Chapter 33. Team announcement.

I woke in a hospital bed to the beeping of a heart monitor beeping away. The feeling in my body had yet to return, making moving impossible. My spare chakra tank was half empty, slowly refilling. The ink-stained paper wrapping around me was pumping me with chakra. It wasn't necessary, seeing as I already had a similar system in place, but I wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth.

I must not have been under for a long as a nurse was still setting up equipment. She had her back to me, hucking an I.V. to a metal pole. I waited until she was done and took a step back before I spoke.

"Excuse me," I said. Predictably, she jumped and turned to face me, surprised. Not a shinobi then. She wasn't fast enough and didn't reach for her thigh that often held a kunai, as most shinobis did. They gave me to a civilian medic, which meant they had an idea of what was wrong with me.

Chakra incompatibility. I had read about it once. It occurred when the body reacted negatively to a specific chakra. It was more like an allergic reaction than anything, and like most allergic reactions, you can die if exposed for too long. It happened from time to time and was a pain for a medical ninja trying to save someone.

The shadow possession jutsu, in simple terms, was a technique used only by the Nara that forced those caught in it to mimic the Nara's movements, like a shadow. During the war Sengoku era, the Naras used their technique for hunting and for killing during the Shinobi era.

The Jutsu, however, was far more complicated. The shadow possession jutsu possessed your body by stealing it from your soul. Using their shadow as a medium, a Nara poured their chakra into their shadow and manipulate it. By connecting that chakra-infused shadow to their target, they can manipulate that target's action; or at least force them to follow theirs.

The nurse ran over to me, and I followed her with my eyes. She looked down at me with confusion and concern. I stared back with apathy. She took my wrist and checked my pulse. It was still slow, my heart in no hurry to get back to work. It worked, and that's all that mattered.

A flashlight shun into my eyes, and they did their best to limit its entry. The nurse seemed satisfied but still anxious. Civilians weren't very knowledgeable when it came to shinobis and chakra. If I told her there was a jutsu that made pigs fly, she would believe me. Then again, there properly was such a jutsu.

"I'm stable," I told her. "please report my condition to our superior." Her eyes lid up as though she just remembered the protocol. She was new to this, oh great. The nurse assured me she'd be back and bolted, forgetting to warn me not to move. I sat up and looked out the window. The sky held a purple glow; the night was upon us, maybe six or seven. I wasn't out for long.

I swang my legs off the bedside and sat waiting. The seal wrapped around my body would replenish my chakra faster than I could. It would be a fool to remove them. I made a mental note to make copies of this seal when I got home.

Home!

I grimaced. My parents were going to kill me. It wasn't my fault that I almost die – again, but I already knew I was grounded. My heart decided it was beating too slow and skipped a beat to get a head start. I groaned.

The door slide open, and a familiar chakra walked in. Kito walked over to me with a pitying smile.

"Haruno-chan, you might not know this, but most shinobi visit the hospital with minor and major injuries." He said, touching my back as his eyes glowed green. "The hospital doesn't only prove death beds."

"Are you implying I only use the hospital when dying?" I asked to say something.

"Yes," he answered, not missing a beat.

Fair enough.

My chakra coiled around his as he examined me. I was in perfect health, but he said they would have to keep me overnight to make sure. I did almost die after all. They left me in the seal and moved me to a new room.

My parents burst through the door moments after I got there. It wasn't visiting hours, but seeing the pale faces of the nursed, my parents didn't care. I sighed as they hugged me, crushing me.

As expected, I got scolded. Even after I explained I didn't do it on purpose and how was I suppose to know I was allergic to Nara chakra. I was met with a lecture about being a shinobi and always aware of my surroundings and weakness. I felt the urge to inform her that I couldn't know my weakness until I encountered it, but her eyes were scary. And so I sat there, listening to their chakra. The sound of their relief was oddly soothing.

"I can't take much more of this."

I was barely above a whisper, but I heard it. Mom hung her head, her shoulder shaking.

"I feel like every time I take my eyes off you. You come back to hurt or not at all." She looked at me, her eyes wet with tears. "I can't take much more of this!"

Father hugged her, and she leaned into him. I cringed. I knew this would happen. I'm not oblivious to their pain, but there really nothing I could do to wash it away. The plot only just began; I had a lot more brushes with death. I couldn't falter.

"Why are you always getting hurt, even before becoming a genin!?" Mom sobbed in frustration. "What am I doing wrong that I cant protect my only child!"

I felt a pin of pain that felt suspiciously like guilt. It wasn't a matter of if it was my fault or not, but rather, the fact I was lying in a hospital bed, with no guaranty I would live. Knowing that you could lose those close to you is painful. Knowing you could lose your only child, id imagines, would be worst.

My throat felt dry as I reached for mom's face.

"I swear on my ninja way," I said. "I won't lose this life you've given me, before I've repaid your kindness." I gave her what I hoped was a reassuring smile. Judging from her griming, I failed miserable.

With quick movements, mother pulled me into a hug. I remained very still as she stroke my hair. She was still anxious but gradually calming. I relaxed when her chakra became a smooth rhythm. She just needed a hug, it seemed.

She pulled back and kissed my forehead, caressing my pink cheeks.

"Live," she said, lovely. "Long after I'm gone, live on."

it was an unreasonable request knowing what was to come, but I could make an effort.

I smiled, my eyes glassy. "I'll do my best." was all I could offer.

"That's enough." Mom said, kissing my forehead again; she liked doing that, I realized. I guess, with a forehead as broad as mine, you couldn't miss a well-placed kiss.

Father, who had stood silently for the longest time, stepped forward, taking a large scroll from his back. Unrolling it on my lap revealed names written in blood, signatures of the previous contract holders. Mother's name was among them.

I blinked, looking at them in surprise.

"Technically, we didn't catch you," father said with a shrug. We were playing Hunter and missing-nin, the ninja equivalent of tag and hide and seek. I was the missing-nin, and they were the hunters. If I managed to hide and escape until sunset, I would get a summoning contract. I wasn't thinking about, it but it seemed they were.

"With this, you're less likely to caught unaware." mother said sternly. I flinched. I couldn't say I didn't know there was a death trap up ahead.

"Thanks, mom," I said, biting my thumb. I wrote my name and stained my five fingertips with my blood to stamp at the bottom. Since I already had the blood, I decided to test it. Waving through the hand seals, I placed my hand on the bedsheets.

"Summoning jutsu!"

In a puff of smoke, a swarm of butterfly-looking creatures, fluttered out. With pink wings that were a cross between a butterfly and a bat and a dragon body, they weren't ordinary insects. I wasn't sure if they were affected by chakra are was always this way. Their wings could cut through kunai and a speed that rivals a dragonfly.

Harutobu, they were named Sringflys.

"Pretty," I whispered in awe. As the Harutobu flew about, the room resembled the falling of cherry blossoms.

Thunder crashed, and lightning rolled about, destroying everything in its path. A storm was not roaring outside; Kakashi was just in my room. I woke with a groan, my eyes finding the human-shaped shadow leaning against the wall.

"What do you want?" I groaned sleepily. He chuckled, finding something funny.

"I leave you for a second, and you land in the hospital again," he laughed.

"It was longer than seconds," I said. "Try days."

"What's this?" he laughed. He leaned forward and into the light from the window. "Were you counting because you missed me?" he teased. He had on his jonin jacket, I noticed.

"Of course," I said. Two could play that game. "After all, you're my favorite guard dog," I stressed the dog. He chuckled, striding towards me.

"I see that mouth of yours still work fine," he stopped at my bedside, his back to the window. "And here I was worried you would be traumatized having faced death again." I gave him my best blank look. His eyes smiled as he patted my head. His chakra said he was still anxious; what was it with people and hiding their emotions?

"Do you want a hug?" I asked. It worked for mom. He seemed surprised before becoming amused.

"Are you looking for comfort?" he teased.

"When a dog whine at your feet, you pet it until it feels better."

He sighed in exasperation, stepping closer. With shinobi speed, he pulled my head to his chest. He smelt like the forest and a river. With his calming storm, it was like rain in the forest. I patted his back awkwardly.

"Dear dear, your ward is still alive even without her guard dog," I told him. His chest vibrated with laughter as he released me, rubbing my hair again before walking to the window. I brushed a hand through my hair, trying to undo the damage.

"You should probably stay away from the Naras for a while," he warned. No shit, sherlock.

"I will," I assured him." he nodded and crawled through the window, locking it behind him.

It was times like this I was glad Naruto and Sasuke were out of the loop. While seeing them try to break into a hospital would be entertaining, it wasn't worth the stress.

After two days of not dying, they released me in time for the team assignments. Sitting at my dresser, I brushed my hair, lost in thought. To becoming a genin, we needed to show we could work together, teamwork.

We were at an advantage, as we already fought well together. Once we were assign to Kakashi, we could easily show skills as a team and overwhelm him. Even if we didn't get the bell, we would still pass. which meant they would test us on something else.

They would probably prey on our weakness and exploit it. It would be a test of will and our honor as shinobi. I sighed, longing for the days of playing in a field of flowers.

"Sakura!" I snapped out of my musing at mom's call.

"Coming!" I called back, rising from my stool. I took my headband and tied it around my neck, placing my hairband in my hair. My custom-made visor glasses, which belonged in another era, came to rest atop my head. I commissioned them a long time again and spent the better part of three years perfecting them. Veritas was the name I carved into it.

I walked out of my room, ready for the storm that was coming.

I eat breakfast with my parents, who did their best to talk about the genin exams. Outside of coagulation me on graduating from the academy, they stayed away from it. I was debating whether or not this made them bad parents when dad caught my attention.

"Come back with good news, and I'll teach the Haruno hiden jutsu," he said. I looked at him sharply. Since when did we have a hiden?

"Eh?" I said stupidly. I brushed my hair, careful not to undo my hard work, and smiled.

"Just come back with good news," he said.

Become a genin. That jutsu was as good as mine.

"You're on."

I had a skip in my step as I left the house, my parents cheers of encouragement behind me.

Naruto and Sasuke were having a heated discussion when I found them. They hadn't come to pick me up; and knew I knew why.

"Why do we need to go back to the academy when we're already shinobis?" Naruto whined.

"Big brother said the exams weren't over," Sasuke said.

"More test! I bearly passed the last one!"

"You failed the exam, Naruto," Sasuke reminded him.

"What was that bastard!"

"If not for us, you would be drop out instead of dead last."

Naruto grabbed his collar and pulled him too close for comfort.

"Laugh it up while you still can," naruto growled. "I'll surpass you and become Hokage, "Rookie of the year."

"Break it up, you two," I called, making my presence known. "There no need for violence."

Naruto pointed an angry finger at me. "Easy for you to say, "Kunoichi of the year!" I chuckled, making Naruto stem from the ears. Dead last, the top boy and top girl. It was one hell of a combination. I listen to the two bickerings as we made our way to the academy.

The classroom was as lively as ever. Everyone was excited about becoming real shinobis. They walked around brandishing their headbands that wouldn't stay on their foreheads for long. By the end of the day, only nine students will walk away with the title of genin. And all of them are clan heirs, excluding me, huh, funny that.

Naruto and Sasuke sat on either side of me, not participating in the excitement. As usual, the girls swooned over Sasuke while the guys glared at him. We wouldn't meet again, so I allowed it.

Shikamaru walked by, saw Naruto, and stopped, giving the blond a confused look.

"This is only for those who graduated," he stated the obvious. "What are you doing here, Naruto?"

Naruto looked up at the Nara and pointed to his headband. Since Iruka wasn't close to Naruto, he didn't volunteer to give up his headband. Luckily, I found a better headband lying around. Minato's headband rested around his son's head. Will the Hokage lose his head when he finds out? Yes. Yes, he will.

"I Graduated," he stated proudly.

"Oh yeah? How the hell did that happen?"

Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

I looked over and found Shikamaru's eyes on me. The effect was immediate, a darkness creeping in on me. I looked away.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered as he walked to his seat, two rows back. I sensed Sasuke's narrowed eyes on me, but I didn't acknowledge him. Iruka walked in, saving me from an awkward situation.

Iruka congratulated us on graduating and told us about team assignments. The girls erupted into cheers, announcing their desires to be on Sasuke's team. I wasn't even mad. Sasuke's place was predetermined by forces outside of the Hokage's control.

Iruka announced the teams, and I toned him out. They were all canon fatter and wouldn't matter at all.

"…and Sakura Haruno." my eyes snapped open, and I looked at the scarred man in confusion. The girls were snickering, and Naruto and Sasuke both looked frustrated.

"Looks like your luck has run out, Sakura-chan~" Ino taunted.

"…and Naruto Uzumaki," Iruka continued, oblivious to his hand in changing the fate of the world.

"Team eight, Hinata Hyuga, Kiba Inuzuka and Shino Aburame."

Team eight was the same. I sighed in relief.

"Team nine: Sasuke Uchiha, Ami and Fuki." Sasuke's head collided with the desk as the girls cheered, slicking their tongues out at me. I'd kill them later. Ino was shaking with frustration as Iruka announced her place on team ten with Shikamaru and Choji.

It was just our team. Someone desperately separated us, but why? Only three teams would move to become genins. Was there a way I could salvage this? I looked to Naruto. He sat with a look of defeat. Sasuke wasn't much better, his head on his desk, an air of gloom above him.

Yeah, there was no way to motivate them. I joined them in despair.

The world was doomed.

They say no plan survive contact with the enemy.