Ballerina at Sea

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Cha1ne

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The letter still laid where she left it, folded and tucked away in a small pen case in her desk. When she had first received it Sakura was shocked, having forgot about it for years. It had been mentioned only briefly back at the academy but never made headway when she was under Kakashi’s or Tsunade’s tutelage.

Sakura had even taken the assumption that she wouldn’t be included, maybe even forgotten. It had happened before, even if rarely.

It wasn’t so. The letter had came right on time, as it did with everyone else. She wasn’t special, she wasn’t an exception.

The classes were to start in three days, and Sakura hadn’t even mentioned it to anybody since she received her letter. Not even to Ino, which she had avoided like the plague for the last few weeks. Sakura had taken countless missions to try to avoid her female friends. It had worked, as no one had inquired further.

The classes were only held once a year, for female chunin who were to be seventeen that year and on active duty. Unfortunately Sakura fit this profile.

It was times like this that Sakura wished she was a normal girl, one who would already be dating and looking for marriage. Maybe she would even be promised to someone, or even already engaged. It was the norm for the average citizen at this point in their lives.

But Sakura was a Kunoichi, a powerful and intelligent one that rose from a non-ninja background. Her parents bragged about her at family sessions, and her younger cousins looked at her with awe. Sakura would never quit over a small thing like this.

She’d just find a way out.

Now Sakura wasn‘t one to ask her Shishou for favors, at least not on normal occasions. This was one of those instances, and she had stewed over her request for a month. After all, Tsunade would never assign her on one of those missions anyway. Never, and they both knew it.

It was for that reason that she stood at the door to the Hokage‘s office.

Luckily for her, she was in, if a bit hung over.

“Shishou?” Sakura questioned, knocking on the door before she entered.

Tsunade was hung over her desk, using her breasts as a pillow. It was clear to Sakura that she was suffering from a massive hangover that her healing could do nothing for. Just for today the younger Kunoichi would feel sympathy for her… even if she was the one to tackle that large stack of papers in the next few minutes.

“Mmmnr…” Tsunade woke slowly, her eyes beady as she stared into her student.

Sakura walked into the room cautiously and Tsunade realized it wasn‘t just anything that her apprentice had worried herself over. The younger ninja was visibly shaking, and it made Tsunade’s hair stand on end.

“What is it?” She asked sluggishly, fighting for awareness.

“Well…” Sakura began, her voice shaky. “I wanted to talk to you about something.”

Tsunade felt panic. A pay raise?

Sakura paused for a moment, knowing she couldn‘t turn back from what she was about to say. She had already stalled enough. “…About the classes.”

Her Shishou drew a blank stare. “Classes? Sakura, we no longer have private sessions. You can take a more hands on appro-”

“It isn‘t that Shishou.” Sakura interrupted.

Tsunade blinked. “Then what is-”

All of a sudden Tsunade knew.

“You mean the Kunoichi classes? The one in a few days?”

Sakura nodded.

“What about them? Do you have a question regarding it? I‘m afraid Anko is supervising it, and she knows more than myself.”

Tsunade hastily began signing papers without even reading them, and it was clear to Sakura that she was uncomfortable with the entire conversation.

The younger kunoichi bit her lip, drawing blood. “Actually, I do have a question regarding it. One which you can help me with.”

Her teacher looked up. “What‘s your question? I‘m a bit busy.”

She always had something to do, but was rarely ever busy. Sakura figured she’d need to make this quick before Tsunade’s attitude changed. This didn’t seem like a subject she was willing to go into. Few women did.

“Well, I wanted to delay the classes.” She finished, looking at the floor. “I don’t think I’m ready.”

She was uncomfortable in ever taking it, let alone now of all times.

Tsunade sighed deeply, the lines on her face showing. “Sakura, no one is ever ready to take these classes. I wasn‘t.”

“I know… but-”

“And you will have to take them, and this you will take them this year.” Tsunade motioned towards the door. “You can’t escape it Sakura. They are only classes.”

A glimmer of hope to reason shone through. “Which is right, isn’t it Shishou? You would never assign me those sort of missions… and I always have the right to reject them.”

The Hokage rubbed her forehead. “I’m afraid you’re wrong Sakura.”

The girl’s heart stopped, confused at her teacher’s words. “What do you mean?”

“I would assign you such a mission if it came to it. I wouldn’t like to, but if I had to I would only hesitate.” Tsunade stood, and walked over to Sakura. “But it is unlikely. Your team doesn’t exactly specialize in stealth, and neither do you.”

Obviously she was implying Naruto.

Sakura was someone who did stick out in most cases, though not as a ninja physically. She was strong, but strong with chakra. She wasn‘t as bulky in muscle as her male counterparts even though she could lift heavier things then them. She could easily pass as a civilian, if not for her attitude.

She blamed her team for that one, and Tsunade too.

“But why is it mandatory?” Sakura asked. “These missions are rare, and girls our age never take them on. No matter how mandatory. It‘s against the general guidelines.”

It was true. Kunoichi didn‘t normally take on these missions until their twenties. It required a special circumstance to go that undercover.

The younger ninja felt Tsunade‘s hand rest on her shoulder, in an effort to comfort her.

“Sakura, realize they are just classes.” She spoke, her eyes pained.

Sakura averted her gaze. “They aren‘t just classes. Shishou, there are certain requirements.”

Blood dribbled down her lip, Sakura not even realizing she had still been biting it. Slowly she healed it, taking comfort in the pain shortly.

Tsunade guided her towards the door. “Then lie when they ask you personal things.”

“Shishou!” Sakura exclaimed, shocked. How could she just, lie? And to one of her own fellow villagers? Sakura couldn't imagine getting away with a lie to Anko. No idiot on the planet would cross that woman!

Tsunade opened up the door and pushed her student out. “I did.”

Before Sakura could respond the door was shut into her face, effectively ending the conversation.

“Shishou!” Sakura banged on the door but she received no answer. “Shishou!”

Still no answer.

Sakura gathered chakra into her fist. “It‘s unfair Shishou! Why don‘t you outlaw them altogether, you‘re Hokage! You can do so!”

A part of Sakura knew she was being unreasonable, ridiculous even. Tsunade was Hokage, but she didn‘t hold all of the cards. She had enemies everywhere, as all leaders did. And the Hokage rarely made all the decisions.

At the Academy they spoke how important it was to be able to go undercover, to use all your strengths, to know everything there is to know. Though men would get missions like these it was usually the women who got the majority of them. Rather, they got a lot of them eventually, if they chose to accept them.

Easy, quick money usually. It wasn‘t considered bad for a kunoichi to partake in these missions. Though it was kept hushed, no one looked down on those who did. They looked up to them.

Eventually Sakura stopped banging on the door and quietly slid down, resting her back on it. She knew she shouldn‘t have made the request.

She tried, and she failed.

In truth Sakura had little idea how to follow this up. There was absolutely no way she‘d take these classes. As much as Sakura wanted to honor her village she thought that these classes were unfair. Her problem remained, she had to get out of them.

“Sakura-chan?”

A voice interrupted her thoughts, and Sakura looked up.

“Sensei?” She asked, her eyes wide. “What are you doing here?”

She nearly gawked at him, taking in his appearance. He was in civilian clothing, something she hadn‘t seen often. Only he looked comical, and odd. A civilian would never wear a mask like that. She supposed he went undercover. She could only imagine him in that mask, and figured he probably put it back on before entering the village.

“I came back from a short mission.” He responded, looking down at her with a lazy eye. “You?”

Sakura slowly stood up. “I had to speak with Tsunade.”

“Oh.” His eyes crinkled. “She isn‘t here? Have you waited long?”

He looked disappointed.

Sakura figured he had hoped to come in late. “Actually, she‘s here.”

“You spoke with her already?” He asked, walking over to the door. “Why are you still here?”

It was a harmless question. She had no reason to be after all. Sakura shook her head, and Kakashi turned to knock on the door.

Tsunade‘s angry voice called out in response. “Sakura, the conversation is over!”

Both Ninja on the other end jumped. Kakashi looked over at his former student and she avoided him.

“I should go. I have work to do.”

It was lie, and they both knew it.

Kakashi continued knocking, not even announcing his presence. It was clear to Sakura he was trying to get a rise out of Tsunade while he still could.

“Perhaps you should…” He replied after Tsunade threw something at the door. “She doesn’t seem to happy with you. Is she hung over?”

Sakura could see the sudden ghastly frown forming on his face. He stopped knocking.

“Maybe I should go too." He laughed, nervously. "The mission wasn’t a success.”

He was saying it only to humor her.

Sakura turned to walk away hastily as soon as she heard Tsunade’s footsteps. She had turned the corner when she heard the door swing open.

Kakashi’s eye was on her the entire time.

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A Rotten Word With Biscuit

Hello readers, and thank you for taking interest in my story! I’m an amateur writer and I accept hard critique, so don’t feel shy! This may be my first fan fiction, but I encourage and plead that you reply honestly. This will be a fairly short story, (30-50 thousand words) and I hope to update every week! If I am halfway through a chapter I may post it on my blog, so check it out if it's been awhile.


I hope to see you next chapter!