Blossoming Sakura

A/N: To be honest, I am not exactly following the anime(I'm sure you guys noticed). I love fics that have Sakura being strong and showing that she isn't going to be walked on. This fic is AU, and will not follow any kind of format that the anime or manga goes by. Nope, this is just my way of twisting the characters into the ways that I want them.

Please read and review, and thank you for the reviews.

*Thanks for pointing out the spelling of sensei to me, twilight. I fixed them, so there are no spelling errors(at least that is what spell check is telling me, but we all know that it lies at times.)*

~!~

The gasps were clearly heard as father and daughter stared each other down. Finally, Satchi smirked and shook his head.

“Well, I see you finally got your lazy ass home. At least you did something right.” He sneered. He reached down to pick his glass up, but his wrist was caught in a firm grip and he glared into her eyes.

Sakura allowed her own smirk to cross her lips and began to tighten her grip on his wrist. With her chakra now engaged, she would have to be careful or her strength could end up breaking his wrist. On second thought, maybe then he'd learn to keep his paws to himself.

“I can do many things right, dad. One of them is whipping ass, which I am going to do to you if you don't get home. Mom is waiting on you.” She replied, her tone bored.

Snorting, the man yanked his wrist out of her grasp, not realizing that she allowed him to do so, and grinned. “Your mother isn't worth my time. She bores me and I have needs.” He said, crossing his arms.

Quirking an eyebrow up, Sakura calmly said, “Well, since you put it that way, let me be honest about something. I fibbed when I said that mom was waiting on you. In fact, she could care less. I just didn't want to have to humiliate you in front of your pals when I beat your ass into the ground.”

“Little girl,” He growled, his anger finally peaking. “If you don't get out of my face and let me finish my drink, I am going to show you exactly who is boss in this family.”

Sakura grinned, reached down to the glass, lifted it up for her father to see, and proceeded to pour the contents onto the floor between them. Both father and daughter stared down at the puddle and then slowly lifted their heads to look in each other's eyes.

“You did that on purpose.” Satchi slurred, his tone filled with shock. Sakura bit her lip, looked at the glass, then the floor, and then nodded.

“I think that you are right.” She affirmed.

Hissing, he reached out to grab onto his daughter, but quickly found himself face down on a table, and his left arm twisted painfully behind his back. Sakura continued to apply pressure and only stopped when she heard him cry out.

“Now that I have finally gained your attention, let me tell you a few things, you stupid lush.” She said, her voice void of all emotion. “Mom and I are not your punching bags. We are not going to let you walk over us any longer. If you want to go around and screw whores, that is your business, but you will not come home to my mother and climb into bed with her afterwards. This family doesn't need you, we don't need you, and if we are going to be totally honest, we don't want you. I'll watch over mom. Stay away from her and from me. If you don't, I will make you regret it.”

Satisfied that he heard her, she let go of his arm and shoved him away. When he turned to look at her, he gulped at what he saw. No longer was she the little girl who looked up at him with loving eyes. No longer did her face hold any of the warmth for him.
His daughter was staring at him as though he were the enemy, and for the first time, he didn't see her as a little girl, but as a woman who has had enough. Kami, what in the hell did he do?

Turning on her heel, she began to walk towards the door, yanking off her gloves as she walked, and calmly said, “You may come and get your belongings in the morning, not before.”

“Sakura,” Satchi began, and watched as she froze in her stride, “I'm sorry.”

Nodding, Sakura replied, “Yes, you are. You were a sorry father and an even worse husband. And now, you are all alone. After all, mom and I wouldn't want to bore you.”

Without another word, she exited the bar and began to walk home, satisfied that her message had been received. Now, she had to figure out a way to break the news to her mother.

~!~

After she left, the bar exploded.

“Tell me that was not little Sakura?” Asuma said, his cigarette hanging out of his mouth in disbelief. “I never thought I'd see the day that she'd stand up to her dad.”

Many heads nodded and then turned their eyes to the man who was hanging his head in shame. They all knew what he was doing, and had all tried to talk some sense into him, but now, it appeared that he grasped the severity of the situation, and was currently trying to come to terms with it.

Kurenai sighed and shook her head. “It's about time, if you ask me. That man had it coming.” She said, her red eyes snapping. “Because of him, Sakura's self-esteem suffered, much like Hinata's. Now, it appears that her self-esteem is back and she is not afraid to put her foot down. Good for her.”

At another table, the younger shinobi were talking as well. Ino rested her head on Sasuke's shoulder, and bit her lip when she felt him stiffen. She knew that he didn't care for public displays of affection, but he didn't have to act like her touch disgusted him.

Naruto was grinning. He missed Sakura and when he heard that she was returning, he decided to plan a small get together to welcome her back. To say that he was shocked at the scene between her and her father was an understatement.

“Man, I've see Sakura mad, but never like that. I'm glad that I wasn't on the receiving end of that.” He laughed, his arm tightening around Hinata.

The shy girl blushed, but nodded. “That was amazing. To stand up to him like that took a lot of courage. I'm glad for her.” She replied, her tone soft.

Sasuke shook his head. He couldn't believe what he had seen, either. All these years, and the image of weak, pathetic Sakura was quickly fading into the image that just put her father into his place. Damn it, she had grown beautifully.

Standing up, he glared at Ino when he felt her hand tighten around his arm and watched as she blushed and quickly remove it. He glanced over at Naruto, who was whispering to Hinata, and sighed before saying, “I'm heading out. Kakashi and I are training early tomorrow, and I need to get some sleep.” He glanced down at Ino, who perked up happily, before snapping, “Alone.”

The blond beauty dropped her eyes and stared at the table as a deep blush spread across her cheeks. She heard the others wish him a good evening and felt him walk away from her. For a couple of months, Choji and Shika had been after her as to why she was with him, and each time, she would tell them that it wasn't their business.

It wasn't as if she didn't appreciate their concern, but she loved the Uchiha, and wanted him in every way possible. When Sakura left, she began to pursue him relentlessly, and when she finally got him, she made sure to gloat to everyone who would listen, that she finally got her man.

Asuma pulled her aside and warned her that Sasuke wasn't serious, but she waved his warning off with a grin and shook her head before telling him that, in private, he was very loving and considerate towards her. Ok, so that was perhaps not true. When they were together, they were usually screwing, or he was eating. But, at least they were together.

Shika snorted and turned away. When would that foolish woman realize that Sasuke was just toying with her? Well, when she did find out, he and Choji would be there to pick up the pieces. After all, they were teammates.

~!~

Morning came to find Sakura lazily stretching in bed. When she returned home, her mother greeted her at the front door and calmly asked her if she saw her father with another female. When she nodded, the older woman sighed and then shook her head.

Both women sat up and talked until after midnight, and when they went to bed, both agreed that they were better off without the self-serving male. Now, she could hear her mother grunting as she hauled her dad's crap out of their room and towards the door. Clearly, her mother wasn't wasting any time in removing him.

She climbed out of bed and quickly took a shower. She had a meeting with the hokage and needed to be there in an hour. She was also supposed to meet her new 'team'. Groaning, she prayed silently that she didn't receive someone like Naruto. He gave Kakashi-sensai many headaches.

Once dressed in her uniform, she made her way to the kitchen and found her mother humming happily. The older woman was dressed nicely, and had even done her make-up and fixed her hair. Grinning, Sakura whistled and asked, “Got a hot date?”

Her mother turned and smiled. Moving forward, she began to fix her daughter's uniform, which caused her pink-haired beauty to whine, “Mom, none of the other omegas moms mess with their uniforms.”

Her mother laughed at the teasing tone in Sakura's voice and replied, “Maybe their mothers don't love them as much as I love you.”

Snorting, Sakura shook her head and wrapped her arms around her mom. “I can't stay. I got to go meet the hokage, and then meet my new little monsters.” She said, making a face.

“Well, good luck. I hear that Kakashi is also training a new group. I've heard that they are even worse than what your team was.” Her mother said, smiling.

Laughing, Sakura turned and walked towards the door. Opening it, she found herself face-to-face with her father, whose eyes were wide and shocked.

Satchi had known that Sakura was well respected in the village of Sajai, but he never thought that he'd be looking at her in an omega uniform.

To be an omega was an extreme honor. They were the ones that got called in when a situation got too sticky for regular shinobi to handle. Now, his daughter was clad in the tight black pants, tight black top with the omega seal adorning her left shoulder, and she was decked out with weapons. And, from what he once heard, never before had a woman been allowed to join, but clearly his daughter managed to find a way.

“What do you want?” Sakura asked, her tone cold. Her father's eyes snapped back up to hers and he took in a deep breath. Before he could say a word, her mother appeared and gave Sakura a gentle push.

“Go on. You'll be late.” She said, her voice soft. “I want a word with your father.”

Nodding, Sakura shot him a look that promised a lot of pain should he upset her mother, and began to walk towards the building that held the hokage's office.

When they were alone, husband and wife stared at each other and then the wife smirked. “Got you.” She said, her tone full of joy.

The husband gulped and hung his head. His fun was now over.

~!~

The town was crowded, and as she walked, many people stopped and stared at her. Some people called out to her, wishing her a good day, others simply waved and gave her bright smiles.

Villages, such as Konaha, were always fighting to have one or two omegas live within the village. It was a way for them to feel safe and secure. Mostly because of the training that omega must go through, it makes them feel as though the omega was invincible.

However, she knew too well that omegas were not invincible. The death of her teammate, Shinka, still haunted her and she had been the one to hold his hand as he died. From that day forward, she vowed not to go into a fight with temper. It was because of his hot head that caused Shinka's death. Had he not lost his temper, he would have prevailed.

But, here she was, and she needed to be ready for anything. She passed by a flower shop and stopped when her eyes came into contact with Ino's. The blond gave her a small smile and waved, causing Sakura to return the gesture, but then gasped when she noticed the time. Damn it, she had only five minutes to get to the building, or she was going to be late.

Taking off, Sakura ran quickly, her long hair flowing behind her. She could see the building looming in front of her and sighed with relief. Also, it didn't hurt that people quickly got out of her way when they saw her coming. Well, either move it or lose it. When the steps finally came into view, she grinned, but suddenly felt something slam into her, causing her to fall backwards to the ground.

Glaring, she looked down at a small boy whose brown hair appeared to be in great need of a haircut. Brown eyes glared into her green ones as he snapped, “Watch where you are going, old lady!”

The kid was off and running before she could say a word. She quickly got up, brushed herself off, and allowed his words to process through her mind.

Old lady? That brat had called her old. Well, he'd better be glad that he ran off, or she'd show him what an old lady could do to his hide.

Making her way into the building, many of the people stopped and gave her a slight bow in respect. She regarded them with a tilt of her head, and was quickly led to the hokage's office. Knocking, she heard a female call out, “Come in.”

Opening the door, she looked inside, and watched as a pretty woman turned in her seat, a smile upon her face.

“Ah, Sakura. It is nice to finally meet you. My name is Tsunade.” She said, a smile lighting up her face.

Sakura bowed respectfully and took the seat that the hokage indicated to. Once she was comfortable, Tsunade calmly said, “I trust that your journey here went well.”

Sakura allowed a stiff smile to cross her lips, and gave a curt nod. She wasn't about to show this woman any kind of weakness, even if she had been irritated.

Tsunade liked the young woman before her. Even if she had been uncomfortable, she would never say it. Omegas were trained to deal with conditions that were unbearable, even for the most experienced shinobi.

“As you know, you are here to begin training a group of students. They are to be omegas down the road.” Tsunade said. “You broke the mold when you became the first female omega, and proved that women could handle it. Now, they are wanting other females to be trained.

Sakura nodded. Great, she was a trend-setter. The older woman smiled and then leaned forward. “I heard about what happened with your father. I must say, you showed amazing restraint. I would not have been so kind.” She confided.

Sakura grinned. “I didn't hurt him because I wanted my mother to get her fair share of pain in. I almost feel sorry for him.” She replied, smirking.

Both women laughed, but then Tsunade reached into her desk and pulled out a key. “As promised, here is the key to your apartment. I took the liberty of having it furnished with the basics, and of course, rent will be taken out of your checks. Also, you need to know that you will be working closely with another team.” She said, returning to business.

Nodding, Sakura pocketed the key and glanced up. “Whose the sensei for that team?” She asked. The woman sighed and leaned back. “The sensei is Kakashi. I know that he was your former sensei, and hope that you don't have a problem with working with him.”

Sakura nearly rolled her eyes. Great, she got stuck with Kakashi and his stupid Icha Icha Paradise books. Well, at least she didn't get Gai.

Tsunade smiled when the young woman shook her head, and then stood up. “Well, let's go and meet your team.” She said.

Walking together, both women gained a lot of attention. Both were quite beautiful, and both were deadly. When they reached a room, a loud bang was heard and a male yelped.

Yanking the door open, both Sakura and Tsunade were treated with the sight of Iruka tied up, and several brown haired little clones running around him, taunting him.

“What is going on?” Tsunade demanded, her eyes flashing. Suddenly, the room grew quiet, and the clones disappeared in a poof of smoke, leaving only one boy in their places.

In the corner, Sakura saw another boy with red hair was leaning against the wall, glaring at the ground and reminding her of Sasuke, while a blond girl was staring at her fingers as she twiddled them together, sort of reminding her of Hinata.

Her eyes moved to the cause of the trouble, and allowed her eyes to meet his brown ones. Suddenly, two voices rang out: One male, one female.

“It's the old lady!”

“It's the brat!”

Tsunade looked at Sakura and then at the boy for a moment, and then cheerfully said, “Good, you already know each other.”

She turned to look at Iruka, who was pleading at her with his eyes, seeing as how he had been gagged. Sighing, Tsunade walked over to him and said, “I'm shocked at you, Iruka. I would think that after all these years of training Naruto, you'd be able to out smart Ikki. Clearly, I was mistaken.”

When he was free, Iruka huffed and then pointed at the kid named Ikki. “That is not a kid. That is a hellion from the deepest pits of hell.” He snapped.

“I agree.” Sakura seconded, earning a glare from said hellion. “At least I'm not an old lady.” Ikki taunted, his face lighting up as Sakura's face turned red.

“Listen up, brat. I am not old.” She snapped, but then quickly calmed. “I am, however, your sensei, and I am going to make your life a living hell if you call me old ever again.”

Ikki looked unimpressed as he shrugged and said, “Whatever you say.....old lady.”

Tsunade got between sensei and student before any damage could be done and laughed. “Ok, in the corner, the young lady's name is Shiori, and the other young man's name is Kin. Sakura-sensei, meet team fifteen.”