Growing Up Sakura

Chapter 4: A New Jutsu!, Chapter 5: I Gotta Get Outta this Place


After eating breakfast and discussing the less ominous aspects of Kakashi’s mission, Sakura found that instead of getting Kakashi to their training on time, he had made both of them late. Well that wasn’t really fair, they had both been chatting. But still! She knew that it had to be Kakashi’s fault.


“Damn Jounin!” Sakura growled, “We’re late now!”


“Late? It’s only 9:00?” Kakashi asked innocently.


“We were supposed to be there at 7:30!” Sakura yelled.


“Well, I’m usually at least 2 hours late so I say we’re early!” Kakashi grinned at her.


Sakura grumbled as she began to make the seals for the transportation Jitsu.


“You can transport no-“ Kakashi started, surprised, as Sakura flashed away in a shower of cherry blossoms.


“Big girl,” chuckled Kakashi as he followed her example and transported himself to the bridge where they were going to meet.


Kakashi poofed onto the bridge to be greeted by a Sakura getting the life squeezed out of her by a certain blond haired spirit fox.


“Let go of me dobe!” Sakura screamed as she tried to pry herself from the yellow haired menace.


“Sorry Sakura-chan!” He yelled sheepishly, “I’m just so excited that our team is back together again!”


“Kaka-sensei!” Naruto screamed flinging himself at his former teacher.


Kakashi quickly sidestepped the over active young ninja, smiling beneath his mask and replied, “Yo,” waving his hand toward the boy.


“Kaka-sensei! We’re all together again! I can’t wait to show you the new moves I’ve learned with Jiraiya and guess what! He told me to tell you that there’s a new Icha Icha book coming out soon!” Naruto said smiling practically bouncing with excitement.


“Ahem, I know, I’ve got it on pre-order from the book store. SO, who wants to train!” asked Kakashi.


“Me me me!!” cried Naruto jumping into the air with his fist raised.


“Then let’s go to the forest!” Kakashi said, catching a bit of Naruto’s enthusiasm.


As they walked through the trees Sakura wondered aloud “Are we going to have a new 4rth team member?”


“Yeah,” added Naruto, “We’re supposed to have 3 teammates and one team leader right? Who’s going to replace…”


“Don’t worry about that for now, we’ll be assigned one before we go on a mission and I’m sure that we’ll all be fine with whoever it is. We won’t have a permanent one for a while because nobody else’s team has had the same problems we’ve had recently. We’ll most likely be assigned another Jounin specific for each mission until we find someone to be added permanently,” Kakashi said firmly.


They all walked quietly thinking about their lost team member until they reached a large clearing in the forest.


“Let’s stop here,” said Kakashi. “Naruto and Sakura I want you guys to warm up a bit so after you’ve done 500 punches. 500 kicks, 500 sit ups and 500 pushups on two fingers each arm let me know and we’ll start something else.”


“And what will you be doing team leader?” asked Sakura already knowing the answer.


“Catching up on my reading of course!” Kakashi replied.


Naruto and Sakura both fell backwards, sweat drops hanging over their heads.


“That’s not fair!” Naruto whined. “You should warm up with us, we’re a team now!”


“I’m plenty warm enough for you two, and if you don’t start now I’ll triple your warm-ups,” Kakashi replied coolly crossing his arms.


“Fine!” Sakura and Naruto called together beginning their workout as Kakashi flashed up into a tree and began his book.


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“Hey Naruto,” Sakura whispered with a distinct twinkle in her eye as they started their punches. “Do you want to show Kakashi what team work is really all about?”


“Sure Sakura-chan!” Naruto whispered as quietly as he could so it only came out as loud as a normal person talking.


“Great! Then listen to this,” Sakura said as she began to layout the details of a particularly amusing plan.


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Kakashi sat on the tree limb perusing the copy of Make Out Paradise that he had snatched away from Sakura earlier that morning.

“Can’t get better then the classics,” he thought with content and a lecherous smile and blush as he turned the page to begin the next chapter.


Just as he was going to begin he heard Naruto’s “whisper” and caught an unmistakable gleam in Sakura’s eye.


“Those two are up to something, well two can play at that game. Or rather three.” Kakashi thought as he made a substitution of himself and went to hide in a tree across the clearing to see just what the two young shinobis would come up with.


As the two in the clearing were finishing up with the last of the left handed push-ups and beginning on the right, their plan began to take action.


The first thing Kakashi saw was a slight movement in the bushes underneath the tree that “Kakashi” was reading in, followed by the sound of 5 Kunai hitting the tree where “Kakashi” was now taking flight. All at once 5 Naruto’s went chasing behind “Kakashi” with Sakura cleverly hidden in the trees ahead of where the Naruto’s were herding him. Just as “Kakashi” was about to make a lightening quick jump and land behind the Narutos, Sakura threw 3 Kunais that had small white bags attached to them. As they landed very close to the shadow Kakashi, who dodged them all magnificently (if the observing copy-nin had any say) they exploded, knocking the shadow from his feet to poof into nothingness. Expecting the shinobis to be surprised and begin the search for the real him Kakashi was instead surprised to suddenly see Sakura below his tree suddenly punching the ground with tremendous force causing the earth to split and the tree begin to topple backward. The only warning he had was a cherry blossom petal as a hand gently touched his neck and the world faded from view.


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“Are you sure he’s ok Sakura-chan!” Naruto called as he ran over to his former sensei’s side.


“Of course he is!” Sakura said extremely pleased with herself and grinning evilly.


“YES! YES! YES! You go girl! Woo! We finally got him!” inner Sakura cheered.


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Blinking slowly Kakashi began to smile as he saw a beautiful young girl sitting over him. He took a second to admire her ample bosom and flawless skin, her silky…pink… hair.


“Junko doesn’t have pink hair,” Kakashi thought frantically. “ Am I dreaming? SAKURA! . . . Naruto? Wait, wait-“


“Training!” Kakashi yelled starting to come around to what was going on.


“Ha ha! Looks like you need the training Kaka-sensei!” Naruto guffawed.


“How did you like our teamwork Kakashi?” Sakura asked slyly, “ and of course my new Jitsu?”


Sitting up slowly Kakashi’s mind whirled through the events that had just transpired.


“So you two knew that I wasn’t in that tree all along?” Kakashi asked.


“Yep!” said Naruto, “Sakura-chan and I both made replications while you went to hide in your tree!”


“And we attacked ‘you’ as a diversionary tactic knowing that you’d be watching.” Sakura continued.


“So I transformed one of my shadow clones into Sakura so you’d think that we were all over at the other end of the clearing.” Naruto added.


“Then I took the opportunity to knock you off balance for a bit and perform ‘Sakura’s Sleeping Death’. Well I’m still working on a name. I made a new Jitsu where all I have to do is touch someone’s neck in the right place and I can either put him or her to sleep or kill them. I decided to put you to sleep,” Sakura smiled, very pleased with the results of her labors.


“I think I understand,” puzzled Kakashi, “ It’s almost like what the Hyuuga family does attacking the chakra directly.”


“Right, but I don’t need to know the exact Chakra points or exactly where the flows are. I used some of the medic and strength training I got from Tsunde with that idea and combined it! We already know pressure points on the body that can effect the internal workings of the body and in turn chakra, so all I have to do is touch the one on a persons neck, which everyone has and which is particularly sensitive, and using my mystic palm I can direct what kind of damage I want into that person. I’ve been working on it for a while now and I think I’ve proved it very effective.” Sakura finished with her head high and eyes shining.


“But you have to touch the persons neck in just the right spot, right? It’s tricky getting that close to someone in a battle,” Kakashi suggested.


“True, but with team work,” Sakura said winking at Naruto. “I can make it happen.”


“Great work Sakura, Naruto. I’m really impressed. Of course if I had my Sharingen uncovered it never would have worked but pretty good none the less.” The copy-nin said polishing his ego a little after the two, KIDS after all, managed to get him. “And you’re forgetting one thing.”


“What?” Sakura and Naruto said, annoyed at their former sensei pricking their pride like that.


“You had your replications doing the warm-ups I asked you guys to do so you both have to do them triple,” Kakashi said walking over to a nearby tree and pulling out his book again.


Heads on the floor feet in the air with big sweat drops hanging over them, Sakura and Naruto lay stunned, and finally went reluctantly back to do their warm-ups as Kakashi sat trying to focus on the page in front of him.


“Naruto and Sakura are a great team,” he thought as he shifted his back on the tree trunk to get more comfortable. “And I guess with this new Jitsu I’ll have to report Sakura for the Jounin selections.”


As anyone already Jounin knew, there were no specific tests for becoming a Jounin like there were Chunin. You were reported on by other Jounin and teachers when it was felt that you had accomplished the necessary trials. Becoming a Jounin is more a matter of quality level then anything someone could just compete for. The “test” really consisted of three parts. The first part was developing your own unique Jitsu that was effective on someone of at least Jounin level abilities. This proved that you are strong, brilliant, creative or all three. The second was to have fantastic skills in at least one ninja style, like taijitsu or genjitsu. To be Jounin you had to be above the average Chunin in at least something, because the missions were that much more difficult. The third was to withstand a major tragedy committed against you and move on. The reasons for the first two were pretty obvious, but the last was to prove that you would be capable in any situation. In order to someday go on an A or S class mission, you had to accept the possibility that anything might happen to you or someone you care about, and you would have to get over it to carry on the mission, or to save your team mates. A Jounin could not be paralyzed by fear or emotions. This could only be tested by actually overcoming such an event. To be Jounin was to have suffered greatly and overcome with strength, courage, and brilliance. No structured test that anyone could come up with could bring on or demonstrate the necessary levels needed to become a Jounin. The act of living your life to the fullest as a ninja and surviving with excellence and brilliance was the test to become Jounin.


“I think Sakura may have already passed the first two tasks.” Kakashi thought as he considered her new Jitsu and her medical expertise and fighting skills, not to mention tactics, which had improved greatly even since he had left two months ago, “ I just hope that she doesn’t have to pass the third for a long time.”


Sakura lay face down in the dirt panting and sweating, grime covered her clothes, face and hair and little bits of grass clung willfully to her once freshly laundered outfit. In short she felt quite unladylike, undignified and for once completely satisfied in her performance. Well not completely, she was lying face down in the dirt after all. But none of that could compare to the feeling of accomplishment she had that not only in this first training session for the new team 7 had she finally gotten one over on that all superior, smut reading, one-eyed over proud copy-nin (with a little help from Naruto) but she had also been able to keep up with the training said copy-nin had set her. True he was still far more advanced then she, as was to be expected of and older and more experienced shinobi and after all he was a genius, but she felt sure that she had impressed him with her strength and stamina. She had been able to keep up, even with Naruto and his crazy ability to keep getting up after being knocked down. In truth, she had to admit to herself, Naruto was where she had learned how to “suck it up” and keep on going even after you thought you were beaten. Kakashi always seemed so effortless in his movements and fighting, it could be hard at times to compare yourself with him. When everything someone did looked easy and perfect and you couldn’t even follow, it could get discouraging pretty fast. Naruto showed her the way however, and for a while now whenever Sakura felt she had reached her limits, she would always push herself that one extra step farther. And now finally after this training session she could truly see the results. She may never surpass Kakashi or Naruto when it came to fighting, but she could keep up, and knowing that she would never again have to stare at the backs of her friends on a mission made all the difference.


“Ugh,” Naruto groaned laying not 3 feet away from her. “Bastard Kaka-sensei copy-nin, stupid no good-“


“What was that Naruto?” Kakashi asked, smiling widely beneath his mask. Both of his former students had grown leaps and bounds and he found himself excited to see how they would do on their next mission.


“Good to have you back!” Naruto edited.


“Sakura, are you still alive over there?” Kakashi questioned eyeing her limp form as it was becoming one with the dirt.


“Of course I was just regrouping for my next attack,” Sakura lied amiably.


“Oh you want to keep going? I was thinking I would take you guys out to Ichiraku to celebrate but I can see you’re still eager to-“ Kakashi drawled lazily.


“RAMEN!” Naruto cried and sprung up instantaneously from the ground, grabbed Sakura by the shirt, grabbed Kakashi by the vest and proceeded to drag them both still blinking with shock through the forest and back across the bridge towards the infamous ramen bar.


“Naruto,” Kakashi started as he sat down on the stool in front of Ichiraku and placed on elbow on the counter, resting his masked chin in his hand.


“I’ll have an extra large bowl with lots of barbequed pork!” Naruto exclaimed to the owner, eyes closed and a large ramen hungry grin covering his face.


“Naruto,” Kakashi began again, turning his one black eye towards the young blond shinobi sitting next to him practically radiating content and excitement, whether over being together after so long or merely because of the ramen Kakashi wasn’t sure.


“And go ahead and get another one ready, this time with Miso ramen with beef!” Naruto continued happily holding his chopsticks at the ready.


“Naruto!” Kakashi tried again, getting a little agitated.


“Maybe I should have talked to him before mentioning ramen,” Kakashi thought tiredly.


“Yes sensei?” Naruto replied happily.


“I’m glad to see you’re enjoying your dinner but there’s something that I need to tell you from the mission I just got back from,” the copy-nin began seriously.


“You came back because you needed Sakura-chan and my help?” Naruto asked excitedly as he wolfed down his ramen.


“No, Naruto, we’ve learned about some news that involves Sasuke.” Kakashi replied.


“Oh no,” thought Sakura suddenly sad as she gazed at Naruto from his other side, “ I was hoping he wouldn’t bring this up right away, but I guess its better to let him know sooner then later, and defiantly better from Kakashi then someone else.”


“Has he come back?” asked Naruto quietly expecting the negative reply that he was about to hear from his former sensei and good friend.


“No Naruto, it looks as though Sasuke’s gone,” Kakashi said quietly.


“You mean he left Orochimaru?” the blond shinobi asked hopefully.


“No Naruto,” Sakura interjected sadly,“It seems he had a falling out with Orochimaru over Itachi and the Atsuki and now it looks as though he’s been killed.”


“But that doesn’t make sense!” Naruto cried, “Why would Orochimaru kill him and not just take over his body! That’s what he’s been waiting for all this time right?”


“He may have done just that Naruto, we can’t be sure from the little information that we were able to gather, but it is most likely that either way our Sasuke is dead,” Kakashi put in gently.


“So you don’t know for sure then right?” Naruto questioned. “You’re all just guessing.”


“It’s not quite like that Naruto,” Kakashi snapped getting a little irritated. “We know for sure that they had a falling out and even if there is no proof of the outcome there is little to no chance that Sasuke could take on a demon like Orochimaru.”


“You don’t know that Kaka-sensei! Sasuke has always been really strong and smart and he’s been training with Orochimaru for four years now, he would know him better then anyone, he could have figured out how to take him down!” Naruto confronted confidently.


“Yes but Orochimaru’s also been studying with Sasuke, Naruto” Sakura put in sensing the rising tension between the two men. “And he’s been an evil genius long before Sasuke was even born, don’t you think he would be able to defend himself against a 17 year old?”


“Not if that 17 year old was our Sasuke! I refuse to believe that Sasuke is gone until I see the body, dead or possessed!” Naruto cried loudly.


Naruto quickly finished his second bowl of ramen and uncharacteristically, especially when someone else was paying, got up and left with only a parting wave and stalked away with his hands in his pockets.


“That didn’t go so well did it?” asked Kakashi.


“Considering it’s Naruto I think it was better then expected,” Sakura sighed. “He has so much faith in Sasuke, I don’t think that he’s ever going to give up on him.”


“Until he sees the body” Kakashi said flatly staring into his ramen contemplating.


“Maybe we shouldn’t give up so easily either,” Sakura suggested. “ I mean we don’t know for sure do we?”


“Are you still thinking that he’s going to come marching back into the village with open arms and carry you away Sakura! I though that you’d gotten over him finally!” Kakashi said, instantly regretting the words, yet feeling somehow better for venting on the young Kunochi.


“No Kakashi SENSEI!” Sakura replied angrily, “I just don’t want to give up on a member of our team until all the facts are in!”


“Sakura it’s time to grow up, you’ve got fantastic skills as a medic and your ninja skills have improved dramatically, you’re one of the brightest chunins around besides Shikamaru, but sometimes you are still just a little 12 year old girl crushing after the coolest guy in school,” Kakashi said levelly staring straight into the eyes of a very startled green eyed shinobi.


“If I’m so emotionally immature how come I know that the only reason you’re saying these things to me is because your upset about losing Sasuke and you don’t know how to accept the fact that one of you first students and someone that you took enormous efforts to personally train and tutor may be gone and you’re taking it out on one of the only people that you feel comfortable enough with to show this kind of emotion to!” Sakura replied with quiet anger.


“I know you’re afraid he’s gone forever with no hope of escape Kakashi, and you know I will always be here to talk about it with you, but I don’t need you bringing me down just because I think Naruto may be right about there being some hope. I miss him too, as you know, but I’m not dreaming of some happy ending with a romantic scene. I’ve moved on from that! And I thought that after four years you would know me better then to say something so hurtful! I think it would be better if I excuse myself for the evening and see you tomorrow at training,” stated Sakura calmly putting some money on the counter and getting up to leave. “I wouldn’t want you to get the wrong impression of me and assume that I’m still pining over the loss of my one and ONLY crush I’ve ever had even though you KNOW I’ve dated before, so I will tell you that I am not going home to cry over a lost love, but I have a girls out night with Ino that I don’t want to be late for.”


With those parting words Kakashi watched as Sakura’s sleek form stalked down the street and disappeared into the crowd and kept looking until even her still dirty bubblegum locks faded from view.


“I handled that well didn’t I?” Kakashi asked to no one in particular.


“Not really no,” said Ayumi behind the counter as she dropped the bill down in front of the masked ninja and carried on with a bit of cleaning.