WhIP

by footfungus

nederlands verhalen over mijn otp

174. Chapter 174

A Drop of Poison

Androgyninja

Summary:

After being humiliated during a sparring match, Sakura realizes that she no longer wants to base her future on a boy who doesn't even like her. With a newfound sense of determination, she sets off to become a truly terrifying kunoichi, making her fair share of friends and enemies along the way.

In other words, Sakura discovers who she really wants to be and fucks shit up along the way. And if she poisons a few important people? Well, that's just collateral damage.

Begins during Sakura's final year at the academy and ends right before the canon time skip.

Notes:

(See the end of the work for other works inspired by this one.)

Chapter 1: Rip Off Those Rose Tinted Glasses Darling

Summary:

Sakura has sparring match and gets a rude awakening

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

"Begin!"

Sakura had mixed feelings about the Academy.

On one hand, being a student gave her access to way more information than she would have had otherwise. The library at the school was immense, and that wasn't even accounting for the classes and lectures themselves. She would gladly listen for hours on end, greedily soaking up as much knowledge as possible.

It didn't hurt that she excelled at their Theory lessons either.

On the other hand, there were days like today, where all of Sakura's carefully curated knowledge was as useful as wet parchment.

She grimaced in sympathy as Ami took a knee to the gut from Shino. They were the farthest thing from friends, but she knew what it was like to be on the wrong side of a fight with a clan kid.

Fridays were almost always spent outside, usually split between target practice, sparring, and outdoor survival training. It wasn't like Sakura didn't understand why they did. Obviously, they couldn't properly learn how to throw a punch or a shuriken through explanations alone, but, well, to put it bluntly, Sakura sucked.

Maybe that was a bit of an exaggeration, but she did lag behind and was painfully aware of it. Her class was filled with clan kids, and, as this was their final year of the Academy, she was the only civilian born left.

There had been six of them when she had first started. Two had dropped the first year, and a third had left because of family pressure. The last ones had been held back a year because they hadn't been able to keep up.

They had never really been close friends, but there had been this sense of camaraderie. Shared eye rolls when the others bragged, slipped bandages when one of them was purposefully tripped, whispered advice when one of them exceeded at the subject.

Now it was just her.

Of all the practical exercises, she was worst during the sparring matches. Throwing kunai and shuriken wasn't easy, but it was one of the few things she could practice in her own backyard, and Sakura had always been a fast learner. Her katas were always precise and clean, and while she didn't have very good stamina, she was able to keep her running time within passing range. Survival training was just a lot of common sense and memorization.

Sparring however, was something else entirely.

Sakura didn't have the advantages her fellow classmates did. She had no one at home to practice with, and the chances of a random shinobi deciding to help a mediocre civilian born Academy student were slim to none. Even the other clanless kids had shinobi parents to help them out.

She didn't have Kiba's wild ferocity, or Shino's calculated movements. She wasn't graceful like Ino, or timid yet skillful like Hinata. She didn't have Naruto's seemingly endless stamina, or Chouji's heavy punches, or even Shikamaru's lazy strategies.

Sakura had…herself. And it was becoming increasingly clear that it wasn't enough.

It would be accurate to say that Sakura lost more than she won sparring matches, in fact she lost most of her matches. She never won against the clan kids, only managing to beat those with shinobi parents. It didn't matter if it was a taijutsu only match, because they had specialised styles and hours more practice, and don't get her started if jutsu were allowed.

Sakura was always caught between anger and tears when she saw everything her classmates could do that she couldn't. It felt like playing cards with access to only half the deck.

Even when she went to the tutoring sessions the Academy offered, nothing seemed to get better. The only thing they helped with was class material, and it felt like everyone else had skills outside of what they were taught at the Academy.

It was frustrating, to say the least.

She watched as Shino and Ami finished their fight, the former winning as he put her in a ruthless pin she couldn't get out of.

"Disengage." Iruka ordered, motioning for the two to separate.

Ami scrambled back with a sneer, ignoring the Shino's offered hand. "Don't touch me, bug boy."

"You seem uncomfortable. Why? Because you do not like the insects my clan hosts in their body."

She scoffed. "Figure that out all by yourself, did you?"

Iruka bopped them both on the head. "That's enough of that. Ami, you need to work on your stamina. You still get much sloppier when you're tired. Shino, drawing a fight out may have worked this time, but in most instances it's better to finish the fight as quickly as possible so not to attract attention and prevent collateral damage."

The two accepted their criticisms, one with less grumbling than the other, and went back to where the rest of their class was sitting.

"Next, Sakura and Sasuke."

She froze.

It wasn't exactly a secret that she had a crush on Sasuke. Kami, most of the girls in their class did. Some of the boys too. He was cute, and easily the best fighter in their class. Not to mention he was the second heir of the Uchiha, one of, if not the most powerful clan in Konoha. He was also one of the few people in their class that Sakura had to work hard to outperform in Theory. If she were less of a bookworm, he'd probably have her beat.

She'd learned her lesson about asking him out-the first brutal rejection had been more than enough, thank you very much-but that didn't mean she couldn't admire from afar.

And normally, afar meant way further away than across the ring of a sparring match.

Yeah, there was no way she was winning this fight.

Still, Sakura squared her shoulders and made her way to the ring where Sasuke was already waiting. His dark eyes were fixated on her, making her heart stutter in her chest.

"No jutsu or weapons. Begin!"

Sasuke immediately darted forward, hand clenched into a fist that she was just barely able to avoid. Sakura attempted to counter with a blow to the gut, but he danced away on light feet.

Sasuke was fast, and most definitely stronger than her, which meant that going on offense would end badly. Well, more badly than this was already going to go. She had no illusions about winning this fight.

Sakura ducked under his kick, but wasn't able to avoid the elbow to the face that followed it. Her head jerked to the side, but she managed to slip her ankle in front of his, tripping him and forcing him to back away or fall flat on his face.

They separated once more, and Sakura resisted the urge to wipe the bit of blood that had trickled from her nose.

The second time they clashed Sasuke came at her with a flurry of punches that made pain explode from her abdomen and face. He was too fast for her to block everything, so instead she resigned herself to taking the hits and-there! Sasuke had overextended himself just enough that she was able to grab his wrist.

It wasn't to flip him, but rather make his retreat more difficult as she slammed her fist into his floating ribs-once, twice-

And suddenly she was on her back struggling to breath with an uncomfortable weight on her chest.

"Disengage." Came Iruka's firm voice, and Sakura no longer felt as though she were about to be crushed.

Gingerly picking herself up, Sakura wasn't quite able to keep the grin off her face. She'd managed to hit Sasuke in a taijutsu match. Twice. That was more than over half of the class had been able to accomplish.

"Sakura, good job utilizing your knowledge on your opponent. I don't recommend using a tactic like that in the field, especially against someone more than willing to kill you, but you strategy was sound. Sasuke-" she forced herself to tamp down on her beaming. "-you underestimated Sakura and you paid for it. If she had had a knife or a jutsu in hand, she could have killed you."

Not that she would have. Sakura still felt weird hitting people with her full strength, the idea of killing someone seemed beyond her.

Sasuke's lip curled into a sneer. "She's not even close to being a threat, so why would I treat her like one?"

Sakura's smile froze in place.

"She's civilian born, the most she'll ever amount of is a paper chunnin, and that's if she even graduates. Why would I waste effort on someone like that?"

Iruka's eyes narrowed dangerously. "That is enough." He said firmly. "Ignoring that fact that assumptions like that will get you killed in the field, Sakura is your classmate and deserves your respect."

Sasuke scoffed. "Respect? Even if she makes it onto the field, she'll never be anything but canon fodder. Look at her. How will she ever be a shinobi?"

Sakura felt paralysed, shock and hurt coursing though her as the Sasuke's words registered. She'd known Sasuke hadn't been especially fond of her, he didn't pay her any attention but that was how he treated everyone. She hadn't thought that this was how he'd really thought of her.

"It's stupid to pretend otherwise."

Tears began to form in Sakura's eyes, but she refused to shed them. She wouldn't cry in front of the whole class. She wouldn't.

"Shut up, Sasuke! Don't be mean to Sakura like that!" The sudden shout startled her, causing her to turn and face the rest of their classmates.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "You're even more useless than she is, Dead Last."

Naruto crossed his arms. "I'm gonna be Hokage one day, so watch it!"

As the two continued to squabble, she met the eyes of another blonde, blue eyed classmate.

Ino was as beautiful as always. There wasn't a hair out of place, despite the fact that she'd had her own sparring match against Chouji. Sakura didn't know what she was expecting when she met Ino's gaze. They had been friends once, best friends, but that had been before they'd both started liking Sasuke and been torn apart.

Even now that Sakura had given up on pursuing Sasuke, they were left in a strange limbo. Still insulting each other, still competing for top marks, but not really enemies. Not friends either.

Sakura didn't really know what they were now.

She looked surprised at what Sasuke had said. If Sakura looked hard enough, she thought she might have even seen a hint of anger. But she didn't say anything, and after a beat, Ino looked away.

"ENOUGH!"

Sakura flinched at Iruka's booming voice. "Naruto, Sasuke, after school detention."

Sasuke scowled. "For what?"

"For harassing a fellow classmate and delaying the lesson. Go back to your seats." It was not a suggestion.

Sasuke turned to look at her. Really, look at her. His eyes scanned her from head to toe, a look of disgust on his face.

"It's not like I said anything that wasn't true."

That was all Sakura could take.

She turned on her heel, fists clenched and eyes burning. "I'm going to the bathroom." She managed to choke out, not even waiting for Iruka to give her permission.

She just needed to leave.

The bathroom was mercifully empty, allowing Sakura to cry without fear of witnesses. Even after outgrowing most of her shyness thanks to her former friendship with Ino, she had been bullied for too long to completely erase her of the feeling of constant judgement.

Or maybe it wasn't just a feeling. Maybe she was being constantly judged. Sasuke sure seemed to have had more than a few things to say about her.

Canon fodder. Was that really what they thought about her? That she would be a human meat shield, destined to be thrown out to protect someone more important?

The anger was late coming, but cleansing. She furiously wiped her tears away and splashed water on her face.

Canon fodder? Paper chuunin? Sakura was going to make him and anyone else who thought that eat their words. She was going to graduate and climb the ranks to jounin and laugh at anyone who tried to stop her.

It was just a spark, weak and useless at the moment, but could one day turn into a mighty blaze.

After all, those who build themselves from nothing are often the most terrifying of all.

Notes:

Hey y'all, hope you're having a good day

EDIT: Androgyninja from the future here. This entire fic has gone through somewhat of a rewrite, so you might see comments that make no sense. This is because i have changed some things (not a ton, don't panic), so don't be super confused if read something a little odd. Back to the regular program.

I chose to write Sakura as having backed off of Sasuke already a bit, because i simply Cannot write her in her full fangirl phase and retain my sanity. Somewhere, there is a fantastic writer who can do this, and also write a story where Sakura keeps her crush and still is a badass. Because having a crush doesn't automatically make you useless lol. I am not that writer, nor will i likely ever be, but i just want it on the record that girls should be able to be written as having romantic interests and other ambition.

Anyway, that's all for now

Constructive criticism is welcome, hate will be laughed at and the gay will be strong

byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye

Chapter 2: Mother Really Does Know Best

Summary:

Sakura gets a pep talk from her mom, and learns something while training.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Mebuki Haruno was no fool.

She may be a civilian, but you learned a thing or two when living in a Hidden Village and having a kunoichi in training under your roof.

When her daughter came home from school with red eyes and clenched fists, she knew something was wrong.

"Did something happen today, sweetie?" she asked. "You look a little down."

There was a slight pause as Sakura hung up her bag, retrieving the empty lunch kit from inside. "We…had a sparring day today." She said eventually. "Taijutsu only."

That explained her knees, but something told Mebuki that there was more to the story. It would be far from the first time that her daughter had come home frustrated and angry after school, ranting about how if they wanted her to meet their expectations then they should give her the same attention they did the clan kids.

It grated Mebuki that her precious child was being ignored and disregarded, and had gone to the school on more than one occasion to confront those in charge about it. Unfortunately, all she had gotten was a patronizing explanation that 'If Sakura can't handle it, then it would be for the best that she dropped out of the Academy' and 'There is tutoring available if she's falling behind'. Not like the bullying her daughter was suffering didn't have anything to do with becoming a shinobi.

Mebuki waited patiently for Sakura to continue.

"Iruka-sensei put me against Sasuke." Sakura seemed to curl into herself, her small frame tucking itself into the corner of the sofa.

That match up was not even remotely fair. Mebuki knew from Sakura's numerous times gushing about the boy, that he was the top of their class in practical, and second in theory. Not to mention a child of one of the most powerful clans in Konoha.

She took a seat next to Sakura. "How did it go?"

Small hands curled into fists. "It…wasn't a long fight." Sakura admitted. "But I managed to hit him. Twice."

Pride swelled in Mebuki's chest.

"And then he said I wasn't a threat. And that I was going to be canon fodder." Sakura's voice rose in anger. "He-I know he doesn't like me, but he was just-" she made a wordless noise of frustration.

Sakura may have been training to be a shinobi-a glorified killer for her country-but she was still a child, still only eleven years old. So Mebuki didn't think twice about wrapping her arms around her daughter.

"He never said that about anyone else." Sakura mumbled into her shoulder. "Not even Naruto who isn't even there half the time. Just me."

Mebuki was not an angry woman. She had her moments of course, but as a whole, she was a very level-headed individual. With Sakura being so young and Kizashi's head always in the clouds, someone needed to be.

This however, made her blood boil.

There was no excuse for the words he had spat. Absolutely none. She may not have fought in the war, but she had seen its consequences, seen death hang over her home more than once. Mebuki knew that those seen as lesser-almost always clanless shinobi-were thrown to the dogs so that those deemed more important could survive.

To have her daughter-her only child-compared to those masses of dead, made her want to track down the boy and his parents and give them a talking to they would never forget. Mebuki may be a civilian, but she still had a spine, and she would not tolerate someone speaking to her child in that way.

"I ran away after." Sakura admitted. "Class was almost over anyway, and I just-couldn't stay."

It was clear where the red eyes had come from. Taking a deep breath, Mebuki squeezed Sakura tightly. "You did the right thing in removing yourself from the situation. You deserve respect and I am so, so proud of you."

The tension in Sakura's shoulders melted away. "It would be one thing if I was annoying him, but we didn't get to choose our sparring partners. It was for class. And he still…"

Mebuki petted her hair. "There is no excuse for the things he said," she said softly. "It doesn't matter if he was angry, or embarrassed, or upset. He purposely hurt you and clearly does not regret it."

Sakura relaxed further into her hold.

"I also hope you no longer have a crush on him." Mebuki continued. Her daughter was smart, but young. If this was about to become unhealthy, she was going to nip it at the bud.

"I don't." She said firmly. There was a slight pause. "I kind of want to punch him in the face." Sakura admitted.

A snort escaped Mebuki. "Well, I don't condone solving interpersonal conflicts with violence, but if you were to do so, I wouldn't ground you. Just this once." And maybe they would get ice cream in celebration.

"Lasting relationships are built on mutual care and respect, and from what you're telling me, he checks off neither boxes." She pressed a kiss to Sakura's forehead. "You deserve so much better than someone who hurt you like this."

"I know," Sakura said quietly. "And I'm going to prove him wrong."

This was the same tone she'd used when she'd first gone to Kizashi and Mebuki and told them she wanted to enter the Academy. Determination brimming from every pore.

Slowly, Sakura shook herself of her mother's grip and sat up, spine straight and unyielding.

"I am going to get better." She said firmly. "I am going to train and read and read and read until I know everything backwards. I am going to show all of them, what it means to be a civilian born kunoichi."

Mebuki loved her daughter, and she knew, that one day, her baby would blossom into someone truly terrifying.

Sticking to her new goal was both harder and easier than Sakura anticipated.

Normally, she arrived at school early and tried to get a seat close to Sasuke before reviewing her notes. It was a good way to solidify her knowledge and make sure she wouldn't be outperformed in Theory.

She almost started walking to her usual spot before catching herself and going in the opposite direction. There were several seats open, but many people she did not want to be next to. She was safe from Ino and the other fangirls since she was nowhere near Sasuke, but that still left people like Naruto and Kiba who were far from ideal to be beside.

Eventually, she slid into a seat in between Shino and Hinata in the second last row.

"Can I sit here?" She questioned.

Hinata gave her a timid smile and nodded. "I h-hope you're feeling better today." Ever the diplomat. Not that Sakura wanted to rehash yesterday's events.

And now that Hinata mentioned it, she did feel lighter, almost. A weight she hadn't realized had been pressing down on her had been lifted. "I am, thank you."

And even if it had been replaced by-

"She's civilian-born, the most she'll ever amount of is a paper chunnin, and that's if she even graduates."

A fire burning in her core.

"You're w-welcome."

On the other side, Shino pushed up his glasses. "I have no adverse feelings to you sitting there. Why? Because you are always quiet during lessons and will likely not disrupt my concentration."

Coming from him, that was practically a glowing review.

Not long after, Iruka came in and yelled for silence. If he noticed the changes in seating (which of course he did, he may have been a teacher but he was a shinobi) he didn't say anything.

The morning was…not terrible. Everyone has apparently moved on from yesterday's drama, for which Sakura was grateful. She knew the talk with her mother had helped a lot, but part of her still ached.

"Canon fodder."

Forcefully pushing the thought out of her mind, she turned to Hinata once more. "Would you like to eat together?" she asked.

Hinata blinked before smiling once more. "T-That sounds good."

Lunch with Hinata was different. Neither of them were particularly loud, and they'd never really hung out before, but it was a nice companionable silence.

As class was let out for the day, Sakura stayed behind.

"Iruka-sensei, is it possible for me to use the school training grounds after hours?" she questioned. "I can't reserve any on my own, and don't have anyone to do it for me."

You could only reserve a training ground if you were at least a genin. She'd overheard several of her classmates say that their parents did it for them, or if they were clan kids, had grounds in their compounds. Someone like her had no chance, especially since asking a shinobi outside of school would likely result in dismissal at best.

Iruka blinked. "Today? You know the tutoring hours are Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday."

Irritation bubbled in her stomach. "I don't want to take the tutors attention away when I'm not failing. I just really want to get more practice in." She explained.

Iruka paused for a moment. "That should be fine, just make sure to let at least one teacher know when you're planning on using them. Some other shinobi like to train there, and it wouldn't be good for you to get caught in that."

She tried to not feel insulted. She knew that he was saying it because she hadn't even graduated yet, and of course real shinobi could potentially hurt her but-

It stung.

She couldn't help but feel that if it were someone else, anyone else, he wouldn't have given the same warning.

Sakura didn't have anyone to spar with, so she worked on her shuriken and kunai throwing as well as her katas. She remembered the instructions of her teachers and does the repetitions again and again and again.

Her muscles ached from the extra exertion, unused to the added exercise, but she refused to let that stop her. Every time she felt like giving up, she forced herself to remember.

Canon fodder. Paper chuunin.

Her wrist snapped, sending the shuriken flying. It hit three inches from the bullseye.

It had been two weeks since her fight with Sasuke, and she wondered if she was kidding herself. There had been only microscopic improvements in her technique despite spending almost twice the amount of time she used to on the movements.

Her mother had reminded her to be patient, and that changes wouldn't happen overnight, but with every slightly off throw, every mediocre kata, she couldn't help but think they were right about her.

While Sasuke had been the most obvious in his distain, talking in front of the teacher like it was nothing-like he never had to worry about consequences-he was far from the only one who had spoken to her like that.

It had been better when there were other civilian born kids, the teasing had been spread out more. Despite the fact that the clanless kids who still had shinobi family were still seen as less than the clan kids, there wasn't the same silent sense of camaraderie. No, most of the time they were just glad there was someone lower on the food chain.

The sound of heavy hoof steps broke Sakura from her musings.

It was a large boar, thick bodied with long tusks and a mean look in its beady little eyes.

And it was heading right for her.

Sakura's mouth went dry as her heart began thudding painfully loud in her chest. She should be braver than this. Shinobi didn't get scared by wild animals, yet here she was, practically shaking.

Running will make it chase you, and it's definitely faster. Sakura swallowed. I need to get up a tree, but how to stall it?

Her hand wrapped around the hilt of a kunai, knowing that it was unlikely that she'd have the strength to break through the boar's thick skin, and that even if she did, it wouldn't amount to much damage.

The boar closed the distance between them.

Sakura had never been gladder that Iruka had drilled them in dodging because she very narrowly escaped the boar's tusks as it ran right past where she'd just stood, going headfirst into a thick gathering of bushes.

Not wasting a second, she quickly grabbed the branches of the nearest tree and pulled herself up, climbing as quickly as her trembling hands would allow her.

The boar let out a deep roar, aggressively tearing through the bushes in an attempt to free itself.

Sakura saw the snake an instant before it struck, teeth sinking deep into the boar's leg. It let out a pained noise, kicking back its legs in an attempt to dislodge the snake.

The boar thrashed wildly, its efforts slowly becoming weaker and weaker until it fell limp to the ground.

The black snake, which she now recognized as a mambushi, slithered away calmly, disappearing back into the thick foliage.

The boar must have startled it when it had been thrashing around in the bushes, and the snake had bitten in self defense and surprise.

Sakura carefully dropped back to the ground.

She hadn't even touched it, yet there it lay, dead, despite the fact that it was naturally larger and more powerful than both her and the snake.

It was then that it dawned on her.

Poison.

Because poison didn't care whether you were bigger or stronger or would win in a fair fight. It didn't care if you had a special bloodline limit or extra training.

It killed you all the same.

Notes:

EDIT: i rewrote this chapter because the version before didn't make the most sense, so here's hopping this is better. I didn't change too much except the scene in the woods, and the take away is the exact same, so you don't have to read it if you don't want to. Boars are naturally more aggressive, so i thought that would fit better, and as for why it was in the training grounds even in the middle of the city? well, its still the woods, and there will still be wild animals in there. Yes its smaller, but like, from what we see its pretty big and so i'm going to allow this one minor potential plot hole to stand for this to make sense.

Thanks to Birdeer for coming up with this idea and letting me use it. You are a gem.

Anyway, let us resume to the normal notes.

Hey y'all, i hope you're having a good day.

I didn't touch on this last chapter, so i'm going to now.

First, Ino and Sakura will rekindle their friendship eventually. I didn't mean to make her into a bad person in the last chapter, just an 11 year old girl with a crush on a boy who hasn't matured enough yet to realize what she's doing is wrong. I wanted to show that there is nothing wrong with having a crush or being an 11 year old girl, as long as it's healthy. I hate it when media pits women and girls against each other, specifically for the affections of a man. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but it's exhausting to have to see. Girls and women should support one another.

Second, in this fic, the Uchiha massacre did not happen. One of the ways Danzo was able to get away with it, was through fear and distrust of the Uchiha after the Kyuubi attack, not to mention Shisui feeding him information to stop the Uchiha coup. In this au, the backlash against the Uchiha was canceled out by the civilians and other people who were saved by them, because the police force was focusing on evacuation. This way, the Uchiha never got pushed out and threatened enough to feel like a coup was the only option for them, thus cancelling any sway Danzo would have with Shisui and so forth.

Third, i realize i make Sasuke a dick. Yes, it was on purpose. Personally, i believe that despite the fact that his family and clan are still alive, he would still be a dick, at least for a while for several reasons. One, i don't know if you've noticed, but a lot of the Uchiha have a stick up their ass. They're not great at being social 99% of the time, and even when they're not trying to be jerks they put their foot in their mouths. Two, because there was no push back after the Kyuubi attack, the Uchiha are one of the most powerful and influential clans in the village, something you know they would talk about and be dickish about at times. That power would make others impressed, and like we see, give them a bit of a big head. Kids mimic the behavior of the adults around them, so i can see that strongly affecting him. Three, Sasuke is the little brother of Itachi. He is probably constantly being compared to him, and that would give anyone a bad attitude eventually. It doesn't help that Itachi is a away a lot of the time because of ANBU shit, and that he is the clan head's second son. He's under a lot of pressure to be really good, and i can see all of these elements combining to make him a grade A dick.

These are not excuses. What he did and will do is wrong, and he should be reprimanded and disciplined for it, these are just what i believe to be the causes. He will get better eventually, but at the moment he's just a bratty 11 year old who thinks he's better than others because he has fancy eyes and lots of money.

I'm still kinda salty that she ended up marrying Sasuke tbh.

Anyway, that's all for this chapter.

Constructive criticism is welcome, hate will be laughed at and the gay will be strong.

Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye

Chapter 3: And So She Learned

Summary:

Sakura begins her research on poisons and asks a favor.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Sakura approached her research on poisons with a single-minded intensity that surprised even her.

Maybe it was the fact that she didn't need to be special to learn and use them, she didn't need to be anything but a bookworm with a library card. For someone who had seen time and time again the advantages of those around her had, the idea of something so easily accessible yet useful made her itch for more knowledge.

She started simple.

The number of books she was able to access compared to the ones in the Konoha library made her grit her teeth, but as always, she worked with what she had. As an Academy student, her clearance was barely above that of a civilian, baring her from even touching that majority of the scrolls and books.

(Not for lack of trying. She was not at all ashamed to admit that she had attempted to sneak into the areas restricted to her on more than one occasion. She'd stopped after they threatened to ban her from the library entirely, but she would never regret her actions in the pursuit of knowledge.)

Still, it was easy enough to find a book on plants. There weren't any that she could access that directly spoke of poisons, but if she was able to identify the plants she could begin collecting her own. It was enough.

It would have to be.

Sakura only had three months until the graduation test, and if, no, when she passed, she'd be placed on a genin team. It was likely that she'd be put on a team with two other clanless kids, seeing as she didn't have any specialization like some of the others.

So every day after she trained in the back of the Academy she visited the library. She read and read and read, sometimes not moving for hours at a time as she consumed scroll after scroll, book after book. She memorized every plant in Fire Country and began on those in Suna, Iwa, Kiri, Kumo-from anywhere and everywhere-if she could get her hands on it. She studied venomous animals like the snake she saw and learned where they live and what they look like.

She read because it's what she was good at.

She read and she learned.

"Sorry S-Sakura, my f-father doesn't want me to train with you."

Sakura resisted the urge to scowl, instead giving a nod to Hinata. "I understand. Thanks for asking." It wasn't Hinata's fault her family wouldn't allow them to train together so there was no use in being angry at her.

After more than a month of practice, it had come to Sakura's attention that as necessary as drilling in movements like throwing kunai and shuriken, there was only so much solo practice could do.

She didn't have anyone to train with outside of school, so she'd asked the one person she'd felt she could comfortably say was a friend. Sakura should have known better. Hinata was the Hyuuga heiress after all, why would they want to sully their clan's reputation by having her train with a clanless civilian born girl?

Maybe if she kept ignoring the pain and rage bundled in her chest it would go away.

She didn't exactly have many options, and the only other person she even talked to semi-regularly was…

Shino pushed up his glasses, posture straight and stoic as he stared at the board Iruka was writing on.

Him.

I really need someone to spar with.

So Sakura steeled herself, and resolved to ask him after class.

It had been over a month since her disastrous fight with Sasuke and her conversation with her mother. She hadn't realized how much she'd payed attention to him until she was actively trying to stop. Even now she would occasionally find herself going to sit beside him out of habit, or watching the back of his head instead of paying attention to Iruka.

Sakura forced herself to stop every time.

It was…unexpectedly freeing to not have to constantly wonder what he was doing and focus on herself. There was also the added benefit of the other girls not bothering her as much, now that she wasn't a love rival. Even Ino barely looked in her direction.

She wasn't sure if she was relived or hurt with being so easily forgotten.

The end of the school day was anticlimactic, with Iruka merely reminding them to finish their homework by the end of the week. Quickly packing as to not lose her target, Sakura turned to Shino.

"Hey, Shino? Can I ask you to do me a favour?"

He paused. "That depends on the favour. Why? Because I do not wish to promise something and then not deliver."

"It's nothing big," she assured him, except it was, for her anyway. "I just need someone to spar with outside of school, and was wondering if you would mind practicing with me."

Shino's brow furrowed.

Sakura tried not to be disappointed. Why would his answer be any different from Hinata's? She talked to him even less often and they could barely be considered friends. It was fine. She'd figure something-

"That is acceptable. Why? Because we are not often paired up in class and it would be a useful experience."

Wait what?

She blinked hard. "You're agreeing to spar with me?"

Shino tilted his head. "Yes, was my response not clear?"

Sakura fought the urge to squeal in joy-she didn't want to scare Shino off-as she shook her head. "Sorry! I just wasn't expecting you to agree."

He continued staring at her.

"Would-Would you be able to join me today? Or is another time better?" She couldn't believe her luck.

"Today is acceptable. Why? Because I have no other engagements. Where do you regularly train?"

Sakura hunched into herself slightly. "I uh, I just use the school grounds."

His brow furrowed. "Those are frequently in use with little privacy. Why would you train there?"

Sakura pushed down a wave of anger and shame. "It's not exactly like civilian-borns have a lot of places to train." She said, the words coming out sharper than she wanted them to. "I don't have any clan grounds and I can't reserve any other training areas until I make genin."

She doesn't know what she'd do if he mocked her, but it will be violent and loud and embarrassing.

"I apologize. Why? Because it seems my question has upset you. I was unaware of your lack of resources."

She blinked in surprise. "Oh…um…it's fine." She attempted a smile.

"Would you like to come to my clan compound to train?" he questioned. "I may not be able to allow you in if you are alone, but if I accompany you to train no one should take issue with it."

Her? Train at a clan compound with the best grounds? Hell yes.

Sakura's excitement turned into anxiety as they neared the compound.

"Are you sure your family would be okay with this?" She asked. "I thought that most clans don't like people just coming in."

She would much rather be denied right away than be kicked out once they got in. She wasn't sure she'd be able to handle the humiliation.

Shino glanced at her. "They should have no complaints." He responded. "Why? Because I invited you."

His words did little to quell the nerves fluttering in her stomach.

They only saw two people on their way to the training grounds, for which Sakura was grateful. There had been a lanky man carrying an armful of scrolls, and an old woman sitting on her porch, cutting an apple and putting a piece to the side for the insects around her. Both had been wearing similar clothing to Shino; large, high collared coats and tinted glasses.

Sakura tried not to be bitter as she saw the pristine state the training area was in.

"Where do you want to start?"

She lost.

A lot.

Even though close combat wasn't Shino's specialty, he could still beat her in plain taijutsu and she had bruises on top of bruises after the first training session.

He was nicer about it than Sasuke had ever been about his victories.

Though she hadn't had the courage to ask if this was just a one off, Shino invited her to come again on Thursday.

Thus began their routine.

Sakura still trained solo most days, but now twice a week she walked to the Aburame compound with Shino and sparred with him.

They didn't often fight all out, or using all of their abilities, but they didn't need to. Besides, it was good practice for if they ever were handicapped in some way.

She hadn't realized it before, but Shino was much more awkward than she'd originally thought. Sakura had assumed his loner nature was due to choice, but it became clear the more time she spent with him that he wasn't very good at talking to people. He was a strange mixture of sure of his logic, and unsure of the people around him.

It was around the third week of their sparring when someone took notice.

Sakura hadn't realized he was there, but in her defense she was much more focused on the barrage of kunai Shino had just sent flying at her.

She managed to avoid being cut, but at the expense of several bruises on her arms and knees that she would no doubt feel later. Scooping up a handful of dirt, she tossed it in his eyes before lunging with kunai in hand.

He managed to twist himself out of the way, but she switched her arms trajectory and hit his shoulder joint with the butt of her blade, causing him to stumble. Unfortunately, it also made her lose her balance.

They separated and regrouped.

"Well fought."

Sakura was not at all proud of the squeak she let out as she whipped her head towards the unknown voice.

A tall man with spikey black hair and a cream coloured coat stood several feet to the side, his features familiar for a reason she can't place.

Shino straightened from his stance, as pleased as she'd ever seen him look. "Father."

Sakura, who had been in the process of relaxing her posture, stiffened. This was Shino's dad? As in, the head of the Aburame clan?

Scrambling to remember the proper way to address him, she fell into a quick bow, suddenly a thousand times more aware of her unkept hair and filthy clothes. It wasn't surprising considering she'd been thrown to the ground more than once this afternoon, but it didn't make it any less embarrassing.

"It's nice to meet you, sir." She said politely, trying not to show how anxious she was. "I'm Sakura Haruno, one of Shino's classmates."

Was that okay? Should she have waited for him to directly talk to her first? God, she hoped he didn't make them stop training together.

It was nice while it lasted.

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well," He said. "Shino has told us much about you."

She smiled awkwardly. "All good things I hope."

The Aburame were notoriously hard to read, but after spending so much time around Shino, she was pretty sure the miniscule upturn of his lips was a smile. At least, she hoped so.

"Is there something you needed, father?" Shino questioned, and if she didn't know better she would have sworn the tips of his ears were red. "You are usually busy with the fields this time of year."

Shibi hummed. "I've come to invite Sakura to dinner." He explained. "I meant to do so earlier, but had come too late to catch you."

"Oh, I wouldn't want to impose." She said quickly, trying to think of a way out that wouldn't be rude.

"You wouldn't be imposing," He said. "Why? Because I am inviting you. Is there a conflict timing with your family?"

Sakura very much wished there was. In reality, the day before her mother had warned her that she would be working late at the shop and her father wasn't due to be home for another three weeks.

She could always lie, but-

But Shino was looking at her as eagerly as he was capable of. He was helping her get better, and allowing her access to his clan training grounds. She could survive one family dinner if it made him happy.

"Nope! Both my parents are away from the house right now."

Somehow, Shibi's gaze seemed approving. "Then would you mind joining us for dinner?"

Please don't be a mistake please don't be a mistake please don't be a mistake-

"I would love to."

Notes:

Hey y'all, hope you're having a good day.

Yay! Shino and Sakura's friendship is progressing! I originally was going to have Hinata be the one to help her improve, but then realized that Hinata's dad is a dick, and would likely not allow Hinata to be anywhere without his permission and knowledge, and would never want to have his clan associated with a civilian born.

Also, let's talk about Hinata's dad real quick. What. The. Fuck. Remember how he killed that one cloud fucker and then the cloud village (in some weirdly demanding politics considering that THEY were the ones who broke the peace treaty. Nice job Hiruzen.) demanded he be sent to them so they could have his eyes. The village obviously doesn't want that to happen so they instead send his twin brother-aka, Neji's dad. They make it seem like it was Hizashi's choice, but in reality, if he hadn't chosen to do so, the clan elders or village leaders would have likely forced him to, considering that he would be deemed less valuable than Hiashi. So saying it was his choice would be a little misleading. Also, we're supposed to like him more after he reveals this to Neji, but hey, remember the fact that he emotionally abused his daughter and pitted his children against each other, and instead of telling Hinata that it's okay not to want to fight that she was a failure? because i do. Also remember how he continued a barbaric and cruel practice to sea children with an obedience seal making it so that they were practically slaves and could be forced to do literally anything by the main house? Cause i fucking do.

In conclusion, fuck that guy, and fuck Kishimoto for trying to make him seem better than the fuckwad he is.

I actually really like the Aburame clan, and was disappointed that they didn't go more in detail with each clan, Like you get the general idea, but i want more of that, especially since there is so much potential. For instance, i would think that the Aburame would have a lot to do with the crops Konoha and Fire Country produce, because there are a lot of bugs that are helpful to their growth and they would know the best ways to keep away bugs that were harmful.

But you know, who cares about world building? clearly not Kishimoto since he threw his out the window for bigger ninja battles.

Remember when the water dragon Zabuza and Kakashi threw at each other was considered powerful?

Good times.

In other news, i will be removing all plot armor and vetoing the moon goddess and all that other bullshit. No reincarnations for you.

Also, remember how Itachi unlocked the Mangekyo by killing his clan? would he even have it without the Uchiha massacre? i'm trying to decide whether he should or not so let me know your opinions.

Next chapter will be the family dinner.

Ask me random questions, i find them fun.

Constructive criticism is welcome, hate will be laughed at and the gay will be strong.

Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye.

Chapter 4: Dinner With The Family

Summary:

Sakura has dinner with the Aburame's and learns something about herself.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Sakura doesn't know what she expected, but this wasn't it.

Shino's house was large, branching off into several directions. There was an enormous dining area, and the roof was at least thirty feet up. Despite the size however, the inside wasn't all that full.

"This area is for clan dinners or celebrations." Shino explained when she asked. "We do not often use this area of the house."

Shibi led them into a much cozier section portion of their home. There were books and plants littered everywhere, as well as pictures of the family.

"The kids should clean up for diner." Sakura managed to surpass her second squeal of the day, turning to see a pale woman with dark brown hair. "Why? Because the food is nearly ready and it is poor manners shed dirt on the table."

Sakura very much wished she had a change of clothes, but was thankful nonetheless for the opportunity to make herself look slightly less like she'd been rolling around in the dirt. She had been, but that wasn't the point.

This was her first impression on clan leaders, even if it was a simple dinner. If she messed up here, she could kiss any future help from the Aburame goodbye, no matter if she remained friends with Shino.

After the bathroom door closed, she took off her shirt, shaking it out to the best of her ability. There wasn't nearly enough time to wash it, so she just did the same with her shorts. Sakura didn't have a brush on her, so she simply put her long hair in a braid in an attempt to hide its tangles, before scrubbing her arms and face with soap and water.

When she looked in the mirror again, she was at least somewhat presentable.

Come on Sakura, you're twelve years old. You can handle one dinner.

Stealing herself, Sakura opened the door.

Shibi did not know what to think of Shino's friend.

She'd had no problem tussling with his son in the dirt, but had looked obviously uncomfortable with her appearance as soon he had made himself known.

He'd been able to gather that she was a civilian-born Academy student from his son's tales and was surprised at how close they seemed. While there were exceptions, most children and even adult shinobi found the insects their clan hosted disturbing, their lack of visible emotions only making it worse.

His wonderful wife glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "Well?"

Shiori knew him too well. "I find it unlikely she's only friends with him out of a desire to garner more connections."

As much as Shibi would like to believe Shino was able to form meaningful relationships with people who had no ulterior motive, he was a shinobi, and you never left that paranoia behind, even at home.

Their fears were not unfounded; it would be far from the first time that those less fortunate had attempted to gain favor by becoming friends with their clan peers. It didn't happen as often with the Aburame, but it happened none the less.

On paper, Sakura Haruno fit the bill. Civilian-born, but talented and stubborn enough to stay on route to being a kunoichi despite her disadvantages.

Despite that, Sakura showed very few signs of deception, her affection for Shino coming off clear as day. Someone looking for connections would have jumped at the chance to have dinner with the head of any clan, yet she'd only decided to after seeing how much Shino hoped she would.

Shibi was glad. The Aburame had few allies and even fewer friends. Seeing his son with someone he would be able to trust eased his mind.

The girl in question edged her way into the dinning room, hair now swept into a braid and most of the dirt scrubbed from her skin.

"Is there anything I can help with?" She asked.

He saw an approving glint in Shiori's eyes. "There are plates in the cupboard beside me. You may place them on the table."

Shibi busied himself with seasoning the vegetables, handing the dish to a fresh-clothed Shino. There was a comfortable silence as the four of them worked together, and soon the table was set and the food was laid out.

"How was the Academy?" Shiori asked. "You had a quiz today, didn't you?"

Shino nodded, taking a bite of the rice. "It was to identify the different symptoms of poisons, as well as their potential cures." He explained. "I am sure I answered everything correctly except the final bonus question."

"Oh, that was yew." Sakura spoke up, looking considerably more cheered than before. "There aren't really notable symptoms until it's almost too late, so most people who've been poisoned by it don't even realise. Unless you have an antidote or medic on hand it's difficult to counteract compounds with it involved."

It was…somewhat surprising that she'd been able to answer the question while Shino had not. The Aburame were very familiar with plants as they were a part of the ecosystem their insects lived in. It wasn't something most Academy students would know, as most of them focused on the flashier parts of shinobi training.

Shino's brow furrowed. "I do not recall that being in the notes."

Sakura shrugged. "I read it somewhere else. That's probably why it was a bonus question."

"Are you interested in poisons?" Shibi questioned.

Sakura glanced away. "I uh, I've been doing some reading." She said shyly. "I don't have a premade specialty like the clan kids or some of the shinobi born ones, so I figured that I could focus on poison. You don't have to be special to use it."

She didn't say and I'm not special, but she might as well have.

There was a silence at the table, and Sakura internally cursed herself. Why would they care about what she was researching? Hopefully they didn't use that as a reason for why she wouldn't be able to train with Shino. Kami, she could already imagine it. "You're looking into poisons to make up for the fact that you're not actually skilled? You clearly aren't good enough to train with Shino."

"Poisons take a lot of time to specialize in, so it is a good idea to get a head start." Shiori said with a nod. "However, I recommend not experimenting until you have a teacher to supervise you."

She let out a surprised laugh. "Oh, kami no! I'm not stupid enough to do that. I've read enough of the potential side effects to put me off of even considering doing something like that." Tension she hadn't realized was there bled out of her shoulders.

Shibi took a bite of a carrot. "Are you able to preform the Academy three?" he questioned.

Coming from anyone else, she might have been offended, but there was something about the way he was asking that didn't rouse her temper. He wasn't asking as though he expected she wouldn't be able to, but rather out of necessity for his following question. For all the socially awkward statements the Aburame made, she was coming to understand that they weren't asking to be rude.

"I can." She affirmed.

"Sakura is one of the best in our class at creating the henge." Shino chimed in. "And has consistently been one of the first to pick up chakra exercises."

Sakura blinked in surprise. She hadn't realized that he'd been paying attention. Despite the fact that it had gotten her harassed even more on the days the teachers praised her, it had been one of the only things that had kept her going when she contemplated leaving the Academy.

Shibi considered her, expression unreadable behind the high collar and tinted glasses. "You do not have access to jutsu books or any other way to get techniques that aren't taught at the Academy." It wasn't a question.

Sakura shook her head anyway, unsure of where this was going.

"Would you like to have a piece of chakra paper?"

She froze.

Did she want a piece of chakra paper? What kind of question was that?! Of course she wanted one. Even if she wasn't able to begin learning any elemental jutsu until she graduated, she'd be able to start her research and have a head start.

"Yes." She blurted out. "That-yes. Please."

Her cheeks were burning, and she resisted the urge to fidget under the collective gaze of the three Aburame. The majority of the food had been eaten, and now there were very few excuses she could use to look away.

"Come with me."

Sakura had done her best not to gawk at the large house, but when they got to the library she wasn't able to contain herself.

Shelves stacked to the ceiling, wall to wall and completely filled with books. It was fuller than the one she went to, books in pristine condition and she'd be afraid to even touch one of them.

Yet her fingers twitched with the urge to run a finger across their spine.

And you'll never be able to read any of them. A nasty voice sneered in her head.

Shibi had gone behind several shelves, instructing her to stay where she was. The lack of supervision made it even more tempting to take a look at just one book, just to see a glimpse. She resisted, not wanting to get on the Aburame's bad side.

It turned out to be the right decision, as Shibi returned swiftly, holding a small square of paper. He wordlessly offered it to her.

Sakura hesitated. Was it unfair that she found out her chakra natures before the other kids? She knew this was generally something the jounin sensei would do for their genin…

Unfair? Like how they get extra help at home? Like the better equipment they're just handed? Like their futures which they don't need to worry about?

Her hand closed around the paper.

It was smoother than she was expecting, as well as several times thicker than the type she used for school.

"Are you aware of how to use it?" Shibi questioned.

Sakura bit her lip. "I just channel chakra into it, right? And it'll either burst into flame, crumple, crumble, be cut in half or get soggy."

Shino tilted his head. "Have you researched this before?"

She shrugged. "I like to read." It's the only thing I'm good at. Taking a deep breath, she pushed a small amount of chakra into the paper.

It immediately folded in her hand, the now wet parchment folding heavily before completely crumbling in her hand and onto the floor.

Oh.

"It appears you have two chakra natures." Shibi said, just as unreadable as before. "Earth is not exactly common, and I believe water is extremely rare for a Fire Country shinobi, despite the fact that our first Hokage had both."

Sakura knew exactly why she had water nature and there was absolutely no way she was going to say anything about it.

Water nature may be rare in Fire Country, but in Water Country it was all too common. Her father had been born in Kiri and moved to Konoha when he was in his early twenties. He didn't say much about his homeland, but she knew he had moved because the third Mizukage had been steadily making things worse, and it had been dangerous. Her father was no shinobi, but that didn't spare him from any of the harsh realities.

Sakura had never been ashamed of her father or where he came from, and neither had her mother, but that didn't mean everyone was so understanding.

"I didn't know that." She lied. "Thank you again for doing this."

Shibi looked at her curiously. "It was a pleasure. You are welcome in our home anytime."

Sakura's heart warmed.

Much later, Sakura was sitting alone in her bed, the sun having set long ago.

You're being ridiculous. The sane part of her argued. It's a kekkei genkai. The whole point of them is that they can't be done by people outside of the family.

And yet…

She stared and the old pot she had dragged into her room, and the oak seed that was resting in her palm.

It wouldn't hurt to try, would it? Only she would know if she failed.

Slowly, she dug into the dirt and placed the seed down.

She reached inside for her chakra, the pool pitifully small, and pushed it into where the oak was.

Grow.

Notes:

Hey y'all, hope you're having a good day.

Cliff hanger! Will Sakura be able to make the seed grow? Find out, whenever i get around to writing the next chapter.

Also, when you have to make a character name and personality up because they don't exist in canon. I'm pretty sure like, 80% of the mothers in naruto just don't exist. Because why would you want more female character? That's ridiculous.

If you couldn't tell, that was sarcasm.

Me realizing this one small detail that i want to change will have extreme repercussions throughout the universe bc Kishimoto made everything ridiculously connected and dumb: Fuck, guess I'll just change a shit ton of things then.

This is gonna be wild guys.

There are so many things i'm going to change, and so many characters who got done dirty that i am going to avenge. It's gonna be great, and also take forever to change because goddamn did things get convoluted.

Do you guys have any questions about my opinion on things in the Naruto universe? Because i have lots of opinions, so feel free to ask me.

Constructive criticism is welcome, hate will be laughed at and the gay will be strong.

Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye

Chapter 5: Here Lies The Starting Line

Summary:

The next few months up until the graduation exam

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Nothing happened.

Sakura tried to contain her disappointment. It wasn't like you were expecting anything to happen anyway. The logical part of her reasoned.

But something nagged in her mind, something that refused to let go. Why can't I do it? It whispered. Why is it considered a kekkei genkai? Why? Why? Why?

Sakura had always been curious and had asked a lot of questions the way many kids did. Unlike other kids, she'd learned quickly what she wasn't allowed to ask and what made people uncomfortable.

Don't ask about clan techniques or secrets and don't point out their weaknesses. Don't ask for deeper explanations about the subtle propaganda they fed to everyone. Why questions were particularly disliked, so she learned to keep her mouth shut and watch instead of ask. People often showed their true intentions rather than saying them, and Sakura had managed to avoid getting into trouble more than once by observing.

There was no way she'd be able to ask about this, so she would just have to watch.

Konoha wasn't built in a day, so it would make sense for her to not be able to use the Mokuton yet. The only way she would know is if she kept trying.

She who ventures and achieves nothing had gained more than those who didn't dare.

Kakashi glared at the folder in his hand, trying to mentally will it to burst aflame.

If anyone other than the Hokage himself had not ordered this, he might have burned it himself.

Not that he'd ever say it to his face, but the old man must have gone senile if he thought giving Kakashi a genin team was a good idea. One with the son of his sensei no less.

He was tempted to just ignore the folders and wing it. Teaching kids couldn't be that hard, could it? He knew he had learned quickly as a child so wouldn't he be able to show them a technique and then leave them to it?

The higher ups probably wouldn't let him get away with that.

Kakashi let out a sigh, deciding to bite the bullet and finally opening the folder.

Name: Sasuke Uchiha

Age: 12

Height: 148cm

Weight: 42kg

Rank: Academy student

Affiliation: Konoha

Clan: Uchiha

Immediate family: Fugaku Uchiha, Mikoto Uchiha, Itachi Uchiha

Blood type: AB

Combat classification: Ninjutsu

Combat ranking: 1st

Theoretical ranking: 2nd

Personality: Ambitious. Confident bordering on arrogant. Antisocial.

Additional notes: Has shown to be hostile towards peers. Does not respect those he deems weaker than him.

Kakashi wrinkled his nose. Placing him with an Uchiha was bad enough-some of them still hated the fact that he had Obito's eye no matter how many times it was explained to them that it was a gift-but they put him with one a near identical personality chart as his own had been when he'd graduated.

These weren't the entire folders the village had on these kids-the full ones were filled with every minute detail and mannerism-but it was frowned upon for jounin sensei's to look at the full ones less they develop too many preconceived notions of their students and didn't bother to get to know them. Stupid in Kakashi's opinion, but he really didn't want to read more than he had to.

He put Sasuke's file down and picked up the one with the name Naruto imprinted on it, ignoring the pang in his heart.

Name: Naruto Uzumaki

Age: 12

Height: 145cm

Weight: 40kg

Rank: Academy student

Affiliation: Konoha

Clan: Uzumaki

Immediate family: None

Blood type: B

Combat classification: Taijutsu

Combat ranking: 9th

Theoretical ranking: 32nd

Personality: Exuberant. Eager to please and prove himself. Ambitious.

Additional notes: Dislikes and is unreceptive to any form of book learning. May cause trouble if he feels he is being ignored.

It was easier to read the file than see him. The file was detached. Analytical. It made it easier to pretend the gaping whole in his chest didn't exist, pretend that the guilt wasn't still eating him alive.

Pushing those thoughts aside, he opened the last folder.

At least it can't get any worse.

Name: Sakura Haruno

Age: 12

Height: 150cm

Weight: 37kg

Rank: Academy student

Affiliation: Konoha

Clan: None

Immediate family: Mebuki Haruno, Kizashi Haruno

Blood type: O

Combat classification: Genjutsu

Combat ranking: 11th

Theoretical ranking: 1st

Personality: Reserved. Curious. Emotional.

Additional notes: Has a tendency to question orders. Civilian-born.

So not only did they place him with Naruto and an Uchiha-Itachi's brother no less-but they also put him with a civilian-born? It was like the Hokage was trying to kill him?

Friend killer Kakshi finally meets his end, killed by his genin team.

He mentally shook himself. Nothing he could do about this now.

Sakura stared in shock, not quite believing what she was seeing.

It was two weeks after she had first decided to experiment with the Mokuton, each attempt leading to the same result.

Nothing.

That was, until today, when she managed something completely unexpected.

She'd been upset because she had lost every one of her sparring matches. It had felt that despite all her work she would never manage to catch up and that all her effort was useless. To make matters worse, she couldn't train with Shino because he had a clan meeting, and the school grounds were being used by the year below them for the entire week for survival training.

By the time she'd returned home to an empty house, Sakura had practically been boiling with rage. She had tried to make it a habit to attempt the Mokuton three times a day. Once before she sent to school, once when she returned from it, and once before she went to bed. That way she was trying multiple times a day, but not too many in a row so she was less likely to get frustrated.

Not wanting to break the habit despite her anger, Sakura had sat down next to the pot and pushed chakra into the seed a little more aggressively than she usually did, paying less attention to how much she'd put in it as well.

The seed exploded.

The shock had cut through her rage, leaving her gaping and frozen. This wasn't what she'd been trying to do, not by a long shot, but it was something. Proof that her attempts weren't completely in vain, proof that it was possible.

Maybe.

She repeated the process four more times to make sure it wasn't a fluke, and felt lightheaded with giddiness.

Progress.

Now if she could only find a way to do something other than make it explode.

Ino was furious, and she wasn't sure why.

That was actually a lie. She knew exactly why she was mad, but she'd rather swear off boys than admit it.

"You know I think you stare at her as much as Sasuke these days."

Ino whipped her head around to glare at Shikamaru. "I do not!" she said indignantly. "Besides, if I were, it would only be to gawk at her huge forehead."

The words came easily, rehearsed and with less bite than they'd had before. It had been easy when Sakura had been her love rival, easy still when they fought for top marks and traded insults in equal measure. But ever since her sparing match with Sasuke, Sakura had retreated into herself, barely engaging with anyone.

So now the end of their friendship meant nothing? Their rivalry that had been the whole reason for them splitting up was tossed aside so casually it made Ino's blood boil, because it made her feel like Sakura had tossed aside her as well. Had she ever meant anything to Sakura? Her former rival now spent all her time with Hinata and Shino of all people, so what was she supposed to think?

Shikamaru glanced at her with one eyebrow raised, clearly not buying anything she'd said.

It was infuriating how easily he could read her, but it worked out in the end. She didn't need to say much for him to understand what she meant and she never needed to worry about him getting offended over things she didn't mean. Not that the lazy moron ever really got offended over anything.

"I thought you'd be happy," Chouji chimed in, stuffing a handful of chips in his mouth. "You were always complaining about her liking Sasuke before."

And she should be happy, so why wasn't she?

"You know, if you went up and talked to her, I don't think she would ignore you." Shikamaru said, leaning back in his chair. "You were friends for a long time, I'm sure you could be again."

Ino scoffed. "Why would I ever want to be friends with someone with that big of a forehead." Her words carried over the class, easily loud enough that everyone could hear.

Sakura glanced up, green eyes flashing with hurt before hardening. She then very purposely turned her back on Ino and towards Shino, not once glancing back.

Have you completely forgotten about me?

"I'm hoooooooooooooooome!"

Sakura nearly jumped out of her skin at the booming voice, the water affinity scroll that she'd managed to weasel out of Iruka falling to the ground.

Mebuki looked up from her place at the dinner table, thread still between her teeth yet managing to pull off a distinctly unimpressed look.

Before she knew it, Sakura was scooped into a bear hug as Kizashi plucked her right off the couch, her feet dangling in the air.

"Dad!" She squirmed in his hold so she could properly get her arms around him. "You're back!"

He ruffled her hair. "That I am! I see you're still devouring books. What are you reading this time-" He froze.

Sakura followed his gaze to the scroll she had been reading, nerves she hadn't realized existed bubbling up.

"I uh, I found out my chakra affinities while you were gone." She said awkwardly, avoiding his gaze. "I got water and earth."

Her father may not be a shinobi, but he wasn't stupid, and he understood the significance well enough. She wasn't ashamed of it or him, she wasn't, but she understood what it could mean for her future and the way others treated her.

His gaze softened. "Just like your old man, huh?" He rested his hand on her shoulder squeezing reassuringly.

Sakura smiled up at him, attempting to swallow the lump in her throat. "Yeah." She said, her voice cracking. "Yeah, I am."

Mebuki gently cleared her throat. "I'm not in the mood to cook, and doubt you are either after your trip. How about we eat out tonight as a treat?"

Kizashi grinned. "Sounds perfect! How about that place near your work? They have amazing dumplings."

"You and your dumplings." Mebuki rolled her eyes, setting down her needle. "But I suppose since you just got back, you get to pick."

With a grin, Kizashi sidled next to Mebuki, kissing her on the cheek. "You're the best."

She put on a mock stern look. "And don't you forget it."

The three of them fell into a fit of laughter.

Sakura waited until Mebuki went to their bedroom to change before turning to Kizashi once more. "Could you-would you tell me about Kiri?" She questioned. "There isn't much that doesn't seem biased in the library and-" she took a deep breath. "-and I really want to know."

He didn't often talk of his homeland, the times he did were either littered with old fear and bitterness, or wistful fondness. It wasn't like he completely ignored where he was from, but despite the culture aspects he had taught her, Sakura still didn't know as much as she'd like to. It might even help with her elemental jutsu, seeing as water nature would be much more common in Kiri.

He surveyed her, uncharacteristically silent. His hand had fallen to the compass at his waist. It was an old, worn thing, with waves carved into the metal on the side. She knew it was one of the few things he still had from his family in Kirigakure.

A small, sad smile broke out across his expression. "Of course." He said tenderly. "What would you like to know?"

Iruka brought his hand down, signaling for the two students in front of him to begin the match. "Start!"

Ami immediately lunged for Sakura, arm outstretched as she aimed for the her face.

Skura sidestepped the attack, causing Ami to stumble enough so that she could launch an attack of her own.

The elbow that connected was well placed and effective.

Sakura retreated slightly, causing the two girls to begin circling on another, Ami's expression furious yet undeniably wary.

The next time they clashed, Ami managed to shove the Sakura to the ground, fighting to keep her mediocrely executed pin in place.

"Why don't you just give up?" Ami sneered. "Not like someone with that big of a forehead will ever amount to anything."

Normally Iruka would scold her, but verbal warfare was a part of shinobi battles, and real enemies would be much crueler than this playground teasing.

Sakura rammed her forehead into Ami's nose, a loud crack ringing throughout the training field. From there she flipped their positions and placed an arm on Ami's throat.

"My forehead is actually quite useful." She said triumphantly.

"Match over! Sakura is the winner." To his knowledge this was the first time Sakura had ever beaten Ami in a spar of any kind.

"You broke my nose!" Ami cried out, scrambling to her feet.

Sakura stood taller, a proud smile dancing across her lips. "Yes, yes I did."

If he didn't have to set a good example, Iruka would have laughed.

The day Sakura had been both dreading and wishing for had finally arrived.

Exam day.

Today was the day that she would either graduate the Academy or be forced to stay behind a year. The latter was not and option.

She made her way over to the pot on her windowsill, plucking a new seed from the box she kept them in. Sakura had been forced to start collecting them now that she was consistently exploding them.

She was just glad it didn't make much noise, her mother would have her head if she had to hear a loud bang on top of her father's antics.

Despite her training, Sakura still didn't have much chakra to spare, and seeing as this was exam day, she did not want to be running low.

So instead of pushing the usual amount, she gently let her chakra flow into the seed, tightly controlling how much she was using as to not let any go to waste.

Time seemed to slow as an oak sprout just barely pushed itself out of the dirt.

It was tiny really, could barely even be considered a sprout, but it was there. She did that. Her! A civilian-born nobody had just replicated the Mokuton. The supposed kekkei genkai that the First Hokage had had!

Oh Kami, she was going to faint.

"Sakura! If you don't get going you're going to be late!"

Crap! The exam!

Notes:

Hey y'all, hope you're having a good day.

Whooo! We're finally moving past the Academy, now i can get this shit rolling. i am going to be changing A LOT, so if you're looking for a fic that doesn't change much except a few characters, you're in the wrong place.

Also yes! Sakura can use the Mokuton. Rest assured that this will not be a fast badass fic, Sakura will lose and will lose often. It's goign to be a long grind so buckle up folks, we're gonna go for a ride.

Kishimoto: Explicity states that Sakura is a genjutsu type

Also Kishimoto: does absolutely nothing with it

In other news, yes Sakura is going to be with the original team 7, but obviously, things aren't going to be the same. I'm also going to be utilizing the other villages as well as side characters a lot more, because i think the other villages are fascinating that the fact that they were never explored is a crime against literature.

That seems to be a theme with Kishimoto; he introduces really fascinating and complex ideas and then proceeds to either do nothing with them, or execute them so poorly you wish they'd never existed in the first place.

I do think that Ino would be really conflicted once Sakura got over Sasuke, because that was the main reason for the splitting. Again, Ino isn't a bad person, but she's 12 and hormones are annoying and she doesn't really know better. For her character i'm going to emphasize the fact that her father is the head of the Intelligence division, and she would be a really good interrogator and spy. The Yamanaka's trademark is literally getting into people's heads, so i can for sure see her on intel gathering missions or working at T&I. She is sadly one of the many casualties of poorly written female characters in shounen. They make her seems like a dumb blonde half the time, and that it's bad that she's interested in her looks. Legit she should be working in the intelligence division during and after the time skip and paying attention to your looks tells you exactly nothing about how smart a person is. Get your misogyny the fuck out of here.

Also while we're on the topic, when Asuma died, Choji and Ino should have had more of a role in the revenge against Hidan and Kakuzu. I 100% support the arc that focused on Shikamaru, but Asuma was Ino and Choji's sensei too, so they really have been put more in the spotlight. Like, why couldn't more of the Konoha 12 been focused on? It's not like they didn't have potential, so why did Kishimoto constantly squander it?

In later chapters when Sakura interacts with them, i will be talking about Tenten, Neji, and Rock Lee, and next chapter i'll begin my rant on Kakashi. I have many grievances, and if i don't let them all out i will become a being of pure rage.

Ask me my opinions on things or just random questions, comments are my lifeblood so go wild.

Constructive criticism is welcome, hate will be laughed at and the gay will be strong.

Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye

Chapter 6: Unexpected Teammates

Summary:

Sakura finds out who's on her team.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

The classroom was buzzing with excitement.

Twenty seven of the thirty-two students in their class passed, the other five forced to retake the year. Those who remained now sat at their desks, eagerly awaiting Iruka to make the announcement.

Sakura was practically vibrating in her seat. She'd done it! All her hard work had payed off! This was her first major step to becoming a jounin. She was a genin!

"Whose team do you think you'll be on, S-Sakura?" Hinata questioned, her headband placed snuggly on the base of her throat.

That was something Sakura had pondered over for weeks. Considering her background and the fact that she didn't have any specialty. She would most likely be placed on a team with two other clanless kids and a competent, but not famous jounin-sensei.

It made sense. Ino, Shikamaru and Chouji were destined to be on the same team, and she had a hunch that Hinata, Shino and Kiba would be together as well. In all likelihood, she would be on a team with none of her friends. Worst case scenario she got placed with her former bullies.

It wouldn't be ideal, but they had been warier of her ever since she'd broken Ami's nose, and she was confident in her ability to push aside her grievances and work with them if she had to.

"QUIET!" Iruka boomed, the noise in the room immediately evaporating. "I will be announcing your teams now. After that, your sensei's will come to pick you up. You will be on your best behavior." It was not a request.

Anticipation filled the air, everyone holding their breath.

"Team 6 will be Kageyama, Nami, and Tooru."

The three named glanced at one another, not friends, but friendly with one another.

"Team 8 will be Kiba, Shino, and Hinata."

The latter two named shared a nod of acknowledgement.

It was always nice to be right about things like this. It seemed that her ability to predict the teams was pretty good so far.

"Team 9 will be Saeko, Haido, and Nawaki."

Iruka continued to list out names, glaring whenever excited whispering would break out. There were only nine left who hadn't been called out, including her. Any more waiting and she might just implode.

"Team 7 will be Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura."

What.

Shock paralyzed her limbs and her mouth hung open. In all of the possible combinations of teams that she had though of, this one had never crossed her mind.

This-this was a nightmare scenario. There was no possible way she had heard Iruka correctly.

But Shino and Hinata's looks of concern, Naruto's shout of elation and Sasuke's scoff told her that this wasn't a prank or a wild dream she was having. It was real. All her carefully crafted plans and expectations were now thrown out the window, all her preparations now worth practically nothing.

Her teammates were Naruto and Sasuke.

Fuck.

Sakura managed to wind her panic down to controllable levels in the ensuing minutes, pushing down her inevitable breakdown just enough to wish her friends luck when they left with their sensei.

One by one, all the other student streamed out of their class until it was just the three of them left. Even Iruka said he needed to get going for his shift at the mission desk.

Half an hour passed. Then an hour.

Naruto had taken up trying to get a rise out of Sasuke, who only responded with sneers and scoffs. Sakura did her best to go unnoticed by them, taking up residence in a corner to read a scroll she had brought.

Hour two passed and there was still no sensei.

Hadn't Naruto failed his exam? She had seen him sitting on the swing outside the Academy yesterday and had witnessed his abysmal attempts at creating a clone. He had always been bad at chakra control.

So why was he here?

Hour three passed and Sakura was beginning to get irritated. Had their jounin-sensei forgotten about them? Was this a convoluted test of their patience? As time dragged on, the answer did not become any clearer.

At least the waiting gave her time to come to terms with her new reality. A year ago, she would have been over the moon to be on the same team as Sasuke, but now she felt only discomfort. She still had not forgotten his cruel words.

"She'll never be anything but canon fodder."

She hadn't forgiven him either. He had not once apologized or showed that he was remorseful in any way, so he didn't deserve it. Sasuke had been unkind, and had clearly shown that he did not respect her. He thought he was better than her, and would've been her last choice to have on a team.

Yet, here she was.

It wasn't like Sakura was fond of Naruto either. She found him obnoxious, and his lack of care for book knowledge frustrated her. Not to mention he was always skipping class and making a fool of himself. He had even put up a small prank for their jounin-sensei, completely ignoring the fact that there was no way any shinobi worth their salt wouldn't be able to sense it coming.

Halfway through hour three, they heard footsteps.

They all perked up, some more noticeably than the others, and the door opened.

The chalkboard eraser Naruto had placed above the door fell, hitting the grey-haired man squarely on the top of his head before tumbling onto the ground.

Seriously?

The masked man clapped his hands together, his one uncovered eye crinkling in what she assumed was an indication of a smile. "My first impression is…I hate you."

Sakura balked at the harsh words, shock and confusion spreading as she stared blankly at the stranger.

"Meet me on the roof in one minute."

And then he was gone.

Sakura made it two the roof with eight seconds to spare, allowing the competitive and pushing boys ahead of her a fairly wide girth.

The man was there waiting for them, perched on the edge of the roof in a lazy crouch. "That was pretty slow." He commented. "We'll have to work on that."

She pushed down a flash or irritation and smoothed over her features. It was no use letting her anger take over here. She wanted to make a good impression and refused to let her temper win.

"Introduce yourselves." He said with little ceremony.

Naruto frowned. "What are we supposed to say!? Why don't you go first, sensei?"

As much as Sakura agreed with him, did he have to be so loud?

The man did his little eye smile again and released a contemplative hum. "Well, my name is Kakashi Hatake. I like some things, and dislike others. My dream is my own business and I have a few hobbies."

So we learned nothing but his name. Fantastic.

Naruto was not as willing to remain silent. "You barely told us anything!" he burst out.

Kakashi shrugged. "Why don't you go next then, show us how you think it should have been done."

Naruto straightened. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki! I like ramen and don't like the three minutes it takes for ramen to cook. My hobby is pulling pranks and my dream is to become Hokage, believe it!"

Sasuke made a disbelieving noise. "That'll never happen, Dead Last."

Naruto scowled. "It will! And since you're so judgy, why don't you go?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I dislike a lot more things than I like, including loud idiots." He continued over Naruto's offended squawk. "My hobby is training and I will one day surpass my older brother."

The three of them then turned to her.

Sakura willed her racing heart to slow. "My name is Sakura Haruno." She began steadily. "I like hanging out with my friends, and dislike having to wash my hair after a training session. My hobby is gardening-" Experimenting with a thought to be dead but not really kekkei genkai counted as gardening, right? "-and my dream is…"

She trailed off.

Should she even bother? Her current audience wasn't ideal, so what would be the point of exposing her real goal? She already knew Sasuke's opinion of her, and who was to say that this jounin was any different.

Do you care what they think?

Kakashi watched as his only female student fell silent, a conflicted expression donning her face.

She squared her shoulders. "My goal is to become a jounin." She said firmly.

The baby Uchiha scoffed. To him, becoming a jounin was the minimum expectation. Of course he would get that high in the ranks, so why would be bother making a big deal about it?

Anger flashed across Sakura's expression, her nails digging into her arm deep enough that he could smell the beginnings of blood.

It was clear that none of them were satisfied with this team, and the chances of them working together were slim. They would likely fail his test tomorrow and he couldn't say he was sorry, despite the hell he knew Fugaku and the Elders were going to raise.

"Aren't you an ambitious lot. Well, before any of that happens, you'll have to meet me at training ground 3 tomorrow at dawn."

Naruto frowned. "For what?"

He grinned sadistically. "Survival training."

Sakura had three ways to destress herself.

First, was reading. She was practically a knowledge sponge, and there was no better way than to take her mind of something that was frustrating her. She could get lost in reading and ignore the unpleasantness of reality for as long as she stared at those pages.

The second was working in her mother's shop. Her mother being tailor meant she'd been able to sew before she could walk, and there were days that the mindless menial labour was just what she needed. It was simple yet required enough concentration that she didn't have the brain space to worry about anything outside of what she was doing.

The last was something she rarely did anymore, the activity something she wasn't able to do in the comfort indoors provided. Swimming in a river while the sun was about to start setting may seem like an idiotic move, but Sakura had been going through this route since before she'd entered the Academy, and would be able to find her way home with her eyes closed.

Sinking into the water was as calming as it always was. The cool evening air caused chills to run through her, and Sakura welcomed the cold before ducked under the rushing waves.

When she had been younger and her father hadn't been away as much, he would take her to this place on bad days. They would stay there for hours, doing nothing put playing in the water and enjoying each others company.

When his merchant guild had begun growing, he'd end up leaving more for his trips. But every time he was home they would go at least once to this very spot. The river here was slow, not nearly fast enough to sweep away even the smallest of children. It was an optimal place to soak, its shores hidden amongst thick bushes.

Sakura was hot tempered, and she knew it. Small things could send her into a rampage or a panic and those emotions could change on a dime. Being in the water felt like she was calming down, like the coolness of the river was seeping all of her irrationality and mood swings away. It helped her think, and right now, that was just what she needed to do.

Fact one: I am on the same team as Naruto and Sasuke.

An unfortunate reality she was going to have to accept. She hadn't gotten this far by giving up when something was unpleasant. None of them were going to be able to work cohesively as a team and any attempts to do so on their own would likely result in disaster, and considering they were mostly likely meant to be a combat squad, their chances of getting injured were much higher. Naruto hated book learning, Sasuke looked down on both of them, and Sakura wasn't fond of either of them. This was going to be a mess.

Fact two: Our jounin sensei is…weird.

Kakashi Hatake was probably famous. It wasn't like the Uchiha would be happy with just any random shinobi, and considering Naruto was an Uzumaki, one of the last alive after Uzushio had been destroyed, there would likely be push for him to have a good sensei as well. Even if he didn't have parents-where did he live anyway?-she had also seen him hang around the Hokage more than once, so even if Kakashi was strange, he was likely very, very good.

Fact three: I was not put on this team to succeed.

This was perhaps the hardest pill to swallow, but one she must regardless. Sakura was not fit to be on a combat squad, not really. She wasn't strong enough to be a front liner, her theoretical knowledge and general competence more useful in information gathering. Naruto had seemingly endless stamina and enormous chakra reserves, and even if he struggled with the basics, he could be devastating in a fight if he learned a powerful jutsu. Sasuke was much the same, his speed and skill making him the best fighter in the class, and he already knew several fire jutsu.

Sakura had none of that. She had above average chakra control and was a sponge for knowledge. She never shined in Practical, only truly standing out in things that had to do with precise details. Putting her on a front-line combat squad made no sense, which meant she had been placed there for one reason.

She was meant to be cannon fodder for the boys.

She was conveniently high enough in the rankings that if you didn't look too hard you wouldn't see it, but it was clear as day to Sakura. Her civilian background had doomed her, and now her future was being defied by what she could do for others.

It made her blood boil.

Fact four: I am not going to take this lying down.

Sakura was not a quitter. She would drag the attention and respect of those in power with her bare hands and she would do it gladly. Her future was her choice, not that of old men.

Hoisting herself onto the bank of the river, Sakura placed her palms onto the mud and concentrated.

Grow.

The right amount of chakra, for the right amount of time, in the right place. It was hard to find and even harder to consistently get right.

The cattails on the shore which had previously come up to her shins lengthened until they would brush her hips.

Sakura would win in the end.

Notes:

Hey y'all, hope you're having a good day.

I will expand upon Sakura's goal in the next chapter, because i don't have room in this one.

As promised, this chapter i will be ranting about Kakashi now that he has been introduced.

Ho boy, where do i even begin.

Kakashi's entire life has been one big clusterfuck. His dad committed suicide when he was like 5, after then entire village blamed him for starting a war. This left Kakashi with the message that the mission should be completed no matter the cost. It wasn't until Obito literally saved his life that his mentality began to change. Then, after that loss, Rin uses him to kill herself, making him break his promise to Obito that he would protect her. Than, the last person he really trusts and his father figure, dies while he was able to do nothing. He spends the next several years in ANBU before going to teach Team 7. This man has trauma on top of trauma and a guilt complex bigger than Canada. He is an extremely skilled child soldier who was sent to war very early and lost the only people close to him at a young age. Danzo being a creepy fuck didn't help either.

With all these things considered...

WHO THE FUCK THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD IDEA TO LET THIS MAN TEAC CHILDREN. ABNU recruits are one thing-they're already very skilled and know the basics. Kids fresh out of the Academy are greener than grass, and the Third Hokage decided to not only have him teach 12 year olds, but to teach twelve year olds that are an enormous source of guilt for him via Naruto being Minato's son and Sasuke being Itachi's brother. Emotionally compromised doesn't even begin to describe how this is a terrible idea.

That being said, Kakashi was an adult at the time-26-when he started training them. He could have gone to therapy and stepped up to the plate and become a real teacher to help his students.

He doesn't.

One of the only things he ever teaches all three of them, is tree walking, and even then he just gave vague instructions and left them to their own devices. Wow. Such great supervision. Even when Sakura gets it first try, he doesn't then proceed to have her learn water walking as it is clear she is ahead in terms of chakra control, but merely let's the boy's catch up and has her do...nothing. In fact, he uses Sakura's success to goad the boys into trying harder, fueling antagonism and resentment. For a man that says teamwork is key, he does not promote it with his actions. He protects them sure, but he's an adult and their superior officer in charge of them. That's literally what he's been ordered to do.

He barely teaches them anything before Shippuden, and only teaches Sasuke lightning blade while ignoring Sakura and Naruto. Then in Shippuden he teaches Naruto, but again, completely ignores Sakura. He drives Sasuke closer to his goal for revenge with his stupid talk, and should have never been put in charge of these children.

It honestly isn't that surprising that their team fell apart. The adult in the room wasn't acting like one and you had an orphan who almost never had a stable adult in his life, a brainy fan girl who didn't let her emotions out, and a revenge driven emo kid who thought other people made him weak.

Speaking of which, why were Naruto and Sasuke left alone? For Naruto they said it was to protect his identity, but like, everyone knows he's the jinchuuriki except the kids. Why not place him with a shinobi family who didn't treat him like shit? Iruka probably would have taken him in, and then there would be less of a chance that a foreign or enemy shinobi would be able to gain his loyalty as a child by being nice to him because everyone hated him and attention and affection starved kids are desperate. Literally that's just common sense, even ignoring the moral bits. On Sasuke's end, they left him in the house and compound where every family member and persona he'd been close with, died. As a 7 year old. What the fuck? Why did no one give this child therapy? Why did no one take him in?

Who knows. Probably more plot holes Kishimoto forgot about.

Also, Kakashi is supposed to be Master of A Thousand Jutsu, but he only ever uses like, three. Just saying.

Ask me random questions, they're fun. Comments are my lifeblood as i struggle through school.

And i had a really good Animatic idea for Naruto. An Animatic with the music being Into The Unknown and the characters it focused on were the Jinchuuriki of all the nations. If any talented artists wants to use that idea, go for it. I can't draw for shit.

Constructive criticism is welcome, hate will be laughed at and the gay will be strong.

Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye

Chapter 7: Failed Teamwork Does Not Make The Dream Work

Summary:

The bell test happens

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

The first thing Sakura did after waking up was disobey Kakashi's warning to not eat breakfast. If she had learned anything from yesterday, it was that he liked throwing them off, and she didn't trust that Kakashi hadn't said that to trick them.

She kept it light just in case he'd actually been telling the truth, but also stuffed a few protein bars into her pockets. It never hurt to be prepared and something told her that today was going to be as bad as yesterday, if not worse.

"Leaving already?" Mebuki questioned, her hands curled around a mug of hot tea.

Sakura slipped on her left shoe. "Unfortunately."

Mebuki released a light chuckle. "Don't let those boys push you around, you hear me? Tell them your mother stabs things thousands of times for a living."

Strange way to describe a tailor, but the thought of her mother chewing out Naruto and Sasuke was enough to make her snort.

"Don't worry." Sakura said with much more confidence than she felt. "I'll be fine."

Things were not fine.

While Sakura immediately felt vindicated for her decision to eat breakfast and bring along extra food, their sensei being late for the second time by hours annoyed her to no end. He was supposed to be a good example! How were they supposed to learn anything if he was never there!

When Kakashi eventually did show up, he completely ignored their questions about why he was late and instead settled for bringing them into the middle of the field.

"Despite what they told you at the Academy, you are not genin yet." He held up a hand to silence their protests. "Jounin-senseis are within their right to preform a test that should their prospective team fail, they will be sent back to the Academy to redo the last year."

Fear gripped Sakura's heart. I can't go back. I won't. I've come too far to let this stop me.

Kakashi held out two bells. "You need to capture one of these bells to pass. You have until this clock hits noon to complete your mission. Feel free to use any tools you have at your disposal."

She hesitantly raised her hand, unsure whether she should point out of obvious or not. "Uh, sensei? There are only two bells."

He did the weird eye smile thing. "Only two of you can pass. The last will be sent back to the Academy."

That couldn't be right. Genin teams were comprised of three genin and one jounin. If one of them got sent back they'd be one short.

Kakashi pressed the top of the clock. "Your time starts now."

Sakura's heart pounded loudly in her chest, fear threatening to swallow her whole as she crouched in the bushes.

This test was-was ridiculous! There was absolutely no way three freshly minted genin could so much as scratch a jounin, never mind take an item that they were guarding on their person.

Think, Sakura. She ordered herself, for once thankful of Naruto and his ability to be extremely obnoxious and distracting. For the moment it looked like Kakashi was occupied with him, so she had time to plan. Her mind was her greatest weapon, and right now she needed it more than ever.

There had to be some kind of catch. There was no way Kakashi would be allowed to set them up for a test that was impossible to complete, so there was something they were missing.

The time limit was set up to make them act rashly and the lack of food was supposed to make them sloppy and weak. Both were designed to enhance the pressure on them, but for what end? Just to make the already impossible task even harder?

The bells. A part of Sakura hissed, causing her to nearly gasp aloud. Of course! There was no way he would be allowed to only fail one genin. All of them, maybe. But not just one. That meant he wasn't going to fail the genin who didn't get the bell, because this wasn't about the bells at all. Just like the hunger and time limit it was meant to make the true objective harder to obtain. But what?

She snapped her fingers. Teamwork. That had to be it. Everything fit. Konoha was known for their teamwork, not to mention the bells were supposed to make the idea almost unthinkable because it was them or you, making it so that they were compelled to work against each other instead of with. Add that with the pressure of the time limit and the lack of clear thinking due to hunger, and it was a cocktail of competition. They wouldn't even consider working together.

Triumph caused her to grin, allowing herself to quietly creep out of the bushes and deeper into the forest. Now that she knew the true objective she could just-

Sakura froze.

She would have to convince Naruto and Sasuke to work together. With her, and each other.

This was going to be a disaster.

She found Sasuke first.

He was neck deep in the ground and it took every ounce of self control she had not to laugh at him.

It took some work, but she managed to dig the top layer of earth away from him and help break him out. He scoffed at her outstretched hand and batted it away.

"I would have been fine on my own."

That was a blatant lie, and quite hostile considering she'd just helped him, but she let it slide.

"I figured out the real objective." She said instead. "It's not the bells. I think we have to work together and-"

"I'm not working with you or Dead Last." He sneered. "You'll just slow me down."

"He's a jounin." She argued. "There's no way any of us could take him on our own. We're barely genin."

"I'm not pathetic like you. If you think it's impossible, why are you even trying?" Sasuke looked at her with contempt.

Sakura bit her tongue. "That's what I'm trying to tell you." She snapped. "The bells aren't the real goal, they're a distraction. Think about it. There's no way he could send one kid-"

"Shut up."

Sakura paused in disbelief. Was he seriously not even going to consider-

"You're annoying."

Rage curled in her breast, and Sakura did nothing but watch as he vanished into the trees.

She attempted to look for Naruto next, but was unable to find him. Perhaps he finally figured that his head on approach was idiotic and had resorted to stealth while he recovered.

Sakura knew he could be sneaky when he wanted to be-that was the only reason he wasn't immediately caught when he pulled his pranks after all. Still, she needed to convince at least one of them to work with her, and hopefully Naruto would be more agreeable.

She burst into a clearing, doing her best to move as quickly and quietly as possible, ignoring the bushes and branches the stuck on her clothes as the continued moving through the-

A scream spilled out of Sakura's lips before she could stop it.

Her parents were laying motionless on the ground, blood pooling around them as the sun highlighted their grey skin.

Nausea rolled through her as her stomach rebelled, threatening vomit. Tears collected at the corners of her eyes as she stumbled backwards and-

Dug her nails into the palms of her hand. The pain helped tp clear her mind, and she became aware of the invading chakra beneath her skin.

She raged against it, flaring her own chakra until the last bits were burned away and she got to watch the horrid genjutsu disappeared before her very eyes.

Not real. NOT REAL. She told herself, whipping tears from her eyes and she forced herself to take deep breaths. It was just an illusion. A cruel, disgusting illusion but one all the same.

"Well, how about that."

Sakura shrieked and careened forwards, scrambling to get away from the voice that had appeared in her ear.

Kakashi's eye crinkled. "Lesson three; genjutsu."

And then she was alone once more.

Sakura craned her neck up, attempting to estimate the time they had left and-

Forty-five minutes.

Sakura had completely forgone stealth and was just sprinting. Her legs and lungs burned, but she kept going. There wasn't nearly enough time to find the boys, much less convince them to work together, so she had one last gambit.

The clock sat innocently on the log, its hands ticking along as if every second that passed wasn't bringing them one step closer to failure.

Seventeen minutes left.

She fished out a kunai and stuck the tip under the back of it, prying it open to reveal moving gears. After a bit of frantic experimentation, she forcibly removed the parts that caused the hour and minute hands to tick, stopping the clock from reaching noon and failing them.

She did her best to bend the metal so that it couldn't be fixed and threw the screws in different directions. There was a chance that this would all be for nought, but Sakura had to try.

Two minutes after the clock would have hit noon, Kakashi came out of the forest with Naruto and Sasuke dragging along. He looked as happy as could be, despite the scowls and glares he was getting from his passengers.

"Looks like you guys failed!" He said cheerfully. "Not a single one of you got a bell."

Sakura steeled herself. "No we didn't."

Kakashi turned his attention towards her. "Oh?"

She pointed to the clock, attempting to hide her nerves but probably failing miserably. "You said that we would fail when the clock hit noon. But it hasn't, so we don't fail."

Both boys stared at her with a mixture of confusion and surprise.

Sakura continued. "In fact, I don't think it will ever hit noon, so we have the rest of our lives to get those bells off you."

Kakashi narrowed his eye. "Is that what you think?"

She forced herself not to falter under his scrutiny. "You never said we couldn't tamper with the clock, so I haven't broken any of the rules. We haven't failed."

Yet.

Kakashi let out a laugh. "You have a point. We'll reconvene after lunch. Sakura, Sasuke, you're allowed to eat. Naruto, you're being tied to the pole."

They had thirty minutes until Kakashi would come back, and Sakura planned to use every second of it.

Opening her mouth to begin her argument once again as to why they should work together, she was cut off before she could even get a word in.

"Here."

Sasuke held out his chopsticks to a still struggling Naruto, causing him to pause in surprise.

"You haven't eaten until yesterday, right? Without food you'll be even more pathetic than you normally are, and even if you don't stand a chance of succeeding, at least you'll tire him out for me."

"But Kakashi said that we'll fail if you do that." Naruto said with a frown. "Why risk it?"

Sasuke gestured around them. "He's nowhere in sight, and he likely took the clock to be fixed. Just eat, you'll slow me down even more if you're hungry."

That was…rude and assholeish, but progress, and something Sakura could work with.

"Wait!" She interjected, digging through her pockets until she found what she was looking for. "I have some protein bars on me. They don't taste the best but they're filling, and that way we won't be low on energy either."

Sakura was willing to bet she was doing better than either of them, considering she had eaten breakfast, but after all the running she had done she was famished.

Naruto blinked in surprise, a grin creeping onto his face as he tore into the food. "Thanks Sakura! Thanks Sasuke! We'll be able to kick his ass this time, yeah?"

Thank you for that opening. "About that-"

Thunder crashed and a looming figure appeared out of nowhere, Sakura just barely containing her scream.

"You disobeyed my orders." Kakashi growled, sending shivers down her spine.

Had she been wrong? Was the test really the bells and she had just read into it too much? Oh no, had she made them fail?

"We're a team, aren't we? If Naruto is weaker, than so are we as a unit." Sasuke's tone was confident, but Sakura could see his hands shaking ever so slightly.

If he could stand up to Kakashi, so could she.

Pushing herself to her feet, Sakura stood beside him. "That's right! Konoha is all about teamwork, so why should we be punished for helping ours?"

Please don't be a mistake please don't be a mistake.

"You all…"

Sakura braced for disappointment.

"Pass."

She nearly collapsed with relief, the only thing keeping her standing was the sheer embarrassment of the thought of her team seeing her do that.

But then Kakashi's expression grew dark.

Sakura had seen the Memorial Stone in pictures before, but never in person. There was something daunting about the sheer number of names carved into it. A stark reminder of what they were training to be, and how they would likely end up.

"In the shinobi world, those who do not complete their mission and disobey orders are trash." He met each of their gazes. "But those who abandon their teammates are worse than trash."

The intensity in his words made Sakura swallow.

"Meet me outside of the Hokage tower at 6am sharp."

And with a whirlwind of leaves, he was gone.

Notes:

Hey y'all, hope you're having a good day.

This chapter was pretty fun to write, and i was trying to show that Sakura actually uses her brain to solve her problems, since it was hyped up that she got perfect test scores, but then Kishimoto did very little with her intelligence. Oh yeah, she becomes a bomb medic who can heal all the things, but her intelligence never seems to come into play for a lot of things like strategy or planning attacks. We see her use it in fights-the few she gets focused on her-but it's never really the main component.

Since there isn't much i want to talk about otherwise, i'm going to go into detail as to where Kishimoto failed with Sakura's character and what could have been done.

First of all, Sakura is the only one without a tragic backstory on her team. Now, this was probably because Kishimoto didn't bother writing her one because he didn't think she was important of interesting enough to have one, but this could have been utilized in a very interesting way. Because the rest of her team had no measure for "normal", she could have been that for them. She could have been the one to pull them back from the edge and talk them down to earth. She didn't have a crazy family or tragic past, so she wasn't clouded by that and could have brought a sense of stability to team 7. She wouldn't be "boring" she'd be stable. Rational. The down to earth one in a group with tragic stories and who were born of legends.

Kishimoto tried to hard to make her "a normal teenaged girl" that he seemed to forget that she was a child soldier as well, and completely flopped on any interesting character interactions this could have caused.

When i first watched Naruto, i hated Sakura but wanted to like her, because she was the only main female character, and got excited so many times only to be disappointed as Kishi dropped the ball again and again.

Because if you aren't ninja jesus i guess you don't matter.

As for her development, i think she should have gotten more serious after the Zabuza arc, and at the latest the Chunin exams. Kishimoto tries to give her growth with that whole hair cutting scene, but then she needs to be saved...again. She should have driven the Sound Nin off by herself, using intelligence and guerilla tactics. It would have been a really powerful moment for her, and shown that she can accomplish things on her own.

Her fight with Ino...let's not talk about that. Honestly, Kishimoto goes out of his way to make a bunch of those fights cool-Gaara vs Rock Lee, Hinata vs Neji, and then just...fucking flops when it comes to the MAIN FEMALE CHARACTER and her growth.

"i'M nOt sExIsT sEe? i mAdE tHe mAgIc mOoN gOdEsS lAdY tHe fInAl vIlLaIn" stfu man.

I'm also never going to be happy with the way Sakura and Sasuke's relationship progressed. While personally i'd prefer if she lost her crush and then never married him, there WERE ways Kishimoto could have made their romance not terrible. First, Sakura looses her fangirl crush over him and eventually her crush over him COMPLETELY by the time he abandons the village. This allows for her idealization of her to tapper off and for her to begin to see him as he really is. Second, like canon, she focuses on herself and maybe even tries to move past him. Third, when the whole Killer B thing happens, she makes a serious attempt on his life. I want them to have a REAL fight where they are actually trying to hurt each other. No one has to win, but they should at least talk during this. Fourth, rewrite the war arc. In general but also Sasuke's interactions with his own team. Give moments of mutual appreciation between the two of them and seeing the ways in which they've changed. Show us SOMETHING. And don't have that weird thing at the end where Sasuke genjutsu stabs Sakura. I will add that Sasuke did have a point in that he doesn't owe Sakura anything because she likes him-which is true-but i'd personally cut all that out. Sasuke can still have his big fight with Naruto. Finally, at the end of the series, they should be on equal footing and have visible mutual attraction. They don't have to kiss or anything, but just show that the potential is there. Also don't make Sasuke an absent father.

This is like the cliff notes version and i'm never going to put TOO much effort into thinking about it because i personally don't ship them. I'm sure there are other fic writers who've done a much better job than me, but here are my 2 cents.

Constructive criticism is welcome, hate will be laughed at and the gay will be strong

byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye

Chapter 8: Weeding and Whining

Summary:

Sakura and her teammates do some D ranks and she has a conversation with a competent teacher.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

"Get out of my way, Dead Last."

"Nuh uh! You're in my way!"

"Tch."

If Sakura heard one more word from either of them these herbs would have more than just fertilizer to feed on.

It had been three weeks since their team had formed and even after their whole proclamation of teamwork, they were a mess.

Naruto was constantly goading Sasuke, who responded with insults until they got into some competition or another, derailing what they were actually supposed to be doing. Sakura wasn't doing much better herself. She still hadn't forgiven Sasuke, and Naruto was just annoying and got on her nerves. She'd shouted at the pair of them more than once and just tried to avoid them. Kakashi was little help either. He was constantly reading a book, only interceding when one of them made a comment that was truly out of line.

They had been doing D-ranks ever since they passed the bell test, and for the most part, Sakura didn't mind. They were easy jobs like painting a fence or what they were currently doing, which was weeding an herb garden. It didn't interfere with her personal training much, and if she were being honest, they reminded her of home.

"When are we going to get a real mission?" Naruto whined.

If only the boys would stop complaining about them.

Sasuke brushed the dirt off his shorts. "For once the idiot has a point. This is a useless waste of time. I'm sure any civilian could do these jobs just fine." He said the word civilian like it was dirty, and Sakura's temper flared.

"It's character building." Kakashi said pleasantly, and it was really, really hard not to snap.

Despite what the Naruto and Sasuke seemed to think, D-ranks did serve a purpose. It showed the general population that shinobi were helpful and not completely terrifying, making the fear towards them lessen. It also served as a way for them to get skills they might need in infiltration. Long-term spies required specialized training, but short term they might one day need to pretend to be a gardener, and be able to fake it well enough to sneak past scrutiny.

Not that she felt like explaining that to either of them.

"I bet I can finish faster than you!" Naruto proclaimed loudly. "And then I'll be done and can use the money for Ichiraku ramen!"

As usual, Sasuke rose to the bait. "There's no way you'll finish before me." He sneered.

Naruto scowled. "Just watch me!" And began tearing out the weeds ridiculously fast.

Sasuke scoffed, but he too began ripping out plants as quickly as he could, obviously unwilling to lose to Naruto in any way shape or form.

Sakura was content to just leave them-hopefully they would be out of her hair then-when she saw what they were doing.

"STOP!" She shouted, startling both of them enough that they froze in their tracks. "Are you both complete idiots?! You're tearing up the growing herbs as well as the weeds!"

Naruto blinked. "Oh…I didn't think that…" He trailed off awkwardly.

"How were we supposed to know that?" Sasuke snapped defensively.

Sakura's temper rose like a tidal wave. "Well, that's the thing, isn't it?" she hissed. "You don't think-" She jabbed a finger at Naruto. "And you always assume things!"

Sasuke's mouth snapped shut.

She couldn't deal with this right now. "Leave. Both of you. I'll finish the job and replant the herbs. Just go."

When they hesitated she glared fiercely. "Weren't you just complaining about how much you hated this? Well, here's your chance to leave. Go."

Though she doubted either would admit it, both boys scrambled away, quickly disappearing from sight.

"Maa, Sakura, I have to admit, I wasn't expecting that."

She flushed in a mixture of indignation and shame. "They just-they kept complaining about how boring and easy it was, and then screwed it up. It's not my fault they deemed this below them. And besides, if I had let them continue, we wouldn't get payed at all!"

His lone grey eye seemed to pierce right through her, but she stood her ground.

"You have a point." He said eventually. And then nothing else.

Fury simmered just beneath her skin. Why couldn't be be useful as a teacher and mentor? Why was it her job to correct them when they barely listened to her unless she was literally screaming?

"Pathetic."

I was not put on this team to succeed.

Sakura took a deep breath and released it. Getting angry at Kakashi right now would accomplish nothing.

Take that fire, that fury and bury it inside your chest. Let it warm you when the world is cold and protect you from the monsters in the dark.

Sakura could not afford to make any mistakes, could not afford to lose her temper. She was walking a fine line and one wrong move could tip the balance.

Expendableexpendableexpendableexpendable.

She knew what had happened with Mizuki, knew that the man had been frustrated with how non-clan shinobi were prevented from rising in the ranks. Knew that he had enjoyed making fun of the clan kids when he could get away with it. Sakura had heard everything firsthand from Naruto, and it was hard to reconcile the man who had snuck her genin access scrolls with someone who was willing to kill her classmate.

Was that her future? Was she destined to become so bitter and frustrated with the village that she betrayed it?

What happens if they realize she won't play their game, that she refuses to be cannon fodder?

She bit her tongue and ducked her head. "I can finish on my own."

He let out a hum which she took as her cue to get to work.

In the end, it only took her an hour to finish weeding and replacing the herbs that had been torn out. The woman who had hired them raised an eyebrow when she appeared alone, but handed over the promised money.

Sakura had calculated the amount of work they had split up, and was not surprised to find that she had done the most, earning over half of the money while the boys were left with barely enough to buy a meal.

Part of her considered splitting it evenly, but the rest of her hissed that she did the most work, so she should get the most money. Regardless, she tucked the coins into her pouch, figuring that she'd just give it to them tomorrow.

Because there was absolutely no way she was tracking them down.

Kakashi had disappeared while she'd been collecting the payment, so she figured that was all the training they were going to do today.

Like we ever actually do much training at all. Does going through formations we've been doing for years mean we're learning anything?

That wasn't a completely accurate assessment, but it felt that way sometimes. Polishing techniques and increasing stamina were important, she knew that, but it still felt like she was behind with very little way to move forward.

Sakura pushed down the intrusive thoughts and began making her way to her mother's tailor shop. It was past noon, and there was probably some menial jobs she could get done.

"Oi! Sakura!"

She jumped, whirling around to see who had decided to give her a heart attack.

Shino, Hinata, Kiba, and a woman Sakura recognized from the day after graduation sat at an outside table, clearly in the middle of lunch.

Kiba, the one who had shouted, waved her towards them. "Get over here, Pinkie! These two keep talking about you, so I figured I'd do them a favor."

Hinata blushed brightly, stuttering out an incoherent response as Shino refused to look at her. She saw the tips of his ears turn pink as she got closer, though, and couldn't help but laugh.

"It's nice to meet you." The woman said with a kind smile. "I'm Kurenai."

Sakura answered with a grin of her own. "It's nice to meet you too. I'm Sakura, which you clearly already know."

"I find it likely the entire street knows. Why? Because Kiba is loud enough to wake a coma patient." Shino said evenly, his slightly too tight grip on his chopsticks betraying his agitation.

Kiba scowled. "At least I called her over instead of just staring at her like a creep."

"That's enough." Kurenai said firmly, cutting off Shino before he could do so much as open his mouth. "We don't want to cause a disturbance and get kicked out."

The two boys glanced at one another and did their equivalent of a shrug, and just like that, everything was back to normal.

"I wish my sensei would do that." Slipped out of Sakura's mouth before she could stop it.

Everyone turned to look at her.

"What d-do you mean by that?" Hinata questioned.

She hunched her shoulders. "It's just-my teammates are always fighting, and our sensei almost never steps in. It gets bad sometimes, and today they almost messed up the D-rank we were doing and I had to yell at them to stop. He just sits there are watches us."

Kurenai frowned. "Who's your sensei? It doesn't sound like he's doing his job correctly."

She let out a sigh. "Kakashi Hatake."

Kurenai froze. "Hatake?" she said incredulously. "They let him have a genin team?"

Sakura blinked. "Uh, yeah."

Kurenai shook her head. "That man should not be training you kids. He shouldn't be anywhere near anyone fresh out of the Academy."

"So it's not-it's not-"

Kurenai's softened. "It's not you. Honestly, I would consider requesting a team change if you haven't already, or at the very least a different instructor. Who are your teammates?"

Sakura hesitated. "Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha."

Kurenai blanched. "Sage's sake, kid." She held out a dumpling, ignoring Sakura's protests. "Take it, you deserve it."

Kiba tossed a cut of meat into his mouth. "If I had to be on the Uchiha's team I would've pushed him off a cliff by now." He eyed her closely. "Though frankly, you don't seem that far off from doing that yourself."

That startled a laugh out of her. "Yeah it's been-" Horrible? Frustrating? Rage inducing? "-an experience." She settled on.

Kiba snorted. "So what you really mean is that it's been a clusterfuck."

"…Yes."

It kind of surprised her that Kiba had payed so much attention. He often seemed a lot like Naruto-loud with little manners and always looking for a brawl. It hadn't occurred to her that he would be this observant.

"I'm sure it-t'll get better." Hinata reassured her. "W-we're all still learning right?"

Sakura attempted a smile. "There's always hope."

Sakura took it back, there was no hope.

Two weeks after the weeding incident, Team 7 was standing before the Hokage, and everyone was pretending this was normal. Naruto was way too casual with the leader of their village, and Sasuke was indifferent. Kakashi looked as amused as always, but honestly who was surprised by that?

"We want a real mission, old man!" Naruto crowed. "I'm a shinobi now! Give me something that's not hunting down a cat!"

Sakura wanted to bash her head against a wall. How could he be saying this to the most powerful man in Fire Country? She knew he wasn't smart, but she hadn't thought he was completely stupid.

Thankfully, the Hokage only chuckled fondly. "As a matter of fact, we have a C-rank escort mission for your team."

They all perked up at that, even Sasuke looked as though he were actually paying attention.

"It's to the Land of Waves." The Hokage continued. "You'll be escorting a bridge architect and making sure he stays safe until the structure is finished. It should take minimum a month for its completion."

That was a long time to be away from home.

"Do you have any questions?"

Sakura stepped forward. "How long will we have until we need to be ready?"

She resisted the urge to hunch her shoulders as his gaze landed on her for the first time.

Why would he look at you, you're nothing but cannon fodder.

"You will have around an hour, though I wouldn't dawdle." The Hokage said calmly. "You wouldn't want to be late for your first C-rank."

Unconsciously, all three of the present genin's gazes slid towards Kakashi.

"You're late." Snipped the likely drunk bridge builder. "And this is my protection detail? A blond brat, a moody vampire and a pink girl? This is what Konoha has to offer?"

It took every ounce Sakura's self control not to lash out.

This mission is going to be a disaster.

Notes:

Hey y'all, hope you're having a good day.

I want to start this off by saying that i finally rewrote chapter 2 and that scene with a wolf. The takeaway is the exact same so you don't have to read it if you don't want to, just figured i'd mention it. Once again, shoutout to Birdeer for allowing me to use their idea.

Anyway, back to this chapter.

I didn't mention this earlier, but since i referenced Mizuki, thought i'd tell you guys what i changed about his scene with Naruto and Iruka. Essentially everything is the same except instead of summoning a million shadow clones like he did in canon, Naruto is only able to summon like, 12, and is exhausted afterwards. That's still a shit ton, but way less OP than a million. The then sends his clones to get help, and rather than being stabbed and needing to be rescued, Iruka kicks Mizuki's ass and the ANBU who Naruto alerted only had to pick him up and take him to prison. I love how completely done Iruka is, and love his character.

Kakashi continues to be a shit teacher, but he will become better. Later.

EDIT: I changed a few minor things in the chapter to make him not quite as terrible, but he's still not great. Some of what i wrote definitely made him come of as like, casually sexist and that's not what i was going for so i changed it a little.

Something that always grated on me, is that Naruto had a very obvious crush on Sakura, yet it was never treated like a hinderance the way Sakura's crush on Sasuke was. As much as a disagree with either of those potential pairings, why can't girls have crushes AND turn the earth to rubble with a well placed punch. Why is it treated like it completely renders her useless, when a male character has the exact same situation, and it completely unhindered. Like, i know Kishi was shit at writing female characters, and a ton of other things, but seriously, what bullshit is this?

I know that Kurenai would have probably already heard the gossip about Kakashi having a team, but she probably just assumed they were rumors because there's no way any rational person would let Kakashi teach genin. Right?

Also, personally i think Kiba would be smarter than they made him out to be, at least when it comes to people. In my mind, he can read people really well-partly because he can smell some of their emotions-and i think he would be a really good rock for his team. He's the only outgoing one, so he has more confidence in social situations, and i kinda tried to show that with him calling Sakura over. Hinata and Shino wanted to, but were nervous. Kiba, recognizing this because he isn't stupid, did it for them and tried to not make it like he was doing them a huge favor cause he knows that things like that are a weak spot for them. He makes it like a joke, even though he's aware that its not.

That's just my interpretation anyway, but i'm writing this so i can do what i want.

Constructive criticism is welcome, hate will be laughed at and the gay will be strong.

Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye

Chapter 9: Be Wary Of The Reflection On Your Path

Summary:

The Wave Mission begins

Notes:

Trigger warning!
There is graphic violence and death in this chapter.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Their journey began smoothly, which in hindsight, really should have warned her how badly everything was going to go to shit.

Despite Naruto's constant yelling and the bridge builder-who she now knew as Tazuna-constantly taking shots at the team, everything was calm for the first three days of travel.

They had enough supplies, encountered no bandits, and were making good time for their destination. It was slower traveling with Tanzuna than it would've been with just the four of them, but Sakura didn't particularly mind. She'd never traveled very far out of Konoha, so she was absorbing as much as she could from the sights around her.

It was good practice to find the different types of plants she had read about and recognize them, mentally listing what they could be used for and how common they were. Before long, her eyes were constantly on the lookout for any unusual foliage.

That's when she saw it.

It was completely innocuous to her at first. After all, why would a puddle be any cause for alarm?

But then she remembered that it hadn't rained in weeks, and with the weather warming as the beginning of summer hit, it was highly unlikely a puddle that size wouldn't have evaporated by now.

That meant whoever was following them could use chakra-the puddle likely a genjutsu or transformation. Average bandits would have no idea how to do anything remotely that complicated, making it clear that whoever was after them had at least some shinobi training.

Sakura forced herself to look away, attempting to act as natural as possible so to not alert their watchers. She let her hands drift closer to her weapons pouch-still far enough away to look casual but close enough that she could grab something should she need to.

It was clear that neither Naruto nor Sasuke had noticed-the former because he wouldn't have been able to stay quiet about it, and the latter because his hands were still stuffed firmly in his pockets.

She glanced over at Kakashi, and his sole eye caught hers. He gave the barest nod possible. He knew, but wasn't saying anything.

Is this seriously another test?

She had few options here. If she warned the boys, it might tip off those who were watching them that she knew. If she didn't, they might get injured or even killed.

But surely Kakashi would protect them, right?

"She'll never be anything but canon fodder."

I was not put on this team to succeed.

It…was best that she didn't make assumptions.

It was another hour before the enemy made their move.

The false puddles appeared more than once after their initial showing, and every time she spotted one Sakura's heart jumped in her chest. The waiting was worse than anything she'd experienced before.

It was almost a relief when they finally attacked.

Two long bladed whips struck Kakashi, pinning him to a tree as Sakura dove for Tazuna, tackling him to the ground and out of the way of a flurry of shuriken.

Sasuke blocked a blow with one of his kunai, leaping in front of a paralyzed Naruto to defend him. While Sasuke was holding his own, it was clear that he was outmatched.

Sakura forced herself to her feet, keeping one eye on a fearful Tazuna and another on the battle unfolding in front of her. She couldn't abandon the client, but if she didn't do something, both her teammates might die!

Out of the bushes, an unharmed Kakashi emerged, the one pinned transforming into a log with a puff of smoke. Almost lazily, he intercepted the second shinobi who'd been about to stab Naruto and pounded him into the ground, his skull emitting a sickening crack!

The other whirled around just in time to see Kakashi slit his throat, the shinobi collapsing, dead before he hit the ground.

The woods were silent.

Sakura's heart pounded painfully in her chest, fear and revulsion rising in equal parts as she stared at the dead and dying bodies. Tazuna wasn't doing much better, staring with wide eyes even as he got to his feet.

Naruto was still frozen in place, his tan skin an unhealthy pallor as a choked noise escaped his lips. He hadn't even moved to grab a weapon.

Sasuke didn't look nearly so alarmed, slipping his kunai back into its pouch and turning back to face Naruto. "Something wrong, scaredy cat?

The harsh words seemed to shake Naruto out of his fright, fists clenching in indignation. "I'm not a scaredy cat!"

"Then why'd you freeze?"

Naruto had no response to that.

Kakashi loudly cleared his throat. "We should get moving." He glanced at Tazuna, eye glinting coldly. "And Tazuna, I think it's time you tell us what' really going on."

He paled.

A mobster was after their client. A mobster.

Tazuna's voice was low and grave as he spoke of his village, grief and rage passing over his expression as he explained. They couldn't afford to hire Konoha shinobi for anything above a C-rank, thus their current situation.

It was pretty clear to Sakura what needed to happen next. The village had protocols that dealt with things like this, and it would be easy enough to send a messenger hawk back and switch places with another team. This mission was now at least a B-rank with the hiring of shinobi by Gato, and genin were not permitted to be a part of those unless it was an emergency situation, which this was not. If what Tazuna said was true, Konoha would likely keep the fee the same and either ask for a favor or money when the Land of Waves had some to spare.

That meant they needed to keep moving. If Gato really was determined to keep the bridge from being built, he likely hired more than those two shinobi, and who knew when they'd find those bodies?

Her unease only grew as they came closer and closer to the Land of Waves, heavy mists and an eerie atmosphere only served to make her hands drift closer to her weapons pouch.

"…Hey…Sakura…" She jumped in surprise, more startled that Naruto was talking quietly than when he shouted. "Do…do you think Sasuke's right?"

Naruto sounded much more subdued than usual, his confident smile nowhere in sight as he kept pace beside her.

She decided to buy herself some more time. "Right about what?"

He fiddled with his kunai pouch. "Me freezing." Naruto mumbled. "How…I'll never be worth anything."

Sakura didn't know what to say. Sure, Naruto was loud, and annoying, and overly confident, but he was never malicious. He was kind to everyone who was kind to him, and even those who weren't. He'd always been terrible at Theory, and had skipped more days than anyone else, but had shown surprising proficiency when it came to survival skills and Practical. He was far from the best in the class, but then again, neither was Sakura.

So why do so many shinobi in the village avoid him?

"Why are you asking me?" she questioned, still unsure how to respond.

Naruto shrugged. "Don't really have anyone else. Iruka ain't here, and I don't really want to talk to Kakashi."

It was then that Sakura was reminded that Naruto lived alone. That he was an orphan who didn't have anyone to come home to at the end of the day. No adult besides Iruka to congratulate him when he succeeded or console him when he failed.

"Sasuke…is better than us." She said slowly. "In a fight he would be able to beat us, no doubt."

Naruto slumped.

"But he's also had more training. From what Ino told me, Clans train their members constantly from a very young age. We only had the Academy, so of course we're behind them." She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm willing to bet that if we were born in a clan like him, we'd be on his level."

Naruto stared at her. "Even-even though I froze?"

Sakura tentatively put a hand on his shoulder. "This is our first real mission. C-ranks aren't supposed to be this dangerous, so it's not your fault. Focus on the future, okay? All you can do is try to be better."

He smiled blindingly at her. "Thanks Sakura! I knew you'd be able to help. I promise not to freeze and force you guys to protect me."

It was hard to resist grinning back.

"MOVE!" Kakashi bellowed.

Instinct propelled Sakura to the side, somehow maintaining enough presence of mind to bring Naruto with her. Sasuke does similarly with Tazuna, and two long blades struck where they stood seconds ago.

The figure responsible rose from his crouch slowly, long dark hair moving with the wind. His headband revealed him to be a shinobi of the Hidden Mist, the slash through the symbol upon it marking him as a missing nin.

"Well, well, well." He removed his blades from the ground, turning to face Kakashi. "This should be interesting."

Sakura saw Sasuke back Tazuna up even further in an attempt to get out of the enemy shinobi's line of sight and grabbed Naruto's shoulder to do the same. This…this wasn't a fight they should be participating in.

"Most jounin wouldn't have been able to sense me coming, but you did." He casually stalked towards their sensei, lazy, almost in his movements. "How I do enjoy a challenge."

Naruto swallowed.

"Let's play a game, shall we?"

If asked what happened next, Sakura wouldn't be able to tell you. To her, it was like one moment the two men were a dozen feet away from one another, and the next they were crossing blades.

The difference between the two was startling as it was bone shaking. The mystery man seemed to be enjoying himself, laughing as they exchanged blows, while Kakashi was silent. The clang of metal rang out like a melody, their blades meeting again and again.

It was clear that their enemy was a master at kenjutsu, his form impeccable and he looked entirely at ease with his swords in hand.

"Do you really think you can defeat me?! I am Raiga Kurosuki, Thunder of the Hidden Mist! All those who face me shall perish, and after I'm done with you, I'll collect that wonderful bounty on the bridge builder's head."

The two separated, and Kakashi's hand rose to his own headband, raising it so that it no longer covered his left eye.

Sasuke inhaled sharply, eyes widening as they took in the lazily spinning Sharingan.

Aren't Uchiha the only ones who have it? And why is only one of his eyes like that?

Raiga's eyes lit up. "Ahh, no wonder those pathetic chunin weren't able to complete the task. They would have stood no chance against Kakashi of the Sharingan."

Kakashi's only response was a lunge.

The ensuing fight takes off at an even quicker pace, neither side seeming to give an inch.

Until a clone broke off of Raiga, headed straight for them. The three of them get into formation in front of Tazuna, but Sakura isn't sure it'll be enough. Raiga was skilled enough to keep up with Kakashi, even a clone would likely be more than enough to kill them.

Their sensei clearly agreed, disengaging with the real Raiga in order to cut the clone down before it reached them.

Kakashi turned back to face Raiga, only to be forced to dodge as his two blades sliced the air above him, alight with lightening. Kakashi retaliated with a blade to the throat, slicing deep.

For a second, Sakura thought it was over.

Until the body melted into water and a figure appeared behind their sensei, a low chuckle reverberating all throughout the swamp.

A swell of water rose from below and trapped Kakashi, fully enveloping him.

"Water Prison Jutsu."

Notes:

Hey y'all hope you're having a good day.

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate, if not, happy holidays! I am releasing this chapter a day early as my gift to you.

I hope you enjoy!

Now, onto the story.

Sakura is smart, so i do believe if she was actually paying attention, she would be able to figure out the whole puddle thing. On top of that, she is actually extremely worried about how much protection Kakashi would give her. She knows she's glorified cannon fodder, so she has no confidence that she will be saved should something happen. And i honestly think that thought process would be reasonable, she has no reason to think they would find her worth saving, and none of them are exactly fond of one another, so it's completely understandable why she would think like that.

fyi Kakashi would never have let the ambush guys hurt the genin and had the situation under control but Sakura doesn't know that so it feels like endangerment to her.

Also, i'm kinda of toning some of the strength of the characters down a bit. Sasuke can't beat chunnin level opponents as a baby genin, and Naruto can't summon hundreds of shadow clones yet, though he can still do more than most people can. They're impressive for their age but they're not like, ridiculous, if that makes sense.

As much as i don't like Naruto and Sakura in a romantic relationship, i do like them as friends. Once Naruto gets over himself and calms down a bit, i think the two of them would really bond over growing up without extra training like their classmates. Their situations aren't the same, but they have the capacity to grow close and really care for one another. This chapter was the beginning of that relationship i hope to write between them. Naruto has had very little positive reinforcement in his life, and while Sakura hasn't exactly been the nicest to him, she's never been malicious either, so i do think he would seek her out for comfort. He may be confident, but he's also a kid and likely hides a lot of insecurity under his loud cheerful façade.

So onto the villain...

Did i decide to change one thing in my Naruto universe and then that one change had ridiculous ripples throughout the entirety of the world because Kishimoto wrote so many things to be contrived and ridiculous which ultimately gave me an excuse to do something i wanted to anyway? Yes, yes I did.

Raiga is an actual villain in the Naruto universe, though i'm not sure if it was just in the anime. I looked for like an hour to find a shinobi similar enough to Zabuza that i wouldn't have to change too many things about this arc. There will obviously be some changes, but quite frankly i didn't want to have to come up with an original villain character, so he was convenient.

Essentially in my version, Madara went insane on his own and died in his fight with Hashirama. Kaguya does not exist. Neither black or white Zetsu exist. Thus Obito was not saved by Madara-someone does save him but i'm saving that knowledge for much later down the line. Because of this, Yagura never gets hypnotized and controlled and thus Zabuza never attempts a coup and has to leave the village and therefor no Zabuza needing money and working for Gato.

I told you it was convoluted, didn't I?

Also the Ultimate Mangekyo nor the rennigan exist because they are stupid and wildly overpowered. The normal Mangekyou sharingan does exist, but like, only 3 people alive have it and i'm adding more restrictions. Seriously, the amount of magic eye bullshit in Naruto is astonishing.

Raiga just abandoned the Hidden Mist village because he didn't like the other Seven Swordsman and was going to have his sword taken from him. At least in my fic, i don't actually know what his real story is but i take cannon as a light suggestion not law as you may have noticed.

I am not at all sorry for the cliffhanger, i love making people suffer when it comes to reading.

Constructive criticism is welcome, hate will be laughed at and the gay will be strong

Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye

Chapter 10: Bluff Like Your Life Depends On it, Because it Does

Summary:

Sakura comes up with a desperate plan to free Kakashi.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Fear gripped Sakura like a vice.

Raiga had just taken out their sensei in less than five minutes. Their sensei, who was a jounin and apparently famous enough that Raiga had recognised him. Their sensei, who was now trapped in a ball of water with a grim look on his face.

This was not going to end well.

Raiga raised his unoccupied hand, fingers quickly running through signs until a clone rose from the water beside him

"It's a shame I can't play with you more." The original smirked. "I've always liked hearing the young ones scream."

Naruto stepped forward, hands shaking even as he brought them together. Half a dozen shadow clones poofed into existence in front them, ready to engage Raiga's.

Think! She snapped at herself. This'll only buy us so much time. You need to think!

Sakura could do this. She just needed to break everything up into parts. They couldn't run, because Tazuna would be much slower than them, and even without him it was unlikely they'd be able to escape. Their best option was to free Kakashi. That being said, why did Raiga send a clone at them? It would have been much easier to finish them off himself considering even solid clones could be dispersed if hit hard enough. Not that it was likely that they'd be able to land a blow on a weakened version of Raiga, but why?

She eyed the hand Raiga had inside the water prison. He hadn't removed it to make his clone either. Something about how the jutsu stayed in place must have to do with him constantly feeding chakra into it like that.

With that in mind, she dragged Naruto over to where Sasuke and Tazuna stood, the former's lips pursed tightly as Naruto's last clones were dispelled. It had looked unsettlingly easy for Raiga to do.

"We need to make him move his hand out of the bubble." Sakura whispered. "I think if he does that, Kakashi-sensei will be freed."

Sasuke glanced at her briefly before nodding curtly. "How the hell are we gonna to that?"

She took a deep breath. "I have an idea."

Kakashi watched helplessly as his students whispered amongst themselves, their fear evident even as the two boys stepped forward to face Raiga's clone.

Sasuke brought out a handful of shuriken and kunai as Naruto summoned another half-dozen shadow clones, the amount of chakra necessary making him pale.

Raiga only looked amused. "Do you really think that that'll be enough to stop me? Go ahead kids, try."

Naruto's clones once again intercepted Ragia's as Sasuke darted to the side and aimed his weapons at his real body. It was a smart idea, but failed miserably as the swordsman merely dodged them with ease.

I can't watch Minato's son die. I can't lose another team.

"Well, that was pathetic." Raiga snorted. "I captured Kakashi of the Sharingan, did you really think mere kunai would save you?"

"Did you?" Questioned a familiar voice.

A figure that looked exactly like Kakashi stepped in front of Tazuna, gait lazy and relaxed.

"Seems to me you fell for the old switchero. You must not be all that strong if you feel accomplished taking out a genin."

His last student wearing his face grinned. "Let's see how you fare taking the real me on."

Sakura had never been so terrified.

Her plan was fairly simple, yet if even one thing went wrong, they could kiss any chance of freeing Kakashi goodbye. It relied heavily on two things, one of them being entirely her responsibility to pull off. If she failed here, everything would go to pieces.

She forced herself into the lazy drawl Kakashi used so frequently, stuffing her hands in her pockets as she smirked. "What? Cat got your tongue?"

Raiga stared at her with a mixture of surprise and amusement. "Are you really expecting me to buy this?" He snorted. "You've clearly just put on a henge."

Sakura made herself shrug, attempting to hide her trembles. "Believe what you want. Do you really think you could've trapped Kakashi of the Sharingan so easily?" She scoffed. "Please."

"You want me to believe a mere genin fought me?" Raiga snorted.

She instilled as much pure arrogance into her tone as she was capable of. "They are my students."

Raiga drew himself up. "I am one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Hidden Mist!" He growled. "You dare question my skill?"

"I question if your mind is more than an empty cesspool. I'm not sure if you are really so stupid, or if you're purposefully tricking yourself. It's kind of sad, really."

Raiga's lips curled into a snarl, rage alight in his gaze. "I am going to enjoy killing you."

She chuckled, attempting to keep her voice even as goosebumps erupted over her skin. "Temper, temper. It's no wonder they kicked you out of your village with an attitude like that."

The real Kakashi was staring at her with a mixture of disbelief and horror, and Sakura felt some strange sense of accomplishment at that. Of course, that was mostly overshadowed by her overwhelming fear, but if they got out of this alive, she'd make sure to savor that expression in her memory.

"I left! Those fools did not cast me out! I chose to leave!" Despite how riled up Raiga was, he still didn't remove his hand. Unsurprising, but it would have made everything a lot easier.

Sakura shrugged once more. "If you say so." Her tone relaying disbelief even as the lump in her throat grew.

"Why you-"

A figure burst out from underneath the water barely a foot away from Raiga, half a dozen kunai aiming at his right arm and his eyes. He jerked back, unwilling it seemed, to pay that price to keep Kakashi imprisoned.

Raiga's swords slashed through the air, Naruto frantically scrambling away even as the blades came down upon him.

Kakashi stood between them, a single kunai blocking each sword.

His sharingan spun menacingly. "Shall we go again?"

Sakura's knees buckled.

Relief like she'd never felt before cascaded over her, her henge dropping as she too fell. Her plan had worked. No one died, she didn't get stabbed, and Kakashi was free.

Two arms grabbed her before she hit the ground, hoisting her to her feet.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "You really are annoying." But it was said with less bite than usual.

Naruto pulled himself out of the water, dripping wet and grinning. "Did you guys see that?! He didn't suspect a thing! I was the best disguised kunai in the world!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "And you never would have been useful unless I hadn't thrown you in the proper place."

She smacked both of them in the arm. "What matters is that it worked. We should surround Tazuna again. Just because Raiga dispelled his water clone after Kakashi-sensei was freed doesn't mean he won't make another one later."

With those sobering words, they fell into formation once more.

It was somewhat surreal to watch the two jounin face off once more, the fact that they were standing on water not helping the fantastic element. It became even stranger as Kakashi somehow did the exact same thing as Raiga, the latter clearly becoming unsettled.

"Lightning dragon jutsu!"

Two large lightning dragons crashed into one another, sparks flying in every direction as they cancelled one another out. Their summoners remained in place, eyes locked as their movements continued to match.

"How is Kakashi-sensei doing that?" Naruto questioned. "Is he reading that guy's mind?"

Sasuke scoffed. "Of course not, he isn't a Yamanaka. It's because-"

Whatever he had been about to say next was drowned out by the enormous wave that cascaded above them. The three of them grabbed Tazuna and managed to haul him to higher ground in the trees just before the water hit where they'd stood seconds ago.

Raiga had been thrown against a tree, kunai and shuriken sticking out of his arms and torso as blood seeped into the water.

Kakashi advanced to deliver the killing blow.

Raiga raised a hand that cackled with lightning. "You win this round, but not the next."

He slammed it into the water, steam erupting everywhere and they were temporarily blinded.

Sakura braced herself for an attack.

As the steam cleared, nothing but fallen kunai remained where Raiga once stood.

Kakashi turned to them. "Well, that was fun."

And promptly collapsed.

Let it be known that Sasuke and Naruto could not be trusted in any diplomatic position. It was extremely fortunate that Tazuna was still hiring them and seemed to feel some sort of responsibility, because otherwise she was sure they would have gotten tossed onto the streets for how few manners they displayed.

And considering the poor state of the village she'd glimpsed on their way there, it wouldn't be pleasant.

Lugging Kakashi's unconscious body had been far from easy, but between the three of them they managed to drag him into the spare room Tazuna's family had been willing to give them.

"I'll make you some soup." The woman named Tsunami said with a kind smile. "Let me know if there's anything I can do to help."

When neither of the boys responded, Sakura forced an unworried expression onto her face. "That would be wonderful. And don't worry about him, he just has chakra exhaustion. With a bit of rest, he'll be right as rain."

At least she hoped so.

Regardless, it would do no good to worry Tsunami, especially since they were still technically supposed to be protecting Tazuna. She couldn't wait until they were able to send a message back to the village. Then this whole mess would be someone else's problem.

"This room is tiny." Sasuke wrinkled his nose. "And disgusting."

It would be so, so easy to pour the glass of water she was holding onto him. So easy.

Thankfully, Naruto responded before the urge overwhelmed her. "I don't know what you're talking about." He said with a frown. "It's nicer than my apartment."

That was concerning. Where did he live anyway? She knew he hadn't been with the orphanage since they were eight, which thinking back on it was also really concerning. Who lets an eight-year-old live on his own?

Sakura attempted to refocus. "We don't know when Kakashi-sensei will wake up, so we should take turns watching him and making sure he doesn't get worse." She considered their situation. "Raiga looked pretty injured, so I don't think he'll come back anytime soon, but that doesn't mean Gato won't send someone else. One of us should be watching him at all times as well."

Sasuke scowled at her. "Who made you team leader?" he sneered.

Sakura forced her anger down. "No one." She said as evenly as possible. "I'm just trying to make a plan of some sort, so we have some idea of what to do next. Feel free to contribute some ideas." You arrogant bastard.

Sasuke sniffed and it took every ounce of her self control not to snap. "I wouldn't trust either of you to watch anything more important than an acorn. Besides, sticking together is a better idea."

It's not worth it, it's not worth it, it's not worth it.

"Pathetic."

"She'll never be anything but canon fodder."

"That's a good point." Her words were as sweet as she could make them. "I'm going to see if I can convince Tazuna to stay at the house until Kakashi wakes up so we're not spread too thin."

Something about her expression must have tipped Tazuna off about her annoyance, because he gave little protest to being homebound for the foreseeable future.

"It ain't like you brats could properly protect me anyway." He grumbled.

Sakura would probably be more offended if she didn't agree.

Notes:

Hey y'all, hope you're having a good day.

This ball is finally rolling! We're actually entering plot! These are exciting times indeed.

So yeah, i definitely was inspired by cannon when it came to this scene, but i obviously changed it so that it involved Sakura.

The reason that Raiga didn't immediately have the clones kill Sakura when she was bluffing is because a) Naruto's clones were distracting it, and b) because shinobi, especially high level ones, are paranoid bastards, he wasn't completely sure she was lying, so he was stalling temporarily so that he could either call her out of discover that she was telling the truth.

Sakura is trying so hard you guys.

Also, i'm not sure if i adressed this in the last chapter, but the reason that it takes them longer than in canon to get to wave, is that Wave isn't actually that much closer than Suna, and that takes 3 days for shinobi to get there. Since they were travelling with a civilian, its reasonable that it would take a few days.

Next chapter will be Kakashi actually teaching his students something...sort of...

He's...not really trying but i swear he'll get better eventually.

I kept Kakashi fainting to set up the whole chakra exhaustion that comes with the sharingan, and will also attempt to make it much more consistent than it was in canon.

Constructive criticism is welcome, hate will be laughed at and the gay will be strong.

Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye

Chapter 11: Wait And Watch

Summary:

Sakura learns to tree walk and the team makes a decision.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

It took three days for Kakashi to wake up.

In typical fashion, he pretended as though nothing had happened, acting as if he was in full health as soon as he rose from his cot.

Sakura had gotten chakra exhaustion before, though thankfully never to the extent where she'd passed out. It was the inevitable consequence of having much smaller reserves than everyone else in class, and she knew for a fact that it left you feeling lightheaded and weak, even after your reserves were full again. There was no way Kakashi felt as good as he was acting, but calling him out would be pointless.

"You kids did pretty good when I got trapped, but I figured it was time to focus on some individual training." Kakashi said with a grin, gesturing to three large oaks in the middle of the woods where he had brought them. "You're going to learn how to tree climb."

Naruto frowned. "I already know how to climb trees though. I did it all the time back in Konoha."

Sasuke scoffed. "He means with chakra, you idiot."

"Huh?"

Before Sasuke could made another comment, Kakashi pointedly cleared his throat. "Allow me to demonstrate."

He then proceeded to walk towards the tree, placing a foot on the bark and walked up the oak. Vertically.

Sakura's mouth dropped open, though she quickly shut it as Kakashi walked back down the tree.

"You focus chakra on your feet and walk." He explained simply. "Now off you go."

Naruto immediately raced to the tree, face scrunched in concentration as he put a foot on the tree and-

Was promptly blasted backwards.

Naruto landed on his back, blue eyes wide with shock but not pain. "What happened?" he sputtered.

Sasuke sneered. "You did it wrong, clearly." Before placing his own sandal on the bark of his own tree. He managed to get one step up before he too fell.

He didn't get blasted back like Naruto, merely unstuck and went straight down.

Huh.

Sakura's brain kicked into gear, considering each piece of evidence she'd been shown and analyzing it. It has to do with chakra control. She realized. Naruto used too much, so he got blasted back, Sasuke used too little, so he fell. You need to find the balance.

Fortunately for her, Sakura had always excelled at chakra control. It was a side effect of never having any to spare. Each drop was precious and valuable when you had a glass instead of a bucket.

She waited until neither of the boys were paying attention to make her move. Gently placing her foot on the truck of the tree, she focused on her chakra and guided it downwards. Sakura adjusted the amount until her shoe was firmly in place and took a step.

She didn't fall.

Taking a deep breath, she put her left foot forward and applied the same amount of chakra, keeping the flow to both her feet consistent.

From there, it was easy to walk up the tree, eventually settling on the highest branch that could support her weight. It was much easier than she'd been expecting, especially after how finicky the Mokuton had been.

She was honestly content to watch her teammates from here, neither seeming to have realized that she wasn't beside them anymore. There wasn't any real reason to draw attention to herself.

"Well, well, well, looks like Sakura is the first to master tree walking."

Or Kakashi could just blatantly draw the boys' attention to her. That could also happen.

Sakura gave a weak smile, trying to ignore the way Sasuke scowled and sneered at her while Naruto stared in awe.

"Wow Sakura! How did you do that?"

She opened her mouth to explain when Sasuke scoffed. "You need someone to hold your hand when figuring something as simple as this out?"

Naruto frowned. "No I don't! I'll learn how to tree walk all on my own."

He took another run at the tree, managing a single step before being blasted away once more.

"Pathetic."

Kakashi sighed dramatically. "Well, since Sakura was the only one to master this exercise, she'll be the only one to join me guarding Tazuna. You two will have to stay here."

Both boys froze at that.

"What!? Why not!?" Naruto exclaimed at the same time Sasuke drew himself up and sneered. "You'd really rather take a weaker fighter just because she can walk up a tree?"

But Kakashi was not to be moved. "When you two have mastered this exercise, you can help with guarding. As of right now, only Sakura is eligible."

Sakura's face twitched, but other than that she managed to keep her expression still. So this was Kakashi's game. He was using her success to goad the boys into trying harder. This wasn't really for her benefit at all.

She exhaled slowly, allowing her fury to seep into her bones.

"Expendable."

"Pathetic."

"Cannon fodder."

Sakura ignored the jealous looks her teammates sent her and went to follow Kakashi, nails digging into her forearms.

I wonder if my Will of Fire is supposed to be lit with rage.

Walking through the village was even more depressing without Kakashi's deadweight to distract her.

Tazuna didn't so much as blink at the desolate state of his home, moving past hollow cheeked children with desperate eyes unflinchingly. She wondered if it was because he was used to it, or that if he paused he would never be able to move again for fear of breaking the eerie silence that surrounded them.

This was her first glimpse of true poverty, and she suddenly understood why Tazuna had been so desperate to get to Wave. Sakura didn't know what she would have done if her home had been caught in the grip of someone like Gato. Would she have given in out of fear? Allowed someone that despicable to continue their reign without hindrance at the cost of her family's livelihood?

She imagined her mother, her sharp tongued mother who had once kicked out half a dozen men from her store for harassing another customer, gaunt and hungry, trapped by water on all sides. She imagined her kind, cheerful father who made friends wherever he went, stifled by the misery that seemed to permeate the air.

Sakura's stomach churned.

When they arrived, there was already a dozen or so men and women waiting there, exhaustion and something like hope in each of their eyes. They probably weren't being paid for this, yet were here anyway, here to try to save their home.

Tazuna didn't spare them a second glance, immediately going to the workers and giving out orders. His expression didn't change much, and if Sakura hadn't been paying attention, it would have been easy to think he didn't care about what he was doing.

But she saw the tension in his frame, the softness in his eyes as he spoke to his fellow villagers even if his words were harsh.

Tazuna was not nice. He was a rude old man with a chip on his shoulder and who hadn't called her by her name once in the week they'd known each other. But, despite all that, Tazuna was kind. Niceness can be faked, a monster can smile and hold your door open, but real kindness isn't nearly so easy to observe.

From what she had seen, Tazuna was skilled at what he did, skilled enough that it would have been no great challenge for him to abandon his village and find work elsewhere. But here he was, risking his life for the sake of his home. He had no duty, no obligation to do so, yet there he stood, ready to begin building something that was far more than a bridge.

"Why don't you stick by the south side." Kakashi suggested. "That way you'll be out of everyone's hair and still be in the vicinity."

Sakura's smile didn't reach her eyes. "Okay!"

Always in the way, aren't you?

She perched on the side until the sun set, watching as the workers begin heading home.

There had been no sign of Raiga or any other shinobi as far as she could tell, and Kakashi hadn't mentioned anything either.

Sakura followed Tazuna and Kakashi back to the house.

Dinner was a tense affair.

Sasuke couldn't seem to decide who to glare at, while Naruto just scarfed down every crumb of food within reach. Tazuna insulted them all and Tsunami smiled weakly while quietly scolding Inari when he spat at them.

It was a relief to head back to the guest room, even if it meant being cramped together, because at least then she could pretend she was asleep.

"We have a decision to make."

Or not.

Sakura slowly sat up, turning to face Kakashi along with her teammates. "What do you mean?" She questioned.

"Do we want to go back to Konoha or not." He explained. "I figured you three could vote and decide that way."

Wait, what?! He was going to let them decide? It was protocol to send a messenger hawk back and have a more experienced team take over! Why on earth would he give them the option to stay!?

"We can't just abandon these people!" Naruto exclaimed. "We can do this!"

No, no they could not do this. They had been attacked by a jounin less than a week ago! Who wasn't even dead and would likely return. No no no no!

Sakura rubbed her temples. "We wouldn't be abandoning them, we'd be leaving them in more competent hands-"

"If you're scared, just say so." Sasuke sneered. "It's not like anyone here thinks you can actually handle anything serious."

Sakura went still.

Sasuke continued. "You can head back to Konoha if you want, but a real shinobi completes their missions no matter the challenges thrown their way. I'm not surprised someone like you wouldn't understand."

And I'm not surprised someone as arrogant as you thinks that they're untouchable just because they were the best fighter at the Academy. The words are at the tip of her tongue and she wanted to, oh how she wanted to.

But I'm not allowed to be like them. I'm the extra, the canon fodder, the opinion-less mediator. I'm not allowed to complain.

If they ended up fighting Raiga again, it was unlikely he would fall for the same trick twice and would just finish them off without preamble. They didn't get to tap out here, and if they lost, they died.

Sakura was the worst fighter out of all of them, and she knew that. What was wrong with knowing your weaknesses and taking steps to not die because of them?! It wasn't cowardice to not welcome death.

She had more reason to fear it than the rest of them. After all, the higher ups would expect her to take the place of one of her 'more important' teammates should their life be in danger. They clearly saw her as disposable. She knew she didn't have the skills to keep up and that was why she wanted to leave! For her, death would come before any of the rest of them, and for some reason using common sense was considered a flaw.

But Sakura said none of that. She didn't rage, didn't snap, didn't point out exactly how many ways this could spell out their doom. Didn't point out the arrogance or break in protocol, or how the people of this village would benefit much more from higher skilled shinobi.

Sakura was outnumbered and outvoted here, and if she wanted to win, to stay alive, she would need to play their game until she had a chance to make it her own.

So she said nothing, nothing at all.

Notes:

Hey y'all, hope you're having a good day.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh, i meant to post this yesterday but completely forgot, so sorry for the delayed chapter.

Kakashi is still a terrible teacher who uses the success of one student to goad his others on and pretty much completely ignores Sakura. Again, he will get better eventually but that won't be for a while yet.

Sasuke is still an enormous dick, and while he too will eventually improve, like Kakashi, its not going to be an immediate switch and he's got a long way to go before he becomes tolerable.

Naruto is just oblivious. His canon character kind of went from being really emotionally aware to completely oblivious depending on what the plot called for, so i'm aiming for a bit of a midpoint. I'm going to try to make it so that especially near the beginning he's very oblivious, but as time goes on he becomes more and more aware. One of his main character traits is being able to connect with other people, so keeping him as completely oblivious just wouldn't work.

Kishimoto was super inconsistent with a lot of his characters and their skills, traits, and other abilities, often changing them to suit some convoluted plot point or another. I am going to try to be better.

It might seem like Sakura is letting her team just walk all over her, and in some ways she is, but she's a 12 year old who's been consistently told directly and indirectly that she was worth less than her classmates. That she is lesser because of her upbringing, and that she should be thankful to be there at all. Obviously that's going to create some self esteem issues. Not to mention she doesn't have anyone she can count on to back her up on this team, at least not verbally. Naruto may sometimes agree with her, either because he actually does or to be against Sasuke, but he doesn't do it often enough, and they aren't friends, so she feels completely out of her depth. She feels-for very understandable reasons-that her protests would be completely disregarded and that she would be shamed for speaking out at all. Because she is painfully aware of her limits and her intended place on the team, she is understandably terrified, but is trapped in her predicament with essentially no way out.

Sakura is doing her best is what i'm trying to say.

She's also really angry, so when that rage is eventually unleashed it will be glorious. Its gonna be a while tho. We're in this for the long run buckos, i hope you're ready.

Let me know what you think down in the comments, and let me know you're favorite Naruto character.

Mine is probably a tie between Shikamaru and Sakura. At least, when Sakura is being well written which is almost never.

Constructive criticism is welcome, hate will be laughed at and the gay will be strong

Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye

Chapter 12: Learn to Walk Before You Run

Summary:

Sakura goes on a walk in more ways than one.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Both Naruto and Sasuke had left the house before Sakura had even woken up, and she couldn't say she was sorry for it.

Her hot rage had cooled to a low fury that made the world crystal clear. It was much easier to keep that sort of anger in check and the last thing she needed was people thinking she was overly emotional on top of being a liability.

Kakashi slid into the seat across from her. "Sakura, your job will be a little different today. Since Gato is targeting Tazuna, it's likely he'll go after his family as well. Tsunami needs to run some errands around the village today, so you'll be with her."

It could very well be that he just didn't want her near the bridge but also still needed her absence as a reminder to the boys that they needed to try harder, but Sakura honestly couldn't care less. At least Tsunami was pleasant company unlike almost everyone else staying at this house.

"Okay." She said easily. "Is Inari coming with us?"

He shook his head. "No, Naruto and Sasuke will be watching him."

An angsty child left alone with Naruto and Inari? That was a recipe for disaster.

Then again, at least she didn't have to deal with him. Sakura understood that not all children were easy to get along with-she'd babysat the neighbour's kids enough times to know that-but Inari was a whole other level of unpleasant.

"I need to head out with Tazuna now." Kakashi disappeared in a flurry of green leaves.

Dramatic much?

Sakura finished her meal and brought the dishes to the sink.

"Oh, you don't have to do that." Tsunami said hurriedly, entering the room with a basket in hand. "You're protecting us, you don't need to worry about silly little things like dishes."

She waved Tsunami off. "It's not a problem. You're letting us stay in your house and eat your food. The least I can do is clean up after myself."

"Well, if you insist." Tsunami tied her hair back as she spoke. "I'm glad you're accompanying me. As much as I love Tazuna and Inari, it's nice to be with another woman sometimes. I'm sure you can relate considering your entire team is comprised of men."

Calling Naruto and Sasuke men seemed like a bit of an exaggeration. Technically, genin were legally adults, but considering that most genin graduated at age twelve…Sakura did not feel like woman, nor would she consider her teammates men.

Regardless, she smiled. "It does get a little frustrating sometimes. I haven't been with them for long, so maybe it'll get better over time."

"Its not like anyone here thinks you can actually handle anything serious."

"A real shinobi completes their missions no matter the challenges thrown their way. I'm not surprised someone like you wouldn't understand."

She wouldn't get her hopes up though.

Going into the stores with Tsunami was just as uncomfortable as Sakura thought it would be. She felt out of place in the village, her clothes and general healthiness making it obvious to anyone who saw her that she wasn't from here. Narrowed or greedy eyes followed them through the depressingly empty shops, and the hair on the back of her neck was constantly raised.

Considering that Kakashi probably viewed her similarly to Sasuke, it was unlikely he would send her on a solo mission with a high possibility of danger when it would directly impact their mission. Then again, maybe she was being used as canon fodder.

Oh, the thoughts civilian-born shinobi had.

It was midmorning by the time they were finished, and Tsunami's basket was…well not exactly full, but was no longer empty, and it was time for them to head back.

They would have too, if not for a large burly man stepping in front of them.

Sakura let her hands drift to her kunai pouch, stepping slightly in front of Tsunami. "Can we help you?"

He smiled broadly. "You can indeed, young lady. I was hoping to talk with my cousin. It's been quite a while since we've spoken."

"You're cousins?" She risked a glance at Tsunami who nodded tightly, a stiff expression on her face. "I'm not sure we have time." Sakura lied, giving her an excuse to avoid him.

He stepped closer. "It'll just be a second."

Her hand closed around a kunai. "As I said, we really should be getting back. Kakashi-sensei will be waiting." Another blatant lie, but hopefully a deterrent one.

His friendly expression dipped slightly. "Listen, I'm going to have a conversation with my cousin. If you think you can come in this village and start-"

"Leave her alone, Shota." Tsunami's voice was sharper than Sakura had ever heard it. "I told you last time that I don't want anything to do with your 'opportunity.'"

His smile dropped completely. "You're a fool."

Her chin tilted up defiantly. "At least I haven't betrayed my village. At least I can go home to Inari and not be ashamed of what I've become. Can you do the same with Reiko?"

Shota flinched. "I'm trying to make sure she doesn't starve to death! I would sell my soul to any god that asked to make sure she survived."

"And doom the rest of the village? The rest of your family?" Her lip curled into a sneer. "May the water not take you."

Shock flashed across Shota's face, followed by anger and something like hurt. Considering the seriousness of that statement, Sakura couldn't blame him. She had practically wished him a lost afterlife, one where he would not be accepted into any realm, forced to wander the land of the living yet unable to interact with it.

"You-" He turned away. "I can see there's no convincing you."

Tsunami did not falter. "No, there isn't."

Shota nodded solemnly. "Then may our paths not cross again."

Sakura didn't release her blade until he was far out of sight, shoulders tense from a conversation that had barely involved her, and where she had felt far too out of the loop.

"Is…is that going to be something I'm going to need to worry about later?" She questioned.

Tsunami seemed to force a smile. "Nothing but family drama." She reassured her. "It'll all be resolved soon."

Sakura wasn't exactly convinced.

Neither Naruto nor Sasuke were at the house when they arrived, which Sakura found unsurprising. Personally, training in the woods didn't seem like much of a punishment, but the two were so determined to prove themselves and guard Tazuna, it was almost ridiculous.

Did they not understand how serious this was? The last time they'd been confronted with the enemy on this mission, they'd nearly died. What were they getting that she wasn't? Why was she the only one against this?

Suddenly feeling useless, she got to her feet. "Hey, Tsunami, you mentioned you have a small pond near the side of the house. I was wondering if I could use it to practice."

Tsunami looked vaguely confused but nodded regardless. "It's near the garden behind the house. I trust you won't cause too much chaos?"

Sakura laughed. "No, I'll leave that to my teammates." She said, remembering the last time they'd been in a garden.

Had that only been a month ago? It felt as though this week had lasted a year, yet every day seemed to go by faster than a blink of an eye. Then again, the sooner this mission was over with, the better.

As promised, there was a small pond near the mediocre garden behind the house. A few sad lily pads and a stray frog within it, algae condensing at the top and sides.

Should be the same principle as tree walking, right?

While Kakashi had never explicitly stated it, during his fight with Raiga the two of them had walked on water, something made possible by chakra. It would be different, because water wasn't solid, and thus always moving and not something firm enough to stand on, on its own. Considering they were on an island and were likely going to end up fighting one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Hidden Mist, no she was not over that. It would be useful in case she ever got thrown in the water or needed to run across it to get away.

You think this will save you? You're a dead girl walking.

Cannon fodder.

Deadweight.

Sakura shook herself from those thoughts.

How do I begin…?

Very tentatively, she placed the tip of her sandal on the water, channeling chakra the same way the did when she went tree walking. She didn't want to apply so much pressure that her weight was on it, risking falling in, but she also didn't want to put so little that she would be able to tell if she was right.

Sakura took a deep breath, focusing intently on the ebb and flow of the water and how much chakra she was using. The pond was fairly still, so she shouldn't have to adjust too much. A larger body of water would be more difficult considering the currents would be stronger and the changes of the surface more extreme.

As she applied pressure on her toes, it was as if one moment she was standing on solid ground and the next she was a second from falling through the liquid.

Come on, Sakura. Focus.

The chakra control here was much more delicate than it had been when climbing the tree. Adjustments needed to be made constantly and there was no fixed point that she could keep in mind and then hold.

But as time passed, she became more and more comfortable with the position, slowly allowing her entire foot to touch the surface of the water. The adjusting of her chakra became more instinctual and automatic, and soon enough, she was able to stand on top of the water.

I'm doing it!

Sakura's cheeks hurt from grinning. She had figured out how to do this all on her own. Just her and her chakra control and some theory.

"Whatcha doing there, Sakura?" A voice came from directly behind her.

"ACK!"

SPLASH!

Kakashi watched Sakura pull herself out of the small pond, red dress now covered in algae and mud. The end of the workday had come faster than he'd expected, and Tazuna was no doubt collapsing into bed after the amount of physical labor he'd done. The old man was tenacious, he'd give him that.

Sakura's green eyes were filled with irritation. "Have you ever tried not sneaking up on someone?"

He smiled in a way he knew infuriated people. "It's not my fault you're not perceptive."

"I'll do my best to improve on that." She said icily, her tone cordial even as she wrung water from her outfit. "Do you need something from me?" Or did you interrupt me for no reason? Went unsaid but not unheard.

Kakashi studied his supposedly weakest student out of the corner of his eye as he pretended to read, flipping a page casually. It was unusual enough for a genin to master tree walking on their first try, much less water walking after mere minutes. It would be one thing if she'd been flagged at the Academy as a prodigy or came from a respected clan that drilled their children in the shinobi arts from childhood, but she was none of those things.

She was civilian-born but had grasped both of these concepts quicker than Sasuke, and he had Itachi to help him. She was smarter than she let on, her plan to distract Raiga requiring an impressive amount of intelligence and acting. Despite her performance not being perfect, she had riled up the enemy enough to give them an opportunity.

Her physical combat was abysmal, but from what she'd managed to accomplish with little to no help, it was clear her chakra control was through the roof. It was impressive for a civilian-born.

She'd have done well on another team.

Notes:

Hey y'all, hope you're having a good day.

This is a bit of a slower chapter, but i promise the set up will be worth it later on.

When it comes to Tsunami and her cousin that i made up, yes this will be relevant later, and i mainly created this story line to show what i think would have happened in Wave. After Gato took over, he would offer more resources to those who would join him, which in turn rose the ranks of his gang. While a lot of the citizens would reject that kind of offer like Tsunami, others like Shota would take it to save themselves or their family. And i would imagine that those who worked for Gato, would not be very well liked within Wave.

Anyway, that's what i'm attempting to do. idk if its working or not.

As for Sakura learning how to water walk, i'd imagine since she had no one at home to help her with anything shinobi related, she would have to learn how to pick things up really quickly at school. This along with her chakra control, would be something she just developed over time to compensate for her lack of resources. With her chakra control, she had way smaller reserves than most of her classmates, so she could never afford to be sloppy, constantly forcing her to be careful, and thus developing her extremely good control overtime. Sure, some of it is talent, but i'd like to think it was more of an adaptation thing.

That's just my thoughts tho.

Kakshi...isn't super easy to write. He's such a bad teacher, but i think his character is fascinating, so i'm going to attempt to show that he's not purposefully impeding his students, he just should have never been a jounin sensei to being with. He's not stupid either, and he recognizes Sakura's intended place on the team, and is actually kind of sorry that she's been relegated to canon fodder. "she'd have done well on another team" is him knowing that if she had been put on a team that was meant to help her become stronger, she would have flourished. instead, she's on team 7.

Also, i can't believe i forgot to do this earlier.

So like, i promised to explain why Sakura's ambition was becoming a jounin, and then i just never did, so that's what imma be doing now.

So essentially, civilian born shinobi almost always fall into 3 camps. Dead, quitted or a paper chuunin. Now, there's nothing wrong with being a paper chunnin and not being the most skilled. Without those guys nothing would ever get done and the village would fall to pieces. However, civilian borns usually fall into that because they are never expected to go higher, and are at times actively discouraged from attaining a higher rank. They don't have any other shinobi family to help them out or support them, so they end up paper chuunin whether they want to or not.

Sakura isn't stupid and she is well aware of her chances of attaining Jounin rank. She is all too aware of what those in power think of her worth and where her place should be, so her deciding to become a jounin is an outright rejection. The reality of being a civilian born shinobi isn't kind, and is something Sakura will continue to struggle with for the entire story. She's not from a powerful family of clan, so she's deemed expendable, but Sakura decides that she's not going to accept that. She's deciding that the status quo can go fuck itself. To her, its not about actually attaining the rank of jounin, its about what it represents.

Things will get much rougher the higher she climbs, but that won't be until later.

Constructive criticism is welcome, hate will be laughed at and the gay will be strong

Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye

Chapter 13: First Blood

Summary:

Raiga returns to the bridge, and this time he's not alone

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Five days after her trip to the marketplace with Tsunami, Sasuke finally mastered tree-walking.

Sakura had known it would happen eventually, but she had hoped it would happen further down the line. Naruto wasn't far behind Sasuke, and it was clear that soon both of them would join her and Kakashi with guarding Tazuna.

She should be relieved, after all, that meant they had more manpower should they be attacked again.

She didn't want to die for them.

Regardless of how Sakura felt about it, it wasn't like she could do anything about it. At least Sasuke was more likely to leave her alone and be quiet than Naruto was, even if he was considerably less friendly. His fierce glares made her even more sure of her decision to not mention the water walking to anyone. Kakashi knew, but he wasn't exactly likely to be jealous since he too knew how, and the fact that he was an apparently famous jounin.

Naruto's pout was even more exaggerated than usual as he came in for breakfast, scarfing down eggs before racing out the door again, promising that he would master tree walking today.

He'd said the exact same thing yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that, and the day before that.

Essentially, Sakura's expectations weren't that high.

The village was covered in an even thicker fog than usual, making her even more on edge. She didn't like not being able to have a comprehensive view of her surroundings. With weather like this, it would be all to easy for someone to hide just out of sight.

From the joyful expression on the construction workers however, that was the entire point.

"We're getting more supplies today, and the fog makes it easier to hide our activity." A young man who she remembered as Yuu, explained. "We don't have to rush as much to bring all the materials in, which is always nice."

As he spoke, a large barge came into view, sitting low in the water. Its crew moved with practiced movements, stripping tarps from the large clumps of materials. It wasn't long before the supplies were on the half build bridge, men and women alike straining under the weight of heavy steel and concrete.

Sakura was briefly glad that her job was protection and not labour. She wasn't sure she'd be much use at all, not to mention that work had to be back breaking.

As she observed the workers, it became clear why they hadn't been able to commission the village properly. A barge that size couldn't have been cheap to build, and considering they likely had to smuggle everything past Gato, they wouldn't've had an easy time of getting the supplies to begin with.

Sasuke was watching with an expression of disinterest, evidently bored by what was taking place.

It irritated her in a way Sakura didn't know how to explain. He wasn't like Naruto who had wanted to stay out of a genuine desire to help the people of this village or was at least born of that. No, it seemed rather clear that the only reason he had voted to stay was to prove his strength. To who, she wasn't sure, but the sheer arrogance made her want to scream.

He wasn't stupid, which made it all the more frustrating. She expected this kind of attitude from Naruto, who was as thoughtless as he was loud, but Sasuke was smarter than that. He was more than capable of recognising the risks, yet for some reason, had decided that their lives were worth-what? Glory? Bragging rights?

It made her furious and frustrated and sick.

Before she could get caught up in her own thoughts any further, Sakura noticed that the fog began to thicken.

At an unnatural and alarming rate.

Before Sakura could so much as open her mouth, Kakashi's sharp voice cut through the area. "Everyone off the bridge." He demanded. "Except Tazuna. You should stay close."

Sakura's hand closed around a kunai, drawing it out of her pouch and making her way towards their client, Sasuke by her side. Her heart was practically pounding out of her chest, though her hands were surprisingly steady.

The fog thickened even more, any and all noise from the village vanishing completely until it was only the four of them, left alone in what felt like an island-separate from anything else.

The eerie atmosphere reminded her of the stories her father had told her when she'd been younger. Tales of smiling spirits who were all too happy to lead you to your death, tales of those forced to wander for all eternity.

Sakura swallowed.

But it was no ethereal being that emerged from the fog.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Raiga drawled. "I was picking up some friends."

The shinobi's broad figure was framed by several others, their features too far away to pick out distinct faces. More importantly, they came by way of the shore, cutting of any easy escape route.

One man, however, was dressed far nicer than the others. He had a cigarette hanging from his lips, and he bore no weapons like those around him. His expression was greedy, and almost gleeful as he hung back and let the others advance on them.

That has to be Gato.

There was a black and grey blur as Raiga and Kakashi crossed blades once again, their movements swift and utterly deadly. Sakura kept a sliver of her focus on them, remembering how her sensei had gotten trapped the last time.

Considering they were one teammate down and surrounded by henchmen, the second Kakashi even faltered, Raiga would kill him and cut right through her and Sasuke to take out Tazuna.

The mob of armed civilians advanced on the three of them, their crude and old weapons settling easily in their palms as they made their way over.

"I'll meet them head on." Sasuke hissed. "You stick with the old man. If anyone gets past me, you deal with them."

Sakura nodded, pushing Tazuna further behind her as Sasuke lunged at a large man with a bat. It was the best plan they could use at the moment considering Sasuke was the superior frontline fighter. If she were to join him and fight at his side, she would potentially get in the way, not to mention if someone slipped past them, there would be no one left to protect Tazuna.

Because as important as the two battles taking place were, if a stray kunai were to slit Tazuna's, they would be for nothing.

I need to get out of here somehow.

Sasuke exhaled an enormous fireball, screams of terror and pain filling the air and several of the civilian fighters staggered backwards. It was clear from their uneven lines and brute force tactics that they had no shinobi training, for which Sakura was grateful.

A wiry older man snuck past her teammate, a long curved knife in his hand as he rushed her. He had been wary of Sasuke, but it was clear he thought she would be easier pickings. He already had a cut across his arm and burn on his leg, but he attacked anyway.

Sakura's heartbeat felt deafening in her ears, her grip on her kunai tightening as she dodged his first swipe.

His face twisted into an annoyed snarl and he lunged again, overextending enough that she was able to completely throw him off the bridge with his forward momentum.

But instead of a splash, there was a loud thump! Partnered with a sickening crack!

Sakura blinked in surprise, giving a quick glance below to see a small ship with three-well, now four-men sailing it. They had the same crude weapons and loose dirty as the men fighting Sasuke.

The men who looked like they were beginning to overwhelm him.

She pulled out a handful of shuriken, aiming for joints and hopefully distracting the enemy from hitting him when he wouldn't be able to block or dodge.

She glanced at Kakashi and quickly looked back at her own battle. He was still in a deadlock with Raiga, and no help could be expected there.

"Hey guys!"

Sakura never thought she'd see the day where she was glad to see Naruto's stupid beaming face, but there was a first time for everything.

His shout had drawn almost everyone's attention, his footsteps echoing across the bridge even as the clash of blades still rung out. A fraction of the tension in her shoulders melted.

That split second of relief was then destroyed as a large red-haired man hit Sasuke over the head hard with the butt of his sword.

He dropped like a stone.

The world seemed to slow as Sasuke's body hit the ground, those around him realizing the biggest threat between them and their goal had been eliminated. Some began kicking him while others turned their gaze on Sakura.

"SASUKE!"

Naruto's scream was a terrible thing to hear, raw and full of terror. His expression was caught between horror and rage.

Horrible as it was, his shout distracted the two closest men coming for her long enough for Sakura to shove a blade in their knee joints, causing them to collapse.

As she retreated once more, she saw a strange red haze manifest around Naruto. His normally blue eyes shifting to red, and his whiskers thickening considerably.

Somewhere inside Sakura, her self preservation instincts screamed, animal instincts left over from a simpler time demanding she escape because a monster was here and it was furious.

The next sound Naruto released was not human.

"DON'T TOUCH HIM!" Naruto snarled, a half dozen clones appearing around him as he ripped through anyone who got between him and Sasuke.

His power was frightening, but it wouldn't be long before he too became surrounded.

Sakura ignored her instincts screaming at her to not take her eyes off Naruto and glanced at the small ship below them.

There's three of them down there, and way more up here. She reasoned.

"Get on my back." She told Tazuna.

When he merely blinked, frozen in place she grabbed his arm harshly and put it on her shoulder, ignoring the trembling's in her body.

"Get. On. My. Back." She snapped, her voice made sharp by fear. "Unless of course, you'd rather stay here."

Tazuna gave a furtive glance at the approaching mob and climbed on without protest. He was heavy enough to make Sakura's knees protest, her mobility now shot to pieces and hands busy.

Sakura sent chakra to her feet, stepping onto the side of the bridge, hesitating only a moment to allow herself to adjust to the new direction the weight was pulling her.

Her progress down the bridge was slower than she would have liked despite running, but even one misstep would send them both crashing into the ocean.

One of the men on the boat noticed them, his mouth opening to shout a warning.

Sakura made a choice.

Fifteen feet above the deck of the boat, she released the chakra on her feet, pushing off the concrete pillar of the wall and practically landing on the man who had noticed them.

Pain erupted from her legs as she struggled to her feet, pushing Tazuna behind her and grabbing the hair of the one downed man before bashing it into the side of the boat with all her force.

Before she could turn around, there was suddenly a hand bunching in her hair and throwing her backwards into a stack of crates.

Sakura's hands dug into her pouches, a kunai coming out as she slashed wildly, only knowing she'd hit something from the howl of pain.

Another pair of hands gripped her, and the point of a dull rusty blade rested on her throat as she struggled for breath. Her back ached, yet she could barely feel it through the rush of adrenaline.

"I think." Came a low menacing voice. "That that's enough of that, you bitch."

Any other day the insult would have made her red with fury, but now Sakura would have done anything to make that her biggest problem with the situation.

Tazuna was nearly at the edge of the boat, hands scrambling for the life preservers. Behind him stood another thug preparing to take his head off with his sword.

He was completely focused on the bridge architect, not paying any attention to her.

Sakura knew what she had to do here. Every lesson, every lecture, every rule in the shinobi code demanded it, but for a split second, she didn't want to.

Sakura did not want to be the hero, because heroes got their names carved into monuments and remembered, but that didn't make them any less dead, didn't make their graves any less cold.

But despite all of that, Sakura moved.

The man holding her hostage didn't notice her hand slip into her kunai pouch, didn't realize until she'd already thrown the blades-striking his partner's ribs and arm-until it was too late to stop her.

Sakura's non dominant hand shot up to protect herself from the dagger at her throat, the blade digging into her palm as she ducked under his arm and twisted away. If she had been a nanosecond slower, her neck would have been cut instead of her hand, as it was, the wound was deep and painful but not deadly.

Tazuna had used the distraction of her kunai to hit the man with the sword over the head with a bottle of sake, throwing him overboard in the process.

As Sakura's gaze flickered back to her own opponent, she very nearly froze.

It was the man from the market-Shota, she thought his name was. Tsunami's cousin.

This must be the opportunity he had been talking about. He must have been attempting to sway her into joining Gato. If Tsunami had, it would be likely Tazuna would be dead, considering they lived together.

"Don't make me do this, kid." He said in a low, gravely voice.

Sakura ached almost everywhere, and blood was spilling from her hand. Pain and desperation made the world hazy, but she pulled another kunai from her pouch and got into a shaky stance.

"I'm not making you do anything." She said, voice trembling.

Shota shook his head and lunged.

Sakura managed to dodge the first few strikes, but she was slow from pain, making her sloppy. His third blow caught her in the arm, his fourth nearly managing to run her through, blood spilling from her wounds.

He was forcing her backwards, each attack intended to push her towards the end of the boat and into the choppy waves. Even if she managed to get on board again, it would likely be too late for her to stop Shota from killing Tazuna.

As she narrowly dodged another blow, instinct compelled her hit the hilt of his sword, sending it to the ground and out of reach.

Shota's other hand drew a short dagger, the hilt facing her as he began his slash. He was aiming for her throat.

She was too close to the edge to dodge.

I don't want to die.

Sakura's foot planted firmly on the water, chakra solidifying it beneath her feet as her hand enclosed around his wrist, forcing the blade away from her.

And directly into Shota's jugular.

Notes:

Hey y'all, hope you're having a good day

Was that a fun chapter for you guys? because it was a fun chapter for me.

For those who already could tell, i took heavy inspiration from another story for this chapter. Kill Your Heroes is a phenomenal story on ao3, and i recommend you all go check it out. It has badass slowburn Sakura and is just *chefs kiss*

So let's break this shit down.

Sakura not wanting to die for her teammates isn't because she doesn't care for them or think that they're worth anything, but its because she's literally EXPECTED to die for them, and she knows her chances of just being able to run away with little consequences disappear the second one of her teammates is on the field with her. It would be one thing for her to book it if she was only abandoning like, a rando civilian, tho that wouldn't be good either, and another entirely for her to leave Sasuke and Naruto on their own because the village finds them more valuable than her and she is all to aware of that fact.

Sasuke getting knocked out happened for a few reasons, but before i get people yelling at me in the comments about how i nerfed him, consider this. 1) removing plot armor isn't nerfing a character. 2) Sasuke is a skilled shinobi, but you know what else he is? 12. He's literally 12. He's not even really a 12 year old genius like Itachi or Kakashi, he's just a kind of better than average 12 year old genin who has had VERY limited experience in the field. Training is good, and wonderful, and important, but as a martial artist myself, let me tell you that it does not compare to a real fight. Sasuke is skilled, but he has had very limited field experience, and so when he is surrounded by adult fighters, even if they aren't shinobi, i don't think it is out of the realm of possibility that he would get distracted and knocked out. Again, boi is 12. one hit from an adult, especially in the head, would be more than enough to knock him out. I'm just trying to make their skillsets more reasonable, because as i've stated before, we're not going to the overblown "rasengan the size of a house enormous jutsu route in this story.

Naruto still goes feral, which is one of the reasons Sasuke knocked out, and will indeed have later consequences, because i at least try to have cause and effect in my stories. Unlike SOMEONE we all know. cough Kishimoro cough cough.

Now, for the fun part.

Sakura does indeed yeet a man and then herself off a bridge with a grown man on her back. Yes she does land on another man. Yes i had fun writing this.

Sakura hesitating is honestly very human cause like, not only is she civilian born so she hasn't been drilled since birth, but she doesn't want to die, and ya can't fault the girl for that. She knows she's more likely to and weaker than her teammates, so her hesitating to attack the guy attacking Tazuna because it might kill her is honestly valid.

Also, that's right, i made one of the dudes on the boat Tsunami's cousin who i completely made up for this very purpose. And then i made Sakura kill him. To make her first kill more painful. Because i'm evil. and it's fun.

Also yeah, Sakura teaching herself to water walk had importance. More set up and pay off! Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

So yeah, Sakura killed a man and that will have lasting consequences for numerous reasons. quick action chapter like this are really fun to write, especially when they have great story implications and plot progression, so i hope you guys enjoyed it.

Constructive criticism is welcome, hate will be laughed at and the gay will be strong

Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye

Chapter 14: What Is A Life Worth?

Summary:

Sakura deals with her kill, and Kakashi gets interrupted.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

They talked a lot about death at the Academy.

They talked about how being a shinobi meant they would be surrounded by it, how they would witness it, watch people they knew be cut down, watch civilians die. How one day, they would dish it out themselves.

It had been an almost abstract idea. Something Sakura knew intellectually would have to happen at one point.

But no lecture, no book, could have prepared her for this.

Shota's eyes were wide in shock as his breath was abruptly cut off. His hand went slack around the dagger and he staggered back, footsteps deafeningly loud against the wood planks.

One step. Two.

The blade was still in his jugular as he went down, body still twitching even as the light went out of his eyes.

He was dead.

A sickening sense of relief overcame Sakura, her knees very nearly buckling. Only the adrenaline racing through her veins kept her upright as she mechanically returned her kunai to its pouch.

Tazuna had taken some spare rope and was tied up the only remaining enemy-the one she had jumped on. He now sat in the pilothouse, waving her inside as he rummaged around.

"You look like you're about to keel over." He said gruffly. "Sit down, kid."

She obeyed wordlessly, practically collapsing on the rickety stool. Her heartbeat began to slow as her injuries made themselves known. Everything from her chest to her feet throbbed and there was blood all over her.

She couldn't even tell how much was hers.

Tazuna crowed triumphantly, pulling out a first aid kit. "Here we are." He muttered. "Let's get you patched up before you see a real doctor. Don't want you bleeding out on the way inland."

Sakura nodded numbly before remembering where the majority of her injuries were.

Seeing her expression, Tazuna scoffed. "I'm not looking to catch an eyeful of a child. However, you will catch your death if we don't clean those cuts. Infection kills as easily as a blade."

She nodded again, clenching her trembling fingers at the hem of her dress an pulling it off her torso, hissing in pain as it unstuck from her wounds.

True to his words, Tazuna didn't glance anywhere that wasn't a cut, running a damp washcloth over her ribs before wrapping them in gauze and bandages. They were tight and uncomfortable, and she was willing to bet they weren't done properly. But they would stay in place and slow the bleeding for now, which was all they really needed to do.

Tazuna quickly went to work after that, adjusting the sails and standing at the bow of the ship to steer. He'd explained to her that he was going to land at a dock on the opposite side of the island to hopefully avoid any and all of Gato's men who might be waiting on the mainland. Having grown up in the middle of a forest, Sakura had no idea how to sail, so she left it to Tazuna, reasoning that if he needed help, he'd ask.

That left her very little to do with a mind that was too full.

The boat was small enough to be manned by one person, which meant that there was nowhere she could go to avoid Shota's corpse. Part of her considered just throwing it overboard like Tazuna had done with the man who'd tried to strangle him, but that would mean getting close to it.

Sakura wasn't sure what she was more afraid of. Picking him up to see that he really was dead, or doing the same and seeing that he wasn't.

He'd had a name. A family. People who he had cared about and who had loved him in turn. He was Tsunami's cousin and had a daughter. He had been a person, alive and breathing.

And now he was dead, because she had killed him.

If Tazuna noticed the tears that slipped from her eyes he didn't say anything.

Kakashi stared down Raiga as his ninken attacked the mob behind him with a ferocity that would make hardened shinobi hesitate, never mind a ragtag of civilian fighters who could barely tell which end to the sword to use.

The two of them were still frustratingly equally matched, but Kakashi had fought men like Ragia before, and knew that patience was the key. As much as Raiga claimed he liked a good fight, what he really enjoyed was his foes putting up a token amount of resistance before overwhelming them. He reveled in crushing his enemies beneath his heel, so when he came across someone like Kakashi, someone who was his match in battle, he became impatient.

Impatience became annoyance, annoyance became anger, and anger made him sloppy.

Naruto had dragged an unconscious Sasuke to the edge of the bridge so that he only had to defend him from one direction. The Kyuubi's chakra was still leaking from his form, but it had calmed down somewhat once he had realized that Sasuke was still alive.

Still, Naruto fought furiously, using his newfound claws and brawler like combat style to rip apart anyone who came too close. It made Kakashi uneasy to see the Kyuubi's power at all, but he supposed using it to protect Sasuke was better than most alternatives.

If he was lucky, he'd be able to convince Sakura that she had been seeing things before she'd jumped off the bridge. Sasuke was unconscious and Naruto already knew, so they wouldn't be a problem. As for the mob, Raiga and Gato, well, they wouldn't be around long enough to tell anyone anything.

Kakashi hissed in pain as one of Raiga's blades found their mark, going straight through his jounin vest and into his shoulder. He kicked Raiga back and ripped out the sword. Normally he would break it, but this was one of the Legendary Swords of the Hidden Mist, and if no one had managed to break them in over a century, he wasn't banking his success on being able to himself.

His Sharingan was a constant drain on his chakra, but he didn't dare risk covering it. He had already been caught off guard once by Raiga, and he wasn't about to let it happen again.

"I'm going to rip you apart." Raiga promised, retrieving his sword and forcing Kakashi back. "And then I'm going to hunt down your students. Their deaths will last days."

Kakashi dodged another blow, managing to slam a kunai into Raiga's thigh before retreating. "Considering how you fared the last time against them, I'm not too sure that'll go well for you."

It was a lie, but more of an attempt to rile Raiga up than anything else. No jounin would want to admit they had been bested by a genin, even if it had only been through trickery.

Then again, half of being a shinobi was trickery, so maybe it was an even sorer point.

Kakashi blocked Raiga's next blow, careful not to stay engaged too long. As strong as he was, everyone worth their weight in salt knew not to fight a Kiri Swordsman in pure kenjutsu. Few could match their pure skill, and while Kakashi was many things, a kenjutsu master was not one of them.

"I am going to break each of that pink bitch's fingers and then cut them off." Raiga hissed. "I'll feed her her own tongue for what she tried to do."

Kakashi ducked. "I'd say she was rather successful, personally."

His expression twisted into a snarl, his form degrading just the slightest bit in his rage.

There.

Chidori came to life in his palm. He was running low on chakra so he would need to make this count.

Moving faster than he had in the entire fight, Kakashi lunged at Raiga, aiming for his heart.

Before he could even close half the distance, an enormous sword sliced clearly through Raiga's neck.

A low gravely voice echoed through the fog. "Well well well, looks like you were right Raiga. I will get your swords over your cold, dead body."

The world was red.

Naruto could barely think through the haze of rage and fear, a power that was not his own coursing through him. There was a near constant growl echoing through his mind and he knew that must be the Kyuubi.

A part of him had hoped that it had been one big joke, that he didn't really have the murderous Demon Fox that everyone hated inside of him. But now there was no denying it. Naruto could feel it inside of him, the power of something ancient and angry.

But as Raiga's head tumbled to the ground, the noise quieted.

A large man with a sword almost as tall as he was, leaned on his blade, the smirk on his lips revealing shark-like teeth. He wore a Hitai-ate, but the fog was too thick for Naruto to be able to see what symbol it bore.

At his side stood a lithe figure with a pale face. They looked to be around the same size as he was, but held themselves with a grace Naruto could only dream of having.

"You the ones that hired Raiga?" The shinobi asked.

The man with a cigarette hanging from his lips who Naruto was pretty sure was Gato, had gone several shades paler. "I-I-I was unaware he was-"

"What? A traitor to the Hidden Mist?" The swordsman sneered. "I know you're stupid, but an infant could tell that from his Hitai-ate."

"I meant no disrespect-" Gato silenced himself as the other shinobi raised a hand.

"Haku."

In the time it took Naruto to blink, the lithe figure had cut down what remained of the mob. The only one left was the fat old man.

The larger shinobi took his time stalking over to where he stood, movements lazy and yet held a deadly edge that made Naruto want to shrink into himself as to not draw attention.

"I can pay you! Whatever they're giving you I can double it. Triple it! I can-"

The enormous sword swung through the air once again.

"Some people just need to shut up."

The man Sakura had thrown off the bridge was dead too.

It shouldn't have shocked her. After all, surviving a thirty-foot drop onto hard wood was unlikely, but still the revelation felt like she was being stabbed all over again.

She closed her eyes as if the darkness could block out the truth.

Sakura had been the judge, jury, and executioner of two people today, and she wondered what her parents would say. How would they react to their only daughter killing at the ripe old age of twelve?

Tazuna coughed. "It'll be another half hour before we reach the docks." He said roughly. "The house will be nearby, and Tsunami will do a better job patching you up than I will."

Oh right…Tsunami…Inari…

In the chaos of the fight and her own horror, Sakura had forgotten that, while she had killed today, she had also saved. She'd kept Tazuna alive so that he could continue building the bridge and bring his village out of poverty.

She'd made the choice. Their lives, or the lives of Tazuna, and Inari, and Tsunami, and hundreds of villagers.

Her hands may now be stained with red, but she had chosen, and while revulsion and horror still churned in her gut, she knew she would have to do that again. And again. And again.

Sakura released a shaky breath before opening her eyes.

And immediately wish she hadn't.

Because there was something wrong with the shadows around the ship, something that made her instincts scream that there was someone else on the boat.

Sakura's entire body still ached, her feet felt heavy and every breath she took pulled on her bandages.

She stood anyway.

It was hard to force herself to act casual as she made her way towards Tazuna, but she channeled Shino whenever he was trying to seem unconcerned about something but was actually very worried. Straight back, head forward, and a mild expression on her face.

Her heart pounded loudly in her chest, but she did not let her suspicions show until she was barely a foot from Tazuna.

"You need something kid?" he asked, one eyebrow raised.

I don't want to die.

Quick as a whip, she grabbed a kunai from her pouch and whirled around to face the sails, the blade leaving her hand before she even knew what she was aiming at.

A thin hand snatched the kunai out of the air, and Sakura found herself staring down a porcelain face.

Notes:

Hey y'all, hope you're having a good day

THAT'S RIGHT! ZABUZA AND HAKU ARE HERE!

As I've explained before, I'm not planning on following the bullshit convoluted mayhem that it canon, and one of the changes i made, is that Obito never controlled the Fourth Mizukage and made him go crazy, so therefor Zabuza never attempted a coup, and thus he's still a loyal shinobi to the Hidden Mist.

Something i realize i may have fucked up timing wise, is that the figure on the boat is Haku, and those events happen after what goes on on the bridge. I could have reformatted it, but eh, didn't feel like it.

Another thing i kinda touched on in this chapter was how Sakura dealt with her first skill. She's from a civilian family where that sort of thing isn't as normalized, so i think its more than reasonable that this strongly affects her, and that's she feels like a bad person. This is further pushed along by the fact that he wasn't even a nameless thug, it was someone she had met before, someone she knew the name of.

At the same time, she has a sort of realization that she saved people, and while her choices had resulted in someone's death, it also resulted in an entire town potentially being saved. She made the choice, and for better or for worse, she now has to live with the consequences.

Constructive criticism is welcome, hate will be laughed at, and the gay will be strong

byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye

Chapter 15: Introductions

Summary:

Sakura talks to Haku and meets Zabuza

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Sakura gripped her kunai tightly, trying to ignore the pain that wracked her body as she stared down the unknown figure. Even as her feet planted into a stance, her mind whirled with thoughts.

They were either already on the ship…no, they would have shown themselves earlier if that was the case. They must have water walked to get to us, but how did they follow?

Sakura swallowed.

They dropped down onto the deck, and her heart clenched painfully in her chest, fear closing her throat. She took a step back, pushing Tazuna along with her.

She could see them more easily now, delicate features paired with a Kiri Hitai-ate

But unlike Raiga's, it wasn't slashed through.

Still, she didn't lower her blade. "What do you want?" Sakura demanded, hoping the tremors in her voice weren't noticeable.

I barely survived against a few civilian fighters! There's no way I can take on a shinobi, especially not in this state.

They hadn't moved yet, and there was a chance they weren't hostile considering they could have easily cut her down by now, but then again, with her luck, they could just be drawing the interaction out for their amusement.

So, what could she do here?

Stall.

Preferably she'd make them leave or escape, but if nothing else, delay whatever their goals were without any fighting.

"Are you working with Raiga?" she asked when the figure didn't respond. "Why are you here?"

The figure smiled prettily. "My name is Haku." They informed them. "And I'm not here to hurt you."

Uh huh, and Sakura wasn't named because of her hair colour.

"Myself and my master were sent to retrieve the swords and head of Raiga, previously known as the Thunder of The Hidden Mist. He has been disposed of, and I was sent to ensure the safety of the bridge builder." Haku remained where they were, palms open and nowhere near their weapon pouches. They were trying to look nonthreatening, but unfortunately for them, Sakura was so hyped up on adrenaline a squirrel would register to her as a threat.

"Why would you bother with Tazuna if all you wanted were the swords?" She asked cautiously.

They gave a small laugh. "While Kirigakure does not take responsibility for any of Raiga's actions, we understand how something like this could taint the view the citizens of Wave have on our village and are attempting to ensure they understand that this was not our will. Reputations are fragile, and even an event as miniscule as this one can have damaging aftereffects."

That was a lot of fancy words to what essentially amounted to; Someone Who Was Once Affiliated With Us Did A Bad Thing And Now We're Doing Damage Control.

Haku's tone reminded her of some of the merchants her father knew, especially when they were talking to a rich client. Smooth and pleasant, with false sincerity that almost always made her skin crawl.

On the bright side, if they were telling the truth, that meant Raiga was dead and his mob was probably taken care of. On the other hand, this could be a trick to convince her to let Tazuna go with them without needing to fight.

How likely was she to foster negative relations with Kiri if she asked them to leave? That was something that could happen, right? She was technically representing Konoha right now, so her actions could have bigger ripples than one might think a small action would.

Sakura channeled her mother's customer face and her father's charm. "I am comforted that Kiri is taking this incident seriously. However, Konoha is as well, and I was instructed by my-" sensei made her sound too young and inexperienced. "-ranking officer to protect Tazuna and not let him out of my sight. I'm afraid for security reasons I'm going to have to ask you to stay away from our client until I am able to convene with my superior."

Her smile was sugar sweet as she knew she'd backed them into a proverbial corner. If they were really there for the reasons they said they were, Haku would have no choice but to stay away. If they weren't who they said they were, then they could either attack immediately or play along until they found an opportune time to strike.

They would either attempt to kill them immediately or she would have succeeded in her goal to stall for time.

The odds could be worse.

Kakashi mentally cursed Sakura. She got the nice one while he was stuck with the biggest asshole Kiri had to offer.

"The stock at Konoha really is weaker if Raiga managed to hurt you." Zabuza looked far too pleased about the situation. "Aren't you supposed to be hot shit, Hatake?"

Ignoring the pain that flared in his shoulder, he gave Zabuza a bland look. "As I recall, Raiga was one of the Seven Swordsmen, considered the best of the best in Kiri. If he's weak, what does that make the rest of your forces?"

Sharp brown eyes narrowed at him, and Kakashi smiled lazily.

Two can play the asshole game, Momochi.

A loud groan broke their staring contest, his once unconscious student now attempting to sit up.

"Sasuke!" Naruto shouted, any remaining trace of the Kyuubi completely erased. "You're awake!"

Sasuke winced, from the noise or the light he was covering his eyes from, it wasn't clear. "Of course, I'm awake you idiot. I didn't realize you were blind as well as dumb." While his words were scathing, they lacked their usual bite.

Naruto seemed to notice as well, because he didn't even bother responding to the jibe, instead wrapping his teammate in a crushing hug.

Something must have happened when they'd been alone in the woods together, because Sasuke allowed it, albeit with a petulant scoff.

How cute.

"What happened?" Sasuke questioned, guard visibly snapping up as he caught sight of Zabuza.

Kakashi intervened before Zabuza could speak. "When Raiga abandoned his village, he took two very valuable swords with him. Zabuza and his apprentice are here to retrieve them."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Apprentice?" Eyes darting around in a fashion that made it clear he was looking for the aforementioned student.

Zabuza stepped forward. "He went after the bridge builder and your teammate."

Sasuke frowned as if just realizing who was missing. "Where did she go?"

Two minutes was clearly as long as Naruto could stay silent, because he blurted out loudly, "She jumped off the bridge!"

It clearly took Sasuke a moment to process. "What?"

Kakashi opened his mouth to try to regain control of the situation, but Naruto just kept going.

"You were fighting all these dudes, but then you got hit and fell and they all started going to Sakura, so she put Tazuna on her back and jumped off the bridge! It was so badass! But I'm not sure where she went, I mean, I can't imagine she swam all the way to the island."

If she were unhindered, Sakura might have been able to water walk her way back, but with Tazuna as dead weight that was unlikely. It was clear from what he had seen of her that she didn't have nearly enough strength or stamina to carry a full-grown man for that long.

Sakura must have known that too, which meant there must have been a boat of some kind. "Naruto. Sasuke. Both of you are coming with me to the village medic. That's probably where Sakura would go, and you need to be checked out for injuries regardless." He turned to Zabuza. "You are welcome to tag along."

So I can keep an eye on you. Went unsaid, but clearly not unheard.

Zabuza grinned, shark-like teeth glinting even through the fog. "Nah, I think I'll explore a little. I've never been to Wave before."

Kakashi was in no state to follow him. Even if he opted to ignore his injuries and track Zabuza, he couldn't leave Naruto and Sasuke alone, not before they were cleared by medics.

He shrugged. "Suit yourself." And herded his bickering students towards the island.

Attempting to help Tazuna dock a boat while simultaneously keeping Haku in her line of sight was either going to give her a headache or whiplash. She was pretty sure they knew it too, because they had this vague sense of amusement around them, which was not at all helping her anxiety.

As Sakura tightened the final knot, a tall figure stepped onto the dock, an enormous sword on his back. His hitai-ate marked him as a Kiri shinobi like Haku, and from the way they smiled, calling out, "Zabuza," when he came into view, they clearly knew each other.

Great. Just what I needed.

Tazuna clearly thought the same, dark eyes narrowed as he remained slightly behind her.

Her heart jumped as his gaze rested on her, fighting the urge to grab a kunai. Acting rashly would just make everything worse. What was worse than being practically cornered by two shinobi who clearly outclass you, she didn't know, and was not willing to find out.

"Kami, did your parents not have any creativity or something?"

Sakura's mouth dropped open before she managed to regain her senses and snapped her jaw shut. Of all the things to comment on. Then it hit her. How does he know my name?

"Um, excuse me?" She said weakly.

He continued to stare her down. "How are you ever going to function on stealth mission with pink fucking hair? Does Konoha just let anyone become a shinobi these days?"

Well fuck you too.

Sakura smiled in a way that probably looked forced, but she couldn't bring herself to care. "I don't see what my parents naming choices have to do with anything. I'm escorting Tazuna, so if you could be so kind as to let us pass, that would be lovely."

"They teach you that fancy talk in school?" Zabuza snorted. "You don't look like you could fight off a racoon."

"Well, you don't seem like someone anyone could tolerate being around for longer than a few minutes, but seeing as the two of you clearly traveled here together, it looks like we're both wrong."

The words spilled from her lips before her mind could process, taking herself and the three figures around her off guard.

Why did I say that I am so going to die.

A booming laugh caught her off guard, flinching as her hands jerked towards her kunai pouch. The motion pulled at her wound, and she wouldn't be surprised if she'd started bleeding again.

"You've got more spine than one would think, pinkie." Zabuza leaned in close. "Why shouldn't I cut off your head for that?"

Fear rose within Sakura like a wave, but she shoved it down. "Kiri shinobi like it when people put up a fight." Her father said tiredly. "Their reputation as bloodthirsty is well earned, but more than anything, they like to intimidate others. Show you won't be cowed without being too insolent and they'll leave you alone."

Her father talked a little more about Kiri these days, telling stories about his family and friends. He would also grow serious sometimes, making her promise to listen closely and give her advice.

There were a million things she could say to Zabuza, a million words she could spout, a million plans she could come up with.

But Sakura had been up since dawn, seen her teammate go down and seen the other turn into a rampaging monster. She'd killed two men and nearly died herself.

Sakura was tired.

So instead of smiling or weaving her way out with her words, she grabbed Tazuna's shoulder with her left hand and walked.

And walked.

And walked.

Right past Zabuza without even sparing him a glance, going right past him onto solid land, trying to remember which way the medical clinic was.

Another booming laugh went off behind her.

Notes:

Hey y'all, hope you're having a good day.

No combat in this chapter but a decent amount of character interactions. Zabuza is weird to write, so if y'all have any advice on that let me know.

in case anyone was confused, Sakura was using they/them pronouns for Haku because he's very androgynous looking so she just defaulted to gender neutral.

Sakura made a lot of smart choices this chapter, but also some not so smart ones, and that was kind of on purpose because character development and all that jazz. Like her walking past Zabuza could have caused some real shit to go down but she did it anyway because she was Tired Of This Shit and honestly mood.

Naruto and Sasuke had their Moment in the woods like in canon, or at least, i think it happened in canon, its been a while since i've watched Naruto so eh. essentially they Bonded and now somewhat tolerate one another and don't actively hate each other.

Constructive criticism is welcome, hate will be laughed at and the gay will be strong

byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye

Chapter 16: The Dead Don't Tell

Summary:

Sakura and Kakashi talk and Sakura meets someone

CONTENT WARNING:
Depictions of dead children and starvation

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Sakura fought to stay still as the medic pulled the last stitch.

She was an older woman with greying hair and laugh lines, but her hands were steady, calm in a way Sakura wished she could emulate.

"You'll need to keep those dry for at least a week, and I wouldn't recommend any extraneous activities until its healed." She wrapped the bandages around her gut. "And if you rip them, you come straight to me, you hear? No use dying after all the fighting has finished."

Sakura flinched.

Wide eyes staring at he collapsed to the ground, blood seeping out of his neck. The world seemed frozen in place, a stark contrast to the chaos seconds ago.

As the medic moved away, Sakura looked up only to catch Kakashi's sharp grey eye.

The rest of her teammates had already received medical attention by the time she'd arrived with Tazuna, Kakashi having been the worst off while Sasuke escaped with cracked ribs and concussion. Naruto was completely uninjured, which was…strange, to say the least.

Not stranger than his eyes turning red and him growing claws while red charka surrounded him, but still strange.

It turned out that the two Kiri shinobi had actually been telling the truth which was probably the most relieving thing she'd heard all day, aside from the fact that Gato and his minions were dead. There was little chance of them trying to murder her if they were there for the swords, which according to Naruto, they had already retrieved.

The two boys had escorted Tazuna back to his house as Sakura had her injuries stitched up. It was unlikely that they would face any trouble, but considering the past few weeks, it was better safe than sorry.

She was honestly relieved that her teammates were gone. She didn't need Sasuke's sneering face as he questioned her right as shinobi if she couldn't even take out a few civilians, nor Naruto's endless stream of questions.

Kakashi had remained quiet throughout the whole ordeal, only speaking when he thought they were getting too out of hand and to order the boys to bring Tazuna back. Maybe that was why Sakura had assumed he wouldn't ask, had lulled herself into a false sense of calm.

Not safety. Not after what had happened today.

"Something happened on that boat."

Sakura flinched.

He wasn't even wrong, which was the worst part. Something had happened on that boat, something Sakura doubted she would ever forget.

Fear pounded through her veins, a silent mantra screaming in her mind.

I don't want to die.

Her mouth felt like sandpaper as she tried to respond. "I-there was-" The words refused to come out.

Are you so weak that you can't even talk? A cruel voice hissed in her ear.

She dug her nails into her arm and tried again. "I-I knew I wouldn't be able to fight off the people on the bridge." It hurt to admit because her teammates had been able to, yet as always, she was the weak link. "So I-I grabbed Tazuna and commandeered one of the boats Gato's men had been using."

Kakashi's eye bored into her and she ducked her head.

"There-there were a few men on it, and I had to fight them before we were able to leave." A lump in her throat grew as she continued, hands shaking as she stared at nothing.

"Sakura," His voice was firm and even and she hated it. "I need you to answer me honestly."

His words grated on her because she hadn't considered lying. She hadn't lied. A part of her wondered if he would treat the boys like this, and the rest already knew.

Her nails dug into her arm. "I killed two of them." The words came out rushed, frantic almost, because she wasn't sure that she'd be able to say them at all if waited any longer.

She might have been imagining it, but she thought she saw his expression soften.

"Ah," he said tiredly. "That would explain it."

Sakura's hands twisted nervously. She didn't want to be babied. It wasn't like she had never considered what begin a shinobi would entail. It was just, she hadn't thought it would be her first real mission, she hadn't thought it would be so soon.

There was quite literally blood on her hands, seeing as she hadn't washed them yet, and Sakura wasn't sure how much was hers.

"I'm sure you've realized by now that I'm not really cut out for this whole teaching bit." He paused. "But if you would let me give my two cents, I'd tell you this."

She realized he was waiting for her to respond, and quickly nodded.

"I doubt you'll ever forget their faces, I've been doing this for longer than you've been alive and I still haven't." His smile was bitter. "But you survived, Sakura, you made it out, and that's more important than anything you did on that boat."

Tears Sakura hadn't realized she'd been sheading slipped down her face. "Can you-can you not tell the boys?" She asked eventually.

Kakashi nodded, languidly getting to his feet. "I wasn't planning on it, though you know the protocol. You need to talk to someone after your first kill. Either me, or a counsellor would be ideal, but any verified shinobi will work."

The idea of talking to anyone about this made her skin crawl, but she forced herself to stand and nod. "I remember."

The day after the fight with Gato, Sakura still felt jumpy.

Her body just couldn't comprehend that the danger was over, that she wasn't in the middle of a fight. She hadn't even slept the night before, staying up in the living room to read instead.

While there was little need to guard Tazuna now that Gato had been dealt with, Kakashi, Naruto, and Sasuke were all at the bridge. Sakura was under orders to rest and heal, but the cozy house felt more suffocating than anything.

It was easy to duck out while Tsunami was busy, guilt churning in her gut as she made her way through the town. She'd need to stay far away from the bridge if she wanted to remain uncaught.

While much was unchanged, the air somehow left lighter in the village, as if a suffocating weight had been removed. It didn't feel happy, but, content, hopeful. It was enough to cause the beginnings of a smile on her face.

Until she reached the docks and there was a pile of bodies.

There were half a dozen kids dragging corpses onto what looked like a handmade barge. A girl who couldn't be older than eight was struggling to move the body of a boy who was easily twice her size.

There were no markings on the corpses, their clothes hanging off their pale forms loosely. It struck Sakura then what they must have died from.

With Gato draining the village of its money like a leech, there must not have been enough food to go around, leaving many to go hungry. She glanced at the pile again and saw that they were all kids.

Children had starved for one man's greed, and it made her stomach churn.

Sakura was moving before she realized it, suddenly beside the eight-year-old girl.

Her bright blue eyes widened with surprise, then narrowed in suspicion. "What do you want?" she hissed, her words drawing the other kids' attention.

"Let me." Sakura blurted. "I can-help. If you want."

Her cheeks burned as the girl in front of her stared, clearly caught off guard. Sakura wasn't even sure why she had said it, but there was no going back now.

The girl glanced at the two oldest villagers, a boy and a girl who looked about sixteen. They were probably the leaders of this group.

The boy stepped forward first, his brown hair almost black with dirt. "Do you even know what we're doing?" He asked, eyes wary.

Sakura licked her lips. "You're doing a funeral barge, right? Instead of burying your dead you send them on a boat and set it on fire, returning them to the water." Either she had read this situation correctly or this was about to become very embarrassing and incredibly awkward.

The older girl tilted her head. "How did you know?"

That was…not really something she wanted to say, not when she hadn't told anyone in her Academy class or anyone on her team, ever. She wasn't ashamed of her heritage, she was just aware of the consequences of telling people. Sakura had seen more than enough people sneer at her father to know that immigrants, especially those from Kiri, weren't always welcome.

Still, she forced herself to shrug. "That's how they do it in Kiri, and since Wave is also an island, I figured it would be similar."

The older girl raised her eyebrows. "You're not from Kiri." It wasn't a question.

Sakura shrugged again. "Do you want help or not? I can leave if you don't want me here." She wasn't even sure why she'd offered in the first place, it had been instinctual in a way that she usually wasn't.

The two exchange a look before turning back to her.

"As long as you don't try to pull something, I don't see why not." She said. "You can help Sato with the heavier ones-you shinobi are supposed to be strong, right?"

Sakura wasn't that strong by kunoichi measures, but these were civilians, starving children civilians at that, so she would be highly embarrassed if she wasn't able to lift at least as much as them.

Sato turned out of be the dark-haired leader boy. She saw him glance multiple times at her pouches as if considering if he could get away with stealing. Seeing the desolate state of Wave, she couldn't say she'd blame him.

The kids didn't talk much as they loaded the bodies, only the occasional muttered 'thanks' or demand for assistance was made. The water was still, combining with the thick fog to make an eerie atmosphere.

The others didn't seem bothered by it, so Sakura didn't say anything.

She wasn't sure where they had gotten all the bodies from, and she wasn't sure she wanted to. It was all too easy to imagine the corpses huddled in alleyways, too thin limbs sticking out of too thin clothes.

She saw the blue-eyed girl carrying a boy who looked similar enough to be her brother. He couldn't have been more than four, and everyone pretended they don't see her tears when the girl placed him on the barge.

Sakura hoisted another body.

The movements pulled at her wounds, pain stabbing into her side and back, but she didn't stop. Didn't think she could break the silent, almost machine-like rhythm the group had developed.

Maybe it was because she'd had training, but she couldn't help but think the corpses she was lifting were too light. Too small. Too young.

A part of her wanted to puke, wanted to run away from this horror as fast as she could and leave this gruesome job to the alley kids. Leave them to bury their own dead.

They were civilians, yet they were handling dead bodies better than Sakura had. There was a world of emotion in their movements, but they kept it together, even the youngest kids continuing.

They'd nearly loaded all the corpses when the eldest girl sidled up next to her.

"Thank you." She said gruffly. "It's nice to see that someone cares."

Sakura attempted a smile. "I'm glad I could help. My name's Sakura, by the way."

She raised an eyebrow. "Seriously?"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Yeah yeah, my hair is pink and my name is a pink thing. I've already heard any and every joke you can think of, so don't even bother."

"I figured." She extended a calloused palm. "I'm Reiko."

Sakura froze.

Notes:

Hey y'all, hope you're having a good day

For those who forgot Reiko's name and have no idea who she is-i understand you. I forgot her name and had to go back and find it in my own writing when writing this chapter. She's Shota's daughter-the dude she offed on the bridge and also Tsunami's cousin.

You'll learn more about her in the next chapter, so hold on for now.

In this chapter we saw a small glimpse of Kakashi being a not completely terrible teacher. I think that he's self aware and knows he's trash, he just feels like he's incapable of being better, and so he doesn't even try, and the cycle continues. He doesn't really know how to comfort Sakura, but he does his best with the teaspoon emotional range that he'd got.

I realize that the whole "children doing funeral rights for their dead friends" is really dark, but i really wanted to show what Gato had been doing to Wave. He was starving them, crushing the finances out of anyone who opposed him. He was killing this village, and he was doing it slow.

I don't think it's unreasonable that some kids would be homeless and have to take care of themselves and each other, and that some of those kids would die. With the adults either having their own problems, not caring, or outwardly malicious, i can see those kids having to deal with their own dead. They don't want to of course, but the other option is just, leaving them there, and honestly that's a whole lot worse.

The ocean burial didn't really have a specific inspiration, and was more me just thinking that islands would probably not reserve much if any room for graves, because well, it's an island, space is limited. You have to get rid of your dead somehow, and it makes sense for water based civilizations to have funerals that are water involved.

Sakura is still processing everything right now, and is just, not having a fun time.

I have a tumblr now, so if you want to come yell at me there, please do. I need something to escape this hellscape we call reality.

Also, question of the month time. What's something you like/do that makes you seem like a psychopath? Personally, i enjoy untangling earbuds.

Constructive criticism is welcome, hate will be laughed at and the gay will be strong.

Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye

Chapter 17: Minnow

Summary:

Sakura talks to Reiko

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

"At least I haven't betrayed my village. At least I can go home to Inari and not be ashamed of what I've become. Can you do the same with Reiko?" Tsunami's tone was sharp and unyielding.

Shota flinched. "I'm trying to make sure she doesn't starve to death! I would sell my soul to any god that asked to make sure she survived."

"And doom the rest of the village? The rest of your family?" Her lip curled into a sneer. "May the water not take you."

Sakura's tongue felt like lead, voice stuck in her throat as Rekio stared at her questioningly. She wanted to run, but her feet were rooted to the ground, and she was frozen in place by an unseen force.

"I…" What was she supposed to say? What words could possibly nullify what she had done?

"Are you Shota's daughter?" She blurted.

Reiko's expression shut down. "Unfortunately." She said with a sneer. "But rest assured, unlike my father, I'm not a coward."

Sakura's eyes went wide, unsure how to respond. Thankfully, she didn't have to.

"He's dead now, so you don't have to worry about him trying to stab anyone in the back. And he died like the traitor he was-fighting for Gato." Reiko said his name like a curse. "I believe one of yours killed him."

Sakura tried to swallow, but her mouth felt like sandpaper. "One of mine?"

Reiko gave her an odd look. "Shinobi. That's what that fancy headband of yours means, right?"

A hysterical laugh bubbled past her lips. "Yeah…yeah…that's-that's what it means. Sorry, I just-yeah." She was vaguely aware of the other kids loading the last body onto the barge, but all she could see was Reiko.

Something akin to understanding seemed to dawn on Reiko's face. "It was you, wasn't it? You were the one that killed my father."

Sakura couldn't breathe. Couldn't move if she tried, couldn't run if her life depended on it.

"Calm down, its not like I'm going to shank you." Reiko rolled her eyes. "Dear old dad probably did enough of that."

A bark of laughter escaped Sakura's lips as a rush of air filled her lungs.

"Not only was he trying to stop the only thing that could save the village, he was going after his own family to do it." Her lips twisted into a sneer. "He was dead to me the second he joined Gato."

Sakura licked her lips. "I-sorry. I didn't-I didn't mean to bring up any-any painful memories."

Reiko waved her off. "It doesn't matter now. Just tell me one thing." Her tone was sharp and intense. "Did he hesitate at all?"

That was not what she'd been expecting, but it was at least something she could answer. "He…gave me the option to step aside, sort of." She shrugged helplessly. "I didn't take it."

Sakura could have lied, could have given her a kinder answer. But Reiko was loading her dead friends onto a barge to burn. Her clothes hung off her body loosely, and her eyes were hard. It would be insulting to try to placate her, a form of pity.

She knew that if someone else had tried to do that to her, she would be furious. She'd want the truth.

"Typical." Reiko scoffed. "Always trying to get others to be just as cowardly as himself." She abruptly turned away. "Let's get this barge over with."

Pushing the raft out into the water was easier said than done. While the bodies may have been thin, there were enough of them that half a dozen homeless kids and one mediocre kunoichi struggled to push it off.

The slippery sand didn't make the task easier, and Sakura found herself on the verge of falling over more than once. Jagged wood dug into her hands, likely giving her splinters, and her wounds ached.

She kept pushing.

Sakura's sandals were soaked, and the edge of her dress had been dipped in the salty liquid by the time they managed to get the barrage deep enough in the water.

Every single one of the kids brought out a match and lit it.

"All life is born of water,

All people its children,

And should the breath

Of a child be stolen,

Return thee to the sea.

Let their ashes sink

Beneath the waves,

Let their souls find

A kinder fate,

All life is born of water,

All ashes return to the sea."

It's a haunting tune, and a familiar one at that.

They did funerals differently in Konoha-they buried their dead, even if they were cremated-but Kiri and Wave were islands, and there wasn't enough room for land graves. So instead they burned the bodies on a barge and set them out to sea.

The singing was part of the ritual, especially among civilians. A final goodbye and a prayer that those who had passed would find peace. The lyrics used in Wave were different than the ones her father had taught her, but there were enough similarities that she could fake it.

The kids dropped the matches onto the bodies and gave one final push, sending the barge out into the sea.

Sakura pretended not to see their tears, mostly because she was too busy choking back her own.

Haku watched as Sakura sung along with the children of Wave.

She stumbled on the words a few times, but never fell too far out of step with the rest of the children. She seemed quietly confident in her capabilities to be a part of the procession.

Interesting.

Funeral rites weren't exactly something any shinobi Academy would teach, especially those from other villages. It was possible she'd researched them on her own…but that just didn't sit properly with him.

So why would a fresh faced genin from Konoha know how to send off the dead in a predominantly Kiri ritual?

Haku released a silent breath as the group made their way back on the beach, coming closer to his perch in the tree than they had previously.

Sakura pulled what appeared to be ration bars from her pouches and held them out of the Wave children, their expressions apprehensive.

"-not charity." her fierce voice carried over the distance. "What use is letting food go to waste?"

The oldest boy narrowed his eyes. "What if we don't want your help?" he demanded. "First you barge your way into the funeral, then you make demands. You have no idea what we've been through, so I don't see why we should listen to a thing you say."

Her back was rigid. "I was offering my ration bars because you need them more than I do. After the bridge is built I'm going back to Konoha where there will be a million of these. You're right, I have no idea what you've gone through, I have no idea what Gato did to this place. But you know what? Even if you don't want the bars because of your stupid pride, are you really willing to let your friends go hungry because of it?"

Her question hung in the air, as tangible and thick as the fog around them.

The smallest girl shuffled up to Sakura, grubby hands snatching one of the bars quickly, as if afraid it would be taken away.

One of the younger boy's approached after a long pause, fists clenched tightly as he too claimed the food and nearly running away once it was in his grasp.

The first girl split her bar, handing the larger half to the child next to her who took it hesitantly. The boy did the same, and soon enough the only ones not eating were the kunoichi and the two oldest Wave civilians.

"I'm going to leave this ration bar here." Sakura said loudly. "And whatever happens to it, happens to it. I won't know either way." She paused. "And-I know this isn't my place, but…I think Tsunami would love if you visited her, even if it was just once."

With those final words, she hiked back towards the village, steps brisk and one hand pressed against the wound on her side.

The oldest boy slowly approached the fallen ration bar and picked it up, tearing into the wrapper. He smiled a little when he took a bite, offering it to the oldest girl.

The situation regarding Sakura warranted follow up. He'd mention it to Zabuza when he went back to camp.

With that final thought, Haku disappeared into the woods as if he had never been there at all.

Sakura woke with a scream on her lips.

She was able to force down the sound before it escaped, but if felt as though a mountain was sitting on her chest.

It had been three weeks since the confrontation on the bridge with Gato, and every time she closed her eyelids, Shota's face formed in her mind.

The first night she'd screamed loud enough to wake the entire house, Sasuke sneering when she'd explained why. Naruto had looked concerned, but ultimately, returned to sleep almost immediately. Kakashi hadn't said anything at all.

Surrounded by supposed allies and yet you're all alone.

Sakura pulled the covers tighter around herself.

Zabuza watched the pink-haired brat slowly stretch.

She was a noticeable distance from the rest of her team-the two boys appearing to attempt water walking with limited success.

From what Haku had told him, she knew an unusual amount about Kiri customs when it came to funerals, something that was unlikely to be taught anywhere in Konoha.

Which meant she had learned it from someone from Kiri.

She wasn't exactly much to look at, but she had guts if her display on the docks meant anything. It wasn't baseless arrogance either, there had been calculation behind those sharp green eyes.

She had shit situational awareness though, because he was able to get within ten feet before her head snapped up and body tensed with preparedness.

Her face drained of colour when she registered who he was, and Zabuza grinned.

"Aren't you a little far from your friends?" He questioned, purposefully lowering his voice to see the way her shoulders stiffened.

Still, she met his gaze head on. "They were distracting me. Besides, I'm not working on what they are."

He loomed over her. "And what is that?"

"Flexibility." Her voice was dryer than the Suna desert, but her posture betrayed her fear. "Can I help you with something?"

Zabuza ran a finger over Kubikiribocho absentmindedly. "As much as Raiga was chum, retrieving his Swords is something to celebrate, wouldn't you say?"

He could see he confusion on her face before it smoothed over in the blink of an eye.

"Completing a mission with such high stakes would warrant some sort of celebration, I suppose." Her hand was inching towards her kunai pouch, but she didn't grab one.

Smart girl.

He shunshined directly behind her. "And what would you suggest for a meal?"

The beginnings of a scream which was sharply cut off escaped the Sakura's mouth, her torso twisting as she simultaneously attempted to scramble away from him and get him within her line of sight.

Her hand had wrapped around a kunai, and her pulse was practically jumping in her throat. An expression of stark fear painted her face as her breathing quickened.

"Well?" He demanded.

She flinched. "I-fried squid or something, I don't know!"

That was probably enough of a scare for the brat, at least for now. If he spooked her any further, she would be incomprehensible instead of just unthinking.

While squid wasn't completely inaccessible in Konoha, the village was far enough inland that the purchase wouldn't exactly be common, especially when their dominant meat came from land mammals. However, fried squid was in several Kiri specific dishes, ones often used for parties. The fact that that was the first thing her panicked brain thought of was telling.

"Squid huh," he raised an eyebrow. "What if I'm vegetarian?"

Her expression turned flat. "Then eat tofu. I'm sure you can figure something out."

Zabuza didn't say anything for a several moments, instead taking the chance to study her closely. She wasn't good yet, that much had been clear from Haku's report, but she'd killed two men protecting the bridge builder when she was fresh out of the softy Konoha Academy. From her clothes and weapons, he'd guess that she was either civilian-born or from a poor shinobi family-the dress she wore was too thin and her blades low quality.

Not yet skilled or particularly strong, but there was a flicker of something in her, moving almost unseen like a fish in still water.

Zabuza was firmly of the opinion that those who weren't strong enough to protect themselves could rot-even out of war canon fodder was needed.

Pinkie certainly fit the bill, and yet…

Sharp jade-coloured eyes watched him closely, intelligence and defiance shimmering beneath the surface.

Zabuza let out a bark of laughter. "Come find me when you've grown some teeth, minnow. I'll show you how to swim with the sharks."

Notes:

Hey y'all, hope you're having a good day

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, i'm so sorry.

I kept on meaning to post this chapter, but every time i just forgot to do it.

So yeah that's why this chapter is a few days late.

I think that it would be reasonable to have Reiko dislike her father to a certain degree. Even if he thought he was doing what he was for her, she doesn't want that, and has probably witnessed enough death because of Gato to resent her father for working with him.

The whole Wave funeral thing was basically me coming up with random lore shit that i thought would be cool and make sense considering the geography.

Sakura having nightmares is probably predictable, but also reasonable. I also think its reasonable that Sasuke would react to the perceived weakness with disgust because he thinks himself above that. Naruto would be concerned but wouldn't really know how to help, and we all know how emotionally competent Kakashi is.

Haku and Zabuza are still in the village cause they're still doing some damage control with the locals, and Haku was following Sakura because he was curious.

Idk how obvious it was but i'm trying to make Zabuza actually like, smart. He's not only a jounin, but one of the swordsmen of the hidden mist, are there are only 7 of those, and so like, he has to have at least some functioning brain cells.

He also approaches Sakura because he's curious, which was fueled by what Haku told him. He scares an answer out of her because if he doesn't, she'd have more time to react and her answer wouldn't be as telling. She has some link to Kiri, and he's curious about that so he gets information from her without it being super obvious. He's been a shinobi for basically as long as Kakashi and he's not stupid.

His backstory is actually pretty interesting too. When he was 6, he fought in the graduation ceremony and killed all of his other classmates. This was one of the reasons they actually stopped using that form of graduation cause, y'know, that's kind of a waste of shinobi. He worked as a jounin for years, but after seeing how the Mizukage who was under Obito's control go fucking insane, tried to start a revolution, only to fail and retreat, taking jobs like the one he had with Gato so he could fund his next attempt. Don't get me wrong, he does a bunch of questionable shit, and his treatment of Haku is...not great, but you could argue that to a certain extent that's learned behaviour. Zabuza was probably not treated as though he had worth without use as a child, and was likely forced to fight his comrades to survive in the bloody mist. I can see him taking in Haku and raising him the way he was, because it's the only way he knows and pushing Haku to be more skilled and putting him in dangerous positions is his way of showing affection and trust.

His backstory will be altered here to a certain extent because of how i've changed the world, but it'll be pretty similar.

Also i'm having him treat Haku better because he deserves it.

On a similar note, idk if i already mentioned this, but in this world, Yagura doesn't get brainwashed by Obito so that's why Zabuza is still with the village. There will be more details later in the story, but this is all the essential info for now.

Come yell at me on tumblr here

Constructive criticism is welcome, hate will be laughed at and the gay will be strong

byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye

Chapter 18: Home Again (or is it?)

Summary:

Team 7 returns to the village

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Walking along the bridge out of Wave was bittersweet.

Sakura didn't know how to feel as her feet traveled over a bridge that would not have been built had she not fought Shota. Had she not planted herself between death and Tazuna with shaking hands and an unsure soul.

Traveling back to Konoha was much quicker without a civilian traveling with them, the journey only taking a day and a half instead of nearly a week. The trip was much more tolerable as well. Naruto and Sasuke still fought, but the intensity had lessened somewhat, so she figured she'd take what she could get.

Walking through Konoha's gates was anticlimactic to say the least. Sakura had spent so long imagining returning home, and yet the only thing she felt when stepping through the doors was tired.

It had been less than two months since she'd last been in the village, and yet it felt like a lifetime. It wasn't as though she expected much to change in such little time, and yet…

And yet Sakura could see exactly how similar things were. How the guards at the gate were the same ones who had seen them off, how the Hokage Tower was the easiest building to find no matter where you stood in the village. How everything was almost exactly how she'd left it, fitting together seamlessly to form her home.

As Sakura trailed beside her team, she was forced to realize that she didn't fit here. Not anymore.

Sakura was a different person than the one who had walked out of those gates, and she had no idea how to feel about that.

The debriefing in the Hokage's office was about as uncomfortable as she'd expected it to be. Naruto just kept going on and on about Wave, painting the story in a heroic, triumphant light.

It made Sakura sick.

Sasuke had both of his hands stuffed in his pockets as he rolled his eyes at every other word Naruto said, characteristic sneer in place. His mood was clearly not being improved as Naruto went over the details of how he'd saved Sasuke when he'd been knocked out.

It wasn't like Naruto went out of his way to point out that he'd come out better than both his teammates injury wise from the mission as a whole, but he was so damn oblivious it almost didn't matter.

Kakashi had given a few obligatory tugs at Naruto in an attempt to temper his more blatant shows of disrespect, but it barely made a dent in his behavior.

"It sounds like you had a very interesting time." The Hokage said, and Sakura wondered if she was the only one who detected the hint of dryness in his tone. "I expect it's all summarized in your report, Kakashi?"

Kakashi released a long sigh. "Everything's in there." He confirmed, handing over a scroll he'd dug out.

They all stood in varying levels of silence as the Hokage read the scroll, expression completely unreadable.

"It is unfortunate things turned out that way." He said eventually. "I see you were a tad forgetful on updating the village about the reclassification of the mission. I admit I would have been hesitant on keeping genin on anything involving a former Swordsmen of the Hidden Mist."

"Hey! That's not fair!" Naruto protested. "Weren't you listening? We did just fine!"

And Sakura suddenly felt the overwhelming urge to punch her teammate.

They did fine? It was a miracle and a half that they'd survived, much less succeeded in their original mission. There was nothing fine about being forced to face a jounin on their first mission out of the village!

Sakura exhaled shakily, a familiar rage curling in her chest.

The Hokage sighed. "Regardless, the village has standards that will be adhered to. You will all receive the same pay a shinobi who had completed an A-rank mission would and that is how it will appear on your records."

While both boys looked considerably cheered about that, Sakura had to resist the urge to scream. All that for a higher pay and words on her record?

"The rest of your reports will be expected within three days. I imagine all of you are looking forward to seeing your beds now, so I won't keep you from them." The Hokage paused. "Haruno, I'm going to ask you to stay behind for a moment."

Her heart jumped into her throat.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Why is she staying behind?" he demanded, Naruto's question of "Huh? Why's Sakura gotta stick around?"

Kakashi's hands came down on both of their heads. "Quiet down or you'll be leaving through the window." He said dryly. "Now, out, the both of you."

They scowled at this, but obeyed the command, if somewhat begrudgingly. Sakura was surprised they'd listened at all.

"It is written in the report that despite this being your first mission outside the village, you killed two men in the defense of the bridge builder."

Her mouth was dryer than the Suna desert. "Yes, sir."

She wished he would get this over with, wished she could will her hands to be steady without needing to dig her nails into them.

When has wishing got you anywhere?

"He also reports that he has spoken to you about the incident, but you should know that there are counselors available to you should you choose to seek them out." The Hokage continued. "And there will be a psychological evaluation in the near future."

It was all information she knew, and more than anything in the world, she wanted to be out of this room.

"I understand, sir." Sakura was proud that her voice did not shake.

The Hokage nodded to himself, and it was as though he were looking right through her. "The village thanks you for your service. You are dismissed."

Three words had never sounded so sweet.

Sakura cried when she saw her mother, curled up in a ball and sobbed because she was home.

Her father pulled her onto his lap and stroked her hair until she could speak again, gentle in a way she'd been craving for weeks.

She didn't talk about Wave.

The day after Team 7 returned to the village, Shikamaru saw her.

A bright red dress was carefully folded on the riverbed, and he only managed to see the top of her pink head before she was completely submerged in water.

Shikamaru was content to leave her be and continue along within the forest in search for the nettles his mother had requested. The Nara Forest had them in abundance, but she insisted they grew best in this area, and so he'd been looking for them before he'd seen Sakura.

But then, she didn't return to the surface.

Alarm pierced through his bleary mind, grip on the bag he was carrying faltering as he scrambled towards the riverbank.

Nearly two minutes after Sakura had dunked her head underwater, she finally resurface, just as Shikamaru had been about to reach the edge of the tree line.

She was facing away from him, long hair covering her back and shoulders. She seemed to be scrubbing at her skin, as if trying to get rid of a substance he couldn't see.

Slowly, so not to make any noise to alert her of his presence, Shikamaru backed into the forest once more, scooping up his basket.

He was reasonably sure she wasn't going to…not resurface from the water of her own volition.

Reasonably.

Three days after Team 7 returned to the village, Choji saw her.

One would think pink hair and a bright red dress would make someone stand out, but Sakura had always seemed to fade in the background when she'd wanted to. A bright-eyed ghost that was only visible to those who paid attention.

She was clearly running an errand, her arms full of colourful fabric. Sakura's steps were brisk and purposeful, not stopping for anything. If she saw him, she didn't give any indication.

Choji wondered if he was imaging the line of tension across her shoulders.

Five days after Team 7 returned to the village, Ino saw her.

She was in civilian clothes, hair in a long flowy braid as she sat cross legged against a tree.

In her hand there was a single kunai, and Ino recognized it as a standard issue. The kind shinobi without the resources to buy their own are given by the village. Its handle was worn and old, the metal a slightly off colour.

The blade was sharp though, recently sharpened if Ino were to guess.

Sakura weighed the kunai on the edge of her finger, twirling it almost absentmindedly. There was a vacant look in her eyes, and it was more unsettling than Ino wanted to admit.

Sakura looked different than the last time Ino had seen her, changed in an invisible way she could only sense, and it felt like a loss, though she couldn't pinpoint why.

They weren't students anymore, weren't in the protected halls of the Academy, Ino knew that, and yet.

Seeing her former best friend haunted by something she could only guess made a drop of fear settle into her gut.

A week after Team 7 returned, Kiba heard her.

Rough breathing and frustrated growl emanated from the nearby woods, followed by the sound of footsteps hitting bark.

It wasn't until a small figure covered in leaves tumbled to the ground that he recognised what was going on.

"Hey! Sakura!"

Her head whipped up, hand snapping towards her kunai pouch before she seemed to register who had called out.

"Are you…running up the trees?" He questioned.

Sakura nodded breathlessly. "I'm practicing substitution, henges, and clones while tree walking. I'm trying to get those moves down really well since I haven't exactly got a large repertoire of other abilities to fall back on."

There's a frustrated edge to her voice that hadn't been there before, and Kiba didn't take it personally. Neither did Akamaru, who proceeded to run up to Sakura and poke at her calves.

"Sounds rough," He paused. "You should talk to Shino and Hinata sometime, they haven't seen you in a while and they get mopey when that happens."

The tension in her shoulders eased ever so slightly, and she smiled tiredly, reaching down to give Akamaru a pat. "Yeah, I haven't seen them since…before my last mission."

Kiba really should have figured it out sooner.

Her last mission, the mission which half the village was buzzing about because a seemingly simple C-rank and turned into an A-rank and had involved two Swordsmen of the Hidden Mist. Granted, that had apparently been a former title for one of them, but still.

When Shino had heard, he'd gone completely still while his Kinkaichu had erupted into a flurry of noise. Hinata had nearly burst into tears, and Kurenai got a very peculiar expression whenever it was mentioned.

After that ordeal, Sakura likely being bothered by all sorts of people about what had happened, it was no wonder she was on edge.

Rumors were hell, especially in a shinobi village.

"We're meeting at the last place you saw us eating for lunch today. Wanna tag along?"

Sakura blinked, clearly caught off guard. "Uh-I-I wouldn't want to intrude."

Kiba snorted. "Kurenai loves you, and the other two might actually cry from joy. They were really worried about you."

Sakura turned pink. "If you're sure…" she said, still hesitant. "It was the place by training ground 54, right? The one with the…"

"With the giant face on it? Yeah that one." He let out a low whistle and Akamaru rejoined his side. "I'll see you there, yeah?"

Sakura smiled, and this time, it reached her eyes. "I'll be there." She promised.

Notes:

Hey y'all, hope you're having a good day

Sorry for those who were hoping for more Zabuza and Haku and Wave content. We will be seeing them later in the story, but this is it for the Wave arc.

Listen, idk is canon Naruto has therapy of psych evaluations and i don't particularly care. They exist in my version. I feel like having psych evaluations would be a smart thing for a ninja dictatorship, cause its best to know who's gonna snap, right? Even if the leaders don't care if someone is mentally unfit for ANBU or to be in the shinobi crops at all, having that mental evaluation on them is valuable information.

Sakura is still pissed she had to deal with Wave, and that everyone seems to be treating it super non-chalantly including the Hokage. She doesn't feel like anyone listens to her, and through the act of not reacting strongly or even really punishing or reprimanding Kakashi, Sarutobi is feeding into her feeling of loneliness. She feels like she's the only one who's seeing the crazy shit that's going on and is mad about it, and everyone else is treating it like its normal. When Sakura thinks Sarutobi is seeing right through her, its her being somewhat aware that he doesn't really care about her, that she could be anyone, and he'd react the same.

i have a lot of other issues with Sarutobi that i will get to eventually, but that's not what we're talking about rn.

The little snippets of team 10 seeing her was just an outsiders perspective on what was going on. Sakura is processing a lot of shit rn, and needs some time to just chill.

Sakura trying to get really good at the Academy 3 is also something that feels really likely. Cause she doesn't have anyone to teach her anything new, so if you can't add new moves, make the ones you already own the best goddamn thing. I feel like you could do a shit ton of damage with those three moves alone and Sakura definitely seems like the type to know how to work with what she's got.

Team 10 friendship is something i will forever love and i refuse to let those or any characters be reduced to a single gimmick and/ personality trait. Sorry Kishi but someone has to do your job for you so it might as well be me.

Come yell at me on tumblr here

Constructive criticism is welcome, hate will be laughed at and the gay will be strong.

Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye

Chapter 19: A Question of Teachers

Summary:

Sakura looks for a poison instructor

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Sakura's lungs were on fire.

Her legs burned with every step she took, leaves crunching beneath her feet as she ran. In the distance she could see Naruto and Sasuke racing next to one another, their pushes more than playful.

She wasn't sure if it was spite or rage that pushed her onwards, but regardless, she continued running.

Conditioning had never been Sakura's strong suit. It wasn't something she could outthink, or work around, or fake. You either had the strength and endurance, or you didn't, and Sakura had fallen into the didn't camp more times than she wanted to admit.

It was clear she was behind her teammates in this area as well, Naruto having seemingly endless stamina, and Sasuke being faster than them both. Her slower, steady pace by comparison was almost pathetic.

Sakura kept running.

Fifteen minutes later, and five after the boys had finished, Sakura finally made it over the finish line, breaths ragged and body aching.

Kakashi did one of his weird eye smiles, and closed his book. "Nice of you to join us, Sakura."

It took all of her self control not to spit at him.

Instead, she took a long swig from her water bottle, willing her shaking legs to steady as she allowed herself some rest.

It was mercifully the end of their training circuit for the day, having already done push ups and weight training earlier. Kakashi always saved the running for the end, and Sakura hated him for it. Even if she had to admit the routine was making her stronger and faster, she just knew he enjoyed making them suffer. He was always watching and calling out mocking encouragement while he read porn of all things.

Ever since they had returned from Wave, Kakashi had alternated their training between conditioning, D-ranks, and basic chakra techniques like water walking.

Her teammates were never pleased when she mastered the chakra control techniques faster than them, but she tried not to let it bother her. They excelled at the physical conditioning where she faltered, so being good at part of their training was more than enough for her.

Kakashi was still a lazy teacher, rarely doing much more than giving instructions when training. He still didn't break up Naruto and Sasuke's fights, though the two of them had been getting along better ever since Wave.

Even a month after the mission, Sakura could still remember everything with crystal clarity. She wasn't sure she'd ever forget what she had seen, what she had done.

Sakura wasn't sure she wanted to.

Because it had been horrifying, and she still had days where she woke up in the middle of the night and threw up, but it had also been the first time she had stood alone and survived.

Sakura, the civilian-born kunoichi had gone on an A-rank mission and lived to tell the tale. Oh, she had bled, and burned, and screamed, but Sakura was alive, it was her that was still standing.

But she remembered how close it had been, how if she had been a little less lucky, a little slower, she wouldn't have lived.

Sakura never wanted it to be that close again.

That was why, after Naruto and Sasuke had left, she approached Kakashi.

"Sensei?" She said politely. "Can I ask you for a favor?"

A single grey lazily slid to meet her gaze. "What can I do for you?"

Sakura took a steeling breath. "I was wondering if you knew any poison specialists who would be able to teach me. I've studied the subject extensively, but don't want to apply it practically without an expert to help me."

While nothing outwardly changed about Kakashi's expression, she suddenly felt as though he was paying much more attention.

"Am I not good enough as a sensei?" He teased, and if she'd had the slightest bit less self control she would have decked him. Or attempted to. Sakura wasn't arrogant enough to assume she could actually hit a jounin.

Still, she forced herself to maintain a polite façade. "Of course you are." The lie tasted bitter on her tongue. "It's just that poisons aren't your specialty, and I wouldn't want to ask you to put more of your focus on me and ignore the boys."

As if he pays attention to any of us.

"You're so considerate." Kakashi said lightly, and Sakura's rage increased tenfold. "For being such a polite little genin, I'll tell you where to find one of the best poison specialists I know. Convincing them to teach you is something you'll have to manage on your own."

She exhaled slowly through her nose. "Thank you, Kakashi-sensei. Where can I find them?"

"You see, there's this little café near the Hokage tower…"

Three days later, Sakura found herself in the place Kakashi had described. The air smelled of freshly baked sweets, a faint hint of chai in the mixture. It was homey, and clearly an establishment whose primary costumers were shinobi.

It was hard to explain the difference, but there were subtle things differentiated stores and restaurants that were frequented by the civilian population, and those that were for shinobi. The furniture was hardier, build sturdy with small nicks on wooden surfaces. The walls were usually be bare, and all sharp utensils would be dulled ever so slightly.

This café had all of those things, but it was still easy to locate the shinobi she was looking for.

Genma Shiranui looked exactly like Kakashi had described him. He was lean, with chin length brown hair and a blue bandana over his head. He looked relaxed, almost lazy despite the senbon poking out of the corner of his mouth.

He wasn't alone either, which made things more complicated.

The man next to him was also a shinobi, broad, with tan skin and deep scarring on one side of his face. He was considerably more imposing than his companion, and she could see the handle of a sword over the breadth of his shoulders.

Part of Sakura was tempted to turn around and walk right out of the café. Try another time, when he was alone and when they weren't in public.

She stuffed that fear down deep and walked over to their corner booth.

Sakura stopped awkwardly at the side of their table, resisting the urge to twist her fingers in her dress. "Excuse me? Are you Genma Shiranui?"

He met her gaze evenly. "That's me."

Her tongue felt like lead, but she forced herself to speak regardless. "I'm interested in specializing in poisons, and my sensei recommended you to me as an instructor."

The words had come out too fast and too stilted. Her ears burned with embarrassment, but she held her ground.

She had to at least try.

"Did they now." Genma's expression was mild and slightly amused. "Who's your sensei?"

Sakura had been hoping he wouldn't ask. "Kakashi Hatake."

The unknown man nearly choked on his drink. "Still? I thought he would have sent his team back to the Academy by now."

I appreciate the vote of confidence.

"Shut it, Raido." Genma leaned forward. "What's your name, kid?"

She resisted the urge to bristle. "Sakura Haruno."

"Haruno isn't a shinobi family name." His tone wasn't condemning. The plain statement of fact in his voice almost made it worse.

Still, she met his gaze evenly. "No, it's not."

Genma took a long drag of his tea.

Nerves bundled in her chest, trapping air and creating lumps in her throat. This was a bad idea. It had always been a bad idea. There was no way a random shinobi was going to teach a civilian-born kunoichi who he had no connection with.

Hopefully he would just tell her no quickly so she could leave. Quick rejection and disappointment would be better than this drawn-out anxiety and pain.

"How long have you been out of the Academy?" Genma questioned.

"Six months." Sakura said hesitantly.

Raido raised an eyebrow. "That's pretty fresh."

She supposed that was true, but she didn't feel fresh. Not anymore.

Maybe that was arrogant to say, but her days at the Academy felt like a lifetime ago. Before having to deal with Naruto's constant yelling and Sasuke's dismissal every single day. Before Kakashi and his incompetent teaching.

Before Wave.

"I'm not going to teach a brat who hasn't even done any research on the specialization they're thinking of going into." His sharp eyes cut into her. "What's symptoms does water hemlock produce?"

"Seizures." Sakura said automatically. "It affects the nervous system."

"What part of Larkspur is poisonous?"

"The seeds as well as if the plant if it's still young." Her heart pounded quickly in her chest, adrenaline thrumming through her veins.

It was just a test. A knowledge test.

Sakura had excelled on those since before she'd been able to throw a kunai or thread a needle. Her mind had always been a steel trap

She could do this.

"If you were forced to choose, would you ingest a Flame Lily or a Hydrangea?"

"Hydrangea." Sakura licked her lips. "They're less toxic and you can throw them up to avoid most of the damage. Flame Lilies will start killing you the second it's in your mouth."

The slightest hint of a grin formed on Genma's lips. "What's the difference between Wolfsbane and Monkshood?"

Sakura paused for a second before squaring her shoulders once more. "Nothing. They're different names for the same plant."

He leaned back in his seat. "So you're not completely stupid. That's good to know."

He was considering teaching her, right? That's why he quizzed her. If he was going to refuse out of principal he wouldn't have wasted his time seeing if she knew anything about the subject she was looking to learn.

"Why poisons?" Genma questioned. "Did you just figure if you were already going to have a plant aesthetic with the hair and the flower name, you might as well roll with it?"

If someone made one more joke about her hair and her name…

Realising Genma was still waiting for an answer she steeled herself.

"I was the only civilian-born in my entire year who graduated."

The words are heavy and bitter on her tongue. She said them anyway.

"I have no genetic advantages or family jutsu or specialized training. I never will."

Sakura's voice was the only steady thing amongst the roller coaster of emotions within her. Saying it out loud made her throat constrict, but Sakura didn't think she could stop now if she wanted to. It poured out of her, dam finally broken and all it had taken was for someone to just ask.

Kami, she was pathetic.

"But it doesn't matter if you have special eyes, or know a technique that was passed down in your family for centuries. The Yellow Jasmine will still make you puke until you die. The Prairie Crocus will still slow your heart."

Sakura shrugged, the motion feeling far too casual and yet the only thing she could think of doing. "I chose poisons because anyone can use them with enough time and dedication, and because it levels the playing field enough that I can survive."

A swell of embarrassment rose within her the second she stopped talking. She-she hadn't meant to just go off like that. He had probably just been asking out of surface level curiosity and had absolutely no interest in listening to some stranger bare her soul to him.

If she got out of this with her dignity intact it would be a miracle.

"Tell you what," Genma said eventually. "If you come up with an impressive enough observation you've made about me, I'll teach you."

An…observation? As in something she had noticed about him?

It made sense in a way. After all poisons would likely require good attention to detail, so this could be his way of testing if she was worth teaching.

But what could she say? Commenting on the fact that he seemed close to his companion would be redundant and unimpressive, and there wasn't much she could do with what she was working with.

Unless…

Sakura bit her cheek. It was risky, and if she was wrong it would be super embarrassing. But the signs were there. It made sense.

It also might get her thrown in an interrogation cell if she was right.

…Sakura really wanted to have a poison instructor.

She squared her shoulders and lowered her voice so only the two men in the booth could hear.

"You are either currently, or were formerly a member of ANBU."

Notes:

Hey y'all, hope you're having a good day

whooooo! Genma is finally in the story! its been a long time coming and he's here at last! We'll see his perspective on what's going on in the next chapter, so look forward to that.

Sakura asking Kakashi if he knew anyone that could help her wasn't her thinking he was the best person, but that he was the easiest to ask without it being seen as a debt. She could have asked Shino's parents, but she's not 100% on clan etiquette and didn't want to owe anyone anything.

Jounin constantly being surprised that Kakashi has genin is something i find funny, so here it is again.

I don't have too much to say for this chapter, cause i feel most of it speaks for itself. Sakura talking about why she wanted to study poisons was less that she's prone to unloading on strangers, and more that Genma is one of the few people who's actually asked. Sometimes with things like that, you feel as though you have to get it all out or else you've missed your chance and won't ever be able to say it again.

And yeah, you'll get to see the reaction to Sakura's observation as well as her reasoning as to why she thought that way.

I've recently finished a long fic, so hopefully chapters for this one will be coming out more frequently. If not, there will be minimum 1 per month.

Come yell at me on tumblr here

Constructive criticism is welcome, hate will be laughed at and the gay will be strong.

Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye

Chapter 20: Is It An Assumption If It's True?

Summary:

Sakura and Genma continue their conversation

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Genma had just wanted to enjoy a nice cup of tea with his boyfriend.

Downtime between missions was precious, and he'd known the second the pink haired girl had entered the café that his day was about to get more complicated.

Sakura Haruno stood like she was braced for a fight; shoulders squared and chin tilted up ever so slightly. Determination and desperation leaked from her like a sieve, a sort of resignation already apparent in her gaze before she even opened her mouth.

She knew her poisons, or at least the basics, and was clearly willing to build off her previous knowledge. Not to mention smart enough to not try to start making them on her own as a beginner. Most would call it common sense, but the shinobi population was severely lacking in that department, so it was notable in its own way.

The fact that she came on her own instead of with a sensei or parent was also telling, though Genma honestly wasn't surprised considering Kakashi's everything.

Civilian-born shinobi didn't have the pull to find or request a teacher outside of the sensei they were given, so any specialty they ended up developing was entirely of their own power.

Genma had taught before; usually chuunin or other jounin who needed to know more than the bare minimum of poisons for one reason or another. His interactions with younger shinobi were few and far between.

Genin usually had the beginnings of their specialization already, passed down from family even if they weren't a clan. Genma himself had learned his trade from his mother, as she had from hers. As a result, most active civilian-born shinobi ended up as either the same specialization as their sensei, or a jack or all trades.

Here stood an Academy fresh civilian-born, who had clearly done her research on the subject, and who was likely taking her one and only shot. Genma had planned on teaching her already, but had asked for an observation out of curiosity more than anything else. Unless she said something tremendously stupid, he would agree to instruct her.

And then the brat had had to go and say, "You are either currently, or were formerly a member of ANBU."

If it hadn't been for too many damn years of being a shinobi, Genma would have startled, hard.

This pink haired, Academy fresh genin, had just guessed a state secret. There was no way Kakashi would have told her, and there was no way she had the connections to find out otherwise.

It wasn't something she was pulling out of her ass either, while there was a definite note of anxiety in her expression, her tone was confident. At least in her mind, she must have something to back up her claim.

Raido's posture was just as relaxed as before, expression carefully controlled. Genma was probably one of the few people in the world who could read the calculated look in his eyes.

Sakura Haruno had wanted to get their attention with this observation. She could have easily chosen something more lowkey and still convey that she was intelligent.

But she didn't.

Genma leaned forward. Well, you have our attention.

Now what.

Sakura's heart beat furiously in her chest, adrenaline pumping through her veins as the shinobi in the booth stared her down.

Their expressions hadn't shifted in the slightest, but it felt like they were suddenly giving her all their attention. She felt like a bug beneath a microscope, laid bare and vulnerable.

"What makes you think that?" Genma asked mildly, and a shiver went down Sakura's spine. If she hadn't been convinced of her observation before, she sure as hell was now.

Clasping her hands behind her back to hide the faint tremors, Sakura licked her lips nervously. "Kakashi-sensei said you were one of the best poison specialists he knew, and I've noticed that his view of 'good' is usually everyone else's excellent, so from that alone I can deride that you're very, very good at what you do."

Raido took a long sip of his tea, his eyes watching her shrewdly.

"On top of that, while poison can be used in general combat, they are much more commonly used in assassinations." She continued. "It is unusual for standard shinobi to be issued an assassination mission, especially one that would need to be as discreetly done that poison would be necessary. Those kinds of jobs are almost exclusively given to ANBU."

Genma raised an eyebrow. "That's a lot of assumptions."

"It is." She admitted. "But I don't think I'm wrong about this, and I'm not going to change my answer."

Because she was right. Even if he didn't admit it, she was right.

Her nerves were frayed at the edges, but she forced herself to shrug. "So, will you teach me?"

Genma studied her slowly, expression unreadable.

Sakura resisted the urge to fidget under his intense scrutiny and met his gaze squarely. I am not backing down on this.

An unsettling smile formed on Genma's lips. "What time do you train with your team?" He questioned.

"Usually from around eight AM to two PM." She said automatically, a cautious hope building in her chest. "Kakashi isn't exactly punctual though, so it fluctuates occasionally."

Raido snorted. "Understatement of the century."

Genma shot him a look before turning his attention back to her. "Meet me at training ground 13 at 5 tomorrow."

"In the evening?" She asked.

His grin widened.

"Guys!"

Shino and Kiba both looked up from their respective meals as Sakura slid to a stop next to their table. Her eyes were bright and she had the biggest smile Hinata had seen since they'd graduated the Academy.

"I got-I got a poison instructor!" She said breathily. "Like, a real-life teacher! If I'm lucky, he'll even be a useful one!"

Kiba choked on his drink. "You really don't pull any punches when the sensei's aren't around, do you?"

Her grin was sharp. "I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about."

Hinata attempted to smother a giggle behind her hand, turning pink when a pig like snort escaped instead.

Kiba looked delighted by this, and Hinata ducked her head to hide her mortified expression. If her father had seen that she'd be stuck in extra etiquette classes for weeks.

Still, Sakura deserved to have the support of her friends, so Hinata rallied what little confidence she had and gave her a quick embrace. "I-I'm so happy for you!"

She felt Sakura relax minutely. "Thanks. Now who wants to bet my teammates freak out the second they catch wind?"

Shino pushed his glasses up his nose. "I would not take that bet. Why? Because it is apparent Naruto and Sasuke have overreactions to everything, even when it does not concern them." He paused briefly. "And I too am glad you have located an instructor."

Coming from the Aburame, that was practically confetti and a hug.

"You guys are the best." Sakura said sincerely. "And honestly, I'm just not going to say anything and see how long it takes them to notice."

Kiba let out a bark of laughter. "As if Naruto is capable of noticing anything, and Sasuke could see beyond his own nose. It's a miracle they passed Observation and Analysis."

Sakura let out a sigh. "They're only smart when they want to be. Like particularly frustrating cats."

Akamaru barked.

"Are you trying to tell me that you think all cats are frustrating?" Sakura reached out to pet the small hound, Akamaru rubbing his head against her palm.

Kiba shrugged. "Not really. The whole dog vs cat thing is really exaggerated. I mean, don't get me wrong, I do like dogs over cats, I'd be impressed if you could find an Inuzuka who didn't, but we don't actually hate cats. Hell, my mom is best friends with a kunoichi who has like, a million feline summons."

"Huh." Sakura snatched a dumpling off Shino's plate. "I never really thought of it like that."

"And that's one of the milder assumptions." Kiba continued. "Don't even get me started on the assholes who think we have fleas. As if any Inuzuka worth their salt wouldn't take care of their ninken well enough that they got fleas. And they think we're the stupid ones."

Hinata winced internally, remembering the comments members of the Main Family had made about her teammates. There was a reason she did her best to keep Kiba and Shino away from the Hyuuga compound, conveniently 'forgetting' any invites anyone but her father made towards them. She knew all too well how biting her clan could be, and would wish their ire on no one.

"There does seem to be a general lack of understand about numerous shinobi clans in the general population." Shino said evenly. "A woman asked my father if he was made of insects yesterday. It was an unpleasant experience."

Sakura made a face. "And I thought people making flower jokes about my hair was bad."

Inoichi Yamanaka considered himself a difficult man to catch off guard.

Being the head of the Intelligence unit of Konoha and surviving two shinobi wars, as well as raising Ino had given him enough perspective that little shocked him these days.

But as he went over the list of shinobi that were scheduled for a psych evaluation in the next week, his eyebrow definitely rose at the first name.

Sakura Haruno

That was…unexpected.

While he hadn't spoken to her since her fallout with Ino, he'd been aware that she'd graduated. His daughter hadn't stopped shouting about the unfairness of Sakura's placement on a team with Sasuke Uchiha for days.

Inoichi had considered the placement unfortunate for entirely different reasons, and had begun mentally preparing himself for the day Sakura died. Estranged or not, it would be a difficult time for Ino and uncomfortable for everyone involved. Any team with an Uchiha was more likely to be targeted, and that wasn't even considering Naruto. As Konoha's Jinchuuriki and one of the last Uzumaki, there might as well have been a large bullseye painted on his back.

It had been difficult not to hear about Team 7's first C-rank turned A-rank, and if that trend of luck continued, the chances of Sakura surviving dropped drastically. Having a run in with a missing member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Hidden Mist was already cutting it close.

So yes, seeing Sakura's name on the list was unexpected, but not shocking.

No, what was surprising was the reason listed.

First kill

Konoha had come a long way since the last shinobi war, but the reality was that the young still had to kill. Konoha tried to keep that day from coming too soon for the younger generations, but it wasn't always possible. Inoichi suppressed a grimace at the image of the young girl with her hands stained red.

Her appointment would be a fairly standard one, designed to probe and see how likely the shinobi would be to crack under the pressure and guilt of taking a life. If proven to be unstable, they would be placed under a watchlist and monitored. Depending on the severity and how invested the village was in making them a functional shinobi, they would also receive mandatory sessions with a psychiatrist.

It wasn't uncommon for civilian-born shinobi to drop out of the general forces after their first kill, some retiring to the reserves and others quitting entirely. The difference between the real world and the Academy was stark, especially to those who weren't raised in a family where the morally grey actions a shinobi would have to commit and bear witness to were normalised.

That was why, more than any other category of fresh genin, civilian-borns were closely monitored when situations like this arose. While it was unlikely that if they snapped they would cause large scale damage like a member of ANBU could, their teams might be put in danger.

Inoichi closed the file.

Notes:

hey y'all, hope you're having a good day

whooo! that chapter was pretty fun to write. I really like Genma and writing him is just a treat.

And yes, i did made Genma and Raido boyfriends. Why? because this is my canon now.

I hope Sakura's reasoning made sense. She was kinda being impulsive, but she was pretty desperate so she kinda just went for it. Good thing Genma is pretty chill or she might have gotten herself thrown in a cell lmao.

Writing Sakura's interactions with Team 8 is also pretty fun. i like having them interact, and showing how they've gotten more comfortable with one another. And yeah that scene kinda devolved into weird clan assumption things cause i thought it would make sense that they'd get stereotyped like that, even from other clans.

Inoichi was also kinda tricky to write but i hope i did a good job with him. We will be seeing him more later, but not for a while.

And you know how i was hoping to put out chapters more often? hahahaha

school just started and i'm already dying, so they'll continue to be once a month

Come yell at me on tumblr here

Constructive criticism is welcome, hate will be laughed at and the gay will be strong.

Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye

Chapter 21: Another Step

Summary:

Montage time babbyyyyyy

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Sakura stared at the paint covered kunai. "Is this really necessary?"

Genma leaned against a large oak tree, his posture lax and uninterested. "You've got exactly zero resistance to poisons at the moment, and that means when you use them, you'll have to be twice as careful when handling your coated blades."

He pulled out a senbon from his own pouch and sent it flying towards the target. "If this were to touch anyone else, it would knock them out almost instantly, and while I'm not planning on handing you anything this strong anytime soon, being even a second slower in the field can mean death."

Memories of Wave rose in her mind unbidden, and Sakura forced them down, trying to instead focus on what Genma was saying.

"I won't be giving you so much as a mild paralytic until you can prove to me that you can use them with your blades and not accidently dose yourself. I want you to be practicing constantly and catch yourself when you get sloppy." He walked over and yanked the senbon free from the wooden bullseye. "For now, just try to hit the target without getting any paint on yourself."

Sakura looked at the bright red kunai and grimaced.

Time to get to work.

"How are you feeling?"

Sakura resisted the urge to grimace at the question, looking anywhere but at Inoichi.

She knew why she was there, knew that if she appeared too unstable they'd likely take her off the roster. Or maybe they wouldn't. It wasn't like Konoha cared much about civilian-borns to begin with, so her mental health probably wouldn't be much of a concern.

"Better." She said eventually. "I had some nightmares but they've mostly subsided."

And they had. There were still times where she woke up screaming, imagining Raiga's sword piercing her gut. Sometimes, Reiko was the one killing her.

Though she'd never admit it, the hair-raising chakra that had oozed out of Naruto had made its appearances as well. She'd imagined those claws tearing through her skin like butter.

"Do you feel capable of continuing your duties as a genin?"

Sakura didn't even hesitate.

"Yes."

Kakashi watched as Sakura forced herself through another push up.

Her arms were shaking under the weight of her body, nails digging into the dirt as she stubbornly pushed herself onwards.

Both Naruto and Sasuke had already finished their work set, and were bickering on the sidelines, neither paying any attention to their last teammate.

It had been two weeks since Sakura had asked if he knew a poison instructor, and she hadn't said a word about it since. He knew she'd been accepted, but not the kind of work she'd been doing with Genma. He doubted they were doing much more than theory at the moment, but he'd make sure to watch her for any new weapons. Sparing was fun until a new weapon was pulled and suddenly they needed to rush to the hospital. Considering how irritated she looked whenever she argued with Sasuke, he didn't think it was an unlikely possibility.

However, for now, her arsenal remained the same.

Kakashi returned his attention to his book.

The amount of books Sakura was now allowed to read at the library was jaw dropping.

On the days she didn't feel like passing out from exhaustion, Sakura was scouring the shelves and devouring every smidgen of information she could find on just about anything.

And yet there had been nothing useful on the strange red chakra Naruto had exuded during Wave.

In fact, there was no information at all.

The one and only time she'd asked one of the librarians, the grizzled older man had told her that it was a waste of time and that she shouldn't go poking into places she didn't belong.

Sakura had never been very good at following instructions.

Sakura's fingers were covered in red paint.

It was hard not to grimace as she blocked a strike from Kiba, staining his coat in the process. At least when she got the paint on her clothes it wasn't as obvious seeing as they were already red.

He didn't seem to mind though, grabbing her wrist and pulling her forwards as he attempted to elbow her in the nose.

Sakura ducked, slipping her ankle around the back of his and allowing the momentum to carry her forwards. They both hit the ground hard, but Kiba had taken most of the impact leaving him momentarily dazed.

She grasped a kunai from her pouch and pressed it against his throat, the red barely touching his skin before she was thrown off, skidding through the dirt.

Sakura managed to roll to her feet, batting aside her long braid that was beginning to come undone. Kiba had recovered as well, standing despite his uneven breaths.

He's still off balance.

Sakura lunged, feinting a blow to his face and slamming her knee into his stomach as Kiba's arms rose to protect himself. He hunched over before backhanding her hard.

She stumbled away, clutching her bleeding nose.

Kiba's hands were trembling slightly, but he fell into his combat stance regardless.

Again.

Sakura stared at the blossoming flower in her mother's old pot.

She'd been experimenting with different types of plants to see if there was any difference she would need to account for when using Mokuton. So far, she'd discovered that trees required more of a push to grow, while flowers needed a gentler touch. Grass and especially weeds were the easiest to make larger and required the least amount of chakra and control.

She hadn't yet discovered a way to implement any of this into combat, as growing the plants was one thing, directing how they grew was another entirely. Not to mention it took far too long for her to get any seed large enough to help at all. Her opponent wasn't just going to stand around while she made a tree grow.

I wonder if there are any vines I could use.

"How do you conceal your chakra?"

Genma tilted his head towards his one and only student. "Why do you want to know that?"

She shrugged, looking away. "It'd be good for surprising people, you know? I need all the advantages I can get so I figured I'd ask."

Chakra concealment was something shinobi usually didn't learn until they were chuunin, as most genin wouldn't normally have to deal with anyone that could sense chakra. It was only really a necessity when dealing with other shinobi.

Genma considered her. "Why are you asking me this and not Kakashi?"

A flicker of fury crossed her expression before it was smoothed over once more.

"I did." Her tone was tightly controlled, which was as much of a tell as shouting would have been. "He said that he didn't think our squad was ready to learn something that required that degree of chakra control."

Genma raised an eyebrow. "So you decided to ask me instead?"

Another shrug. "He said our squad, not me specifically. I was able to master the genjutsu disruption technique he showed me, and I have the best control out of the three of us, so I figured it was worth a shot."

Genma regarded her silently, considering his options. On one hand, he was there to teach her poisons, and anything falling outside that jurisdiction was something her jounin sensei should be in charge of.

On the other hand, Genma knew exactly what Kakashi was like.

"I'll show you how to do it." He said eventually. "But don't practice on your own. More than one beginner has accidently harmed their chakra circulation while learning."

Sakura lit up, green eyes sparkling with determination. "I won't." She promised. "The last thing I need is another trip to the hospital."

Genma believed her. Genin weren't exactly known for their restraint when it came to learning new techniques, but so far Sakura had followed all his instructions to the letter, and hadn't even protested when he's explained they wouldn't be working with real poisons for weeks to come.

"Close your eyes and concentrate on your chakra." Genma began, trying to remember the first time he'd learned the technique. "Once you feel ready, imagine a damp blanket covering your system. If any part of you begins to feel numb, stop immediately."

This was the part that usually caused the most issues. If you dampened your chakra in the wrong way, you could restrict the flow of it through your body. If done severely enough, it could cause damage to the system in a way that only a skilled healer with a Hyuuga on standby could fix.

It was almost a full minute before Sakura seemed to gather the courage for her attempt. As if there were a dial on her chakra levels, Sakura's presence slowly began to dim. She felt less like a genin, and more like a small civilian child, and then a large dog, and then a cat.

Sakura showed no signs of distress from the activity, her brows furrowed in concentration as Genma monitored her body language. There was no discomfort that would indicate chakra blockage or any cause for alarm.

When Sakura more closely resembled the energy of a squirrel than a budding shinobi, Genma placed his hand on her shoulder. "That's enough for now."

Sakura nodded almost absently as her levels slowly rose once more.

Genma waited until she refocused on the present before speaking again. "Your chakra control is very advanced for a genin. A few more days of practice, and you'll probably be able to use that technique on your own."

A self-satisfied smile crossed her lips. "Thank you for teaching me, Genma-sensei."

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Don't tell Kakashi about this, okay? I don't need him bitching at me."

"I won't."

Sakura hit the ground hard.

Pain erupted from her shoulder and back, but nonetheless she forced herself to roll away from Sasuke's kick.

Her chest heaved, exhaustion tugging on every one of her limbs. She wasn't sure how long they'd been at this, but Sasuke barely looked winded and it made her want to scream.

Sakura barely managed to get to her feet before she was under a barrage of attacks again. A jab, a kick, a sweep that she only just dodged. There was no room to breathe, no allowance for hesitation.

Her foot slipped on the loose gravel beneath her feet, and that was enough.

Sasuke slammed her into the dirt, twisting one of her arms in such a way that any struggle on her part would result in the dislocation of her shoulder. Sakura's face was dressed against the ground, stones digging into her cheek.

"Tap." She said begrudgingly, her voice muffled by the earth.

The grip on her arm immediately released, allowing Sakura to slowly push herself to her knees.

Sasuke looked down at her, a sneer on his face.

"Pathetic."

Sakura's face burned with rage and embarrassment.

One day, she promised herself. One day I'll pummel his smug face into the ground.

"Do these just, grow all on their own?"

Shibi turned to see Sakura tentatively touching a thick vine that grew along the outer edge of one of the walls, her fingers lightly smudged with red paint. She and Shino had ended up training well into the evening, and he had offered to walk her to the compound exit in case the guards mistook her for an enemy.

"They do." He tilted his head. "Why? Because they need very few nutrients to sustain themselves and are able to receive them without any outside aid."

Sakura nodded almost to herself, gaze squarely on the vines. "Would it be possible for me to take a sample? Or a seed or something? I've been working on growing a garden recently, and was interested in finding some easy to care for vines."

"I see no issue with allowing you a sample." Shibi allowed the barest hint of a smile to show. "Why? Because you are friends with my son, and these vines are a favourite of the kikaichu."

It was a test of sorts. Even those who were friendly with the Aburame tended to find their insects somewhat unsettling. It was one thing to be friendly with their hosts, another entirely to welcome the kikaichu.

Sakura's gaze lit up. "Really? Do the vines produce berries or are they edible themselves? Would they be safe for birds too? Or just bugs?"

Shibi felt contentment wash over him.

Make sure to keep this one, Shino.

"Hey Naruto, catch!"

Naruto turned around just in time to be hit in the face with a soft bag stuffed to the brim. "Huh?"

Sakura cracked a smile at his dumbfounded expression. "They're for you." She explained. "I told my mom about how you were complaining about not having enough dish towels or good bed sheets, and she made you some with the leftover fabric from her shop."

Naruto blinked, eyes going wide. "I-I don't have any money for this." He said, ears burning red.

"It's free." Sakura said with a wave of her hand. "As I said, it was extra fabric that would have ended up as a dishtowel or knee patch for our family." Her mother had been practically spitting with fury when she'd heard that her teammate had had to forgo getting new cloths over groceries this month. She hadn't actually used extra fabric for the bedsheets, but Sakura had a feeling that Naruto would be more inclined to reject the gift if he knew that.

Sasuke scoffed. "Need to accept charity from a civilian? You really are pathetic."

Naruto turned even redder. "I'm not-I'm not-"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "You can't even speak properly. How do you expect to become Hokage when you have the same vocabulary as a monkey?"

"Shut it!" Sakura snapped, rage boiling in her veins. "Not all of us had the privilege of being born in the richest clan in Konoha."

"Well not everyone is-"

"If the next words out of your mouth are worthy I will tell our entire graduating class that you got punked by a grunt from Wave." She threatened.

Sasuke stiffened, irritation leaking out of every pore. "It's not like you were in any way useful."

"She saved Tazuna!" Naruto protested.

"By jumping off a bridge and running away." His next words were muttered, quiet in a way that led her to believe he didn't mean for it to be heard. "I can't believe my parents would ever want to meet you."

Her eyebrows rose. "Your parents want to meet us?"

Sasuke startled at being caught before crossing his arms and looking away. "They insisted that I extend an invitation for dinner next week." He spoke through gritted teeth. "I didn't tell you because I assumed neither of you would want to come."

Sakura absolutely did not want to. She had no desire to be around Sasuke's snobbish family in an inescapable social situation that would really just make her want to jump off the Hokage Tower.

"Of course we want to come!" Naruto said excitedly. "Free food is great!"

Sasuke's expression became distinctly horrified.

On the other hand, this seemed to be exactly what Sasuke didn't want to happen so…

Sakura grinned, using all her teeth.

"I'd love to meet your family."

Notes:

hey y'all HAPPY NEW YEAR!

It has been so long since i've posted you guys i am so sorry.

Basically, school is kicking my ass and i really need to focus on it, so while this chapter is finally out, i still might not be updating monthly as i was before. School is about to enter hyperspeed and i'm just going to have no energy or time.

This chapter was kinda just another montage of Sakura slowly getting better and learning. I'm trying to give a sense of growth without making it too quick but also not making it ridiculously slow.

Genma just gives me Good Adult vibes if you know what i mean. Like, someone you could trust to be competent and just generally a stable role model. I love writing him tbh. you'll get to see him as more than a teacher figure eventually, but not for a while.

So like, mental healthcare is gonna exist in Konoha, but like, not in a "it was made because they care" type of way. I mean, you've got a bunch of ninjas fucking around and murdering people and seeing murders and going to war. And you're starting them off hella young. Some are gonna snap, and if too many snap then ooops your army is half useless or actively murderous. (i'm looking at you Itachi) so in my canon they have to routinely pas psych evaluations so they won't be a liability on the field. of course sometimes they ignore that and send people out anyway because the system is corrupt (i'm looking at you Kakashi. seriously this man should not be let around children without some serious therapy).

Naruto not having enough money to like, live is never not going to annoy me. Like, i get that everyone hates him and that we're supposed to feel bad for him, but having Naruto just be super poor always felt weird to me like. Why doesn't the Hokage give him more money? you want him on your side right? why are you giving him so little he has to eat cup noodles every damn day like bruh. if the council says No then just. give him some of your money. You're literally the Hokage that's gotta pay well enough to help this small child out.

Sasuke is still a privileged dick and also a child just copying adult behaviour with less subtlety.

Also yeah! next chapter is gonna have us meeting the Uchiha family and let me tell you its gonna be FUN. y'all don't even know how excited i am for this.

Hate will be laughed at and the gay will be strong

byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye

Chapter 22: Family Dinner But The Family Ain't Yours

Summary:

The dinner at the Uchiha's

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

It wasn't until Sakura was directly in front of the Uchiha Compound gates that the panic truly hit.

She'd felt strangely calm in the hours leading up to her departure, keeping her routine almost identical to previous days save for keeping allotted time to dress herself up.

Sasuke had been entirely useless when it came to telling them what level of formality was expected, and Sakura had never been more thankful that her mother was a tailor. She ended up wearing a long embroidered green skirt paired with a white blouse. Her hair was in a simple but stylish braid, and she kept her shoes just functional enough that running wouldn't be an issue.

It was the perfect mixture of casual and formal with enough wiggle room that she wouldn't be entirely embarrassed if she had judged the situation wrong.

But now, standing in front of the almost excessively intimidating Uchiha Compound gates, her nerves hit hard and fast.

This wasn't like having supper with the Aburame's, when no matter how nervous she was, she at least liked Shino, and figured that his family couldn't be that bad.

Sakura slapped her own cheeks. Overthinking things would only make her feel worse.

Let's get this over with.

Sakura made it about three steps past the gate before an Uchiha guard materialised next to her.

"The purpose of your visit?" She asked in a disinterested tone.

Sakura smiled nervously. "I was invited to dinner by Sasuke Uchiha."

The kunoichi's brow rose. "Uh huh. You know you're not the first brat to try to get in with that excuse."

Why am I not surprised.

If Sakura were capable of time travel, she would have gone back and slapped some sense into her younger self. Remembering her fan girl days made her wish someone had put her out of her misery much sooner.

"I'm his teammate." She explained. "We're in the same genin squad."

A skeptical pause. "You're Sakura?"

Oh, so the guard had heard of her. That was…fine…probably.

"Yup." Sakura said, attempting another smile.

"Huh." The woman squinted at her. "Walk straight for ten houses and then turn right. You'll be able to see it from there and you can't miss it."

At least she didn't have to ask for directions.

After thanking the kunoichi, Sakura began walking as quickly as possible through the Compound. She felt painfully out of place, her bright hair and clothes easily marking her as an outsider.

It wasn't long before she stood in front of the largest house in the Compound, its design intimidating to say the least, bearing down on her harshly.

Sakura steeled herself and knocked on the door.

An older black-haired woman opened the door, a genial smile donning her face.

"You must be Sakura." She said, motioning her to come inside. "I am Mikoto Uchiha. You're just in time for dinner."

Sakura tentatively smiled back, taking off her shoes and placing them next to a pair of sandals she recognised as Naruto's.

As Mikoto lead her through the house, Sakura couldn't help but notice the décor. While the walls themselves were fairly bare, every piece of furniture was undoubtedly expensive.

It wasn't long before they arrived at to a dinning room, table perfectly set with Naruto and Sasuke already seated. The adjacent kitchen held two severe looking shinobi, one the same age as Mikoto, and the other an older teen.

"You're finally here!" Naruto said excitedly, banging his knee against the table. "Sasuke said you'd chickened out, but I knew you'd come."

I'd never miss out on the chance to spite that bastard.

"I wouldn't miss meeting Sasuke's family." She said sweetly.

Sasuke scowled.

The two severe looking shinobi began carrying trays of food to the table, steam rising from the fresh dishes. It all looked delicious, and Sakura's mouth watered.

"I am Fugaku Uchiha." The older man said. "And this is my son and heir, Itachi."

Itachi inclined his head with a faint smile, taking a seat across from Sasuke. He was taller than his father, though almost identical otherwise. He had lines on his face that made him look older than he probably was.

Fugaku's words were a stark reminder that this was the Main Family of the biggest and arguably most powerful clan in Konoha.

Sakura scrambled to sit down as well, fitting in next to Naruto, who was more than happy to give her room.

He was still wearing his trademark orange jumpsuit, but had at least had the wherewithal to wash it beforehand. Sakura had no idea if Naruto even had anything other than casual clothes. Considering how he hadn't been able to afford dish cloths without skimping on his groceries, Sakura was going to guess not.

"How has your training been progressing?" Fugaku asked once everyone had settled down to eat. "Often times new genin find the increased workload difficult to manage if they are not used to such a rigorous schedule."

Was that a jab at her and Naruto's lack of family aided training? Already? Or was she reading too much into this?

Sakura felt pumped full of adrenaline despite the calm atmosphere, already expecting the worse. Was she wrong to jump to conclusions like that?

Sasuke didn't get his superiority complex from nowhere.

"Training has been awesome!" Naruto said excitedly. "Kakashi sensei is pretty lazy, but the exercises he gives us are super fun."

They're only fun if you've got endless stamina. Sakura thought irritably, then immediately winced at her own harsh words. Naruto had his strengths, and she had her own. He probably felt a similar jealousy towards her whenever they did anything chakra related that wasn't shadow clones.

"It's definitely been an experience." Is what Sakura ended up adding, unwilling to throw Kakashi entirely under the bus for politeness sake if nothing else.

Fugaku seemed dissatisfied with their answers, but didn't follow up.

"I trust all of your injuries from Wave have healed?" Mikoto questioned when the silence dragged on too long. Out of all four Uchiha present she seemed the most socially aware. "Sasuke informed us they weren't severe, but wounds can have unexpected complications."

It took Sakura a second to realise that the question was only directed at her. Sasuke lived with Mikoto, so she obviously knew what happened there, and Naruto hadn't even had any injuries.

"They've completely healed." She said awkwardly. "The blade missed all my vital organs, so it was a pretty easy fix." At least according to the medics she'd checked in with at both Wave and Konoha.

Naruto was opening his mouth to comment when the windows in the kitchen slammed open, a dark figure darting inside.

Sakura's hand darted to the kunai strapped under her skirt, halfway to her feet.

"I'm here." Called out an exuberant voice.

Standing with his arms flung out dramatically was a man so obviously an Uchiha he might as well have been holding a sign. He was pale, with dark curly hair and a lean build, clearly a shinobi even if he was in casual clothes.

Unlike most Uchiha Sakura had interacted with, he had a bright smile and an open expression.

"Shisui." The first words Sakura heard spoken from Itachi were practically dripping with exasperation and reluctant fondness. "You said you weren't coming."

Shisui plopped down next to Itachi and snatched a dumpling off his plate. "How could I miss meeting my baby cousin's team?"

Sasuke scowled. "Don't call me that."

"I see that actually having to interact with other kids your age hasn't made you any less grumpy." Shisui smirked, reaching across the table to ruffle his hair. "I apologise in advance for him. All of his charm was sucked out of him by a stray crow."

Sakura couldn't help but stare, eyes wide.

This might be the best thing she had seen all year. Sasuke was slowly turning red and Sakura felt faintly hysterical. Her adrenaline, mixed with complete confusion and joy swirled inside her, made her feel off kilter.

Sasuke's cheeks puffed up like an angry squirrel, and Sakura couldn't help but snicker.

Naruto cackled openly, pointing at the youngest Uchiha's face. "I knew it! No one could be that scowly all the time."

Itachi's face, which had been mildly amused, was rapidly changing into something not nearly as pleasant.

Sakura elbowed her blond teammate in the side as discreetly as she could manage. "It's nice to meet you, Shisui. I'm Sakura Haruno and this is Naruto Uzumaki."

Even if this new Uchiha was startlingly cheerful and teasing, he was their family, and family got privileges that others didn't. Sakura didn't know what would happen if she or Naruto overstepped, and she did not want to find out.

Shisui grinned toothily at her. "I'm glad I got to meet you two! Sasuke is super tight lipped about anything that isn't training related, so we had no idea what you guys were like."

Sakura found that unlikely. Oh, she believed that Sasuke didn't often talk about them or their personalities, but he probably complained about them if nothing else.

He and Naruto yelled at each other too much for that not to be true.

"I like ramen and playing pranks." Naruto offered up, practically inhaling the food in front of him. "And one day, I'm gonna be Hokage."

It might have been Sakura's imagination, but she could have sworn she saw a glimpse of sadness in Mikoto and Fugaku's expressions. A brief moment of grief.

"What about you Sakura?" Shisui stole a piece of meat off of Itachi's plate. "Hobbies? Goals in life? Favourite food?"

Sakura shrugged. "I like fried shrimp and gardening." She purposefully left out what her goals were, unwilling to reveal them in case they reacted like Sasuke had that day on the roof.

To her, becoming a jounin would be enormous. Most people didn't expect civilian-borns to graduate from the Academy, much less make genin. For her, every day she decided to be a kunoichi was a defiance. A personal rebellion against everyone who said she couldn't.

The Uchiha would never understand that, so it was best to not even try to explain it.

The meal continued from there, most of the tension having drained away. The Uchiha's asked questions periodically about their training and skills, Shisui occasionally interjecting with more personal queries.

It was…fine.

But as time went on, Sakura couldn't help but notice something. They were paying more attention to Naruto than they were to her. It wasn't obvious, but there was something about their posture, and how they responded Naruto that made it clear they were actually listening to him.

This is good. She tried to tell herself. Naruto doesn't have parents at home so adults taking an interest in his life is a good thing. You don't want them to focus on you anyway.

It wasn't like they were even outright ignoring her, but Sakura couldn't help but feel a swell of rage regardless. Every time, every fucking time, she was overlooked, and it made her livid.

"Could I trouble you for the directions to the bathroom?" Sakura asked when there was a lull in the conversation.

She smiled as sincerely as she could and tried to not look like she was running away. The bathroom was spotless, and Sakura really should have expected that considering the state of the rest of their house.

Her hands gripped the sides of the sink as she tried to calm herself down. You're overreacting. Sakura hissed at herself. You might just be imagining things, and even if you aren't, it doesn't matter. It's fine.

She splashed cool water on her face and stayed there until the coiling mass of anger cooled to something more acceptable.

Sakura could control herself. She would control herself because there wasn't any other option.

There were red lines on the insides of her hands by the time Sakura made her way back to the dinning table, only to find that both Naruto and Sasuke had disappeared.

"They're having a kunai throwing competition." Shisui explained.

Are you kidding me?!

Sakura was now completely alone with four Uchiha who barely acknowledged her existence. She never thought she'd miss her teammates' company, but almost anything would be better than this.

"I must admit I was somewhat surprised to here that you were my son's third teammate." Fugaku's tone was almost flat.

Sakura didn't say anything, merely tilting her head as she tried to hide her nerves.

"You are not suited for a combat squad." He said bluntly. "Putting you on one only increases your chances of death and hinders your team. Just look at what happened at Wave."

Sakura froze.

"The best solution would be to request a team change. I'm sure there is another genin squad that would better suit you."

Sakura did not see Mikoto's frown, or Shisui's narrowed eyes, or Itachi's reluctant sigh. She could barely breathe as her heartrate increased exponentially.

Fugaku wasn't-he wasn't even wrong. Sakura shouldn't have been put on that team and she didn't even want to be there but-

He just assumed that this was something she hadn't considered, that she didn't know. That she hadn't cried in the arms of her parents because she'd been haphazardly thrown on a team that had not been assembled to accommodate her and-

Sasuke didn't get his superiority complex from nowhere.

Molten rage melted through her icy veins, overwhelming and burning.

In that instant, she didn't care that she was surrounded by shinobi who would kill her before she could blink, that they had infinitely more power and sway in the village than she ever would.

Sakura felt her carefully cultivated self control snap.

"Worried I won't be good enough canon fodder?"

Notes:

Hey y'all, hope you're having a good day

I'm BACK! Sorry this chapter took so long to get out. The schedule will continue to be wonky but I'll do my best. Yeah i'm leaving you guys on another cliff hanger. Sorry! It's for dramatic purposes.

A few things i want to talk about.

1) Uchiha gossip so that's why the guard knew Sakura's name

2) The Uchiha parents were paying more attention to Naruto, but that was mostly because he was Minato and Kushia's son. They were mostly forbidden from interacting with him without an excuse, so this is one of the few times they've actually been able to talk to him and learn about him. Sakura doesn't know any of this tho so to her it just feels like she's being ignored again. This is heightened even more in her mind because its what she's expecting to happen anyway. You gotta remember that this is all from her POV, and her biases affect how she views situations.

3) Fugaku isn't trying to be a dick here, but he's very good at sticking his foot in his mouth and coming across the worst way possible. He's saying it cause he's aware the team is unbalanced and not a good fit for her, but just manages to sound The Worst.

I love shisui and am so sad we didn't get much of him in canon. He seems like such a fun dude. He will continue to appear, though it'll be a while before he shows up after this meal. i have Plans

Hate will be laughed at and the gay will be strong

byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye

Chapter 23: The Fire Burns

Summary:

fight fight fight

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

The second the words left her mouth, Sakura knew this was something she would never be able to take back.

Oh, she could mitigate the damage. Pretend it was a joke. Apologise profusely and say that she'd had a stressful week. Swear to never say anything like that ever again.

Those would be the smart things to do. The reasonable ones.

Sakura wasn't feeling particularly reasonable at the moment.

She could read the surprise on the Uchiha's expressions, all of them far too good of shinobi to be obvious, but she knew it was there.

"Excuse me?"

Fugaku's voice was sharp, tinged with disbelief and anger.

This was her last chance to salvage the situation, to stop.

The fire in her chest burns.

"You heard me." Sakura's words leapt off her tongue, harsh and unforgiving. "Do you think I'm stupid? I know exactly why I was put on Team 7."

She knew because the second she forgot was the second she died. Because when you've been dealt a bad hand of cards you learn to start looking at the dealer. Because there was never any choice.

"I know it wasn't a coincidence that I, the only civilian-born in our grade, was put on a team that wasn't meant to suit me. The higher ups must have been so relieved. There was no need to anger any active shinobi by putting one of their kids with Naruto and Sasuke, just some powerless civilians."

Her hands are shaking, frustration and rage bubbling to the surface.

It's not fair!

"She'll never be anything but canon fodder."

"Useless."

"If I thought for one second that requesting a team change would do an ounce of good, then the form would already be filled out and filed. Do you think I want to have to constantly deal with your brat of a son? To be put in situations I know I'm not ready for because of who my teammates are?!"

Fugaku and Itachi were staring at her, seemingly too shocked to be angry, and Sakura hoped it lasted. Mikoto's expression was unreadable, and Shisui looked delighted for some reason she didn't care to guess.

"Sasuke and Naruto are considered a million times more valuable to the village than I am. No one is going to change a thing to better the situation of a civilian-born genin. If they were, I'd have never been put on the team to begin with."

The words just kept pouring out of her, pent up aggression that had never had the chance to escape leaking from her every pore.

"You can keep your fake concern and shove it, because we both know the real reason you want me off that team and it has nothing to do with my health."

Fugaku seemed to gather himself, dark eyes narrowing. "I find your tone disrespectful-"

"Well so do I!"

Sakura's face was hot and flushed from anger, her chest heaving from her outburst.

"I find your tone, and your words, and your implications insulting. I am not shinobi born, Uchiha, and where I was raised respect is earned, so it looks like you're all out of luck."

Sakura rose to her feet ungracefully, limbs uncoordinated and when she spoke, her voice was like ice.

"Thank you for the meal."

Shisui managed to contain himself until the door slammed shut.

Laughter burst out of him, wild and unrestrained despite the sharp look Fugaku sent his way.

"You know, I wasn't expecting my clan head to get chewed out by a genin when I agreed to come to this dinner, but this was way better than anything I could have imagined."

Itachi sighed. "Shisui…"

"What? It's not like she was wrong. I don't think there was a way you could have phrased that worse, dear uncle." The Uchiha were masters of being dicks unintentionally, and Fugaku was no exception.

"That's enough."

Mikoto didn't bother to raise her voice, but it would be a cold day in hell before anyone would even think of interrupting her.

"This was an unfortunate misunderstanding, but a manageable one. As long as we refrain from further provocation, I doubt anything will arise from this." She took a long sip of her drink. "And of course, we will not retaliate against her."

Shisui hid his grin behind his cup, mind whirling with the events that had just occurred. While it would be easy to brush the whole thing off as an inexperienced genin losing their temper, something told him it was more than that.

"I know exactly why I was put on Team 7."

She had clearly thought about this before. This wasn't a sudden outburst, but rather the result of constant build up.

"Sasuke and Naruto are considered a million times more valuable to the village than I am."

"Do you think she knows?" Shisui asked abruptly. "About Naruto?"

The tension in the room rocketed up.

"I don't see how she would." Itachi said cautiously. "No one in her family should, and it is unlikely Kakashi informed her."

But the very possibility made the air heavy. Only those in the shinobi forces who had fought the Kyuubi or were high enough ranked were told who Konoha's Jinchuuriki was, and a civilian-born genin met absolutely none of those qualifications.

So no, Sakura shouldn't know.

But for some reason Shisui couldn't help but think she might.

Before anyone could comment further, the back door burst open, revealing Naruto and Sasuke. Both were flushed and out of breath, the latter looking triumphant.

"I told you I was better." He sneered.

"I'll beat you next time." Naruto proclaimed. "Believe i-where's Sakura?

Fugaku opened his mouth, to say what Shisui wasn't sure he wanted to know. Probably something borderline insulting and tactless.

Mikoto cleared her throat delicately and Fugaku's mouth closed with an audible clink.

"She had to leave early because of a scheduling conflict with her family." Mikoto said smoothly. "Nothing serious, so you don't need to worry."

Naruto's expression fell dramatically. "Should I go too then?

Something akin to fondness flashed over Mikoto's face. "You are welcome to stay as long as you like."

Shisui leaned back into his seat, only half paying attention to the conversation in front of him.

Sakura Haruno, huh?

Interesting.

Genma's eyebrows rose as he took in the scene before him.

Kunai and shuriken were deeply embedded in all of the targets, red splattering's accompanying them.

Sakura was in the center of it all, fists curled tightly with an expression of rage Genma had never seen on her before.

"Kid?" He called out tentatively.

Her head whipped towards him, eyes red rimmed and face flushed.

"Oh. Hi." She quickly wiped the wetness from her cheeks, refusing to meet his gaze. "I must have lost track of time-I didn't realise it had gotten so late."

"That's alright." He began plucking some of the kunai from a nearby target. "How long have you been out here?"

Sakura hunched her shoulders. "A while…"

Which probably meant since dawn. It was barely midmorning, and it looked like she'd been there for hours.

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

Despite the general insanity it took to be a shinobi, Sakura had shown to be more level-headed than the usual fare. Something that could drive her to act like this was unlikely to just go away or be frivolous in nature.

Kakashi sure as hell wasn't about to have a heart to heart with his students, and despite the praise Sakura heaped on her parents, they were civilians and probably wouldn't understand everything she was going through.

Sakura pursed her lips. "I had dinner with Sasuke's family yesterday."

Genma resisted the urge to wince. Uchiha were…a mixed bag to say the least. When they were good, they were good, but almost all of them had the misfortune of not being able to read the room.

When it came to being a shinobi, they were often spectacular.

But in social situations…

Let's just say they were adept at putting their foot in their mouths.

"And it was kind of awkward, but…fine. It was fine."

Sakura didn't sound like she believed what she was saying, her knuckles white from how hard she held onto the kunai.

"Okay." Genma said, not pushing her to continue but giving an easy out either.

Her gaze was stuck firmly on the target she was removing shuriken from.

"He told me I should switch teams because I was dragging mine down."

Ah.

"And he said it like-like it was just something I hadn't considered. That it was just an option I could have." Her voice was trembling now, anger tightly leashed despite her hash words.

Her restrained behaviour spoke of control learned the hard way, of a lifetime of bitten tongue's and smiles that never reached the eyes.

Sakura still wasn't looking at him, and as much as Genma would like to kick Fugaku in the balls for being such an inconsiderate asshole, that wouldn't really change anything.

Also he'd probably get set on fire.

"What a dick." He settled on.

Sakura startled, a surprised laugh escaping her lips and she finally looked at him head on, eyes wide.

Genma let a smirk curl onto his lips. "Sometimes when I'm on a mission with assholes like that, I'll take out my senbon and start recoating them in poison to see how long it takes any of them to take a hint."

If Genma was smiling, even the densest shinobi tended to catch on quick.

"Clan shinobi tend to forget all the privileges their position affords them, which can make them unbearable to be around." He handed her a handful of kunai. "Though I'm sure I don't need to tell you that."

Some of the tension in her shoulders released. "And some of them are very aware of their privilege and are dicks anyway." She muttered.

He snorted. "Those are the type that'll never let you forget who they're related to, as if their relative's skill is something that's passed on through osmosis."

"If that were true, I'd have dropped several IQ points from joining Team 7." Sakura grumbled.

Genma laughed. "Probably."

He could almost see the relief spreading through her, the joy at being understood. Genma couldn't make the systemic discrimination go away, or even get her a team change-and it was pretty obvious she wanted one, even if she never said it-but he could help her this way.

It wasn't a soothing balm to the burn, but rather an acknowledgement that the fire existed in the first place.

Your anger is justified.

Genma was from a shinobi family, one that had its own little niche, but they had never been large enough to form a clan, and never powerful enough to have much sway in the village.

It wasn't exactly the same, but it was close enough that he knew.

You take what you can get and then make that deadly, make what little you were given a blade, a shield, a fire.

"I think it's time we get you started on your first poison."

Sakura's eyes went wide. "But-but you said that I wouldn't get any until-"

"Until you could prove to me that you could handle them without poisoning yourself." He finished for her. "Kid, you've been out here for hours and clearly weren't focusing on technique. You were upset, and probably not thinking completely straight, right?"

Sakura nodded hesitantly.

Genma grabbed her wrists, showing both sides of her hands. "And despite all that, you don't have a speck of paint on you."

She stared at her hands as if she'd never seen them before. "Oh."

"That proves to me that you're ready better than any test I could give you." He met her gaze firmly. "You know your shit, and you have the skill."

A tentative sort of confidence began to build in her gaze.

"Alright." She took a deep breath. "Where do we begin?"

Notes:

hey y'all, hope you're having a good day

that's right ur getting a new chapter within a week. I'm not so evil that i'd let that sit for another like, 3 months

So uhhhhh yeah Sakura just fucking snaps and god was this fun to write. Shisui, is as always, a delight to write.

The reason they wouldn't tell sakura about naruto unless they had no choice is that a jinchuuriki's identity is like top secret shit cause they're valuable to the village and thus wouldn't want to tell sakura.

Uchihas strike me as the type to either be like, 1000% obsessed and passionate about something or have 0 interest at all and very apathetic with very little
in between ground.

genma is, as usual, The Best, and has Dad energy.

hate will be laughed at and the gay will be strong

byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye

Chapter 24: Sprouted But Not Yet Grown

Summary:

gna be honest guys its another montage chaptery thing

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

The beginning turned out to be choosing what kind of poison she wanted, and then learning how to make it.

Genma had given her the option of a sedative or a paralytic, going into detail about the benefits of each and how they would likely work in the field. It was always comforting to have someone willing to explain in full detail what was going on. Even in the Academy, they'd often gotten brief and incomplete descriptions on everything from the nature of chakra to the political states of other villages.

In the end, Sakura chose a paralytic, reasoning that she likely wouldn't be on any delicate missions that would require her knocking anyone out without otherwise harming them. A paralytic would be more immediately useful in a fight, and Sakura needed all the help she could get in that area.

The process of making the poison was unexpectedly soothing. The small joy of identifying the correct plant, grinding the leaves into a paste, and mixing it with a solvent was unparalleled. The detail and focus required felt natural, easy in the way that few things were these days.

The poison was diluted as to not be deadly, but it was still enough to deaden someone's limbs if she aimed well enough.

After Genma showed her how to make it, they began building her tolerance.

That wasn't as fun.

Sakura had never thought that building her immunity to poisons would be a pleasant experience, but the muscle aching and general misery it brought about was on par with her worst childhood flus.

Thankfully, the worst of the symptoms passed after she slept, and they'd switched their training to be in the evenings to account for that. Sakura wasn't sure if the rest of her team noticed if she was off her game, but no one said anything, so neither did she.

Sakura considered the berries in her hand.

It was her father's birthday today, and it was tradition to make him a pie.

Usually, they used raspberries or blueberries, which were plentiful in Konoha, but…

He'd spoken to her about the parties they'd had on Kiri. Filled with shrimp, and fish, and the fruit the grew in the cold temperatures.

Sakura wasn't sure how many immigrants there were in Konoha, but if there was one thing she could say, was that there were enough for imported foods to be common fare, at least where Sakura shopped. It had been…not exactly easy, but simple enough to find currants and gooseberries.

She asked the merchant who had sold them-a tall, imposing woman with a crooked nose-if they could be made into pies, and had not only received an affirmative answer, but an entire recipe on how to do it.

But was it her place? She'd had limited exposure to Kiri traditions and culture, and there was no guarantee that her father would even like the pie.

She pursed her lips and poured them into the pot.

Only one way to find out.

The day had been going well, which meant it was time for someone to try and ruin it.

It was the late afternoon, and they were taking a break to have lunch. Kurenai had left them to their own devices, and the rest of Team 8 seemed perfectly content to eat in peace.

Sakura herself was feeling pretty relaxed, her resistance to her first poison was finally developing, and while Genma kept increasing the doses, it affected her less and less. Or maybe she was just getting used to working around the pain.

"-would not believe how annoying he is. I swear my mother would have banned him from the shop if he didn't pay so well."

Kiba tore off a chunk of his sandwich. "Why would the shoes affect the length of his robes?"

"He wanted it to trail behind him on the ground." Sakura explained. "But because he got platform shoes, the robe was now too short, so we had to lengthen in, which meant he had to stay for fitting. Again."

Shino tilted his head. "Had he not selected his footwear at the time?"

"Oh no, he'd already had those picked out for ages, at least according to him. He just assumed we'd account for something we weren't even aware of." Sakura shook her head. "Most of the time I don't mind helping my mother out at the shop, but I would rather do D-ranks for another year than deal with him."

Then again, having to weather Naruto and Sasuke's complaints about D-ranks was almost as bad. Even though their one and only C-rank had gone catastrophically wrong, they still insisted that they should get another one.

For once, Sakura was in full agreement with Kakashi. He said they needed more training in case shit hit the fan again, though his tone was irritatingly amused when he gave the odds of them team getting into trouble.

Sakura would rather things be boring thank you very much. She'd had more than enough excitement to last her through her genin years.

"Regardless, we managed to get it done within the time constraint but-"

"Lady Hinata."

Sakura nearly jumped out of her skin. Behind her, a tall, severe looking man gazed down at them disapprovingly. He had the same pale, pupiless eyes as Hinata, long dark hair pulled into a ponytail. He couldn't have been more obviously a Hyuuga if he'd been holding a sign.

Neither Shino nor Kiba looked particularly surprised, so they must have seen him coming, but Hinata looked as caught off guard as Sakura felt.

"Your father requests your presence at the Compound."

Sakura glanced between the unknown shinobi and Hinata, watching as her friend's face flashed through numerous unknown emotions before settling into a polite and mild expression.

"I informed him that I'd be busy until dinner."

Her firm tone caught Sakura more off guard than the shinobi's sudden appearance. While Hinata had been stuttering less and less as of late, she still came off as shy more often than not.

That wasn't how she sounded now.

"It is your duty-"

"If Father required my presence, he should have alerted me before hand."

The Hyuuga narrowed his eyes, impatience practically leaking from him. "And what exactly are you doing that is more important? Letting the insignificance and lack of skill of your team and a civilian-born rub off on you? It is little wonder Lady Hanabi is your superior."

Hinata stiffened, and Sakura's temper flared.

It was clear she wasn't the only one, because Kiba tilted his head, eyes glinting in a purely predatory way.

"Do you always have a stick up your ass or is today just special?"

Sakura could tell Kiba's words caught him off guard, though his surprise quickly turned to anger.

"Your crassness only further proves my point." He said haughtily. "Why Lady Hinata would even give you the time of day is beyond me."

"Touma." Hinata's voice was hard. "Enough."

The older Hyuuga's mouth clicked shut, and at times like this, Sakura remembered that her friends are all clan heirs. They weren't in charge of their clan yet, but would be one day, and the respect given to them for that fact was obvious every time they interacted with other shinobi. Even Kiba, who technically wasn't an heir because of his older sister, had much more sway than Sakura could ever dream of.

"I will join father at the house in half an hour." Hinata said firmly, her tone brokering not argument.

Touma looked displeased, but tilted his head in acquiescence. "Very well."

Sakura waited until he was out of site before turning to Hinata. "If being a shinobi doesn't work out for you, consider going into acting."

She blushed. "I'm expected to behave a certain way around my clan. It's easier to-to put on a mask and act than actually try to force myself to be that way."

Kiba wrinkled his nose. "Everyone is so concerned with decorum, it's so annoying. If anyone called my sister Lady Hana, I think she'd take a bite out of them."

Shino pushed up his glasses. "All the clans have their preferences and traditions." He said neutrally.

Kiba rolled his eyes. "Well, some of them suck."

Sakura remained silent, unsure if it was her place to say anything. Being civilian-born wasn't fun, but at least there wasn't the expectation that she would be prodigious when it came to being a shinobi.

Her friends were expected to be incredible, while she was expected to be mediocre at best.

Maybe being underestimated wasn't always a bad thing.

Sakura grimaced as the senbon hit four inches from the bullseye.

She wasn't yet used to the balance of them just yet. The movement required to throw them was different than that of a kunai or shuriken. They weren't taught at the Academy either, and weren't a part of the generic supplies shinobi who couldn't afford their own received.

Genma used senbon like an extension of his body. He kept one in his mouth. Sakura felt clumsy in comparison, but that wasn't uncommon for her, so she pressed onwards.

Sakura could now make the paralytic by herself if need be, though Genma made sure she knew exactly what to do if she got something wrong, and gave her his address just in case.

It was…nice.

Genma was a better teacher than Sakura could have hoped for, didn't seem bothered by her endless questions, or less than stellar physical performances. He was patient, and didn't seem in any hurry to get rid of her.

The individual attention wasn't something Sakura was used to either. At the Academy there was one, maybe two teachers with the class at a time, and, well, Sakura had never been the type of student that demanded attention.

Even on Team 7, where there was one jounin split between three genin, Naruto and Sasuke were much louder than she was, much more eye-catching. They required attention in a way Sakura had learned never to need, constantly demanding Kakashi teach them more jutsu, complaining about the D-ranks they were assigned.

The two of them were overwhelming, and Sakura was all too happy to fade into the background than get caught in their madness.

But there was no one to hide behind in her lessons with Genma, and for the first time, Sakura didn't really feel like she needed to.

She exhaled steadily, repositioning herself.

Again.

Sakura stared in horror at the vines that had overtaken her room.

She'd been experimenting with the Mokuton in an attempt to see if she could rapidly grow vines as a way to entangle her enemies. She wasn't having a lot of luck when it came to actually controlling the direction and movements of any plants yet, and suspected it was because she wasn't actually using any jutsu. Sakura was infusing her chakra into the plants, and attempting to manipulate it from there, but…

Well, it went better some days than others.

Sakura quickly scrambled to tear down the vines, bunching them together and shoving them in a corner. She could figure out what to do with them later.

Learning to use an extinct Not Really kekkei genkai was very much a process of trial and error. Sakura had dug out what had been available to genin about the first Hokage and the Senju clan, but was left with practically nothing.

She knew that if she demonstrated her ability, she would probably be given more information, but…

Everyone assumed the Mokuton was a kekkei genkai, and the clan shinobi were unlikely to believe that a civilian-born Academy student had managed to use it when no one else had.

They'd test her, potentially take her away from her family.

A Mokuton user in Konoha would be a big deal, and…

Sakura wanted to stay where she was for now. Attention meant more training and resources, but attention also meant danger.

She'd wait, at least for now, before showing anyone what she could do.

Watch and wait.

Learn.

Notes:

hey y'all, hope you're having a nice day

Sakura finally gets a poison! in this story that is literally advertised as her using poison! i am so sorry it took this long. This is turning out to be way longer than i thought it would be. like, i have more chapters that i haven't posted yet and like. its a lot.

I'm thinking of splitting the story up. This first part will basically be up until before the canon timeskip (there will be no timeskip in this story), and the next part will be the continuation. I'm not super fond of the idea of having a several hundred thousand word fic. not that there's anything wrong with those its just not for me. lmk ur thoughts.

this isn't a super long or vital chapter, i know, but the next one will be, i promise. I have PLANS you guys. hopefully it won't take me too long to write the next chapter.

Also, please comment! i love reading them. You guys really keep me going. If you have opinions or theories on the story i would love to hear them.

contructive criticism is welcome, hate will be laughed at and the gay will be strong

byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye

Chapter 25: A Trickle of Sand

Summary:

a chance encounter

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Sakura felt dread the second she noticed her team wasn't at their usual waiting spot.

It wasn't unusual for one of the boys to not be there when she arrived. Usually, it was Naruto, because despite Sasuke complaining about Kakashi's terminal lateness, he was almost always there at the assigned time.

Sakura had marked down the times that Kakashi arrived for a month before determining the earliest he would arrive, and then came twenty minutes before that, just in case. She didn't see the point in waiting for over an hour when she could be getting more sleep or extra training in.

It was possible that today was the day that Kakashi was actually on time, and had decided to leave without her, or that she'd mixed up their rest days, but-

"Let go of him you bastard!"

But Naruto's voice was pretty damn distinctive no matter where you were.

Sakura burst into a sprint, following the voices until the skidded to a halt and took in the scene before her.

An unknown shinobi was holding Konohamaru by the scruff of his shirt, face painted purple with a Suna headband resting on his forehead.

Shit.

Behind him was a blonde girl with four ponytails, her own Hitai-ate resting snugly on her throat. She looked exasperated, but not hostile. Good.

Naruto however, looked about three seconds away from lunging at the first shinobi. His faced was flushed, and he was only getting louder.

Before Sakura could even open her mouth, a small stone flew from the tree to her left, striking the painted shinobi's hand and making him drop Konohamaru.

Sasuke looked down at them coldly. "What the hell are you doing in our village?"

These idiots wouldn't know tact if it hit them with a shovel.

The kunoichi narrowed her eyes. "We-"

Goosebumps erupted onto Sakura's skin, and she was suddenly aware of another presence.

A short red-haired boy seemingly formed out of thin air. His kohl rimmed eyes were sharp and dangerous. Sakura's instincts screamed at her to run.

"We're not here to start fights, Kankuro."

His voice was raspy and mild, but Sakura's pulse skyrocketed nonetheless.

Kankuro sighed, stepping away from Konohamaru who scrambled to Naruto's side. "The brat ran into me and didn't apologise. Temari can back me up on this."

"We're not here to start fights." He repeated. "Save your energy for the exams."

"You're such a stick in the mud, Gaara."

Despite her fear, Sakura couldn't help but relax ever so slightly. It seemed like Gaara had a tight leash on his teammates, despite looking like the youngest, and didn't want a fight. That meant the foreign nin weren't hostile. She could work with this.

And then Naruto opened his big mouth. "You're the one who should apologise! You hurt Konohamaru!"

Sasuke hummed from where he was sitting in his tree. "And you still haven't stated why you're in Konoha. It's forbidden to enter another shinobi village without permission."

Temari's lip curled. "We don't have to answer to you."

I am going to throw these two into a lake.

Sakura forcefully wrapped her arm around Naruto's shoulder, squeezing just a little too tight.

"I am so sorry about all of this." She said as cheerfully as she could manage. "My teammates aren't the sharpest kunai out there."

The offended expressions of both Naruto and Sasuke almost made this whole situation worth it.

She pushed herself forward, ignoring the fear churning in her gut. "You guys are here for the chuunin exams, right?"

Please let her be right. There weren't a lot of reasons for foreign nin to be in Konoha, and genin were rarely allowed on diplomacy trips. Then again, she didn't know if they were genin or not, but Gaara had mentioned an exam, and considering the number of orders her mother had been receiving for banners, it was the most logical option.

The three exchanged a glance.

"Yes." Temari said eventually. "Will we be seeing your team?"

Naruto's brow furrowed in confusion. "Wait, what's the-"

Sakura elbowed his in the gut. "We're not sure yet." She lied. "Our sensei is supposed to be talking to us about it later today."

Ha! As if. There was no way Kakashi would sign them up for the exam, and she thanked her lucky stars for it.

"We'll probably be attending." Sasuke said haughtily. "And when we do, what name should I use when I beat you?"

I am going to murder you.

Instead of looking angry, the Suna-nin just looked amused. Temari actually snorted, while Kankuro full on laughed. Sakura wasn't actually sure this was better than going back to hostility. Sasuke took being mocked about as well as Naruto did to being ignored.

"Sabaku no Gaara." The gourd on his back rattled. "And you?"

"Sasuke Uchiha."

Naruto tried to squirm out of her grip. "And I'm Naruto Uzumaki! I'm gonna be Hokage one day too, so you guys better watch out!"

Kill me now.

Sakura needed to get these guys as far away from her team as possible before Naruto and Sasuke found a way to insult them. Again.

"It's nice to meet your guys." Sakura lied. "Were you looking for a place to eat lunch? I can show you some good spots if you're interested."

She tried to convey her real message to Gaara, who seemed like the most reasonable of the group, even though just looking at him made her skin crawl.

Temari looked at her oddly, but Kankuro brightened. "Fuck yeah! It's been ages since we've been anywhere good."

Naruto frowned. "Hey! You can't just-"

Sakura squeezed his shoulder to the point of pain. "You guys should go find Kakashi-sensei. He's probably wondering where we are."

He probably wasn't even at their meeting spot yet, but that didn't matter. As long as Naruto and Sasuke weren't around to fuck things up, she could get this under control.

Sakura turned to the three Suna shinobi and summoned every ounce of her father's charm and her mother's cool professionalism.

"Follow me."

Sakura's voice was surprisingly steady as she chatted aimlessly. Her somewhat ditzy airhead performance seemed to be working at least a little, because none of the Suna-nin looked at her like she was even remotely a threat.

Her skin crawled being this close to them, adrenaline still pumping through her veins. She was glad they were in public, lowering the chances of any of them trying anything, but still.

She was outnumbered, even if this was her village and not theirs.

"How are you enjoying Konoha so far?" Sakura asked. "It must be pretty different to what you're used to."

From what Sakura had read, Suna was a desert, dry and mostly flat with much less flora and fauna than Konoha enjoyed. The clothes the Suna-nin wore reflected their usual environment; lighter fabric that covered most of their skin to protect from the harsh sun, sandals formed slightly different so that it would be harder for sand to get in them. Even their water pouches were larger, and Sakura was willing to bet harder to rip open as well.

It was fascinating to see all the little differences.

"You've got too many damn trees." Kankuro complained. "And the sap is impossible to get out."

"Try olive oil." Sakura suggested.

After she had started at the Academy, the amount of time Sakura spent in the woods increased significantly to the point where her mother taught her how to get rid of the sap and stains herself. You could only spend so long around so many trees without learning how to best deal with the clothing problems they incurred.

"You're being awfully friendly to foreign shinobi you don't know." Temari said evenly. "I know Konoha is the nice village, but this seems a bit much."

Konoha…was the nice village? According to who?

The Academy had certainly tried to subtly feed the narrative that Konoha was better than the other Hidden Villages for one reason or another, but she'd assumed that was just the propaganda.

Then again, Temari's tone when she said 'the nice village' was almost mocking, as if it was meant as an insult rather than a compliment.

It probably was, but Sakura was civilian-born, where softness wasn't treated as weakness the way it was in the shinobi world.

But she wasn't interacting with civilians right now.

Sakura smiled with all her teeth. "Our villages are allies, aren't they? Besides, I don't mind. Konoha is a big place, I wouldn't want anyone to get lost."

It didn't take a genius to know that the chuunin exams were also a good opportunity for espionage. Allied or not, they were shinobi villages, and it wouldn't be a surprise to find the foreign nin taking advantage of the few times they were allowed inside Konoha.

Temari responded in kind. "Of course not. Places like this, its so easy for people to go…missing."

The gourd on Gaara's back rattled again, all three Suna-nin glancing at it briefly, almost…frightened.

Sakura's first wave of fear came back in full force, the same instinctual part of her that had shied from Naruto on the bridge in Wave made itself known again.

A monster is here.

And Sakura knew, logically, that unless the Suna-nin were very, very stupid, they wouldn't attack her. Not only were they in broad daylight, with witnesses in almost all directions, but they were in Sakura's village, meaning that help could be on the way almost instantly.

They also had no idea of Sakura's skill level, other than that she was a genin. It was possible they knew she wasn't from a clan because of the lack of symbol on her clothing, but that was it.

Not to mention that two of her teammates knew who she was with and were going to tell their sensei. Their sensei, who annoyed Sakura to no end, but undoubtably had international fame if Raiga was anything to go by.

They didn't even know her name.

Listing the reasons she was probably not about to get murdered helped, allowing Sakura to wrestle the rest of her emotions in check.

"We wouldn't want that." She said brightly, completely ignoring the tension in the air. "Anyway, this is the place I told you about."

Tanjiro's Takeout was an old restaurant, a place that specialised in traditional Konoha dishes that was run by a retired shinobi couple. It was a welcome place for both civilians and shinobi, something that wasn't always easy to find.

Sakura had considered taking them somewhere that served-or at least claimed to serve-traditional Suna dishes, but figured that would be taken as an insult at best.

And while Sasuke and Naruto seemed completely fine ticking off unknown foreign nin, Sakura considered herself to have a better sense of self preservation.

"I hope you enjoy your meal." Sakura said, stepping away from the trio.

She turned around, about to calculate how fast she could get out of sight without looking like she was running, before literally walking right into another person.

Ah shit.

The person in question wasn't particularly tall or immediately intimidating, but something about him made Sakura's skin crawl in an entirely different way than Gaara had.

Gaara felt like overwhelming power, a roaring beast able to consume anything in its path.

This man felt like a spider, patiently waiting for a fly to get tangled in his web.

"I'm so sorry." Sakura said, heart firmly lodged in her throat.

He smiled, and goosebumps erupted over her skin.

"Sasori-sensei! How did you even find us?"

It's nice to have proof that Kami really does hate me.

Gaara seemed to relax infinitesimally in Sasori's presence for a reason Sakura couldn't even begin to imagine.

"I should-I should get back to my team." She said, backing away with a smile that probably didn't hide her fear. "It was nice to meet you."

Sakura forced herself to walk calmly, feeling four sets of eyes on her back.

"Sorry I'm late, sensei." Sakura said, trying not to breathe too heavily as the finally caught up with her team.

Kakashi hummed. "The boys explained why, so don't worry about it. Wouldn't want that to become a habit though."

If there was any conceivable way it would hit, I would punch you in the balls.

"I understand." Was all Sakura said.

Kakashi did his weird eye smile thing. "It's all in the past. Now, onto some good news, I signed you guys up for the chuunin exams!"

Oh, you have got to be kidding me.

Notes:

hey y'all, hope you're having a good day

so uhhhhhh, i had a kinda writing binge where i wrote a ton of chapters in a short amount of time, so there will be weekly updates for the foreseeable future. i'm still trying to spread them out a bit to give myself more time. i've hit a bit of a snag, but hope i can get over it soon.

and that's right! the big plot stuff is back babyyyyyyyyy

i'm honestly caught between explaining my thought process on the changes i made for the sand sibs now, or when the become more relevent, so i'll hold out for right now. lmk if you're interested in hearing them sooner, and i might post them next chapter.

For those who are confused as to why Sakura willingly went alone with potentially hostile strangers, she kinda reasoned that they weren't going to hurt her in broad daylight and she wanted to defuse the situation, something that Naruto and Sasuke were constantly hindering. That's why she tried to separate them without being suspicious or insulting.

not really sure what else to say. i hope y'all enjoyed the chapter.

please leave a comment! i know i don't respond to but i promise i'm reading all of them. let me know your opinions or theories on the story, it really fuels my desire to write and also sometimes gives me really good ideas.

contstuctive criticism is welcome, hate will be laughed at and the gay will be strong

byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye

Chapter 26: Small Pond, Big Fish

Summary:

Team 7 goes to sign up for the chuunin exam

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Sakura stared at her reflection as if it could provide any answers.

Her resigned expression stared back at her, jade eyes sharp even as they were accompanied by dark circles. She was wearing every last bit of gear that she could manage, every blade, ninja wire, explosive tag, and poison vial she'd been able to stock up on. Her doses of antidote were carefully wrapped and secured.

It would be easy to take it all off, to unequip her gear and stay home. Let Naruto and Sasuke take the chuunin exams alone. They never seemed to really care about her presence before, and she doubted they would start now.

But something made her braid her long pink locks tightly, something made her strap on her sandals and secure her water pouch.

Something made her walk steadily to the testing site.

Both Naruto and Sasuke were already there, arguing over something she didn't care to figure out.

"You made it!" Naruto exclaimed. "See, I told you she'd come."

Sasuke considered her. "Are you sure you can handle this?"

Sakura narrowed her eyes, resolve steeling. "Can you?"

Sasuke scoffed and looked away.

The three of them entered the building, and things were fine.

For about two minutes.

When they hit the first staircase, Sakura felt the workings of a subtle genjutsu weave through her system.

The sign in the hall said that they were on the third floor.

It was lying.

"Please! We just want to get to the exam room."

A brown haired kunoichi landed roughly next to a shinobi in green spandex, their fall a tad too natural for Sakura to completely believe it.

An older Konoha shinobi sneered. "We're doing you a favour. You'll be thinned out in the exam anyway, so why not save yourself the trouble?"

Seriously? Did everything have to be way harder than it needed to be? The fight couldn't be happening on the side, no, it had to be in front of the doors they needed to get through.

Unsurprisingly, Sasuke stepped forward. "I agree, but you're going to let me through and stop using your paltry genjutsu on us."

Sakura saw the way Naruto's brow furrowed and stepped up beside Sasuke. "This isn't the third floor, and if you're so convinced that we'll fail out anyway, why don't you just let it happen? It's no skin off your back either way."

The two shinobi blocking the door exchanged a glance.

"It's a shame seeing through genjutsu won't help with this-"

There was a blur of green, and suddenly the boy in the jumpsuit from before stood between Sasuke and the older Konoha shinobi, both of their legs caught firmly in his grip.

Sakura narrowed her eyes. He's fast.

A Hyuuga around their age grabbed his shoulder. "Can you at least try to stick to your own plan? You were the one who said we should avoid drawing attention to ourselves."

The girl who'd fallen snorted, meek demeanor disappearing in the blink of an eye. "Yeah Lee, be like Neji here and follow your plan for five minutes instead of two."

"Shut up, Tenten."

Sakura covered her mouth to hide her smile, nudging Naruto and Sasuke. "Come on, we've only got so long before the sign ups close."

Neji narrowed his eyes. "You guys are rookies, right? Fresh out of the Academy?"

Sasuke began to turn, and Sakura tightened her grip on his shoulder, shooting him a warning glance.

He shook her off. "Yeah. I'm Sasuke Uchiha, and you?"

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki and I'm going to be Hokage!" Naruto butt in. "Don't you forget it!"

Neji's gaze slid off of him without a second glance. He didn't even look at her. "I am Neji Hyuuga. I'm sure we'll see each other in the exam."

Sasuke smirked.

If I have to listen to one more minute of macho posturing I'm going to lose it.

Sakura rolled her eyes and grabbed Naruto by the scruff of his jacket, pulling him towards the next flight of stairs. She heard footsteps following her, and didn't bother to check if it was Sasuke.

"Why does Sasuke always get people interested in him?" Naruto grumbled.

Sakura's first instinct was to brush this off as his ego being squashed, him whining because he wanted to be the center of attention.

But don't you feel that same rage? That anger at being passed over, overlooked.

Forgotten.

"It's because he's got a fancy clan backing him." She said. "If he didn't have that symbol on his back, most people wouldn't look twice at him."

And maybe that was a little harsh, but it wasn't untrue.

"That's not fair." Naruto muttered.

Sakura smiled bitterly. "It's not."

"You are quite correct!"

Sakura's hand wrapped around a kunai, head jerking towards the source of the noise.

The shinobi in the green jumpsuit-Lee-was standing before them, determination shining through his dark eyes clear as day.

Didn't we just leave those guys behind?

"Sasuke, will you fight me right here? Right now?"

Seriously? We haven't even actually started the exams yet? Why couldn't anyone keep their kunai in their pouches?

"We only have thirty minutes to sign up." Sakura snapped. "You can duke it out another time."

Sasuke rolled his shoulders. "This'll only take five."

You arrogant, irritating, infuriating bastard.

Sakura wouldn't be able to talk him out of this.

Naruto scowled, about to stop forward when Sakura stopped him.

"Do you trust me?"

He paused, an uncharacteristically serious look crossing his expression.

"Yes."

That warmed her heart, just a little.

"Remember what I just said? He's only doing this because Sasuke is an Uchiha. There's not much we can do to make him want to fight us."

Not that Sakura wanted to fight anyone right now, but still.

Lee cracked his knuckles. "Shall we begin?"

Sasuke smirked again. "Su-"

Sakura didn't see the hit that sent Sasuke sprawling onto the ground, but she felt it. The impact was enough to vibrate the ground, the sound ringing through the room.

Holy shit.

Sasuke pushed himself to his feet, lunging at Lee, only to be sent to the ground once more.

This wasn't a fight.

It was a massacre.

Lee was frighteningly fast, not even breaking a sweat as he tossed Sasuke around the room like a ragdoll.

Sakura wasn't sure who it said more about that the experience was cathartic.

"Lee! That's enough!"

A tall man who looked like a carbon copy of Lee appeared, grabbing him by the scruff of his jumpsuit.

"Gai-sensei I-"

"Who the hell are you?!" Naruto burst out.

Lee flailed in the air. "He is my wonderful sensei! Who I owe an apology to for fighting before the chuunin exams."

Gai crossed his arms. "You disobeyed orders, but your punishment will take place after the exams. I will not rob you of this opportunity."

Lee's eyes filled with tears. "Thank you, sensei!"

This had gotten uncomfortable very quickly.

Sakura blinked, and suddenly Gai was gone.

What the-?

"So, you three are Kakashi's students."

Sakura choked back a scream as she whirled around.

"The two of us are eternal rivals, so I try to keep track of him."

Gai's smile sparkled, but Sakura couldn't help the instinctive fear that sparked in her gut. Kakashi was strong and a well known jounin, anyone who was his…eternal rival (whatever that meant) had to be on a similarly monstrous level, and Sakura did not want to tangle with that.

Lee rewrapped the bandaged on his hands that had come undone, revealing a glimpse of bruised skin.

"Come on Lee! Let's head over to the sign up area!"

Sasuke scraped himself off the floor, glowering at everyone and everything. "I'll beat him next time."

Sakura didn't say anything, but Naruto snorted.

"Did you see his bruised knuckles? He must have trained really hard-much harder than you." Naruto shrugged. "That's probably why you got your ass beat."

Sasuke pursed his lips and looked away.

Thankfully, Lee and Gai were nowhere in sight as they signed the forms. Sakura knew she was the only one reading them in full, but it never hurt to be thorough.

"So, all three of you really did show up."

Kakashi was slouched against a wall, hands firmly entrenched in his pockets.

"That's a good thing, too. You can only enter the chuunin exams as a team of three. If one of you had decided not to come, none of you would be able to enter."

I feel like you should be giving us integral information before we show up to the exams, not after.

"But it looks like you're all here." Kakashi tilted his head towards the classroom. "See you after the exam."

Stepping into the classroom felt like stepping into another world.

Shinobi from numerous villages were littered everywhere, huddled together tightly and watching with sharp suspicious eyes.

"You guys are almost late!"

Sakura blinked in surprise as Ino stepped into her field of vision, hands placed firmly on her hips. "I just knew any team with Sasuke on it would make it to the exam."

Shikamaru sighed, true to form and never far from Ino. "You guys got stuck here too?"

A familiar bark came from Sakura's left. "It looks like us nine are the only rookies here." Kiba said.

Sakura blinked. "Wait, didn't more people graduate in our year though?"

Shino pushed up his glasses. "Their sensei's did not submit them for the chuunin exam. Why? Because they were not skilled enough to participate." He explained.

Sakura didn't think she was ready to participate.

"Jeez, you kids are loud."

A lean grey haired Konoha-nin shook his head in exasperation. "You're all rookies, right? Academy fresh?"

Sakura felt like people were bringing that up a lot today.

"If you took a second to look around you, you'd realise that half of the people here are ready to bite your head off. Everyone gets a little nervous when it comes to the chuunin exams." He smiled, and for some reason unease skittered down Sakura's spine. "I'm Kabuto Yakushi."

Ino studied him thoughtfully. "Is this your second time taking the test?" She questioned.

He let out a self-conscious laugh. "It's my seventh, actually. They let you take it as many times as you want, which helps when you're civilian-born."

"Wait, so you're not from a clan either?" Naruto beamed. "Neither am I!"

Annoyance washed away her unease in a flash, and she socked Naruto in the shoulder. "You're an Uzumaki, dumbass! They were the most powerful clan in Uzushio before it was destroyed."

Naruto blinked. "I am? It was? But if it wasn't destroyed doesn't that mean the clan doesn't exist anymore?"

Sakura was not the right person for this. "If you're still alive, then the clan still exists in some way, doesn't it? Besides, there are tons of Uzushio immigrants, especially in the civilian sector, so there's probably at least one other Uzumaki running around."

Naruto's eyes filled with something like hope. "Could you-could you teach me about Uzushio and the Uzumaki sometime? Or maybe take me to that sector?"

Sakura's heart softened. "Sure, we can do that."

The others had continued their conversation with Kabuto, moving on from Naruto's outburst.

"You must know a lot about the exam." Ino pressed, her smile sugar sweet. "Got any tips for us?"

Kabuto's eyes flickered with something Sakura didn't know how to name, before he smiled again. "I've got quite a bit of information on the other teams. Ask about someone and I'll probably know the answer."

The other genin clamored around him, closing ranks as to not let stray information slip. Sakura wasn't surprised when Sasuke asked about Lee or Gaara, though it would be a lie to say she wasn't impressed.

The fact that Lee was only using taijutsu was frightening in and of itself, to say nothing of the fact that Gaara had apparently never suffered an injury while on a mission.

A sleeping monster, waiting for the right time to devour everyone whole.

Sakura stayed on the edges, wary for a reason she couldn't name. Something about Kabuto just rubbed her wrong. She didn't trust any of his smiles, nor the way he so freely gave out information.

Ino and the others might think that they were suckering this guy, maybe thinking that their clan statuses had influenced him to help them like this, but Sakura couldn't help but feel like Kabuto wasn't saying anything he didn't want to.

It felt unsettlingly similar to how Sakura acted when she felt she couldn't afford to let her true emotions through.

None of the others seemed to notice a thing, completely buying what Kabuto was selling, at least as much as shinobi ever trusted information.

"Is everything alright, Sakura?"

Shivers skittered down her spine, and she forced herself to smile brightly. "Of course! I'm just a little nervous about the exam."

How does he know my name?

Sakura hadn't introduced herself, and no one else had said it either. It would be one thing if he had known the names of Sasuke, or even Kiba, because they were clan kids and thus known, but Sakura wasn't any of those things.

Kabuto chuckled. "That's totally understandable. Let me know if you have any questions, us civilian-borns gotta stick together, right?"

Her unease doubled. While he could have inferred she was civilian-born with her small conversation with Naruto, nothing she had said was really confirmation, yet he spoke like it was a sure thing. Like he knew, not guessed.

Sakura forced her shoulders to stay relaxed, forced the fear and suspicion deep down into her gut where she kept her rage. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

Kabuto's eyes glinted for a fraction of an instant, and Sakura knew that as much as she saw him, he saw her just as clearly.

"Quiet down!"

An enormous man with a Konoha headband suddenly appeared in the room, a dozen other shinobi behind him.

"I am Ibiki Morino. I'll be your examiner for the first portion of the chuunin exam."

Notes:

hey y'all, hope you're having a good day

chuunin exam is happening! i mean, not yet technically but we're getting there i promise.

*realises i now have to tag a shit ton more characters now*

Lee beating Sasuke's ass was so cathartic to reread. It was also very cathartic to write. In this AU, Sasuke hasn't yet activated his sharingan so he's even less able to hold his own than he was in canon.

Sakura and Naruto's talk about Uzoshio was not in great depth, i will admit, but it'll come back later. I always thought it was pretty stupid how no one ever really talked to Naruto about Uzoshio in canon. Like, i understand HIM not knowing, cause he's an orphan no one like and who isn't likely to have paid attention in class to learn about it, but like, did no one ever try to talk to him about Uzoshio? especially since the Uzumaki were like, the head honchos over there before it got destroyed.

Also! Kabuto is here! His backstory is also going to be different from canon. The cliffnotes version is that he lived with his parents until he was like, 7, and then they died in the Kyuubi attack. In the aftermath, the orphanage was hella poor so he healed ppl for money and caught the eye of Danzo. Danzo 'recruited' (KIDNAPPED) him and Kabuto worked for Danzo for several years before coming across Orochimaru and agreeing to work for him for Reasons that i won't get into right now. Danzo is unaware of this and still thinks he's got Kabuto under his control, and has signed him and his team to observe the chuunin exam for...Reasons that i also won't get into rn.

tell me about your thoughts, ideas, and speculations in the comments! i read all of them and they really brighten my day.

constructive criticism is welcome, hate will be laughed at and the gay will be strong

byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye

Chapter 27: First Stage

Summary:

the first stage of the chuunin exam

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

"Listen up and listen well, because I'm only going to say this once."

Sakura's nerves were buzzing, hands itching to fidget even when she forced them still.

"You will have a seat assigned to you, and then the exams will be handed out."

She blinked in surprise. It was a written test? Like the ones they had at the Academy? There was no way there wasn't a catch.

They were directed to their seats, and Sakura found herself nowhere near any of her teammates. That presented several problems, including the fact that she knew Naruto was terrible at written tests, and the further away he was, the harder it would be to help him.

Sasuke would probably be fine. He'd been right after her in terms of Theory and was smart enough to figure out a way to get through this.

"You'll start with ten points. Every question you miss or get wrong will dock you one point. If you are caught cheating, you'll be docked two. If you hit zero points, you automatically fail. If you fail, your entire teams fails with you."

Well shit.

This was clearly designed to weed as many people out as possible. Something about the point system bothered her though; if they were really trying to discourage cheating, why not just fail anyone who was caught immediately?

"You may now begin."

Sakura turned over the paper, and several things became clear.

Firstly, that these were not genin level questions.

Secondly, that the real point of the test was to see who could cheat without getting caught, which mean the examiners knew someone in the class would know the answers.

Third, there was no way Naruto was going to pick up on any of this.

Fourth, the tenth question was likely going to matter a lot more than the other ones.

Sakura took a deep breath and began to write.

Kotetsu watched with half lidded eyes as the genin scribbled on their papers with varying levels of franticness.

There was a decent crop this time around, and he recognised more than a few of the participants.

"Number eighteen. Fail." He called out lazily, watching in amusement as his two teammates cursed. It was for the best. If they couldn't even make it through this part, they'd likely die in what Anko had planned.

They were nearing the forty-five-minute mark, and genin were dropping like flies. Those who panicked only became more obvious, and with every second that passed, the pressure mounted.

The ways this batch of genin had come up with to cheat was interesting to say the least. Of course, the clan shinobi used their patented techniques, which were reliable if not predictable, but Kotetsu's favourite people to watch were the non-clan kids, because they always had to think outside of the box.

The mirror system Gai's students had thought up was inspired, and he'd caught at least two teams using a form of subtle morse code.

An even rarer treat was seeing a genin who could answer the questions without cheating.

She had pink hair which Kotetsu was trying not to find amusing, and hadn't so much as looked up from her paper except to check the time. She was probably civilian-born, if her outfit was anything to go by, which made her comprehension even more interesting.

This year should be entertaining.

"We have now reached the forty-five minute mark."

Sakura dropped her pencil immediately and the tension in the room doubled.

This was it.

The final question.

"You will have the choice to take the question or not. If you don't, your points will be reduced to zero and you and your team will fail."

If it weren't for the stranglehold Ibiki had on the room, Sakura was sure people would have started shouting questions.

There has to be a catch.

"However, if you decide to take the question and you're wrong, you will not only fail, but you will not be able to take the chuunin exam ever again. You'll be a genin forever."

Aaaaaand there it is.

Sakura narrowed her eyes, mind whirling with the new information. Something about this didn't feel quite right. People had clearly retaken the chuunin exam before, and restricting the potential number of high ranking shinobi wasn't something any Hidden Village would agree to. Not to mention, there were at least five clan heirs in this exam who were rookies, and no clan would stand for their future leader being stuck as a genin.

There was the chance that they just assumed all the important clan kids would pass, but that was putting a lot of faith into their abilities, and shinobi didn't like to assume things were a done deal until after the fact.

"Anyone who does not wish to take the final question, raise your hand. Once your number is confirmed you and your team will then leave."

The silence was oppressive.

This is a trick. It had to be. The first part of the exam was a test on how well they could cheat without getting caught, so it was reasonable to assume nothing about it would be straightforward.

But what's the point? What are they looking for? What's going to be the question?

"I won't take it!" An older looking Konoha shinobi raised his trembling hand.

"Number fifty and Number one hundred and forty-three also fail. Please exit."

After that, the floodgates opened. Left and right genin raised their hands and stated their desire to leave the exam. Sometimes, they were cursed out by their teammates. Others left in subdued silence.

Sakura pursed her lips, unsure if her own team would be able to parse this one out. Naruto…probably not. There was a chance Sasuke would, but she couldn't bank on him figuring it out.

Both of them were too stubborn to tap out now, and would probably be annoying as hell if she did. Not to mention Sakura would be lying if she said she wasn't curious.

Guess we're seeing how this ends.

The tension in the room ratcheted up as over half of the remaining participants were escorted out. There was a long pause of silence as they all waited for the next person to put their hand up, but no one did.

"Is that everyone?" Ibiki's voice rang through the room, hawk-like eyes piercing. "There is no turning back after this."

What's the question? Why are they pushing this so hard?

Sakura steeled herself.

Ibiki smiled, and it was a cruel, nasty thing.

"I'd like to congratulate you all for passing the first test in the chuunin exam."

Are you fucking kidding me?!

Sakura was caught between indignation at Ibiki and anger at herself for not figuring it out sooner. It all made sense now. The convoluted rules, the importance of the last question. Everything.

The cries of outrage and surprise from the rest of the genin made her feel a bit better.

"On missions, gathering and passing information can be vital to the survival of not only yourself, but your village as a whole. Doing it poorly can tip off the enemy, making the information worse than useless."

Ibiki removed his headband, and Sakura resisted the urge to gag.

His head was a mess of badly healed burns and holes. It looked wrong, and it didn't take a genius to figure out how they'd gotten there.

There had been lessons about torture at the Academy. Nothing about how to do it, because their teachers always said that that was best left to specialists. Those classes had always been more on how to resist it and what kinds to expect.

It was worse than the pictures they'd been shown, more stomach churning than any of lessons.

"The purpose of the last question was to weed out any of you who weren't willing to take a serious risk. The life of a shinobi isn't kind, and chuunin are given even more dangerous missions. You can't waver in your choices or you will die."

"Don't make me do this, kid." Shota said in a low, gravely voice.

Sakura ached almost everywhere, and blood was spilling from her. Pain and desperation made the world hazy, but she pulled another kunai from her pouch and got into a shaky stance.

"I'm not making you do anything."

Sakura exhaled, forcing those stray thoughts from her mind. She needed to focus on the present, namely, that her team had somehow passed the first part of the test, and she had the sneaking suspicion that the next one wouldn't be nearly so risk free.

Almost as if summoned by Sakura's thoughts, the door flew open with a startling bang! That made everyone jump. A lean woman with sharp eyes stalked through the room, long coat billowing behind her.

"Don't celebrate just yet! You've still got to deal with me." Her smile was edged with cruelty. "I am Anko Mitarashi, your examiner for the second test."

Anko led them to a large forest that had enormous fences around it, each displaying warnings of the content inside.

Her grin was a mixture between gleeful and vicious. "This is training ground 44, otherwise known as the Forest of Death."

The tall looming trees suddenly seemed much darker, and Sakura swore she could hear a faint scream.

The rational part of her wanted to tap out now. Entering someplace called the Forest of Death was just asking to get killed, and they hadn't even heard what the test was yet.

"You'll each be dropped off at a different gate on the edge of the forest. In the center of the training grounds there's a tower, about ten kilometers from each gate. Your goal will be to reach it by the end of five days."

Only ten kilometers? That can't be the whole test.

"Every team will be provided with either a Heaven scroll, or an Earth scroll. You'll need both by the time you reach the tower to pass. All weapons, jutsu and other forms of combat are allowed. Killing is also permitted."

I hate being right.

This meant that at most, half of the remaining teams would be able to pass. Considering this place was called the Forest of Death, Sakura was willing to bet that less would.

"There are several things that can disqualify you. The most obvious is if you don't make it to the tower with both scrolls or within the time limit. Teams that have lost a member or opened a scroll before reaching the tower will also be disqualified."

Naruto's brow furrowed. "What happens if we do?"

Anko grinned again. "It'll be an unpleasant surprise."

None of this information was remotely encouraging. Sakura glanced at her teammates and was not even slightly surprised to see determined expressions on their faces. They were going into that forest.

"Chuunin are often tasked with carrying sensitive information that they themselves are not allowed to know. This test is about your ability to survive and adapt, but also your trustworthiness."

Part of Sakura wanted to laugh at the idea of shinobi being trustworthy, but had to concede that it was a good test. Some teams would undoubtably think that the true test was to trust their instincts or curiosity, and open the scroll. This would weed out even more of the remaining teams, though personally Sakura thought that the deadly forest and potentially murderous scroll stealing was more than enough.

"A chuunin will be assigned to you and lead you to your gate. Any stragglers will be left to my tender mercy, and unfortunately for you, I don't have any."

Sakura ran a hand over her weapons, mentally tallying all her equipment. Something told her that she'd need everything she had and them some.

This is going to be rough. She grimaced internally as their assigned chuunin led them to a gate and handed them a Heaven scroll.

Rock Lee.

Neji Hyuuga.

Sabaku no Gaara.

Kabuto Yakushi.

All potential enemies in the forest, on top of at least a dozen complete unknowns.

The gate closed behind them ominously, leaving them trapped and with only one place to go.

Into the Forest of Death.

Notes:

hey y'all, hope you're having a good day

uhhhhhh yeah this chapter isn't that interesting. it sticks very close to canon and doesn't do a lot tbh.

i love Anko she is so fun. she's here to scare children, be unhinged, and fuck with orochimaru and i appreciate that.

Constructive criticism is welcome, hate will be laughed at and the gay will be strong

byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye

Chapter 28: A Guard is Only as Useful as it's Wielder

Summary:

The Forrest of Death sucks and Orochimaru is as usual, the worst.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Sakura was Konoha born, which meant that she felt at home the most when she was amongst trees. Large plains or mountainous areas made her uneasy, while the green embrace of the woods always comforted her.

The Forest of Death seemed to be the exception.

Here, the trees seemed to loom menacingly, blocking out much of the sunlight and limiting their vision. The constant stream of noise coming from all directions was even more unsettling as Sakura swore she heard a human scream in the distance.

This was not a place to let your guard down.

"…I gotta take a piss."

Sakura closed her eyes, sending a brief prayer for patience.

"Just-go in the bushes." She said. "Yell if you get attacked."

It wasn't like Naruto was particularly good at being quiet, so Sakura didn't worry too much.

Less than a minute later, he came back out of the bushes. "Wow, I really needed that."

He looked fine except-

His kunai pouch was on the wrong side.

She and Sasuke moved in unison, and though his punch connected first, sending the imposter flying, Sakura's shuriken embedded deeply into the flesh of his leg.

The imposter laughed, allowing the henge to disappear and revealing an Amegakure headband. "You kids are sharper than you look."

Sasuke rapidly formed hand signs before releasing a fire jutsu, small bursts of flames forcing the enemy back.

Sakura darted towards where the real Naruto had last been seen, relief spreading through her as she found him only tied up and gagged.

It was easy to cut him free, and they both made it to the clearing just in time to see Sasuke thrown back by an exploding tag.

The Ame-nin closed in for the kill, and Sakura instinctively pulsed the chakra in her legs just enough so that she reached his left arm at the same time Naruto tackled his legs.

Her poisoned senbon pierced through his grey jacket and dug deeply into his skin. If she was lucky, that was his dominant hand, which matched with how his own kunai holsters were placed.

Not to be outdone, Sasuke regathered himself and sent a brutal kick to the Ame-nin's face, who had barely escaped Naruto's grasp.

He landed on the side of a tree, expression irritated. "You were supposed to be easy pickings." He griped.

And just like that, he was gone.

Sasuke turned to them. "We need a code word."

Naruto immediately perked up. "Like spies?"

"It's so that we can figure out if someone is an imposter." Sakura explained. "The next person might not be as shoddy as the last with their henge."

Sasuke nodded. "So, here's what it'll be…"

The second Sasuke finished explaining the code, a vicious wind tore through the clearing, forcing them all to take cover.

Sakura's heart beat furiously at the idea of facing more enemies this soon, but it didn't look like they were going to get much choice.

As the wind abruptly stopped, she cautiously crept around the tree she'd taken cover behind, kunai ready in her hand.

It wasn't long before Sasuke-or at least someone who looked liked him, emerged as well.

"Code." He snapped.

Well, he certainly acts like Sasuke. Sakura mused.

"A large amount of enemies is the friend of the shinobi. Hide, and remain silent. A shinobi must understand the proper time, when the enemy is tired and ill prepared." She recited.

He relaxed, moving towards her before suddenly aborting the movement when she brandished her weapon. "I know I'm clear, but you could still be an imposter." She said coldly. "Who was at the family dinner Naruto and I went to?"

Sasuke blinked, surprised. "Me, my parents, Itachi and Shisui."

Sakura relaxed. While it was possible that information had slipped, she doubted any random enemy would know.

Naruto came trampling through the bushes. "Whoa! That was crazy! Did you guys see who did it?!"

Sakura and Sasuke immediately pointed their blades at him. "Password." She demanded.

Naruto blinked. "Oh, right!" And proceeded to recite the entire thing word for word.

For a second Sakura relaxed, glad that all her team was reunited.

Then she remembered that Naruto couldn't remember anything that long to save his life, especially not after only hearing it once.

Sasuke flung a barrage of shuriken at the imposter, who dodged with ease.

Sakura unease creep up her spine.

"How'd you know I was a fake?" They questioned, allowing the henge to fall away and reveal an androgynous looking Kusa-nin.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "I saw your pipe and knew you were listening, so purposefully made a code too long for Naruto to remember."

That was…huh. That was an amazing idea if Sakura was being honest.

It might've not worked if they had decided to go after Sakura instead, but still.

"Not letting that guard slip for a second, huh?" They smiled, just a tad too wide. "This should be fun."

Naruto blinked rapidly, shaking leaves out of his hair as he glanced around.

Sakura and Sasuke were nowhere in sight, the thick foliage surrounding him giving no clue of his location.

He squinted upwards. It wasn't nighttime yet, but he might be able to use the sun for navigation and find the clearing they'd just been in.

It couldn't be that far away, right?

"Hey! Is anyone out there!?"

He was answered by an ominous hiss.

An enormous form rose from the shadows, scaly and wider than the entirety of Naruto's apartment.

The snake lunged, jaws wide.

The Kusa-nin reached into their pouch. "You want my Earth scroll, correct?"

Sakura narrowed her eyes. What-?

"I'm afraid it won't be easy to get." They said, proceeding to swallow the scroll whole.

Sakura had to fight the urge to gag just watching them.

"Now, let's fight for the scrolls." They licked their lips. "And we're playing with our lives."

The world went wrong.

Fear unlike anything she'd ever felt before slammed into her, so overpowering that she couldn't so much as twitch.

She thought Wave had been bad, thought she knew what terror was.

She was wrong.

This was fear, pure and undistilled and uncompromising.

The sound of Sasuke retching beside her snapped Sakura back to reality, realising that she had fallen to her knees and that the shinobi in front of them hadn't even moved.

Like they were so pitiful, so weak that they weren't even worth the effort. That they could have killed them before either of them could react and chose not to.

Sakura…Sakura was used to fighting people stronger than her.

I'm not dying here.

She dug her nails into the palms of her hands and forced herself to stand.

Get up get up get up.

Beside her, Sasuke did the same, even managing to take out a kunai and shift into a shaky stance.

We need to get out of here.

Almost lazily, the Kusa-nin flung two kunai at them, aimed at their throats.

MOVE!

Naruto couldn't help the scream that escaped his throat as the snake swallowed him whole.

It was disgustingly humid inside the snake, wet and sticky and-

He'd just been eaten by a snake! How was Naruto supposed to get out!

He kicked the wet interior. "Hey! Let me out you slimy bastard!"

Nothing happened.

Naruto frowned. There had to be some way out. He could die here! He needed to become Hokage!

Maybe if the snake was too full, it would have to spit him out.

Naruto furrowed his brow and summoned as many shadow clones as he could. They squished next to him, pressing against the snake's insides until-

Squelch!

The snake's neck and head exploded from the internal pressure, its hot blood splattering all over Naruto.

"Ew." He wrinkled his nose at the smell.

Time to go find Sasuke and Sakura!

Sakura's back pressed against the thick trunk of a tree as she tried to catch her breath.

"Are you alright?" She whispered, gesturing to Sasuke's injured leg. She distantly noticed that his eyes had gone red, a single tomoe spinning rapidly around his pupil.

He grimaced. "I'll be fine. We just need to-"

"Snake!"

Sakura yanked Sasuke out of the way just in time to avoid the serpent's jaws. He used the distance she'd created to send a barrage of shuriken, the blades sinking into its eyes and maw.

It fell onto a stray branch, going limp.

Sakura exhaled.

Crack!

The Kusa-nin rose from the dead serpent's neck, breaking through the skin and scales.

"You should never relax in front of a predator." They crooned. "I can feel your desperation from here."

Sakura pulled a poisoned kunai out of her pouch, mind frantically scrambling to find something-anything to get them out of this situation.

"Hey!"

Naruto jumped onto a branch between them and the Kusa-nin. "I don't remember the password! But I'm here!"

Sakura could help but let out a breathy laugh at that, even as her gut churned as she realised that they might all die.

Sasuke straightened. "I'll give you the scroll is you let us go."

Sakura's eyebrows shot up as Naruto immediately started protesting. "You're just going to hand it over to the enemy?!"

The Kusa-nin chuckled. "Smart, very smart. When faced with a predator you can't escape, you give it a different meal."

Sakura felt relief begin to bubble within her. The Kusa-nin could have their damn scroll for all she cared. Failing this stupid exam was much better than having to fight them.

Naruto, evidently, disagreed.

As Sasuke tossed the scroll to the Kusa-nin, he leapt up and intercepted it, landing next to Sasuke.

"What are you doing!?" Sasuke demanded.

Naruto punched him hard enough to send Sasuke stumbling. "What are you doing?! All this talk about-about giving up?! Since when are you a coward?! If you've choked, just give me the scroll since you're so eager to give it up!"

Sakura had never wanted to hit Naruto more in her life.

"Are you out of your mind?!" She snarled. "That scroll isn't worth dying for! This exam isn't worth dying for! I refuse to get killed because of your stupid pride!"

Naruto faltered. "But-"

"This isn't the Academy!" Sakura gestured towards the Kusa-nin with her kunai. "This isn't someone you can win against by trying harder, or getting back up. If you don't stop trying to play the hero we are going to die."

Anger coursed through Sakura's veins, her other hand clenching into a fist.

She turned back to the Kusa-nin. "If we give you the scroll, will you let us go?"

Sakura didn't trust Naruto not to provoke them, or Sasuke to not get caught up in Naruto's goading. There was the very real chance that Sasuke would just go along with Naruto in a deluded attempt to prove his bravery.

They smiled. "What would you do if I said no?"

What would Sakura do? How would she get her team out of this situation? What were her options, her choices?

What are you willing to do to survive?

The answer sat heavily in her gut.

"I would try to run." She raised another kunai, and her hands did not shake. "And if we couldn't, I would kill you."

Because Sakura still had nightmares about spilling Shota's blood, haunted by what she had done.

But Sakura knew that if given the choice, she would do it again.

If it came down to the wire, if Sakura had to choose between the lives of her and her teammates or the Kusa-nin…

She knew what she would do.

The Kusa-nin threw their head back and laughed. "I appreciate your bloodthirst. Let's see if you can back it up."

And everything went straight to hell.

The Kusa-nin summoned another enormous snake that lunged at her and Naruto.

Sakura darted away, sticking to the trunk of a nearby tree.

She watched in horror as Naruto didn't dodge, certain she was about to watch him get swallowed-

Hot, furious chakra exploded out of him, so intense there was a red haze around him.

The snake diverted its path, slamming into a nearby tree to avoid colliding with Naruto.

"BACK OFF!" He roared.

Naruto's nails had lengthened in to claws and his eyes were a burning red. He leapt onto the snake and began tearing it to shreds with his hands.

A monster is here.

Sakura was so distracted by Naruto, that she forgot about the Kusa-nin for a split second.

And was reminded by Sasuke's scream.

Sakura whipped around just in time to see the Kusa-nin release Sasuke, their grotesquely elongated neck slinking back into place.

"A parting gift." They said, face melting off entirely to reveal-

Orochimaru?!

Sakura had only ever seen his face in books, but there was no mistaking it. They'd been trying to fight a sannin.

She'd threatened to kill a sannin.

Bile coated the back of her throat.

"I'll send some friends to test you." With one last grin, Orochimaru took off, moving so quickly Sakura wasn't even sure which direction he'd taken off in.

Sasuke swayed on his feet and Sakura rushed to prop him up.

"Are you okay?"

His eyes were unfocused. "I…"

Below them, Naruto let out a guttural scream.

The red chakra around him faded, and he went limp.

Sasuke became dead weight in her arms.

Sakura stood alone in the Forrest of Death, her teammates completely helpless around her.

Notes:

hey y'all, hope you're having a good day

sorry for the late update, i completely forgot i was supposed to post yesterday so whoops. As of right now, i have 2 more chapters i am willing to post (i like to give myself a few chapters of room in case i want to change some stuff) so you'll have 2 more weeks of weekly updates. Then we're back to "whenever the gods decide to strike me with inspiration" or me slowly and painfully grinding out a chapter.

This chapter also stuck pretty closely to canon, and i know y'all are wondering, "why did orochimaru bite sasuke if there are more than enough uchiha running around to snatch a body from?" I don't want to go into details yet, but it boils down to 1. spite. 2. leverage. I'll let y'all speculate about what that might mean.

Sasuke finally activates his sharingan. tbh, in my first draft of this, i completely forgot i needed him to have that, so if if seems like its a little half hazardly thrown in, that's why. I feel like the situation is stressful enough to qualify for a magic eye power up, since that's kinda how they activate in the first place.

Also let me tell you this part of the story annoyed me so much even as a dumb child. So, first we have Naruto who is Refusing to even consider not fighting, even though he should know that Sasuke is not the type of dude who would give up a fight he thought he had ANY change of winning. He just wants to be the cool one and like. If this were any other opponent that was completely willing to kill them, they might just have.

Also Sasuke doesn't like, verify that giving the scroll will make them go away, which i can understand in part, because he still thinks this is like, The Exam so that's the parameters he's working within but like double check my dude.

Sakura uses they/them pronouns for orochimaru before she knows who he is cause he looks very androgynous which like. Same. Also Orochimaru is a wonderful example of queer coding a villain, with added pedophilia thrown in to really nail down that coffin.

Also Yeah! Enjoy the cliffhanger! Next chapter is fucking wild.

I am once again going to hype up Kill Your Heroes because reading the Forrest of Death in this story was so fucking great. You should all go check it out Here.

I'm thinking of doing a fic recommendation every chapter so if that would interest you guys, let me know. There are a lot of fantastic writers on this website who deserve all the love.

Please leave a comment! I know i don't respond to them, but i read every single one and i really appreciate the support.

Constructive criticism is welcome, hate will be laughed at and the gay will be strong

byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye

Chapter 29: Make a Monster of Me

Summary:

The Sound shinobi arrive

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Sakura carried her unconscious teammates for what felt like hours.

She'd managed to locate an abandoned animal den, hidden by moss and thin branches. It was the best place to go to ground and would hopefully allow them to remain hidden until Naruto and Sasuke woke up.

She took out her ninja wire and tried to remember everything she'd learned about trap setting. It had never been a strength of hers, even at the Academy. Sakura had always been much better at spotting traps than setting them, her theory-based nature making it difficult to be able to account for unknown variables.

And right now, Sakura had very few known variables to work with.

Sakura took a deep breath and began.

She set traps around the perimeter and a few right at the entrance of the den. She wanted to have warning if someone was nearby and slow down anyone who got close enough to find them.

By the end, she was low on supplies and forced herself to take some of Naruto and Sasuke's. She needed them more than they did right now.

After Sakura was confident she'd at least be warned of any incoming attackers, she assessed Naruto and Sasuke's health.

Naruto was completely fine. Other than being unconscious, there wasn't a scratch on him. Sakura had no idea why he wasn't awake and chalked it up to exhaustion. Releasing that much chakra couldn't have been easy.

She ignored the chill that went down her spine every time she remembered what he'd done. What he had become.

Sasuke…Sasuke was a different story.

He had a bite mark on his shoulder with an unfamiliar seal between it. They didn't teach anything more than the basics of sealing at the Academy, and Sakura had never been overly interested in it. She knew how to recognise explosive and storage seals, but that was it. Whatever Orochimaru had put on Sasuke, she had no way of knowing.

Sakura cleaned the bite mark and bandaged it along with the wound on his leg and arm, acutely aware of how overheated he was becoming. Sasuke was running a fever, and a high one at that. She didn't have a spare cloth on hand, so she soaked a bandage in water from Sasuke's canteen and placed in on his forehead. It wasn't much, but it would have to do.

All she had left to do was wait.

Sakura had no idea what Orochimaru had meant when he said that he'd "send some friends to test you.". Would it be more snakes? Traitor Konoha-nin?

Why had Orochimaru even been there in the first place? If he'd wanted to kill them, there was little any of them would have been able to do to stop him. So what did he want?

Dread curled in her gut as she realised that they might be the only ones who knew he was in the village. Orochimaru must have other plans and if they didn't alert anyone there was no telling how much damage he might do.

This was so far above her pay grade it wasn't even funny. Probably the highest-ranking traitor to Konoha had hunted them down, and now there was no one she could tell. She was not supposed to be dealing with something like this, she was a genin!

This situation was straight out of her nightmares. She was alone and had to protect her teammates. Might have to die for them.

Part of Sakura wanted to leave them, wanted to run far, far away and never look back. Fuck the chuunin exam and Orochimaru's meddling. They hadn't even been her idea to begin with! She could leave right now.

Sakura knew she would never forgive herself if she did.

Twang!

A trap went off.

Sakura's head shot up as she heard vicious swearing and laughter.

"Zaku, I cannot believe you fell for that!" A feminine voice crowed.

"Shut it, Kin! It didn't even graze me and Dosu would have tripped it if I hadn't!"

"Keep telling yourself that."

Three Oto-nin stepped in the clearing.

Sakura was already waiting for them, poisoned kunai in hand and fear lodged firmly in her gut.

"We're not here to fight you." Zaku sneered. "Where's Sasuke?"

"Never heard of him." Sakura lied blandly.

Dosu narrowed his eye. "What, is he too much of a coward to fight us himself?"

Sakura had to admit that if Naruto or Sasuke were conscious, they'd both be rushing out of the cave after a comment like that. Their prides were so easy to bruise. But they weren't awake.

Sakura was alone.

"I'm afraid it's just me." She said, her hands steady even as her voice shook.

"Maybe she'll tell us where he is if we…persuade her." Kin's smile was decidedly unpleasant.

Zaku shrugged. "Can't hurt. Or well, won't hurt us."

Sakura's saliva was thick in her mouth.

I'm not going to die here.

By the time the three Oto-nin rushed her, Sakura was already gone.

Sakura's substitution was noticed almost immediately, and she hadn't expected anything less.

It bought her just enough time to stab Zaku in the thigh with her poisoned kunai.

He swore, backhanding her hard before a violent wind slammed her into a tree. Zaku extended his hand again, and she barely managed to twist away before the wind stuck her once more.

Sakura gulped down air as she placed a hand on her now aching ribs. She wouldn't be able to withstand many more hits like that.

"You bitch!" Zaku cursed. "I'm gonna tear you to shreds."

She jerked herself to the side just enough to avoid his next attack, only to hiss in pain as three senbon imbedded themselves in her arm.

Kin scoffed. "This is so boring! She hasn't even screamed yet."

Dosu stepped forward. "Let me try."

Noise unlike anything Sakura had heard before burst from his arm. It caused her to stumble back, pain and disorientation overwhelming her senses.

Another three senbon sank into her legs.

Sakura could barely think through the noise. She couldn't move, couldn't dodge, she was basically a sitting duck.

She gnashed her teeth together and forced her hands into a seal. Then another, and another. Her substitution didn't move her far, but it was enough to shake the debilitating noise.

Sakura yanked the senbon out of her arm and leg, immediately becoming dizzy again when the bells chimed.

This, she could deal with.

Kai. She disrupted her chakra flow and the disorientation faded just in time for her to duck another wind blast from Zaku.

"Boooooring." Kin sighed. "Let's just finish her off already. It's not like Sasuke can be far."

There was absolutely no way Sakura was letting them anywhere near her unconscious teammates.

"You must feel very proud of yourselves." Her mouth tasted like copper. "Congratulations! You can fight a rookie genin who just got out of a fight with a sannin."

Dosu narrowed his visible eye. "If it had been a real fight with Orochimaru, you wouldn't be alive."

"Most people wouldn't be alive if they got into a real fight with Orochimaru." She said dismissively. "But we're talking about you three, and how pathetic you all are."

Focus on me focus on me focus on me.

The angrier they were the more inclined they'd be to continue fighting her instead of looking for Sasuke.

"I mean, honestly. Do you think sneaking in and beating up a few genin is impressive? You're obviously overqualified to be chuunin, so the only reason you have to be here is either because of Orochimaru, or because you want an ego trip."

Kin sneered. "You've gotta be the stupidest genin in the Forest if you think running your mouth like that is a good idea."

It was a terrible idea. Sakura just didn't have any others.

"Is all of Otogakure under Orochimaru's control? Or was it just you three that were stupid enough to listen to him. You realise he's a madman, right? Like, completely off his rocker."

Zaku crossed his arms, and Sakura noted that he wasn't putting any pressure on the leg she'd stabbed. "Konoha was just too weak for what needed to be done. That's why you're going to get what's coming to you."

That was ominous. Sakura filed the information away for later.

"Blah blah blah. Kami, you guys talk a lot. Is it an Oto-nin thing? You realise you don't have to follow the name that closely, right?"

She dodged another of Zaku's blasts. "Touchy too. Is wearing glorified cowhide a personal fashion choice or mandatory for Orochimaru's henchmen?"

All three Oto-nin looked incensed, and Sakura was equal parts relieved and terrified.

"Catch me, if you can." She challenged, before substituting herself away once more.

Sakura furiously retreated into the forest, shrinking her chakra down to that of a squirrel and muffling her breathing as much as possible. She couldn't fight them. Not all at once and not head-on. She needed to separate them and take them off guard.

In a head on physical fight, she was toast. Even with chakra reinforcing her body, she'd gotten thrown around like a ragdoll and it was all she could do to stay afloat. Chances were, she'd be using chakra to boost her physical attacks the entire fight, no matter if she fought them head on or not. That meant the faster the fight finished, the better. She didn't have the reserves to keep that up for long.

What were her other combat options? They hadn't fallen for her previous traps, but maybe if she lured them in. But how? Her clones were good, but they weren't solid and she'd have to be nearby.

An idea slowly formed in her mind. It was desperate and could blow up in her face.

She didn't have many other options.

I'm not going to die here.

Zaku was pissed.

This stupid fucking brat had stabbed him in the leg and was now traipsing through the woods. His leg was rapidly becoming numb, and he just knew Kin and Dosu were going to give him shit for months for being taken off guard.

Stupid Konoha-nin. Fuck fighting Sasuke, Zaku wanted to break Pinkie into pieces.

It wasn't like it'd be hard. Any one of them could take her individually, which was why it was easiest to split up.

He sent a random air blast into the woods, hoping to startle a reaction out of Pinkie. Nothing.

He was going to snap her like a-

"Zaku."

His heart leapt into his throat as Zaku whirled to face Orochimaru. He looked unamused and irritated. Zaku's mind went blank.

"Are you really having difficulties already? How useful can you possibly be if you can't even get through one measly genin?"

Fear built in Zaku's chest as he stepped backwards instinctively. "We're handling it, I promise. She's not a real threat to your plan-"

Twang!

Ninja wire wrapped around Zaku's numb leg and foisted him up into the trees.

Orochimaru was replaced with Pinkie.

Zaku sent out an air blast that was dodged, which only infuriated him more.

She smiled viciously and disappeared into the foliage.

"I'm gonna kill you!" He roared. "You're gonna wish you'd never become a shinobi after I'm through with you!"

The trap wouldn't be enough to keep him for long, but the fact that he'd been caught at all was embarrassing. Zaku couldn't believe he'd fallen for a henge or all things.

"Zaku?"

His head snapped to the side to see Kin, eyebrows high.

So much for his teammates not finding out. He was never going to live this down.

"You fell into a trap again? Seriously?" Kin cackled. "They're gonna make you go through so much situational awareness training."

Zaku flushed. "Shut up and get me down."

"Yeah, yeah." She jumped onto the wire and began cutting it with her kunai. "This is such a hassle. The sooner we get out of this dumb forest the better."

It cut all the way through, and Zaku fell.

He grunted as he landed on his bad leg, pain shooting through his body as black spots danced through his vision.

Zaku barely registed Kin's shout of alarm until he saw the log falling from above, practically right over him.

It was covered in explosive tags.

Shit.

Sakura exhaled shakily as explosives went off in the distance. Hopefully, that had taken out Zaku.

Dosu was the next biggest threat. Whatever his sound attack was, it nearly took her out all by itself. She couldn't be stationary in a fight against him. If she could lure him into a trap like she had Zaku-

"Found you."

Sakura threw herself to the side but wasn't fast enough to avoid a kick to the ribs. It jostled her injured torso and made everything go hazy for a moment.

"Did you really think you could hide from me?" Dosu asked, tilting his head. "I hear everything. You can hide your chakra as much as you want, but I can still hear your breathing. Your heart."

Sakura rolled to avoid another kick.

"You're a good warm-up for Sasuke, but playtime is over."

That horrendous sound burst from Dosu's arm, and it was even worse than before. She instinctively covered her ears, but it didn't help.

Sakura was so focused on the pain throbbing through her head that she barely registered the tug on her braid before she was sent careening into a tree.

It hurt. Everything hurt.

She tried to bring her hands together to make seals, but was sent flying back before she could make even one. Fear and pain wrapped around her heart and squeezed. She could barely breathe.

I'm going to die I'm going to die I'mgoingtodiei'mgoingto-

"I'm going to kill you." Dosu informed her, not even bothering to hurry. It wasn't like she could run away. "And I'm going to find your teammates. I'll kill Naruto and leave Sasuke without a team. How long do you think it'll take Orochimaru to bring him to our side?"

Fury burned through Sakura's veins.

Sasuke and Naruto annoyed her to no end, but they were her team. Like hell was she going to let some creep use her death to manipulate them.

Rage crystalized the world, and Sakura suddenly became aware of the berries hanging near Dosu's head.

Jequirity beans. Ingesting just one could kill a grown man. The symptoms included hallucinations, seizures, and organ failure.

She placed her hand on the ground and sent her dwindling chakra through the fresh earth. She pushed it up the trunk of the tree and through the branch. All the way to the berries.

Burst.

The red berries exploded, splashing Dosu in the eye.

He swore and stumbled backwards, the sound emitting from him stopping for just a few seconds.

It was all Sakura needed.

She lunged forward with her kunai and sank the blade into his gut.

Dosu backhanded her, and she took her kunai with her. Blood began spilling down his front.

He was shaking, with rage or pain Sakura couldn't tell. The berry juice still covered his eyes and Sakura lunged forward again.

Her kunai found the base of his throat.

He grasped weakly on her wrist, but it was far too late.

Dosu fell to the ground.

He didn't get up.

Notes:

hey y'all, hope you're having a good day

SO! more murder for Sakura today. I was always so annoyed when it was the PERFECT moment for Sakura to have growth and step up and be a badass and protect her teammates with her wit and unique skills and then that. Didn't happen. At all. They set this whole ass dramatic scene where she symbolically cuts her hair and then she gets her ass immediately kicked and needs help. Make it make sense.

We have some Mokuton use in battle! For all of you who've been looking forward to it, here it is.

As for why Sakura didn't immediately leave when the option was there and much better for her self preservation, all i can really say is this. Sakura isn't super fond of her teammates. Though she'd becoming closer to Naruto, they are by no means good friends. A lot of the time she actively dislikes Sasuke. HOWEVER, she doesn't actually hate them, especially not to the point where she'd leave them to die. Even if she's not besties with them, these are people she has been in close proximity to for like, over 6 years. They aren't strangers to her.

She did something similar in this story with Tazuna. She wasn't close or very friendly with him, but she chose to put her life on the line for his and for Wave as a whole. Sakura's self preservation is a strong motivator, but it is not everything that drives her.

Fic recommendation of the week is Retrograde Motion. It's a time travel fic with 16 year old Sakura getting tossed into her 11 year old body and dealing with a lot of bullshit. There's a lot of focus on the InoShikaCho trio and has Uzushio heritage Sakura. The world building is delightful and is overall amazing.

Constructive criticism is welcome, hate will be laughed at and the gay will be strong

byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Chapter 30: The Dead Don't Rise(but i will)

Summary:

The second stage continues

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Sakura stood above Dosu's dead body and couldn't muster a single ounce of sympathy.

He would have killed her and her team without hesitation. He worked with Orochimaru. He would have hurt her village and everyone in it.

She sheathed her kunai, about to step away when she noticed something peaking out of Dosu's jacket.

An Earth scroll.

Sakura had almost forgotten that this was taking place in the chuunin exam. That this was supposed to be a test.

Part of her wanted to leave the scroll. She hadn't done these things for an exam.

The more rational part of her knelt down and tucked it into her pouch. It would be a waste if she didn't.

She made her way back to their makeshift camp, caught between hyper awareness and a daze. The leg and arm that had been struck with senbon had started bleeding again, after Dosu's rough treatment. Her torso was in agony, and her chakra reserves were close to depleted.

Sakura was within sight of their camp when something slammed into her from the side.

She stumbled, hands scrambling for a kunai that was swiftly knocked away. Her attacker put her in a firm hold and slammed her into the dirt.

"You bastard!" It was Kin, her voice raw with emotion. "You killed them!"

Sakura attempted to dislodge her, but Kin held firm.

"You're dead, do you understand? DEAD! I'm going to turn you into a pincushion. How dare you kill them!"

Sakura spat into the dirt. "You yap like a dog."

Her face was slammed into the ground again.

Ow.

Kin hauled her up by her hair. "I don't even care about Sasuke anymore. Fuck Orochimaru. I'm gonna string you up by your intestines."

Sakura blinked the black spots out of her vision.

She summoned the last of her strength.

Come on, Sakura.

Her hand was a blur as she slashed through her hair. The braid-now undone-briefly obscured Kin's vision and allowed Sakura to lash a blind chakra infused kick backwards.

Kin stumbled back and Sakura whirled around to face her.

Now that she wasn't being thrown around, Sakura was able to get a better look at her. Half of Kin's clothes were singed, and so was her upper arms. She must have gotten caught up in the explosion with Zaku.

Good.

None of this was ideal, but it was better than it could be. A weakened opponent with genjutsu Sakura could break was better than a myriad of other situations.

She pulled out a handful of poisoned senbon and grinned nastily. "Wanna see who's hurt worse?"

Kin's lips curled into a silent snarl. "I'm going to make you regret becoming a shinobi."

You won't be the first.

Sakura blocked a senbon and dispelled the genjutsu attached.

Or the last.

She sent back her own.

To try.

A shifting shadow behind Kin caught her eye.

White and blue hidden amongst green.

Hmm.

"You should have died with Zaku," Sakura taunted, turning her attention back to Kin. "Maybe if any of you had had a single ounce of intelligence, you would have stuck together. Honestly, it was only a matter of time."

Get angry. She willed. Be angry enough to be stupid.

Kin released a scream of rage and lunged.

It was clear that neither of them were taijutsu specialists, but Kin was shrouded in a haze of anger that made her sloppy. Sakura got hit, but not as much and not enough to take her down.

I'm not going to die here.

Kin's senbon dug into her arm, but Sakura's poisoned one was in her liver.

Genma's anatomy lessons really had paid off.

"I'm going to kill you." Kin hissed.

Sakura bared her teeth in a parody of a smile. "You can try."

They both braced for clash once more, when a hand gripped the back of Kin's shirt and threw her across the clearing.

Finally. If the reason he waited so long was to make a dramatic entrance she was going to kill him.

Sasuke planted himself between Sakura and Kin.

"What do you think you're doing to my teammate?"

His voice was low and angry. He didn't seem weak or fatigued from his earlier fever. In fact, he somehow felt more powerful than he had before.

Kin took a step back.

"She looks half dead. Did you do that?" Sasuke advanced, his chakra flaring aggressively. There was something wrong about it. Unnatural.

Kin didn't answer except to draw another handful of senbon.

Sasuke moved faster than Sakura had ever seen him go before, slashing Kin with a kunai and kicking her into a tree.

"Did you?!"

Most of Sakura was content to let this play out. Sasuke seemed to have everything well in hand, and she was exhausted. But something about the whole situation made her skin itch.

Sasuke turned slightly, and then it hit her.

The seal! It had been activated and was now affecting Sasuke's chakra. If things continued, who knew how it would damage his pathways. It could even be influencing his behaviour.

"Sasuke!" She called out. "You have to stop! The seal Orochimaru put on you is activated! Stop using chakra!"

He didn't even glance at her.

"You should have never come here." He informed Kin.

His hands began to make hand signs and Sakura knew what would happen next.

She raced forwards and grabbed the back of Sasuke's shirt, sending his fireball upwards instead of at Kin's face.

He whirled around and grabbed her throat.

Kin took the opportunity to bolt, and Sakura couldn't care less.

Sasuke's eyes were wide and furious, but unseeing. If Sakura hadn't already figured out something was wrong she definitely would have now.

She held his gaze, unflinching despite the red irises and spinning tomoe.

"You have to stop." She said, gripping the wrist that held her throat. "Please."

Sasuke blinked. Once, twice, and the third time he opened his eyes they were black instead of red.

Awareness seemed to return to him, because he yanked his arm back, horrified.

"I'm fine." She promised.

He looked at her injured form skeptically.

That was fair.

"You didn't make it worse." She reassured. "Can we go back to camp now? I want to clean up."

Sasuke nodded.

Naruto was still unconscious when they got back, snoring loudly. He seemed healthy though, which was as much as Sakura could ask for at this point.

Now that her adrenaline had mostly faded, she felt hallowed out. Exhausted. If she could get away with it, she'd follow her teammates' example and pass out.

Sakura couldn't afford to do that yet. She was about to start cleaning her wounds, when Sasuke stopped her.

"I'll do it."

Sakura was about to snap that she didn't need his help, when she noticed his expression. He didn't look arrogant or haughty. In fact, he almost looked concerned.

Did I fall into an alternate universe?

She handed him the medical supplies, and he began gently cleaning the wounds on her arm and leg. He didn't even mock her when she flinched or hissed in pain.

He wrapped her injuries too, taking care not to make the bandages too tight.

"Are you hurt anywhere else?" Sasuke questioned.

Sakura considered. "My ribs are at the very least bruised, likely cracked. I almost definitely have a concussion as well as mild chakra exhaustion."

Huh. That was a lot when she laid it all out.

Sasuke's expression went tight. "Do you think you can make it to the tower? If we leave as soon as Naruto wakes up, we could be there in less than a day."

Sakura considered the question. "Probably. As long as we avoid any more fights, I'll be fine."

Sasuke nodded. "If we run into trouble, Naruto and I will deal with it. You can keep the Earth scroll while I'll take the Heaven scroll."

Sakura blinked. "How did you know I have another scroll?"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "The Sharingan. It memorises everything. Your pouch is shaped differently than it was before, and I figured you wouldn't bother if it was another Heaven scroll."

All this bullshit and he still managed to keep the chuunin exam in mind.

Sakura was reluctantly impressed.

They sat in relative silence as they began eating ration bars. Never tasty, but always filling.

After a while, Sasuke paused. "Those Oto-nin…they were after me."

Sakura nodded, unsure of where this was going.

"They were going to make me fight them so my seal would activate. They were trying to fulfill Orochimaru's wishes." He looked away. "You…you stopped them. And me."

Sakura took another bite of her ration bar, gesturing for him to continue.

"You ran away with Tazuna in Wave, and I thought-" He shook his head. "We don't get along. But you risked your life. For me."

Sakura blinked, unsure if she should feel offended or not.

"You protected me at your own expense." He stared at his hands. "Uchiha take their debts very seriously.

She socked him in the shoulder. "I'm your teammate. You don't owe me anything."

Sakura didn't want anyone indebted to her. The very idea felt incredibly uncomfortable. Not to mention dealing with any more Uchiha bullshit gave her hives.

A hint of a smile appeared on his lips. "I'll keep that in mind."

Sakura continued eating her ration bar, assuming the conversation is over when-

"Thank you."

It was so quiet Sakura wasn't sure she didn't imagine it, but when she whipped her head around to look at Sasuke, the tips of his ears were red.

She smirked. "You can make it up to me by taking first watch."

Sleep came almost as soon as Sakura hit her makeshift bed. Her fight-or-flight instincts had left, leaving only exhaustion behind. She didn't dream, for which Sakura was grateful. She remembered how bad the nightmares had been after Wave, and didn't need to be further emotionally drained.

She would have slept even longer if it weren't for-

"Huh?! Is that really what happened!?"

That.

Sakura took a deep breath, turning to glare at the source of her irritation.

Naruto was rocking back and forth on his heels, seeming completely unaffected by whatever had caused him to pass out yesterday. "I can't believe I missed that."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Don't pass out next time then."

Sakura snorted and they turned to her. "Don't throw stones in a glass house, Sasuke. You were just as out as he was."

The two resumed their bickering.

The missing weight of her hair was unexpectedly distracting. She didn't regret what she had done for the sake of her survival, but now the ends were all jagged and it kept falling into her face and-

She could deal with that later.

Sakura took the time to look over her injuries. All of her bandages were still tight, and while her ribs still ached, she could still move. Her chakra reserves were still low, but no longer dipping into exhaustion which meant she could fight if all else failed.

Not ideal, but manageable.

"We should get moving." She said, cutting through their argument. "We only have a few days and we're not even halfway to the tower."

They exchanged a look. "Are you sure you don't need some more rest?" Naruto blurted out.

Sakura stuffed down a flash of irritation. They weren't questioning her worth, she knew that. It was entirely reasonable to ask after everything that had happened. It was concern. They were concerned for her.

It better have been concern.

"I'm not going to get any better in the time we have." She said firmly. "The faster we get to the tower, the faster I can see a medic. Sasuke needs someone to look at the seal on him too. We don't know what it does, and the longer it's a problem the more risk there is."

Sakura didn't specify who was at risk, but considering how Sasuke looked away, she didn't have to. She had managed to talk him down that first time, but if the seal got worse there was a chance he'd loose control and attack them.

She didn't like their odds at fighting him. His leg was still injured, and he had a few bruises, but Sakura was far worse off, and she didn't think Naruto could take Sasuke on his own. He'd been willing to use a fire jutsu at close range against Kin after the seal had been activated for only a short time. She wasn't sure how he would act if it became worse. It was part of the reason she'd stopped him. Not out of concern for Kin, but because she didn't want Sasuke to do something irreparable that he would regret later. Regardless, fighting him was out.

Running would also be iffy. Sasuke had always been the fastest out of the three of them and she didn't fancy splitting up.

"We already have both scrolls, so there's no need to fight anyone. We keep our heads down and we head straight for the tower." She shot a look at Naruto. "Stealth will be key."

He pouted. "I can be stealthy. How do you think I'm able to pull off pranks so well?"

That was actually a fair point.

"There are definitely going to be teams camped around the tower." Sasuke warned. "It'd a good ambush site, because most people heading there will already have both scrolls. We'll need to be extra vigilant."

Because of course there would be. It wouldn't be a situation for Team 7 if it weren't irritatingly difficult.

This was fine. They just needed to get to the tower and warn everyone about the traitor sannin running around.

This was going to be an utter disaster.

Notes:

hey y'all, hope you're having a good day

So many things to talk about!

First, yeah i kept Sakura cutting her hair. It's not a big (if failed) moments like in the original but yk what. i don't really care. It was kind of a way to show how Sakura really does prize her survival above all else, which i mean. I've been doing in a ton of other ways, but like. shhhhhhhh.

Second, did you guys like Kin actually caring about her team? Cause i'm doing my best to make the villains suck but also be realistic to a certain degree. idk how well its working.

Third, Sasuke and Sakura finally have a minute where they're not hating each other. I'm going to explain a bit of Sasuke's thought process real quick. Just as non-clan shinobi have their dislike and horror stories of clan shinobi, the clan shinobi kind of have their own. It's based out of classism and shitty and they have the most power in the situation so like. Not an excuse, but it's there. Kids like Sasuke get told stories about non clan shinobi who couldn't hack it and ran away when the going got tough and abandoned their duties and/or teamates. This is kinda what Sasuke is expecting from Sakura, and her running away with Tazuna (no matter how much it made sense or was necessary) fed into that narrative he's been taught.

That's why he's so surprised and not as hostile towards Sakura. She didn't run away like he expected her to, and in fact defended them despite her known animosity. He also doesn't really know how to deal with this because he's not really used to having friendly interactions with people who aren't related to him. The closest he's had is with Naruto, where they have the comfortable barrier of "rivalry" so he can pretend they're not actually friends.

This weeks fic recommendation is your move, instigator (draw your weapon and hold your tongue). Basically, the third shinobi war is ongoing and Sakura is recruited. Lots of political intrigue and world building. Also shines a spotlight on Tenten and Kiba, who i love, as well as Shisui and Minato. It's honestly fantastic.

Comments give me life so please leave one!

Constructive criticism is welcome, hate will be laughed at and the gay will be strong.

byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye

Chapter 31: Snake in the Grass

Summary:

Team 7 makes their way out of the forest of death

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

It didn't take them long to pack up camp.

What little they had set up was easily taken down, and they were even able to reuse some of the materials Sakura had used for traps. They were low on just about everything but it would be enough to reach the tower.

It had to be.

Their usual bickering was present but had lost most of its bite. None of them had the energy or desire to truly pick a fight with each other right now. Not when the threat of real enemies hung over them.

Sakura would never admit it, but she enjoyed interacting with Sasuke and Naruto like this. They didn't have the easy camaraderie of the other genin teams, but it was something.

A start.

They double checked everything and left the mossy cave, the only evidence of their presence was the disrupted dust.

They had barely begun to start traveling when someone got distracted.

Naruto abruptly stopped, brow furrowed. "What happened over there? It smells super gross." He ran off before anyone could respond, forcing them to follow.

"Don't just take off, you idiot!" Sasuke snapped. "We just talked about…this…"

He came to a stop beside Naruto.

Sakura was the last to arrive, irritated by how they were already off course. She faintly recognised the area as where she had trapped Zaku, meaning the aftermath was definitely nearby. Her gut twisted at the thought of seeing another dead body, but-

Nothing could have prepared her for this.

Sakura had never thought she'd consider her killing of Dosu, Shota, and the unnamed man on the boat to be clean, but this…

Zaku was entirely unrecognisable. Pieces of him were strewn around everywhere, blood and gore pained the trees and nearby bushes.

Sakura had done that.

She had set the trap and sprung it with the intent to kill. And it had.

This was the result.

Sakura forced herself to look, forced herself to see what she had done. Sakura needed to contend with the consequences of her actions.

Remember the weight of death. She thought fiercely. This is not something to do lightly.

She was distantly aware of Naruto backing away, Sasuke at his side.

They looked horrified.

Sakura blinked once. Twice.

On her third blink, awareness returned to her and she was suddenly overcome by intense nausea.

Everything smelled of blood and ash.

Sakura turned to the side and vomited.

No one said anything.

They kept moving.

Team 7 traveled the entire day, only taking short breaks for food and water. They managed to avoid other teams and kept a steady pace. Sakura knew they'd be going faster if it weren't for her injuries, but there wasn't anything she could do about that. It wasn't like Sasuke or Naruto were capable or carrying her for long periods of time, nor would she want to be carried.

At the rate they were going, they'd make it to the tower by mid-morning the next day. It was cutting it pretty close, but they could make it.

They decided to set up camp in the late evening. It would be harder to spot traps in the dark and fending off attackers when exhausted wasn't ideal. They even opted out of a fire, wary of the attention it would draw.

"I can take first watch." Sakura volunteered.

Naruto and Sasuke exchanged another look and she narrowed her eyes.

"I slept in the latest and people are less likely to attack us earlier in the night. I'm injured, not useless." She snapped. "You will be, if you're struggling to keep your eyes open tomorrow."

They reluctantly hunkered down to sleep.

Sakura's shift passed uneventfully despite the fact that the Forest of Death had just about everything that could kill them. No animals or shinobi bothered them, though Sakura had had to stop Naruto and Sasuke from setting up camp near a few poisonous plants.

It was never actually quiet. There was a constant stream of noise that made it hard to not feel on edge. The leaves rustled with the wind and bugs buzzed around her face.

Sakura longed for her bedroom. Kami, she was willing to trade just about anything for a hot shower. Grime and blood covered her skin and clothes. She wasn't sure even her mother would be able to get the stains out.

That was a shame. Sakura liked this dress, even though she knew it wasn't the best gear for a shinobi. It wasn't that she couldn't fight in it, but the material didn't afford her much protection beyond the basics. She knew from Ino that the outfits clan shinobi wore were often woven in with seals and designed specifically for easy movement and protection.

Sakura's dress, while personally designed by her mother, didn't have those same advantages. Neither did Naruto's jumpsuit, if how easily it had torn was any indication.

She shook the unhelpful thoughts from her mind as she continued to monitor the Forest. After a few hours, she woke up Naruto for his shift and promptly passed out on the harsh ground.

She was shaken awake by Sasuke the next morning, sunlight streaming through the trees.

"I'm leaving to refill our water pouches. If I'm not back in twenty minutes, something happened."

Sakura nodded, rubbing her eyes. She really hoped nothing happened, but considering the clusterfuck that had been the last few days, she appreciated the caution.

Naruto was already awake and munching loudly on a ration bar. "Good morning!"

Sakura winced. Did he have to be so loud this early?

After eating her last ration bar, she took inventory of her supplies again. Four kunai, six senbon, and two vials of poison. Both her antidotes were intact and unused. She was completely out of explosive seals and her medical supplies was running low.

Sakura took out the Earth scroll, turning it over.

How many people were killed as they tried to obtain this? She hadn't even purposefully gotten hers.

"I wouldn't open that if I were you."

Sakura didn't stop to think. She lunged with a kunai before the sentence had even finished, adrenaline jolting into her veins.

"Whoa!" The figure tumbled backwards and out of her range. "Slow down there. I'm not a threat."

Sakura didn't lower her kunai, even as her frantic mind finally placed the intruder.

Kabuto Yakushi. The civilian-born Konoha-nin with information on opponents. The boy with the fake smiles.

He had one on now. "I saw your camp and figured I'd stop by. I really am sorry about startling you."

Sakura trusted Kabuto about as far as she could throw him. Naruto wasn't of the same opinion.

"It's okay! We're just a bit jumpy cause of the exam." Naruto grinned. "Did you know we fought O-"

Sakura smacked him upside the head, effectively cutting him off. "I'm sure Kabuto doesn't want to hear the boring details. Go find Sasuke. He's been taking too long to get the water."

Naruto pouted. "But-!"

"Go."

He left.

Kabuto watched the entire exchange with a curious expression, friendly persona firmly in place.

It made her skin itch.

"Sorry about that." She said, rolling her eyes exaggeratedly. "He's such a handful, I swear."

Kabuto chuckled. "I've had teammates like that before."

Sakura wasn't sure she'd made the right decision in sending Naruto away. On one hand, he was liable to spill anything and everything at a moments notice, on the other, if Kabuto was hostile, this would be the perfect chance for him to strike.

Even if no one else seemed to sense danger around him, Sakura trusted her instincts. He'd fallen when she'd struck, yes, but it had felt calculated. A deliberate move to make him look more incompetent than he actually was.

"I'm glad I ran into you guys. I know the chuunin exam can be harsh for first timers." Kabuto gestured to the bandages on her arm and leg. "You look like you've had a bit of a rough time."

Blasts of wind strong enough to break bones.

The chime of bells followed by nausea.

A sound so terrible she fell to her knees.

"It wasn't a walk in the park." She said vaguely. "But we made it out okay."

Kabuto nodded. "Of course. I never doubted that your team would make it through."

"I appreciate the faith in our abilities."

They both smiled at each other, gazes sharp.

It was so strange to interact with someone like this, someone who used the same defenses and tricks. Smile. Be polite and deferential. Flatter and don't draw attention. Lie lie lie.

"I could heal some of your injuries." Kabuto suggested casually. "I know medical ninjutsu and it'll make the rest of the trip a little easier."

I'm not that stupid. "That won't be necessary. It looks worse than it is."

It wasn't, but there was no way she was accepting anything from him. This whole situation was strange, and she refused to leave herself vulnerable to him in any way.

Sasuke and Naruto returned before they could continue.

"Why are you here?" Sasuke demanded. "We won't let you take our scrolls."

Fantastic subtlety. It wasn't like Kabuto hadn't known if they even had both scrolls before Sasuke had dropped that tidbit.

Kabuto shook his head. "I already have two scrolls. I just figured I'd pop in and see how you guys were doing."

Who does that?! We're in the middle of an exam in a place literally called the Forest of Death!

Sasuke didn't look completely convinced either, but didn't say anything.

"We should head out now." Sakura said, brushing as much dirt off her dress as she could. "Don't want to miss the time limit."

Kabuto smiled. "Would you mind if I traveled with you? My team is regrouping at the tower and this way we have safety in numbers."

Sakura didn't want him anywhere near them, but didn't object as Naruto readily agreed. Sasuke shrugged, probably assuming Kabuto wasn't much of a threat, even if he was a bit shady.

"Let's go."

By luck or some other force, they didn't run into any other teams on their final trek to the tower. The building itself was an ugly thing, but looked like it could withstand anything short of a siege. Considering it was in the Forest of Death, it probably could.

Kabuto quickly found his team and left, for which she was grateful. The further away she was from him, the better.

Sakura released a sigh of relief as they finally entered the tower. The room was unpolished, and there was a large poster on the wall.

She read it quickly. "I think we're supposed to open the scrolls now."

They exchanged glances.

Sakura tossed hers to Naruto. "You have a better chance of fighting if things go badly."

Naruto nodded. "I've got this!"

Sakura took a small step back. "Open them in 3…2…1!"

Sasuke and Naruto unrolled the scrolls and-

"It's a summoning seal!" Sasuke warned, dropping his scroll as Sakura yanked Naruto back.

Smoke poured from the paper and-

"Iruka-sensei?!"

Sakura couldn't help but stare. Were they supposed to fight him?

Iruka smiled. "It's nice to see all of you again. Congratulations on passing the second portion of the chuunin exam."

Naruto let out a wallop of joy while Sakura collapsed on the ground. Finally. She wasn't sure she could have continued for much longer.

Sasuke flopped down next to her, and they shared a commiserating moment as Naruto jumped around everywhere, energy nowhere near flagging.

"Now, let me tell you about the writing on the wall."

Iruka paced in front of them like he used to do at the Academy, and Sakura felt a wave of nostalgia wash over her. A faint longing for simpler times.

"Earth refers to the human body, and Heaven is the mind. If you lack one or the other, than you'll never make it as a chuunin. You need to have physical prowess and intelligence to back yourself and your team up. This part of the exam was a test of your physical fortitude as well as your ability to think under pressure."

That made sense. Sakura still wasn't sure why the Forest of Death was necessary to prove that, but she wasn't the one in charge of the exams, so it didn't really matter.

"You can go on ahead through those doors and see who else passed."

They exchanged a look.

Onwards it is.

Notes:

hey y'all, hope you're having a good day

For me, yesterday was just. Shit. Really fucking terrible. Work was terrible and just. Yeah. Remember to treat service workers nicely and all that jazz. Yelling at the minimum wage worker because your food is slow is Bad Actually. Also always tip if you're from a place where tipping is necessary (aka the places with a shitty minimum wage). This has been a PSA.

ANYWAY enough about my depressing day

In other news, seeing as i'm nearing the end of where this fic is going to end, at least in my word doc, (don't panic i'm making it a series so this doesn't end up being like a bazillion words long) and cannot for the life of my come up with names for the series, nor the sequel. I am open to suggestions! I'd like the sequel fic to have the word "venom" in it, but it is not required. Go ham with suggestions you guys.

Onto the actual fic

So uh, yeah, Zaku literally got blown to bits. I definitely think that even if they're like, child soldiers, that shit is going to horrify them. One of the reasons why they don't like. Talk about it is like, a) they don't want to think about it and b) the boys don't actually know that it was Sakura who did that. Oh sure, they can conclude that based on proximity and what they know about the previous events, that it was probably her, but like. They don't Know Know. And honestly they don't really want to think about that either. The fact that one of their teammates literally exploded a guy.

Naruto has a lot of thoughts about morality and killing so he doesn't really want to think about one of his friends being the type of person who would do that. He's not like, intentionally running away from the truth or anything he's just kind of uncomfortable and for once recognises that this is Not The Time.

Sasuke is a little more willing to accept the killing thing cause he grew up in a shinobi family, but he's still internally reconciling with the fact that Sakura isn't who he thought she was, and this is kind of just the cherry on top. He just needs more time to internally deal with it all. He didn't think she had it in her to be that ruthless so it's just another thing to wrap his head around.

As for Sakura...well i hope i showed that she wasn't like. Stoked to have killed Zaku like that, but she also doesn't regret it. She worked with what she had on hand and even though it sucked, she went through with it. She also recognises that this is not the time for a breakdown. Compartmentalization babyyyyyy.

Time to talk about Kabuto!

Honestly, rereading Naruto has made me realise how much potential Kabuto started off with. At first it was like "oh he's a spy for orochimaru" but then you learn more and it's pretty clear that he's actually not really loyal to him. Oh sure, he works for him and does some stuff, but like there are these moments that make it really clear that he may even be working against Orochimaru, but you don't even know why. Was it morals? Where does he draw the line? If not morals, than why? He was a super interesting character.

And then the series continued and he became way less intriguing in my opinion. The war arc in general gives me a headache, so like, let's just say that i wasn't fond of Kabuto reanimating a fuckton of dead people and being a weird snake guy and stealing? i think was the wording? other people's talents? idk man i just wasn't a fan.

Also Sakura should have at least fought Kabuto, if not been the one to kill him. I will elaborate another day but i wanted to put this out here now.

Also I really love writing Sakura and Kabuto interacting. In both canon and this fic they have a lot of fun similarities that i will be exploring.

Todays fic recomentation is The Mirror Wheel Eye. It's focused mainly on Kakashi and Iruka with the story being centered on ROOT. Tons of intriguing politics and a critical look at how Konoha runs. It's about 30k, so a pretty condensed, plot focused story.

Hate will be laughed at and the gay will be strong

byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye

Chapter 32: Into the Ring

Summary:

the preliminaries begin

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

"Congratulations on passing the second stage of the chuunin exam."

Sakura did her best to observe her fellow examinees without being too noticeable. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't curious about who had passed.

Ino's team was there, as well as Shino, Kiba, and Hinata. They all looked a bit scuffed up but relatively uninjured. Kaubto and his team were also unfortunately present. Neji Hyuuga's team looked the freshest of the Konoha-nin, though that might have just been how energetic Lee seemed.

Sabaku no Gaara didn't have a scratch on him. He didn't even look dirty, which was somehow more unsettling. At the very least Temari and Kankuro weren't as pristine.

Kin had survived and managed to find two new scrolls along with two new teammates, because there she was, glaring holes in Sakura's head. She looked much better than the last time she'd seen her. Kin's injuries were much less severe, almost as if she'd seen a medic.

Mid-way through the Hokage's speech-which honestly seemed entirely ridiculous. The chuunin exams being a miniature war so they wouldn't end up in a real one? What kind of reasoning was that?-she noticed Sasuke grunting in pain.

His hand was over the seal on his neck.

Sakura leaned closer. "Is it acting up?"

Sasuke batted her away. "It's fine."

How is that fine?! The seal a murderous sannin put on you is acting up!

She could not wait until they were alone with Kakashi. She'd considered telling Iruka about what had happened, but they would probably be taken in for questioning regardless, and Kakashi had higher rank. He'd have to go through less hurdles to tell someone important about the situation.

After the Hokage was finished his strange speech, Anko stepped forward.

"We weren't expecting this many participants to pass this stage of the exam, so you lot aren't done yet. You'll be getting a taste of what the final portion of the chuunin exam will be like."

A sickly-looking man stepped beside her. "I am Hayate Gekko. I'll be your examiner for the preliminaries and third stage of the exam."

Sakura resisted the urge to scream into her hands. They weren't done yet? Seriously? She wanted a nap and a shower and to go home.

"You'll be fighting in one-on-one preliminary matches against each other. Those who win will continue on into the final around. This is no longer a team event, so your wins or losses are entirely your own."

That was a relief. She no longer had to worry about Sasuke or Naruto being annoyed if she failed.

"You will have to fight as you are now. No one will receive medical treatment or be allowed to restock."

That was bad. Sakura was running on fumes and didn't have much supplies left either.

"If you want to quit, say so now. This is your last chance to forfeit."

There was a tense silence.

Naruto was physically incapable of giving up, even when he really should, so there was no way he was going to budge. Sasuke wouldn't either, even if it meant risking himself because of that stupid seal.

Sakura took a moment to evaluate herself.

She had never really been that motivated to pass the chuunin exam or even attend it. This was only her first attempt, and she'd made it two thirds of the way. She was injured and a fight wouldn't be doing her any favours. It was unlikely she'd even be able to beat anyone. She didn't need to do this.

She didn't even want to.

Sakura opened her mouth, arm beginning to raise.

A hand abruptly latched onto her wrist, forcing it back down. Sakura looked up sharply to see Naruto frowning at her.

"What are you doing?" He asked. "You can't quit now!"

Anger coursed through Sakura to intensely it deafened her. She barely even registered Hayate announcing their chance to forfeit had closed.

How dare he?! It was her choice to continue or not. He didn't get to take that away! She didn't want to fight. She didn't want to continue!

She stared at him furiously, too angry to even form words.

Heedless to her internal crisis, Hayate continued.

"Your names will be randomly drawn from a box while the rest of you spectate from above. There are no rules for these matches, and we'll only step in if there's a forfeit or an undisputed winner. I wouldn't count on that last one though."

Fantastic. Just dandy. They were fighting to the death again! For a test.

Shinobi were off their rocker.

"Yoroi Akado and Sasuke Uchiha, you have been selected for the first match."

Sakura's head snapped up. This was bad. She hadn't gotten a chance to tell anyone about the seal on Sasuke, and fighting would definitely make things worse.

She opened her mouth-to say what, she wasn't sure-but Sasuke gripped her bicep.

"Don't you dare." He hissed. "This is my first step in surpassing my brother. I will see this through."

"You can surpass shit if you die!" She snarled back.

He ignored her and made his way to the front of the group.

"Everyone else, head up to the balcony."

Sakura could only obey in furious silence.

The instant everyone was settled onto the gallery, Sakura sidled next to Kakashi.

It wasn't as private as she'd prefer, but this was urgent. She spoke quietly, condensing as much information in as few words as possible.

"Orochimaru put a seal on Sasuke that activates when he uses chakra. It affects his temperament and chakra. I don't know what else it does."

Kakashi was silent for so long Sakura was briefly concerned he hadn't heard her.

"I know." He said eventually. "I already warned Sasuke not to overextend himself."

For one glorious second, Sakura thought she'd hallucinated his response.

Then it registered that yes, this was in fact, reality.

What?! How did he know? Had Orochimaru caused problems outside of the Forest of Death? Had he been running around messing with things all over Konoha?

"Why not just keep Sasuke from fighting in the first place?" She demanded, just barely remembering to keep her voice down. "He almost lost control before, and that fight was barely as extraneous as this will be."

Kakashi hummed. "Those from above have already given the go-ahead. They're confident he can control it."

I'm not! She screamed internally. This is so stupid! Who thought this was a good idea?

She wanted to demand more answers, wanted to yell at her teammate for doing all this for a stupid exam.

Her anger wouldn't convince anyone. It would just make her look childish and immature.

Sakura unclenched her hands from the railing. "I see."

She turned her back on Kakashi, determinedly making her way towards Team 8. She wasn't sure she'd be able to control her temper if she stayed near Kakashi any longer.

Below, Sasuke's fight with Yoroi had started.

Sakura made herself look away.

Kurenai smiled as she reached them. "It's good to see you, Sakura. I'm proud you've made it this far."

Sakura's cheeks warmed. "It's good to see you guys too."

Kiba's eyes narrowed, and he leaned forward. "You smell like blood and your breathing is weird."

Kurenai sighed. "What did I say about invasive observations?"

"To not say them out loud unless the purpose is to unnerve a target or the situation requires it tactically. Why? Because it tends to discomfort allies." Shino adjusted his glasses. "Sakura's injuries do not apply."

Kiba shrugged.

Hinata's brow furrowed in concern. "Did you hurt your ribs? C-can I take a look? If they're in a bad position it can cause a lot of damage."

A refusal was at the tip of her tongue, but Sakura realised there was no reason she should.

"Go ahead."

Hinata activated her Byakugan. After a few seconds, the veins around her eyes returned to normal. "N-Nothing urgent, but fighting like that will be hard. Try not to get hit in the torso."

I wouldn't be fighting at all if it weren't for Naruto. She thought bitterly.

"Thanks." She said aloud.

Sasuke's match ended up being close, but despite Sakura's worries, he maintained control of the seal and beat Yoroi. He used a combination of well aimed kunai and explosion tags to win so he didn't have to fight close range.

The seal spread, briefly, but retreated after the match stopped. That didn't abate any of Sakura's anger. Even if it had turned out fine in the end, it was still a stupid decision.

Kakashi quickly whisked Sasuke away-hopefully to get the seal checked out-and Yoroi was carried out by medics.

"Shino Aburame and Matsui Amagiri. Please make your way to the arena."

Shino straightened.

"Fight well," Kurenai said firmly. "Remember your limits but don't be afraid to take reasonable risks."

Shino nodded.

Matsui was a short Kusa-nin that had teamed up with Kin, with strong earth ninjutsu but poor control. Shino was able to hide his kikaichu in the grooves created in the ground and drain her chakra.

It wasn't a long fight, but the aftermath did take the proctors a while to clean up.

Kiba let out a howl of celebration when the match was called, slapping Shino on the back when he came back up to the gallery.

Hinata and Sakura congratulated him much less loudly, but Shino didn't seem to mind either way.

"You did great." Kurenai said warmly.

Kakashi had materialized back on the gallery sometime during the fight, and Sakura didn't have the energy to ask what had happened to Sasuke.

"Shikamaru Nara and Kin Tsuchi. Please make your way to the arena."

"And here I was hoping I'd get to kill you."

Sakura tensed, turning to see Kin stalking towards her. Her expression was filled with rage.

To her surprise, Team 8 closed ranks around her.

"You should leave Sakura alone. Why? Because your match is starting and unfortunate things would happen if you attempted to harm her." Shino's tone was ice cold.

Akamaru let out a warning growl in agreement.

Kin only had eyes for Sakura. "I'm going to get you." She promised.

And maybe she would.

But not today.

Kin's fight with Shikamaru wasn't as dramatic as Shino and Matsui's, but piecing together their respective strategies was highly engaging. Sakura had always known Shikamaru was smart, but seeing his intelligence in action in a real fight was something else.

Kin was taken away by medics and Shikamaru rejoined his team.

"Sabaku no Gaara and Rock Lee. Please make your way to the arena."

Sakura leaned forward. This was a fight she wanted to see. Gaara still had the presence of a monster, but she had seen Lee fight. He was dangerous.

At first, it looked one sided. Lee couldn't land a single hit on Gaara, who didn't even move as his sand whirled around to defend him.

And then Lee removed his weights.

Sakura couldn't stop her jaw from dropping at the sheer speed Lee displayed. He was nothing but a blur as he broke through Gaara's defenses, unleashing a barrage of attacks that shook the walls.

In the end, it wasn't enough. Gaara managed to capture Lee and snap one of his legs. That effectively took care of the threat of Lee's speed, and Hayate called the match when Gaara enveloped him in sand.

Lee was spat out, leg still broken but otherwise unharmed.

Gaara, despite his victory, looked shaken.

His sensei-Sasori, Sakura recalled-quickly whisked him away.

"Naruto Uzumaki and Kiba Inuzuka. Please make your way into the arena."

Naruto's fight against Kiba was a vicious one. Both went all out, and it was obvious to everyone that they'd both grown since the Academy. In the end, it was a draw.

After Naruto had tanked a few of his heavier attacks, Kiba had switched tactics and instead pinned Naruto to the ground, claws at this throat. If Naruto so much as twitched, Kiba could tear out his jugular.

Simultaneously, Naruto had summoned a clone that placed a kunai at Kiba's own neck, leaving them in a deadlock.

Despite Naruto's protests, Hayate called the match.

Sakura knew that Naruto had enough stamina to outlast just about anyone, and Kiba knew it too. That was probably why he chose to try to win the fight with a pin instead of trying to knock Naruto out.

"I could've kept going!" Naruto insisted. "I would've won!"

Shino's voice was sharp. "Your claims are untrue."

Hinata was a touch kinder. "I-I have some healing balm if you're interested."

Naruto accepted, but still sulked.

Part of Sakura wanted to comfort him. The other part was far too tired to sooth anyone's ego, and still pissed that he'd stopped her from bowing out.

"Hinata Hyuuga and Neji Hyuuga. Please make your way to the arena."

The entirety of Team 8 went still.

Kiba was the first to react, his face curling into a vicious snarl. "Oh, hell no."

What was going on?

Hinata's face had completely drained of colour, but she obediently made her way into the arena. Neji was already there.

Sakura was missing something, but had no idea what.

When the fight began, Sakura's stomach dropped.

The gallery wasn't that high up, which meant she could hear their entire conversation.

Neji's words were harsh, punctuated with precise strikes. He went after her confidence, her skill, everything.

Akamaru hadn't stopped growling on Kiba's head, and Shino's kikaichu were buzzing in agitation. Kurenai didn't even tell them to calm down, her own expression vicious.

Sakura's hands were clenched on the railing so tightly she wouldn't be surprised if her fingers left indents.

How dare Neji speak to Hinata like that? She knew clan politics were complicated, but nothing excused this level of cruelty.

The situation wasn't helped by Naruto's encouragement, urging Hinata to continue fighting even though it was hurting her.

Even though she could die.

Finally, Sakura had had enough.

She marched over to Naruto and slapped a hand over his mouth.

"Hinata." Her voice carried over the arena. "Knowing your limits doesn't make you weak. Just because some asshole with a superiority complex sneers it enough times doesn't make it true."

Hinata could never be weak, and even if she was, that had nothing to do with her value as a person. Neji was clearly looking to take out his anger on someone and Hinata provided an easy target.

Neither Hyuuga looked at her, but she had the feeling both of their attentions were centered on her.

"If you want to give him hell, go for it. Just remember that just because he wins, doesn't mean he's right."

A smile curled onto Hinata's lips.

The fight continued.

It ended with Hinata being frantically rushed away by medics, and Neji walking haughtily back to the gallery. For a moment, she thought Shino and Kiba might attack him, but they restrained themselves. Barely, if the tension in their shoulders was anything to go by.

Neji paused next to her, gaze assessing.

Sakura stared back into pale eyes. She didn't blink.

Without saying a word, Neji moved on.

Piece of shit. She thought.

"Ino Yamanaka and Sakura Haruno. Please make your way to the arena."

Notes:

Hey y'all, hope you're having a good day

Thank you all so much for the wonderful name suggestions. I've tentatively decided that the next story's name will be A Dose of Venom and the series name will be Mithridatism. The reasoning for "A Dose of Venom" was honestly perfectly summed up by commenter Azora."Poison is ingested, can even be accidental but venom... venom is purposeful, biological and used to protect oneself or destroy others." I thought that line of thinking is perfect for the progression of Sakura, and a 'dose' implies it's been measured out, further adding to the whole 'it's on purpose thing. The reasoning behind "Mithridatism" is that Mithridatism is the process of becoming tolerant to poison by gradually taking increased amount of it. I just think it fits really well.

Thank you "bi bi bi13" for suggesting A Dose of Venom (i apologise if someone else suggested it first. i looked through the comments and am pretty sure theirs was first chronologically but i might be wrong) and "maidengarnet" for suggesting Mithridatism. And thank you everyone else for your suggestions! i may still take some of them for chapter names and the like.

So, let's break this chapter down.

First, Kin is alive, yes. And she's she found a team who'd lost their member. Why is this allowed? I think that the rules would allow this flexibility yadda yadda adaptability in the face of poor choices ext. I don't have a super deep reasoning but i wanted her to be there so this is as much effort as i was willing to put into explaining why.

Second, Naruto stopping Sakura from dropping out. Honestly, i think this is in character. Naruto is That Guy who runs around yelling at people that they should never give up ever. I think he does it from a place of kindness, but sometimes his character really feels like he doesn't respect other people's decisions. And yes, the narrative always treats it like he's right, but idk it kinda rubs me the wrong way.

Third, Lee doesn't get pulverized in this. He's still injured, but Gaara didn't snap him like a twig and was able to end the match before permanent damage was caused. Now, in canon, i think it's kinda weird that Gaara has such a high pain tolerance when Lee is smacking him around when he hasn't been injured in years, but in my story, because he has more control over Shukaku, Sasori made sure that if his defense fell, he could still function and fight while in pain.

Fourth, Naruto and Kiba's fight. Yes i made them tie. No i am not taking criticism. Originally, my plan was actually to have Kiba win, but then decided against it. In canon, this fight always kinda annoyed me, especially the anime version. Yes, Naruto does do more than a few clever maneuvers, but it's only cause he's a jinchuuriki that he's able to tank the hits he can, so it doesn't really feel like an underdog type story. Kiba gets hit like twice and loses and it's like. Bruh. So yeah, they tie.

Fifth, the Hyuuga smack down. I have so, so so so so many thoughts on the Hyuuga clan. Thoughts that i will be sharing with you later in the story because they need their own ending notes section. What Neji did without context seems completely unnecessarily cruel. And like, it's still dickish with context but i think it also reveals a big part of several things in the story. Notice how 4 jounin jumped in to save Hinata when none did for Lee and Tenten in canon when they were getting their asses beat? Funny, isn't it? Sakura does not have this context and so the way she reacts to his actions reflects that.

Todays fic recommendation is the Dark Waters series. It's a Wave Arc AU with lots of Zabuza, Haku, and Sakura being a badass. I'd advise reading the tags because it can be pretty intense and dark.

Hate will be laughed at and the gay will be strong

byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye

Chapter 33: Fighting and Friendship

Summary:

ino and Sakura have their match

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Of all the people Sakura could have gone against, this was the worst-case scenario.

She'd rather fight Kin or even Gaara than face her ex-best friend like this.

Sakura's feet carried her down into the arena without much input from her brain. Her emotions swirled within her, tangled and messy and overwhelming.

Originally, Sakura had planned to put in a token fight and then forfeit. She was still injured and knew that if she took any real damage, she'd be in trouble. She hadn't wanted to wager her life on the mercy of her opponent.

Now, Sakura knew she couldn't do that. She just couldn't.

She was pretty sure Ino wouldn't let her.

They'd been best friends, once. Sakura had been closer to Ino than she'd ever been with anyone before. Her first friend. Her protector.

A chasm lay between them now.

Sakura stood across from Ino, and all she felt was numb.

I'm tired.

"Are both participants ready?"

They nodded.

"Begin."

Ino lunged immediately. She didn't waste time on taunts or complicated maneuvers, she just moved.

Sakura fell into a defensive stance, blocking Ino's punch but not retaliating.

Ino didn't let up, pushing Sakura back with a flurry of attacks. Taijutsu wasn't her specialty, but it wasn't Sakura's either and right now Ino was fresher with more hours of training under her belt.

Look at me! She screamed with every attack. Stop ignoring me!

Sakura responded with stronger defenses than Ino had ever witnessed from her. I'm strong. Her blocks hissed. I don't need you. I never needed you.

It made Ino angrier than she'd ever been. She pushed Sakura harder, eyes scanning for any holes in her defense.

And as Sakura stepped back, faltering as she put her weight on her bandaged leg, Ino found one.

She slammed her foot into Sakura's gut, following up with a sharp punch to her jaw that sent her stumbling.

Ino lashed out with another kick, and this time, Sakura went down.

She was hunched over her gut, breaths uneven and strained. Her short hair covered most of her face, and she still wouldn't look at Ino!

Fine. She thought. We'll try this another way.

Asuma had known this was going to be an ugly fight the second the names were announced.

He didn't pry unnecessarily into the personal lives of his students, but Ino was often more than happy to air her grievances loudly. She had spoken about Sakura Haruno before in the context of her crush-Sasuke Uchiha-and more rarely about the early years when the two were still friends.

Even rarer, Ino complained about how Sakura had left her behind.

Asuma didn't know all the details, and wasn't about to get involved in the drama of thirteen-year-olds, but he couldn't help but have a slight bias against Sakura because of it. Ino was one of his students and he didn't like to see them hurt.

Right from the get-go, the match was clearly personal, but one sided. Ino was fresher with better training and one hell of a motivation. She wasn't going to back down.

Asuma watched as Ino sent Sakura to the ground, a swell of pride rising in his chest as she kept her emotions tightly controlled. Her face was determined, but she was keeping her anger and hurt in check.

"You should give up." Ino said coldly, standing over a still-hunched over Sakura. "That's your thing, isn't it?"

Ah. So this was how she was going to play this. Ino was no slouch at taijutsu, but the Yamanaka weren't known for their blunt combat tactics. They played mind games, they worked at T&I, and they made you wish for the simplicity of a punch.

"I mean, you gave up on Sasuke, you gave up on our friendship, and you gave up any self respect you might have had when you cut your hair like that." Ino smiled mockingly. "Why not continue the pattern?"

Sakura's visible hand shook with minute tremors, though it was hard to say whether it was because of the pain or Ino's words. Either way, this would be over quickly.

"You can't even stand, how are you supposed to beat me? There's no point in wasting everyone's time like this. Give. Up."

Sakura still didn't move. She didn't even look up.

Asuma watched as anger flashed across Ino's expression. She reached forward to slap Sakura and-

Screamed. The most pained sound Asuma had ever heard from Ino echoed throughout the arena as she stumbled back frantically.

There was a senbon sticking through her hand.

It had happened so fast and so suddenly Asuma hadn't even been sure he'd seen correctly but-

Sakura rose to her feet and spat a mouthful of blood on the ground. She looked cold and vicious and exactly like the type of person who wouldn't hesitate to stick a senbon through a former friend's hand.

"If you want me to give up, you're going to have to make me." Sakura grinned with bloody teeth. "Go on. Give it your best shot."

Ino's carefully maintained control cracked, and she yanked the senbon out of her hand.

"Gladly."

Shikamaru and Choji were both pale beside him. This had turned into a much different match than any of them had expected. For the first time, they looked concerned.

Asuma couldn't blame them. He was still confident in Ino's victory, but it was clear that Sakura wasn't about to take this lying down.

Ino launched herself at Sakura again, who in turn had armed herself with a kunai in one hand, and senbon in another. She forced Ino to be more conservative with her attacks, helping Sakura keep up even while it was obvious she was wanning.

It was clear that Ino was trying to wear Sakura down before striking a decisive blow. She allowed a gash on her side to gain the opportunity to disarm Sakura and did so swiftly.

"You should have given up when you had the chance." Ino sneered, launching another kick.

It connected, but Sakura clamped down on Ino's leg and jabbed another senbon into her thigh.

Ino hissed in pain, but it wasn't enough to stop her from launching herself forward and sending both of them to the ground.

Sakura hit first, the impact no doubt jostling her already injured torso.

Ino rolled on top of a stunned Sakura and quickly formed a seal.

"Mind Transfer Jutsu." She crowed triumphantly.

The Mind Transfer Jutsu was an odd thing.

Sakura could still feel everything, could hear the murmurs from the stands, could smell the sweat and dirt that coated them both. She just wasn't in control. A passive observer that could still feel pain.

I win. Ino's voice echoed in Sakura's head. She was everywhere.

Sakura wanted to open her mouth, to desperately attempt something, anything, to get her out of this. But she couldn't. She wasn't in control.

That's right. Ino laughed. I'm in control.

Sakura felt herself take a deep breath and raise her hand.

This is me, making you give up.

"I, Sakura Haruno…" Ino made her speak the words slowly, as if savouring the victory.

A surge of rage and helplessness swelled within Sakura. No. No. This couldn't be happening.

Are you going to cry, Sakura? That's all you ever did at the Academy. Ino sneered.

Sakura remembered days and months and years of being behind. Of clawing for every ounce of skill she had by herself. She remembered tears and hopelessness and an acceptance that she would never catch up.

We're not at the Academy anymore.

Sakura had changed so much since she'd walked those halls. She wasn't about to let anyone take away her progress.

Sakura had gone to Wave and killed two men. She'd survived Orochimaru and the Forest of Death. She'd killed twice more and didn't regret it.

She took the rage that nestled in her chest and released it. She allowed her fury and hate and fear and pain to overwhelm her in ways she never had before.

Sakura let it wash over every nook and cranny Ino had invaded.

GET. OUT. OF. MY. HEAD! She roared.

Sakura's body faltered.

Ino pushed back against her. What are you doing? She demanded.

But Ino couldn't hold Sakura back any more than one man could halt a tsunami.

Sakura took a deep breath and this time it was her own. Ino was still in her mind, fighting to wrestle back control, but she couldn't.

Sakura slammed her hands together and spiked her chakra.

"I, Sakura Haruno, do not forfeit!"

With one final surge, she pushed Ino out of her mind.

For three long seconds, everything was silent and still as they both became reaccustomed to being in full control of their own bodies again.

And then Sakura headbutted Ino hard enough that she heard something crack.

If Kurenai had any less control over her expression her jaw would be on the floor.

Yamanaka techniques weren't impossible to break, but they were pretty damn close to it. Chakra deficiency could make them weaker, which was no doubt a factor here. Ino was fresher than Sakura, but she'd still spent several days in the Forest of Death, so her chakra levels would be lower than usual but-

Sakura was a civilian-born genin, fresh out of the Academy and beat to all hell.

By nearly all metrics, she shouldn't have been able to break Ino's Mind Transfer Jutsu.

Kurenai wasn't allowed to dwell on it much longer, as the fight had resumed and was now more akin to a brawl.

Sakura was vicious, clawing and hissing in a way that was reminiscent of an Inuzuka. She refused Ino the opportunity to retreat, continuing to advance and attack.

A drawn-out fight would only benefit Ino. Sakura's best option was to finish the fight and do it quickly.

Sakura threw a kunai and Ino instinctively reached out to catch it with her dominant hand.

Kurenai winced in sympathy as she realised that she could no longer close her fingers. The poison Sakura had coated the senbon with had no doubt made their way into Ino's bloodstream by now.

Sakura took advantage of Ino's momentary confusion and tackled her, slamming them both into the ground. For the second time, both tumbled down and hit the floor.

Sakura was clearly much more comfortable with this graceless form of fighting than Ino was. There was no time to grab a weapon or even think. Skill and instinct were all that was left to rely on.

And, Kurenai mused as she watched Sakura grab a handful of Ino's hair to force her back on the ground, how dirty you're willing to fight.

Dirty was probably the wrong word. There was no such thing as a clean fight for shinobi, but more civilian moves like hair pulling were considered to be beneath them. Thought of as technique-less and used only by the unskilled.

Ino tried to wrangle Sakura into a hold, finally gaining leverage in their fight. Sakura responded by biting down on Ino's arm, forcing her to release the hold she'd barely established.

Definitely an Inuzuka move.

Akamaru huffed in approval.

Sakura took a blow to the face and slammed her own fist into Ino's injured thigh.

The fight could still go either way, but Kurenai was pretty sure she knew how it would end.

Sakura wasn't a genius. She didn't have many natural talents that would be immediately applicable to a physical fight.

And yet…

Ino was undeniably the more skilled of the two. She had a powerful clan to back her up and years more training. She was fresher and less injured and had a hundred more advantages that could make or break a battle.

And yet…

Yet Sakura slammed Ino's skull into the ground without hesitation.

Because Ino had every advantage. She was more skillful and talented and relatively unscathed.

But Sakura was willing to be meaner.

To be callous and cruel.

Ino didn't get up.

"The winner of the match is Sakura Haruno."

Notes:

hey y'all, hope you're having a good day

Sakura and Ino fightttttttt. I don't have a lot to say about it tbh. i think most of it spoke for itself. These girls will have a conversation in the next chapter so you can look forward to that.

Asuma doesn't know Sakura very well and definitely has some biases for many reasons. He just knows Ino better and very little about Sakura, so that's why he's so confident in her. Kurenai, in contrast, knows Sakura very well, and that's why she's confident in her.

Why was Sakura able to push Ino out of her mind? A combination of a few reasons. I'm not using 100% of canon when it comes to certain powers, so don't yell at me if this isn't accurate. First, Ino is experiencing all of Sakura's pain, which is, yk, OW. Second, she's low on chakra. These two things already make it kinda hard to maintain control, but she can manage it. However, Sakura is incredibly familiar with her own mind and emotions. She has a shit ton of control over both. She purposefully overwhelms Ino with her suppressed emotions, pushing her hard enough that her control slips. Now, could this happen to a more experienced or fresher Yamanaka? With Sakura's current abilities, no. Also, if Ino had more chakra or Sakura was less injured, Ino could have probably maintained the jutsu.

So yeah. That's why.

As for the physical fight, Ino is actually better at taijutsu, but the thing is, Sakura has something you can only get with experience, and that's a lack of hesitation when it comes to hurting other people, at least in a fight. She knows the price of failure and even though logically, she knows Ino isn't going to kill her, emotionally, she's still hyped up on adrenaline and just got out of a murder forest. She's willing to inflict more damage, basically. Notice how Ino didn't stab Sakura at all.

Did y'all know this fic has a TV tropes page?! I didn't until recently! If you'r interested, you can read it here. But fr the description they give the fic is like, better than the one i have. Might steal some of it later. Whoever did this i love you so much and i'm happy you're invested enough in the story to make this like goddamn.

Today's fic recommendation is sakura haruno and the no good very bad day. Sakura gets sent back to right after the whole bridge thing with Kakashi and Obito and Rin. She heals, murders, and is all in all having a minor crisis. It's a pretty short fic but i think it's fun.

Hate will be laughed at and the gay will be strong

byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye

Chapter 34: Introductions

Summary:

The aftermath of the Sakura vs. Ino fight

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

The words took a second to register, and when they did, Sakura wanted to laugh.

It took her three tries to get to her feet. Her body ached fiercely and she was running on nothing but adrenaline.

Triumph sang in her blood, but it was accompanied by so much pain.

Is this what victory is supposed to be? She wanted to demand the shinobi around her. Is this what you want from me?

Medics carried Ino away on a stretcher, her body limp and unmoving.

Sakura had done that.

Sakura had bashed the skull of her former best friend into solid concrete. She'd stuck a senbon right through her hand and another in her thigh.

Shinobi saw civilians as soft. They saw their unbloodied hands as a flaw and a weakness. They looked at Sakura and thought the same thing.

Am I still soft? She wanted to hiss. A useless, delicate thing?

Sakura could feel the eyes on her as she limped her way towards the door that led to the infirmary. It took everything she had to walk, but she refused to have someone help her right now.

There were no cheers from the stands. Not even from Naruto, who never knew when to shut up. It was quiet.

It felt almost like a punishment. She'd dared to win and now no one would stand behind her.

I beat the Yamanaka clan heir bloody. What do you think of me now?

She kept her head held high.

The door the infirmary closed behind her.

"Tenten and Sabaku no Temari. Please make your way to the arena."

Gai patted his student on the back, mind still whirling from the implications of what had just happened.

"Do your best!" He gave Tenten a thumbs up. "Your youthful spirit is strong!"

Tenten rolled her eyes and began descending the stairs to the arena.

Gai had been admittedly curious to see how the match between Asuma's student and Kakashi's would go. He knew much more about Ino Yamanaka, both from Asuma's willingness to share and because as a Yamanaka there were certain assumptions that could be made.

Sakura Haruno was a different story.

Kakashi wasn't fond of talking about his students in anything more than vague comments, and even the rumour mill around Konoha had little to say about her. They spoke of Sasuke Uchiha's skill, whispered about Naruto Uzumaki's danger.

They didn't often mention the civilian-born kunoichi that accompanied them.

"Begin."

Temari unfurled her fan while Tenten snapped open a scroll.

Gai had his own experience with that. People spoke of Neji, the young Hyuuga prodigy, and how Lee was a smaller clone of him.

They rarely mentioned Tenten.

A powerful wind jutsu tore through the arena and knocked a dozen weapons away from its caster.

Tenten narrowed her eyes and brought out a spear. She planted the edge firmly into the ground, nestling it deep in the concrete. When the next wind attack came, she held on.

They didn't talk of how clever she was. How tenacious.

Temari narrowed her eyes and tried twice more.

Tenten remained planted.

They never said anything about her adaptability and strength. They didn't know and didn't care about her dreams of becoming a legendary kunoichi or how she'd honed her skill in fuinjutsu with barely any assistance.

Temari changed tactics and closed the distance between them, aiming to dislodge Tenten from her position with the spear.

Tenten met her with one of the heaviest weapons in her arsenal, a spiked club made of solid metal.

They clashed violently.

He imagined it was much the same with Sakura Haruno.

Gai was an expert on taijutsu, which meant he could pick out almost any style immediately. Sakura's was a mish mash of many things, and overall not terribly impressive. Most obvious was the basic Academy style, which had no doubt been taught to her for years. What had really caught his eye, was that he saw Genma's style in how she held her senbon and the poison that coated them.

It seemed that Gai had finally found Genma's student.

Genma had refused to share much information about her, using the excuse that their friends would scare her off. Which was completely ridiculous! Children loved Gai and he had his own team!

Temari slammed her fan into Tenten's gut, who responded by slashing her arm with a kunai.

He would have to make a point to speak to her properly. Anyone that tenacious was worth knowing.

Gai hoped Kakashi was ready for the inevitable backlash on Sakura. She would be thrust into the spotlight and scrutinised from every angle. Without support, she'd be eaten alive.

People didn't just break out of Yamanaka jutsus, especially not people like Sakura. There would be questions. Demands. They'd want to ensure she could never do something like that again.

Those in power hadn't liked Gai either. His father had been seen as useless and a nuisance. He hadn't been-he was one of the best men Gai had ever known-but that was how people saw him.

Everyone had expected Gai to be the same, and when he didn't meet their expectations, they had been displeased. Without his friends, Gai would have had a much more difficult time within the shinobi corps.

Temari pressed the razor edge of her fan on Tenten's throat, drawing blood.

"The winner of the match is Sabaku no Temari."

The audience relaxed and Gai knew why.

Minutes before, they had witnessed an upset of the order of things. A civilian-born kunoichi had fought the Yamanaka heir and won. They had been afraid that the trend would continue with Tenten. That the Kazekage's daughter would be overthrown by another nobody.

They were now comforted that the status quo had been restored.

Tenten exchanged a few words with Temari before making her way to the infirmary. She was obviously disappointed, but kept her shoulders squared.

"I'm proud of you!" Gai shouted. "Your passion and strength were extraordinary!"

Her expression shifted to something fondly exasperated, and she shot him a thumbs up.

Neji sighed.

Only one of Gai's students had passed to the final round, and it had been the one everyone had expected. They could brush Tenten and Lee under the rug, and they were happy to do it.

They had lost, so their skill didn't matter because they were still deemed inferior.

But Sakura Haruno hadn't lost.

And that made her dangerous.

The medic addressing Sakura's wounds was thoroughly unimpressed.

"You're lucky you didn't puncture your lung." He informed her. "You've got three broken ribs and another two that are cracked. You're also dealing with a minor concussion, a minor facial fracture, and lacerations on your arms and legs."

It was the second thing he'd said after 'this makes my life easier' when she gave him the antidote she had to the paralytic she'd used on Ino.

Sakura grimaced. "That's…a lot."

"Oh, I'm not done yet." He held pressed a glowing hand to her torso. "You've got bruises almost everywhere, the most serious of which are on your back. Your ear drums are damaged and you're nearing chakra exhaustion."

Hearing her injuries in detail made them feel all the more real. It was no longer ambiguous pain that needed to be pushed through, but actual wounds with detailed descriptions.

"I'll be healing the worst of your ribs, but the rest will have to be treated at the hospital later. They'll be expecting you."

Sakura nodded slowly. "Is there anything I should avoid doing in the meanwhile?"

"Well, I wouldn't recommend getting in any more fights. Try not to jostle anything or use chakra." He retracted his hand. "I'm done my diagnostic now. Have you ever been healed using ninjutsu?"

Sakura shook her head.

"It'll feel strange at first. Do not fight the chakra. It'll feel invasive but resisting just makes everything more painful. Are you ready?"

It couldn't be worse than the past few days, so Sakura wasn't too worried. "Yes."

The medic got to work.

It did feel strange, but not unpleasant. She could feel the chakra moving within her, and marveled at the level of control it must take to work that precisely.

After what felt like an eternity, he stepped back.

Sakura took a deep breath and couldn't help but grin when there was no pain. Her leg and arms and back still hurt, but she could finally breathe.

The medic moved on to his newest patient on the other side of the room, virtually leaving Sakura alone.

She gulped down the glass of water from a nearby stand and took a moment to enjoy not having to worry about anything.

No fights, no murderous Sanin, no annoying teammates.

Just some fresh water.

It was then that Sakura registered that Ino was awake and staring at her.

Her first instinct was to look away, to curl up and avoid whatever confrontation that would inevitably occur.

She shoved that impulse down fiercely and let her gaze meet Ino's.

One beat of silence.

Two.

And then-

"Finally decided I'm worth your time to look at?" Ino sneered, but it felt more like a wounded animal lashing out than anything else.

Sakura sighed. "What are you talking about?"

"You never look at me anymore!" Ino burst out. "Ever since your fight with Sasuke, you've been completely ignoring me! What was the point of destroying our friendship if you were just going to toss Sasuke away?!"

Sakura's mouth fell open, unsure of how to respond. Was that what this had been about this whole time?

"At least when you liked Sasuke, we were rivels, but then you just stopped! And didn't even try to be friends again! Was I really worth that little to you?!"

Sakura snapped out of her surprise. "You never tried to mend our relationship either! Why didn't you say anything if it bothered you so much?"

"Because you were hanging out with Shino and Hinata of all people. It was pretty clear you were leaving everything else behind, even Sasuke. Even me."

Irritation flared in her gut. "Shino and Hinata are great," She snapped. "And Sasuke is the worst. I'm glad I left him behind. We barely even talked anymore, so why would I try to become friends again?"

She'd stopped butting heads with Ino after her fight with Sasuke, and after the initial month or two, Ino had stopped trying to get a rise out of her. They'd existed in a mutual silence, something Sakura had assumed they were both okay with. She had been too busy trying to increase her training and figure out the Mokuton to even think about trying to be friends with Ino again.

Sakura hadn't even considered that she'd be hurt.

"Because we weren't rivels anymore! And I kept trying to get you to look at me, but you never did. So I stopped trying." Ino's voice cracked.

Sakura's anger deflated. There hadn't even been much to begin with. She was so tired. "I'm looking at you. Now what?"

There was a long pause.

"Now we can be friends again. If you want." Ino sounded tentative in a way Sakura had never heard before. It was disconcerting. Uncomfortable.

"I'm not the Sakura I was when we first met." She said quietly. "I'm not even the Sakura you knew at the Academy."

She was the Sakura who had killed. Who had gone to Wave and helped build a funeral barge. Who'd walked past one of the Seven Swordsmen of Kirigakure without permission.

She was the Sakura who had faced Orochimaru. Who had dragged her teammates to safety and then defended them alone. Who'd led Zaku into a trap that had blown him into a thousand pieces and killed Dosu with the help of the Mokuton.

She was the Sakura who'd do it again.

"I know." Ino met her gaze again. "I'm not the Ino you knew either."

How had they changed since graduation? Since their friendship ended? What edges had grown or been softened?

Could they do this? Could they get to know each other again with their new bumps and bruises and dreams and fears?

Only one way to find out.

She took a deep breath and extended her hand.

"Hello. My name is Sakura Haruno. I'm a genin and I like gardening and reading."

Ino smiled blossomed into something brilliant. She took Sakura's hand eagerly.

"Hi! I'm Ino Yamanaka. I'm also a genin and I like flowers and fashion."

Something warm curled in Sakura's chest.

"It's nice to meet you."

Notes:

Hey y'all, hope you're having a good day

My girls are healing! I love that for them. Honestly, Sakura and Ino's rivalry was always so annoying to me. Why can't we have girls who are just friends with each other? Or girls who like the same guy but are still friends? Or girls who have intense rivalries that have nothing to do with a boy? There is far too much "women fighting over men" in the media already i think we're past capacity on that.

Anyway their reconciliation was really cathartic to write. I hope you guys liked it.

Sakura is having some Complicated Feelings about her victory, a decent portion of which stem from her civilian upbringing. Violence, even against peers, is a lot more engrained in kids who are from shinobi family's, especially the clans. They breathe that shit in daily. And while Sakura has gotten to the point where she can fight and even kill enemies, mentally, fighting people she knows in a serious way kinda fucks with her head a little in the aftermath. This violence is what the shinobi world demands, something that she has finally learned to give after being berated for not being able to. Then, when she DOES win, thanks to being more willing to inflict pain, the fact that no one seems even remotely approving of her actions is just another kick in the gut.

So like, Gai's character is very interesting to me and i definitely think he'd have a lot of thoughts about what went down and the privileges' of clan shinobi. He barely uses 2/3 shinobi skills but is a jounin, and that tells a lot about how hard he had to work, not even accounting for how his father was viewed. I think a part of his general persona is geared towards making himself less threatening, in a way. It's definitely also just his personality, but if he's silly or boisterous, he seems less like a threat, meaning he'll get less shit from clans and other higher ups. It's easier to write him off, despite his demonstrable skill. He's also definitely smarter than he seems, something he definitely does not advertise.

Also Tenten deserved more love and literally anything done with her character.

Also, i'm not sure if i did this accidently, but team 10 wasn't like, horrified at what Sakura was doing. They were surprised and concerned for Ino, but like. Obviously. She's their teammate and almost sister, yk? Of course they're worried when her fight suddenly looks like its going to hurt her a lot more. They weren't expecting Sakura to fight in that way because they hadn't had experience with her acting like that, not because they were appalled at the violence itself. They literally saw Hinata get nearly murdered by her cousin, so it's more of a surprise because of WHO, not what. And like, Asuma's POV might seem a little harsh, and he IS biased towards Ino (cause that's his student) but like, he's not wrong in that Sakura was vicious. What she did requires that. I tried to make it more of an observation and less like a judgement but idk how well that worked.

Todays fic recomentation is Pastel Promiseland. Basically, what if Sakura's family had immigrated to Kiri instead of Konoha. Baby genin Sakura with Haku and Chojuuro as her teammates and Kisame as her sensei. Very AU and it seems pretty lighthearted overall, but definitely with some serious elements. There is discussion of class and changing power structures which y'all know i love. Sakura Haruno centric and just a bag full of fun.

Constructive criticism is welcome, hate will be laughed at and the gay will be strong

byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye

Chapter 35: In Between Catastrophes

Summary:

The preliminaries are completed

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Chouji Akimichi's match with Sabaku no Kankuro was surprisingly close. Kankuro was a puppeteer who relied on deception and precision in fights. In contrast, Chouji was a wrecking ball and a very effective one at that.

Eventually, Kankuro managed to stop Chouji's momentum and break through his defenses, but not before several failed attempts and quite a bit of wasted poison.

The Akimichi weren't immune to poison, but their size and constitution made them naturally resistant. It took a lot to bring them down.

The final match between Misumi Tsurugi and Kabuto Yakushi ended much faster. They were teammates, and Kabuto clearly knew how to get around Misumi's enhanced flexibility.

It was Kabuto's victory in the end, with a few well-placed strikes and Misumi's almost too-easy surrender. The two seemed amicable in the aftermath, which was more than most of the fights could say.

Hayate waited patiently as all of the passed candidates lined up in front of him. Well, all expect the Uchiha. Kakashi was no doubt monitoring him closely in case Orochimaru turned up again, or the unknown seal started acting up.

He cleared his throat. "Congratulations on qualifying for the final stage of the exam. You will now have one month to prepare and train."

Allowing foreign shinobi to stay in the village for one month was excessive in Hayate's opinion. Far too much espionage would take place, even with the advanced protection measures they'd taken.

At least only Suna and a few of the minor shinobi villages were in attendance. If Kumo, Kiri, or Iwa had decided to accept the invitation than things would have been even worse.

He coughed. "Everyone line up and take a number."

The candidates did, understandably wary. If Hayate's chuunin exam had been under the control of Anko and Ibiki, he'd be the same.

They read their numbers aloud, and so it was decided.

Ibiki turned the board he was writing on around. "The matches will be as follows."

"Sakura Haruno vs. Neji Hyuuga."

"Shikamaru Nara vs. Sabaku no Temari."

"Shino Aburame vs. Sabaku no Kankuro."

"Sasuke Uchiha vs. Sabaku no Gaara."

"Kabuto Yakushi will wait for the conclusion of the previous match for his first opponent."

Oh dear. This had the potential to be very ugly. And lucky him, it was his job to proctor again. Why did he agree to this? Oh right. He hadn't.

The candidates began sizing each other up, some with more serious consideration than others.

"The final stage will be in a tournament style, however, you do not have to win all your matches to become a chuunin." Hayate coughed again. "You don't even have to win any of them."

Now that got their attention.

"Your advancement to chuunin will be based on your performance, not victory. Anyone deemed to have the necessary components can pass."

Shikamaru Nara's eyes narrowed. "So all of us could become a chuunin. Or none of us."

Hayate nodded. "It all depends on performance. The more fights you're in, the most chances you'll have to display your abilities. Are there any questions?"

There weren't any.

"You're all free to go."

Kakashi caught Naruto by the scruff of his jacket.

"We need to talk."

He waited until they were in secluded part Konoha, far enough away from crowds that Kakashi would notice eavesdroppers instantly.

Naruto frowned. "What's wrong, Kakashi-sensei?"

He didn't know how to do this. He didn't know how to give clear guidance to children who needed so much more than he had as a kid. But he couldn't let this one slide.

Treat it like the debrief of an errant shinobi.

"Why did you stop Sakura from forfeiting?"

Naruto blinked. This clearly wasn't what he'd expected. "She was giving up, and there was no reason to! She did so much in the Forest of Death, she deserved to continue."

Kakashi closed his eyes, praying for patience.

"Sakura made a choice for her own wellbeing." Kakashi said, trying to drill his words into Naruto's thick skull. "She did not want to continue, so why did you not respect her decision?"

Naruto squirmed. "It wasn't like that." He protested. "She-"

"Her choice would not have harmed the team," Kakashi continued. "Unlike yours could have when fighting Orochimaru. You could have gotten your team killed when you refused to back down in the face of a superior opponent."

Those who left behind their team, who hurt their team, were scum. But those who forced their team into impossible decisions weren't any better.

"The survival of your team should have been your first priority, and it wasn't. You didn't trust your teammates assessment of the threat and then didn't trust Sakura's decision making about her own wellbeing."

Naruto stared down at his feet.

"I'm not saying this so you feel bad, I'm saying this so that in the future, you don't do the same thing. You owe your team an apology."

Kakashi would have given anything for one more conversation with his team.

"Now go rest up."

Sakura had never been in the shinobi wing of the hospital before.

It was so similar to the civilian side, but also very different. There weren't any objects that could be easily broken or had a sharp edge. The medics gave warnings about each movement they were going to make and explained in full every procedure and what it would do.

She wondered how many shinobi had attacked out of surprise to make them so thorough.

Her injuries weren't urgent, which meant she only had to stay two days at the hospital to finish her healing. She had even been placed in the same room as the other chuunin exam candidates that needed further medical attention.

Hinata and Ino weren't there-something about being treated by clan medics-but at least she wouldn't be surrounded by complete strangers.

Sakura opened the door to her room and found-

"Lee, if you don't stop doing handstand push ups, I'm going to throw you off the roof." Tenten threatened.

"I'm working to improve myself!" Lee protested. "An injury is no reason to not advance in other ways."

"But preserving my sanity is." Tenten said flatly. "I'm trying to nap and you're too loud. The doctor didn't even clear you for physical activity yet."

Lee did another push up. "I apologise for the inconvenience! The last time I tried to exercise in the courtyard they forbid me from continuing."

"Yeah, for a reason." Tenten shook her head. "You're impossible."

Sakura cleared her throat and resisted the urge to shrink back when their attention snapped to her. "If you don't allow yourself to heal, your training will progress more slowly. You should wait until you're back in full health, so your time is better spent."

Lee paused, considering her words.

Tenten, latching onto his hesitation, nodded enthusiastically. "Exactly! Training now will make it harder to heal and that means you're wasting your time. Plus, Gai-sensei told you to be more moderate while you recovered. Opening a gate is serious business."

Lee flipped himself upright and onto his uninjured leg in a display of impressive acrobatics. "Your words have convinced me! I will now sleep better than anyone ever has before so that I may recover swiftly!"

"That's not how sleep works-aaaaaaand he's out." Tenten sighed. "I should be surprised, but I'm not."

Sakura muffled a snort and sat down on an empty bed. "Does he do that a lot?"

"You wouldn't believe how often my team is this ridiculous." Tenten bemoaned.

Sakura thought back to some of Naruto and Sasuke's worse antics. "Oh, I'm pretty sure I would. Mine is completely insane all the time."

Tenten hummed, eyeing her curiously. "You're with the Uchiha and the Uzumaki, right? Yeah, I can see them being a handful."

Sakura could have six arms and still not keep up with their bullshit. "You have no idea. I don't envy you either though. I don't think I would have lasted a week before punching your Hyuuga."

Tenten cackled. "Who's to say I did?"

"How'd he take that? I can't imagine he was all that pleasant about it." Sakura prodded.

Tenten smiled, her eyes sharp. "You wouldn't be asking because you're trying to get information about Neji, would you?"

"Of course not," Sakura was the picture of innocence. "That is, unless you're willing to give me any."

She'd be stupid to not take any shred of information she could get. Sakura would be fighting a Hyuuga prodigy with a mean streak a mile wide and a stick up his ass. She needed all the help she could get.

Tenten smirked. "Neji can be an asshole, but he's still my teammate. I'm not going to tell you anything."

Sakura sighed. "Fair enough." She hadn't really expected anything else. She wouldn't give information away on Sasuke or Naruto, even though they drove her mad.

There was a long tense silence and then-

"Wanna get something to eat?"

"As long as it's not a ration bar I'll eat anything."

Gaara shouldn't be here.

Fighting Lee was the closest he'd come to loosing control in years. His sand shield and armour were supposed to protect him. He'd thought he was safe. The Ichibi was far easier to restrain without any real threats to Gaara and no one from the chuunin exam was supposed to be able to pose one.

And yet someone had.

The days and weeks and months it had taken to sleep without loosing control. To be able to walk around the village without accidently massacring innocents. To touch those he trusted.

That had all shattered under Lee's hands.

He shouldn't be here.

The gourd on Gaara's back rattled violently as he slowly crept into the room. The other occupants had just left and would likely return soon. He should-he can't-he needed-

"Are you alright?"

Gaara jolted violently, instinctively stamping down on the Ichibi's rage but unable to stop the barest hint of sand from creeping out of his gourd.

Rock Lee watched him with a furrowed brow. His leg was in a brace, but he looked. Fine. Healthy.

Gaara had managed to restrain the Ichibi from destroying him even as his control had been falling to pieces around him.

"I am adequate." He said eventually. It was a lie but Gaara could pretend that it was true.

Lee smiled and it was so, so bright it hurt. "That's good to hear! I know I hit you quite a few times, but it's nice to see that you're well enough to be up and about."

Gaara was only healed because of the Ichibi. Without being a Jinchuuriki he would have needed a healer and been bed-bound. Lee had hit harder than anything he had ever felt before.

I could kill him. Gaara thought, halfway hysterical. Remove him as a threat forever. I wouldn't need to be afraid of him anymore.

Lee's leg was still healing and that meant he wouldn't be able to fight back. It would be easy.

His fingers twitched.

"You're fighting Sasuke Uchiha in the final round, correct? He is a formidable opponent, but I'm sure you will do well." Lee rambled on. "I will admit to being disappointed to not being able to participate myself, but our battle was very instructive. I'll work twice as hard for the next chuunin exam!"

Lee becoming even stronger was terrifying. He'd be able to win their next encounter and Gaara's control would slip through his fingers like the sand he controlled and-

You can stop that from ever happening, right now. Kill him and the fear will go away. Kill him kill him killhimkillhimkillhimKILLHIM-

Gaara inhaled deeply and pushed the Ichibi's presence down. He'd been much more active since his fight with Lee, and needed constant suppression.

Being around Lee was making it worse.

He shouldn't be here.

"…never seen a team with all siblings before. What's it like?"

Gaara blinked slowly. "It is…good. I know I can trust them."

There were four people in the entire world he could say that about. Four people who he could let past his sand shield.

Temari. Kankuro. Baki. Sasori.

His father was not on that list.

He never would be.

"I imagine your teamwork is very good!" Lee enthused. "Considering how well you know each other."

Their teamwork was good. Gaara rarely needed backup but working together with his siblings was nice.

"How long have you been a gen-"

The skin on the back of Gaara's neck prickled and he whirled around.

Standing behind him was an older version of Lee. At least, in terms of outfit and haircut. Their facial features didn't match at all. Gaara vaguely remembered him from the preliminaries.

"Lee." The shinobi's near constant smile was nowhere in sight. "I didn't know you had a visitor."

Lee seemed oblivious to the tension. "Ah, yes! Gaara, this is Gai-sensei. He taught me everything I know."

Unease and something like fear curled in Gaara's gut. A shinobi like Lee. A shinobi stronger than Lee.

The gourd on his back rattled.

This wasn't good. He shouldn't have come here, shouldn't have sought out Lee, shouldn't-shouldn't-shouldn't-

He needed to leave.

"I should go." Gaara took a step back. "I apologize for intruding."

Lee smiled again. "You weren't intruding. Your sportsmanship towards an opponent is admirable!"

Oh, how wrong he was.

Kill him kill him.

"I need to get back to my team." Gaara said instead, trying to calculate a way out of the room without having to pass by Gai. He wasn't sure his sand would stay in place if he did.

Thankfully, Gai seemed to read something in Gaara's posture because he wordlessly stepped to the side, well out of the way.

Gaara gave Lee one last lingering glance, and began his departure of the hospital.

On the way out he passed two of the other candidates in the hallway.

The brunette Temari had fought eyed him warily, hostility present but not overt.

The pink haired girl looked at him like he was a particularly difficult puzzle that she'd almost solved.

It was unsettling.

Gaara pushed his unease away.

He needed to find Sasori.

Son of a bitch.

Hayate breathed heavily as he clutched his bloodied collar. The damn Suna-nin had nearly ripped through his throat, but he'd managed to dodge just enough to survive.

For now, at least.

Flaring his chakra in the emergency pattern would bring any ANBU in the area running, but it might also alert Baki to his presence, and Hayate would not survive another clash with him.

He needed to tell someone, anyone, about Suna's betrayal. It was one thing to be attacked by Otogakure, who was a relatively new and significantly weaker shinobi village, but it was another entirely for it to be one of the five great nations.

There was no way this was a case of individual action. Kin was obviously working as Orochimaru's messenger, and Baki in turn the Kazekage's. They were coordinating an attack on Konoha and using the chuunin exam as an excuse.

Maybe he should write this down somewhere and hope whoever found his corpse was on his side.

Kami, everything hurt.

If he didn't find help soon, then Baki wouldn't even need to finish him off. Did he take the risk and hope that ANBU got to him first? Or should he keep moving and pray he had enough strength to make it somewhere safe?

Hayate took a deep breath, steadying himself and trying to clear his mind. He needed to think rationally, panicking would only-

He went completely still.

Footsteps.

Hayate's gaze cut towards them, fingers curling around his sword.

A familiar figure was approaching, moonlight glinting off his glasses.

Kabuto Yakushi.

Notes:

hey y'all, hope you're having a good day

This is mostly a transition chapter but the seeds are being planted. Good luck to those who are sniffing them out.

And congratulations to those who predicted Sakura fighting Neji! Part of this is, of course, cause this is a Sakura centric story, but i also think a fight between them would also fit the philosophical clash. Sakura is a civilian born without a lot of inborn talents, arguably more of an underdog than Demon Holder Uzumaki Blooded Secret Jesus Naruto. I have admittedly already written the fightt (and omg you guys do not want to know how long it is jesus christ) so let me just say that i do my best to make it a fun time.

And here! Look! A rare Good Teacher Kakashi moment! I know i've been harsh on him in this fic, but it's not out of malice for his character or anything. I just genuinely think he's a bad fit for a teacher. He's a genius, so learning was never something he needed lots of guidance on, and thus he's not exactly great at teaching in turn, because he didn't have to go through the same steps as everyone else. That's why he mainly focused on physical conditioning for the training he gave team 7. It's something he knows everyone needs, and so he's kinda like "at least i can't fuck this up"

However, he WAS a captain, and so thinking about the thing with Naruto as a superior rather than a teacher does kinda help him in the interaction. I think he has a lot of thoughts about autonomy because of his time in ANBU, meaning he would take Naruto's stopping Sakura from forfeiting very seriously. Also, because of his history and the whole, "i don't want to have any more ppl i know in the grave" thing, i think he'd also feel a need to make sure Naruto understood that the shit he pulled against Orochimaru was Not Okay. I know his approach to teamwork stuff is at times hypocritical but i think he draws the line at actually putting each other in danger. I'm going to go into why Kakashi thinks he can step back so much as a teacher, especially in regards to Sakura at a later time, but enjoy this rant for now.

Tenten and Lee my beloveds. As much as team Gai can clash philosophically, i do think that they have a solid bond, enough so that neither Tenten or Lee would be willing to give Sakura any info to help her win. I also think that there was probably a time where Neji was even WORSE about his beliefs, but exposure to his 2 non-clan teammates and Gai kinda forced him, at least a little, to shift his stance. The overarching idea stays the same, but he's kidna toned it down a little, yk?

Now for the good shit. Gaara and Lee's interaction.

Ngl i loved writing this scene. How Gaara's sanity is maintained only through rigorous self control and discipline and how that was shaken and nearly destroyed by Lee. How he had previously achieved a kind of peace and sense of safety with Sasori to help him stay in control and how scared he was when it was taken from him. He's fucking terrified of Lee. And yet he still seeks him out. He's been mostly untouchable his entire life, only able to let a select few in his walls, and then someone broke through them. He doesn't know how to cope, constantly on the backfoot and he wants to be safe again but he also wants the bubble broken. But if the bubble breaks than he loses control and fear and desire of freedom is all tangled up together.

This is my Galee agenda and no i'm not taking criticism.

And of course, the final scene.

DUN DUN DUNNNNNNNN!

I didn't have it be Sasori that Hayate fought because then Hayate would be immediately dead and thus this scene wouldn't really happen. And instead of Kabuto it's Kin because i said so.

Today's fic recommendation is Blood Splattered Blossoms. This is a shameless self promotion cause i wrote this shit and i think it's great. Basically, a short What If? fic about Sakura going out to kill Sasuke during the Kage summit, and actually going through with it.

I had more thoughts about today's chapter than i thought i would. Huh.

Also, I'm taking back something i said in earlier notes. Obito is not alive in this fic. He's a dead motherfucker and will remain that way.

Hate will be laughed at and the gay will be strong

byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye

Chapter 36: Curiosity Killed the Cat (but not me)

Summary:

Those who made it to the third round of the chuunin exams begin their preparation while the threat to Konoha grows.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

"We need you to proctor the final stage of the exam."

Genma raised an eyebrow at Anko, tucking the kunai he was sharpening into his pouch. "I thought Hayate was doing it."

"Hayate was found in critical condition yesterday. The doctors said he'd survive, but there's no telling when he'll wake up."

"Shit." Genma bit down on the senbon in his mouth. "Orochimaru?"

Anko's expression was grim. "Unconfirmed, but likely."

"Let me guess, half of the other jounin have or had their teams as participants and can't proctor."

"And the other half would be shit at it." Anko finished. "It's either you or Raido and he's probably going to get tapped as the Hokage's guard."

Genma grimaced. "Yeah, fair point." While he and Raido were of similar skill, Genma's abilities tended to be more suited towards assassinations than body guarding.

"So, will you do it? The kids are pretty tough this time around, so it'll be plenty of fun."

Genma had learned to never trust Anko's definition of fun.

He hesitated. "I have an unofficial student that made it to the final stage of the chuunin exams. If I proctor, I can't train her." Because that's what he'd been planning to do. Kakashi would probably focus on the Uchiha, considering they were both ninjutsu types, and Sakura didn't have the connections to find another teacher without one being arranged for her.

Anko grinned. "You mean Pinkie?"

Genma groaned. This was why he'd refused to give his friends any details about Sakura. They were going to be utterly ridiculous about it all.

"You know, I saw her fight with Inoichi's brat, and she's a clever little thing. The Yamanaka are itching to get their hands on her. Kakashi's been beating them off with a stick ever since her match."

Genma wasn't surprised. "I'm not giving you anything more to gossip about." Gossip. Intelligence gathering. The lines between the two blurred when you were a shinobi.

"I'll find out on my own just fine." Anko threatened. "But you know the rules. She's not registered as your student or apprentice and that means you don't have an official excuse."

He sighed. "Yeah, I know."

Getting Sakura registered as Genma's official apprentice would have caused more issues that it would solve, at least right now. Typically, shinobi would either have an apprenticeship or in a genin team, not both. When it did happen, it was usually for highly skilled clan kids, and it was almost never for poison.

Unlike Suna, poison wasn't all that common in the general corps of Konoha shinobi, and almost never wielded by a genin. It would raise eyebrows and likely get some clan up in arms about their genin not being able to have an apprenticeship and genin team.

So, Sakura wasn't Genma's official apprentice, giving her less unwanted attention and more freedom. It would have given him some privileges-hospital visitation rights for one-but it wasn't worth it. Not now.

He didn't want that kind of scrutiny on Sakura, not when she was still so fresh to the shinobi corps.

Genma chewed on his senbon. "Is there really no one else who can do it? What about Yuugao?"

Anko gave him a look. "She's chomping at the bit to find whoever hurt Hayate. Letting her anywhere near an Oto-nin is going to result in bloodshed, and as fun as that would be, the political disaster would be a fucking nightmare."

"I'm sure she could make it look like an accident." He said mildly. Anyone who'd been in ANBU that long and survived serving under Kakashi could make just about anything disappear.

"She's not in the mood for subtle." Anko said dryly. "You should have seen the way she grilled the guy who found him. Funnily enough, it was an exam candidate. Kabuto Yakushi."

The name didn't ring a bell. "Never heard of him."

"He's a virtual nobody, don't worry about it." She narrowed her eyes. "And don't change the subject. You don't have a lot of options here. If you refuse, people are gonna start wondering why and it doesn't take a lot to put two and two together."

Genma hated politics.

Still, Anko was right. "Fine! I'll do it. Just give me a few days to find Sakura a teacher. She's going to be fighting the Hyuuga prodigy and that's not going to be a cakewalk."

"I'd offer, but I've got my hands full." She grinned. "Do you think she's got a shot at winning?"

And Genma wasn't actually sure. On one hand, Neji Hyuuga was probably one of the strongest genin out there. There weren't many of his peers that could stand up to him.

On the other, Sakura had already proven that she was capable of doing a lot even when the odds were stacked against her.

"I guess we'll find out."

"…they were considered the best at fuinjutsu." Sakura explained. "Apparently most commonly used seals are still based in the Uzushio style."

Naruto listened with wide eyes. "That's so cool! Even though they were destroyed, their stuff is still amazing enough that everyone's using it."

"Exactly!" Sakura was pleased to finally find something one of her teammates was just as excited about as she was. Things between them had finally settled into something she could almost call friendship, especially after Naruto had apologized. "And fuinjutsu is useful for so many things. Even with only genin access I found a ton of books in the library on it. I can show you if you want."

Naruto hesitated. "I'm not really good with books."

Ah. Right.

"Maybe you just haven't found a way that works for you yet." She suggested. "And it's okay if you aren't great at it. I just thought you might be interested."

Naruto stared at his hands. "I want to be good at it though! You said the Uzumaki were the strongest clan in Uzushio, and that means I should be good at seals too!"

"The other Uzumaki were probably taught fuinjutsu from a very young age, like how we're taught taijutsu." She pointed out.

He deflated "Yeah, I guess."

Before she could get another word in, Sasuke scoffed from the other side of the bridge.

"Who cares if you're good at making a bunch of scribbles or not." He muttered. "It's not like it makes you less Uzumaki."

Did…did he just say something encouraging?

Naruto brightened instantly. "Yeah! You're right! Thanks Sasuke."

"I'm always right." He sneered.

Sakura snorted. "Like you were right about what plants to pull out of a garden when weeding?"

His face flushed. "I'm right about important things." Sasuke said haughtily.

Uh huh.

"I mean, he was right about us attending the chuunin exam, and that he'd be fighting Gaara." Naruto pointed out.

"That doesn't count," Sakura sputtered. "He was just posturing. Besides, he hasn't beaten Gaara yet, and he might not at all. Lee lost to him, and Sasuke lost to Lee."

Sasuke scowled at the reminder.

"Gaara is so creepy," Naruto shivered. "What's up with that guy, anyway?"

"I think…" Sakura hesitated. "That he's like you."

Naruto flinched. "W-What do you mean?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed sharply. Not curious or surprised, but suspicious. Wary. That she knew something about Naruto, something she wasn't supposed to.

Sakura chose her words very carefully. "During our fight on the bridge in Wave, and again when we were fighting Orochimaru, you seemed…different. Your presence felt different. Your chakra too."

Naruto looked more fearful than she'd ever seen him before.

"I think Gaara is the same." She concluded. "Whatever makes you go like that, he also has."

"Interesting theory."

All three of them flailed as Kakashi materialised behind them. He was smiling, but his gaze seemed cold.

"What do you think it is?" He asked her.

I think that no matter how powerful the fourth Hokage was, he couldn't have killed the Kyuubi. I think the Uzumaki were known for their sealing prowess and that Minato Namikaze was married to one.

I think that Naruto was born on the same day as the Kyuubi attack.

I think you're lying to me.

"I don't know."

Kakashi stared at her in silence for a beat too long before abruptly shifting to a much more relaxed posture. "Oh well! That really is an interesting theory, Sakura. Let me know if you figure it out."

I won't.

"Of course, sensei."

Neither Sasuke or Naruto would look at her, and really that was all the confirmation that Sakura needed that she was the only one being purposefully kept in the dark.

"So! Now that two of you have passed to the final stage of the chuunin exam, I figured some personalised training was in order." Kakashi ruffled Naruto's hair. "Don't worry, I found a teacher for you too. Just because you're not participating in the exam doesn't mean this isn't a chance for growth!"

Naruto immediately perked up. "Really? Who is it? Do I know them? Are they cool?"

"He'll be here soon," Kakashi said cryptically. "Sasuke, you'll be training with me and Itachi. You've got a lot of work to do if you want to beat Gaara."

Sasuke nodded curtly.

"I'll be with Genma, right?" Sakura could not wait for an entire month of individual training with him.

She saw Naruto and Sasuke cast each other confused looks. Oh. Right. She still hadn't told them about Genma. It wasn't like they'd asked where she'd learned any of her new skills or poisons, so she didn't feel too bad.

Kakashi winced. "Ah, about that. Genma has been tapped to be the proctor for the final stage of the chuunin exam, which means he can't train you."

Oh.

Sakura stuffed down her disappointment. "So who will I be training with?"

Maybe a taijutsu expert? There was no way she'd be able to keep up with a Hyuuga after only one month of training, but she'd need to hold her own for at least short periods of time in close combat.

"Ah, that hasn't been decided yet."

Of course. Because obviously there were people chomping at the bit and ready to train Sasuke and Naruto, but there was no one for her.

"What am I supposed to do then?" She demanded.

"Ah, ah, ah, don't worry. I'll have a teacher for you by tomorrow, I promise. If I can't find one by then, then I'll take over your training and leave Sasuke with Itachi."

Sakura narrowed her eyes. Considering how punctual Kakashi usually was, she didn't trust his promises of obtaining a teacher in a timely manner. Not to mention she wasn't overly eager to train one on one with him. His style of fighting wasn't compatible with hers, and she doubted he'd be able to help her much on the poison front.

Maybe she could ask Genma if he had any suggestions? She knew he was close with Raido Namiashi, who was another tokubetsu jounin. It was possible she could convince him to take her on as a student.

"Could I join Naruto or Sasuke?" Sakura questioned.

She didn't really want to, but she'd be fighting Neji Hyuuga. Sakura knew her chances of wining were practically non-existent, but that didn't mean she wanted those already terrible odds to sink any lower.

Even if Sakura couldn't win, she really wanted to get a few good hits in for what he had said and done to Hinata.

"Unfortunately, the Uchiha don't allow their techniques to be viewed by outsiders, and Naruto's mentor refuses to teach anyone but him."

You're not an Uchiha! How come you don't count and I do? Why won't Naruto's mystery teacher spare a few days to help me too?

A scream of frustration built in her throat.

She swallowed it down.

"Okay,"

The taste was bitter.

"I understand."

Kakashi had dismantled the final pieces of his wards when a presence flickered into existence next to him.

"I hear you've got a genin in need of a teacher."

Kakashi didn't need to turn to know who he'd find. He entered his apartment, not even bothering to try to keep his unwanted guest out.

"And why would you be interested in filling that role? You've only taught other ANBU."

An airy laugh. "I have more experience than you, yet the Hokage handed over an entire genin team."

Which everyone knew had been a terrible idea.

"Aren't you supposed to be running double shifts with all the foreign nin wandering around? How will you find time to teach on top of that?"

"Tenzo agreed to help me out," A light hum. "He's trying to avoid the Hokage right now, and wants to be out as much as possible in case there's news of Orochimaru."

"He goes by Yamato now," Kakashi pointed out idly.

An amused smile. "In public."

Which Tenzo was barely ever in.

"I haven't been gone from ANBU that long. Have you forgotten what happens when you disrespect your captain?"

An almost mocking laugher rang through the apartment. "You haven't been my captain for a long time, Hound. Besides, you'd have to catch me to punish me, and we both know you're just not that fast."

That was, unfortunately, true.

Kakashi sighed. "Get to the point."

"Your kunoichi has the highest kill count in her year and she broke free of a Yamanaka's mind jutsu. She's interesting."

Interesting was a bad thing to be in the shinobi world. Interesting got you dead and buried in an unmarked grave or accelerated through the ranks fast enough to make anyone snap. Interesting got you interrogations to figure out what, exactly, made you tick.

If Kakashi didn't have the reputation he did and hadn't insisted on staying with all his students when they were debriefed, he wasn't sure what would have happened. He knew the games this village played, knew how shinobi were chewed up and spat out.

That had been him, once upon a time.

"She's a genjutsu type. I can help with that."

"Genjutsu isn't going to help against a Hyuuga." Kakashi pointed out.

A cruel twitch of the lips. "It wouldn't help you against a Hyuuga, but your genjutsu has always been more akin to a sledgehammer than a scalpel."

Kakashi closed his eyes. "You're going to scare the shit out of her."

"She yelled at Fugaku the first time she met him. I'd have to work to frighten her."

That's exactly what Kakashi was afraid of.

Still, his options were limited. Not many shinobi were eager to teach a civilian-born at all, never mind one who'd upset an entire clan and on short notice.

Kakashi crossed his arms. "Tell me why you want to teach her, and I'll consider it."

"I'm curious."

Oh.

That wasn't as bad as Kakashi had assumed.

It was worse.

Notes:

hey y'all, hope you're having a good day

I'M BACK...but then will probably disappear for a while again

School has started once again and it is hitting like a sledgehammer. Chapters are probably going to be irregular with longer breaks in between them. Just warning you now.

Hayate is alive! I really liked his character and decided to keep him alive. I'm glad so many of you also like him. My man does so much with so little, i think that it shows the strengths of some of kishimotos writing. the first half of Naruto, for all the gripes i have, is actually pretty damn good.

Genma and Anko are 100% poison besties and no one can convince me otherwise.

And yes! Sakura has figured out the whole jinchuuriki thing, though she doesn't know the word for it. Sasuke knows because his parents told him, but he isn't really supposed to. Sakura REALLY isn't supposed to know because the identity of a jinchuuriki is kind of like a state secret. They're basically nukes in waiting, even the young ones. Sakura doesn't know all the details but she does know she's not supposed to know, and thus mostly keeping her mouth shut, other than this little attempt to get more info.

Also Kakashi interacting with other jounin, especially ones he knew in ANBU or other of his longtime friends, and how different he acts, is something i've been doing my best to show. He doesn't need to play nice with them, because as shit of a teacher he is, he does understand that he does need to do that to an extent with his team. My man is also extremely aware of the situation Sakura has found herself in and while he is Bad at being an actual teacher, he is trying to protect her. His name alone is enough to scare most people away, and he's basically been making it clear that if you try to pull some shit he will Find You.

A lot of you probably already guessed who the Secret Person Kakashi met at the end of the chapter, but SHHHHHH. Do you know how annoying it is to write that much without using a name or pronouns? Let me relish in my abilities and foreshadowing strength.

Today's fic recommendation is and all the fire's at your fingertips. It's basically about Tobirama saving child Kagami and being a good teacher. It's not too long, and as some interesting worldbuilding aspects that i really like.

Hate will be laughed at and the gay will be strong

byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye

Chapter 37: A Deal With A Demon

Summary:

Sakura meets her new mentor

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Naruto wasn't sure what to think of Jiraiya.

He'd expected his mentor to be cool, and exciting, or maybe even mysterious like Kakashi, but Jiraiya was just weird.

Naruto had asked Sakura about him, and she'd said he was a sanin like Orochimaru and was super strong. He was apparently also a toad sage-whatever that meant-and a master at fuinjutsu, but so far, the only thing he'd done was hit him once with chakra.

It was weird. He was weird.

"Are you going to teach me anything, old man?" He asked. "I already told you I know how to water walk."

"Practice never hurt anyone." Jiraiya said flippantly. "And your stamina needs increasing."

Now Naruto knew he was bullshitting, because every teacher he'd ever had, had said that his stamina was great. Not once had they ever told him he needed to work on it.

He crossed his arms. "Tell me what the point of this really is."

"I told you, it's-"

"I'm not stupid!" Naruto snapped. "I know my stamina is high enough. If you wanted me to get better, you'd make me do more difficult chakra control exercises or something, but you're not. Either explain what you're really doing or I'm leaving."

He didn't really want to leave, but he also wasn't going to let some weird old man make him do things without telling him why. Naruto would find someone else to train him if it came down to it. He would!

Jiraiya sighed. "Kami, you're stubborn. Alright, fine, I'll tell you, but after you have to actually listen to my instructions."

"If what you say makes sense, then sure." Naruto bounced on the balls of his feet. "Now hurry up and tell me, old man."

"You're aware of the Kyuubi sealed inside of you, right?" Jiraiya tapped him firmly on the stomach. "Over time, the seal will weaken and you yourself will have to learn how to harness its power. You've already lost control a few times, haven't you."

It wasn't a question, but Naruto nodded regardless. "Yeah. It usually only happens when I'm really mad or really scared."

"Your strong emotions are temporarily weakening the seal and allowing the Kyuubi to exert control over you. If you don't learn to control it, you will end up hurting your allies."

The worst part was that Naruto could see it happening so easily. When that red haze had come over him…he'd felt so angry and powerful and if Sakura or Sasuke had got in his way…

He shuddered.

"What does this have to do with water walking?" He demanded.

"It'll be easier to access the Kyuubi's chakra when your own is depleted." Jiraiya explained. "You need practice using it's power in a controlled environment so when it shows up during a fight, you won't be overwhelmed."

That actually made sense.

"Why didn't you just explain that before?" He complained.

Jiraiya swatted him. "You should learn to listen to your superiors without questioning them. You won't always get to know every detail on a mission."

But asking questions was the only way people ever told him anything.

"Whatever." Naruto pouted and went to stand on the pond. "I need to drain my chakra, right? How long is that going to take?"

"Given your reserves but shoddy chakra control? Not longer than an hour." Jiraiya leaned back and pulled a book from his pocket. "Now hush, I'm reading."

Naruto let out a frustrated growl but stayed where he was.

This was going to be a long month.

Sakura tentatively entered training ground eight.

She'd been pleasantly surprised when Kakashi had found a teacher in less than a day, especially considering how high on his priority list she usually was. Then again, it was possible he'd just found some random shinobi who owed him a favour.

Regardless, it was something and Sakura was determined to make the most of whoever came.

She went deeper in the training ground and came to a halt just in front of a target range. She was plenty visible from everywhere nearby, so her teacher would be able to find her easily.

Things would be fine.

She just needed to keep her cool, be polite, and-

"Hi!"

"Fuck!"

Sakura whirled around, heart in her throat and hand on a kunai.

Standing behind her and looking far too amused, was a tall shinobi with black curly hair and pale skin. He looked strangely familiar, but she couldn't quite figure out why-

Wait.

No.

Nonononononono.

No.

Absolutely not.

Shisui Uchiha grinned at her, eyes sparkling with mischief. "I'll be your sensei for the next month!"

"Oh no." The words fell out of her mouth before she could stop them. Any other time she'd probably be mortified, but right now she was far too outraged.

Out of all the Uchiha Sakura had met, Shisui had not even come close to being the worst one, but he was still an Uchiha, and the last time she'd seen him, she had stormed out of Sasuke's house after yelling at their clan head.

In retrospect she was very lucky that there hadn't been more consequences for that.

Then again, maybe this was the repercussion of her actions. Kakashi probably didn't know about her blow-up, and would have no reason to be suspicious about Shisui offering to train her.

He'd seemed the nicest out of all the Uchiha she'd met, but she couldn't rely on that now. He probably wouldn't hurt her directly but if he had the excuse of training…

Was this hazing? Was she about to be hazed?

If this wasn't Shisui getting revenge on his clan head's behalf, it was some weird inner clan politics move. Maybe he'd disagreed with Fugaku about something and wanted to prove he couldn't be controlled? There was no way she was on the Uchiha clan's good side, even after she'd saved Sasuke in the Forest of Death.

Shisui pouted. "You don't want me as a teacher? I thought we got along pretty well."

They'd met once and it had been painfully awkward and formal and ended disastrously.

Sakura couldn't do this.

"I need to go talk to Kakashi." She announced, turning on her heel. It was a lie but needs must. She was going to find Genma and beg him to ask Raido to train her, because this? This was absolutely not happening.

Surprisingly, Shisui did nothing to stop her.

She practically stomped her way back towards the entrance of the training grounds, trying to focus on her next step. Where could she find Genma? She could check his apartment, but it was unlikely he was there right now. She knew the jounin around the village were on high alert because of the chuunin exam and now Orochimaru's interference, so he was probably at work-

Ow!

Sakura had run right into…a tree?

She'd felt the bark against her face, but there was nothing in front of her! How-

It hit her.

Genjutsu.

The Uchiha were known for their skill in it, and really, the culprit could only be one person.

Sakura disrupted her chakra and the world changed around her.

She blinked in surprise. She'd assumed that Shisui had put the genjutsu on her after she'd announced her departure, but the training ground looked noticeably different than how she'd ever seen it.

Had he put the genjutsu on her before she'd even entered?

Unease curled in her gut. Sakura was good at noticing genjutsu, better than good. It had been years since someone had managed to catch her in one for longer than a minute without her noticing. But until she'd hit that tree, Sakura had had no idea she was even in one.

Slowly, she turned back around to face Shisui, who was much closer than he should have been and still incredibly amused.

"Was there a point to that?" She asked quietly.

Sakura needed to be careful here. She'd let her emotions get the best of her at the beginning, but now she knew this wasn't going to end easily. Shisui was powerful and didn't seem to have a problem with using genjutsu outside of a fight.

She made sure to disrupt her chakra regularly in case he tried to catch her in one again. She couldn't rely on her ability to sense one in use. Not with him.

"Of course there was," Shisui said easily. "Do you know how I did it?"

This felt like a test.

"Visual genjutsu," That much was obvious. "Minor tactile genjutsu so I wouldn't notice the difference between what my feet felt and what my eyes saw. Potential balance genjutsu for any ground dips."

The sheer skill and detail work it must have taken to weave genjutsu that flawlessly was impressive and terrifying in equal parts.

Shisui grinned. "Good, very good."

Definitely a test.

"Why do you think I did it?" He asked.

To scare me. Was her first thought. To see if I would notice.

Because you think it's funny. Because you wanted revenge for my disrespect of your clan leader.

"To prove a point." Is what she said aloud.

Prove that you're stronger than me. More powerful.

"Correct!" Shisui said brightly. "Now, what rank were the jutsu I used?"

How was Sakura supposed to know that?

She took a deep breath and laid all the information out in her mind.

The visual component had been an area effect genjutsu. Detailed, but not complicated. Shisui could have managed it with a C-rank.

The tactile and sensory component was much trickier to figure out. There wasn't a lot of information about those kinds of genjutsu in the sections she was allowed to read in the library. Visual genjutsu was most commonly used, and thus had the largest amount of information on it.

Tactile was possibly also C-rank. The function wasn't all that complicated and considering how similar most of the terrain was, it likely hadn't been used all that often.

Maybe a B-rank for sensory? The five basic senses were more easily manipulated, but things like balance were supposed to be harder to direct.

Sakura didn't know and it was bothering her. What if she was wrong and he was offended she'd assumed the jutsu were lower ranking?

She hated all of this.

"Nothing above a B-rank." She said eventually. What did Sakura have to lose anyway? Humiliation was a familiar face in her life, so what was one more time?

Shisui clicked his tongue. "Nothing above a C-rank." He informed her. "And they don't require much chakra to sustain."

By your standards or by mine? She thought dryly. "That's impressive."

"Thank you." Shisui tilted his head. "How many genjutsu do you know?"

That was a funny joke.

"None." She refused to be ashamed of it. They didn't teach genjutsu in the Academy and she'd never seen Kakashi use one. Sakura could have asked Genma, but she never wanted to push her luck on what he was willing to teach her. He was meant to be strictly her poison instructor and that was all.

She could have looked up some basic ones in the library, but having a new team and learning poisons had taken up a lot of her time. Not to mention her experiments with the Mokuton. She'd simply been too busy to try to pick up another skill entirely on her own.

"At least you won't have any bad habits to unlearn." Shisui mused. "Like a blank slate."

Was he still talking about training her? This wasn't some elaborate joke to mess with Sakura and leave her uncomfortable and unsettled and unwilling to ask Kakashi to find another instructor?

"Genjutsu doesn't work against Hyuuga's." She said cautiously. "Learning will be useful in the future, but it's not going to help me in my fight next month."

Shisui laughed. "Step one of dealing with clans is realising that seventy percent of what they tell the public is bullshit. Visual genjutsu don't work against Hyuuga, and they have a better chance at spotting other kinds. That doesn't mean they can't ever be susceptible."

Sakura took a moment to consider his words. It made sense that the Hyuuga would spread the rumour that genjutsu didn't work on them, so their enemies wouldn't even attempt it. Their ability to see through visual genjutsu-the most common type-would only help that reputation.

Still, she refused to get her hopes up.

"Does this mean you want to teach me genjutsu?" She asked carefully.

"And plenty more," Shisui hummed. "That Hyuuga won't know what hit him."

Was he doing this because of the Uchiha and Hyuuga rivalry?

Sakura decided she didn't care.

"Alright," she took a steadying breath. "I'll be in your care then, Shisui-sensei."

Shisui grinned and this time Sakura could see the edge of something sharp and dangerous.

"Let's begin."

Notes:

Hey y'all, hope you're having a good day

I HAVE RISEN FROM THE DEAD! Or, well, from the writing stagnation that comes with school. Who knew that working and going to school would be super painful? (everyone. the answer is everyone)

Congrats to everyone who guess Shisui! I know it wasn't that subtle, but i wanted some suspense so i made it a "mystery" that most of you caught onto.

First, Naruto and Jiraiya. Listen, i have...mixed feelings about Jiraiya. On one hand, his character is well created and thought out, as well as his mentorship with Naruto. His death gut punches me every time. On the other hand, i want to break all of his bones. Like, listen. I'm not saying horny characters can't exist. I'm not even saying the fact that he writes porn is bad-i'm literally on ao3-its just. The objectification of women and their lack of agency in the sexual realm is nothing new, and i understand its a gag. I understand that part of it is even designed to be part of his cover so he can spy more easily but like. No. Just. N O. Even if you say the jokes are meant for a younger audience, i didn't find that funny as a kid. I doubt other girls did either. Write jokes without blatant sexism challenge.

Because this is my world and my rules, i'm going to write him to be...more tasteful? at least for me. Like, he still writes porn and whatever, but doesn't actively invade women's privacy(spying on them when naked) and will back off if told to/sees he's making them uncomfortable. Also he doesn't talk about his sexual shit in front of children like he does in canon. (Sex-ed should be taught and sex should be destigmatized but there's a difference between open conversations and education and whatever the fuck he was doing. Also his weirdness with naruto's sexy jutsu thingie.) If i wrote him completely straight as he was in canon, with the world and morals and tone i've already created, Jiraiya would be basically a predator. Because if you take away the over reactions and silly drawings, that's basically what you're left with.

Okay now let's actually talk about Shisui and Sakura. I doubt i'll be able to get everything in here but if nothing else i can start.

Sakura wants a teacher, but like. She does not want to be with an Uchiha. Her experiences with them have been...not great, as y'all already know. But her options are limited and she sees the value Shisui as a teacher can bring her. These are the primary reasons she agrees.

Now, Shisui...Shisui is a bag of crazy and no one can convince me otherwise. Why he chose to mentor Sakura will be revealed later, but i'm going to give you a bit of info as to why i'm choosing to write him like i am. Like a lot of talented shinobi, he was sped through the ranks absurdly fast and also fought in the third shinboi war. During which, he left his teammate behind to die because he was jealous of them. This is what activated his Mangekyo.

Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Yeah, your favorite cheery Uchiha canonically left a teammate behind bc he was jealous of their abilities. Also, when the coup was being planned, he teamed up with Danzo to try to stop it, and was planning on brainwashing Fugaku to stop it. Danzo, or course, betrayed him, stole his eye, and poisoned him. But uh. Shisui's last words to Itachi, were to "finish the mission", aka, stop the Uchiha's coup. And we all know how that went.

Obviously, most of this didn't happen in my story, but can you see why i'm writing him like this? Shisui is more than a little down for morally grey shit, and he does not care about a lot of people. His lines are different, and most people have no goddamn idea what they are. He's dangerous for a lot of reasons, but his ability to be likeable and obfuscate his danger is definitely one of them. He CHOOSES to show Sakura a hint of what he's capable of to convince her to let him teach her. He could have played nice, but he makes the decision to show her a flash or teeth. It's a warning as much as it is a lure.

He's a wildcard and that's exactly how he likes it. His loyalty is not bound by the same things it is for most people. He's also not Itachi's cousin in canon, but he is in this story. Mikoto's sister was his mother, and she died in the war. His father and his death is the same. The rest of his backstory will be revealed later on, but those are the basics.

Today's fic recommendation is A Thousand Quiet Moments. Lil Sakura befriends Itachi and overhears Some Shit. Consequences happen all around. Shisui and Sai also make appearances.

Constructive criticism is welcome, hate will be laughed at, and the gay will be strong

byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye

Chapter 38: Grasp it in Your Hands

Summary:

Sakura plans for the next stage.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Sakura learned one thing very quickly from her new training.

Shisui was an asshole.

She'd been wrong when she'd thought that he was the nicest Uchiha she'd ever met. So, so very wrong.

He'd started her training by making her read the creepiest books Sakura had ever laid eyes on, while water walking, and then using genjutsu on her.

They were all more obvious than the one he'd used on the first day, but were hard to catch nonetheless.

All manner of bugs had crawled on everything, shadowy figures had loomed over where she sat, bloodcurdling screams and footsteps had haunted her.

It got to the point where she routinely flared her chakra out of instinct the second she sensed something even a hint out of place, and then a few more times for good measure because his favourite trick was applying a genjutsu, allowing it to be dissolved, and using a new one when she thought she'd escaped.

Asshole. Prick. Sadistic little-

"I can hear you insulting me." Shisui sang. "If you have time to do that then maybe I should add another layer of complexity."

They will never find your body. She promised.

After dispelling another illusion, she shot a glare at Shisui. "I don't see how any of this is going to help me learn genjutsu."

"Genjutsu isn't like ninjutsu, where you can just throw together some hand signs and chakra." He explained. "You have to make your target fully believe and fully feel what you want. That means you have to be familiar with the sensation yourself."

That explained the horror books and genjutsu he kept using. "Why make me water walk at the same time?" She demanded.

"Stamina and multitasking training. Your natural reserves are small, so you need every opportunity to strengthen them. Kakashi has done a decent job with your physical conditioning, but that's not all you're going to need."

Ugh. His explanations were so reasonable and made sense and she hated it because she just knew that there were easier ways to accomplish the same thing, but he was doing it like this to make her suffer.

She also kind of hated that it made her retroactively despise Kakashi's training less. Physical conditioning was by far her least favourite aspect of shinobi training, and Kakashi had focused on it more than anything else. But at least his hellish methods were straightforward in their suffering.

"How long will I be doing this for?" She panted. Disrupting her chakra while water walking was hard and stretched the limits of her control. She had fallen in more than once.

Sakura had twenty-three days until she had to fight Neji Hyuuga. She planned to use every single one wisely. She'd already begun planning and knew she couldn't waste any time if she wanted even a chance of pulling it off.

"Well…"

Sakura was suddenly hit with an intense wave of nausea and she disrupted her chakra so fiercely she fell in the water.

Shisui looked far too amused as she pulled herself out.

"How about this, if you can apply this genjutsu on me within your first three tries, we'll start other parts of your training."

Sakura eyed him suspiciously. "Show me the hand signs."

He did.

She licked her lips and went through them herself, not infusing them with chakra, but getting used to the feel for their transitions.

Shisui's gaze burned into her, but she ignored him.

Sakura remembered the nausea that had just been inflicted on her, the sickness she'd felt carrying bodies in wave. She brought those memories to the surface and infused her intent with her chakra.

Her first attempt felt strange. Weak, and without a clear guide.

Her second attempt made Shisui blink just a little too rapidly.

Sakura grinned.

Shisui didn't seem upset, if anything, he looked delighted.

"Alright then, a deal is a deal." He leaned forward and onto his toes.

"Again."

She repeated the genjutsu enough times that the seals were engrained in her bones. Shisui continued to use his own illusions on her, and it went on until she was about to drop.

Sakura kind of regretted asking now.

He hummed. "Yeah, your stamina still needs work. Now keep reading, you're almost to the good part."

I hate you so much.

Sakura sat alone in a secluded corner of the library, furiously scanning through scrolls.

Coating poison on her kunai and senbon wasn't going to cut it. If Neji's fight with Hinata was any indication, he would be incredibly hard to land a hit on.

He was practically untouchable.

How do you reach a boy who can't be hit?

"-ucking Konoha-nin don't know what spice is."

Sakura jerked her head towards the familiar voice, surprise freezing her in place.

Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari were walking through the street, visibly exasperated.

The one who'd spoken was Kankuro. "I mean seriously, would it kill them to add something so it didn't taste that fucking bland."

Temari rolled her eyes. "I told you to bring your own spices."

"I did! I just didn't bring enough cause I didn't expect these fuckers to be that bad at seasoning things. Honestly, it's pathetic."

Gaara sighed. "We've been searching for a place for half an hour. Perhaps we should settle for someplace that is less than ideal."

"It has been too long since I've eaten good food, I refuse to choke down one more meal that-"

Sakura cleared her throat, resisting the urge to flinch as the Suna-nin's collective gaze snapped to her. Gaara was by far the worst, but Temari and Kankuro's attention weren't pleasant either.

I wonder what monster is trapped under Gaara's skin.

"You don't find what you're looking for here." She explained. "If you want spices, you'll need to head to the immigrant district. They have a Suna section that should have what you want."

Sakura had never really spent much time there, but it had been in the same area as the Kiri section and there were occasional cross overs.

"Thank fuck. Where is it?"

Sakura opened her mouth to respond, but was swiftly cut off by Temari.

"I'm sure she can just show us, right? You did last time."

She resisted the urge to raise her eyebrows. Why would they want to spend more time with her? Maybe to pry about information on Sasuke? Gaara would be fighting him in less than a month.

"I can show you." Sakura said. This was a terrible idea. She was going to do it anyway. Call it curiosity or something less kind, but Sakura had almost never interacted with shinobi outside of Konoha. She wanted to know more.

The Suna-nin became progressively tenser as time stretched on, and it occurred to Sakura that this might not have been an attempt to get information on Sasuke at all.

They were foreign shinobi, and while they were technically allies, even Sakura could tell it was a tenuous partnership at best. They were probably worried she was leading them into some sort of trap and wanted her nearby as a hostage, just in case.

She wasn't sure if that was better or worse.

Regardless, she wasn't leading them into a trap, and it wasn't long before they reached the Suna section of the immigrant district.

Sakura gestured broadly. "Here you are. It should have everything you need." It was time to book it. She'd done her good deed of the day, but now she needed to go home and-

"I'm glad my students were able to find such a helpful guide."

Sakura very narrowly managed to restrain the scream that built in her throat, whirling around hastily.

Sasori stood behind her, an amused smile on his face.

What is up with these people and sneaking up on everyone?! Do they find it funny?! It's not!

"It was no problem." She said, caught between wanting to step away from him and also not wanting to step closer to Gaara.

Sasori smiled and Sakura' skin crawled.

Kami, he was creepy.

"I know how easy it can be to get lost in foreign villages, so it's kind of you to steer them in the right direction."

An action she was now regretting. "Really, it's nothing."

Leave me alone leave me alone leave me alone.

Had he been watching them the entire time? Making sure she wasn't leading his students into a trap?

Did she seem like someone who would do that? Or was it just because she was ideal bait. Not important and not all that threatening and thus able to garner trust more easily.

Sakura didn't know and she hated it.

"Why don't you join a for a bit? It's always good to foster strong relationships between Hidden Villages."

Oh, he was good. Now she couldn't refuse without being offensive.

Sakura smiled brightly and she didn't mean one bit of it.

"Of course. It would be my pleasure."

Adrenaline coursed through her veins as she walked in step with the Suna-nin. Temari, Gaara, and Kankuro seemed wary of her, but overall uncaring. Almost all of their tension had disappeared after Sasori's arrival.

How powerful is he? He's training the Kazekage's kids so he has to be ridiculously good.

It was difficult to identify why he was dangerous, other than the unease his presence caused Sakura. Unlike Temari, Kankuro, and even Gaara, who wore obvious indicators of their weapons, Sasori had nothing even remotely helpful.

Most of his body was covered by a red robe that was cinched at the waist with a cloth belt. She couldn't even see where he kept his kunai or water pouch.

She stood awkwardly at the side while they bought their spices, barely even bothering to haggle with the merchants. They were either desperate, or rich. Probably both.

"Who is your poison instructor?"

Sakura tried not to tense at the question. "Pardon?"

Stall stall stall stall.

Sasori continued browsing a stack of peppers. "Your sensei is Kakashi Hatake, and while his arsenal is impressive, it does not include advanced knowledge about poisons. Who is your instructor?"

None of your fucking business.

"A family friend." She said vaguely. It wasn't a lie. Genma had met her parents and got along pretty well. That counted.

Sasori picked up a pepper. "That's kind of them."

Sakura bristled instinctively. Genma had taught her because he'd seen the work she'd put in, not out of pity.

Sasori offered it to her. "It's a ghost pepper."

She eyed it cautiously. There didn't seem to be anything suspicious about it, and she had just watched him pick it up off the table. But still.

"It's very spicey for a Konoha-nin," He continued. "You'd probably tear up just cutting it, but it is quite tasty."

Her head jerked back up to stare at him.

Was he-?

Sasori smiled. "Thank you for helping my students."

Sakura nodded slowly and accepted the pepper.

"You're welcome."

"Do you know what the shunshin is?"

Sakura paused, halfway through forming a tiger seal. She'd been this close to finishing the basic sound genjutsu Shisui had taught her. "It's using chakra to make yourself go extremely quickly."

Shisui nodded. "That's the bare bones of it, but it's a little more complicated than that. It requires very precise chakra control and a lot of practice."

Kurenai had told her that Shisui's moniker was Shunshin no Shisui. This was what he was known for.

She was beginning to see where this was going. "Are you going to teach me it?"

"Do you want me to?"

Sakura considered. She had tentative plans already, and this wasn't a part of them but. Hmmm.

She could make this work.

"Yes."

Shisui grinned. "Good. You might not have it mastered by the third stage, but you should have the basics down, and those are the hardest."

Her chest grew warm at his confidence in her.

"So, the first thing you need to watch out for is circulating the chakra to your eyes, they're very delicate and can have serious consequences if you…"

It was night when Kabuto found her.

Kin had been scouring the village since the preliminaries for that pink bitch but was more often than not forced to hide from ANBU patrols and other Konoha-nin. The whole village was alert and suspicious of Oto-nin, meaning the kindest fate for being caught would be imprisonment.

Orochimaru had told her to lay low until the invasion began, but her fingers itched for revenge.

Dosu and Zaku had been bastards, but they'd been hers and now they were gone.

Orochimaru couldn't have given less of a fuck. He'd laughed when Kin had told him what happened. Said that it was disappointing the original plan hadn't worked, but the acquired data was interesting all the same.

Kin had wanted nothing more than to rip his throat out.

That was why, when Kabuto found her sprawled on a branch, she threw a senbon at him out of principal.

He dodged it, because of course he did, and jumped up beside her.

"The fuck do you want." She hissed.

He smiled at her. "I have an offer, if you're interested."

Fury burned through her veins. "If Orochimaru wants me to do his dirty work, then he can come tell me himself."

Kabuto laughed softly. "I'm not here on Orochimaru's behalf."

Kin stilled. Of all the shinobi working for Orochimaru, Kabuto was by far the highest ranking. He was afforded trust and agency the rest of them could only dream of. Even Zaku's father, who had welcomed Orochimaru with open arms from the day he'd shown up and taken over their land, wasn't anywhere near that trusted.

"I heard what happened to you team." Kabuto leaned forward. "I know you want revenge."

Kin looked away. "And? That pink bitch will get what's coming to her."

"But that's the thing, isn't it?" He grinned, the expression a tad too wide. "You don't just want Sakura Haruno dead, you want Orochimaru in the grave too."

Her hands twitched towards her pouches. She didn't have a hope in hell of beating Kabuto, but if she was fast enough she might be able to escape.

"Do you want to know a secret?" He whispered.

Despite her better judgement, Kin nodded.

"I do too."

Sakura may have not been from a clan, but she still knew some of the basic etiquette when interacting with those who were.

Namely, don't ask about their techniques.

Even if you were their friend. Especially if you were their friend, because they'd still have to deny you the information but would feel bad about it. And their new suspicion.

It was fine. Sakura understood. Information was power and keeping the weaknesses of a technique hidden was just good tactics.

So even though Sakura was fighting Hinata's cousin and fellow Hyuuga, she never once asked her for information.

Instead, Sakura studied.

She scoured the library for as many books and scrolls on the Hyuuga as possible. She read old mission reports used as propaganda and history books that mentioned them.

Instead, Sakura watched.

She sparred with Hinata as often as she could, taking note of all the strengths and weaknesses she could identify.

(She tested the nausea genjutsu on Hinata during a sparring match and nearly made her throw up. It seemed that Shisui really had been telling the truth about the Hyuuga being just as susceptible to other forms of genjutsu.)

She wrote down every single detail and speculation she could find.

She saw the black blindfold in Hinata's training gear.

"What's this for?" Sakura asked, tapping the dark fabric. "I thought the Byakugan could see through everything."

Hinata blinked. "It can, but this isn't for regular training."

"Oh?" Sakura tilted her head. "I don't understand."

"The Hyuuga know our biggest weakness is our eyes, and so we train without using them in case they're ever compromised in battle." Hinata explained. "We do our best to make sure that never happens, but it's better to be safe than sorry."

That meant that blinding Neji wouldn't be nearly as useful as she'd hoped.

Hmm.

"That's really smart." She said aloud. "So you can do a bunch of stuff with your eyes covered?"

Hinata brightened. "We can. Training blind always came quite easily to me, even more so than using the Byakugan."

Neji was no doubt proficient in it as well. She didn't need to scrap her idea immediately, but it would definitely need some tweaking.

"I can't imagine fighting without seeing anything." Sakura said honesty. "That's pretty impressive."

Hinata blushed. "Thanks."

On the eleventh day of training with Shisui, she thrust her notebook at him.

She'd spent half of the night going over all the details of her plan, and looked as frazzled as she felt. But it was done.

He read it carefully, his normally jovial expression cooling into something sharp and calculating.

Sakura waited anxiously for him to finish.

Finally, Shisui looked back up at her.

"It'll need some tweaks, but it can work."

Sakura let an unhinged grin slip out.

Notes:

Hey y'all, hope you're having a good day

I have returned! (will i say this every time i have a longish break now? who knows?) My classes for this semester are almost over so i should have a lot more free time soon. I'm hoping to wrap this story up in the foreseeable future, so look forward to that. (For those worrying, i'm currently writing chapter 50 so you've got a long ways to go before this shitshow is over. I just meant on my end, i'm nearly done writing. When i finish the updates will be a lot faster. I am still planning on a sequel too.)

Shisui continues to be unhinged because this man is neither mentally stable nor predictable. Sakura is having A Time right now guys.

Was Sasori's scene subtle? Probably not! Have i agonized over a dialogue change? Yes! Did i keep it anyway because it felt like too much effort? Also yes!

Kin and Kabuto having their talk was fun to write. Loyalty is a finicky thing and i am planning on expanding on all of this.

This was basically a montage chapter with a lot of set up. Not super serious but fun to write. I don't really have much else to say, so uhhhh yeah.

Fic recommendation of the week is till we are called to rise. It's a short fic about Neji being put in an arranged marriage with Omoi. It's funny and light but with undertones that i think are really strong. Not time consuming at all, so you guys should definitely check it out.

Hate will be laughed at and the gay will be strong.

Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye

Chapter 39: Brick by Brick

Summary:

Sakura continues to prepare for her match while Politics happen

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Sakura had been training with Shisui for seventeen days and she now knew two genjutsu.

One was a nausea genjutsu that induced sickness at varying degrees on her target.

The second was a sound genjutsu that mimicked any pre-existing noise and made it sound like it was coming from somewhere else.

She was honestly surprised she'd been able to learn them both in such a short period of time. When she mentioned as much to Shisui, he laughed.

"Kid, you're a genjutsu type." He flicked her nose. "It's supposed to be easy. You're naturally inclined to the sort of skills that make genjutsu work."

Shisui held up a finger.

"Detail oriented."

Two.

"Impeccable chakra control."

Three.

"Creative."

He lowered his hand. "All these traits are what separates passable genjutsu from excellent ones, and they make it easier to pick up. You're not learning these jutsu superficially, you just have a natural inclination."

That made her feel a lot better, though she'd never admit it. She'd been worried that she was learning too quickly, and thus her new skills would fall apart under pressure.

Sakura would much rather hone these two illusions to perfection than learn any more, which was why they would be focusing on that instead of learning anything new ones for the rest of their time together.

"Try layering the genjutsu again. Start with the sound, then move onto nausea."

Holding multiple genjutsu was tricky and needed all of her concentration. Her first three attempts slipped through her fingers like water.

Sakura inhaled deeply.

Again.

For the second time, Sakura stepped nervously in the civilian café she'd first met Genma in.

As before, he and Raido sat the corner, enjoying tea and sweet treats.

She approached.

Genma smiled lazily at her, and Raido tilted his head in greeting. "Hey kid."

Some of the tension released from Sakura.

"Hi."

It had been a while since they'd interacted-since Genma had explained in person why he wasn't able to help her in any capacity for the rest of the chuunin exams but that he was proud of her-so she felt a little unsure about her place.

"What are you doing around here? This is a little off course from your usual route." Genma took a long drag of his tea. "Is everything alright?"

"I need help." She admitted.

Genma winced. "You know I can't do that. I'm the proctor so I can't have any involvement with the candidates."

"I know," Sakura took a steadying breath. "That's why I'm not asking you. I'm asking him." She nodded towards Raido.

The pair stilled for a fraction of a second, before Genma burst into laugher.

"You're damn good at following the letter and not the spirit of the rules, you know that?"

Sakura smiled, saccharine sweet. "If they wanted the rules to mean something else, then they should have written them differently." She turned to Raido, anxiety bubbling in her stomach. "Can you help me?"

He gave her a long considering look.

She admittedly didn't know much about Raido other than the fact that he was close with Genma and was another tokubetsu jounin. If she had to guess, she'd say he was or had been in ANBU too. Sakura was gambling on him knowing enough about poisons to help her. If not, then she'd need a new plan, or have to risk figuring it out on her own.

Sakura's notes on the strychnos nux-vomica weighed heavily in her pocket.

"What do you need?"

"What's Neji's deal, anyway?"

It wasn't that Sakura didn't know she was touching a sensitive topic, it was just that she hadn't expected all of team 8 to go dead still.

There was a long, tense moment of silence.

"It's complicated." Hinata said quietly. "He has…strong opinions on strength, and…" she trailed off.

"He hates her." Kiba finished.

Because that had been really hard to tell from the whole trying to kill Hinata part of their fight.

Still, something about this bothered Sakura. It would be one thing to dislike someone, but that fight had been personal. That kind of deep-seated anger didn't arise from nothing. Most people didn't hate on a whim. Especially not someone like Hinata who was usually about as inoffensive as it got.

Before she could ask another question, Hinata shifted her gaze away.

"It's a clan thing."

The shut out would have been less obvious if they'd slammed a door in her face.

Sakura stared at the lines and circles all over her body.

"Is this really necessary?"

Shisui clicked his tongue. "You're going to be fighting a Hyuuga, and a damn good one at that. Your primary objective is going to be dodging well enough so that your chakra and tenketsu points don't get sealed. If that happens, you'll be dead in the water."

There had to be a better way than having Shisui poke her with paint on her tenketsu until she learned to dodge well enough. She was honestly beginning to have déjà vu.

"There's no way I'll be faster than him after only a month." She said eventually. "He beat Hinata, who can kick my ass any day in taijutsu." Even after Kakashi's grueling physical training, she just didn't have the stamina and skill her peers did.

Shisui hummed, settling into a stance she recognised from Hinata. "You won't be training to dodge the entire hit, but just enough that it won't be a debilitating one. It'll hurt, but it won't take you out."

Huh.

That was actually a good strategy.

Sakura should really stop being surprised by that.

"Naruto!"

His head jerked up as a familiar voice called his name.

Sakura was running towards them, face flushed but visibly pleased to see him.

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow. "You know her?"

Naruto nodded vigorously, waving at the oncoming Sakura. "Yeah! She's my teammate."

She skidded to a halt next to them, giving him a friendly punch to the shoulder. "I've been looking everywhere for you!"

Naruto laughed sheepishly. "Jiraiya-sensei has been keeping me pretty busy." That was an understatement. Every day they drained his natural reserves and tried to access the Kyuubi chakra-something that only worked half the time-and spent the rest going through fuinjutsu techniques.

Jiraiya had seemed surprised when Naruto had requested the lessons, but he didn't regret it one bit. Seals were actually super interesting, and Jiraiya seemed to know how to teach them in a way that Naruto could actually understand and remember.

Sakura smiled. "I get that. I don't want to interrupt your training, but I really need your help with something."

Naruto blinked. He was almost never anyone's first choice when it came for getting help. Especially not from Sakura, who was super smart and barely even asked Kakashi for anything.

"What do you need help with?"

Jiraiya's demeanor was friendly, but his eyes were sharp.

She seemed to pick up on Jiraiya's watchfulness, because she shifted away from him minutely and turned her attention back to Naruto.

"I need to make smoke bombs, but with added ingredients." She explained. "You were always the best at traps, and you almost never used standard issue bombs when you did your pranks."

Naruto brightened. "I made all of my stuff from scratch. I can totally help."

"Thank you so much." Sakura sagged in relief.

"Don't worry about it! This is for the chuunin exam, right? Anything to help fight that bastard Neji."

Anyone who spoke to Hinata-to anyone-like that deserved whatever Sakura had in store for them.

If the sharp glint in Sakura's eye was any indication, she agreed.

Itachi found her in the library.

She was hunched over several scrolls, eyes scanning them furiously.

He cleared his throat.

Her head jerked up. "What do you-?" She froze once she caught sight of him.

Itachi set the pouch in his hand down on the table. Inside was a scroll about obscure poisons found in the minor nations and how they were produced.

Sakura watched him with sharp, wary eyes.

"Thank you for protecting my little brother."

She leaned back. "I already told Sasuke there was no debt to repay."

He smiled.

"Nevertheless, thank you."

Sakura fell flat on her face.

Ow.

Ignoring Shisui's unhelpful laugher, she pushed herself back to her feet and brushed the dirt off her dress.

Learning the shunshin was probably one of the hardest things she'd ever done, and even after hours of training, she still felt nowhere near being even close to competent.

It wasn't the chakra control she had a problem with, despite the care she needed to make sure she didn't overload her limbs or even worse, her eyes. Going quickly without being able to see was worse than useless, it could be deadly.

No, her difficulties lay almost exclusively in controlling her movements. She could start the shunshin just fine, but actually moving…

Well, let's just say that it was a good thing that Shisui was fast enough to catch her before she did any real harm to herself.

"Ready to try again?"

Sakura ran her tongue over her teeth. She didn't need to master the shunshin, she just needed to be able to go in a straight line consistently.

Again.

Shikamaru wasn't surprised to hear laughter coming from the Yamanaka's flower shop.

It was primarily run by Sora, Ino's mother, and was a hub for spies and informants everywhere in the village. Inoichi may have run the Intelligence division of Konoha, but Sora was much more familiar with those who were routinely in the field.

She was like the den mother of spies and informants. They trusted her as much as they could anybody, and the flower shop was one of the few places they seemed to relax.

He was a little surprised to see Sakura there, leaning against the counter and chatting away at Ino as she folded up a bouquet.

Shikamaru considered coming back another time, but if he didn't pick up the blackberry seeds his mom would kill him, and he was not keen on inciting her wrath.

The two kunoichi looked up as the bell at the door chimed, pausing whatever conversation they'd been in the middle of.

"Shika!" Ino quickly finished wrapping the bouquet she'd been working on and pushed it to the side. "Are you here for the blackberry seeds?"

He nodded.

"They're in the back. Give me a second and I'll have them ready." With a flash of blonde hair, she was gone.

Leaving him alone with Sakura.

She smiled awkwardly. "It's been a while."

"Yeah."

The atmosphere was uncomfortable, but neither of them made much attempt to alleviate that.

Shikamaru didn't have anything against Sakura, it was just.

Well.

He wasn't about to forget her slamming Ino's skull into the ground anytime soon.

Shikamaru knew they had reconciled after their match had begun rekindling their friendship. They were clearly on good enough terms for Sakura to be invited to the flower shop, even if they weren't as close as they used to be, and the bad blood seemed to have ebbed away. There was no need for Shikamaru to throw his two cents of emotion in.

But Nara had long memories.

He took the time to study her closely. She was taller than she'd been in the Academy, more muscular too. The edges of her chin length hair had been evened out, and was pinned back by a multitude of clips. Her dress was the same, but he could see the places it had been patched up and resewn.

Even more telling than her physical changes was the way she held herself. Sakura seemed settled into her skin, no longer trying to take as little space as possible like she had during her last days in the Academy, nor loudly proclaiming her presence like she had when she'd liked Sasuke.

She was different.

Her fight with Ino had more than proved that.

In the Academy, Shikamaru had never been overly close with Sakura, but they'd had a decent rapport. She felt unfamiliar now, a stranger and yet not. He could pick out the pieces of what was the same and what had changed, but not exactly what was different.

Ino came back with a bag full of blackberry seeds. "Is that it?"

Shikamaru hesitated. He wanted to talk to her about what he'd overheard his parents discussing about Otogakure, but didn't want to do it in front of Sakura. It wasn't strictly clan business, but nothing he particularly wanted to share with someone he wasn't sure he could trust.

Sakura picked up on his hesitation and stepped away from the counter. "I should get going. It's almost time for supper and my mom hates when I'm late."

Ino's eyes darted between the two of them. "You don't have to go." She insisted.

Sakura smiled and shook her head. "It's fine. We can talk more later." She spared Shikamaru only one more glance before leaving, the bell jingling behind her.

Ino crossed her arms. "What was so important that she couldn't be here for it?" She demanded.

"I think Otogakure is doing something to mess with Konoha." He explained. "My parents won't tell me much, but anyone below tokubetsu jounin has been ordered to stay away from Oto-nin unless told otherwise."

She leaned back. "My clan did the same. There has to be something else we're not seeing though, because Otogakure is a new and relatively small Hidden Village. If they tried to pull something, they'd get crushed."

With their leaders strung out and gutted as a warning for others. Or maybe Konoha would just remand exuberant compensation. They still had to maintain their international façade of being the 'nice' village.

"They don't even have the excuse of candidates in the chuunin exam anymore. You'd think they would have planned that better if they needed a reason to stay within Konoha." He mused. "Unless they already got what they wanted."

Ino's expression shifted just enough that Shikamaru knew something was up.

He raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

She huffed. "Fucking Nara." Her lips pursed. "I tried talking to Sakura about what happened in the Forest of Death to get her so beat up, but she wouldn't-couldn't-and wasn't even able to tell me who ordered the gag. She warned me to stay away from Oto-nin right after."

Shikamaru grimaced. "So something happened in the Forest. My bet is it had to do with Sasuke. The Uchiha have been out for blood these past few weeks."

The Uchiha were many things. Skilled. Deadly. Emotionally stunted.

They were not, however, subtle. The rare exceptions were almost always apart of ANBU. Allegedly. Shikamaru technically wasn't supposed to know any of the members at all, much less which were Uchiha.

Ino hummed in agreement. "But why stay? They don't have any candidates left, and can just claim they need to leave. They're not a Great Nation, they don't have to play ball unless our relations were previously hostile."

"Which they shouldn't be, because Otogakure is so new." He finished. "I'll keep an ear out on my end for any information on them." With the amount of Nara's who worked in Intelligence or T&I, there was bound to be someone who knew something.

Ino made a face. "It's not likely I'll get anything on mine. The only thing people want to talk about with me is my preliminary match."

Ah.

"Your clan still pushing to crack Sakura's head open?"

Ino's expression shuttered. "I'm handling it." She said flatly.

Shikamaru did not envy her. He didn't want to imagine how annoying his own clan would be if someone managed to break out of his Shadow Possession.

He sighed. "This is a clusterfuck."

Ino snorted.

"Yeah."

"What the fuck are you playing at."

Shisui didn't need to look up to know who had found him. He was honestly surprised it hadn't happened sooner.

Genma had tracked him down just outside of ANBU headquarters, the sun barely beginning to rise.

He grinned, wide and insincere. "What do you mean?"

Genma's lips curled ever so slightly. "Don't try to play games with me, Shisui. I'm not in the mood."

Indeed. While Genma's slouch against the wall would seem almost casual to an outside observer, the sharpness in his gaze told another story. He was pissed and wouldn't let up until he had what he wanted.

"I assume this is about Sakura."

Genma had always had a soft spot for kids. He'd take the younger ANBU recruits under his wing and was one of the few people who could treat them their age while not being condescending. Even Shisui had been subject to his mother-henning.

None of that warm affection shined through now, except in the fact that Shisui hadn't been poisoned yet. Probably.

"Is it so hard to believe I was simply interested in teaching Sasuke's teammate? She didn't have a teacher, and I was willing." Shisui crossed his arms. "How come you can pick up a new student, but I can't?"

"Because I'm not a full-time ANBU with a clan on my ass. It'd be one thing if it were an order from Fugaku, but I know what Sakura did during the 'family dinner' so there's no way that's true."

Genma hadn't survived within ANBU for almost a decade by being stupid, that much was clear.

"The kid already has too much on her plate without you messing around. What the fuck were you even thinking trying to teach her the shunshin? I'm not letting her get dragged into a political power play because you were bored."

Shisui clicked his tongue. "She's already in one. Sakura was intended to be fodder for the Jinchuuriki and Sasuke-out of mind and out of sight-but she's not and people are noticing."

Things would only get worse after her match with Neji. Even if she didn't win, her skills would be on display for an even larger audience. It might have been a kindness to slow her progress as much as possible to prevent the inevitable backlash.

But who was Shisui to deny a fledgling predator her claws?

She would have grown them on her own regardless of his help.

"Do you think the Yamanaka or Hyuuga will leave her alone when this is all over? She barely has any protection-"

"And your involvement won't give her any." Genma said coolly. "Not without the rest of the Uchiha backing you up. It'll only piss the Hyuuga off even more without any of the benefits."

Sigh. It was a shame Genma wasn't stupid. That would make everything so much easier.

"She's not even your official student. You don't have any right to demand answers from me."

Genma's expression went glacial. His relaxed demeanor, as false as it had been, slipped off him like rainwater and he suddenly looked exactly like a veteran ANBU with enough assassinations under his belt to fill a mausoleum.

The senbon in his mouth was now less of a funny quirk and more of a threat. Shisui had seen him spit it out with enough force to kill, the death only partly attributed to the deadly poison coating it.

Both of them were losing their patience for this conversation and fast.

"Just tell me, Shisui. I need to be able to brace her for the shitshow that's bound to come after this whole mess. There's already too many wildcards and I don't need you to be one of them."

But Shisui had been and always would be a wildcard. He thrived on it.

Survived by it.

However, Genma was one of the few people Shisui could trust with this. Even his own family, even Itachi, weren't likely to take this explanation well.

"If Sakura survives these next few years, she's going to be a monster."

Genma, tellingly, didn't protest.

Monsters weren't unusual in the shinobi world. Shisui was one. Genma was as well, when he felt like it.

"I'm just trying to make sure she stays one of ours."

Mebuki studied the design carefully. "And it needs to be completely airtight?"

Sakura nodded.

It wasn't often that Sakura asked for help on anything shinobi related. Her and Kizashi weren't well suited to provide much more than basic support. She'd be lying if she said it didn't grate on her.

They couldn't teach their daughter jutsu or how to hold a blade. They didn't know where to find shinobi supplies or books.

But clothing?

Mebuki could do clothing.

Sakura fell flat on her face for the millionth time, but for once she couldn't bring herself to feel anything but pure elation.

She'd done it, she'd finally used the shunshin on purpose and had actually done something with it!

Sure, she'd only moved five feet and had botched her landing, but she'd used the shunshin.

And now that she had an idea of what she'd done right, she could replicate it.

Shisui watched her pick herself up, something almost manic sparking in his gaze.

"Good."

Sakura got to her feet.

"Again."

"…not overly concerned facing Sabaku no Kankuro, nor Kabuto Yakushi. Of the opponents I will potentially face, Sasuke and Sabaku no Gaara are the larger threats." Shino pushed his glasses up. "My insects will make it easy to identify the puppet. Kabuto has not shown to be a notable fighter."

Kiba and Hinata were nodding like his words made sense, and they did. They really did.

Which was the problem.

Nothing Kabuto had shown was suspicious at all. Not really. There wasn't any reason to be afraid. No glaring red flags or noteworthy behaviour that couldn't be easily chalked up to something harmless.

And yet.

He was friendly and mild, had provided information for free and never contradicted himself.

He wasn't a threat.

And yet.

Sakura wanted to take her friends by the shoulders and shake them. She wanted to warn Shino not to underestimate Kabuto.

But what could she possibly say?

What reason could she possible give beyond the unease in her bones?

He was untrustworthy and dangerous and most definitely a liar. But weren't all shinobi supposed to be?

It was the same.

It wasn't.

He's not a liar like you. Sakura desperately wanted to explain. He's one like me.

What would her words accomplish, in the end? Who would believe her?

"Be careful." She said, and wanted to scream at how useless that warning was. How superficial.

Sakura lowered her gaze to her lunch.

Naruto was learning a lot about the Kyuubi.

Mainly, that he was an asshole.

Oh yeah, sure, he was a giant chakra monster that had caused a lot of death and destruction. Naruto knew that, but no one had warned about how much of a dick the guy was.

After weeks of draining his own chakra, he was able to summon very small amounts of the Kyuubi's energy to use. It wasn't super useful, and a pain in the ass overall, but the new sense of control it gave Naruto was a relief.

What wasn't, was that half the time he ended up in the weird mind space they shared and had to have a verbal smack talk with a giant fox.

It was weird.

It didn't happen every time though, so maybe he'd be lucky. Naruto took a steadying breath and tried to reach for the Kyuubi's chakra.

"HOW DARE YOU INTRUDE UPON MY-"

Nope. Not today.

Raido watched carefully as Sakura ground strychnos nux-vomica into a fine powder.

Because of the potency of the poison, they both wore masks and would take the antidote they'd made after the process just in case. There wasn't enough time for Sakura to gain a resistance to it, and Raido himself was only partly immune.

The end product would be highly diluted and not nearly as potent, but this stage of creation was particularly dangerous.

He really wasn't doing much other than observing, which might have been boring if he hadn't done the same thing for Genma a thousand times.

Raido didn't use poison as often as Genma, but compared to the average Konoha shinobi he was quite knowledgeable. It was easy to guide Sakura into the small practical adjustments that weren't mentioned in books, allowing her to do the brunt of the work so she'd be able to do it alone in the future.

She was a diligent worker and took all of his suggestions to heart. It wasn't hard to see why Genma was so fond of her.

Then again, Raido was definitely biased, and it was only mostly because Sakura reminded him of a young Genma.

She was more polite than Genma had been at thirteen, less eager to advance quickly. But that might have been because of the war coming down on their ears, the pressure to grow up fast and be useful. Genma's mother had already died by then, and his sister had been stationed almost permanently on the battlefield.

Despite the differences, they had similar cores.

Sakura had the same watchful gaze, hidden behind a demeanor that was part pretend and part personality. Spite and grit and anger were seated deep in her bones. She was edged with a familiar sharpness that few people would see unless they knew.

Raido kept all those thoughts to himself, hiding them neatly behind a neutral, unmoving expression.

And if Sakura reminded Raido of himself when he was young.

Well.

No one had to know about that.

Sakura carefully sealed the modified smoke bomb.

Beside her, Naruto was practically bouncing in excitement. "That's everything! Now you can use it anytime you want. If you let it sit too long, the blast radius might shrink a little, but it won't be really noticeable."

She nodded seriously and gave him a side hug. "Thanks for helping me with this, seriously."

"You help me all the time." Naruto waved her off. "It's only fair. Besides, knowing this will fuck with Neji is all the thanks I need."

Sakura grinned with far too many teeth.

"I'll give him a few good wacks for you."

Sasuke stared at the destroyed boulder, triumph singing in his blood.

Itachi stood at his side, a faint smile on his face. "Well done."

Kakashi let out a low whistle. "Your progress this past month is impressive. As long as you keep your cool and don't overextend yourself too soon, you'll be just fine."

And he would be. An entire month training with two of the best shinobi in the village for one purpose.

Beating Sabaku no Gaara.

Sasuke smirked.

The longer they were in Konoha, the more furious Temari became.

This was not a weakened shinobi village like their own, not easy pickings in any sense of the word. Even with the help of Otogakure, attacking was idiotic. They would be crushed even if they brought their full forces.

She'd expressed as much to her esteemed Kazekage and father, and been met with dismissal that made her blood boil.

Not only were they going to get their asses kicked and probably have to pay reparations that they really couldn't afford-especially considering the economy in Suna right now-but they were using her brothers to do it.

Their father had never stopped treating Gaara like a monster, a weapon, even though it was his fault Gaara had such a difficult time containing the Ichibi.

And he was doing it again, ordering Gaara to drop all his hard-won control just to devastate a village they wouldn't even win a war against.

It was ridiculous.

If Temari survived this, she was throwing a coup. She wasn't even particularly keen on being Kazekage, she just refused to let her sorry excuse for a father continue destroying Suna.

Kankuro and Gaara would help. Sasori probably would too.

Her lips curled into silent snarl.

Do you know how many monsters you've made, father?

Sakura stood in front of the stadium's entrance and wondered how she'd gotten to this point.

At what point had she made a turn that led her to this?

Was it her assignment to team 7?

When she begged Genma to teach her?

Or maybe it had been when her blade had found Shota's throat.

Sakura didn't know, and she wasn't even sure she cared.

No matter what turn had caused this, it didn't change the fact that this was where she now stood.

There's no going back.

Sakura entered the stadium.

Notes:

hey y'all, hope you're having a good day

I'M BACK! With an extra long chapter too! (i just combined 2 together. is it noticeable?)

Also i finally figured out how to do the Line Thing on my fics. I cannot believe it took me this long i should have just ASKED.

I continue to peddle my Sakura and Naruto friendship because i think once they manage to look past the surface level differences, they could actually be great friends.

So, i should probably talk a but about the thing with team 8. All of them know Neji hates Hinata, and all of them know why. But they don't tell Sakura. They don't explain the fucked up circumstances or the cursed seal or anything. They don't do this out of malice, but even if they're not assholes like Sasuke who outwardly proclaim that people without a clan are canon fodder, they have ingrained prejudices. Old money mindset, even when they're not trying to have it. Shame plays a part in it too. Hinata, willingly or not, is a part of a system that she knows is unjust. In this story, she's still the heir and while that position is under scrutiny, she still has the privilages of a main family member. And Shino and Kiba actively choose to follow Hinata's lead on not telling Sakura.

I didn't write this to like, demonize these characters. But their circumstances are very different from Sakura's and this is meant to highlight that, a bit. They're her friends, and they care about her a lot, but they have been raised to ALWAYS put their clan first. To guard information that can be used against you. There is a wall, in a way, between Sakura and team 8. A chasm that they didn't build, but still live with. idk man, i just have Thoughts about this.

Ino and Shikamaru as bros is something i shall forever love. Their scene together was very fun to write and i tried to give some perspective on wtf is going on in the eyes of other characters.

Genma and Shisui's talk was also super fun to write. I rewrote it like, 3 times before i was happy with it. Shisui continues to be a bitch but that's why he's fun, and Genma is a Dad. Raido also does things for once! He's going to show up more in the second part of this series, but enjoy the little crumbs of him for now.

Temari my beloved. She deserves everything, including murder, as a treat.

There were so much politics in this chapter i didn't even realise until i reread the whole thing.

MINOR ADDITION for one of the earlier chapters when i talked about Jiraiya. The fact that this man is a sanin makes his behaviour so much worse because the power dynamic that is inherent in that. He's one of the strongest motherfuckers in the world, how is an average kunoichi, or even a civilian supposed to do ANYTHING to stop him? How can they protect themselves? He's so powerful and so well revered that the only people who could even touch him are Kages. And most of those fuckers don't seem interested in curbing his behavior. (SARUTOBI WTF ARE YOU DOING). Anyway, this is just another reason i'm changing things about him for my own personal sanity.

Todays fic recommendation is i see the ramen bowls fly. It's a short, funny fic about team 7 joining ANBU and Sakura being the badass she is.

For my recommendations, i try to do less known fics so i can bring them to more people who might not have seen them otherwise, but i think i'm going to start running out of fics soon. If you guys have any recommendations yourselves, please feel free to leave them in the comments! I'll read them and potentially put them in a recommendation! I might also start doing recommendations for fandoms that aren't Naruto, like One Piece or BNHA or Haikyuu. Let me know how you guys would feel about that.

Hate will be laughed at and the gay will be strong

byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye

Chapter 40: Two Caged Birds

Summary:

Sakura and Neji fight

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Nine candidates lined up in front of Genma, all with various levels of nerves, determination, and confidence.

He made sure to keep his expression neutral while speaking, and didn't look at Sakura any more than the other genin.

"Welcome to the third stage of the chuunin exam. Just like the preliminaries, there are no rules. You fight until someone dies or forfeits. The only exception is if I can see a clear winner and stop the match. Understand?"

He waited until he received confirmation from all the candidates.

"Match one is Sakura Haruno and Neji Hyuuga. Everyone else, proceed to the waiting room outside the arena."

Give him hell, kid.

"Begin."

Neji regarded the opponent in front of him with something approaching apathy.

Sakura Haruno. Thirteen years old and ten months out of the Academy. Civilian born. The third student of Kakashi of the Sharingan. Genjutsu type with a history of poison use.

Her pouches had kunai, shuriken, and several smoke bombs, along with three vials of liquid. Her gear was not reinforced and even the googles fitted over her eyes were of civilian make.

The only remotely impressive thing about her was the A-rank mission she'd accomplished, but that could be easily attributed to Kakashi Hatake's exceptional abilities.

It was a miracle she'd even progressed this far in the chuunin exams.

There was no reason to fight her if he wasn't forced to. He had no desire to needlessly hurt someone he had no quarrel with.

"You should forfeit." He counselled her. "The gap in skill between us is too great. We were simply born on different levels. You have no chance of victory."

She tilted her head, eyebrow raised. "Do you give this little speech to everyone you fight? Or are Hinata and I just special."

She was mocking him. That was fine. She would soon understand.

"I am offering you a chance to surrender. The outcome of this match has already been determined. There is no point trying to fight it." Neji knew from experience. "It would be a waste of both of our time."

Sakura pulled out a handful of kunai. They were likely poisoned.

"The only one wasting time here is you. I'm pretty sure we're supposed to be fighting."

Neji shifted into a stance.

"As you wish."

Hiashi had been tempted to not even arrive for Neji's first match. There wouldn't be any true value in witnessing it.

A fight against some nameless civilian born wouldn't be a sufficient demonstration of skill for Hanabi to emulate. However, the swift victory might give her a reminder of what she must strive to be, what her fights must be.

Even the audience was unexcited, few bothering to cheer or pay much attention.

Neji made the first move. The Gentle Fist was at it's strongest in a planted defensive position, but that wouldn't matter when his opponent was so heavily outclassed.

Haruno retreated, as expected, but it was useless. Neji's speed was far superior, and it was child play to breach her defenses. Before a handful of seconds had passed, he had disabled both her arms and struck her core hard enough to send her flying.

She managed to catch herself in a roll, but the finesse in her movements was lacking. Haruno was-generously-average for her age and ilk, but even if she had possessed some modicum of talent in taijutsu, Neji would have surpassed her.

He took a step forward but was halted when a kunai flung from Haruno's hand sunk itself hilt deep into the firm earth in front of his feet.

Hiashi narrowed his eyes. That throw had been chakra enhanced, but Haruno's arms should have been disabled. He activated his Byakugan to find that her tenketsu points remained untouched.

How-?

He strained his eyes further, focusing on areas nearby the tenketsu points. Sure enough, deep bruises were already beginning to form under her skin, mere centimeters from where the tenketsu points lay.

Haruno had dodged just enough to maintain the usage of her chakra, but was too slow to avoid the entire hit. Her strategy wasn't useless, but also wasn't one that could last.

Unexpected, but overall inconsequential.

Adrenaline thrummed through Sakura's veins, drowning out the noise of the crowd.

It was one thing to practice, to prepare for a fight against Neji Hyuuga and formulate a million tricks to trap him with. It was another entirely to actually fight him.

He was fast, skilled, and laser focused. Sakura could barely keep herself above water and she could tell he wasn't even trying that hard.

The Sharingan's imitations were supposed to be perfect, but somehow fighting against Neji was a million times worse than sparring with Shisui. Her tenketsu points may have remained unsealed, but her current position was untenable. He just needed to hit one of her tenketsu points to essentially end the match, whereas she needed to dodge every time.

On top of that, there were only so many hits she could take before her injuries caught up to her. Sakura wasn't built for durability and Neji seemed to know it. That was probably why he hadn't changed his attacks even though they hadn't disabled her tenketsu points yet.

"You're not going to win." Neji said between attacks. His fingers struck her shoulder and ow that fucking hurt.

"Probably not." Sakura agreed, chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath.

That was okay though.

Because Sakura wasn't there to win. Not really.

She was pretty sure she couldn't.

But that didn't mean she was going to make this easy.

Sakura was going to make Neji bleed for his victory.

She could tell that he hadn't expected that answer, and she used his hesitation to create more distance between them.

"So why do you fight?" He questioned. "If you know it's pointless, if you know you are doomed to fail, why bother?"

That-hmmm. That sounded almost personal. He'd said similar things to Hinata during their match.

"You heard the proctor, right? I don't need to win the match to become a chuunin. Just like you could win every match and not become chuunin."

He paused in his attacks, considering her. "And you truly believe you have a chance at becoming a chuunin? Despite your fate being so clearly written otherwise?"

This was starting to sound a little too familiar. "Are you a seer or prophet?" she asked coolly. "Or is it simply arrogance that has you believe you can see the future of others."

The look in Neji's eyes was almost pitying, and it raised Sakura's hackles. "You are a civilian born kunoichi with no particular talent. Your taijutsu is below average, your chakra reserves are small, and your intelligence is not enough by itself to help you advance." He shook his head. "Why struggle meaninglessly? There is no shame in acknowledging your fate."

"It's good to have dreams, Sakura, but there's no harm in being realistic." Mizuki smiled at her. "You'll thank me in the long run."

"Sparring with you is a waste of time." Sasuke sighed. "Why can't you just admit you won't improve enough to ever be on my level?"

"You'll probably never be able to do an A-rank jutsu without nearly killing yourself." Shisui said cheerfully. "I wouldn't recommend even trying."

"I'm the one who gets to decide whether it was meaningless or not." Sakura said. "You're not saying anything I haven't heard before. It doesn't matter if you repackage it as destiny or fate."

His expression twitched. "Do you truly not see how your place of birth has determined who you are today? Your current skills, abilities? What is that, if not fate?"

"Centuries old systems and prejudices." She said blithely. "And those were made by man, not any god. That means they're fallible."

"Does it make you feel better to believe that?"

"Does it make you feel better to believe otherwise?"

They stared at each other, locked in stalemate.

Neji looked away first. "You are fooled by the illusion of choice. The outcome of this match will remain the same regardless of your actions."

Sakura could have chosen to be a tailor like her mother, or a merchant like her father. She could have chosen to keep crushing on Sasuke or to not start training harder. She could have chosen to never ask Genma to teach her or given up on the Mokuton.

Maybe she would still be standing here if she hadn't done those things, maybe she wouldn't. But Sakura would not have been the same person she was now without having made those choices.

She pulled out two smoke bombs, one for each hand.

"Let's test your theory."

Sakura pulled the pins.

Red tinged smoke erupted around the two genin, engulfing them entirely.

Neji shut his eyes after the first whiff of pepper, aware that getting any in his eyes would be a detriment and potentially hinder his next fights.

Sakura's tactic was neither impressive nor new. Hundreds had tried to find weaknesses in the Hyuuga's techniques and using an airborne agent was nothing their training didn't account for.

It would be simple to exit the radius of the blast, but maybe Neji could make a point that would finally make Sakura understand.

None of her efforts meant anything.

None of his had.

He centered himself, stretching his senses to locate her. She was able to hide her chakra signature well, he'd give her that, but-

Footsteps. Faint and almost inaudible against the colosseum crowd. Most genin wouldn't have been able to hear it.

Neji was not most genin.

He readied himself for an attack, not revealing that he knew her location. Her goggles were undoubtably meant for this very situation, meaning she had more visibility than he did.

The lesson would be more encompassing the harsher it was taught.

Ten feet away.

Seven.

Five.

At two feet, Neji struck decisively, aiming for where Sakura's torso should be.

And was met with nothing but air.

Auditory genjutsu.

He immediately activated Revolving Heaven, barely too late to deflect the fist that slammed into his face.

His palm connected with her chest a millisecond later.

Itachi was expecting the body that was flung from the red tinged smoke.

Sakura once again caught herself in a roll, kicking up dirt as she stumbled into an upright position. She seemed strangely satisfied.

It became clear why. Neji Hyuuga stepped out of the dissipating smoke with blood trickling down his face, looking more than a little irritated.

The crowd was almost silent with shock. They'd been expecting a quick, easy match. Even though Sakura was still clearly at a disadvantage, she'd proven that this wasn't going to be entirely one-sided.

When Neji's mouth began to move, Itachi activated his Sharingan to read his lips. Technically, he was supposed to be providing security with the rest of the Konoha Police Force, but he was confident in his ability to watch his surroundings and the match.

"-doesn't change anything."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "And how would you know?"

Neji pursed his lips, looking conflicted.

After several seconds, he began untying his Hitai-ate.

Ah.

Itachi, of course, knew about the seal placed on the Hyuuga branch members. Most clan shinobi did, though the information was in varying layers of vagueness depending on how high ranked they were. It wasn't a secret, necessarily, but was definitely not something that was discussed in public, much less as bluntly as Neji was no doubt doing.

Even if few could hear what he was saying, this would no doubt cause future upset. Not many thought kindly of the seal, and the only reason it hadn't been stopped was because of the laws allowing inner clan practices to face little interference from the rest of the village and its government. It had been one of the only ways to convince the clans to join Konoha at all, all those years ago.

That didn't mean people had to like it.

And if the horrified expression on Sakura was anything to go by, she was no exception.

"…the only way to escape this cursed seal, is to die."

Sakura felt sick.

She'd known, subconsciously, that there were darker aspects to clans. She knew about the rigorous training they faced and expectations that never lowered.

She knew about the intense mental training Ino went through, ones designed to sharpen her interrogation skills and teach her how to play mind games through experience. She knew about the Aburame and Inuzuka's tests of trust and skill, throwing their members into hostile territory with nothing to rely on but their insects or ninken.

But Sakura didn't have words to describe how horrifying this was.

"Do you understand now? How pointless it is to try to escape your fate?" Neji's voice was raw yet vicious. "We are nothing but pawns."

"-never be anything but cannon fodder-"

Sakura forced her thoughts into order.

Despite her distraction providing a perfect opportunity to attack, Neji remained static. He seemed to be searching for something in her expression. Understanding? Validation?

Two birds sit in a cage.

He'd doubtless heard a number of hallow platitudes. A million different excuses.

So what did he want from Sakura?

Sakura met Neji's gaze unflinchingly.

The cage has been clawed and scratched and bitten. Yet the bars remain unscathed.

"Fate did not put that seal on you. Destiny did not kill your father." She took a step forward. "Those were the actions of your uncle. Of your clan. Don't do them the favour of absolution."

Neji blinked.

One bird says to the other:

It hurts, doesn't it?

I'm angry. Are you?

"Despite what you seemed to have convinced yourself, you haven't given up. If you were truly resigned to your so-called 'fate', why did you try to kill Hinata in the preliminaries?"

He hesitated. "She was the weaker competitor-"

"That's not what I asked." Sakura shot back. "Serving the Main Family, that's what you said your duty is, right? Your 'fate'? You could have forfeited, sacrificing your chances at becoming a chuunin for the betterment of a Main Family member. But you didn't. You tried to kill her."

Neji pursed his lips.

"Is that not defiance? Is that not rattling the bars? You can lie to yourself all you like, but it seems that between the two of us, I'm the one who can see clearly."

She could see the agitation building within him. Her words were striking a nerve and continuing to push might cause him to attack her physically.

"Why are you afraid to admit you're still trying to fly free?"

Sakura already knew the answer to that.

Every day she got up and chose to fight. She climbed a mountain inch by inch with bloody clawing hands.

She fell time and time again.

Bruises and broken bones and blood.

All to rattle a cage that wouldn't chip.

It hurts to try. It hurts to care.

The other bird says;

Always.

Neji didn't remember moving.

His emotions were an ugly tangle in his chest, fierce enough to make his hands tremble and his breaths shorten.

He just wanted Sakura to stop talking.

She managed to grab another smoke bomb during her retreat, but Neji batted it aside before it could detonate.

One strike. Two. Neither of them blocked her tenketsu points but she would wear down soon. Her footing was unsteady, enough so that she began falling but-

Her hands scrambled through signs, and she barely managed to substitute herself with one of the kunai she'd previously thrown before hitting the ground.

Sakura rolled to her feet and launched three senbon at his turned back.

Too close range to dodge cleanly and with her history of poison, there was no harm in being safe. Neji blocked the senbon with a kunai with one motion and threw it with the next.

He saw the next several seconds with blistering clarity.

The kunai left Neji's hand. For the first time in years, he overextended while throwing.

Sakura's hand wrapped around the hilt mid-flight.

And then she was ten feet behind him.

For an endless second, there was nothing.

And then the blood started gushing from Neji Hyuuga's arm.

From wrist to shoulder, red poured from the wound. Skin and muscle alike had been cut through. It was almost bone deep.

Ten feet behind Neji, Sakura staggered. Her movements were uncoordinated and unsteady, as if experiencing vertigo.

If Itachi hadn't been duty bound to his post, he would have tracked down Shisui and shook him until he finally gained some sense.

He'd been aware that Shisui had been training Sakura. He hadn't exactly made an effort to hide it-one of the many reasons he was causing Father to go grey early-but he also hadn't advertised what he was teaching her.

Itachi had assumed it would be basic genjutsu and polishing her current skills. He should have known Shisui would never stick to something predictable.

Still, teaching the shunshin to a rookie genin was too far, even for Shisui. That was a chuunin level technique and the control alone-

There was a reason it wasn't taught to genin. Overloading chakra pathways was extremely common and that wasn't even mentioning the even distribution required.

Itachi was going to kill his cousin. That was, if Kakashi didn't do it first.

Sakura saw the exact second Neji decided he wasn't going to hold back anymore. She knew, even before he shifted into a new stance, that this was going to be the end of their fight.

"Eight trigrams, sixty-four palms."

She reached for her last two smoke bombs, but it was too late.

One strike to her shoulder. Two to the chest.

Sakura felt the chakra in her hands fizz out like waterlogged sparklers.

Three to the thigh. Her leg buckled.

Losing didn't scare Sakura. Most of the people she went up against beat her. Most of the people she knew could.

That didn't stop the rush of fear from bubbling in her throat as the weapons she'd painstakingly developed vanished from her fingertips.

No chakra, no running, and Neji didn't seem like he was interested in talking anymore. Helplessness was a familiar, bitter pill.

But the thing was, this wasn't like fighting Orochimaru or the Oto-nin in the Forest of Death. It didn't even come close.

And that was because-

"I forfeit!"

Kakashi watched as Genma snatched Neji up by the back of his shirt like a misbehaving cat.

"The rules were quite clear. The match is over."

Even through the crowds chaotic noise, Kakashi's enhanced hearing was able to pick up everything said in the arena. It was good that the rest of the crowd couldn't.

Neji didn't even glance at Genma. He just stared at Sakura with burning eyes.

"You lost the match. I was right." Neji's voice was tight despite his victory. As if trying to convince himself.

Sakura slowly rose to her feet, leaning heavily on one side. "I did," She admitted freely. "But the outcome isn't the same as it would have been if I'd taken you up on your offer at the beginning."

Because Sakura had left Neji with a bloodied arm and a broken nose. Even if he was healed by medics in between his matches, it would hinder him in his later fights. If they'd been born on different levels, then Sakura had clawed her way to Neji's and dragged him down.

The two stared each other down for several more seconds before, in some silent agreement, turning around and making their way to the opposite arena entrances.

It was a fairly anticlimactic end to their fight, but something about it all made Kakashi watch carefully.

They were both nearly at the exits.

But then-

Neji stumbled.

The stadium didn't notice, but Genma did. He rushed towards Neji and made a sharp hand gesture that had medics jumping into the arena.

For a second, it looked like it had been an overreaction until-

Neji collapsed.

The medics swarmed him and quickly moved him onto a stretcher.

Murmurs of unease and surprise broke out from the crowd. What had happened? Wasn't the match over? Neji hadn't lost enough blood to pass out like that.

Poison. There was no other possibility.

Sakura had never even touched Neji with her senbon, and even the cut she'd scored had been with his own kunai. That left few options as to how it had happened.

He eyed the residue of pepper on the stadium floor. Neji had allowed himself to be caught in the modified smoke bombs, and if Sakura had carried the antidote to protect herself…

It was a clever, multi layered attack.

In a real battle, Sakura would have died, but her poison would have done her work from beyond the grave.

Across the field, Sakura watched with a viciously satisfied expression.

You may have killed me. Her eyes seemed to say. But you're dead too.

Notes:

hey y'all, hope you're having a good day

THE NEJI VS SAKURA FIGHT HAS FINALLY ARRIVED. I hope it wasn't a disappointment. I also rewrote this chapter more than once and let me tell you, if you think this was long, you do NOT want to see those first drafts.

Now, as i promised.

Let's talk about the Hyuuga for a little bit.

Ahem. The Hyuuga clan is FUCKED UP. Yes i know, very controversial opinion.

The system of sealing Branch members is not only incredibly cruel and definitely a way to keep power concentrated in the hands of the Main family and create extremely obvious hierarchy, it's also fucking stupid. Remember Ao? That dude from Kirigakure who had a Byakugan? If part of the justification of the seal is that it's supposed to keep Hyuuga eyes out of the hands of others, then it's doing a shitty job. All you have to do is kill a Main family member, or keep a Branch member alive while you take their eye. I'm sure, at one point or another, it has kept those fancy eyes out of someone's hands, but anyone with a brain and decent resources could easily work around it.

But the real issue with the seal is the whole "gives the main family members a way to kill branch members at will and also cause them immense pain" thing. Which is uh. Bad. In all seriousness, this is a fucked up system. You have the branch family, who i can only assume make up the majority of the hyuuga clan, completely unable to resist any demands a main family member makes or else they literally might die. The potential for abuse is sky fucking high. And it's not like they can really resist because they're sealed at age like, 5, and their parents are already sealed so THEY can't resist and it's just so fucked up.

Let's go into some more specifics now. Namely, Hiashi and Hizashi. Now, Hiashi was born just a little bit earlier, so he got to have all the power and all that jazz, while Hizashi got sealed. (I'm assuming to prevent inheritance issues caused by them being twins because otherwise the main family would just, only be the current, past, and future clan leaders? like if they sealed every child that wasn't the heir then there would be like, 3 people in the main family total). Hizashi is, understandably, pissed off at this, especially when Neji gets sealed (again i'm assuming to prevent inheritance complications cuz again. twins.). And at one point he sends murderous intent towards Hinata which is not cool but I don't think he actually tried to murder her. Hiashi activated Hizashi's seal when this happened which is yk. FUCKING OW. And did this in front of Neii who was a child. And told him not to forget his duty (aka serve for the main family).

And yes, after the whole cloud kidnapping thing, Hizashi willingly chose to die in place of Hiashi, which is sweet and shows a lot of familial love. Kinda fucked up that one of the only choices he got to make was how he died tho. So yes, TECHNICALLY, part of the reason Neji hated the main family and Hinata in particular turned out to be not true but uhhhh. The rest of it still is? Like, Neji still has the cursed seal. That is very much a thing he still has. He even had to teach himself secret techniques that he wouldn't be taught because he was a branch member. He was actively denied certain education because of he was a branch member. This stuff isn't just problems that happened in the past, it's still going on.

And like, Hiashi Hyuuga isn't a man made of pure evil, nor are the elders of the Hyuuga clan. None of them made the branch system. But systems don't exist in a vacuum, and they certainly don't sustain themselves without those in power willfully continuing them. Hiashi may not have sealed his brother, but he did chose to continue sealing children during his reign as clan leader and there is nothing that will ever absolve him of that.

Basically, I'm pissed that canon made it seem like Neji learning his father chose to die was treated like all his grievances were gone. He's still got a cursed seal! The systematic and broader oppression in his life is still very much present!

I have more thoughts on the Hyuuga, specifically on how Hinata fits into all of this, but there is not enough room in these those for that so you guys will just have to wait for the next chapter. I will also talk about Sakura and Neji's parallels and contrasts as well as how i see Neji as a character. I just have way too many thoughts y'all don't even know.

I hope i foreshadowed the elements of this fight pretty well. I did my best to build everything up so it all fit and there were no asspulls, i guess. i have to stop talking now because i have like, 100 characters left.

Constructive criticism is welcome, hate will be laughed at and the day will be strong,

byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye

Chapter 41: Warped Mirror

Summary:

The final stage of the chuunin exam continues and Sakura has some interesting conversations

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Temari was hurried into the arena and she wanted to laugh.

Konoha was eager to put the last match out of everyone's mind. It was probably embarrassing in their eyes, for one of their finest to nearly get their ass kicked by a nobody. Especially if clans were involved.

Suna had clans, but they weren't as well known as those within Konoha, and tended to keep to themselves. Their apprenticeship trades were much more famous.

Kankuro had been snatched up by the Puppet Corp, while Temari had made herself at home among the masters of elemental jutsu. Gaara…Gaara was an exception.

Regardless, her time to fight was now.

Temari eyed the boy in front of her cautiously.

On the surface, he didn't look like much. Lean, spikey hair, and a lazy demeanor that would put cats to shame. Temari could chew boys like him and spit them out.

Except the way he watched her set alarm bells off in her mind.

Even without Sasori's warnings about Nara's, Temari knew she would have clocked him as a threat. In terms of raw power, she probably had him beat, but intelligence?

Well, they'd just have to see, wouldn't they?

It wasn't like Sakura had meant to overhear Neji and his uncle.

She really, honestly, hadn't. She'd had far too much Hyuuga business in her life today and was not looking to be further implicated.

The thing was, there was only one med bay, and how was Sakura supposed to have known that Hiashi Hyuuga had sent all the medics away to have a private conversation right after she went to the bathroom?

That was why she found herself frozen in front of the medical bay doors, mind whirling with information she definitely was not supposed to know. She was still paralyzed when Hiashi exited the room, sparing her nothing more than a cursory glance.

She should leave. Her injuries hurt, but all of her tenketsu points had been unblocked. She could walk away and pretend she'd never heard any of that.

Sakura wasn't friends with Neji. She was pretty sure she didn't even like him.

She took a deep breath and stepped into the medical bay.

"What do you want?"

Neji's voice was hoarse, and he didn't even lift his head to look at her. The rage and confidence from their match had all but disappeared.

He looked lost.

He looked young.

Sakura slowly made her way into the room. "I overheard your talk with your uncle."

Neji's hands clenched. "Are you here to mock me, then?"

He still wouldn't look at her.

"I should forgive and forget, is that it? My father was not fated to die, he chose it, and I have no reason to hate Hinata. I already know these things so why-" his voice cracked.

Sakura bit her lip, conflicting emotions tumbling in her gut.

"I don't think you were really given a reason to forgive your uncle." She admitted.

Neji's head jerked up.

"I meant what I said before. He still chose to put that seal on you, and ever other Branch child who was born during his rule. What you learned doesn't in any way absolve him of that." She kept her gaze on the plain walls around them. "Your father's choice doesn't change the fact that the Main Family can make any Branch member die for them. They can punish you whenever and for whatever they feel like. And they have, haven't they."

Sakura didn't know a lot about interclan politics, but she knew enough about people with power to guess.

Neji's hands curled into fists.

"I was unable to move for hours after my match with Hinata." He said with unsettling calm. "Something similar will likely occur after today as well. A punishment for a poor showing against you as well as for learning techniques only taught to the Main family."

Because it was one thing if Neji was their genius. Their attack dog that could be brought to heel. It was another if he aired their dirty laundry for the world to see. If he was better than them.

And Neji was good.

"See? So why the hell would you have to forgive your uncle when he still allows that to happen. You have more than enough reason to hate him."

He studied her for a long time. "And Hinata? I was under the impression you were friends."

Sakura had been trying not to think about Hinata. What she knew about her position within the Hyuuga clan was limited, but she did know that Hinata had power. Even if her position as heir was under scrutiny, Hinata was still a part of the Main Family and had enough sway to refuse her father's summons for a time, if not entirely.

Team 8 had been pretty tight lipped about Hinata's fight with Neji. They had told her he hated Hinata, but not why. From his behaviour, Sakura had through he was just an asshole with a superiority complex and a grudge. Minor family drama taken too far and amplified by the stress of the exam.

None of them had done much to dissuade her assumption.

Hinata hadn't said anything about the Caged Bird Seal. Sakura wasn't sure she liked the potential reasons why.

She knew clan affairs were kept quiet and away from outsiders. She knew that. But there was something incredibly dishonest about it all. Maybe Sakura should have expected it. They were shinobi after all, but she'd been hoping for better from her friends.

Had Hinata done anything to try to help Neji? To help the other Branch members? Or had she kept silent, like she often did in class at the Academy. Offering a kind hand in the aftermath, but only ever the aftermath.

Sakura didn't know. She wasn't sure she wanted to.

"I don't want you to try to kill her again," Sakura was sure of that much. "But I don't know what Hinata has done since your father died. Or didn't do. It's not my place to tell you how to feel anyway."

Neji raised an eyebrow. "Because you're so very good at staying out of the business of others."

Okay, that was. Well. Not untrue. But it wasn't like Sakura went out of her way to get involved in everything. If someone was just going to give her information like that, of course she was going to be curious.

"You had just as many opinions on my situation." She pointed out. "We've both made assumptions about each other. I think we can both say they were wrong."

Neji looked away.

They had far more differences than they had similarities, but Sakura thought she could understand Neji, in a way.

Could understand that churning, violent rage.

Could understand doing something, anything to rattle the bars of the prison they were born in.

"I'm going to go watch the other matches." She said eventually when the silence hadn't broken for over a minute. She made her way to the door and narrowly avoided being smacked in the face by it.

"Neji! My eternal rivel and friend! We have come to keep you company." Lee was as loud as Sakura had come to expect, rushing over to Neji. "The medics cleared you, correct?"

Tenten followed closely behind. "Of course they did, otherwise they'd still be in here fussing over him." She gave a small wave to Sakura.

Sakura waved back.

Neji's teammates proceeded to chatter loudly over him, friendly and comfortable in a way that spoke of trust and camaraderie.

Yeah, Sakura was pretty sure Neji would be just fine.

Kiba's skin itched.

There were at least two squads of ANBU and one police squad milling in the audience, and it was setting every one of his nerves on edge. It felt like a it was only a matter of time before everything went to shit.

His clan had been tense for an entire month-all the clans, really-and if there was a time to pull something, it would be now.

Sakura's match had been a surprise to everyone who didn't know her, and even those who did. She'd kept her plans very close to her chest, and hadn't shared almost anything with team 8. She'd lost, which people had expected, but the fight hadn't been as one sided, which people hadn't.

Sakura may have forfeited the match, but Neji was the one who had left the arena on a stretcher, a broken nose and bloodied arm for the world to see.

Shikamaru's match had ended in a tie. He'd gotten his opponent to accidently poison herself by kicking up the remnants of Sakura's pepper bombs with her wind jutsu but still ended up near unconscious from the battering she'd given him. The process had been more complicated than that, but Kiba wasn't overly interested in dissecting Shikamaru's strategies. He'd tried before and usually just ended up with a headache.

Shino's match was somewhat unsettling for spectators. Puppetry and insects weren't exactly the exciting and flashy fights that they came to witness. Their discomfort was more than visible, and Kiba knew it bothered Shino more than he'd ever say. In contrast, Kankuro seemed to revel in the crowd's fear, drawing the match out much longer than it really needed to be. Despite it all, it was Shino's victory in the end.

That meant they had one more match left for the first round.

Sabaku no Gaara and Sasuke Uchiha.

Kiba knew this fight was the reason the stadium was filled.

The Uchiha were the only founding clan left in Konoha, and Gaara was the son of the Kazekage. It was more then a chuunin exam, it was pitting Suna and Konoha against each other in a battle of strength and seeing who came out on top.

It was a demonstration of each Village's military might. Look. Look at what just our genin can accomplish. Imagine what our chuunin, our jounin are capable of.

Like a wolf showing its teeth and growling. A warning.

A threat.

Sakura was one hallway away from getting back to the audience when she saw him.

Kabuto was clearly leaving the viewing section meant for candidates, eyes scanning a small scroll. It disappeared faster than Sakura could blink the second she realised it was there.

"You should be careful."

Sakura blinked, muscles tensing. "Oh?"

"You've made a lot of very powerful people very uncomfortable. Angry, even." Kabuto's eyes bored into her. "They won't treat you kindly, when this is all over."

Ah.

"I knew the consequences before getting into the ring." She said eventually. "It was going to happen eventually. A civilian born can't make jounin without stepping on a few toes."

Kabuto laughed and it was an ugly thing. "It's funny, isn't it? How they disparage us for being weak, but the second we're strong, the second we're powerful they demand we stop."

"It's pretty hypocritical." Sakura agreed tentatively. This entire conversation was making her wary. What was his endgame here?

He tilted his head. "I think it scares them, the idea that anyone can be strong. It's hard to maintain a stranglehold on power when you no longer control who can be dangerous."

She gathered her courage. "And we're both dangerous, aren't we?"

It wasn't really a question.

Sakura watched as the ever-present mask Kabuto wore slid from his face, leaving something entirely different in its place. What was left was sharp and deadly. Something almost manic paired with bone deep ice.

Kabuto felt like standing in front of a warped mirror, like seeing something that should be recognisable but was different in just enough places that it was unfamiliar.

It was easy to let her own mask slip off.

She wondered if she looked like him.

Two self made killers stared at each other.

Kabuto was thrilled.

It was funny how she was the only one who seemed wary of him, when he'd managed to fool even the ANBU. Even Danzo. Then again, it made sense for her to see Kabuto for what he truly was. Like recognised like.

Because of this, he would give her a warning he wished someone had given him.

Kabuto leaned in. "Be wary of Konoha's roots, Sakura Haruno. They don't see the light of day, and if they latch on, neither will you."

Her brow furrowed. She didn't understand.

She would have to, one day.

Or she would die.

Kabuto knew the mind of the man he'd worked under for over half his life. He knew what happened to bright young shinobi no one would miss.

But Kabuto didn't think she was the type to go quietly.

He left her alone in the hallway, slipping back into the boy he pretended to be. The transition wasn't as smooth as it normally was, but that was the price of removing the mask completely, even for just a moment.

There was no time to dwell on it.

Things were already in motion.

Gaara felt sick.

He was excruciatingly aware of the countdown until the invasion, of how many seconds he had left until he was no longer in control.

Would he ever be able to take it back? And if he could, would it be instantaneous, or would it be like the first time. Years and years of discipline and control and mistakes that ended in blood. Years of his own siblings staring at him in fear and civilians running when they saw him.

Gaara didn't want to go back to that. He couldn't.

The Uchiha was eager for the match, but Gaara wished it would never start. Temari and Kankuro had done their best, had dragged their own matches out as long as possible to spare him. To protect him.

It was useless, in the end.

No gods answered his prayers.

"Begin."

Raido couldn't believe Kakashi had taught Chidori to a kid.

Oh, sure, the Uchiha brat was good, there was no denying that. He'd undoubtably gotten even better in the month Kakashi and Itachi had spent training him.

It was one thing to improve his ninjutsu or taijutsu, to improve his speed to match Gai's mini me-if only for short spurts-but teaching him Chidori?

Chidori was a one hit, one kill move. It was designed for assassinations. There was no 'light' mode, no mitigating the damage once it struck. You didn't teach techniques like that to genin, not even talented ones.

Kakashi should know better, kami, Itachi should know better. They'd both been child geniuses who'd been made killers before their time. Why the hell would they burden a fresh genin with a technique like that? Especially for the chuunin exams?

Sabaku no Gaara didn't even seem that invested in the fight, choosing to remain entirely on the defense. Raido could tell that he didn't want to be there.

"You know, my dear Kazekage, I've been thinking."

Raido tensed, eyes darting towards Sasori. He'd barely said a word before now, but even the presence of such a prolific shinobi set his teeth on edge, especially since it would have made more sense for him to be with his students like the other jounin teachers. Instead, he'd chosen to stand by his Kage.

It was likely just more posturing, a reminder of the power Suna still had, even when they were in an economic rut. It was impossible to count how many had died at Sasori's hands and poisons-during and after the third shinobi war-but it was enough to spread his name far and wide. Enough that his presence was a statement.

"Leading a village is such hard work, the stress could drive any man mad. You haven't been making the best decisions lately, for Suna, or for your children."

The Hokage sat up in his chair and his guard pressed closer.

Sasori's smile was cruel. "I think it's best that someone relieve you of your post."

He pulled with one hand, and chakra strings Raido hadn't even noticed sliced through the Kazekage like butter.

They had just witnessed the assassination of a Kage in Konoha. The political ramifications were going to be a nightmare.

Raido unsheathed his sword.

What should have been the Kazekage's body morphed into dozens of writhing snakes.

Sasori's expression tightened. "Shit."

Chaos erupted.

Notes:

Hey y'all

I DID IT. I FINISHED WRITING THIS FIC! You guys can expect regular weekly updates until the end (if i remember to upload). I have also officially made this a series, so if you're interested in following Sakura past the end of this fic, please bookmark or subscribe to the series! Part 2 is going to go WILDLY off the canon plotline tracks.

Let's talk about the Hyuuga some more. Specifically, Hinata.

So uh, Hinata has a bit of a weird place in the Hyuuga hierarchy. She's the heir(at least, until Hanabi replaces her in canon), but her father is a dick towards her because she's shy. I don't in any way want to diminish the pain she went thru or how her arc was (when kishimoto remembered) about her becoming more confident and learning how to stand up for herself. That's a solid arc. But Hinata also has a measure of privilege, especially within her clan. Even when she is replaced as heir, she is not sealed and she certainly wasn't restricted or put under the same amount of fear that branch kids would have been. Overwhelming expectations by a dickish father? Lack of emotional support and pitied against her own sister? Yes. But her brain wasn't in danger of being melted. The whole thing with her being kinda left to Kurenai always felt a little weird, but i never read it as her being kicked out of the clan or anything because they do all this shit to protect their magic eyes so kicking out an unsealed Hyuuga and leaving them ALIVE just seems unlikely. Anyway, my point is, i don't think i'm saying anything groundbreaking when i say that Hinata had more privilege than Neji did growing up.

Now, do i agree with Neji being a little asshole to Hinata during the preliminaries? Not really. It wasn't Hinata's fault that she got kidnapped and had no way to sway the events that took place afterwards, so even if she was involved in his father's death, she shouldn't be blamed for it. But the thing is, that's not all Hinata represents. She was the former heir and is STILL unsealed. She was weaker than him but provided a better education in combat. Hinata very much represents a lot of things Neji has full right to be pissed about. She is, in that moment, a tangible thing he can lash out against. He would have been completely following the rules if he killed her, but when she's SAVED, it's just a further demonstration of privilege. She's the only one that has 4 jounin step in to save her. She was not the only one to nearly die by FAR. Do i condone what Neji did? No. But do i understand where he's coming from? Absolutely.

We don't really now a lot about them growing up together, so I can't comment on what Hinata did or did not do to maybe help Neji or other Branch members. I can't imagine Neji would have welcomed it. Though, from what we know of her very shy personality and how intimidated by her father she was, i can't imagine she tried to intervene directly all that often. Sakura is a bit uncharitable when considering this, because Hinata does have limited reach even tho she's still the heir in this story and was still like. A young child for a lot of this.

Sakura and Neji's relationships with privilege is also interesting to me. Neji has the backing of a powerful clan and was provided with extensive training (even if certain techniques were withheld from him). He has money and magic eyes, and prestige. But he is beholden to his clan and their control. He cannot act against their wishes without severe consequences. In contrast, Sakura has very little institutional support. This manifests in the form of less training, worse equipment, and less information. But she is not beholden to anyone outside of the state, aka Konoha. She has a measure of freedom that Neji does not. Fundamentally, they are both being systematically oppressed in different ways. This does not make them buddy buddy, but it gives them ways in which to understand the other, if they try to.

Sidenote. Some people seem to think i'm unaware? that this is a feudal society? I'm not saying that what's happening doesn't make sense for the setting. Just that it's Bad lol. I like talking about it and what it means for characters.

Let's talk about Kabuto, shall we? The OTHER reason for this chapter's name. The fundamental similarity between Sakura and Kabuto is that they were given very little. So instead they had to make what they could themselves, or they had to take. They were influenced by the societies and circumstances around them, but make no mistake, they MADE themselves into what they are now. And that kind of awareness in self creation is dangerous. Self made killers indeed. Both Danzo and Orochimaru think they were the ones who turned Kabuto into what he is now, but they're both wrong. And this assumption will come back to haunt them.

The sand siblings always doing their best to protect each other gives me fuzzies. That's all.

Hate will be laughed at and the gay will be strong

bye

Chapter 42: There is No Such Thing as a Balanced Scale

Summary:

The invasion of Konoha

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Sakura knew something was wrong the second a subtle chakra began weaving its way into her system.

Kai.

All around her, people were falling asleep. All the civilians and most of the genin were completely unconscious, while half of the chuunin and all jounin were awake and already in action.

What the hell is going on?

Then she saw the Oto-nin and her gut dropped.

Nearby, Temari and Kankuro jumped out of the audience and into the stadium along with the older Suna-nin. They didn't look surprised.

Before Sakura could even begin to process that, a pair of Oto-nin were lunging at her.

She barely managed to do more than raise a kunai before a flash of grey and green appeared behind them, and then they were dead.

Kakashi stood calmly in front of her, bloodied kunai in hand. "Are you alright?"

Sakura swallowed. "Yeah."

Maybe he would have protected her in Wave.

"Otogakure is invading Konoha and it looks like Suna was in on it. Their forces are going to target shinobi first, so civilians won't be in danger except as collateral. Every unconscious Konoha-nin in this stadium is in danger of being killed, do you understand?"

Sakura nodded.

"Break the genjutsu on as many chuunin as you can while the jounin thin their forces. Stay out of the fight if you can manage it. You're already low on chakra and injured."

Kakashi's clear instructions settled something within her, her panic receding just enough that she could think again.

"You understand better than Naruto and Sasuke what needs to be done. Hesitation is not an option here. Above all else, survive."

Sakura understood what he was telling her.

This is not the time for mercy.

She squared her shoulders. "I understand, Kakashi-sensei."

"Good."

And then he was gone.

Sakura took a steadying breath and began.

Genma stood defensively in front of Sasuke.

In front of him were the three Suna genin with an older shinobi, each looking tense and eyeing Genma warily.

"Baki, there's no way he can go through with the plan." Temari hissed, crouching next to Gaara. She wasn't touching him, but looked like she wanted to. "He's already bleeding and is going to lose control before we make it to our station."

"I know, which is why you're going to extract him." Baki gritted his teeth. "We never meant to go through with the Kazekage's plan in the first place. Sasori has already killed your father, or at least given it his best shot."

"What?!" Kankuro's eyes went wide. "But you-why didn't you tell us? You know how torn up Gaara's been about it!"

"You were being watched too closely. We couldn't risk tipping him off." Baki turned his attention to Genma. "Get Gaara out of here and somewhere he can transform without danger. I'll cover your retreat."

Genma drew three senbon and spoke quietly to Sasuke. "The chuunin exam is over and Konoha is being invaded. You're a genin, which means you have evacuation duty. Get as many civilians as you can into the designated shelters."

Sasuke's brow furrowed. "But what about-"

"They're retreating. We already have more than enough to handle without going after combatants that are trying to stay out of our way."

The Suna genin made a break for it and Genma pushed Sasuke back. "You're strong, but this isn't a game. If you want to be useful, help with evacuation."

He didn't waste any more words before lunging at Baki.

Raido had just finished running an Oto-nin through when he saw Yoshiro-one of the other guards-grab the Hokage and put a blade to his throat.

Fury laced his veins. "Fucking traitor." He spat.

Yoshiro grinned and there was something wrong with it. It stretched far too wide, and realization abruptly struck.

"I can't have you ruining my fun." He crooned, and Raido would eat his sword if that wasn't Orochimaru.

They shunshined away, leaving Raido and the rest of the guard behind to fight the Oto-nin who'd converged on them. Sasori and the Kage of the other minor villages had already fled.

Blood splashed on his jacket as he killed another shinobi.

One by one, they'd die for trying to destroy Konoha.

Sakura had woken up thirteen chuunin when Kakashi found her again.

"I have a mission for you."

She narrowed her eyes, releasing the genjutsu on the woman in front of her. "Konoha is being invaded by Otogakure." Was all she needed to say before the kunoichi was on her feet and into the fray.

She turned to Kakashi, who had just finished slitting the throat of an Oto-nin. "I thought you wanted me waking our forces."

"I do, but things have changed. Your former classmates can take over." He snapped a kunoichi's neck. "Sasuke went after Gaara and his siblings. He's going to get himself killed. Catch up to him and either convince him to come back, or force him to. You're one of the few that can manage it."

I wish I were surprised. "I don't know which way they went."

Kakashi bit his thumb and a small dog appeared in a puff of smoke. "This is Pakkun, he'll be able to track their movements. Wake the rest of your graduating class and take Naruto and Shikamaru with you. Any more will slow you down."

Sakura inched her way back to the rest of the genin, sending small pulses of chakra to them respectively, before yanking them down and out of the line of fire. Hinata and Ino had the best chakra control of those who remained, so they would replace Sakura while the others watched their backs.

Shikamaru wasn't even under the genjutsu, so Sakura jabbed him in the ribs to get him up. He wasn't overly pleased to be tapped for the mission, but didn't offer any real protests. Naruto, as expected, was more than eager to join.

Gai slammed an Oto-nin through the stadium wall. "Get out through here."

Sakura looked out of the hole. It was a long drop.

There's nowhere to go but down.

Shisui slit the throat of an Oto-nin before his opponent could even register his presence.

It was a massacre on both sides, and if they didn't deal with the giant snakes than it would get even worse. The summons had already crushed half a civilian district.

His gaze flicked over to where Orochimaru was battling the Hokage. Killing the summoner wasn't a guarantee that the summons would go away, and Shisui needed Orochimaru alive for at least a little longer. There was the chance that Orochimaru would dismiss them himself after the chakra strain became too much of a hinderance when fighting a Kage, but that was no guarantee.

He leapt on a nearby building, inching closer to the creature. As he approached, he began weaving a genjutsu.

Summons were harder to trick with genjutsu, but that didn't mean they couldn't be.

The threads of his illusion pulled tight.

They'd barely begun running through the forest when Pakkun started cursing.

"We've got nine pursuers, and they don't move like Konoha shinobi." He warned. "Chuunin level or above."

Shit.

"Ambush isn't going to work if they're familiar with our terrain and a head on fight will take too long with too low a chance for success." Shikamaru said grimly. "I'll stay behind as a decoy while you three keep going."

Naruto's brow furrowed. "But what about you?"

"I'm the only one who has a chance of surviving being the decoy. Shadow Possession is a detainment jutsu which will buy time. If I'm lucky, a Konoha shinobi will find me."

And if he wasn't, he'd be dead.

"I'm staying too." Sakura decided. "I'm still recovering from my match and won't be able to keep up with Naruto for much longer." She had maybe half her chakra reserves left.

She expected Shikamaru to argue with her, but instead he just gave her a long, unreadable look. "Alright."

Naruto squared his shoulders. "Don't worry, I'll make sure to catch up to Sasuke. You can trust me."

"If he doesn't come willingly, tell him Itachi is looking for him." Shikamaru instructed.

Naruto frowned. "That's not-"

"Our pursuers will catch up to us in three minutes." Pakkun snapped. "We need to move."

With one last scowl, Naruto followed Pakkun deeper into the forest, leaving Shikamaru and Sakura behind.

She turned to him. "What's the plan?"

Planting false evidence wasn't all that difficult, and Shikamaru's strategy played into one Sakura herself frequently used.

Play into the enemy's expectation of your weakness.

They hid their chakra signatures and waited silently in the thick foliage. Their pursuers grouped together as they followed the false trail.

Perfect.

Shikamaru stepped out of the trees, hand signs already flashing.

Just like that, eight shinobi were caught.

Wait, eight?

Sakura pressed herself against a tree, eyes furiously scanning her surroundings. There was one shinobi missing.

Shikamaru noticed too, sending a barrage of shuriken and forcing the last shinobi to reveal his position. There was no way Shikamaru had enough chakra to find and chase them down with his shadows.

That meant it was down to her.

She located the ninth shinobi and began making her way over. She wouldn't be able to get too close without alerting him of her presence, but…

Sakura peaked at the figure hidden on a branch. His focus was entirely on his comrades and Shikamaru.

Good.

Her hands flew through hand signs, and just like that, she had replaced a leaf on a nearby branch. The chakra usage alerted him, but it was too late.

Sakura lunged, tackling him and sending them both down into the clearing. They landed a few feet away from Shikamaru, and he quickly trapped the last Oto-nin.

She glanced at his shaking hands. "How much longer can you hold them?"

His expression was grim. "Five minutes if I want to pass out."

Sakura turned to the Oto-nin. "Which one of you is the captain?" She demanded.

After a brief silence, a short man in the center called out. "I am, and if you were smart, you'd realise it's only a matter of time before your deaths."

She ignored him and leaned back to whisper to Shikamaru. "You don't feel the pain of those you possess, right? It's just movement mimicry."

He nodded, and the Oto-nin did with him.

She exhaled shakily.

"Good."

And then she took out a kunai.

The captain saw her blade and laughed. "Little kunoichi, what are you doing with that? You don't have the guts to kill."

But Sakura did. Shota, Dosu, Zaku, and the nameless man in Wave could attest to that. Or. Well. They couldn't. Which was the entire point.

She took a step forward.

This would be different. Before, her kills had been made out of instinct or desperation. Adrenaline running through her veins and fear driving her blade forward.

Killing these men would be more of a choice than it ever had been before.

She could knock them out, or hope what precious poison she had was enough to incapacitate them.

They were in the middle of an invasion.

And her teammates were chasing monsters.

Sakura's kunai sliced through the first shinobi's throat. The blade caught halfway through, and she had to jerk her arm to complete the kill. His body fell as Shikamaru dropped his possession.

The clearing was silent.

She stepped up to the next shinobi. This time, she braced her left hand on the side of his head. Her kunai went through more smoothly this time.

Her hands did not shake. Part of her wished they did.

The third Oto-nin was a tall woman with short black hair. She looked Sakura in the eye the entire time.

The sixth was terrified, pale and breathing harshly. He didn't beg, but tears slid down his cheeks.

The eighth cursed her so harshly that it might've made her ears burn, in any other situation. He only stopped when her kunai sliced clearly through his vocal cords.

Finally, she met the gaze of the captain and did not blink.

He laughed. "Maybe Konoha-nin aren't so soft after all."

Sakura withdrew five senbon and jabbed them into vital areas. Not only would the paralytic render him immobile, but the pressure points she'd chosen would make movement extremely difficult.

"We can keep him for questioning." She explained quietly. "He shouldn't be a problem, but if he becomes one, you should be able to take him out without difficulty."

Shikamaru stared at her. His gaze was sharp and intense and utterly unreadable. Sakura had no idea how he felt about the deaths she'd just caused.

It occurred to her that he was the only one other than Tazuna and Kin who'd ever witnessed her killing someone. That he was one of the few who knew she'd killed at all.

"It's too late to catch up to Naruto and Sasuke." Shikamaru said eventually. "If you head east, you'll be back in the village and can help with evacuation. I'm too chakra drained to be anything but a hinderance, so I'll stay behind and watch the Oto-nin."

She nodded slowly. "Stay safe."

His lips twitched.

Sakura made her way back into the village and there was nothing but chaos.

There was destruction in every direction, buildings torn to pieces or on fire. Countless shinobi were battling it out while civilians ran for cover. Bodies littered the streets.

Unexpected rage filled her core. They were trying to destroy Konoha, her home.

She was going to protect it.

Sakura made her way through the village, doing her best to avoid the battles raging around her. In her current condition, she'd just get in the way.

Instead, she crept along the edges of buildings, looking in alleyways and corners. It wasn't long before she found what she was looking for. Hiding beneath a half-crushed wall was three civilians; a girl her age, a boy a few years younger, and an older woman.

Sakura quickly ducked towards them, for once thankful that no one was paying her any attention. The three civilians stared at her with stark terror and suspicion.

She attempted a smile. "Hi, my name is Sakura Haruno and I'm a genin of Konoha. What are your names?" This wasn't going to work if they didn't trust her.

The girl spoke first. "I'm-I'm Aya, and this is Tetsuo." She gestured to the small boy who was hiding behind her. They looked similar. Siblings, most likely.

The older woman stared at her dress, and it was only then that Sakura realised that more than a little blood had splashed onto her when she'd killed the Oto-nin. "I am Enko."

"It's nice to meet you," she said, taking care to pitch her voice low. "There are designated shelters for civilians during attacks, and luckily there's one nearby. I can lead you there."

They exchanged a look. "You want us to go…out in the open?"

Yeah, Sakura wouldn't be too pleased about that either. "That wall could collapse at any time." She explained, pointing at the crumbling structure they were currenting hiding behind. "The longer you stay here, the more danger we're in."

"We'll be in far more danger out there." Enko snapped. "You're just a child-how can we expect you to protect us?"

You can barely survive on your own. How can you take the lives of three others into your own hands? Can you protect when all you've been able to do so far is kill?

Sakura pursed her lips. "You're taking a risk either way. Stay here, and chance that the wall won't fall and no other shinobi will find you until the invasion is over, or go out into the open for a shot at making it to a much safer place."

"And if we say we'd take our chances here?" Enko pressed.

She withdrew a non-poisoned kunai from her pouch and offered it hilt first. "Then I'll leave you with this, and go look for other survivors."

Enko took the kunai. "Lead the way, girl."

Sakura resisted the urge to sigh, and turned to Aya and Tetsuo. "Do you want to come?"

Aya's eyes darted between Enko and Sakura, before visibly steeling herself. "We'll follow you." Then, in a much more hesitant voice. "Can I have one as well?"

Sakura wordlessly handed her a kunai.

Kiba and Kankuro stared each other down, both unwilling to make the first move.

Akamaru had been injured while protecting Hinata, and was currently curled up in his coat, leaving Kiba to fight alone. He felt bare without Akamaru by his side. The absence of his ninken left him vulnerable in more ways than one. He was used to fighting with a partner, and would no doubt have spots in his defense that wouldn't be there otherwise.

But the fight wasn't in Kankuro's favour either. Shino had drained a large amount of his chakra during their match and he hadn't had nearly enough to time recover it. Kankuro would have to either play conservatively, or aim for one large debilitating attack. Not to mention, they were fighting in Kiba's home turf, which meant he had the environmental advantage.

The fight could go either way.

"You're so fucking stupid." Kankuro spat. "Even if you beat me, beat Gaara, what's the point? We're not doing anything other than getting out of the way."

"I know, which is why we're trying to drag back our idiotic classmate." Kiba grinned, wide enough to show his sharp teeth. "Wanna let me pass?"

Kankuro's eyes narrowed. "I'm not letting you anywhere near my siblings."

"I respect someone protecting their packmates," Kiba's nails lengthened into claws. "But you're in my territory, and I'm not playing around."

"Neither am I."

Kankuro unfurled his puppet.

An enormous toad appeared, crushing the entranced snake summons.

"You're late!" Shisui hollered, uncaring that he was in his mask and thus supposed to be silent in the presence of non-ANBU.

The venerated Toad Sage looked grim, which wasn't exactly encouraging. "How's the Hokage's battle going?"

"Like shit." Shisui cast a genjtsu on two Oto-nin and they killed each other. "Any tips for how to break the barrier?"

Jiraiya crushed the throat of a shinobi. "No."

"Well, then I guess we just keep killing." He said cheerfully.

Saving people was Itachi and Fugaku's job, along with all the other Uchiha who had opted to join the police.

But Shisui? Shisui was in ANBU.

He just needed to shed blood.

The streets were just as chaotic as when Sakura had left them, and this time she had tag alongs that were much more difficult to hide. She was going to make Shisui teach her a concealment genjutsu when this was all over.

The sounds of battle were everywhere. Everything from screams to explosions to howling dogs. If nothing else, it helped know what areas to avoid.

Aya, Enko, and Tetsuo were slower than she'd like, but they were good at keeping quiet, despite the gruesome scenery they were forced to walk through.

Green and purple clad bodies littered the streets. Some were alive, some weren't, and Sakura wasn't particularly keen on dissecting the part of her that hoped they were dead.

If they were dead that meant they couldn't attack, and that Sakura wasn't abandoning allies who were too weak to even call for help.

By some miracle, they managed to get over halfway to the shelter before running into danger.

A Konoha shinobi was slammed into a nearby wall behind them, closely followed by a pair of Oto-nin.

Sakura gave up on subtlety. "Run!"

Aya grabbed Tetsuo's hand and went into a dead sprint. Enko followed behind them, lagging but not dangerously so. Yet.

Sakura brought up the rear, furtively glancing at the fight taking place behind her. The Konoha-nin hadn't lost yet, but he would.

The ground quaked and Tetsuo tripped. Enko picked him up.

The Konoha-nin was becoming steadily sloppier. His hands flew through signs, and he lashed out.

The jutsu went wide and hit the building Enko and Tetsuo were still beside. A deafening crack rang through the street and the entire front face of the house began to crumble.

Sakura launched herself forward, pushing herself into a shunshin-

Only to fall flat onto the ground, the spot Neji had hit on her thigh spasming.

She looked up just in time to see Enko shove Tetsuo out of the way.

The rubble fell.

A wave of dust forced Sakura to close her eyes, but the image would forever be seared into her brain. Bile rose in the back of her throat as blood began to seep from under the pile of debris.

Sakura forced herself to her feet, dodging around the pile of rubble and running towards where Aya and Tetsuo were still standing.

Aya had pressed Tetsuo's face into her torso, refusing to let him see even as she seemed incapable of tearing her own gaze away.

Sakura grabbed her arm. "We have to go."

"She-She's dead." Her face was ashen. "Enko-"

"Didn't push Tetsuo out of the way so you would stand in the middle of a battlefield and die with her!" Sakura snarled. "We have to go now."

Behind her, the Oto-nin were still fighting the increasingly desperate Konoha shinobi. His gaze caught on Sakura.

"Help me!" He roared. "Do your duty and-" his head was taken clean off his shoulders.

Sakura tore her gaze away and pushed Aya and Tetsuo forward.

Look what you did. You promised to protect them but Enko is dead and so is that shinobi. You can't save them. You can't even save yourself.

They were barely one block away from the shelter when the back of Sakura's neck prickled.

She shoved Aya and Tetsuo down, but wasn't fast enough to stop herself from being slammed into the ground.

A familiar face loomed over her, twisted in anger.

"No running this time." Kin swore.

Gaara stirred on Temari's shoulder.

"Where…?"

She put on a new burst of speed. "In a forest in Konoha. We're not going through with the plan."

That didn't mean he wasn't still at risk of transforming. Serious injuries always weakened his control, and if he felt threatened…

Which is why those stupid Konoha-nin should stop chasing them. There was still a chance Gaara could maintain control, but if that Uchiha showed up for a fight there was no way.

"You need to-you need to leave." Gaara rasped, clutching his head. "I can-I can feel it and it hurts and I-" He shuddered violently.

Temari wanted to pull him close and tell him everything would be fine, but they weren't and there was no time. Fuck. She needed a plan.

She dropped them down to ground level and gently placed Gaara at the base of a tree. "Stay hidden and don't intervene. I'll deal with the Uchiha."

At the very least, Temari would need to draw her fight away from Gaara. He always became more agitated when his siblings were in danger, and anything could tip him over the edge.

She leapt up once more and began back tracking. The further she got from Gaara, the better.

Temari found the Uchiha with red eyes and determination etched into every one of his features. This was not someone who would be convinced to turn back.

"This is as far as you go." She said, her fan a comforting weight in her hand.

He cracked his knuckles. "I never got to finish my match. If you don't move, I'll go through you."

Temari raised her chin.

She was the oldest of three and the only one who remembered the days before Gaara began losing control. She'd seen firsthand how thirst for power destroyed families.

If it hadn't been for Sasori, things would have been even worse. Gaara might have continued to deteriorate, leaving Temari and Kankuro to watch as their little brother became the weapon their father so desperately wanted.

Temari was the first born of the Kazekage. She had desert storms in her blood. She'd been raised by and around monsters her entire life.

She knew the price of power.

Sabaku no Temari could chew ambitious boys like Sasuke Uchiha and spit them out.

"You can try."

The second the invasion had started, Hiashi had shoved Hanabi into Neji's arms and ordered him to protect her. For all his words, all his apologies, he still acted like Branch members were disposable.

Neji struck the internal organs of a Sound shinobi and slammed their head against the wall.

With anger came clarity. There would be no more confusion or hope for a better future while the Branch Family remained caged.

If the Main Family would not give them the key, then Neji was going to shatter the bars.

Sakura could barely breathe around Kin's hands on her neck, and she still couldn't dislodge her. Her only solace was that she was solely focused on Sakura, entirely ignoring Tetsuo and Aya.

"I was originally planning on killing your parents," Kin said gleefully. "But it turns out I was late to the punch. That nice little house you lived in got squished."

No.

"You're lying!" Sakura hissed, trying and failing to force Kin off of her.

"Did your daddy have pink hair like you? It was a little hard to tell because of all the blood. His head got caved in, but your mommy's face was pretty intact. It was the rest of her that wasn't."

"Shut up!"

"They even made it out the door," Kin crooned. "But Orochimaru's summon flattened everything in that district. And your shinobi kept it there."

Anger and fear roared within Sakura. She scratched at Kin to no avail.

"Tell me, which hurts more? The grief, or this." Her grip around Sakura's neck tightened.

I don't want to die.

Aya drove the kunai into Kin's shoulder with a desperate scream.

Kin whirled around with a snarl, batting Aya aside like an ant, but she'd moved enough for Sakura to dislodge her and scramble to her feet.

"Go straight for two more streets, then turn left. The third building on the left will be the shelter. There should be shinobi at the front." Sakura rasped, not taking her eyes away from Kin.

Aya stumbled upright, still visible disoriented from the blow. "What about-"

"GO."

They did.

Leaving Sakura and Kin alone.

"You're telling yourself I'm lying because it hurts to much," Kin crooned. "But you're only denying the inevitable." She reached into her pocket.

Sakura, despite herself, watched as she did so, entirely motionless.

In one hand, Kin held an old, worn compass. It had waves inscribed on the side and bloody fingerprints on its face. In her other hand was a scrap of embroidered fabric, flowers barely visible through the blood.

No.

Her father never left home without that compass. It was one of the few things he had left from his family in Kiri and he used it when he traveled. And Sakura would have recognised her mother's embroidery anywhere. She'd been wearing that shirt this morning.

There was no way for Kin to have gotten those from anywhere but her parents.

Grief opened a pit under her feet.

No.

"I'm sorry I didn't get to them first, but it doesn't really matter. They're dead either way."

Sakura dragged her gaze away from the fabric and compass. "What do you want?"

Kin's stare bored into her. "I want you to know exactly how it feels to have your family taken from you. And live with the fact that no matter what you do, you will never get them back."

Sakura's entire body shook uncontrollably, something ugly knotting in her chest.

"I'm not going to kill you, because that would be too easy." Kin smiled. "I'm just going to make you wish you were dead."

Someone was screaming.

It was the most blood curdling thing Naruto had ever heard, full of pain and anger and fear. He fumbled his next jump, frantically searching for the source.

Pakkun stopped with him. "Sasuke's the other way."

But Sasuke could take care of himself. Whoever was screaming like that needed help much more. It was an easy choice.

He changed directions, following the screams.

Naruto found himself in front of Gaara, his previously intimidating demeanor nowhere to be seen. He was curled around himself, shaking and crying. His skin had shifted into something odd, almost animalistic in colour and texture. His chakra was flaring wildly as well, aggressive and menacing.

Sakura's words echoed back to him. I think he's like you.

Naruto tentatively crept closer. "Are you okay?"

Sand erupted from the gourd on his back, violent and reactive. There was no finesse to the movements, just pure instinct.

"Hey, hey, hey, I don't want to hurt you!" Naruto promised, scrambling just out of range. "I just want to talk."

Gaara paused, looking at him through red rimmed eyes.

Naruto could not fuck this up. He wasn't great at talking or diplomacy-he knew that-but that didn't mean he shouldn't try. He just needed to copy Sakura or Ino or Shikamaru. They knew how to do this. He desperately tried to remember the Academy lessons about talking down hostile allies.

Find a commonality.

"You're-You're like me, right? A Jinchuuriki." It was the first time he'd ever actually told someone. He couldn't tell if he was giddy or sick. "I've never met another one before."

As he spoke, he could feel the Kyuubi taking notice. Not attempting to wrestle control, but watching. Listening.

"It's kinda nice to know I'm not the only one, you know? I was always alone as a kid so even though I have friends now, it's still nice to know I'm not alone." Naruto laughed nervously. "Sorry, I'm rambling."

"Keep talking."

Naruto blinked. "Huh?"

"Keep-keep talking. It's-" Gaara shook his head aggressively. "It helps."

"Oh! Okay! I can do that." Naruto was great at talking. People usually had to tell him to stop. "Your siblings are really cool. I've never seen anyone use puppets or a giant fan before. They seem like they care about you a whole lot."

Gaara took a shuddering breath. Some of the mutated skin receded. "They do."

"You must live together too, right? Kami, I wish I lived with someone. I know how to do all the chores but sometimes I forget to put the trash out on the right day or wash the dishes. My apartment isn't really big enough for more people, but I think it would be fun."

"I do…I do the cooking." Gaara croaked. "It's-good. Relaxing."

"That's amazing." He gushed. "I've been living alone for ages and I'm still not great. I usually just eat easy to prepare meals or go out for food…"

Naruto sat and talked with Gaara for what seemed like hours. Slowly, ever so slowly, the strange skin disappeared, and the menacing chakra vanished from the air.

He'd never done this before, but he liked it.

Huh. Something to think about later.

Sakura and Kin sat across from each other in an isolated alleyway, both bloodied and unable to move.

"You're a mean little bitch." Kin huffed.

Sakura's lips pulled back into a smile that really wasn't one at all. A bloodstained compass sat in her hand.

The Hokage was dead and Shisui wasn't even going to ensure Orochimaru followed him to the grave.

The opportunity was just too good to give up. Orochimaru was fatigued and would be too slow to avoid him. And he only needed one chance.

The rest of the ANBU in the area engaged the Sound shinobi.

Shisui flickered in front of Orochimaru and caught his gaze.

Kotoamatsukami activated.

Time seemed to slow as Orochimaru stilled, the lack of motion a stark contrast to his previous franticness.

"Tell me how to release the seal on Sasuke."

Shisui's genjutsu gently tugged on Orochimaru's mind. You want to tell me. You want to tell me. You want to-

"You begin by…"

Shisui listened with rapt attention until Orochimaru was done, his Sharingan burning the memory into his mind permanently.

He blinked, and Kotoamatsukami deactivated.

The chakra drain hit immediately. It was all Shisui could do to not immediately collapse on the rooftop next to Orochimaru. His eyes were bleeding and looking at anything, even without the Sharingan or Mangekyo activated, burned.

The Oto-nin disengaged from the ANBU and whisked Orochimaru away, not even bothering to go after Shisui in their haste. It wouldn't have been difficult to kill him in his current state.

Anko jumped up next to him. "You know, he's going to want to steal your eyes now."

Shisui laughed. "Yeah, I know."

And promptly passed out.

Temari stood victoriously over Sasuke, fan planted on his chest.

He hadn't got past her. Gaara was safe.

"Well done."

Her head jerked to the side, combat ready even in her exhaustion, when she registered the speaker.

Temari slumped. "Sasori-sensei."

He looked unharmed, which was more than she could have asked for, especially after attempting an assassination on her father. He had Kankuro braced on his side, who looked exhausted but not overly injured.

"We need to get to Gaara. He didn't transform completely, but his control is still shaky. Baki will meet up with us later."

She nodded.

Sasori patted her on the back. "I'll explain everything when we get home."

Temari couldn't wait.

"…motherfucker." Kiba swore.

"Stay still." Hana scolded. "Do you know how annoying it is to get poison out? You're lucky most of it is in the open wound."

He gritted his teeth. "Yeah, yeah. Is the pack safe?"

She softened, just a little. "A few casualties, but not any many as there could have been. Mom's safe and leading recovery searches."

The tension drained from him.

"However, you won't be when she hears you ran after those Suna-nin with Akamaru injured. You're gonna be running laps for weeks."

He grimaced. "My friends had two Oto-nin squads on their tails. I figured they could use the backup."

"Next time, bring more help." She ordered. "Lone wolves die, you know that."

"Alright alright, I promise I'll-ow ow ow ow FUCK!"

"They're retreating."

Sakura glanced at the Nara treating her leg. There was no medical ninjutsu involved, just bandages. There wasn't any of that to spare for non-emergency wounds.

It was surprising that someone had even found in this isolated alleyway, but she supposed there were specialties that helped with that. She hadn't been able to drag herself anywhere else and had passed out more than once.

She still had the compass, but Kin was nowhere to be found.

"Orochimaru's probably either dead, or ran away." She continued. "Their odds get a lot worse when their biggest threat is out of commission."

Sakura scanned the destruction around her. There was so much damage, so much death.

And what for?

She looked away.

Notes:

hey y'all, hope you're having a good day

Ho boy, that was a thick one. This was also originally two chapters but ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, i figured i'd put the invasion all together. I hope it was coherent.

Let's get started.

In case it wasn't obvious, Sasori, Baki, and a lot of the other Suna forces committed treason against the 'Kazekage' (Rasa is very dead at this point). Suna does not help with the invasion, and were just meant to hightail it out of there. In other Sand related news, yes i had Naruto talk Gaara down because i do think they're good friends with a lot of commonality potential and that Naruto's talk no jutsu would...work a lot better if he wasn't beating the shit out of his opponent. (i know he doesn't always start the fight but still). I love Kankuro and Kiba's dynamic so i threw that in there too. Also Temari being the absolute badass she is. I think she could've beaten Sasuke here because a) her match was less recent and less straining on her b) she's similar to Sasuke power level wise (in my heart and in this fic).

Now i'm gonna talk about Sasuke for a little bit. So, in this fic, Sasuke is not the same Sasuke of canon. He has not experienced an immense tragedy and trauma that forever shaped him. He's always been quite good for his age, and thus while he gives things his full focus, he doesn't always take things as seriously as he should. He is beginning to break out of that habit, but those impulses are still around. He gets knocked out in Wave because he doesn't think the civilians will pose as much of a threat. He smack talks with the Sand siblings because he feels safe to do so. He puts his ambition before his health with the cursed seal, but he takes Orochimaru seriously during the fight. Basically, he's developing and learns to take things more seriously. This attitude is something that was born from being a pretty talented kid and having a huge amount of weight to throw around. Sasuke has a shit ton of people to fall back on should things go to shit. Anyway, what i'm trying to say is, i think that Sasuke would still go after Gaara even if not encouraged by Genma. He puts his ambition before a lot of things, and wants a fight he thinks he's entitled to. That's my reasoning anyway.

Now onto Sakura. I really put her through the ringer in this chapter. So uh yeah, Sakura sure does do a whole lot of murder again. I hope it was all adequately horrifying. I also hope her interactions with the civilians and the realities of how they're effected in these large scale shinobi conflicts was enjoyable. They're not just nameless, faceless entities, they're individuals with bravery and fear and anger. And they die. Props to anyone who noticed the "the outcome isn't the same as it would have been if I'd taken you up on your offer at the beginning" thing from chapter 40. If Sakura had given up at the beginning of her match, her leg wouldn't have been injured and so she might have been able to save Enko. Yes i feel clever having written that.

Congratulations to everyone who guessed her parents would die! You earn a gold star! (What do you mean the compass thing was only mentioned once as a throw away line like 35 chapters ago. i'm great at foreshadowing.) Apologies to anyone hoping for a explicitly written Kin vs Sakura fight. Don't worry your pretty little heads, they will meet again.

Shisui uses his magic eyes for once. And to attempt to kind of nerf the-quite frankly-absurd Uchiha eye powers, i'm giving it ALL the drawbacks. They'll be mentioned more later, but just know that they exist. Also the mangekyo sharingan is the last evolution of sharingan. There's none after it i refuse. I don't understand the names or the differences and refuse to learn.

Also, did i look up whether Shikamaru feels the pain of those he has under shadow possession? no, no i did not. Not gonna change it if its wrong either.

i think that's all i have to say for now. No recommendation this time either but i swear i'll start doing them again.

Constructive criticism is occasionally welcome, hate will be laughed at and the gay will be strong

byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye

Chapter 43: A Hallow in the Chest

Summary:

aftermath of the invasion

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

It had been six hours since Otogakure's forces had retreated, and the aftermath wasn't pretty.

Even after most of the injured had been located and brought to medical stations, the structural damage done to buildings and streets was vast. Before anything could even be fixed, rubble needed to be moved and that was not an easy job.

Shinobi strength certainly made the process faster, but most of them had clearly never done anything like this before. Sakura didn't have a ton of experience, but she'd helped neighbours or family friends take down or rebuild walls.

Her leg made it somewhat difficult to help with the heavy lifting, but she was more than capable to sorting through materials or sweeping up smaller messes.

Sakura didn't know where her team was, didn't even know if they were alive, but she didn't know what to do. She didn't know where to look for them or where to go or anything.

She wanted something, anything, to do so that she could ignore the yawning maw of grief that threatened to overwhelm her.

So she simply grabbed a pair of gloves and began helping with cleanup.

It helped, in a strange way. The physical exhaustion made it difficult to think and thus Sakura wasn't overwhelmed by her own mind. There was no room for it.

But by the time the sun began to set, everyone was beginning to leave, and Sakura still didn't know what to do.

It must have shown on her face, because a shinobi with hair covering his eye approached her.

"A few of us were planning on going to get the soup handouts near the Hokage monument. You're welcome to join, if you'd like."

Some of the tension drained from her shoulders. "That sounds good." She wasn't really hungry, but the last time she'd eaten was before her match, a lifetime ago. If she didn't eat, she'd probably pass out.

She joined a small group of chuunin who clearly knew each other. It was awkward, especially since they were all older than her, but they were kind.

"I'm Izumo, and this it Kotetsu." The shinobi who'd invited her nodded to the man at his side. "You probably don't remember us, but we were proctors for the first stage of the chuunin exam."

Sakura attempted a smile. "It's nice to meet you."

Kotetsu wrinkled his nose. "You don't need to use manners around us, I'm afraid we've already lost ours-OW!"

Izumo gave him a dirty look, withdrawing his elbow. "You've lost yours, everyone else still has some intact." He turned to Sakura. "Ignore him, he was dropped as a child."

"I was just trying to be friendly," Kotetsu grumbled. "She's going to get enough hostility from the clans, once anyone can think of anything other than the Invasion. Us non-clan shinobi have to show solidarity."

"You can do that without being rude." Izumo said dryly.

They reached the impromptu soup kitchen, waiting in line along with several other shinobi but strangely no civilians.

Kotetsu caught her looking. "There will be separate stations for civilians." He explained. "Shinobi are pretty jumpy right now, and mingling will create…accidents."

Ah, so that's what they called civilians being killed by paranoid shinobi.

The food handed out wasn't the most flavourful, but it was nutritious, and Sakura could already feel some of her energy returning.

"Yo."

Sakura's hand flew to her kunai, heart flying into her throat. She forced her mind to clear through the fog of panic. She knew that voice.

She turned around to find Kakashi, typical slouch in place.

He looked tired in a way she'd never seen him before, not even after passing out in Wave. Blood and dirt still marred his flak jacket. He obviously hadn't had time to change, or hadn't bothered to.

"Can I pull my student away for a minute?" Kakashi asked, turning his attention towards Izumo and Kotetsu.

The two stared, tension and something almost like fear flashing through their expressions. Then, simultaneously, they recovered.

"Of course," Izumo said, before shifting his gaze to Sakura. "You're welcome to rejoin us, when you're done."

She nodded, touched by their kindness.

Kakashi led her away from the eating area, far enough away that they wouldn't be overheard but not completely isolated either.

"I'm sorry I didn't come sooner." He said quietly. "Command wanted to make sure no Oto-nin were lingering in the village and I couldn't get away earlier."

Sakura nodded shallowly. "I understand." And she did. She hadn't even gone looking for her team, and she hadn't been explicitly told to do anything.

"Naruto and Sasuke are both alright, along with Shikamaru and the rest of your graduating class."

A breath Sakura didn't even realise she was holding released.

Then he continued.

"I was informed of your actions when you were chasing Sasuke down."

A kunai, heavy in her hand.

Nine Sound shinobi.

Eight corpses.

"I see." She said blankly.

Kakashi looked her in the eye, steady in a way Sakura wished she could emulate. "You did the best you could given the circumstances and made sure you got yourself and Shikamaru out alive. You were aware you could not continue your previous mission and proceeded to help our forces within the city." He squeezed her shoulder. "Well done."

Oh.

Oh.

Sakura had been expecting…she wasn't even sure what she'd been expecting, but not this. A condemnation, maybe. For her killings or for leaving her teammates.

It felt even stranger for Kakashi to commend her actions. She didn't need his approval, but it was nice to have it. Nice to know that she hadn't gone off the rails or inadvertently caused a disaster.

How could anything be worse than what had already happened?

Sakura took a deep breath and steeled herself. "I heard the civilian district I lived in was crushed and my parents-" she choked.

Kakashi closed his eye, and he suddenly looked a decade older. "I'm sorry, Sakura. That area was completely decimated. Evacuation efforts only managed to save a few people on the fringes of the district."

Just like that, the tidal wave Sakura had been trying to suppress erupted.

No.

Her parents…her mother and father…they were…they were…

Dead.

Dead like Shota and Zaku and Dosu and the eight Oto-nin who'd followed them.

She'd never again sew clothes with her mother or cook with her father or hug them or tell them she loved them or-or-or-

Her vision spun.

A strong hand gripped her shoulder. "-kura. Sakura! You need to breathe."

Breathe? How could she do anything but sink into the void that wanted to swallow her. Her parents were dead.

She took a shuddering inhale. Held it. Exhaled.

"Good, that's good." Someone was rubbing her back and it helped, kind of.

"What-" her voice cracked. She took a deep breath and tried again. "What'll happen to their bodies?" Just saying the words made her nauseous.

"They'll be cremated and given to you." Kakashi said gently. "After, it'll be up to you whether you want to put them in a civilian grave or do something else. I'll help with the paperwork, when the time comes."

Paperwork. She'd have to do fucking paperwork for her parent's ashes. She didn't even get to decide if they'd be cremated. That choice had already been taken from her.

Something ugly opened in her chest.

Her parents had practically been role model citizens. They'd paid taxes and kept their nose out of any shinobi business. They hadn't even gone to watch Sakura's match because civilians needed special permission.

And yet they were collateral damage in a fight that had never been theirs.

Had anyone even bothered trying to divert the summons? Or had they just kept it in the civilian district, happy that nobody important lived there.

Strong hands gently pried her fists open. It was only then that Sakura realised she'd dug her nails so deep into her palms that she'd drawn blood.

I wonder if this is what it's like to burn.

Kakashi put a tentative hand on her head. "It will hurt," he said quietly. "Sometimes, so much it'll feel like you can't breathe, can't move forward. But you can. You've already proven that."

Sakura didn't want to move forward, she wanted her parents.

She wanted to go home.

"Where…if the district I lived in was-was crushed, where am I supposed to live?" She choked out. One problem at a time. Focus. "I don't have any other relatives in Konoha."

Kakashi grimaced. "There will be areas set up for shinobi whose homes were destroyed by the Invasion. Normally, I'd suggest staying with a friend, but clans can make that difficult, especially after an event like this."

He didn't offer his own house and Sakura didn't ask. She was pretty sure she'd go insane if she had to spend that much time with Kakashi. Then again, he was being…nice, right now. As if consoling someone about death was something he was much more familiar with than teaching.

"Okay," she took several deep breaths, trying to ease the burning in her throat. "Where can I find one?"

If she shoved everything down and focused on the practical, then she could delay her inevitable breakdown. Her parents wouldn't have wanted her to let her own needs fall by the wayside.

Kakashi told her the locations of several temporary camps as well as the shinobi most likely to stay there. The clan compounds had remained largely unharmed, but not all clan shinobi lived in those, meaning there was a chance Sakura could run into a Hyuuga, Yamanaka, or Uchiha. All of which she wanted to avoid at all costs.

"I need to go now," Kakashi said with a grimace. "They can't spare any jounin right now, so you probably won't see me until the Hokage's funeral."

Sakura nodded wordlessly.

He squeezed her shoulder one final time. "I'm sorry."

And then he was gone.

Sakura allowed herself two minutes to wallow in her grief. Two minutes of crying and shaking and fear. It hurt. It hurt it hurt it hurt. She wanted to believe it was a bad dream. A lie.

But reality was often times crueller than anything imagination could ever envision.

She wiped the tears off her face and made her way back to the soup kitchen.

Kotetsu and Izumo saw her red eyes and blotchy face and didn't ask. Instead, they handed her back her half-eaten meal and blocked other shinobi's view of her.

Sakura wished it were enough.

The camp was full of paranoid shinobi and it showed.

No matter where Sakura looked, she could see evidence of someone being startled and lashing out. Everything from scorch marks, dirt displacement, and weapons embedded in the ground.

Still, she gathered her courage and stood in line for entry. It wasn't like she had anywhere else to go.

"Name, rank, and number." The bored looking shinobi demanded.

"Sakura Haruno. Genin. Registration 012601." She said dutifully.

He scribbled her information down and handed her a slip of paper engraved with seals. An entry pass, most likely. "Don't lose this, because you won't be getting another. Next!"

She entered the camp hesitantly, scanning for anyone she might recognise. She was clearly one of the youngest people there, and that alone made her skin itch. She felt like a child who'd accidently wandered into the Adult Area.

Eventually, she discovered that everyone was supposed to find a group to share a tent with, ideally with people they already knew to prevent more accidents.

Accidents accidents accidents. They seemed so common in the shinobi world.

She ended up with a man she recognised as a tutor at the Academy-Ebisu-and his friend-Aoba. They were nice, if distant. It was easier, in a way, to interact with strangers. They couldn't tell if she was acting strange or question how she felt.

She felt distant from everything, going through the motions without really feeling. Even the relief she should have felt when preparing to sleep was absent. It all felt so numb and yet it still managed to sting.

Sakura hugged herself tightly beneath a thin blanket.

The fire that had kept her alive was useless against this cold.

Notes:

hey y'all, hope you're having a good day

Me: says i'm going to update weekly because the fic is done

Also me: doesn't

listennnnnnnnn last weekend was super busy and so was this week, so uh. whoopsies. I'll try to be consistent but Life, yk?

This chapter was a bit shorter, i'm aware, but i wasn't too keen on combining it with the next chapter, so they're both going to have to stand on their own. Honestly, i kind of regret combining the two chapters that ended up being last chapter. I think they would have been strong alone but ah well. You live and learn.

Today we have another good teacher Kakashi moment. Or well, it's more like good captain Kakashi moment because that's what he's trying to treat it as in his head, because he knows he's at least good at that. Also i think he has a LOT of experience with grief and living with the consequences of your actions, so he kind of understands what Sakura is going though.

I'm going to be honest, I don't think writing grief is my strong point. I'd like to think i'm pretty damn good at doing anger, but i also have a lot more practice with that. If the emotional beats feel a little off, that's probably why. I'm still going to try to write grief, because goshdarn i set up all this shit and had her parents fucking die so it's not like i can stop writing it.

Today's fic recommendation is All the Lost Children. It's a two part series about a younger Iruka and Kakashi, with Anko and Mizuki very present as well. It looks at how terribly teens and kids are treated in Konoha, and also looks at a shit ton a trauma. There is very much substantial plot in these, and it's generally more superstitiony/urban legendy than the typical Naruto fic, and i think the writer did a really good job utilizing those aspects.

Uh, i haven't done this in ages, but if any of you want to yell at me on tumblr, you can do so here. It would be nice to get more followers who weren't bots lol.

Constructive criticism is occasionally welcome, hate will be laughed at and the gay will be strong

byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye

Chapter 44: Snapped Thread

Summary:

Sakura has some necessary conversations

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

The path to Sakura's house was familiar, but it felt vacant in a way that ached.

The streets were no longer filled with people going about their day, working, traveling, playing. Instead, the few that were up this early were cleaning the aftermath of the Invasion.

Their eyes were tired and weary. Heavy with grief and yet watchful. They stared as Sakura passed by them, and for the first time she felt like an outsider in her own neighbourhood.

As she got closer to her house, the damage got worse and the people became scarcer. There were less signs of battle and more of one-sided destruction. Old blood stained the roads, but mercifully, all the bodies had been cleared.

Two of them had been her parents.

It was no time and too much time before she was standing in front of the rubble that had been her home.

Sakura had lived there as long as she could remember. There had been a wall near the kitchen with markings on her height, a small dent next to her parents' bedroom that had been the result of removing an old bed frame.

Her notes, extra gear, clothing, books, everything.

She ignored the pain in her leg as she began slowly digging through the rubble, turning over pieces of wood and stone. She was looking for something-anything, really.

And she found it.

The ceramic remains of the bathroom sink.

A heap of clothing.

Scattered fluff from the torn beds.

A fork completely bent out of shape.

She recognised it all.

Sakura forced herself to stop digging and backed up onto the ruined street. Her hands were raw and covered in cuts. She barely noticed.

This is real.

Her home was gone, her parents were dead.

Sakura let out a guttural scream.

It hurts.

Without even realising it, she'd curled into a ball, clutching herself in a mockery of a hug. She couldn't stop crying.

It hurts it hurts is hurts.

Please stop.

Please don't be gone.

I don't want to be alone.

But she was, because no one answered, and no one came.

The lists of shinobi casualties were closely guarded, but the ones for civilians might as well have been printed on a wall.

Sakura stared listlessly at the sheet a frightened civilian clerk had handed her, staring at the Confirmed Casualties list. Rows and rows of names, impersonal and innocent in their appearance but devastating in effect.

Kizashi Haruno.

Mebuki Haruno.

There were other names she recognised too. Her neighbours and a few local shopkeepers were also listed. Oh look, there was a few of her father's co-workers and her mother's apprentice.

She wanted to stare at it forever. She wanted to set it on fire.

Sakura gently put the list back onto the desk and left the building.

The Hokage's funeral was as grandiose as Sakura expected it to be.

Every shinobi that could be spared was in attendance, all in black with their most obvious weapons removed. There were civilians there too, mostly government officials representing their districts or other influential non-shinobi.

The ceremony had more than its fair share of speakers, but Sakura could barely bring herself to pay much attention. She knew what they were saying anyway. Praising what Hiruzen Sarutobi had accomplished in his life and lamenting his death. Urging everyone to move on and continue making Konoha strong, just like Hiruzen would have wanted.

Propaganda went hand in hand with condolences when it came to the death of someone like the Hokage.

This was a man they could build into a legend, could make a martyr.

"Let Konoha unite in its grief." The old kunoichi at the front proclaimed. "We will rebuild, stronger and better than ever."

There was a chorus of agreement that she couldn't bring herself to join.

Sakura grieved too, but not for Hiruzen Sarutobi.

She grieved for the peace and stability of her village. For the safety she'd once felt. She grieved for the girl who she'd been before the Invasion and she grieved for her parents.

What now?

She didn't bother sticking around after the ceremony, slipping away from the crowds and into a nearby alleyway.

A shadow fell over her.

"We need to have a team meeting." The words were quiet and apologetic.

Sakura took a deep breath and nodded.

"Okay."

She followed Kakashi out.

Naruto and Sasuke were already waiting by the bridge they usually met at, their bickering absent for once. Instead, they were sitting in silence, the former curled up while the latter glared at the ground.

Naruto's eyes were red and puffy, but he smiled brightly when he noticed them. "Hey Sakura!"

She tried to smile back but it came out closer to a grimace. "Hey."

There was an uncomfortable moment of silence, before Kakashi cleared his throat. "I haven't had time to debrief all of you thoroughly, so consider this a delayed mission report." His voice held an undercurrent of authority. "Tell me everything that happened."

As expected, Naruto jumped to go first, easily detailing what he'd been up to-though Sakura noted he left some suspicious details out of his story. Sasuke went next, and Sakura could barely even be amused that he'd gotten his ass handed to him by Temari.

Kakashi was similarly stone-faced. "You neglected to follow protocol and could have gotten your entire team killed." He informed Sasuke.

Sasuke pursed his lips. "I was just trying to-"

"I don't know what your reasoning was, and I don't care. Unless instructed otherwise, genin are supposed to evacuate civilians during a crisis. Your punishment will be formalised in the next week."

Sasuke reddened. "How was I supposed to advance to chuunin if I couldn't even finish my match?"

"Did your daddy have pink hair like you? It was a little hard to tell because of all the blood. His head got caved in, but your mommy's face was pretty intact. It was the rest of her that wasn't."

"Evacuation efforts only managed to save a few people on the fringes of the district."

Blood seeped from underneath the pile of rubble, where Enko had been standing only moments before.

Rows and rows of names, impersonal and innocent in their appearance but devastating in effect.

Kizashi Haruno.

Mebuki Haruno.

Sakura saw red.

When her vision cleared, she was standing over Sasuke with aching knuckles, panting like she'd sprinted across all of Fire Country. Something terrible burned in her chest and for once she let it grow.

"Who do you think grows the food?!" She demanded. "Who builds the houses and paves the roads?! Who brings in the metal for every kunai and shuriken?!"

Sasuke stared at her, clutching his bleeding nose. He seemed too shocked to be angry. Yet.

Sakura couldn't have stopped if she'd wanted to. "Do you think it's the clans that make Konoha influential? Do you think the money that funds the Academy and the chuunin exams all comes from missions?"

Distantly, she was aware of urgent voices around her, but she didn't care, couldn't care.

"If it weren't for civilians, Konoha would be a joke. How impressive is a shinobi village if they can't even afford to feed themselves?" Her nails dug into the palms of her hands. "A promotion isn't worth more than a civilian's life!"

Why was there only glory in death? In killing? What good is strength if it can protect no one? Who would be left to celebrate the slaughter?

Sakura grabbed the front of Sasuke's shirt and hauled him in close. "If you ever say something like that again, I'm going to take the silver spoon you were born with and shove it down your throat. Do you understand me? I'll fucking kill you." She didn't even know if that threat was an exaggeration anymore. She didn't know what she was willing to do.

The lives of Aya and Tetsuo were not nothing. The lives of her parents hadn't been nothing. They would never have their names written on a monument stone, but why did that make them less.

Maybe death was common in the shinobi world, but that did not mean it was insignificant.

A gentle but firm hand landed on her shoulder. "Sakura," Kakashi's voice was heavy with something she could barely recognise. "Let him go."

She took a long, shaking breath, and forced her fingers to release Sasuke's shirt.

He stumbled away from her, clutching his bleeding nose. Naruto scrambled to his side, hands erratic as he tried to stabilise Sasuke. Both of them were staring at her like they'd never seen her before.

Sakura took a deep breath and tried to push her rage down. She tried to shove it inside the small box she normally kept it in, contained and safe and out of sight.

She couldn't.

Grief and anger and pain made everything feel so raw and she couldn't.

She couldn't pull back, couldn't hide behind the carefully constructed walls she used when interacting with her team. They were destroyed. Gone. Just like her house.

Sasuke brushed the dirt off his clothes. "I don't know why you're so pissed. It's not like you're a civilian."

And the terrible thing was, he said it as if it was supposed to be a compliment.

My mother and father and neighbours. The kids down the block that played too loudly and the street vendors who haggled until the sun went down. The apprentice at the tailor shop and the community elders who baked for everyone's birthday.

What do you mean, I'm not a civilian? Can't you see their existence is carved into me the way your clan is to you?

"What's wrong with being a civilian?" She snarled. "Just because we don't have ridiculous bloodlines or magic eyes or paint our hands with blood doesn't mean we're worthless! We're not just canon fodder for the clans."

Sasuke stared at her blankly, and it struck Sakura then, that he didn't remember.

He didn't remember.

One of those most humiliating moments of her Academy experience didn't even register for him.

Maybe this was why he never bothered to apologize.

Sakura couldn't decide if that was better or worse.

Sasuke's jaw set. "Of course you're not going to be canon fodder. Otherwise you'd have died in the Forest instead of killing those Oto-nin, or ran away."

That wasn't the point.

"It doesn't matter how many people I kill!" She snarled. "It's never going to matter, because as long as I don't have a clan to back me up, I'll be disposable. So what if I killed the Oto-nin in the Forest?! So what if I killed the squad who went after us when we were trying to get you to stop chasing Gaara?! Nothing is going to-"

"Wait, what?!" Naruto looked shocked. "Why?!"

Sakura stared at him in disbelief. "What do you think they would have done to us given the chance?" She demanded. "Shikamaru and I would be corpses! We were being fucking invaded, do you think anyone else was holding back? Do you think the shinobi Kakashi took down in the stadium were only injured?"

"But-!"

"Naruto." Kakashi's voice was firm and unyielding. "That's enough. Sakura did what she had to, to ensure the survival of herself and her team."

He looked away. "I just don't understand-"

"Well, that's the problem, isn't it?" The words leapt off of Sakura's tongue. "You probably could have gotten away with knocking them out, or fighting them head on, and you never considered that maybe I couldn't."

Sakura was so, so tired. Tired of being berated for her lack of strength, and then condemned for when she showed it. Tired of hiding parts of herself from the people who were supposed to be her team. The people she trusted most.

"Only the strong can afford to have mercy, and well," she cut a sharp look at Sasuke. "You are always saying how weak I am."

And that was the truth, too. If Sakura had been stronger, she wouldn't have needed to kill Shota in Wave, or Dosu and Zaku. She could have fought them and simply won, rather than been the survivor.

But that had never been an option for Sakura. Even now, with her new skills and training, every fight felt like walking a knife's edge.

One wrong move, one hesitation, and she'd fall into oblivion.

At least now her parents wouldn't have to mourn her.

Sasuke pursed his lips. "That was before-"

"Before what? Before you knew I'd killed? Why does your respect of me hinge on that?!" She stepped forward. "You know, I killed in Wave, too. He was Tsunami's cousin and his name was Shota. I killed another man when I jumped from the bridge. Does it not count because you didn't know?"

Naruto was pale. "Sakura! But that was-Tsunami has already lost so much family and-"

"Don't make me do this, kid."

"I'm not making you do anything."

"What did I just say, Naruto." Kakashi said sharply. "Would you rather she have let them kill Tazuna?"

This entire conversation made her want to laugh. Or cry. Or scream.

It was a zero-sum game. Sasuke didn't think she was useless anymore, but Naruto now thought she was a monster.

People like her didn't get to win.

"You know, I had actually started to hope that we would be able to be a team." She confessed. "But I was just kidding myself. Neither of you respect me. I don't think you know how."

The remaining rational part of Sakura screamed at her to stop. To pull back from the edge and not light the match. To not burn the bridges that had taken so long to build.

But they'd been shaky, unreliable things, and Sakura was sick of this balancing act.

Naruto looked like he was on the verge of tears. "Of course we respect you! And of course we're a team! You can't-don't say things like that!"

Keep your mouth shut and your head down. Bite your tongue until it bleeds because people like you don't get to be honest.

The truth was this:

Sakura's parents were dead. They'd been crushed by a sannin's summon and were never coming back. Her house was little more than rubble and the only possessions she had were the ones she carried.

The truth was this:

The Invasion had broken something in Sakura, something she wasn't sure could ever be fixed. She had killed far more people than she'd saved and yet she couldn't imagine herself making those decisions any differently. There was still dried blood on her dress, the stain now set long enough that it would take a miracle to save.

The truth was this:

Team 7's bonds were almost entirely built on unwilling proximity and forced reliance in life-or-death situations. The amount of trust between them wouldn't fill a teaspoon.

Sakura knew how to work with droplets of anything. She knew how to grow a seed with scraps of determination and cunning and spite. She knew the right words to say, knew how to appease and how to use their expectations in her favor.

She could do it here, if she really wanted to. She could choose to fit herself into the box, fold her edges down and smother the bubbling emotions.

Sakura took a long look at her team.

And walked away.

Notes:

Hey y'all, hope you're having a good day

So uh yeah. Ouch.

This one was both cathartic and pretty painful to write. Let's start with the easier stuff at the beginning, shall we?

Sakura's continued grief at the death of her parents and sense of loss is something I really hope is visible. One of the commenters put the way i'm trying to write perfectly. There is silence where there should be noise and life. She continues to see evidence of death of the people she knew and cared about. Of the community she was raised in. She is witnessing the aftermath of destruction, the hollowness of what is left behind.

The Hokage's funeral is trying to give meaning to a death. It is being used as propaganda, Hiruzen is being framed as a martyr. And he will be remembered. His face is literally carved onto the wall of a mountain. But there are hundreds who will be forgotten. There is no meaning in the slaughter of the civilians caught in the line of fire. They were just collateral.

Now let's talk about the real juicy bits of this chapter.

Everything finally came to a head. Every time Sasuke was an asshole, every time Naruto was a bit too naïve, every time Sakura bit her tongue and forced down her true thoughts. Team 7 was always a powder keg, the invasion was just the match.

Sasuke is too ambitious for anyone's good and has a callous lack of regard for things he doesn't think involve him. He's never had much interaction with civilians, and doesn't care to change that. He was always going to put his possible advancement before evacuation. And the thing is, even though he has learned to respect Sakura in some ways, he sees her as an exception. He doesn't want to do the work to change his worldview, and so he still thinks most civilian borns are cowardly and kind of useless, but that Sakura is different. That's why he tries to distance Sakura from civilians. His callousness is also why he doesn't really remember the beginning of the story, where he caused Sakura to cry in a bathroom because he was such a dick. It's just not something he really thought was important.

(sidenote, Sasuke's punishment will be mentioned again and explained more, just not now)

Naruto is a bit trickier. He objectively treats Sakura as more of a friend, but also doesn't always respect her autonomy. He has a habit of thinking his way is the best or ONLY way, even though not everyone even has the ability to do things like he does. He still has idealized versions of what it means to be a shinobi rooted in his head, and his relationship with Sakura is not deep or stable enough to really sustain this kind of disagreement. Sakura and Naruto are nice to each other, and they are friends, but they're not close. They don't understand each other on a fundamental level, something that especially goes for Naruto because Sakura hides her true self a lot of the time.

Kakashi is...Kakashi. He is not mediating this as well as he should be, but he is making an Attempt. He is the only one who knows that Sakura's parents are dead, and has a lot of person experience with grief himself. He knows the depths it can drag people to, the self control it can fray thin.

Sakura is having a rough time of things. Things are hitting her VERY hard right now, and while she's not wrong about a lot of what she's saying or thinking, the intensity in which she's experiencing things is waaaaaay up. Naruto and Sasuke DO respect her...in some ways...but they don't know her, not really. And part of that is on purpose on Sakura's part. She has kept her lid on TIGHT. She does not trust them, and the accumulation of every moment of friction between them just finally got to her.

This is not the end of their relationships with one another by far, but i thought it was necessary to have this, to bring all these grievances into the light. You can't build on something with a rotting or unstable foundation. You can't be a real team with people you don't trust.

idk man, i have many Thoughts. And uh, yeah. These next few chapters will continue to be rough for our girl Sakura, and the people around her. We are not done with the pain train by FAR.

In better news, i've finally made solid progression the first chapter of A Dose of Venom! I don't want there to be a huge gap between the end of this fic and the beginning of the next one, so i've been trying to get a solid outline for that story. It's probably going to be shorter than this one ends up being, but whatever.

This week's fic recommendation is His Smile. A short fic about Iruka having gone missing-nin with Naruto and Kakashi being sent to track them down. It's short and punchy and something i think y'all should check out.

Constructive criticism is occasionally welcome, hate will be laughed at and the gay will be strong

byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye

Chapter 45: Unfinished Business

Summary:

The aftermath of team 7's fight

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Kakashi found Sakura sitting at the edge of a river.

She was curled into herself, sandals tossed to the side while her toes were dipped in the water. Every so often a shiver would wrack her frame, but otherwise she was still.

He approached slowly, making sure his footsteps were audible. She froze for a moment, but didn't react otherwise.

Kakashi lowered himself onto the edge of the riverbank.

They sat in silence for several minutes. Sakura didn't even glance in his direction, instead staring intently at the rushing water.

"I'm not going to apologize."

The first words Sakura spoke were hoarse and quiet. Their fragility was almost enough to miss the undercurrent of steel.

It would be all to easy to shatter the trust Sakura had in him. What little existed, that was.

"I wasn't going to ask you to."

Emotions were running far too high. It would accomplish nothing and only serve to increase the resentment between them.

This was such a disaster.

Kakashi had made a fatal mistake. He'd taken the dynamics of his old team, of Rin and Obito and himself, and applied them to this one. He'd been so caught up with seeing his past in them, he hadn't really looked at any of them until far too late.

Sasuke was not Kakashi. He had been an arrogant brat as a child, but he'd understood the cost of things Sasuke seemed to take for granted.

Obito was not Naruto. Even if Obito hadn't enjoyed it, he'd understood the necessity of killing. He'd been raised in war, just like the rest of them, and had never carried the same naiveté that Naruto did.

Sakura was not Rin. Even if she hadn't been from a clan, Rin had had a well-respected family of healers to fall back on. She'd been forgiving and honest, and Sakura…

Well, she was good at pretending she was.

Maybe, if Kakashi had been a better teacher, they wouldn't be here now. He would have seen the cracks in their interactions, would have known that it was only a matter of time before the thin rope keeping them together snapped.

"The day our teams were first announced, I came here." Sakura sunk her feet further into the soil. "I was-horrified. And afraid. I knew I was there as filler, I knew that between the three of us, I'd get the least attention and would be thrown to the wolves first."

Kakashi knew he had done little to dissuade that assumption.

"I thought I could manage with that. I'd been teaching myself for years at that point, I already knew how to make do on my own. It didn't matter that my team couldn't work together or that my sensei was useless. I would be fine."

Sakura had been so self reliant, so independent, that Kakashi had made the mistake of treating her like the easy student. The one that didn't need any attention. Naruto and Sasuke outright demanded it, and came with their own set of problems, but Sakura had never seemed to need anything other than occasional advice.

A teacher would have known better. Kakashi had never managed to be much more than a soldier and a captain.

Sakura smiled at him, the edges of her mask so frayed that he could see the shattered pieces that lay underneath.

"Do you think I'm fine, Kakashi-sensei?"

"My entire team, my entire family is dead. How do you think I'm doing?"

"I think you survived." Kakashi said. "Everything else comes after."

She looked away.

Those words had never given Kakashi any comfort either.

"Later today, Jiraiya is going to ask Naruto to come with him to find Tsunade Senju. It won't take much to encourage Sasuke to be brought along as well. They'll be gone for two weeks at minimum."

This, at least, he could offer her.

Distance.

Some of the tension drained from her shoulders.

"Any shinobi helping with cleanup will receive a stipend that you'll be able to use to get back on your feet." Kakashi continued. "I would also recommend seeing the civilian's courts about your parents' will as soon as possible."

Sakura's heartrate jumped. Whether it was because of the reminder of her parents, or the weight of the new responsibilities she now held, he couldn't be sure.

Taking care of food and housing and a million other adult realities was best when eased into. Many of the people Kakashi knew hadn't had that luxury, and now neither would Sakura.

Money had never been an issue for Kakashi, but it had been for Gai. Clanless, with no family to fall back on after his father's death, and unpopular among most of the old guard, Gai had been strapped for cash for a long time in his teens.

It would be even more difficult for Sakura to stay on her feet. A lot of Konoha's money would be poured into rebuilding, which meant a larger cut from missions would be taken from the shinobi who accomplished them.

He would offer his own money if things got dire-kami knew he had enough of it-but wouldn't otherwise interfere unless Sakura asked. It was difficult for shinobi to view anything as a gift with no strings attached, and she didn't trust him enough to accept what he could give her at face value.

Sakura was silent for a long time.

"Do you know of any teams that are going east?"

The woman handing Sakura the urns wouldn't look her in the eye.

Throughout the entire process, through the paperwork and identification and the inane details of bureaucracy, she had barely glanced at Sakura's face.

But every few minutes, her gaze would flicker to the pouches on her sides and the blood on her dress.

She was afraid.

Logically, that wasn't entirely unexpected. This was a civilian establishment that handled civilian wills. Not to mention there had just been an attack from a foreign shinobi force. It was natural to be nervous.

That knowledge hadn't stopped Sakura's heart from clenching when the whispers had started.

It was easy to forget that civilians had their own opinions on shinobi, and that many of them were not kind.

Killer.

Heartless.

Madwoman.

"Will you need a box to carry them?" The woman asked stiffly.

Sakura shook her head, opening the storage scroll she'd managed to borrow from Aoba. The seals were already written down, so it was only a matter of putting down the urns and sending a pulse of chakra into the scroll.

The whispers increased.

Carefully, Sakura rerolled the scroll and tucked it into her most secure pouch. "Is there anything else?"

The woman shook her head.

The familiar feeling of fire in his chest was what woke Hayate.

Violent coughs wracked his frame as he tried to get his breathing under control. Pain pulsed from his collar and his head felt like someone had stuffed cotton into it.

"I'm going to grab your left shoulder and help you sit." A calm voice informed him. "Please refrain from attacking me."

He allowed strong hands to pull him upright, and slowly but surely, the coughing began to ease. Awareness seeped back, and he realised he was in the hospital.

The nurse at his side gently pushed a glass of water into his hands. He drank it gratefully.

"How long have I been in here?" Hayate asked, when he felt a little more like a person.

"Almost five weeks," The nurse said, checking his pulse. "Quite frankly, you're lucky you woke up at all. Your injuries were severe and whatever your opponent did to put you in a coma, we couldn't reverse."

His opponent…who had he been fighting again? The second stage of the chuunin exam had just wrapped up and…

Suna's alliance with Oto and an imminent attack. Shit.

"I need to speak to an intelligence officer immediately." He mentally checked over his injuries. Not ideal, but he could travel if-

"If it's about an invasion on Konoha by Otogakure, you're about a week late." The nurse was calm, and Hayate began noticing details he hadn't before. The room he was in was filled to the brim with other shinobi, and the nurse had enormous eye bags. Like he'd been working overtime just to keep up.

"We won, but there was heavy infrastructure damage and casualties." A moment of hesitation. "The Hokage is dead."

The words took far too long to sink in.

The nurse gave him another cup of water. "I'll let Intelligence know you're awake." The door closed with an unsettling sense of finality.

Hayate took a few steadying breaths, trying not to speculate about who else was dead. How many new names would be carved into the Memorial Stone.

It was difficult not to imagine how many could have been saved if he'd managed to pass on what he'd learned.

Thankfully, Hayate wasn't left to stew in his thoughts for long. Another nurse came in and brought him to a secure room. Every shinobi hospital had them, specifically for cases like this; an injured informant with information that needed to be shared.

Anko stepped into the room. She wasn't smiling.

As was standard procedure, he went through his entire day, even the details that didn't matter. Soon enough, he got to the parts that they were really there for. The plans he overheard, his fight with Baki, and-

"Kabuto Yakushi." Anko said his name like a curse. "He was the one who brought you in. Should have known it wasn't luck."

It had seemed like a miracle at first. Hayate had been quick to divulge as much information to Kabuto as possible so someone would be able to warn Konoha. Kabuto had nodded seriously, expression earnest.

And then he'd sent a pulse of chakra into Hayate and put him in a coma for five weeks.

"He was a spy for Orochimaru." Anko said grimly. "A damn good one too. No one had any idea there was something up with him before it was too late."

Hayate let out another cough. "Let me guess, he went after a chuunin candidate." Likely Sasuke Uchiha. He had already been targeted during the Forest of Death.

"No, actually." She let out a humorless snort. "No, he went after Danzo."

He choked on air. "He tried to-"

"Oh, he did more than try. Danzo is in a coma and there are at least four ANBU that Kabuto went through to get to him."

Holy shit. It was one thing to get the jump on Hayate and be a successful spy, it was another to nearly kill a council member. Shinobi didn't get old unless they were a particular type of monster, and Danzo was no exception.

He hesitated. "Anyone we know?"

Her expression tightened.

This whole thing was a fucking mess. "Has a new Hokage been nominated yet? Who the hell is even in charge?"

"The clans are working with the council and the corps commanders to organise." She huffed out a laugh. "Shikaku managed to make them functional, but it won't hold. As for who's going to be in charge, well, if the rumours hold any weight, it'll be a sannin."

Hayate would be impressed if they even managed to get a hold of the two that weren't actively trying to destroy Konoha.

"Where do you need me?"

Anko smiled wide, and none of the mirth reached her eyes.

There were a number of visitors Gai wouldn't have been surprised by. With everything going on, every jounin was doing overtime. It wouldn't have been the first time someone had sought him out without prior warning.

Yet he wasn't sure what could have brought Sakura Haruno to his door.

She carried a familiar kind of exhaustion that was all too common these days. An entanglement of grief and fear and uncertainty that rested heavily on young shoulders.

He immediately welcomed her inside, reactivating the protection seals and other traps protecting his door. Having a conversation in the hallway of a shinobi occupied apartment was akin putting a sign on the Hokage tower.

Gai offered her a smile. "Is there something I can help you with?"

She shifted on her feet. "Kakashi-sensei told me your team is going east on a mission. I'd like to come."

That was…not what he had been expecting.

"Without the rest of your team." He clarified.

"Yes." Her hand drifted to rest on one of her pouches. "I…there's something I need to do. It's a family matter."

And offered no more information.

Well, either it comes to her naturally or Kakashi managed to pass on his poor communication skills.

Regardless, the pieces were easy enough to put together. Sakura didn't come from a shinobi family and she looked to be wearing the same thing she'd had on during the Invasion.

Far too many civilians hadn't made it to shelters in time.

He wasn't sure how this translated to her desire to go east, but Sakura didn't seem the type to do something on a whim, or for frivolous reasons. If Kakashi had informed her of the trip, then he had already given his approval. That still left one glaring problem.

"I am needed in Konoha." He explained. "Because of the circumstances, my students will be going east on their own."

Understanding dawned on her expression.

"Would you like to know where to find them?"

Notes:

hey y'all, hope you're having a good day!

Once again we have Kakashi not fucking everything up entirely. I did promise he was going to get better! it just took a very long time. I think it's necessary for Kakashi to acknowledge and realise how he was projecting onto his own team. He is so deeply entrenched in his past that he sees echoes of it everywhere, even in places they don't exist. He really, REALLY, should not have been a teacher. As many of you have pointed out, this was basically a suicide prevention attempt by Hiruzen which has so many problems it's not even funny.

And like, Kakashi knows he's not a good teacher. He KNOWS! But especially near the beginning he doesn't see the point in trying to better himself to become a good teacher. And this has consequences on his team. I'd like to add that it's a lot of layers of fucked up that he manages to best connect with Sakura when she has traumatic experiences. ie, her first kill, her subsequent kills, and the death of her family. This man has so, so much wrong with him. He needs to much therapy.

Sakura is feeling alienation from all sides of the spectrum, including her civilian identity. Because yeah, uh, while civilians probably don't often like, revolt? or anything? They're pretty aware that their village is heavily staffed by murderers for hire. And they run the government to. And while there is obvious intersection of civilians and shinobi, most of them don't commonly interact unless their job requires it or they have family that are shinobi.

Kabuto continues to fuck shit up, but this time it was at Danzo so who cares lmao. Part of this was to cement that there's no way he can return to Konoha to spy, and the other part was to get Danzo tf out of the way because uh. If Hiruzen is dead and Tsunade isn't found fast enough, who do you think is taking over? And i do not want Danzo as Hokage in this fic so i needed him out of the way, and Kabuto felt like a good character to temporarily take him out. This was very heavily motivated by spite on Kabuto's part. Danzo took him in as a child, and tried to shape him into a 'perfect' shionbi, but Kabuto managed to maintain enough autonomy that by the time he met Orochimaru, he could make the decision to switch sides. Because Orochimaru is a dick, but he doesn't really brainwash people and try to erase their personalities the way Danzo does. (ignoring the body snatching thing that's separate). He seems like the type that appreciates initiative and creativity, even disobedience to a certain degree, as long as it's beneficial. Danzo wants robots that listen to him and only him.

Kabuto basically saw 2 terrible options and chose the one that would give him more autonomy. The other major reason he tried to take out Danzo is that it gives Orochimaru more confidence that he won't go running back to Danzo/switch sides again. But uh yeah, Kabuto has like. negative 10 loyalty. just in general lol.

Uhhh other random thoughts. Idk if i ever said this before, but one of the reasons Sakura clocked Kabuto so fast is like. (This isn't a great analogy but stay with me). You know those people in customer service who're just so good at it, their demeanor and actions seems completely genuine? And parts of it can be, but it's also definitely partly an act. And while a lot of people might not pick up on it, other people who work customer service/do the same thing can pick up on it immediately, because they ALSO do it. Does this make sense at all? Sakura lies the way that Kabuto lies and so they recognize that in each other.

Uh, i know y'all are probably tired of hearing about him, but i'm also going to talk about Sasuke a little bit. So, the Uchiha probably interact with civilians more than a lot of other clans do, actually. Because they are most of the police force, and thus do internal matters. And that includes civilian problems. So you might think, why is Sasuke still such an asshole? If the ppl around him interact with civilians wouldn't that mean he would be less of a prick? Well, personally i don't think Sasuke himself has had much experience, and i think the impression he's always got about civilians from his clan is that they need protection. Aka, in his weird mindset, they are weak. They are weak, and thus undeserving of respect. They need protection, and can't fight, and can't be trusted to watch your back in a fight. This all filters down to his lack of care towards them and his treatment of Sakura, especially near the beginning of the fic.

Also, if it wasn't clear, Itachi is a member of the police and Shisui is in ANBU. Itachi is NOT in ANBU.

All of your comments bring me immense joy! I know i barely respond to them, but i read every single one and they give me fuzzies! You guys are great.

Constructive criticism is occasionally welcome, hate will be laughed at and the gay will be strong

byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye

Chapter 46: Bittersweet Birdsong

Summary:

Sakura talks to Team Gai

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Sakura heard Team Gai before she saw them.

A deafening crack! rang through the training ground. Every Konoha shinobi knew the sound of a tree being broken, but she had no idea why.

When she finally found them, she was more surprised she hadn't heard more damage. Lee, Tenten, and Neji were engaged in some kind of three-way spar. There were craters loosely scattered around, and more than one tree had fallen victim to their attacks. More weapons than Sakura had ever owned were also strewn about.

Lee danced away from one of Neji's attacks, only to be slammed in the back by Tenten, who then was struck by Neji.

They moved with a familiarity and unsettling cohesion despite fighting against each other. The pure skill in taijutsu that was being displayed was astounding.

She probably have watched them even longer if Tenten hadn't been launched in her direction.

Sakura rolled out of the way, narrowly missing being slammed into. What did Gai feed them?

Tenten popped back up on her feet, and for a second it seemed like she didn't even register Sakura's presence.

"If you couldn't tell, this training ground is in use." She said cheerfully. "We barely bother booking it anymore. No one else really uses it."

"No that's not-I'm here for something else." Sakura said, stumbling over her words. She knew how to talk to people. This was fine.

She just had to forget that her last interactions with people her age had gone horrifically-

"I need a favour." She blurted. "I can wait until you guys are done, but I really need to talk to you."

Some of her desperation must have shown, because Tenten's easy demeanor shifted. She turned back towards the ongoing fight and took a deep breath.

"HEY ASSHOLES! WE HAVE A VISITOR!"

The shout startled both parties still fighting, causing Lee to slip and Neji to completely miss his strike. Some part of Sakura relaxed. They seemed more human like this.

Lee bounded over, a grin already stretched across his face. "Sakura! Are you here to train with us? Did you bring your poisons? I want to see how they'd affect my fighting when-"

"She's not here for training." Neji cut in. "She's here because she wants something from us."

"He read your lips when you were talking to me earlier." Tenten mock whispered to her. "Because he has a terrible sense of privacy and doesn't know how to decide not to snoop."

Neji gave her a haughty look. "We are shinobi."

"Just admit you're shit at cards and can't stand being left out. The amount of times we've caught you-"

"We're getting off topic." Neji interrupted. He turned his intense stare towards Sakura. "Why are you here?"

The scroll weighed heavily in her pocket. "You guys are heading east on a mission. If possible, I'd like to join you."

That obviously wasn't the answer they expected, and after a few seconds of intense eye contact, Tenten broke the silence. "I thought your team was going on a trip with Jiraiya. Actually-didn't they already leave?"

Sakura didn't flinch at the mention of her team, but she wanted to. "I'm not going with them. We're having-it doesn't matter."

"Why?" Lee looked uncharacteristically serious. "I would love for you to join us on our mission, but why do you need to go?"

I have my family's ashes in this scroll. They were taken from me and the only control I have left is how they're put to rest. I'm so angry at everything I think I might explode. I can't be in the village right now or I'll burn down everything I've ever built.

She couldn't say any of that, but she also couldn't tell them nothing. Even if Tenten and Lee would be fine without an answer, there was no way Neji would let it go.

"It's family related." She said blankly. "There's-I need to preform a specific burial and I can't do it in Konoha." The words sat uncomfortably on her tongue.

"Shit." Tenten swore. "You don't have to tell us anything else. You can totally come on the mission with us. Right guys?"

Lee nodded vigorously.

Which left one person. Sakura had known that Neji would be the hardest sell. No matter the conversation they'd had in the med bay, they didn't owe anything to each other, and she was pretty sure he hated her a little.

His hand began to raise, as if to reach out, before slowly lowering. "Of course."

And now her eyes were burning.

She frantically wiped away half-formed tears, clearing her throat awkwardly. "Okay, uh, great. Is there anything I should know about the mission?"

Tenten shrugged. "Not really. It's a standard protection contract; a village has been having trouble with bandits and we're supposed to clear them out. Basic C-rank. They're offering a lot of money though, which is why we're being sent out instead of helping with rebuilding."

The extra cash Sakura could get from this mission wouldn't hurt. She'd technically inherited all of her parent's wealth, but getting it from the banks wasn't easy and it would only last her so long.

"The mission should be no longer than a week. We leave tomorrow at 7am." Neji brushed stray dirt off his jacket. "Try not to follow in your sensei's habit of being late."

Something like laughter bubbled in her throat. "I'll be there."

"Sakura!"

She turned instinctively, hand going to her kunai. She'd almost made it back to the makeshift camp so she could start packing, but the streets were still fairly empty.

Kiba, Shino, and Hinata were hurrying towards her, expressions of stark relief painting their faces.

Right. She hadn't seen them since the Invasion. Even at the Hokage's funeral, they'd all stood with their clans, far enough away that they wouldn't have been able to spot her.

Kiba and Hinata both enveloped her in hugs that she half heartedly returned. Shino bumped her shoulder with his own.

For one glorious moment, everything else disappeared.

But-

"…the only way to escape this cursed seal, is to die."

"It's a clan thing."

Two birds sit in a cage.

"Why didn't you tell me the truth about Neji?"

The relieved and hopeful atmosphere froze.

It couldn't be that they hadn't expected the question. Neji had taken his Hitai-ate off in front of an entire stadium. It wasn't as though there could have been a lot of reasons why.

But maybe they'd assumed she wouldn't do it now. If the past week hadn't been what it had, if she hadn't already burned her bridges with her own team, maybe she wouldn't have.

Maybe, if she hadn't just seen Team Gai and been granted a priceless favour, things would be different.

And yet.

Here she was.

Hinata looked at the ground. "I-We-It didn't matter much to the match. It was a family affair, and no one likes talking about that with non-Hyuuga."

"Kiba and Shino knew," Sakura said. "Kurenai too."

"That's-"

"Different?" She smiled coolly. "Because they're your team, or because "It's a clan thing" and I don't qualify." She let Hinata's previous words echo between them.

None of them answered, and really, there was no satisfying way to.

They either admitted that they didn't trust her because she wasn't part of their team, or they didn't trust her because she wasn't from a clan.

A lose-lose situation.

For everyone.

Sakura could feel the cracks beneath their feet begin to form.

Kiba's gaze flickered around them. "It's a long story."

"I got the gist in a fifteen-minute fight."

Shino stepped forward. "The situation is complicated. Why? Because-"

"I know why the situation is complicated." She said flatly. "I'm asking why you didn't tell me."

She knew why. They all knew why.

But Sakura wanted them to say it.

She'd done her time. She'd kept her nose out of clan secrets and didn't ask questions they wouldn't answer. But if the curse mark was public enough knowledge for Neji to announce it in a stadium, then they could have told her.

She hadn't been expecting a lengthy mission report, but the basics would have been nice.

They looked embarrassed and ashamed, but Sakura knew, she just knew, that they'd do it all over again if they had the chance.

That they will do it again in the future.

Maybe, if the Invasion hadn't happened, it would have been easier to forgive. Maybe, if she hadn't collected her parents' ashes, her patience would have returned. Maybe, if she didn't have a thousand new problems to deal with, she would have thought more clearly.

Maybe, maybe, maybe.

She was sick of that word.

Hinata tentatively reached for her. "I'm sorry."

Sakura stepped back.

"Yeah, me too."

"Stay still, brat."

Sasuke let out a hiss of pain, but obeyed. The paint should have felt cool against his skin, but instead it burned as the seal on his shoulder was reinforced.

Naruto watched the process with uncharacteristic silence, absorbing every step Jiraiya narrated.

"When you layer seals on top of one another, you have to make sure they don't get in each other's way." He explained. "Luckily, Hatake used a strong but simple seal. I could put almost anything over it, and it would still work the way it's meant to."

"But some will make them work even better, right?" Naruto clarified.

"Exactly. The bare minimum of functional layering is not messing up the original seals or the added one. What your goal should be is to enhance the first seal and add further systems."

Sasuke had protested to being treated like an Academy lesson the first few times, but arguing with Jiraiya was like sparring with Itachi. No matter how many times you think you'd scored a hit, all you were doing was tiring yourself out.

They better find Tsunade soon. Sasuke wasn't sure how much more of this idiocy he could take.

She was there.

Neji hadn't expected anything different. Even with the visible exhaustion and still-injured leg, she was there.

Ten minutes early, even, which was more than Tenten could say. Then again, she was never truly late, but she was never one to come a moment sooner than necessary.

Lee, on the other hand, was doing one-armed push ups out of boredom. That left Sakura and Neji almost isolated in their silences.

He didn't know what to say to her, didn't know how to act around her. By most standards, she was a complete stranger. The number of conversations they'd had could be counted on one hand. And yet she knew more about him than anyone other than his team.

Neji stepped beside her, expression carefully neutral. "In Gai's absence, I am team leader. Is that going to be a problem?"

Her gaze flickered to him. "No. I can follow orders when I need to." She would have had to, to get this far. Disobedience was tolerated on a spectrum; the more powerful and influential you or your family were, the more you could get away with.

"I'm a bit surprised you to let me come so easily." She continued. "You seem like the grudge holding type."

He was.

"My father's corpse was sent to Kumogakure." He said evenly. "He was not given the proper burial rites or respect he was owed." I wouldn't wish that on you. He didn't say, but he had the feeling it was heard regardless.

There was a grave in the Hyuuga cemetery, but no body within it. There was no telling what the Kumo-nin had done with his father's corpse, but they certainly hadn't returned it. It didn't matter that the eyes were useless to them; the politics of it all demanded they at least feign satisfaction.

"Makes sense." Sakura said quietly. As if anything she did made sense.

Neji didn't understand her, and frankly he wasn't sure he wanted to.

Two minutes to 7, Tenten burst onto the scene. "Let's get this show on the road." She wrapped an arm around Sakura and practically dragged her to the posted guards.

They were allowed through without fuss, and Konoha's tall trees enveloped them.

Keep moving forward.

Notes:

hey y'all, hope you're having a good day

Bit of a shorter chapter today, but hopefully packed with some fun gut punches.

Let's get to it.

First, Team Gai. So, I haven't really explored Tenten or Lee very much in this fic, and honestly i won't be able to with the chapters i have left. They will be more prominent in the sequel, but they are not really the focus of the upcoming chapters, even if they are present. I will try to do subtle character building, but don't expect too much. Sorry in advance.

Sidenote; Tenten thinks she's the straight man in her team's nonsense. She is not. She is also fucking bonkers but you just don't realize it at first because she SEEMS like the most normal one.

ANYWAY. Part of the reason Neji is a bit less of a dick in general here is partly because Sakura did get through to him somewhat in their fight and they know way too much about each other and also very little, partly because he knows what it's like to NOT get to bury family properly, and partly because his team stabilizes him. To me, Neji seems likes a character who's worst impulses come out when he's isolated. He's very capable and a solid leader, but if you remove him from his team, he gets way into his own head. Tenten and Lee ground him and curb his worst impulses, in some ways just by being there, and in some ways by literally calling him out on his shit. This is a team with strong personalities all around, and while they are willing to follow his lead, they also don't just follow him blindly. I still stand by the belief that if Neji didn't have the team he did, he would have been SO much worse.

Now, the painful stuff. Sakura's conversation with Team 8.

Yeah this was always going to hurt.

Team 8 are Sakura's friends, but they will always be a member of their clans first. For the most part, Sakura has made this easy on them, because she almost never asks them about anything clan related. She keeps her mouth shut and nose out of their business. She is aware that they can't tell her some things, and so she doesn't ask. But Neji DID tell her about the cursed seal, and that changes things. Because not only was this information that they knew and didn't tell her, it was information they could have told her. But they didn't, and even if they have reasons that fact doesn't change. Their shame does not change the circumstances. They knowingly left her in the dark and very much let her think Neji was just a shitty person who took a mild grudge too far. When in fact he is stuck in a circumstance not unlike her own. Sakura has a lot more in common with Neji than she does Team 8, when it comes down to it. This is not so much a betrayal of some kind, but rather a line being drawn in the sand. They are willing to be her friend, willing to train with her and give her small tips, but they will not cross that line.

It's an unpleasant reminder of who they all are, and where their loyalties lay. Sakura is a civilian born kunoichi. They are clan heirs or clan members. Team 8 is never going to be able to fully understand her position, and she in turn is never going to be able to fully understand theirs. Before, Sakura did not even approach the line, but when she did, even for a second, it was firmly reestablished. They would all be in a clearer headspace if the invasion hadn't just happened, and they would have been able to talk things out more, but that line would still exist.

This is not the end of their friendship by far, but yeah...

It always feels like i have more to say but i can't seem to put it into words. Maybe i'll add more later who knows.

Today's fic recommendation is the prince was raised to be charming, not sincere; problem is, he's neither. It's a 2 part series with Sakura and Shikamaru romance and it takes place after the canon series ends. The chemistry and writing of them is really fun and funny overall.

Constructive criticism is occasionally welcome, hate will be laughed at and the gay will be strong

byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye

Chapter 47: Which Way are You Going? Forwards, or Back?

Summary:

Team Gai and Sakura head east while Naruto, Sasuke, and Jiraiya locate Tsunade

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Sakura was barely keeping up.

Team Gai travelled at breakneck speed and seemed almost adverse to resting for long periods. It would have taken Sakura's team twice as long to cover the same amount of ground, and yet they were doing it easily.

In fact, they went quickly enough that they managed to make it to the village by nightfall, despite most common sense saying the trip should have been split up over two days.

Lee slapped her on the back. "You were very impressive! Neji mentioned your leg was still injured but you were able to keep up!"

Sakura offered him a weak thumbs up, still gasping for breath.

"Gai-sensei is very intense about physical training." Tenten said wryly. "We run everywhere. That wasn't even full speed."

She greedily gulped down a mouthful of water from her water skin. "Remind me to never challenge any of you to a race." She'd known Lee was fast-his fight with Sasuke and then Gaara had more than proved that-but all three of them were ridiculous.

Neji cleared his throat pointedly. "We should find the mayor's house before dark. She'll be able to fill us in on the details of the situation and where we can rest for the night."

Sakura wiped the remaining sweat from her face, finally managing to get her breathing under control. "I'm alright now. We can go."

It was hard not to think about the last time Sakura had been out of Konoha, but this village was about as different from Wave as possible. The streets were full, despite the waning sun, and it looked prosperous. Giggling children chased each other, cheeks round and full. People talked freely, and the atmosphere was relaxed.

The mayor's house was large but not ostentatious. When Neji knocked, a young man opened the door, and upon registering their Hitai-ates, yelled back into the house.

"Auntie! The shinobi are here!"

"STOP YELLING INSIDE THE HOUSE!"

Tenten smothered a snort.

Quick, business-like steps approached the door, and soon another figure joined the young man. The mayor was an older woman with dark hair and sharp eyes. She surveyed them the way a merchant might assess their wares.

"You're younger than I'd prefer, but I suppose Konoha is stretched thin." She clicked her tongue. "Follow me. We don't need to have the neighbours see you loitering."

They moved to a spacious living room with plush furniture. Sakura was keenly aware of her dirt-ridden clothing and sweaty skin.

"About two weeks ago, some of the outer areas of the village started experiencing raids." The mayor began. "At first, we though it was nothing unusual. Bandits have come before, but they don't stick around because of our proximity to Konoha."

Experienced groups of bandits didn't stay in one place because if they did, eventually, shinobi would be hired to deal with them. Most contracts like this asked for the bandits to no longer bother the town, which meant they were captured and handed over the head of the village, or they were killed.

It was much simpler to kill, and bandits knew it.

"But then the bandits escalated." The mayor's lips pursed. "Five kidnappings. We found three of their bodies in the forest a few days later."

"Have they expressed any kind of external motivation?" Neji asked. "Letters of intent, ransom, an ideology?"

"No, nothing like that. They're just the latest batch of idiots who think having a big stick is a substitute for anything of substance." She drummed her fingers on the table. "I don't care what you do with any of them except the leader. People know his face, and I need to be able to prove they won't be a threat anymore."

They exchanged a look. "Do you want him dead, or alive?"

"If you kill him, then bring his body back. Alive is preferable, but I know how shinobi work."

There's a growing trail of bodies behind Sakura.

Her hands drip with nothing but blood.

The mayor spent the rest of the evening detailing what she knew about the bandits. Their numbers, their hideout location, and their abilities. None of what they learned was ideal, but neither was it anywhere near the disaster that Wave had been.

No mobsters, no foreign shinobi, and no dramatic increase in mission rank.

She could almost believe things would go smoothly.

"You want me to be Hokage?" If Tsunade's eyebrows went any higher they'd hit the ceiling. "Has the council lost their mind?"

Jiraiya sighed. "I'm unable to because of my oaths to Mount Myoboku and there aren't many other options. Would you rather Danzo take charge?"

Her expression darkened.

The innkeeper was more than eager to offer them a room. Unsurprisingly, the bandits' attacks hadn't been great for tourism, and there was plenty of space. They ended up opting for a large single room with two beds. It was safer to stick together.

Once they'd settled, and Tenten had placed a silencing seal on the door, they got down to business.

"Minimum two dozen men, with the potential to be as high as fifty." Neji outlined. "No shinobi arts were observed and their planning is poor. The targets they hit don't seem to have been scoped out at all."

"Fifty is a lot for bandits." Tenten mused. "It's a hell of a lot harder to hide when you've got that many people. Harder to feed, too."

"Their command structure could be suffering for it, but we can't make that assumption. Even if they don't have much skill, they have numbers. Avoid becoming cornered or surrounded."

Lee furrowed his brow, looking uncharacteristically serious. "None of the raids have taken place at the same time of day. They're either purposefully using the element of surprise, or can't organise very well."

"Assume the former. We'll scope them out and find their location tomorrow morning." Neji said. "The only problem is that they may not be all together. Someone will have to stay behind to protect the village."

"I'll do it." Those were the first words Sakura had spoken since they'd started planning. She resisted the urge to shrink under Team Gai's collective stare.

"My leg is still injured, and I'm the worst at head-on fights." She explained. "This way, I'll be taking on the least amount of opponents."

Neji gave her a long considering look. "Are you recovered enough to be in a fight at all?"

Familiar irritation sparked in her gut, but Sakura smothered it ruthlessly. "Yes."

He nodded. "Good. Tenten, I want you to work on barrier seals. If half of them escape while we're fighting the other half, it's useless. They don't need to be strong, just wide range."

She glanced at the window. "Can I start them tomorrow? There's no point getting them done tonight if I'm exhausted for recon and fighting."

"As long as they're done by noon."

With that, they finally unpacked their gear and prepared for bed. Team Gai had a distinct comfort with each other that left Sakura feeling awkward. She supposed it was her own fault for butting in on them.

They extinguished the light, and despite everything, Sakura passed out almost immediately.

"The Senju and the Uchiha have always been pillars of Konoha. You have the leadership experience and the prestige necessary." Jiraiya reasoned. "The medical field has stagnated without you-who better to continue Sensei's legacy?"

Tsunade laughed and laughed and laughed. "Oh, you want to talk about legacy? Do the boys you've dragged along even know their own?"

If Sakura hadn't done customer service before, she definitely would have punched this man by now.

"-their own fault for leaving everything around all willy nilly. You know, back in my day, we-"

"So you don't know anything else about the bandits?" Sakura interrupted.

He frowned. "Why would I know anything about them?"

Don't scream don't scream don't scream-

"I should be going then. Lots to do and all that." She began edging away from him.

"You young people are so rude these days. You interrupt your elders and-"

And Sakura inserted herself into the crowd, slipping away from another rant.

It was two hours to noon and Sakura was very close to just taking a nap the rest of the day. Neji and Tenten had gone to scope out the bandits' hideout, while she and Lee did their best to gather more information from the locals.

Sakura had been having middling success, with more than a few townspeople eager to waste her time. Still, she'd managed to tentatively confirm some of what they already knew, so it wasn't entirely useless.

After a few more attempts, she headed back to the hotel. Tenten was already inside, furiously sketching out seals. She barely even glanced up when Sakura entered the room.

A few minutes later, Lee and Neji joined them, one looking significantly more cheerful than the other.

They laid out all the information they'd collectively gathered and stewed in silence. Nothing was ideal, but it could have been much, much worse.

Eventually, Neji spoke.

"We leave in an hour."

"Shinobi aren't heroes, kid." Tsunade told Naruto, easily keeping him pinned with a single finger. "Every single person who's ever worn the Hokage hat had rivers of blood on their hands. One could even say it's a requirement."

"Shut up!" Naruto roared. "Stop talking about the old man like that!"

Sasuke's expression was dark. "You would dishonour the dead. He was your teacher and the leader of your village."

"And? It's not like he can hear me. Disrespecting the dead is one of shinobi's oldest traditions. You should get used to it."

"That's enough, Tsunade." Jiraiya's voice was firm.

It never is.

The market was bursting to the brim by midday.

Sakura sat perched on a nearby rooftop, keeping a sharp eye on the entrances. Most of the bandit attacks had happened at this specific market, save for a few attack on individual houses on the outskirts of the town.

Neji, Lee, and Tenten should have arrived at the bandits base camp by now. They were probably planting the barrier seals or gathering more information.

To the east, someone screamed.

"THE BANDITS ARE BACK!"

There was chaos immediately. Parents grabbed their children as merchants began hiding their valuable wares. As the market continued the empty, Sakura was able to pick out the bandits.

They were rough looking men, with poorly maintained weapons but an eagerness to swing at any passerby that hadn't run fast enough.

Sakura considered her options. She could stay hidden and try to take as many out from where she was, but the potential that they got spooked and scattered was too high. She doubted the mayor would be happy with the stragglers causing trouble in the future. Her other choice was to engage directly. Keep their attention on her so the civilians could escape and she could take them out together.

She weighed her odds.

Five of them, one of her.

Why did it feel so familiar?

Sakura jumped from the roof.

Tsunade considered the shinobi before her. "You know medical ninjutsu."

She didn't call him a healer. The ability and the title did not go hand in hand, not for people like him.

Kabuto smiled, as if he could read the insult from her words. "Trained by the best Konoha has to offer. Present company excluded, of course."

She wondered if Orochimaru's unsettling form of politeness had rubbed off on the kid, or if he'd started out like that. "Flattery won't save you."

He laughed and there was something empty in it. Something cold. "I never thought as much."

Then he slit his wrist, and her vision tunneled.

The bandits didn't notice her until she'd already struck.

Sloppy. Some distant part of her noted. She yanked the kunai out of the man's back and retreated hastily. Blood poured freely from the wound as the bandit howled in pain.

Five pairs of eyes turned to her.

At least I have their attention.

"Kid," one of the bandits said. "What the fuck do you think you're doing."

They fanned out around her. There weren't enough of them to completely surround her, but they could slow her escape down.

"I was hired to take care of this town's bandit problem." She said evenly. "If you surrender, we don't have to fight." Sakura deliberately turned her bloodied kunai, reminding them of what she'd already done.

They exchanged glances, but the largest man of the bunch only laughed. "Stop pissing your pants! It's just some kid."

"She's a shinobi." One of the other men said, eyeing her warily.

That's right. Sakura was a shinobi. It didn't matter that they were bigger than her, or that she was outnumbered.

This wasn't Wave.

In one smooth motion, she launched a handful of senbon at one of the bandits and threw herself another.

Something crunched under her hand.

It was a blur after that. She sliced arteries and poisoned and broke bones. Her leg burned but she ignored it, ignored everything but the fight in front of her.

Maybe if she raged hard enough, long enough, the pain in her chest would go away.

As if the violence she bathed in could bring her parents back.

When her vision cleared, Sakura stood over five bodies, and it should have alarmed her that she wasn't quite sure which ones were alive.

She collected her weapons and wiped the blood onto her dress. The once bustling market place was now silent except for the whimpers of barely conscious bandits.

Sakura checked their pulses. Two were alive.

It was strange, how fragile the bandits had seemed. Fighting Shota had been one of the most difficult things she'd ever done, and these guys would have been of similar strength, and yet…

It had been easy.

She forced those thoughts down and took out a spool of ninja wire she'd borrowed from Tenten. The remaining bandits weren't in much shape to struggle against the bindings she applied, and before long she was able to haul them to their feet.

"Are there any more raids planned for today?" She demanded.

They shook their heads.

"Good."

It would take a while to drag them to the local prison, but it wasn't like Sakura had anything else to do today.

Take another step.

Or am I being dragged backwards?

Tsunade watched as Kabuto effortlessly deflected Naruto and Sasuke's attacks. With the skills he'd demonstrated, it would be easy for him to permanently injure one of them. That was, if he didn't immediately go for the kill.

Orochimaru and Jiraiya raged in the background, tearing up the ground and each other. Shizune was desperately trying to keep nearby civilians alive.

Who knew how many more would die by the time this was over? Would she lose Jiraiya and Shizune? Would those irritatingly stubborn genin be killed?

All because Tsunade couldn't even fulfill her duties as a healer.

She took a long breath and stood.

Tsunade was a Senju and a sanin.

It was time to remind the world why.

Notes:

hey y'all, hope you're having a good day

Before i get into the stuff you guys actually want to hear, i'm going to do a bit of housekeeping. First, yes this is the second last chapter. Yes this will be a series. I've written 2 1/2 chapters for the next installment, but i'd like to make it at least 4 chapters before publishing the first chapter. I like to give myself time to relook and change things in case i change my mind. Also the last chapter will be a day late because i'm volunteering at a sporting competition so i won't be able to post.

Second, I am planning on going through this entire fic and doing a bit of a rewrite. DON'T PANIC. Basically all the important bits will be preserved. You will not have to reread the entire thing to understand the new things. I just think that over the, god, two years i've been writing this, my writing style has changed and improved, as well as my thoughts on some things. And i want to change things to reflect that. This will include some changes to end notes as well, but that's less important.

Third, if you've somehow made it this far into the fic and hate it. I'm giving you permission to stop reading. This isn't an english class, no one is making you read this. You can think my characterizations is terrible and cringe and that i'm a bad writer, but save both of our time and leave the fic instead of commenting. This has, thankfully, not been a big problem for me, but i've gotten enough recently that i'm just annoyed enough to comment on it. I'll probably tac this on somewhere closer to the beginning of the fic too. Life is so much easier when you just leave a fic you don't like instead of commenting. And there's a difference between the kind of criticism that's like, "i think you didn't do good job developing x aspect of the story" and
just flat out shitting on the story and me. The first one is fine, but the second one is irritating as fuck. You're not making me reevaluate my writing, you're just annoying me and wasting everyone's time. Also, don't harass the ppl who do leave nasty comments. It's not worth it for anybody.

Fourth. I recently looked at the "sakura-centric" tag and...this fic was first when you filter by kudos. Y'all are literally going to make me cry wtf. Thank you all so much.

Ok, now that that's out of the way, let's talk about the story.

This is kind of a transitional chapter, so i don't have 50 million paragraphs of thoughts. I am planning on doing deep dives on Tenten and Lee, but with the little amount of time and depth i'm spending with them in this section of the story, it feels wrong to plop it down here. A lot of this chapter and the plot of it, aka the actual mission, is kind of filler. Like, Sakura's character beats are important, but the mission itself very much is not lol.

I hope the Tsunade parts were cohesive enough. I didn't really like how in canon, Naruto was the one who beat Kabuto even when Kabuto is shown to have killed multiple ANBU, so i changed it so that Tsunade kicked his ass instead. Also, Tsunade does get some inspiration from Naruto, but her overcoming her fear of blood and deciding to become Hokage comes from herself and her own strength. The whole situation was a bit of a kick in the ass to get her moving, but once she's up, it all her.

Sakura killing those bandits when she didn't technically have to is. Significant. Another minor milestone in the path she's carving in death. This wasn't a major crisis like the invasion, or a fight that she had to use everything to win. Grief and anger are funny things. What you become numb to and what you still feel can vary. And what you do with those emotions can be complicated. Also her first and last kills in this story are with civilian fighters, and this is kinda meant to show the difference in her strength.

Today's fic recommendation is Of gold and dust of diamonds and rust. It is, as far as I'm aware, the first fic that ended up in my related works, and i think it deserves some love. It's about Sakura having similarities to Orochimaru, and Tsunade seeing that and working her ass off to make sure she ends up different. It's got some time travel stuff implied and a lot of symbolism which i enjoyed. It's pretty short, but i think that works in it's favour in a lot of ways.

Constructive criticism is occasionally welcome, hate will be laughed at and the gay will be strong

byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye

Chapter 48: The Tide of a River, The Tide of Change

Summary:

The end of an era

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Sakura stood at the edge of the river.

It wasn't like the one in Konoha. No, this was the kind of water that even Sakura would hesitate to swim in. Swift. Powerful. Overwhelming.

It led all the way to the ocean.

She walked until she stood over the center of the river, her chakra working overtime to keep her afloat on the turbulent surface. The water sprayed her clothes, but she paid it no mind.

She took a deep breath and opened her parents' urns.

"Oh mother, oh mother,

Return to the sea,

Your time has come to rest."

She took a handful of her mother's ashes.

"Oh father, oh father

Return to the sea,

Your time has come to rest."

She took a handful of her father's ashes.

"Your minds are weary,

Your eyes are closed,

It's time to come home."

She released the ashes into the river and watched as they vanished into the water.

Sakura repeated the verses until each urn only had one handful of ashes left.

"Oh mother, oh father,

I swear on the sea,

You will be remembered.

Oh mother, oh father,

It's time to sleep,

May your souls find peace."

Sakura knew hers wouldn't. Not for a long time.

The first steps back into Konoha felt like a broken bone being forced back into place. Painful and relieving in equal measures.

Tsunade allowed herself a leisurely pace through the village, even as the whispers around her increased. She noted the changes made to Konoha, the buildings that had been popped up, as well as the ones that had been demolished.

The invasion had left its mark, particularly in urban areas. Most of the rubble had been cleared at this point, but they had only just begun to rebuild what had been destroyed, and that would be a long process all on its own.

She added it to her list of things to look into when she took office.

Jiraiya must have sent a message ahead of time, because when she stepped into Hokage Tower, the council-sans Danzo-and all the clan heads were waiting for her.

"It's been a long time," Koharu said, disapproval leaking from her voice. "I see Jiraiya's hope wasn't entirely misplaced."

Tsunade didn't allow her expression to change. It had been a while since she'd had to play politics, but she'd been the heir of the Senju for her entire life, and then the Hokage's apprentice. She'd learned how to play this game long before her team had been crowned sanin.

"Hiruzen has fallen," she said calmly, ignoring the ache of grief in her chest. "And the people of Konoha have called for my return. This is my answer."

Fugaku Uchiha studied her closely. "You've come for the position of Hokage?"

"If the village accepts." She said coolly. "I understand that there will be reservations."

Traipsing around as a drunkard with a gambling addiction certainly hadn't helped her reputation, but most of the shinobi present were old enough to remember what she'd been at the height of her influence.

Tsume Inuzuka snorted. "We wouldn't have bothered asking Jiraiya to seek you out if we weren't sure of your candidacy. It's not like there are a lot of people lining up for the job."

Nor were there many people with the prestige and power necessary to maintain the position. Jiraiya was irritating, but he'd been right about that.

Shikaku Nara smiled, his loose and lazy posture not quite enough to retract from the razor sharpness of his gaze. "Welcome home, Lord Godaime."

The trip back to Konoha was quiet.

Team Gai had seemed to pick up on her unwillingness to talk, and did their best to leave her alone. They even split their travel over two days, to give them a bit of a break.

Neji, Tenten, and Lee had cleaned out the bandits' nest, and brought the body of their leader to the mayor. Those who had survived had been rounded up and rendered paralysed by a few seals from Tenten, and seemed eager to get away from her.

They'd had blessedly little to say when Sakura informed them she was heading towards the river, and as far as she knew, hadn't followed her.

She'd been tempted, just for a moment, to cut and run. To grab what little she had left and leave. Let Konoha stay behind her forever, let the ugly clump of emotions she felt for her village be completely cut away.

Sakura wasn't completely sure why she didn't. Maybe she was too much of a coward to become a traitor. Maybe she had more loyalty to Konoha than she'd thought. Maybe an empty slate was more terrifying than the complicated mess she'd be leaving behind, because at least there she had something.

When she'd returned to the hotel, red eyed and exhausted, Lee insisted they stay another night to recuperate and talk things over with the mayor. It didn't escape Sakura that they never actually did that. All of the necessary discussions must have happened when she'd been at the riverbank.

And now, they were returning to Konoha. Sakura couldn't bring herself to think of it as home without her parents.

When the gates of Konoha stretched before them, Tenten hesitantly put a hand on her shoulder. "I know we're not really friends, but I enjoyed working with you. Me and Lee-we get it, kind of. We're part of the clanless orphan club too." She smiled, a little lopsided. "The door is open, if you ever want to talk or hang out."

Sakura couldn't bring herself to push Tenten away, but she couldn't accept this either. Not yet.

Instead, she nodded silently, eyes cast downwards.

Tenten didn't seem offended, giving one last shoulder squeeze before heading towards her own team.

Loneliness ached in her chest, but Sakura did not follow.

"I'm surprised the Uchiha medics let you out of bed."

Shisui didn't bother dignifying that with a response. He'd been relegated to bedrest for an entire week after his stunt with Orochimaru. The immense chakra drain of Kotoamatsukami had made him practically comatose. That hadn't stopped him from relaying what he'd learned from Orochimaru as soon as he could form coherent sentences again.

Fugaku had seemed torn between thanking him and tearing him a new one, resulting in a very amusing lecture. Mikoto and Itachi's visits had been far quieter, but still tinged with disapproval.

It wasn't like he'd wanted to use Kotoamatsukami. Shisui had only just been able to take off the eye mask and it would be another two weeks before he could use the sharingan again. If Orochimaru hadn't decided to be a petty bitch, then Shisui wouldn't have had to go to extreme measures.

But alas, here they were.

"I'm surprised you let any of your students out of your sight." Shisui said. "A lot of close calls for all of them, lately."

The look Kakashi sent him was bland and entirely unamused. "If this is about Sasuke, then you can rest assured, I've already agreed to Jiraiya's proposal."

That wasn't actually what Shisui had come for, but it was good information regardless. The curse mark on Sasuke was contained for now, but it was a potential danger that could kill him if left alone.

The toad sages at Mount Myoboku were experts at wielding nature chakra, and were the best option for draining the corrupted chakra away. Since Jiraiya had already been planning to take Naruto as further training to control and contain the Kyuubi, it made sense for Sasuke to join them. Not to mention that Sasuke's punishment for abandoning his duty in the invasion was a stay on any kind of promotion. He was stuck a genin for at least a year.

But that meant that Kakashi would only be left with one student, which brought him to the real reason he'd sought him out. "Ah, I'm not here for that. I'm here because of the fledgling little monster you've got on your team. I'm concerned her claws will start pointing inwards if we're not careful."

Kakashi's gaze sharpened. Tellingly, he didn't immediately protest.

Sakura Haruno's parents had died during the invasion.

Shisui had spent almost every day for an entire month with Sakura, and he'd learned quite a bit. She had friends in Kurenai and Asuma's teams, and she was fond of Genma. Her team was a subject of exasperation and even if she seemed to be coming around to them at the time, they weren't all that close. The strongest bonds she'd had to Konoha were her parents.

And now the invasion had taken that away.

Most of her team was leaving and the truth about the Hyuuga's cursed seal had been revealed to Sakura. From her reaction, her friends hadn't told her about it. Her friendship with the Yamanaka heir was still relatively fresh, and it had been broken before.

As it stood, Sakura was untethered with the very real risk of becoming a loose canon. Not dangerous in the way Kakashi had been, but with the potential to do damage all the same.

If Shisui had been looking for a vulnerable target, he wouldn't find a better one than Sakura. There were more than a few forces, in and out of Konoha, that would love to latch on.

"Sakura's not the type to go off the rails." Kakashi said eventually. "She's too level-headed for that. Even if she were the type, she doesn't have the power or information to cause large scale damage."

"How much are you willing to bet on that?" He asked. "She knows who Konoha's Jinchuuriki is, and even if she doesn't have the ability now…"

There was no way someone as canny as Sakura hadn't picked up on her teammate hosting the Kyuubi. She'd asked a few questions that seemed a little too pointed during their training for him to believe otherwise.

"She's civilian-born." Shisui said bluntly. "During a fight, she'll be able to throw, one, maybe two B-rank jutsu before draining most of her chakra. She's never going to be a powerhouse."

"You're not making a very strong case." Kakashi pointed out.

Shisui sighed. "Think, Hound. She's not and never will be a powerhouse, yet she managed to force the Hyuuga prodigy into a mutual kill. Her current skillset and the trajectory she's been paving for herself-it's assassination. Not just any kind, but high value, high ranked assassinations. In five years, she'll be the one we send to deal with jounin from Iwakagure who are giving us trouble."

Not all assassins were powerful like Kakashi. While that kind of strength was useful, it didn't even come close to the most important aspects an assassin required. The ability to pick apart opponents, to research their abilities and formulate strategies that could work against them. To learn new skills and be just surprising enough to have the upper hand.

The willingness to kill a helpless enemy.

Sakura had all of it.

And from the way Kakashi's eye hardened, he knew it too.

"She'll probably be taken off my team." He said eventually. "With Naruto and Sasuke gone, and Konoha a wreck, they're going to want me doing missions full time. Maybe even in ANBU."

Clearly almost an entire year of teaching had actually made a dent in Kakashi, because he wasn't sprinting towards his former career like he would have months ago.

Shisui hummed. "Genma has already been tapped to return full-time to ANBU as well. She doesn't have another teacher hiding somewhere, does she?" Sakura seemed to collect current and former ANBU members as teachers. Certainly an interesting quirk.

"I know Raido has spent some time with her, but it's the same problem." Kakashi closed his eye. "She needs support or she's going to fall through the cracks."

Shisui let out a hum. "I have an idea, but you're not going to like it."

There was a sort of defeated resignation to Kakashi that told Shisui he knew what was coming next.

"Pleasedon'trunaway." Naruto pleaded.

Sakura stared down at him with narrowed eyes, her jaw clenched tightly.

"I don't want to talk to you." She said coolly, hoisting another piece of rubble into a wheelbarrow.

Naruto rocked back and forth on his feet. "I know! But I can't leave things like this! I just-I really need to say something."

Stray wood clattered loudly as it was added to the pile.

"You have one minute." Sakura decided. "And then you leave me alone."

He could work with that.

"Me and Sasuke are going away for a long time." He blurted out. "I can't tell you where, but we won't be able to see you for over a year. And I didn't want our last conversation to be. That."

Her expression twitched every so slightly.

Naruto pushed onwards. "I know this isn't the time to talk about everything. But I-I hope that when we come back, we can try being friends again. We weren't always a great team, but I don't think we have to be, to be friends."

"Ten seconds." She warned.

"I'm really gonna miss you, and-" He hesitated. "I'm sorry. I know it isn't enough, but-"

"Time's up!" Sakura snapped.

The way she turned away from him felt like the end of something.

The question was, could there be a new beginning?

The last thing Sakura had been expecting was a summons from the new Hokage.

She'd been doing her best to avoid thinking about her at all, really, because doing so inevitably brought up memories of her team and she just. Couldn't deal with that. The only time she hadn't been able to avoid it was when Tsunade had formally accepted the role of Hokage.

There had been a ceremony, because of course there was, and Sakura had attended alone. She's stayed on the fringes of the crowd, listening to the speeches that were made, one after the other.

Tsunade Senju was a strong speaker and managed to turn the suspicious and unimpressed crowd to her side. She wore authority like it was her right and power like she'd never been without.

Sakura had read a lot of history and knew the story of Tsunade Senju. It was a depressing one, to be sure, but all she could think was that Tsunade was lucky.

Not because of the deaths of her lover and brother, but Sakura could barely bring herself to muster more than an ounce of sympathy for that. They were shinobi. People died. Sakura's parents had died and they were civilians. It was no unique thing to lose people you loved.

No, Tsunade was lucky because she'd abandoned Konoha and was too powerful, too well connected to be killed or brought back. Lucky because when she finally returned, people welcomed her. They'd made her Hokage.

If Sakura had gone off the rails after the death of her parents, she would have been dead within a week. It wouldn't matter that she had very little information that could damage the village, she would be a traitor, and traitors died.

Allowances weren't made for people like her.

Sakura knocked on the door.

"Come in."

She tentatively crept inside, hyper aware of everything and everyone. Tsunade Senju sat at the large desk in the middle flipping through some sort of file, and at her side stood a dark-haired woman. There were no doubt ANBU milling around as well, but she doubted she'd be able to find them even if she looked.

She approached the desk and bowed.

"Sakura Haruno, graduated the Academy ten months ago with outstanding Theory grades and middling Practical ones." Tsunade began abruptly. "Born to recently deceased civilians, one of which was a Kirigakure immigrant."

Her fingers twitched.

"Assigned to Team 7, under Kakashi Hatake. Notable missions include a C-rank turned A-rank in Wave. Has trained under Shisui Uchiha and Genma Shiranui. Capable of basic poison use, basic genjutsu, and advanced chakra control. Ninjutsu and taijutsu abilities are baseline. A finalist in the chuunin exams, competing in one match that ultimately ended in a forfeit." Tsunade drummed her fingers on the desk idly. Tap tap tap. "Fifteen confirmed kills."

The tension in the room was thick enough to cut. She could barely breathe past the knot in her chest, but she did not rise from her bow.

"This is what's written on your base file. Nothing anyone couldn't gather with a week of time and half a brain." Above her, papers rustled. "Do you know why you're here, Haruno?"

"No, Lord Godaime." Sakura's voice was raspy but even.

"You're here because of what's on the rest of your file." More rustling. "Stand, Haruno."

She straightened herself slowly, forcing her expression into neutrality.

"What do you think Konoha's most pressing problems are?" Tsunade asked.

Sakura took a minute to consider. "Money, security, and international standing."

"Elaborate."

"Rebuilding takes money and people. With so many dead or injured, the village can't take as many missions as it did before, so it will be a while before there are enough funds to recover. Security also needs people, and with as many as capable going out on missions, the village is left more vulnerable."

"And international standing?" Tsunade prompted.

Sakura hesitated. "Konoha was devastated by an attack from a traitor it produced, who's main force was a small shinobi village. It makes Konoha look weak and easy to take advantage of."

Tsunade smiled, and it sent shivers up her spine.

"Very nicely put. Sakura Haruno, you are here to help solve some of these problems. Shizune, if you would."

The dark-haired woman opened a large box behind her, and pulled out a flak jacket.

Sakura froze. There was no way this was going the way she thought it was.

"I've reviewed the notes from the chuunin exam and spoken to all three of your teachers." Tsunade said, her gaze heavy and piercing. "One openly endorsed your advancement, and the other two were confident in your capabilities."

She wanted to speak up, to say something, anything, but it felt like her tongue had turned to led.

"There are countless holes in our forces that need to be filled. You have shown initiative and strong rationale, which is exactly what the chuunin exam is meant to look for."

Shizune handed Sakura the flak jacket. She took it with numb fingers. It was heavier than she'd been expecting.

"Congratulations on your promotion, Haruno."

Notes:

Hey y'all, hope you're having a good day

Remember how i said i was only going to post a day late? No you don't. What do you mean this is an entire week late shhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

PLEASE READ.

So...This is it...I hope this final chapter was not a disappointment and left you excited for what's to come! Because this is FAR from the end. If you haven't already, i recommend subscribing to the series this fic belongs to, because it might be a few weeks before i post the first chapter of A Dose of Venom.

I did in fact, also finish doing a bit of a rewrite of this fic. As said before, most of the changes were minor rewording or stuff that i just wanted to minorly adjust. I think the thing that had the most impact was to do with the Ino scenes, so if you're super curious, you can check it out, otherwise, you don't really have to bother.

I know some of you aren't going to continue on with me to the next fic, so i just wanted to say, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. This was just a silly little story that i started because i was bored in school, and it became way bigger than i ever imagined. Thank you for your support, and comments, and kudos, and everything. I probably wouldn't have gotten this far without you guys cheering me on, and i wanted to thank you for that. This is a one clown circus but your applause gives me the strength to go on.

Enough of that mushy stuff. Let's talk about fictional murderers now.

Yeah, Sakura wanted to go on that mission to do a burial for her parents. It's not stated explicitly, but this is what was written in their will, so Sakura was trying to fulfill their last wishes. Just a lot of Ow. Sakura does not run away from Konoha, as a few of you speculated. That would have been a fun direction to take things, but not my personal jam for this story, so maybe next time.

More Tsunade centric and politics stuff. Most of that was included for Plot reasons rather than emotional beats, so there's not too much i have to say about it. Sakura's thoughts about her privileges are something i've been excited to finally put in the fic a while now, especially with the themes i've established for this fic. Sakura could have turned traitor like Tsunade after the death of her family, but she'd be dead within a week. Tsunade managed to avoid even being labeled a missing-nin. She literally got invited and accepted as the new military dictator. If that's not privilage, idk what it.

So...how many of you would be mad if i said that 75% of the reason i made Sasuke get the curse mark was to get him and Naruto tf out of the way for the upcoming story. Because tbh that's what happened. Does my explanation for why he does to Mount Myoboku with Naruto and Jiraiya make complete sense? No, absolutely not. Am i going to kind of handwave it anyway? Yes. For plot reasons i needed them gone so this was how i accomplished it lol.

Shisui and Kakashi finally talk about the path Sakura is carving for herself. Because yeah...Shisui is right. The choices Sakura has made out of survival and ambition have been building blocks for this kind of future, even if done unintentionally.

Originally i had Naruto leaving without saying anything to Sakura, but i realised that was too out of character, and wrote their final scene together in this fic. It probably could have been better, but i rewrote it like, 3 times so I'm pretty happy with how it ended up. I've already talked so much about their relationship to one another, so i won't really repeat myself here.

And finally, the end of the fic...that's right my friends, Sakura Haruno is now a chuunin.

But what was the cost? And has it been fully paid?

Find out in A Dose of Venom.

Signing out for the last time on this monster of a fic,

Constructive criticism is occasionally welcome, hate will be laughed at, and the gay will be strong