed, the large bouquet of flowers catching her eye as she moved over to see who would have sent them so quickly.
"The doctors say he needs rest, lots of rest from the chakra exhaustion but other than that, he will make a full recovery," said Kakashi. To their surprise, he didn't pull out his little orange book for once but had his full attention on the raven-haired boy in the bed.
After reading the card in the bouquet, Sakura's face turned red with anger, but she didn't say anything as she turned back to face her other teammates.
"I will stay with him; you should go home and recover yourself," she said, looking at her sensei. She really needed to be alone with her target when he awakened, just in case today was the day.
"I can stay too, Sakura. You don't have to be here alone," said Naruto in the calmest voice she had ever heard from the boy.
"You can all leave," said Sasuke in a dry and hoarse voice as he opened his eyes and looked at all of them. "I want to be alone, leave, now," he added with a little more strength, even as Sakura handed him a glass of water that he quickly downed and placed the glass on the side table, not allowing her to help.
Kakashi seemed to let out a long sigh as he turned to the door, saying, "Let's go; it's best if he is alone so he can truly rest. Training for the finals will begin as soon as you are able. We have one month," said Kakashi, leaving the room on one leg with his crutches making a clicking sound as he moved.
"You hear that, Sasuke? We have to train for the finals!" yelled out Naruto, forgetting he was supposed to be quiet in a hospital.
"Hmph, so you made it too; that is surprising. Now leave me alone," said Sasuke, turning his head away from them. He felt weak and useless, and an Uchiha was never to be seen as weak, never.
"Okay, Sasuke, but if you need anything, anything at all, just ask," said Sakura as she turned to leave, grabbing Naruto's sleeve as she went by, making sure Naruto joined her.
Walking down the long hall back to the stairs seemed ten times longer than it took to get to Sasuke's room. Just as they were about to open the door to head down, it slammed open, and Ino stepped into the hall to confront them face to face.
"So, isn't it the little loser and her pet," said Ino, getting up in Sakura's face. She had decided at some point in the tower that it had been Sakura's idea to let her walk almost naked in the main hall. She figured that Naruto didn't have the brains or the real maliciousness to come up with it all on his own. They had tried to tell her it had all been nothing but bad timing, but she would have none of that.
"Listen, Ino-Pig, I told you it was an accident. If I had wanted to, I would have told Naruto about the tattoo," said Sakura, having seen the little red rose tattoo when she had checked Ino for wounds back in the forest.
"You little... you wouldn't dare," said Ino, standing toe to toe with Sakura, forcing the pink-haired girl to take a step back.
"Tattoo? What Tattoo?" said Naruto, looking at both of the girls. He didn't care what Ino called him; he had heard much worse from random old ladies on the street, but the idea that there had been a tattoo he missed was something else. His clone had spent most of the day with Ino in his arms; he would have noticed a tattoo.
"Forget about it!" yelled both girls, turning their anger on him for a split second.
As Naruto moved away, he couldn't help but think that girls were really crazy. After the way they had fought in the exams, he had assumed they had resolved their issues like he and Sasuke had. It seemed, however, that girls didn't solve their problems by physically beating each other into the ground.
"So I read your little card. Sasuke is mine, and you agreed to leave him to ME!" said Sakura, pushing the blonde back with her own anger. The card had been addressed to her, as Ino knew Sasuke would never bother to read it.
"After what you did, it's game on, forehead! Game ON!" yelled Ino, appearing ready to continue their battle right there in the hospital hallway.
"I don't know what's going on between you two, but whatever it is, take it outside; this is a hospital," said a nurse as she hurried down the hallway, looking to silence the troublemakers yelling in her ward.
With Naruto leading the way, they quickly made it down the stairs and onto the street. However, Naruto soon heard the sound of a slap, reigniting the conflict. He spun on his heels to witness both girls rolling on the ground, pulling each other's hair and clawing at each other like a pair of untrained alley cats fighting for food.
"Now, being a red-blooded boy, Naruto paused to watch the two girls rolling around on the ground, their skirts flying up around their waists. Soon, a small crowd of people formed a ring around them to watch. The lack of blood or any use of chakra indicated that they weren't really serious, so everyone stood around to watch the show as pieces of clothing were pulled, ripped, or torn free.
"What the hell is going on?" yelled out Asuma as he jumped over the crowd. With one arm still in a sling, he pulled Ino off Sakura, only to have the pink-haired girl jump off the ground and attack Ino in his arm.
"Naruto! A little help here," yelled out Asuma as he tried his best with one arm to keep them apart.
Naruto leaped forward and wrapped both arms around Sakura as she continued to kick and scream, swinging wild punches in Ino's direction but missing her target by a mile. Now, having a squirming girl with half her clothes pulled or ripped off in his arms might sound like a good thing, but Naruto was anything but having a good time. He got hit in the face more than once by a wild elbow or kicked in the legs as Sakura did her best to break free.
Sakura, STOP!" yelled Naruto into her ear as he held her off the ground until Asuma braced himself and used Shunshin no Jutsu to take Ino far down the street to cool off.
"Put me down," said Sakura once Ino was gone and the crowd, finding their entertainment was over, went about their business.
Releasing Sakura, she paused to fix her outfit and held her top closed, as most of the buttons had been sent flying in the fight. Ino might be proud of her body and didn't mind who looked, but Sakura was more self-conscious when it came to things like this. Letting Naruto see her pink panties and bra was as far as she was willing to go and now the whole village had stood around and watched.
"Sakura, what's wrong with you?" Naruto's words came out, dropping the "chan" from her name for the first time in years. This situation was spiraling out of control, even for him. He couldn't comprehend how she could treat someone she once called her best friend this way. He yearned for a close friendship like the one Sakura seemed to share with Ino.
Shaking the strands of blonde hair out of her hand and letting them fall to the ground, Sakura glared at Naruto. He didn't understand. How could he? If Ino was the one who captured Sasuke's heart, her family would kill her. She felt an immense pressure to prevent Ino from winning Sasuke as if her very life depended on it—because it did.
Holding her top closed, Sakura brushed the dirt off her backside and without a word, walked away, recognizing there was nothing she could say to make Naruto understand her life. It promised to be a long night if her father was in one of his moods, but she had no choice but to return home. Wandering around the village in a half-torn dress with her hair a tangled mess was not something she was willing to endure.
Opening the door with her sandals in her hand she was as quiet as a mouse, her footsteps not even moving the dust on the floor as she made a beeline for the stairs and the small safety of her room. When out of the shadows her father moved with a speed any shinobi would be proud of and with his hand wrapped around her neck slammed her into the wall his noise inches from her face as he looked at her as he held up, feet tangling in the air.
"I know you lost at the exam but I figured you would at least change into the clothes they had us send over.", growled her father, his hot breath burning her eyes.
"I did, I was in Sasuke's room and… " she started to say when he lifted her higher off her feet, as he pressed her into the wall.
"Good, he raped you then, good…", his eyes seemed to lite up at the thought of the Uchiha having done such a thing, it made her sick thinking that's how her father would want that to happen to her.
"No it was Ino." she gasped out trying her best to pull some more air into her lungs as she held onto his arm with both her hands trying to get some leverage.
"INO?", he growled, "What you into girls now.", his accusation ringing in her ears.
"No, it was Sasuke. She was trying to get Sasuke, so we fought," Sakura's words were choked, escaping her throat in erratic bursts as her oxygen supply dwindled. She kicked weakly, fearing that her father might inadvertently kill her if he didn't release her soon.
"Put her down before you kill her, you fool," her mother's voice rang out, brandishing a pan in hand, poised to knock some sense into him if necessary.
Sakura's feet met the cold floor as she crumpled into a ball at her father's feet, her hands desperately rubbing her neck while gasping for air.
"Sakura, you look a mess. Go to your room and clean up," her mother commanded, her gaze fixed on the man she had married.
Summoning what little strength remained, Sakura scurried up the stairs, closing her door and leaning against it, hoping they would leave her alone. Once her head stopped spinning, she dashed into the bathroom, desperate to wash away the physical and emotional wreckage of the dreadful week. With a month looming until the end of the exams, she realized the urgent need to devise a strategy to win Sasuke over or it was only going to get worse, much worse.
…
Naruto ran down the street looking for his sensei, it was the day after the end of the preliminary rounds and he wanted to start training for the finals. After the look Sakura had given him outside the hospital he knew it would be best if he didn't get between her and her one true love, it broke him a little inside but watching her fight so very hard for Sasuke, as hard as he would fight for her, it dawned on him that it had to be love, true love that drove her on, what else could it be?
Bounding over carts and weaving through shoppers on Market Street, he marveled at the village, bustling with strangers from all five lands. For a hidden village, it was becoming a magnet for tourists, many of whom were not even shinobi. Among these unfamiliar faces, there was a silver lining; they didn't recognize him. Some offered welcoming smiles or friendly waves as he sprinted past, seeing him as just another Genin fighting for the Chunin title.
"Why are you being so troublesome, Naruto?" Shikamaru's voice stopped Naruto from jumping to his feet after he slammed into the imposing figure of Choji's father. Picking himself up, Naruto gazed up at the formidable Akimichi clan leader before sheepishly scratching the back of his head.
"Sorry, I'm looking for Kakashi Sensei. I need to start training if I'm going to become a Chunin, Dattebayo!" He yelled the last word, unaware that Chouza had heard his mother repeatedly use the same phrase when they were young and taking exams together.
"Naruto a wise sensei will train a student who can win and teach the art of patience to those who must learn they will have to try again." said Chouza turning to fully face Naruto, "I have great hopes for my own son but his defeat will teach him as much as any victory."
'Is he telling me to lose or is he talking about Choji, why are clan leaders so confusing.', thought Naruto as he gave the Akimichi leader his best fake smile before running off in search of Kakashi.
"You know how troublesome Naruto can be, he didn't hear a word you said, "said Shikamaru as he walked down the street with Chouza both heading to the hospital to visit Choji.
Reaching the end of the street Naruto scanned the crowd not seeing Kakashi anywhere and decided he would have a better chance of seeing his one-eyed sensei from the rooftops. Running up the side of a building he was so glad he had learned tree walking on the Wave mission. Now with a better view, he scanned the streets below running from one building to the next.
It wasn't Kakashi he spotted first but Sakura's pink hair as she weaved her way down the street in a large overcoat avoiding the crowds of people, moving as if they didn't even see her as she made her way down the street. He couldn't help himself and started to follow her from the rooftops, she seemed so determined that he had to see what she was up to.
At the end of the street, she ran into a park and vanished into the trees, with no other choice Naruto landed on the street below and ran into the park after her. With her distinctive hair, it wasn't hard for him to find her and follow her at a safe distance. It still confused him how everyone else around her acted like she wasn't there but pushing those thoughts to the back of his mind he gave chase.
She had stopped so quickly that he almost stumbled into a tree trying his best not to alert her. Inching closer as she looked around a tree he spotted what she was searching for, Sasuke was standing in a clearing talking to Kakashi who was still on crutches, he couldn't hear what they were talking about but as he moved closer Sakura's words came to him as she seemed to talk to herself.
"There's the target," she uttered as if speaking to someone beside her.
"I can see you know," she continued. "I can't believe they let him out of the hospital so soon. I'll have to start now if we're going to win."
"God, I hate this, but Mother said it was the best way," Sakura muttered while unfastening the buttons of her coat. It was a hot summer day, making her choice of attire strange, to say the least.
Dropping the coat to the ground, Naruto stood frozen in place. Sakura wore a tight halter top and a very short skirt that barely covered her, which she kept adjusting to keep it in place. The red outfit seemed more appropriate for a beach as swimwear rather than for walking around a park.
"Okay, I can do this. We just need to catch his attention, and then it all gets easier," she muttered, taking steps forward. As she approached, she began to sway her hips and walk provocatively, reminiscent of the women Naruto had seen in the red-light districts trying to lure men into clubs. With her long hair cascading down her back and her peculiar mannerisms, Naruto couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't truly Sakura, but someone else entirely. As he moved forward, he almost yelled out a warning to Sasuke.
"Hi Sasuke-kun, I see you're out of the hospital," said Sakura, completely absorbed in her objective, not even acknowledging her sensei's presence.
"I was thinking, now that I'm not in the exams, I can help you. I can do anything you want, anything," she said, placing her hands on her bare hips and shifting all her weight onto one leg, striking a pose she thought would captivate him.
Naruto was only a few feet away, hiding in the bushes, when Sasuke glared at her and retorted, "I don't need help from a loser like you. Even Naruto would be better. Now, leave me alone."
"Meet me in the morning to start training," said Kakashi, quickly eyeing Sakura before disappearing in a puff of smoke, leaving her alone as Sasuke ran off.
"Damn it, that jerk must be gay, I swear. What does a girl have to do to get him to look at her?" fumed Sakura, stomping her feet in frustration.
She turned back, walking straight towards Naruto as she muttered, "My father is going to kill me this time."
Diving under a bush, Naruto watched as Sakura retrieved the coat she had dropped and threw it over her shoulders like a cap before walking out of the park. Torn between his feelings for the girl he thought he loved and the idea of training, Naruto paused to look around one more time, not seeing his sensei anywhere, he decided to run after Sakura—she was acting too strangely to be left alone.
"Hi Sakura-chan," yelled out Naruto once he was able to move ahead of her using the trees as cover. She was so preoccupied she wouldn't have noticed if he had just run past her.
Looking at her other teammate Sakura's eyes seemed to come into focus as if she had been walking in a daze. With very little sleep and her mother waking her up so early, talking about now was her chance to trap the Uchiha with this new outfit she had ordered. There had been a lot of yelling and screaming but she gave in and put it on as long as she was allowed to wear her bathing suit underneath. Now with this latest failure, the idea of just walking out of the village and not coming back bounced around her head, or maybe she should just go find that crazy sand guy Gaara, he would make her death quick but painful.
"Sakura-chan," said Naruto again, snapping his fingers in her face. Was she sleepwalking or in a genjutsu? That bastard Sasuke could have put her in a genjutsu before he ran off.
"What?!" yelled Sakura, slapping Naruto's hand away before he could poke her eye out.
"I... I, umm... wanted to see if you wanted to go train with me?" asked Naruto, returning to his original plan as he had nothing else to say to the girl.
She glanced at him for a split second before pushing him aside and began walking back into the village. Her coat flapped open, and her hair flew around her, creating quite the sight. Once again, Naruto noticed everyone acting like she wasn't even there as he jogged after her.
"Sakura-chan, what's going on? This isn't like you," said Naruto as he reached her side and matched her steps, keeping pace as she mindlessly walked toward the main gate.
"Go away, Naruto. I... I need to be alone," said Sakura, a feeling of doom hanging over her. Maybe her plan to find Gaara wasn't such a bad idea.
"Come on, Sakura-chan, talk to me," said Naruto, not backing down.
She stopped so suddenly that Naruto almost tripped over his own feet as she turned back to look at him. They had reached the open area in front of the main gate; the traffic was low at this time of day, and they had the space all to themselves except for the gate guards and the occasional shinobi rushing by, heading out on a mission.
"Come on, Sakura-chan, talk to me," said Naruto, not backing down.
Seeing Sakura looking at the ground with her shoulders shaking, Naruto thought she might be crying until he heard the giggling, which turned into full-on laughter. She looked up at him and grabbed her coat, pulling it wide open and yelling, "LOOK AT ME!"
He stared at her, his eyes wandering all over her body as she stood there with long, smooth legs, a short miniskirt, and a matching red top that made his heart pound, thoughts he had never had before racing through his mind. Glancing over her shoulder, he noticed some shinobi walking by, not even sparing them a quick glance, as if they weren't there at all. This situation was becoming more bizarre by the minute.
"SEE! Even you aren't looking at me," said Sakura as she pulled off the coat and threw it on the ground, stomping on it a couple of times for good measure.
"I see you, but I don't understand why you're dressed like that," said Naruto, still staring at her.
"Why! Why! I will tell you why I need to trap Sasuke with my charms." She said as she started to laugh more and more, "I need to lure that bastard into my trap before it's too late.", and with those words, her laughter turned into tears as she let out a wail that should have drawn over the whole village but not one eye turned their way.
…..
"See what I mean," said Kakashi as he stood next to the Hokage and he used the spyglass to watch over Naruto in front of the main gate.
"Who is he talking to?" asked the Hokage as it looked like Naruto was having a conversation with someone as he waved his arms and was his normal animated self.
"I was talking to Sasuke about his upcoming training when Sakura just appeared next to us dressed like some common street walker. I didn't even feel her chakra until she started talking," said Kakashi
"It would seem part of her kekkei genkai is manifesting." said the Hokage as the picture changed and they found Naruto on his knees holding Sakura as she cried her eyes out. An older woman came running over and hit Naruto over the head with her bag and they knew the word "demon" was yelled at him as the gate guards came over and pulled her away.
"Just what is her kekkei genkai, I found no record of the Haruno having a kekkei genkai," said Kakashi now that the Hokage had started on the topic he was going to see what else he could learn.
"Yes there wouldn't be, back in my youth all the Kages agreed to remove any record of them and to exile them to an island." said the oldest of the Hokage as he pulled out his pipe.
"So there are more of them?" said Kakashi, coming around the desk to look at the Hokage.
"No, they were wiped out by the mist during their purge. The Kage of Kirigakure has gone insane and is killing anyone with a kekkei genkai, he started with the Haruno eight years ago." said the Hokage, knowing that fear did many things to a man, even a Kage.
"Is that why you allowed them to settle here?", asked Kakashi, "If they are as dangerous as you seem to say, wouldn't it be better to let the mist deal with them?"
"As long as I am Hokage Konohagakure will welcome anyone," said the old Hokage, not telling Kakashi his real plan had been to use the Haruno and their power before he learned the hard way why a Haruno can't be trusted.
"Then what are your orders my Hokage, I have the last Uchiha, the Jinchuriki, and a Haruno on my Genin team," said Kakashi with a little more bitterness to his voice than he had intended.
"Train the Uchiha, he is in the most danger. Let Ebisu train Naruto, he is the best Jonin sensei we have, I trust him with my own grandson." said the Hokage, throwing a cloth over the spyglass now that Naruto had gotten Sakura back on her feet and was walking her away.
…..
"What! Are you kidding me, you're my sensei, not this babysitter!" screamed Naruto when Kakashi told him the news that Ebisu would train him for the finals and he would train Sasuke.
"Naruto, it's for the best, Ebisu is a great teacher and he can train you to control your chakra the fastest," said Kakashi but all Naruto could hear was Sasuke calling him a loser one more time as soon as he learned the news.
"Let's go train Sensei, these losers are wasting our time," said Sasuke with that little smirk that Naruto was beginning to think all Uchiha were born with. All it would take now was for Sakura to agree with him and Naruto would once in his life become truly angry at the pink-haired girl. To his great relief she didn't say a word, only gave Sasuke that fake smile and played with the edge of her skirt as if to tease him to look. Sasuke was having none of it and hadn't looked her way not even for a second.
"Come Naruto, let's start on the basics and see how far we can get," said Ebisu as Kakashi and Sasuke walked away leaving Naruto alone with his new Sensei but for Sakura who for some unknown reason had decided to follow them.
Letting out a scream Naruto followed Ebisu to a training ground, which he didn't even bother to check, and standing in a clearing faced his new Sensei.
"Show me tree walking," said Ebisu, taking a clinical posture and pushing his sunglasses up.
Naruto ran to the nearest tree and ran up to the top and waved before coming back down.
"Good, now show me water walking," said Ebisu, pointing at a small pond.
Naruto ran over and took a few steps onto the water before he dropped to his knees in the thankfully shallow pool.
"I see, so Kakashi didn't teach you the basics of water walking," said Ebisu as he walked out over the water and stood there, looking down on Naruto as he trudged out of the water, glaring back at Ebisu.
"So... teach me," said Naruto, throwing his arms in the air, daring Ebisu to say something.
Walking over the water and standing next to Naruto, he looked down to say, "Show me how you can tree walk again, and this time stop halfway up and wait for me to call you down."
Without hesitation, Naruto ran up the nearest tree and stopped 20 feet up, sticking to the side and entering a staring match with Ebisu. This was a test of chakra control and patience, and like every contest, Naruto was determined to win.
"How long are you going to make him stand there?" asked Sakura as the ten-minute mark came and went, with both men still locked in a staring contest.
"Until he falls or I am satisfied," said Ebisu. Sakura was unable to see if he was blinking or not behind those black sunglasses but decided to wait beside him to see how this was going to end.
Thirty minutes went by, then forty, and Sakura could see Naruto start to sweat and strain to stay in place. It wasn't his lack of chakra but the amount needed to stay still that was giving him a hard time. While most would be forcing more and more chakra out to hold them in place, Naruto had to fight to keep his chakra in and not let it flow out too fast. The longer he stood still, the more his body wanted to use the buildup of chakra at the bottom of his feet.
After an hour, small cracks appeared around his feet as the tree began to break under the strain. Seeing this, Ebisu understood how best to train Naruto and called out to him, "Good job, now come down, it's lunchtime, and I know of an out-of-the-way Ramen shop we can go to."
Hearing the magic words 'Lunch' and 'Ramen,' Naruto didn't bother to walk down but leaped off the tree to land next to Sakura with a look of relief. This had been harder than he would ever admit as he used the bottom of his T-shirt to wipe away the sweat on his forehead.
Walking down the street of the village, the two young ninjas in training followed behind Ebisu as he made his way to Ichiraku Ramen.
"That was impressive, there is no way I could have stood there that long," said Sakura, doing her best to stay close to Naruto as every man was staring at her. She had refused to go home after her little emotional breakdown, and they hadn't been able to find her coat after leaving it in the dirt by the front gate. The eyes of the men on her made her skin crawl, but holding her head high, she wouldn't let it show that it was bothering her.
In truth, part of her liked the attention, and the other part wanted to kill her mother for making her wear this outfit. 'Now I know how Ino feels, no wonder she dresses the way she does,' thought Sakura as she realized she was dressed similarly to Ino. Well, Ino didn't wear skirts this short, but still, it made her feel better thinking she did.
As it was the lunch hour, Ichiraku was bustling with activity. Many locals found themselves waiting, as the bar was full of foreigners who had learned through word of mouth about the best ramen stand in all of Fire Country.
"Naruto, come here, my boy," yelled out old man Teuchi, pointing at three stools at the far end of the bar. He had been expecting Naruto and his team and wanted to treat them to a special meal for all their hard work.
"Thanks, old man. Ten Naruto specials. What are you going to have?" said Naruto, looking at his companions. Ebisu was a little taken aback by the order of ten bowls but took his seat with Sakura between them and ordered just one special.
Having been assigned to be the sensei of many of the village elite's children, he had long gotten used to the way teenagers acted, especially girls who had just learned to use their charms as a weapon. He had to admit he expected more from Sakura after reading over her academy records. Knowing how Kakashi was with his little orange book, he anticipated the girl to act the opposite, but to each their own.
Naruto, eager to share his victories and heroic moments, talked endlessly about his fights during the exams. He used the time between bowls of ramen to tell every intricate detail as if he wanted to impress Ebisu with his skill and prove how strong he had become. Sakura, on the other hand, sat quietly, listening, but she occasionally attempted to change the subject, even so far as to use her elbow to his ribs when he started talking about Ino and how he found her. She was feeling uncomfortable in the endless discussion about battles and didn't want to hear what Naruto thought when he found an almost naked Ino in the trees.
As Naruto passionately described each move and strategy he used in the fights, the crowd around them seemed to eavesdrop intently. Some were jotting down notes, while others leaned in, their eyes wide with interest, hanging on every word that came out of Naruto's mouth. The attention of the audience amplified Naruto's excitement, feeding his enthusiasm for recounting the battles fought during the exams. Little did he know that they were taking notes to help them place bets on who would live or die in the finals.
Returning to the training grounds Ebisu turned to his two new students saying, "I have been ordered by the Hokage to train Naruto for the finials, I don't have time to focus on a training plan for you but if you want you can stay and do your best.", he said to Sakura as they walked over to the pond, there was a much deeper end and he planned on using it to his advantage as Naruto was one that liked to learn the hard way.
"I understand Sensei. I'll do my best not to be a bother," replied Sakura, surveying the water, and immediately grasping the training objective.
"Now listen up!" Ebisu raised his voice to command Naruto's attention. "Water Walking requires a constant stream of chakra to be emitted from the bottom of your feet, using the repelling force to walk on the water's surface. It's more challenging than Tree Climbing because the amount of chakra needed changes as the water moves. Once mastered, you'll walk on water as easily as on land without a second thought."
"I got it, Sensei!" said Naruto confidently, striding into the water. However, his first few steps were uneven, causing him to tumble into the pool. Climbing out, he tossed his coat aside and removed his shirt, intending to make swimming easier.
"Take your sandals off too; it'll help you sense the chakra-water mix," instructed Ebisu.
As Naruto removed his sandals, he glanced over at Sakura. She reached to the side, and unbuttoned her skirt, letting it fall to the ground. Then, she untied the knot holding her top, allowing it to join the skirt on the ground.
"Sakura-chan, what are you doing?" Naruto reacted, covering his eyes with his hand, and peering through the gaps in his fingers.
"What? I told you I was wearing a bathing suit, didn't I?" replied Sakura, standing there in a pale pink bikini, tied at the hips by thin strings and around her neck. While it was a swimsuit, Naruto felt she was nearly as exposed as Ino had been at the tower.
"Let me try," said Sakura, cautiously lowering one foot onto the water, shifting her weight, and gradually sinking it into the water before her chakra pushed back enough to raise her to the surface. Attempting to take a step, she lost her balance, falling face-first into the water.
"Good start now let's keep trying, imagine a sheet of chakra below your feet and use it to stand on," said Ebisu as Naruto and Sakura both tried again.
Hours later the two members of team seven could be seen walking over the surface of the water, both dripping wet but laughing at each other as they slipped and slid over the surface. Ebisu had been there for them every step of the way and with just the right amount of guidance had shown them how to best control their chakra.
"We only have a little daylight left, so let's make this a game. The first one to run to the other side and back is the winner," declared Ebisu as he performed the hand signs for a water jutsu. As they both took off, he channeled his chakra into the water, creating small waves that gradually grew larger as Naruto and Sakura turned at the end and headed back. Naruto succumbed to the larger wave first, followed swiftly by Sakura. They had learned to focus their chakra on the parts of their body touching the water's surface. Submerged, they were able to resurface, climbing back atop the water as if they were emerging from a pool.
Naruto stopped and assisted Sakura to stand beside him before bursting into laughter and dashing off, with her quickly following. Unwilling to play fair, Sakura kicked Naruto's feet out from under him just as they were about to reach the end, vaulting herself ashore.
"I win!" she exclaimed, twirling in circles, her long, wet pink hair flowing around her. Naruto was momentarily mesmerized by his bikini-clad teammate dancing around before he clambered out of the water, ran over, and hoisted her up. Carrying a squirming girl in his arms, he walked back to the pond and playfully tossed her in.
"Last one standing is the winner!" shouted Ebisu before things could escalate beyond playful fighting. He had witnessed too many teams turn against each other and knew when to call a halt and move on.
"Naruto, I'll see you here in the morning. I have another test for you, and then we'll focus on your taijutsu while water walking," Ebisu announced, aware that he needed to purchase chakra paper to test Naruto in the morning. The blonde had made more progress than any other Genin he had taught, and he was also impressed by Sakura's progress. Kakashi should be ashamed for letting such raw talent go to waste.
"OK Ebisu Sensei," yelled back Naruto, happy to have a sensei who seemed to take the time to explain to him not only what but how to do the jutsu, now he understood why the Hokage let Ebisu train his grandson.
Seeing Sakura was out of the water squeezing water out of her hair Naruto waited for a few seconds, or longer, and then said, "I will see you in the morning Sakura-chan?", before turning and walking toward his apartment. He felt it was a 50/50 chance Sakura would hit him into the pond so it was best to move while she was distracted.
"Naruto, Wait.", yelled out Sakura before he was totally out of sight, picking up her things she ran over to him in what Naruto felt was slow-motion as he watched the flex of every muscle and the bounce of her hair as she came closer, everything faded away and all he could see was Sakura as the center of his whole universe.
As she stopped in front of him he shook his head to break the spell or whatever that was and grinned at her. "What you need Sakura-chan," said Naruto feeling a strange tingling running over his body as a wave of foreign chakra flowed around him.
"I… I can't go walking the village alone dressed like this, can I go to your place, it's closer and I could use one of your shirts?" asked Sakura, she was totally unaware of the effect she had on him even as she noticed his eyes were unfocused unlike they normally were when she bothered to look at them.
"OK….. Sakura-chan, let's go," said Naruto, coming back to the real world.
After his customary winding route through the village, they walked into his apartment, pulling out some towels from his closet, and handing one to Sakura as he used the other to dry his hair.
"Can I use your shower, and about that shirt, anything clean will do," said Sakura, not waiting for him to say anything as she walked into his bathroom and he could hear the door's lock click as the shower was turned on.
It only took a couple of minutes before he heard the expected scream, "Naruto, is that all the hot water you have, this is freezing." she yelled from behind the door.
"Sorry, sometimes there isn't any hot water," Naruto said as he dumped the pile of clean clothes on the floor looking for a shirt, pulling free a dark blue tee shirt he figured was long enough to cover Sakura he walked over and knocked it on the door.
"I got your shirt Sakura-chan," said Naruto holding out the shirt as the door opened enough for her to reach out and pull the shirt from his hand before slamming it back closed.
Within moments, Sakura emerged, a towel wrapped around her head, and Naruto's black T-shirt draped over her slender frame. The shirt reached about mid-thigh, and it was at least five sizes too large. With a slight sway of her hips, she wrapped the towel around her hair, allowing it to gently drape over her slender back. Her long pink hair was securely tucked, and she hoped it would dry without any split ends after spending the day in a not-so-clean pond. Her legs, long and sleek, peeked out from under the tee, hinting at something more, something Naruto wasn't sure he understood. Scanning up from her legs he unconsciously licked his lips as he noticed something more, she must have been wet when she put on the tee shirt as it was clinking to her giving him a clear idea of her breast as her nipples had hardened in the cool air.
"Okay, go clean up. You smell like pond water," she said with a slight smile, aware that she hadn't smelled any better when they arrived.
Entering the bathroom for a shower, Naruto's eyes fell upon Sakura's bathing suit hanging behind the door. A sudden thought struck him: She was only wearing the tee he'd handed her! The realization hit him like a jolt. She was naked under the tee; well, everyone was naked under their clothes, but... this was his clothes on her! His rational mind reminded him that he had spent the entire day with her when she was only in a very revealing bikini, yet now she was in his apartment wearing nothing but a thin tee shirt. As the frigid water cascaded over him, a cloud of steam billowed around the room, caused by the intensity of his overheated thoughts, practically boiling the water as it hit him. The bathroom filled with steam as if a volcano had appeared in the middle of his shower.
"Naruto! What is going on in there?" yelled Sakura, seeing the steam puffing out from between the door frames.
"Nothing, Sakura-chan. The water heater must have broken," he yelled back, blinking away the steam and stepping away from the freezing water. Grabbing a towel and his soaked change of clothes, he quickly put on a pair of shorts and opened the door, allowing the billows of steam to escape.
What greeted him was the sight of Sakura kneeling on the floor amid all his clean laundry that he had dumped on the floor while looking for a shirt for her to wear. She was sorting his shirts and pants into neat little piles. But what stopped him from saying anything was when she leaned over to pick up a shirt, and the tee she was wearing started moving higher and higher up her backside, giving him a view he had never even dreamed of but would fill his every dream he had moving forward.
When she sat back down and started folding the shirt, he let out the breath he had been holding. She turned to look at him. 'Oh, Hi, I didn't hear you come out,' said Sakura. She had been thinking of a way to get back into her house without her father catching her again. The feel of his hand around her neck was still haunting her, and keeping her hands busy folding clothes was the only thing keeping them from shaking.
Stumbling over to the sofa, Naruto sat down, facing Sakura. Still dazed, he tried to find something to say. 'What are you doing, Sakura-chan?' he finally blurted out, folding his hands in his lap, hoping she wouldn't notice his reaction.
'Just folding your clothes. I figured it was the least I could do for you letting me use you, I mean your shower,' she said, tripping over her words as she folded the last shirt and added it to the pile. Leaning forward to pick up the shirts, the overly large tee hung open momentarily, giving Naruto a clear view down the front. His mind went completely blank as she dropped the stack of shirts in his lap and turned to finish folding the pants.
It took all of his willpower not to glance down at her exposed skin again as she moved around. He knew she only considered him a friend; she had never indicated anything more. Yet, he couldn't help the rapid pace of his heart or the uncomfortable tightness in his shorts. Thankfully, she had placed the pile of shirts on his lap. Hastily grabbing one from the top, he pulled it over his head.
"Thanks... thanks a lot, Sakura-chan," he managed to say, his mouth as dry as the Wind Country's desert. If she responded, he couldn't hear it, drowned out by the thunderous beating of his own heart.
Standing up, Sakura surveyed her handiwork. Glancing at his window, she noticed the setting sun and the streetlights flickering on. 'Good, only a couple more hours before I can head home,' she thought, pondering how to occupy Naruto until then. Her swimsuit should be dry by then. She despised walking around in wet clothes; it reminded her of being made to stand in the rain for hours as a punishment when she was young.
Seeing the dumbfounded look on his face she waved her hand in front of his eyes, coaxing him to look up at her. "What are you waiting for? Go put your things away," she instructed, pointing her finger toward his closet as a reminder of where his clothes should go.
Naruto busied himself with the mundane task, keeping his gaze lowered and placing the clothes wherever they would fit. Normally, he would've left them in a pile on the sofa, but Sakura had peculiar ideas about organization that only made it harder to locate things. 'Girls sure were strange," he thought, trying to distract himself, yet images of her kept flashing in his mind as if someone was forcibly displaying them before his eyes. Unknown to him his whole apartment was filled with her chakra completely unnoticed.
When he finally finished, he stood up and turned around, only to find Sakura still sitting on the sofa, hands folded neatly in her lap. There was a distant look in her eyes like she was somewhere else entirely. It was an expression he'd seen before, usually when she was thinking about Sasuke. It made him feel a pang of jealousy deep in his chest.
"You okay, Sakura-chan?" he asked, taking a seat beside her. She didn't answer at first, just continued to stare into space. Finally, she let out a small sigh and looked at him. "Yeah, I'm fine," she said, forcing a small smile. "Just...thinking about things." How could she tell him of her fear of going home, home should be safe but for her, it was a daily trial filled with pain and fear. Part of her wanted to hear that Sasuke died in training and another part wanted to kill him herself, she was being torn in two by her family's needs and her own.
Naruto nodded, but he knew something was wrong. He wished he could take away whatever was bothering her, and make everything okay. But he was just her friend, and Sasuke was the one she really wanted to talk to. The thought made him feel a strange mix of anger and sadness. "You want to talk about it?" he asked, knowing the words probably weren't the best choice, but feeling the need to say something.
She looked at him with a small smile. "It's nothing you need to worry about," she said, trying to reassure him as she pushed the thoughts of her father out of her mind. "It's just… sometimes I get caught up in my head, I was thinking about all the training we did today, you know?" Her voice trailed off after saying her newest lie, as she looked away, her gaze fixed on a spot on the wall. She realized that her whole life was a lie, one so great so didn't even know what the truth was.
Naruto could see the pain in her eyes, the tension in her shoulders, the knuckles of her hands turning white as she balled her hands into fists. He knew it was because she couldn't be with Sasuke, train with Sasuke and he wanted to tell her he was here not him, that she should look at what was in front of her. She was here with him not that jerk but all she did was think of Sasuke.
"Naruto," she said in a soft voice, "you sure it's OK for me to train with you. I… I don't want to slow you down."
"You never slow me down Sakura-chan, I want you to train with me.", he said, letting out more of his true feelings than he really wanted to show.
"Good, I think it's time for me to go," she said getting up and heading for the bathroom to check if her swimsuit was dry, coming out a few moments later still in his shirt she had been wearing but he could tell she had put on her swimsuit as she headed for the door.
Jumping up, Naruto ran over. 'I can come with you,' he said, putting his hand on the door before she had a chance to disappear on him again. 'If I'm lucky, Father will see him and do something stupid,' she thought, giving a nod. "If you want to," she said as a plan began forming in her head, a plan to end this torture that was her life.
Grabbing his ninja jacket, he tossed it over her shoulders, thinking she might get cold or something, and strapped on his pouch they headed out. Letting Sakura take the lead as he didn't know where she lived, they walked down the village's main streets, walking straight past the Hokage's tower and into the more upscale single-family houses that Naruto had been told to never, ever go near.
Stopping in the street, Sakura looked around as if expecting something, putting her hand on Naruto's shoulder, making sure anyone looking could see they were together. When no blood-crazed father came running out or anything else less dramatic, she dropped her hand.
"Is this your house?" Naruto said, wide-eyed at the idea of living in such a wonderful place.
Looking over at the horror that was her home, Sakura shrugged before walking to the side between her house and the next, Naruto following close behind.
"We moved here eight years ago; I don't remember much before that," she said, stopping at the side of the building and looking up at a small window that led into the attic.
"Do you think you could walk up there and open the window from outside?" she asked, knowing there was a lock and a seal on the window. It forced her to use the front door, and she hated it. But this time, she was going to put that little trap to good use. When her father came out attacking Naruto the village would have to do something.
Naruto glanced up at the window, seeing a normal house wall. He knew there was some kind of seal or other trap; the way Sakura hesitated confirmed it. Leaning back a bit, he steadied his breath, channeling chakra to the soles of his feet as he took a few steps back before rushing forward.
His movements were quick as if gravity had no hold on him. He found perfect purchase against the wall, as he walked up it effortlessly, stepping lightly upward. Reaching the window, Naruto inspected it for a brief moment, it was small a little more than a foot square and the glass was milky white so you couldn't see in or out of it. Looking closer his guess was right, a seal was shimmering faintly, a sign of an activated jutsu poorly done and he knew a way around it; it was time to use his pranking skills.
He carefully prodded at the edges of the seal with his fingers, gauging its strength. With a swift yet controlled motion, he inserted a small wire he had hidden inside his ninja pouch. It was a simple trick he had picked up from one of his previous pranks on one of his old academy sensei. Slowly and cautiously, he managed to slide the wire into the other side of the seal and with a jolt of chakra disable the seal from the inside, the wire disrupting its chakra pattern without triggering it.
The window's lock was more mundane and it was a piece of cake as it gave way, creaking slightly as it popped open. Naruto shot Sakura a triumphant grin as he waved at her to come up. His eyes glinted mischievously; he had cracked the seal without setting off the trap and she was going to be so happy.
Swinging open the window Sakura looked into her own room as if it was an enemy camp checking each corner for a hidden spy or trap before wiggling through the small window. She had tried so many times to open this window but had no luck and Naruto did it without even trying. Setting foot on the floor she looked back at Naruto still clinging to the outside wall with that damn grin of his. He reminded her of some lost puppy sometimes.
"Wait there," she said, trying her best not to make a sound. It was late but not that late, and she was sure her parents would be up doing who knows what.
Sticking his head in the window, Naruto's eyes widened as he surveyed the room. He found himself in another person's room, a girl's room. He had never been in any other house before, and he didn't know what to make of it.
The room was small, smaller than his apartment, but she did have the rest of the house, so that didn't matter. The bed was also small, resembling a kid's bed that was never upgraded, and everything was pink, from the sheets to the pillows, all the way down to the rug.
He spotted a desk to the side, full of makeup, girly things, bandages, and even medical creams. That didn't seem right. As he looked around more closely, the room appeared to be a blend of a teenage girl's room and a prison cell with one door and no other window than the one he just unlocked. Looking down at Sakura, he was about to ask her what was going on when she reached down and pulled the tee shirt off in one fluid motion, holding it out to him.
"Here, don't forget to take this with you," she said, knowing the kind of trouble she would face if they found a boy's shirt in her room. She wasn't sure she would survive if they discovered it belonged to Naruto.
Naruto could only stare at her as she stood in her bikini, holding his shirt. He was in a girl's room, well his head was and she was wearing a bikini, and his mind stopped working as a line of blood dripped down his nose.
"Damn it, Naruto, we don't have time for this," said Sakura as she used his own shirt to stop the blood before it hit the floor. Something about blood always made her parents act even stranger than normal.
The sound of footsteps shattered their brief staring match. The stairs, always loud and creaky, gave them a few seconds warning before the door would burst open.
Glancing toward the window, Sakura knew Naruto didn't have time to run without making a sound. Taking a step, she pulled Naruto close, whispering in his ear, "Don't move, and whatever you do, don't make a sound."
With those words, she shoved his head back out the window and closed it, being careful to lower the lock in place, and kicked a couple of pillows around to make it look like she was making the bed just as the door slammed open, and her father walked in.
"Sakura, is that what you were wearing when you went to train with the Uchiha?", her father asked as he looked her over like she was nothing more than a thing to be used and given away.
"Yes father," said Sakura looking at the floor hoping against hope he would just leave.
"Good, good, did he have sex with you?", he said with an evil grin.
"No father," said Sakura, taking a step back knowing what was coming.
The slap was quick and painful as she fell back on the bed to only be yanked back to her feet.
"I told you and told you. You need to sleep with him, do anything you have to but you need to make him yours before it's too late.", His words and hot breath hit her in the face as he held her off the floor shaking her as he spoke.
"Yes father, I am trying, I really am but I think he may not like girls, he doesn't even look at them," said Sakura as her teeth snapped together from the shaking.
The second slap was a backhand to the side of the head sending her ear ringing, "He is the last of his clan, it doesn't matter who or what he likes, he needs a woman and you are to be that woman. I don't care who or what else he sticks it to, do you understand."
"Yes father," said Sakura as she lay on the floor leaning against the bed.
"You are this family's last hope Sakura, if you can't complete The Plan before it's too late then we are never going to be free, don't you understand that.", he growled out as he hovered over her, his eyes glowing a faint red.
"I understand Father," said Sakura, her father looked down at her and seeing that she wasn't fighting back he felt she had finally reached the point where she would be a proper tool he spun on his heels and walked out of the room slamming the door as he went.
As the window slowly opened, she nearly screamed before recalling that Naruto was still out there. Swiftly moving from the floor to the window she opened it fully. The expression on his face was one of shock and horror. All the blood had drained from his face, leaving him as pale as a ghost.
"Sakura, what is going on?", asked Naruto forcing his head and shoulders into the room to look around
Leaving him hanging there she walked over to her desk and looked in the mirror, the newly forming bruise was expected and the bloody noise wasn't all that bad but the cut lip, that would take more than a day to heal.
"Sakura, talk to me," said Naruto as he watched her apply creams to her lips and wipe her face with a clean cloth.
"It's my life, OK, it's how it is," she said, not looking at him as she started to look for something on her desk to stop the ringing in her ear.
"Even I know this isn't right, Sakura-chan. Why don't you leave?" said Naruto, remembering that when he had told people about what happened to him, they didn't do anything, and only running away had forced the Hokage to take action.
"I can't. My father has an army of spies or something, I tried and they just bring me back, and it gets worse, much worse," said Sakura, finally looking at Naruto.
It was clear Naruto was at a loss for words as he lowered himself to the floor to walk over to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. "You can always come to my place. I won't let anyone touch you, ever that is a promise of a lifetime. Dattebayo." he said, his grip on her shoulder sending a shiver down her back. She could feel something, some foreign chakra that flowed into her as he touched her.
Looking away from his steely blue eyes, she looked at herself in the mirror. The cut was closing as she watched, and the bruise faded before her eyes. She knew Naruto didn't know any medical ninja skills; even if he did, she wouldn't trust him to do it right. But this was something she had never experienced before.
"Naruto, you need to leave, leave now," she said, thinking that her kekkei genkai was becoming active, and she had been warned repeatedly that she had to be near Sasuke when it happened or no one at all.
"But Sakura-chan, I want to help," he said, even as she pushed him toward the window. Once she got it open, she almost threw him out before he climbed out. Looking back, he tried to say something, but she closed the window in his face and ran back to her desk. The mirror told her what she needed to know—the cut was still there, healed but not at some crazy fast rate anymore. Feeling that she had somehow avoided a fate worse than death, she fell onto her bed and screamed into her pillow kicking her feet.
….
In the end, we all have our demons to face, some are more real than others.