[IC] Cherry Blossoms Under the Silver Sky

[SoleAccord]

“She’s still at it.”

Kakashi looked up from his precious copy of Make-Out Paradise, glancing down at Pakkun. The small pug was keeping a close eye on quite the spectacle that unfolded before both ninken and the Copy Ninja. A pink-haired kunoichi was at work in the middle of the river ahead, hands moving quickly and precisely to form individual handseals at a rapid rate. Sakura Haruno was a member of Team 7, but it went without saying that she had been the least impressive member months after its forming. Sasuke Uchiha, the last of the Uchiha Clan and Sakura’s crush, defected three days ago from the Village Hidden in the Leaves, Konoha. The story of her crush was a simple one; competition among women to win the man they believed could make them happy was no strange tale for Kakashi. What mattered to him now wasn’t the status of her strong romantic feelings for Sasuke, but how it was going to drive her from this point forward. It had been quite the surprise once Tsunade had approached him about taking better care of Sakura, and that was only after Sakura had come to him first about more training. The day Naruto Uzumaki, her friend and teammate, had returned home without Sasuke was the day Sakura decided that it was time to do things for herself. There was nothing wrong with counting on your comrades, but she could no longer stand by while others fought battles she could fight as well.

“Yes. She’s taking this seriously, it’s a nice change from her always watching Sasuke.” Kakashi looked forward to Sakura. His eye was focused on the speed at which she performed the forty-four handseals necessary to form the Water Dragon Bullet technique. Prior to getting her to work on this exercise he had decided that while she may have talent in the area of genjutsu, having use of a few ninjutsu techniques would not hurt to add to her sorely lacking arsenal of attacks. Taijutsu was going to be handled by Lady Tsunade, but he’d give her a few tips to improve her close quarters combat soon enough. This was only day 1 of Sakura’s training, and he would not slack on her instruction. As of now she appeared to be getting a strong handle on the technique and could do it with her eyes closed. Each time he looked up from his book he could notice that she was picking up her speed bit by bit. Her chakra control was always impressive, so there was no fear of her being unable to form it.

“Mmmn,” Pakkun mumbled before yawning tiredly, picking himself up and stretching. “And what’s my role in all this again?"Kakashi had summoned him after assigning Sakura to her task, but was so far vague on why he had done so. All he had asked of the pug was to watch the kunoichi work, but she was simply repeating the seals again and again as asked.

“You’re going to help me turn her into an incredible ninja. In the next three days she’s going to master that technique, and within a week she’ll be able to run circles around you and the others. Should she impress you enough, and if she would like, she’ll form a contract with you guys.” Kakashi’s gaze returned to his book. Pakkun couldn’t sense any sarcasm, and it wasn’t like Kakashi to make jokes about this. Ever since his ANBU days the ninken team had always been his. Hearing that he was prepared to offer that opportunity to someone else should both parties agree was quite the surprise.

“Hmph, you certainly have a high opinion of her. Thinking back to it now, didn’t you mention that she had some talent in genjutsu?” Pakkun recalled that during the Hidden Sand’s move against the Leaf, Sakura was one of the only people awake after a mass genjutsu was placed on the spectators. She, along with Kakashi, Gai and that Shikamaru character were still active. She recognized the genjutsu and had dispelled it without much of a sign, if he remembered it correctly. Her intelligence was something, he could admit to that. “Why ninjutsu instead?”

“Genjutsu alone won’t cut it for her.” Kakashi replied, turning a page as he did so. Pakkun’s curiosity was welcome, and the two could talk without keeping secrets. What he discussed with his long-time partner was nothing Sakura was capable of overhearing from this short distance, and he wanted to surprise her. A reward-based system wasn’t uncommon among the rookie teams; Asuma often took Shikamaru, Ino and Chouji out for lunch at Chouji’s behest. “Just because she has some talent in a certain area doesn’t mean I can’t nurture the others. I want her to feel like she’s making progress quickly so she won’t be as discouraged as Sasuke was. Besides, I want to give Tsunade a few surprises once she begins her training under her.”

Pakkun looked forward again, seeing just as Kakashi had that Sakura’s rate performing the string of handseals had grown just a little bit faster. At the very start he was able to count the number of seals she had formed, but now he had to strain his eyes a little to keep track. She wasn’t anywhere near her sensei’s speed; three days wasn’t much time to master it, yet Kakashi seemed confident that she’d meet his deadline. “You’re confident in her, but that time during the Sand’s attack—“

“Pakkun, just give her some time. I know she wasn’t much when you last saw her, but that’s going to change. She’s different now.”

Pakkun didn’t need to look at Kakashi this time, instead putting his focus on Sakura’s face. Even from this distance he could see the determination etched on her face, suspecting that she must be timing herself each time. For each fraction of a second she saved as she progressed, there must have been the urge to celebrate, but if Kakashi was truly right about her being different from that time before then perhaps her celebrating would wait. Half an hour at this and she was doing this exercise without a single complaint. Mastering a technique was not an easy task, but if Kakashi was placing his faith in her when it came to accomplishing said task, then so would he.

Once she was confident in her speed, Kakashi would be willing to proceed with the next phase of training. It was only midday, and with Naruto and Sasuke out of the picture it was only Sakura that he had to concern himself with.

“Naruto and Sasuke won’t be slacking,” Kakashi had told her earlier, “Neither should you.”

[Genkai]

She was truly alone, Sasuke had gone and there had been no way of feasibility retrieving him. And then Naruto had also left to train under Jiraiya. Sakura was alone and yet she could make a case that she had been alone for a few years prior to even joining Team Seven. Growing up, Sakura had been teased about her appearance which was pointless since she had no way of shrinking her forehead any or standing any taller. All she could be was herself and most days, that meant crying alone after all the other kids had left the park after mocking her.

Then she met Ino Yamanaka and for a while, she wasn't alone.

The blond haired girl exuded confidence and Sakura was quickly enchanted. The two met at age eight and for four years, they played together and created a strong bond before it crumbled at their feet. Ino taught Sakura how to make up for the flaws she was convinced she had and over the four years together, Sakura learned to love herself and take the negatives the other girls had pointed out, and use them to her own advantage. By the time everyone enrolled in the Academy at age 12, Sakura was ready to stand on her own and this didn't sit well with Ino who was content with being the leader of the two.

Things finally fell apart a week into the Academy when Sakura confessed her feelings for Sasuke to Ino, who in turns confessed her own crush for the dark haired Uchiha boy. Both friends started to spend time with other people but it was Ino who had gained the upper hand in their deterioration. Ino was able to rally most of the female classmates and ensure Sakura was left with only one or two people on her side. For the next four years neither girl acted friendly towards the other. In fact whenever they did see one another, they'd sling a snide remark about the other, knowing just where to attack, in order to draw the most bad blood.

So during her time at the Academy, Sakura was alone and that allowed her to throw herself into reading again, a hobby she had to discard when it came to her friendship with Ino. Her high marks in class made her second to Shikamaru who was second to Sasuke. Being the third smartest student made her a target for some taunting but anyone who was smart enough went to her for help after school. And now those days of doing work at the park where old memories of even more faded moments with her and Ino on the swings would resurface, had long passed. She was now alone, without anyone to care for, without anyone to care for her.

Except that wasn't true.

Not really.

After the events of the Chunin Exam, she and Ino decided to reconcile and when Naruto came back, she resolved to be more active than passive. Books could only become tools if she used them and so far she hadn't yet fully committed to being the kunnoichi she knew she could be. Being the person Ino was, being the person Naruto was. Now she had to the person she could be and in the forest on her own, she had started that journey and now it was time to return to it. Three days after Naruto left, she found Tsunade and Kakashi Sensei and explained that she wanted more training.

While she was doing some training at the hospital to become a medical nin, she wanted to do more. Her knowledge had to be put to use, it just had to. Tsunade considered it and agreed to train her if Kakashi handled it first and with that, her reunion with the silver haired copy nin began. At first, she had been quite unsettled with having one on one time with the man because she felt cast aside when she thought back t o their days as the fresh newly formed Team Seven. But Kakashi Sensei appeared less aloof and decided his first mission as her teacher again was to teach her a water jutsu since it seemed to be the element she was most in tune with.

Which was why she found herself standing off near the river while her teacher was lounging behind her in a tree. She had been preforming the numerous hand seals that were needed to summon and channel the proper amount of chakra to create the Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu. It was a B Rank and as she finished yet another quick consecutive turn of hand seals, ending with bird once again, she looked up from what she was doing and began again. It hadn't been too long since they began but she was quickly growing bored of the practice. She could do this in her sleep and she knew speed would be a real factor in battle but at the present, the seventeen year old was getting anxious.

As much as she did want to impress Kakashi, she still had a bone to pick with him regarding how he had neglected her over the past year or so since having returned from their first big mission out of Konoha. But right now she was very focused and determined to keep going until she could do the seals even quicker. By now she had already memorized them but she wasn't sure when she should ask Kakashi for next task. After another thirty minutes of her quickly moving through the hand seals, she stopped and turned around to where Kakashi. He had summoned his faithful dog to keep him company.

Before the girl had started, they had been briefly introduced.

"Hey, Kakashi Sensei, I think I have them down now. What do you think?" Sakura called out to him, a bit nervous. While it didn't look like he had been watching her, she had been able to tell that he was. Sakura was pretty intuitive and observant which came from her years on the sidelines. The girl in the long red dress with her choppy short pink hair was pretty sure doing repetition could only help so much and that in order to moving forward, she would need to move on and apply more to further memorization. "I'm ready for the next part if you are!" She smiled. Right now she was pretty content with the progress, her Inner Self was kept quiet but if she didn't get another task soon, that would change.

'Come on, I'm not Naruto, I can handle a high level jutsu, let me at it!' Her Inner Self roared, clenching a fist, her face wearing a wild inward grin.

[SoleAccord]

Sakura’s dedication to perfecting the craft he had given her was commendable. At the beginning he had expected her to take no more than five minutes out of impatience, but she had proved him wrong. Five minutes had become ten, then twenty, thirty, and lastly they had reached an hour’s worth of time. His position in the middle of the training field had been moved to a tree close by, just on her left. Resting on the limb of a tree beside the river, Kakashi looked up from his book just as Pakkun was grumbling below him. Pakkun could only witness so much small but notable improvements in Sakura’s ability to perform a great sum of hand seals at one time, and had dozed off to leave Kakashi monitoring her from time to time. Every now and then he would look up to see that she was just as focused as she had been from the start. After an hour was devoted to this task, the Copy Ninja could not refuse her request to continue. Closing his precious Make-Out Paradise book, he sat up and jumped down to the ground and placed it in his back pocket. Pakkun had yawned loudly and got up to follow, eager for a little more excitement to occur with this girls training.

“I'm surprised you stuck with this as long as you did. I know repetitive exercises aren’t the most exciting, but you really impressed me by not complaining. Naruto and Sasuke on the other hand…” Kakashi’s voice trailed off, reaching a subject that may still be of some sensitivity to Sakura. Sasuke was more dedicated to training than either Naruto or Sakura given his goals, but would often voice a complaint if he felt that he had nothing to really work towards. Naruto went without saying; he was a hardworking ninja, but was very vocal about his own impatience while Sasuke just showed it through his demeanor. Sakura was proving to be very different from the two of them, and if it kept up then his bet with Pakkun might actually become a reality. “Well, never mind. Let’s move on to the next stage.”

Kakashi stood closely beside her and turned to face the river, while Pakkun moved around to Sakura’s right side. Her sensei had performed the hand seals she had worked so hard on to get down, hands moving in such a blur that Sakura may only be able to make out a couple at a time if she were lucky. With him to compare to, Sakura would see the level she could reach in time as long as she continued to work hard. With the final seal in place, the water ahead of them had been disturbed. From the depths of the river emerged a large water dragon, its size and serpent-like shape quite an intimidating sight for an inexperienced opponent. With red eyes, the dragon would look down to the three of them from its superior height.

“This is the Water Dragon Bullet technique in full form.”Kakashi relaxed his posture, yet continued to hold on to the Bird hand seal as it was the final seal. The dragon had suddenly twitched and launched itself in the air, leaving the river. Soaring up high, it flew past them and collided into the ground a good twenty feet or so, leaving an impressive crater and of course soaking the entire area it had collided with. Breaking the seal as the dragon was destroyed, Kakashi turned around towards the point of impact. Sakura likely had some questions, after all she hadn’t seen this technique since their mission in the Land of Waves against Zabuza. “You’re smart, so I’ll try to be as informal about this as I can. What that technique does is take your chakra and mold it into that form. The size and power is heavily dependent on the ability of the user, so the one I created won’t necessarily be the exact same as yours. If it’s smaller – or weaker – don’t be discouraged by that. In enough time you’ll leave that same mark, maybe even larger than mine.”

Pakkun could feel the ground starting to saturate from here; even though Kakashi was instructing Sakura well, he suspected that after seeing a jutsu at that size leaving such a powerful dent in the earth behind them could be discouraging. The small pug looked up at Sakura, hoping not to see signs of discouragement or doubt. It didn't help that Kakashi didn't even need to look at where he was directing the jutsu, but he doubted showing off was his intention.

“Look at the jutsu as an extension of your own will. At first it might seem strange, but in time controlling it will be child’s play. Your chakra control is incredible for your age, so I’m sure you’ll get the hang of this in no time.” Kakashi’s eye closed, but even though his mask Sakura could make out the signs of a pleasant expression. Taking a few steps back, Kakashi placed his left hand in his pocket and opened his eye once again. “This time I’ll be right behind you if you need me. Just remember that the size won’t matter as long as you can create the jutsu in a reasonable form. Whenever you’re ready you can get started.”

This time Kakashi wouldn’t pull out his book, and his eye was definitely going to be on her consistently. This might add pressure, but performing jutsu under pressure was going to be something she would need to do regardless.

Pakkun turned back towards the river and sat down beside Sakura, looking up at her. Now another pair of eyes would be monitoring her at a close proximity.

“Self-confidence is a big part of performing well, you know.” The small pug mentioned to her. If Kakashi was right, then that nervous little girl from the Chuunin Exams was in the process of being a long-forgotten memory. That offer to joining her in on the contract seal would be something he’d mention to his fellow ninken, but Sakura’s personality and drive would play a major part in this. Kakashi didn’t mind if he communicated with her, so long as she could get the task done. “If you do well, I’ll let you rub my paw. It's very soft.” Pakkun raised his left paw for her to see. The pink pads were something he could take pride in, and he had no problem showing them if need be to help Sakura along. This was similar to the time he offered Shikamaru that very same honor during the Chuunin Exams, and he believed it to be a strong motivational tool.

[SoleAccord]

Sakura’s motivation for becoming a ninja had meant something once. Sasuke was just the boy young girls wanted, as he embodied everything that mattered at the time: Potential, a handsome face, and some considerable skill to go along with his intelligence. Before all of it, before Sasuke had become her motivation on Team 7, Sakura’s wish was pure. To mean the difference between life and death was being a ninja, and in this world it was strength that helped you succeed. Kakashi had taken his chopsticks and lightly broken them apart once Teuchi and Ayame had returned the bowls to them. Muttering a thanks, Kakashi let Sakura’s understanding of things proceed. She was at a state of mind where she could recognize her faults. He’d probably have smiled at her ability to see what was wrong with her back then, were it not for her next question. Kakashi paused as Sakura made the situation between Team 7 a topic of discussion once again, and met her eyes with his own. The situation with Sasuke and Naruto had been gone over in his head several times prior to taking Sasuke for training, and each time he recognized it as the best choice possible for reasons that could benefit both of them. The problem was that Sakura was excluded from this. Kakashi would accept blame for that, Sakura may even understand why he chose the option he did. He recognized her concerns, but believed she was wrong for claiming his answer didn’t matter. If an answer didn’t matter, there was no sense in asking it in the first place. Playing the role of the stoic student didn’t mean anything here, as there was quite clearly going to be something Sakura wanted to take away from his answer. A truth she never had the time to ask before, or perhaps not even the courage. After allowing her a moment to comment on the bond between Team 7’s members, Kakashi looked to his bowl and set his chopsticks down. “I’ll explain because you asked, but listen closely: I did ask for someone to help teach Naruto a thing or two, although I don’t know if you’ve heard of him. His name is Ebisu, and like me he is a teacher of his own squad. The Third Hokage’s grandson, Konohamaru, is one of the members of that squad. While I took care of Sasuke’s training, Ebisu aided Naruto in the basics of chakra control, something he was sorely lacking in unlike you.” Kakashi returned his eye to her again, knowing he at least owed her eye contact while he said this.“The term you must have been looking for is that my answer wouldn’t change anything, rather than matter. The truth is that you and Ino had tied, you had been dropped from the Chuunin Exams and that left Naruto and Sasuke to compete. Instructing one in the art of jutsu isn’t as simple as telling them how to climb trees. It would take hands on training, and I didn’t have time to give you a strong lesson on how to make it effective. I considered asking Kurenai Yuhi, but seeing as Shino Aburame made it into the finals I believed she would have already had her hands full. This left you the opportunity to work on what you saw fit for the entire month, and perhaps even encourage you and Ino to train together.” Kakashi fell silent for just a moment, allowing Sakura to let this all make some sense to her. A ninja couldn’t always wait for an instructor, and taking initiative was a strong sign of dedication. From what Pakkun managed to tell him, Sakura had become determined to see the mission to race after Sasuke during the invasion, yet had not shown much in remarkable combat ability. Breaking a genjutsu was impressive, yet Sakura’s talents made that to be expected. Truth was, she did not do much herself for the month alone, even when she proved herself mature enough to take action. “I apologize if you believed it was wrong of me to not give you any attention regardless, but Sasuke needed training, training only I was fit to give him. From your point of view it might have been a little unfair, and in mine it was justified. I didn’t need my sensei to tell me to come up with a new technique, and I didn’t need my sensei to tell me when to train and how to do it. I had my sensei help guide me as I was instructed, but I never sat and waited to be told what I could do with my talents. Sakura, I want you to follow that example too. When the day comes that you’re in my position, and you treat your squad to lunch, I want you to let them know that it’s okay to train independently on their own time so you won’t need to have this conversation with your own students.” That only left their bond. “I should have done more with you three, but Sasuke’s trauma, his drive to become powerful, it overwhelmed any chance he might have had in being with us. It was only during training that he was content with himself, but the stronger he began to see Naruto, the more he must have felt inadequate as a result.” It would all come back to Sakura’s misunderstanding of what Sasuke needed all this time, and he didn’t wish to say it, but Sakura was showing improvement emotionally.“Sasuke didn’t need a lover, he needed a friend. He had that in Naruto, and it still wasn’t enough to overtake his rage. I’ve begun to wonder if I ever had a chance at reaching him and pulling him out of that darkness, but I remembered he had Naruto and you to help him, and I realize now that it wasn't up to me alone to save him as his teacher.” Kakashi’s appetite waned, and his attention returned to the bowl in front of him. The aroma was delicious, yet the topic and what it was becoming had begun to take it away. Sakura needed to understand that seeking to become a lover before a friend was foolish and inconsiderate, yet she was beginning to understand on her own how silly her past actions might have been. “When you look back at the days in the academy and you see Sasuke sitting a short distance away, were you wondering how his day was, or were you wondering if he’d notice how beautiful you are? The priority for understanding one another shouldn’t be the latter. I’m sure you understand that now, because your attitude is showing me a side to you I’ve wanted to see for a long time now.” Kakashi glanced at her and nodded his head, hoping her response would be as inspirational as he hoped he might have been in these past couple minutes. To reach someone important to you, you had to understand them, or at least open yourself up to their feelings. From what Naruto told him after their battle, he was unable to do such a thing, and Sasuke was lost to them for now. “Let’s talk about this another day, okay? For now, dig in, we’ve still got some daylight to burn, and the hand seals won’t make themselves.”

[Genkai]

His candid response was something she had been expecting but nonetheless, it still knocked the wind out of her. There was so little that she knew about Sasuke (even Naruto) and while she wanted to place blame in him or in Kakashi-Sensei, she knew she had some fault in not making a more proper gesture of wanting to get to know him, to get past what they had all to deal with during their time at the Academy. Even so, Sakura was smart enough to know what regretting the action she didn't take, wouldn't fix anything. Feeling bad about not reaching out to Sasuke may have been partly her fault, but it was also his own, for being so guarded. In some way, Team 7 was not really a team at all, no one knew each other well and most of the drama or dysfunction could have been mended with the tree teenagers stepping out of themselves and into the bigger picture to come together and do right by their village. That made its recent disbanding still hurt. In her mind, their team could have been great, and for a short time it perhaps might have been but now with each Genin going on their own way, it was hard to think about the past when the present and future remained rather unspoken for. She knew she could have and should have done more during the month break but it didn't exactly excuse her teacher's actions. Even before the exams, she had already felt Kakashi's attention slip toward Sasuke and away from her and Naruto. And using their weakness and need for extra assistance still couldn't fully legitimize his actions of favoritism. If she ever had a squad of her own, she would hate to do it the way Kakashi had. Of course each team was different and each part of it that time needed different care. Even so, Sakura didn't want to hold each student to a different standard. A team was a symbol of something bigger and each part should be given the same time and expectations. Just because Sasuke or Naruto needed extra guidance, didn't warrant her being pushed aside and then expected to just find another way to carry on like she was on her own yet still part of a team which had already shown strain. Her opinion of the mistakes she thought he made hadn't changed but she could accept that in his mind, he hadn't see much wrong with what he had done. The last thing Sakura wanted was for him to apologize if he didn't mean it. Nor, was she about to apologize for feeling left out, it was an impasse they each couldn't agree upon so she was happy to drop it. As she said, it didn't matter now. Talking about it was only going to ruin her appetite and her drive. Returning to her meal, she resumed eating, a little unsure of how to go from here. In her mind, there was still some disconnect between her and the others, the man beside her included. Sakura wanted to get stronger but her reasons for doing so needed to be her own and no one else's. It was taking time to get into the right mindset and dredging up their mistakes was surely more detrimental than beneficial. All she could really look forward to was the future and now that the distractions were gone, she could finally get serious and make something of herself, someone who she would be proud to introduce to her eight year old self. Because letting her fantasies get the better of her, was something she regretted, not just because it took her eyes off the real goal. But because it didn't help anyone. It didn't help her or Sasuke and it certainly didn't help Naruto or her their teacher. But she was learning to figure out what she wanted and why and that mistakes could be made no matter how old or experienced you were. A ninja just had to keep moving and learn from them, whether they were making them or on the outside somewhere. No matter what, she wanted to move forward and make better choices and treat people better than how they were based on her perception. She knew first hand thanks to the recent exams, that everyone was not who they seemed. As they ate, the topic thankfully drifted back toward calmer waters. The pair talked about the recent events in Konoha as it seemed there was an Autumn Festival on the horizon in two weeks time. A lot of people were working together to create some great street food, booth games and other celebrations for the year's harvest. Konoha was a great exporter of shinobi but also food and other goods as well. Sakura expressed interest in the decorations since Ino's family was going to be in charge of doing something great with flowers and other earthy things. When the meal was over and paid with, they headed back to the training grounds to continue where they took off, since she had yet to complete the task given to her. With the dogs summoned, things kicked back into high gear. For the next two hours, the same thing happened but this time Sakura was quicker with her hand seals and before hour three was reached, she ended up doing all of them before letting teeth meet flesh. Of course the goal hadn't been reached without taking its toll on the girl. She was pretty wiped out from agile dodging and keen peripheral observation. It was around four in the afternoon when the next task was able to be given to her. Sakura had been given a couple minutes to catch her breath and grab some water from the nearby river as she waited for the next step to be given to her so she could finally be a little bit closer to getting a real handle on the dragon jutsu. In her mind, she was sure her next goal would be to actually do it while moving around, which wasn't a stretch logically but physically, she knew she would have to work a lot more harder. An given that the sun was only going to give them two or three more hours (at most) of sunlight, she wanted to get onto the next step sooner, rather than later. "So what do I need to do next?" She pressed as she stood up straight and turned away from crouching by the river, finally collected and ready.

[SoleAccord]

Her drive nearly made her inhuman.

They had left behind the food and the upcoming talk of the festival some time ago. With the ninken's harassment continuing, Kakashi Hatake was left in awe. Each time he expected Sakura to collapse from complete muscle failure, she had pressed on without complaint. Every second led to some improvement in her struggle, rendering him unable to take his eyes away from the scene that unfolded. A few yelps here and there from the ninken taking her on, but where he might have expected some scoffs or a collapse no such thing had occurred to her. By the time it was concluded, it was the ninken themselves that had gathered back to Kakashi and appeared winded. A few of them were visibly impressed - others remained skeptical of her true potential and wanted to try their hand at another task. Kakashi gazed out at her gathering water, leaving him with Pakkun and the others.

"...So, as I was saying Pakkun. Within a week, she'll be running circles around you." Kakashi teased.

To the chagrin of his ninken, Pakkun chuckled quietly after taking a deep breath. "She never surrendered to us. Perhaps there is hope for her after all. Will you be needing us for another test?"

"No, I intend to teach her something else for now, to get her mind ready while her body recovers. Thanks for your assistance, guys."

"Anytime, anytime. Tell her we'll be back, and it won't be so easy next time. Holding back was difficult."

"Holding back, hm?" Kakashi smiled, knowing very well that in some areas his trained team had resisted using their own variation of ninjutsu on Sakura. That level of competition would be saved for another time. Vanishing in a small puff of smoke, the ninken had left Kakashi just as Sakura had raised her question.

"Well, we're going to give you an extended break. It won't do any good if you're stuck in bed tomorrow from overworking yourself." Kakashi's attention waned, moving skyward. "I told you a long time ago that you had skill in genjutsu; basic deflection served us well when Orochimaru invaded, but I want to help you know how to recognize it and always be ready to counter. Given that I know many types of genjutsu, I can help train you for nearly any type of situation."

Visual. Auditory. Scent. Kakashi had an array of genjutsu fields to tackle Sakura with, and it wouldn't demand much from her body, only her mind.

"You're very motivated, so I'll let you decide what type you'd want to practice against, and what level of difficulty you'd like presented. It doesn't really matter since we have enough time to cover each of them, but I thought I'd let you select for yourself. What will it be?"

[Genkai]

The endeavor was tiring to say the very least but Sakura was able to feel pride surging through her tired body. She hadn't felt such emotion in quite a while. Most of the time she was worrying about something that probably didn't matter that much. Right now though, distractions weren't in front of her, right now she had the ability to fully focus and use that to her advantage. And better yet, she had an actual teacher to help her, he wasn't distracted either and in that sense, she felt some kind of bond forming. Both of them made mistakes, perhaps could have done thing differently but now that didn't matter, the past was where it belonged.

When Kakashi mentioned finishing the day with Genjutsu, she wasn't surprised.

The day hadn't much time left to offer them so doing something like that, something she was more familiar with, seemed smart.

To start things off, she figured scent or sound might be good to start with. Illusions that tackled senses were easy to underestimate and she had shown an affinity towards it early on at the Academy but it wasn't easy to teach one's self since you had to immerse yourself and then combat it and break out of the jutsu itself. That sort of challenge was nearly impossible for just one person to practice. "I think I'd like to start with scent, smell." She told him. Scents were powerful, they could trigger different responses and memories. The scent of mud, blood, vomit, pine, roses, meat, rain...they all had different reactions for different people.

By this point Sakura had finally been able to calm down and feel her own heart rate, as well as heart beat reduce back to normal. She was drained but not yet entirely. There was still energy burning within her. Tonight she would sleep deeply, that was for sure. She was already yearning for a hot bath and her bed. But her mind eventually spun back around to the present. Genjutsu wasn't for everyone. Most people she knew actually, weren't able to break free from it. It was easy to overlook as most wanted to focus on Taujutsu or Ninjutsu. Sakura didn't want to be like them though, she wanted to be ready for anything.

If she was going to go further into medicine, she would need to be well rounded.

A flock of birds took off from a tree to the east and flew outwards, away from them and the village. Sakura took a deep steadying breath. She shifted a little and could feel the chakra around them shift. It was apparent that whatever the silver nin had planned, was now being executed. The pink haired kunnoichi looked around, making sure to stay alert but also calm. Panicking would only waste chakra and whatever energy she had left inside of her. She inhaled deeply and tried to figured out what sort of mental trickery the other was trying to impose upon her. 'This isn't real, the only real thing is myself. Perception is secondary.' She thought, breathing slowly as she felt a slight chill brush against her shoulders.

[SoleAccord]

Forming the appropriate hand seal, Kakashi had set to work on exposing Sakura to a multitude of different scents. The aroma of a fresh bowl of ramen, similar to what they had recently eaten, would come to be detected first. Next had come barbecued meat that offered an aroma so tantalizing that one would almost believe they were sitting in a restaurant with it directly in front of them. With the scent of pleasant and mouthwatering meals being covered in a small but recognizable variety, Kakashi had begun to delve a little deeper. The smell of rain offered a unique scent, especially when it was coupled with that of wildflowers. To imagine herself being surrounded in a field of various plant life while allowing herself to be drenched in the rain was on longer just a thought, it was becoming reality. The sensation against her skin and the chill down her spine was illusion, but through her eyes and throughout her senses she could be convinced that what she was sitting through was real. The rainfall was beginning to pick up, and the wind that had been so kind to her beforehand was now coursing against her body and threatening to sweep her off her own feet.

The bitter howl of the winds was momentarily halted by the sound of roaring thunder and the flash of lightning overhead. What pleasant sensations she felt moments ago were becoming overwritten by a nightmarish storm where both wind and rain no longer caressed her skin, but battered and tore against it without remorse. Her teacher remained unmoved by his own devices, instead focused on keeping Sakura rooted into the harshest of situations where her very reality was destroyed before her own eyes. It was becoming too loud to even hear herself think, and between the flashes overhead came thunder that tore into the forests nearby. Wood splintered and trees fell in response to nature's cruelty.

The scent of smoke had turned to mud, and the howling winds had begun to carry her voice should he have tried to cry out in alarm.

Kakashi kept his eye on her in silence, waiting for her to fold under the pressure of being trapped in this landscape where no one could hear her scream, not even herself. The bar of difficulty was steadily raising, and he had no intention of stopping this until Sakura could no longer find the will to fight him.

[Genkai]

At first the scents were familiar and inviting but Sakura knew better and expected things to take a turn shortly.

Had Sakura been hungry, the initial scents would have been borderline totrute, but she wasn't so they weren't. Sakura then smelled rain and flowers. The setting around her changed as water fell from every direction. She wanted to alter her chakra so that she could repel the water, a trick she learned early on when Team 7 had just been formed and they had gone on their first real mission. She then had to remind herself it wasn't really rain, it was just the brain being tricks and she stopped herself from wasting whatever energy she had left from the day's challenge. The kunnoichi tried to keep her stance in place as the onslaught grew even more worse, to the point it became painful rainfall.

Suddenly a fierce wind picked up and she felt her breath being sucked out of her chest as she struggled to properly breathe during the shifting change in air density and rapid circulation. In a windstorm, the air pressure is too great to properly inhale and exhale and as a medic she knew she needed to keep calm and not panic as that would only make things harder on herself. Lightning and thunder were added but the mental strain was starting wear her down. Everything around her was being torn apart. Trees were launched into the air and dirt and grass flew around her in a frenzy.

Lightning had hit, causing a wildfire.

Smoke was inhaled and she began to tear up and cough.

All of her strength was being used to stay as steady as possible but she finally fell to her knees, buckling under the pressure of the generated storm. Sakura let out a cry and shut her eye, feeling her heart race even faster. 'This isn't real, this isn't real. Snap out of it.' She tried to yell to herself but even her Inner Self seemed to have fled from the commotion and apparent danger around her. Now she could smell mud and it was dirty and unsettling. Sakura let out a few more coughs, just happy to find air finally fully filling her lungs. She rose her head, her hair whipping against her face as she looked around and struggled to get back to her feet. The sheer force was tough to fight and she began to think she wouldn't be able to break free.

A surge of anger shot through her as she refused to let her accomplishments be overshadowed by some Genjutsu trick. "Stop it!" She yelled as she did her best to expel from the inside. There was a small disturbance in the hell Kakashi Sensei had created but not enough to fully get her out of it.

[SoleAccord]

Sakura's cry had brought instantaneous silence across the false landscape. Everything froze - rain, flames, even the rumbling of the earth beneath her feet. In complete contrast to the nightmare Kakashi had presented for her, there was peace in a background of horrifying conditions. Bit by bit the imagery had faded from her eyes and senses, until she was returned to reality with the copy ninja in front of her, just as before. Releasing the seal in his hands, he had begun to inspect her for signs of mental fatigue. Breaking out of that genjutsu wasn't designed to be easy, but her effort had not gone unnoticed. Within a few days it was possible that she could overcome that level of technique.

"Not bad, Sakura." Kakashi offered praise, even if she hadn't actually broken out of the illusionary technique herself, "I raised the pressure to show you just what high-level genjutsu you may come across someday. While we're working on your ability to perform the water dragon technique, I'll constantly send mental attacks towards you in order to increase your fortitude. Awareness doesn't hone itself."

Before this training would conclude, Sakura would be dreaming of one word: Repetition. Hostile attacks to her mind while her body struggled to keep up - this was what it meant to push yourself to the absolute limit.

For another hour Kakashi would send Sakura into the same scenarios just presented to her. Each time she cried out for him to end the technique, Kakashi always hesitated more and more. Whether she was able to recognize her progress or not, Kakashi was the one who was noticing it the most. Throwing her into thrashing oceans and planting her in the middle of raging infernos could only be considered extreme by the most easygoing of teachers. The truth was that she had to catch up to Naruto and Sasuke, not just because she wanted it, but because he himself wanted it for her. Without a window of where he should stop, he chose to read her face and her body. Any longer and she might really pass out.

She's definitely got heart, her teacher couldn't have been prouder, inwardly encouraging her to keep going until she would finally concede.

[Genkai]

Due to the strain of the day, she felt poorly prepared and thus as though she had failed. Even so, she was well aware that the enemy wouldn't care how tired she already was. Her teacher hadn't gone easy on her necessarily, but he had stopped things in her mind, as opposed to her having actually broken free the genjutsu on her own. Either way, Sakura felt relief mixed together with exhaustion and bits of pride and shame. As everything around her slowly adjusted back to normal, she found herself feeling more and more unburdened by the fake chaos. Kakashi Sensei's words reached her ears, though she wasn't sure if he was being honest or not.

Still, he continued to talk and moved on to explain what he planned to do as their training would progress. It was fair of him to give her a heads up and she hoped that next time, she would preform better. As night fell, they went to work on more scenarios that the silver haired man had crafted. Sakura did her best to combat them though each time, she found herself getting more and more fed up with her weaknesses. In reality however, she was learning bit by bit, to deal with the hardships just a little bit longer. The woman was beyond the definition of tired but she didn't want to call it quits, not until her teacher had.

Her mind was determined to keep focusing, even if her body wished to relent.

The man would stop whenever she asked him to though she hadn't yet noticed his slowness to actually allow the genjutsu to stop and evaporate into the cool air around them. After several attempts with different situations ranging from flooding to fires, it was about time they called it a night. Their first day of training had been filled with plenty of expectations and the two of them, Sakura felt, still had some ways to go before they fully clicked. It was surely a new dynamic for them both and they wanted to test out the waters. Kakashi Sensei wanted to see how far she'd go by his command and she wanted to see how far he was comfortable pulling her.

The last bout of genjutsu had ended and he mentioned it was time to get some rest.

She was pretty sure he wasn't nearly as drained as she was, but she still was glad for the break.

Now though, Sakura was sure a bath would just result in her falling asleep so she decided she'd just go to bed and wake up early enough to wash up and have a filling meal. The idea of lunch crossed her mind for a moment but she was too tired to follow that thought a little further. As she went to gather her things, her various tools and weapons, Kakashi Sensei asked if she'd need help getting home. Sakura's first thought was that she didn't and that it would be a little weird but then she thought about how weak she really felt and that she'd rather get home safe, rather than crash into some kind of dark alleyway. "I think that's be a great help, thank you." She finally told her teacher as they began to walk back towards Konoha.

As they walked, about five minutes in, she found herself wobbling a bit and found herself bumping into Kakashi a bit.

"S-sorry." She hadn't noticed or wanted to notice, just how worn out she had gotten.

[SoleAccord]

Escorting his student home personally, that was something Kakashi never expected to find himself doing.

Team 7 was a rambunctious group and all had some share of independence. Sasuke would depart, at which point Sakura would likely see about doing something together, leaving Naruto to scoff or scheme about how to get on Sakura's good side. Kakashi too was a little exhausted dedicating so much time to Sakura, who's skills were secluded behind her affection for boys. Today showed him something that Sakura too must have realized now. She could do it. Today would be the start of something brilliant, continued tomorrow, and going even further until she had become elite. Competitiveness was among his fellow teachers, but there was also the chance they could cooperate for the good of the next generation. Gai was an enthusiastic one but his skills weren't to be underestimated. If anyone could help increase her ability in taijutsu, it could be him. Asuma was excellent with helping discover and utilize elemental natures for the best results possible in techniques. Kurenai's genjutsu was famed and it took quite the person to overcome them. Still, they had responsibilities of their own, and he wanted to surprise everyone. Pakkun and the rest of his ninken were simply a start.

As they walked beside one another she had collided with him, but he hadn't minded it. Instead, he took pride at how far he pushed her.

"Don't worry about it. You did great today, so a few bumps isn't so bothersome. Be sure you're ready for tomorrow, it only gets harder."

In time they had gotten to her home, and with a small farewell exchanged between them he had watched the worn girl step inside. He wasn't sure why, but he lingered, still feeling the bump against his arm she had made several times. An entire day with Sakura Haruno, and now she was gone to resume her life inside. It felt strange considering the man he was, but he was looking forward to what tomorrow could bring.

-------------

The next morning at about ten o' clock, the training ground was empty except a small book that rested on the ground several feet from the river, the only evidence that someone was here. Kakashi Hatake's 'Make Out Paradise' was a precious copy; it was worn and noticeably frayed around the edges, but he never left home without it. Sakura was meant to find it. It was a given sign that Kakashi was in the area.

Kakashi was on time.

This would probably come as a surprise to her at first, but her intelligence meant that she would begin to fill in the blanks herself. What would be so urgent that he'd leave his book behind? Or what if he hadn't left at all?

Once Sakura picked up that book, her training would resume immediately with a tug on her ankles, submerging her underground with only her head above it. Of course should she happen not to take the bait, there was always plan B of kick-starting her training again, which involved the river's quantity of water.

He hoped she didn't work on her hair too much regardless of her decision.

[Genkai]

Having him escort her home wasn't ideal but it was necessary, unfortunately.

Kakashi Sensei didn't appear too annoyed by her request or her inconsistent pacing which she was very thankful for.

The day had been highly promising and she hoped the man wasn't regretting the choice to continue to teach her. Sakura wanted to get better and she had no doubt that she had the ability to do so. Sakura and the man reached her home and parted ways with minimal effort and she headed inside, ready to fall to the floor. Of course she didn't. Her mother had waited for her and had given her a plate of cold leftovers but it would do. Sakura ate and told her mother how the day had been and her mother seemed very proud and encouraging, something the girl was grateful for. After she finished her supper, she made lunch for both herself and Kakashi Sensei before going up to bed.

Without anymore energy in her reserves, she went to bed and set her alarm for early so she could shower and get an early start.

- - -

At eight thirty, Sakura was running the hot water as she cradled a book in her hand which was providing some more insight into water jutsu and its many strengths and weaknesses. She got in and washed up, glad to be rid of the layers of sweat and dirt. Twenty minutes later, she got out and dressed herself. When she came down, she grabbed a breakfast of toast and apple juice before grabbing her pack, which her mother refilled and put the lunches in earlier, and heading out the door. The bright sun was welcoming and gave her some energy. The sleep had been wonderful and she was sure the rest of the day would take full advantage of the rest she had gotten.

At a quarter to ten, Sakura found herself arriving at their usual training grounds, wondering where the other adult could be. She surveyed the land and spotted one of his books. She squinted her eyes, not sure that it had been placed there randomly or absentmindedly. He loved those books, for whatever reason, and the pink haired girl was sure she was supposed to go over and check it out. It was clearly a trap. Of course it was so obvious that she wondered if not picking it up was also a trap. Sakura sighed and walked over to the book but kept two feet between her and it. She looked around again and shrugged, not really wanting to play games.

"Kakashi Sensei, I know you're hiding." She could sense something but the origin remained cleverly hidden.

Suddenly a massive water dragon flew from the river behind her and she spun around. Before she could react any further, it slammed towards her. The jutsu made a direct hit and sent her backwards into the woods. She got to her feet, soaking wet. "I guess that bath was pointless." She muttered, wishing she had given herself more time to sleep in, had she known. Her hair was no real concern to her but being soaking wet, was. Putting her hands together, she formed the Ram seal and used her chakra to repel most of the water on her, leaving her fairly dry. Next she pulled a kunai from her small pouch around her knee and ran back from where the attack came from. It seemed training started a little early, that was indeed a surprise. "Good morning to you too." She smirked as she stepped back out into the field.

[SoleAccord]

After the surprise attack to his unsuspecting student, Kakashi had immediately emerged from just below his precious book, grabbing it as he rose. He brushed the dirt from its worn cover diligently and quickly stored it away in his pouch, hoping to shield it from any other training methods he considered using. Sakura wouldn't have been stunned for long; it was the Water Dragon Jutsu, but noticeably weaker with the only intention being to catch her by surprise. As expected, his student had emerged from the woods she was blown into only moments later with a kunai drawn. In silence he praised her preparation, looking at her fondly while she closed the distance between them. She was ready to train once again.

"Your intuition surprises me even now. You knew of course that I'd never be far from my prized book, I half-expected you to wander aimlessly." Kakashi admitted with a small chuckle, reaching for a kunai of his own in his pouch. He assumed a combat stance and gave her another look over, pride in his heart. "Today comes weapon-to-weapon combat, nothing too unusual for you. It should get your blood flowing for the rest of the training we'll cover. Ready?" With Sakura's acknowledgment, Kakashi began to pursue her with kunai in hand.

This exercise was standard and, possibly, very boring for Sakura compared to learning new techniques. It wasn't designed to be as exciting as water style ninjutsu, but the fundamentals of combat between ninja were going to be reviewed regardless of her boredom. The match against Ino during the exams showed him that she had what it took to handle an opponent on equal footing, but what she was dealing with now was someone who was superior in both skill and experience. An hour of blades colliding and shuriken meeting steel or ground was underway. Kakashi had decided to use a burst system, which would allow for Sakura to be able to relax a little every ten minutes or so; he would come at her, still holding back, but wouldn't give her a chance to catch her breath for think for five minutes straight. His movements were precise and frighteningly quick, as expected of a Jonin. Sakura was going to be level-headed enough to handle his assaults each time, especially since she knew when they were coming. After five minutes of continuous strikes that brought them all across the training field, she was allowed to catch her breath for five minutes as well.

Communication was at a minimal at this point; unless Kakashi gave her a piece of advice or an order, talking had no more purpose here. The silence was meant to help her concentration on him, but if she looked hard enough she was certain to see a small wink of his eye if he had been impressed by her continuous ability to keep him at bay.

After the hour had passed and Sakura was without a doubt wide awake, Kakashi had guided her to the rivers edge and instructed her to perform the hand seals that would create the Water Dragon, yet not create it yet. Whether she scoffed or eagerly agreed, Kakashi stood behind her and examined the kunai he used to spar with her, examining its dulled edges while occasionally looking up to see her at work. For half an hour of repetition, she was rewarded by being able to create the Water Dragon now. Her chakra control was incredible enough to allow her mastery of this technique in half the time of other potential students, so the reward was right around the corner with each time she performed it. Creating a dragon and then releasing it again and again, he was certain she'd want a target soon, but stabilizing the jutsu without worrying about offensive capability was the goal here. Another half hour had passed, until it had become noon.

"All right, we can grab some lunch now," Kakashi spoke at last, water rising and falling still ringing in his ears. "Are you hungry for anything in particular?" he stowed his kunai away and awaited her tastes, unaware of what that pack she carried really contained.

[Genkai]

Part of her regretted not having sliced that dumb book to shreds.

Next time.

Once Kakashi was done speaking, she gave him a nod and things were underway.

The combat itself wasn't very interesting. It was just basic maneuvering, aiming and dodging with a blade, sometimes with two. As the training continued, other tools were brought out like the shuriken. Their combat was usually close to mid-range and Sakura was trying to figure out the point Kakashi was trying to make. After roughly an hour had elapsed, Kakashi Sensei added another tactic to the training. He would approach her in small bursts. He would retreat and it would force her to figure out where he was hiding and what sort of attack would be coming her way? Close combat, long range or something in the middle? At least the breaks would give her time to catch her breath and settle her thoughts. For the most part though, she was able to remain focused on the task at hand. At first, she had been distracted by trying to figure out Kakashi Sensei and what his intentions were.

But now, she was only thinking about him, the attack and where it would be coming from. As the pair of ninja continued to dance in a pattern, moving all over the grounds, things had shifted toward the water. She wasn't very surprised by his subtle guiding. She had hoped the combat exercise would be over soon and it was. It seemed now, the real progress could begin. Before she could get too excited however, the man told her to preform the signs but not execute them yet. Sakura's lips pouted and her brow dipped. That wasn't the instructions she was hoping for but she quietly huffed and did as he asked. While she continued to run through the many hand signs, which she had already memorized, she wondered what Kakashi was up to behind her. Was he going to attack or something? Sakura wasn't sure but decided to trust him, despite his annoying surprise earlier.

Finally, she was told to use the jutsu.

So she did.

Sakura created a large dragon made up of water, this time it was in better control. She supposed the morning's events had something to do with that. She had been able to sharpen her concentration as well as ensure her chakra flow wasn't hampered by anything. Next, she preformed the jutsu again and again, creating it and then releasing it. For something so draining, her dragons never seemed to diminish in size and while Kakashi was remaining comfortably quiet, Sakura knew he had to be pleased. When the sun rose to its highest point, Kakashi spoke up and mentioned they could stop and eat now. She turned to him, remembering she had brought them both lunch. "Oh um..." She wasn't sure how to bring up her lunches she had made for them. At the moment, she felt a little ridiculous about it but the fact was, she wanted to do something nice. It's not like this would be a repeat of when she tried to give Sasuke one back at the Academy when they had a field trip. "Actually I made us lunch." She told him.

"I thought it would give us more time to train, we wouldn't be walking around the village looking for a place to eat or anything." She mentioned. "But I also wanted to thank you, for taking me seriously. I know sometimes we don't see eye to eye...on maybe the past but...I would like to think you're someone I can come to rely on and I'd like to become that for you." Inner Sakura was about ready to have a murderous fit but Sakura tried to bring her own ramblings to a close so she didn't look like such a loser. "I know I'm strong and I believe you can help me become a really great ninja." She concluded.

'Great, now we have to murder him because you won't shut up already!' Inner Sakura yelled.

Quickly moving to her pack, she took out the bento boxes and handed one to Kakashi. "If you don't like it, we can always go somewhere." She shrugged. Insider, there was rice, some grilled chicken, grilled veggies, some fresh oranges and some chocolate granola.

'Shut. up.' Inner Sakura sighed and fell down.