[IC] Cherry Blossoms Under the Silver Sky

[SoleAccord]

"Hm?" Kakashi mumbled in response to her behind-the-scenes lunch preparation. Sakura taking initiative not only in training but in preparing a meal was both surprising and, in a strange way, cute. Until he had begun to work with her, Sakura was one of the last people on his mind when it had come to taking initiative. Bringing that up would not serve any purpose. Instead, the Copy Ninja listened closely to her, particularly when she mentioned her thanks. Confidence could carry her a long way, but without the hard work she would remain stagnate and average in her field. He joined beside her as she moved to her pack, opening it and examining the contents. Her meal preparation was spot-on; everything inside was well prepared, and the presentation, while simple, was still effective in making him want to eat it. Taking a seat at the base of the tree, Kakashi pressed his back against it. Without a word he had accepted her offering of lunch.

"Sakura," Kakashi began, "I need you to continue believing in yourself, even when I'm not around to tell you that you can accomplish anything. You have talent, and you know you have it. Validation is important, but you won't always get it when you want it most. Ninja can operate without it. It's going to be something you'll have to get used to in the future."

Sakura had been very responsive to compliments and gestures of approval. It was going to be her job to slowly overcome that need and become more independent as time went on. Kakashi took the chopsticks in hand and separated them before poking at his meal, wondering what to try first.

"I believe that even without me you can become strong, but working with me you could become even stronger. And as long as you're with me, I can become a better mentor. I'd say we need one another, wouldn't you?" He turned to her, a pleasant look only made evident by his closed eye. There might have still been resentment inside her about his lack of singling her out like Sasuke. Kakashi was ready to change that, as long as she was willing to accept that he was here to help her here and now.

The immediate concern Sakura would need to have is that they were not in the village. Kakashi was training her to be aware at all times, and she was in an environment where anything goes. Although he was eating in peace, he was already planning the next step of her training. In place of his own warnings he had set up an ambush to occur as they headed to lunch, but her initiative of prepping one for them had been unexpected. Kakashi had forgotten about said ambush, only made aware by feeling the earth beneath him being subtly disturbed. Years of experience with Earth-style ninjutsu would offer him that advantage, but Sakura's affinity for water at this time would not serve useful here. Instead she would need to rely on her instincts; her teacher was beside her, but she was still being trained. Even at a time like this he could get the jump on her in any form. His precious book was in no immediate danger, meaning he was perfectly at ease beside her.

A burrowed ninken was creeping up behind her at a slow, deliberate pace. It would emerge and take hold of her arm or leg if it could, resulting in an assumed injury. This was her teacher's favorite tactic: attacking when one least expected it.

"We still need to find your strengths, don't we?" Chakra control and book smarts could get her somewhere, but actual tactics in the field would need to be fostered through actual training together. Kunoichi had a specific role in the world, but Kakashi could not teach Sakura about seduction, and he knew very little about poison crafting. Her role as a woman was not going to limit her, nor should it limit anyone. In his hands she'd become a versatile weapon, and within the next month she would be unrecognizable to those who saw her match in the Chuunin Exams.

Having completed his meal, Kakashi let out a sigh of satisfaction and sat up from his rested position, glancing over to her just as the ninken rose from the ground and attempted to grasp at her arm.

[Genkai]

Constant reassurance was helpful but she wouldn't dare rely on it like a crutch.

That would be dangerous and reckless.

Things a ninja shouldn't be.

But cooking for someone was an area which she had yet fully explored. She was pretty confident about her ninja abilities but cooking was another story since different people liked different things. And even though the gesture itself was kind enough, she would hate to make something the man didn't care for, even if she couldn't have known otherwise. Sakura didn't often go around giving people baked goods, if she did and had outside feedback, she wouldn't be so uncertain but this was meant to be a gesture of good faith and she just wanted to make sure he wasn't being polite because he didn't want to hurt her feelings or anything like that. A teacher and student had to be honest with another and learn to trust one another as well. She gave the man a nod at his words, even though she hoped her second guessing hadn't been taken too heavily.

The last thing Sakura wanted to appear was insecure, as that was what she was trying to shed in the first place.

As well as get stronger.

"Thank you." She said. Kakashi then went on to say that they both needed each other in a way. That certainly wasn't something the girl was expecting to hear from him. No one really needed her, except maybe her parents. It was true though, that she and Kakashi could benefit from one another, she had just never considered such a thing to happen. It was reassuring, in a way, to know that she wasn't a burden, that he was also hoping to gain something from their renewed alliance as well. "Ah...yes, you're right. I believe we can help each other." When Kakashi Sensei put it like that, she didn't dare refute him. Looking down at her own lunch, she got comfortable and also began to eat, almost wanting to apologize for her rambling but her inner self forced her to just keep her mouth shut and move on. Her mind thankfully, wasn't too wrapped up in what had just happened, so she was already vaguely sensing something amiss...yet she couldn't figure out why.

The notion that the pups could still sneak up on her, even now, hadn't crossed her mind. She cast a glance toward Kakashi and went back to her lunch as they sat under the tree's plentiful shade. "That is true but I'd also like to figure out my weaknesses and improve those." She pointed out to him as she closed the lid of her lunch just as she heard something behind. She turned her neck just in time to see a dog coming at her. Sakura didn't vocally react, but instead aimed her chopsticks at it right before it could snap at her arm, thus biting the wooden utensil instead. That was very close. "I have something better for you to snack on..." She said and reopened her lunch and set it aside for him. She wasn't fond of her chopsticks or her arm being eaten and she wished she had picked up on the ambush sooner, still, she acted which was better than remaining fully oblivious.

The rest of the afternoon was spent training. A lot of it was dodging and performance while moving around and reacting.

At the end of the day, they parted ways and Sakura was much closer to fully perfecting the jutsu, just as Kakashi had said.

When morning came, she made the lunches, changing a few things slightly before she headed out the door, her body not as worn out as the first day. With luck, she was sure she would be used to everything at the end of the week. As she walked along, she passed Ino who was filling in at the flower shop. Ino mentioned getting more hours at the hospital alongside with more training and Sakura then had her own chance to brag about learning a cool water jutsu that was pretty amazing. Sakura promising to show Ino sometime before she continued to head for the training ground. Before she could actually arrive however, she felt someone take hold of her shoulder and she spun around. Out of habit, she was ready to smack Naruto for getting to close, but those days were behind them now. And Naruto was gone.

"Oh...good morning, are we still on for training...?" She asked when she saw the person was Kakashi. He quickly informed her that he had been speaking with Tsunade about an important mission and that he wanted her to come back and discuss it with the Hokage herself. Sakura cocked her head to the side, not sure why she was needed. Part of her hoped she could go on a mission but she knew not to get her hopes up so easily. "Sure." She replied simply and walked back with him towards the heart of the village. Another part of her worried she was in trouble or something like that. The sun was shining brightly and on their way, she kept looking around, not sure if anyone of the dogs were watching them. By now, Sakura had indeed learned the lesson to be very very vigilant. "Ino mentioned this morning, that Lee's recovery is about over and that he was sent on a mission recently with Gai, I guess that explains why it's so quiet and why I don't see them running laps as usual." It was good see life move on after the attack Orochimaru had launched on Konoha.

Since then, so much had changed.

And Sakura was determined to also change, for the better.

[SoleAccord]

“And we will,” Kakashi quickly responded on the subject of her weaknesses, “together.”

The ninken – Bisuke, or ‘Biscuit’ among the others – was immediately halted by Sakura’s chopsticks and blinked in surprise and disappointment. It was becoming obvious that simple maneuvers were no longer cutting it, yet he did not anticipate she’d already be aware of his presence while she was meant to be eating. His tongue lapped along the chopsticks and he let out a low hum of pleasure at the taste. Sakura had next offered the rest of her meal, to which Biscuit knelt down without hesitation and began to consume with hasty enjoyment. Kakashi observed this small interaction and, as well as being impressed, was beginning to grow concerned that he’d have little to teach her within the next few weeks. Her reaction time was already improving. Whether by chance or not, Biscuit was subdued so casually that he was beginning to think he’d be offering her their summoning contract sooner than he initially expected.

The rest of the day continued standard yet fruitful. Sakura may have hated the repetition, but she’d thank him for it when she became a Chuunin and beyond.

By tomorrow morning Kakashi had reported to Tsunade after a visit by Kotetsu and Izumo, the Chuunin duo. His availability prompted him for an assignment, and after meeting with Lady Tsunade in regards to a new mission he had agreed to mobilize soon. That wasn’t all – the subject of Sakura was raised, with her progress and confidence coming into question. Kakashi was very affectionate when it came to her, and Tsunade was not going to argue with Sakura’s involvement so long as Kakashi believed her ready. Kakashi’s confidence was never misplaced, and in order to prove that Sakura’s confidence was not to be questioned he intended to bring her back and allow Tsunade to brief her personally on the mission details. Leaving and ensuring he’d return shortly, Kakashi had made his way to Sakura’s home and was lucky enough to catch her only several feet away from her front door, likely heading to the training ground to meet him. Running to catch her with ease, a hand on her shoulder was the attention-getter, but his explanation was the attention-keeper. To prove herself on a mission and to acquire further experience, and so soon at that, was likely to appeal much more than his training exercises would. The pair set off shortly afterward.

Her awareness of the surrounding area was admittedly becoming cute to him. He was a tricky person and he could not blame her for additional caution when it came to being with him, but he would not openly admit he had nothing lying in wait for her. If anything this was going to teach her to be aware no matter what; as long as he said nothing, she’d always have to wonder in the back of her mind if he was up to something in order to improve her skills. Resisting the urge to smile about her glancing about, the topic of Lee’s recovery and that Gai was with him on a mission. He reflected to Gai’s anxiousness during Lee’s hardest time and was thankful – as much as it pained him to say it – that he did not need to see any of his students face their careers being potentially destroyed when they had so much potential within them.

“I ran into Gai yesterday after I dropped you off. It’s as you said: Lee’s recovery is pretty much over. If he didn’t run off to help the retrieval squad, it’s possible that he’d be at one hundred percent right now. He’ll be eager to impress his peers again – and you.” Kakashi had heard from Gai that Lee was hoping to become stronger and become much more dependable to his friends. He wished for Sakura to blow the minds of her peers too.

The two shared small talk related to the duo and of Ino herself before they had returned to Tsunade’s office. Once there, Kakashi stood up straighter in her presence and ushered Sakura forward. Kakashi had the details already, it was Sakura who was about to be briefed. Although he ushered her ahead of him, he was still close enough to place a hand on her shoulder if need be.

The Hokage looked Sakura over, hands clasped together on the table in a manner surprisingly formal. She was not busy this particular morning and had little else on her menu now other than handing the subject of Sakura’s preparation for become a stronger, matured kunoichi for the village. Her eyes looked to Kakashi and lingered for a moment before returning to Sakura.

“Sorry,” she suddenly spoke, her analytical expression falling immediately, “I didn’t think he was serious about this, but I’ve still got a lot to learn about Kakashi and how ready he is to put his student’s life on the line. Now then,” Tsunade looked to Kakashi, “Kakashi and I have spoken earlier this morning in regards to bringing you along on a mission. This person is both lethal and subtle, making him a foe no ordinary shinobi could contend with. Furthermore,” her eyes narrowed and returned to Sakura, “we believe them to be connected to a string of kidnappings in the Land of Fire. We’ve narrowed him down to one territory in particular: Tanzaku Town.”

Tanzaku Town was a notorious location for gambling and women especially, and one she had visited frequently before she had become Hokage. The city was busy both day and night. People got their fill of drinks and drowned in the pleasures it offered. For that reason it was an ideal location to hide oneself, but one too many reports of missing children had prompted Konoha itself into action. The only man in the Land of Fire who had an active interest in children for anything had to have been Orochimaru, but it might be too hasty to make such an assumption. Still, it demanded investigation.

“I’ve sent two teams of Chuunin out to handle this, but none have come back alive. Through our intel, and the dry state of the bodies, we believe this man to be ‘Taro of the Dry Hand’. He abandoned Suna shortly after it was discovered the Kazekage had been murdered by Orochimaru, and given Suna’s crippled state they had no time to hunt him down. Why he’s emerged again in the Land of Fire, I don’t know, but he is quite a force to be reckoned with. He’s a new entry in the bingo book and worth quite a lot of money by Suna, but because of our alliance with Suna we’ll do this for the good of everyone involved. Subdue or kill him if necessary, but finding the children is the ultimate goal here. Because of the lethality surrounding the enemy, this will be an A-rank mission and one I don’t take lightly.”

Tsunade closed her eyes and leaned back in her seat, appearing exhausted at simply offering details to Sakura. It wasn’t explaining it that was the trouble, but allowing her to come that was weighing on her mind.

“Additional details are something Kakashi can offer, but I don’t believe you should go. This man is obviously extremely dangerous. Should Kakashi engage him, I’m afraid you’ll get in the way. He disagreed. I think his affection for you as his student is influencing his judgment. So,” Tsunade opened her eyes again, “I need you to understand the stakes here. Our resources are still spread thin, and all available jonin are on assignment. Kakashi is the best hope I can send right now, and while I’d like to send him additional support my hands are tied. This needs to be resolved immediately. You haven’t even been under his direct instruction for a week …but he’s good, he’s respectable, and I want to believe in his confidence. Do you believe you’re ready for an assignment of this level, just the two of you?”

[Genkai]

When Kakashi mentioned that Lee was as eager as ever to impress people like her, Sakura's cheeks briefly turned red before fading away. "He's a very determined ninja, I admire that about him. I know if it weren't for his resilience, he would still be struggling to recover." She said, choosing to not bring up that he wasn't her type, it wasn't really appropriate. The rest of the way was spent talking about Ino and the usual antics expected from Gai and Lee. By the time they arrived at Tsunade's office, there wasn't much else to say and Sakura was ready to know what was going on and how she could possibly help.

When the Hokage allowed them inside, Sakura was surprised to find Lady Tsunade to be so quiet and formal. Although she didn't know what the topic of conversation would be, she hoped nothing had gone wrong, that perhaps her training with Kakashi had to be cut short, or even halted. Sakura held her breath and waited until the woman was ready to speak. When she did, she mustered an apology for her secrecy and then continued to explain what was going on. When she mentioned Kakashi's readiness to put students' lives on the line, Sakura gave the silver haired teacher a quick look, putting it together in her head. From what he had mentioned briefly about Lee running off, she wondered if Kakashi was called upon as well, and if he perhaps wanted her to come.

Her expression lit up but she kept quiet as the blond busty woman continued to speak.

More information was given to her and the more she heard, the more excited she was growing but still managed to keep her expression calm and even. Sakura returned her gaze to the woman and held it, not daring to seem anything but ready for the challenge. Tanzaku Town was an interesting location, one Sakura had read about and had even heard Naruto speak about prior to his departure. It wouldn't bother her much but she knew it could be crawling with other dangers as well. Tsunade continued to talk about the man in depth, listing the risks that came with tracking him down. Sakura was a little daunted by the news that he had killed the Kazekage but she also had a feeling she knew who might be able to step into such shoes, even if she didn't think too well of him: Gaara.

"I understand." She gave a nod as the woman who then sat back in her seat.

Sakura wasn't sure if she needed to make her case herself or not though. Before she could collect her thoughts and organize them properly, Tsunade raised her own concerns firmly. Opening her mouth and then closing it, Sakura knew she needed to say something but she also didn't want to worry Tsunade even more by saying the wrong thing. She decided honesty would be the best route, rather than acting like Naruto would. "I wish I could say I feel ready, that I could take him on with Kakashi Sensei without being a burden. I can't though." She paused, not wanting Kakashi to think that she was falling into the trap of lacking confidence, something he mentioned yesterday during lunch. "I'm not going to give an empty promise and fail to deliver it. I know what I'm capable of though...I know I know where I can help and when I should stay out of the way. I have great chakra control and detection."

"With Kakashi Sensei's help, I've been able to get a good grasp of the Water Dragon Jutsu as well as focus my concentration and in turn find better confidence in myself, something that I had been struggling with since...Sasuke and Naruto's departure." She sighed softly, not wanting to talk about that. "I can promise however, I will do everything I possibly can to make sure we find the children and bring them back to their homes safely. With the medic jutsu I know, I can also help with minor injuries." She pointed out. Of course her medical training had to take a break while she started things with Kakashi but she remembered the basics good enough. "I understand you're worried and the position that you're in, Lady Tsunade but if I didn't feel capable, I wouldn't accept this mission. I'm not irrational, foolhardy or restless. I know I can be of help and I know seeing this mission through would prove that Konoha can survive and still protect the innocent while bringing others to justice."

[SoleAccord]

Tsunade and Kakashi listened intently to Sakura as she offered her opinion on the matter of the mission ahead of them. Tsunade was left to hold on to every word Sakura gave her, searching for a hint of doubt within each sentence. The young genin was speaking clearly, not shying away from her feelings as she continued to offer her own. The emotional trauma of Naruto and Sasuke both leaving was mentioned and during that time Tsunade's eyes wandered to Kakashi's. The two shared a short stare on the subject of Team 7's current state before returning attention to Sakura, who was in the middle of expressing her clear understanding of the position Tsunade was placed in. The Hokage took a deep breath as she closed out her small speech, hands coming together in front of her face. Kakashi took the opportunity to step ahead of Sakura, his right hand being placed firmly on her shoulder. Tsunade's eyes raised to meet his once again, expression softening. There was confidence in Kakashi's very presence; with Sakura's laughably limited time under his constant eye she was still lacking in areas he was meant to fill in for her. If this could all be avoided she'd have asked another unit, yet all others qualified were deployed. They were her best option.

"Lady Tsunade, Sakura knows the risks and I'll be right beside her during the mission. She's smart enough to know the threat of someone in the bingo book, especially someone you need a jonin to be sent against personally. If you still have doubts, I'd like our results to silence them. Send us."

"This criminal is on the level of Zabuza Momochi, if not above him. I'm concerned that I can't send another jonin to assist you. No matter how confident Sakura might be that she can see this through, there's still the issue of me overestimating just the two of you together." Tsunade shook her head, taking a stand. Her hands settled down on the table and balled into fists. "Kakashi, shinobi take risks, you are just as aware of that as I am. I sent one chuunin and four genin out against four of Orochimaru's chosen subordinates and most of them nearly died. If it wasn't for the Sand's intervention--"

"You blame yourself?" Kakashi questioned.

"I wanted to believe in Naruto," Tsunade looked up at Sakura, eyes holding remorse, "and I want to believe in you, too. Kakashi, if you're behind her, then your mission begins immediately. If I don't hear something from you within three days I am coming after you myself, am I clear?"

Kakashi nodded and gave Sakura's shoulder a firm squeeze of approval before beginning to turn away, "A-rank?" he asked.

"A-rank," Tsunade confirmed, "and so you're not surprised, Suna intends to help us bring this criminal to justice. Expect help to arrive shortly after you get there."

"Understood," A wave of his hand and Kakashi had departed, leaving Lady Tsunade staring intently at their backs in silence. The concerns of a Hokage were many, and many decisions would come into question once you had such a responsibility. Kakashi did not fault Tsunade for her concerns given his past skirmish with Zabuza. After a run-down of what transpired, the concerns were not related to Sakura in his mind. Instead it had come back to him. Could he protect Sakura? Would he be able to make the right decisions related to her safety? As the pair of them left the Hokage's building he would settle an eye on her, hands pocketed casually. He looked for an expression, a sign of how she felt after her inclusion in this mission. Excitement. Enthusiasm. Anxiety. All were valid emotions and each state was not mutually exclusive, all three were more than possible to have at one time. With preparations for today only meant for long-term training not too far from the village they'd need to pack immediately.

"Let's get you back home so you can pack. I typically have a bag prepared, so I won't take too long when we get by my place. You can impress your parents, too." Genin receiving missions of this level were an extreme rarity. It would be something Sakura could appreciate, and the time on the road could be spent continuing her training as they closed in on Tanzaku Town.

[Genkai]

Part of her had worried that her honesty hadn't done much good in order to resolve Lady Tsunade's worries but soon it became clear that the more pressing matter was something else. She felt her teacher place a hand upon her shoulder and step closer to the desk, insisting they be sent. Another exchange was noted between the two adults about the recent events, as well as the risks. Sakura knew the risks, everyone did. She wasn't a child, she had seen suffering and felt it herself. She wasn't going to turn a blind eye if people were in danger who she could help. And after hearing more about this ninja in question, Sakura even more determined to do something about him. When Lady Tsunade then brought up Naruto and looked to Sakura, Sakura had to resist the strong urge to look away.

The past couldn't painful if you put enough distance between yourself.

Sakura felt her teacher squeeze her shoulder a little and she forced herself back to the present.

"Thank you." She said before she headed out with Kakashi, trying to wrap her head around everything. It was an honor to be considered and even though she was only going because of the lack of aid in Konoha and Kakashi's persistence, she was still thankful for the chance, no matter the risk. She then began to think more about what Tsunade had been saying and she wondered if she doubting Kakashi's judgement because of the reports made when they went to the Land of Waves. That had been a tough mission for Team 7 but they did make it through together. From then on, they were a better team and their adventures began to bring them closer. Those shiny memories were dim now, as she remembered the Chunin Exams and how that changed things with Sasuke, and how cruel life could be.

By the time Kakashi went back to speaking, it took her a while to notice what exactly he was saying to her. "Sure." Was all she said as they headed for her house. Her mother was home but she wasn't sure about her father. When they arrived, Sakura broke the silence, knowing they both had things that were weighing heavily on their minds. "Why don't you come inside? My mother always had such nice things to say about you. I tell her, it's because she's not the one training all day." She joked before letting him inside first. She walked in after him and closed the door. "Mom? Mom?" She called out and motioned for the man to sit on the couch if he liked. "I'll be right back." She said and jogged up the stairs to pack and to see where her mother was.

If her mother wasn't home, that would be for the best since she didn't want her mother embarrassing her. They needed to leave soon, not get bogged down by gossip and stories. She found her mother in her room, working on some stitching, new clothes for her, given she was growing out of her current ones. "Mom, Kakashi is here. I got a mission, an A-Rank. We need to leave soon so I'm gonna go pack. Please don't embarrass me." She pleaded before heading back into her room. She had a pack mostly packed but she needed to add some things. Her mother meanwhile, headed down to offer their guest some tea. While she'd love to dig out the album, she knew such a mission was an honor and that now was not the time for idle conversations.

Five minutes later, Sakura was heading down the stairs. Much to her relief, her mother wasn't doing anything questionable. Sakura had double checked her bag to make sure she had medical supplies, weapons, some food and clothes. "Let's go." She smiled to Kakashi and went over to hug her mother tightly. Her mother wished her good luck and said she knew she'd do Konoha proud. Sakura let go and headed to where Kakashi was, now by the door. She pulled on her tan colored backpack over her shoulders and they headed out the door. Even though she wasn't sure what her mother had said to Kakashi, she knew it wasn't the time to ask about the five minutes of danger. "It should only take about two days to get to Tanzaku Town right? I hope nothing happens to the children between now and then." She could only imagine what those kids were being forced to do. Many of her ideas were dismal and degrading. "Do we have a list of those who are missing or maybe where Taro was last seen?" It would be hard to hide those were kidnapped so there had to be a large base where he was laying low.

There was also the matter of feeding and transport.

She also wondered if Taro had buyers or if he was using the kids for something else.

In her mind, they had to be young, unable to defend themselves and that made her sick.

Preying on the weak was something she could never condone or let someone get away with, not with her own history.

[SoleAccord]

When they arrived at Sakura's home Kakashi was somewhat caught off guard with Sakura's invitation inside. It wasn't above him to say hello to the parents of his student, but he had been in some awkward spots where he couldn't have left without 'trying' something they made, or seeing pictures they've taken. He would admit that he had no idea how Sakura's parent's were in person. He knew that her father, Kizashi, was the non-serious joker and that Sakura may have inherited his hair color and nothing more. Mebuki was the more straightforward of the pair and demanded her own share of respect, lighthearted as she may have been. Thinking back to the occasions he's seen them, Kakashi realized that it was rare for Sakura to be seen with them. He was delving a little too deep into things that didn't concern him, yet if he was going to continue working so closely with his last remaining student within the village then he would find it best to get to know her more than ever. Agreeing with a small inward reluctance, Kakashi had entered inside and from there allowed Sakura to announce the presence of both. Gesturing towards the couch, Kakashi took a seat and nodded his head as she went to prepare her things for the trip ahead. Hearing her rush up the stairs, her teacher had taken the time to examine the home himself. Orderly and with a subtle scent of wildflowers, the coffee table in front of him was likely the only place in this entire home that might have had a modicum of dirt along it.

A quick run of the finger across its smooth, polished surface proved the opposite.

Sakura was living comfortably, that much Kakashi could tell just from here. Taking a stand he had begun to examine her living room much more, particularly moving to the bookcase nearby. Various texts ranging from cooking recipes to ninjutsu history and methods lined up well. He did not ignore that they were also in alphabetical order either, prompting him to laugh inwardly at just how neat everything was. Having visited Naruto's home once he was sure that this level of cleanliness might have just made him uncomfortable, while Sakura herself might have lost her mind at just how filthy his place had been. His thoughts on the pair were interrupted with the appearance of Mebuki, who had offered tea and engaged in smalltalk. Politely refusing, Kakashi had indulged her. Learning from Mebuki that Sakura was enjoying the last couple days of her training despite her raggedness coming in each night, the jonin ensured her that Sakura was performing incredibly well. Between the two of them they had discussed Sakura's habits as a young girl, and most particularly her life outside of training. From what he was learning, Sakura did not have the easiest time growing up, and it was thanks to Ino Yamanaka that she had progressed thus far. Kakashi expressed his complete understanding, knowing how a rival can drive you to do incredible things you never thought possible.

By the time Sakura returned Kakashi was sitting beside her, and once noticing she was packed had respectfully dismissed himself from the ongoing conversation. From the doorway he had watched Sakura hug her mother goodbye, her mother offering word of encouragement for the mission ahead. Sakura hadn't noticed Mebuki shoot Kakashi a pleading look, silently asking that he watch over her. A mission of this level, even with a jonin beside you, was nothing to joke about. As best as he could, without alerting Sakura, Kakashi inclined his head towards her and looked down at Sakura. There would come a time where her mother may no longer need to worry, where Sakura was a hero within the Leaf Village with a moniker that inspired hope to allies, and brought caution to enemies. His father, Konoha's White Fang, was once someone like that. Departing her home and heading to his, Sakura had rightfully began asking questions about the mission.

"Two days, that's correct. As long as we don't take too many detours, or do something silly like get stuck gambling." Kakashi took a light shot at Tsunade, who was known as a gambler of much misfortune. 'The Legendary Sucker', she was known as for the longest time. Sakura would become her full-time apprentice in the future, and he only hoped that if she were to pick up the habit of gambling that she would do so with moderation. His apartment was not too far from Sakura's own. They were closing in quickly when Sakura asked another question, this time related to the children's identities. Kakashi withdrew a small scroll from one of his many vest pockets and allowed Sakura to examine the contents. Within it were a short list of names; no pictures accompanied them, instead only small descriptions of what they looked like. No more than seven were taken, and with her intelligence she'd be quick to notice that they were all male so far.

"These children have all disappeared one week apart from one another. The families lost the pictures of their children, it can't be coincidence. I believe Taro might be making this extraordinarily difficult for us since we've begun to respond. So far the only missing children reported have been in Tanzaku Town's territory, no further than that." Kakashi spoke plainly and told what he could, hoping to sate Sakura's thirst for knowledge related to the biggest mission she's had since the Sand's attack. Ascending stairs and arriving at his apartment door, Kakashi retrieved his keys and unlocked the door, stepping inside and turning on the nearby light. He had continued speaking, meaning that Sakura was to come inside while he got his affairs in order. "We don't have a confirmed motive as to why he's doing it. Nothing related to children has ever been his M.O., he was like Zabuza ...pay him enough and he'll do anything, even take children apparently."

Kakashi's apartment was vastly different from Sakura's home. The apartment was barren of large decorations such as portraits and vases. Instead it was clear of unnecessary clutter. A clear carpeted floor after the wooden entryway, yet Kakashi did not bother removing his footwear as he continued inside. His furniture was minimal with only a standard blue leather couch that, to anyone else, appeared rarely used. His table was not lined with teacups or magazines, but instead empty scrolls and ninja tools scattered about. A one-bedroom apartment where the owner was only inside when necessary. It would become clear to Sakura that Kakashi had lived a secluded lifestyle quite opposite to her own lively one. If he was not training or on assignment, he might have just been here waiting for something to do. At the very least his kitchen was well-stocked with items not even close to expiration, and the aroma that filled the entire apartment was simply his own, strong and everywhere. When you lived alone like this there weren't many scents to mix. Some might call him boring, but he had no one to impress with his standard of living. He made good money, yet there was no need to spend it so carelessly.

That was, unless Lord Jiraiya had updated his incredible series of books.

A bag of items was already resting beside the couch, all that was left were collecting scrolls and packing an appropriate amount of food. As he knelt down to gather his tools and consider the best option related to contacting Tsunade once they had arrived, he looked over to wherever Sakura decided to wait for him. Making herself comfortable didn't matter, they'd be gone shortly.

"I'll give you the details surrounding what we know of him on the road. The Water Dragon technique's focus will need to be spread out now, so I'll be adding to your arsenal of weaponry and techniques as we go along. There will be a smaller town on the way to Tanzaku's, and we'll get there by the time the sun begins to set, but we won't be stopping for long." Her lunch would come in handy for a break within the next few hours of travel, and dinner would be secure for them at said town. "One last thing," he brought his attention to the last of his items and took his blue pack in hand, moving towards the kitchen and reaching into cabinets for various snacks, "I didn't tell your mother the mission details, but from what she told me it sounded like you don't really speak much at all about what it is you do."

Kakashi closed the cabinet as he packed the last of the goods, falling silent. He wanted to hear the explanation from Sakura herself. It wasn't his intention to invade her personal life. Taking care of Sakura meant more than being a teacher, it meant being a figure in her life she could talk to and trust.

"How much do they know about everything you've gone through, up until now?"

[Genkai]

Her mother had appeared to behave herself, giving Sakura a moment of relief before the pair headed out the door. The last thing Sakura needed, was excessive and unnecessary stress caused by friends and family. Right now, they needed to remain focused on the task at hand, as it was daunting and very dire. He confirmed that it would take about two days, depending. He then produced a scroll and she took it to read it over, hoping to memorize most of the names it listed. Her lips slipped downwards in a thin frown, the feeling of a family torn apart wasn't sitting comfortable in her chest and she knew they needed to hurry and complete the mission. So many people were counting on them. She noticed there weren't any females, which was odd. She then had to wonder why their gender seemed so important but she could only speculate for now so she handed Kakashi the scroll back.

They continued to talk and move towards Kakashi's apartment complex. She listened as he mentioned how the kidnappings were now isolated in Tanzaku which meant that Taro had to be there. Though if Sakura was the criminal mastermind, she would have moved as soon as people were after her, but this guy was staying in place, which had to mean that the location had to be important. Maybe it was too hard to move kids or maybe he wasn't ready to do that just. Or perhaps, perhaps Taro was capable of making a final stand and defending himself no matter what. The third idea was the most likely but it didn't deter her. Whatever the reason for staying in Tanzaku Town, Sakura was sure they could take advantage of the frozen target. After Kakashi unlocked his door, she followed him in as he mentioned that they weren't sure why Taro was doing what he was doing. Her eyes scanned his home, not sure what she had been expecting in her mind.

Things were kept neat and orderly but there were very few personal touches.

It was a little disappointing, she had hoped to see pictures of him and his family, or past students. She turned her head and looked over towards his coffee table and thought she saw the picture they took together before everything fell apart. It made her smile but she still couldn't be certain, nor did she want to pry and seem nosy. So she stood by the door so she wasn't in the way, her hands now clasped behind her back. "I think it is odd...only boys have been taken." She commented, wanting to fill some of the dead silence between them. It had to mean something but she wasn't sure what. "Whoever is paying him to do these things, has a purpose and I doubt even when captured, he'd be stupid enough to talk about his employer." She pointed out. It almost seemed like a lost cause but the children were the priority right now. "We'll just have to see what we find and put it together as we go."

He then said he'd give her more information as he picked up his pack. Sakura flashed a brief smile along with a short nod before she turned and headed out the door. The topic of training was soon brought up, as well as where they may be able to stay for the night. She lingered by the door as he moved around a little bit more and then brought up her mother, something she hadn't been expecting at all. Her parents were letting her do something incredible and she didn't want to burden them with the drama that went on or the struggles she faced. They knew that she studied a lot, did plenty of reading but aside from that, she didn't tell them anything else, even with the Exams and what had happened with Sasuke. Sakura gave a shrug, not sure if Kakashi Sensei needed to know about her personal life. It almost felt like she was trouble but she decided to tell him anyway, as it did seem like he really did care, and wasn't just asking to be a pest like Naruto.

"I don't want them to worry." She told him as they finally departed from his apartment and headed back down the stairs. "I know they worry though, and that they care but I'm not willing to make a mess of my entire life." She laughed slightly before continuing. "I want to come home and forget about things that have happened, I want to just sit at the table with my parents and say the Chunin Exams went well when really, I nearly died trying to protect my friends." She said. It was likely that her parents knew since gossip was always flowing around Konoha, but she wanted part of her life to be her own, even if some might disagree with her discretion. "I know I can talk them if I really need to and as I get older, I am trying to talk them more as people, than as parents." Keeping things from her parents was a way to control something in her life, when most things just happened around her. She knew it wasn't right but she felt safer somehow, being able to forget about hardships at home, at for a little while.

"So to answer your question...they only know the basics of everything but I am trying to tell them more since...time together is going to become increasingly harder to come by." She considered as they arrived at the gate. After showing their proper papers, it opened up for them and they continued to tread down the dirt road. "So about my training," She wanted to change the topic and it seemed like a good enough opportunity to do so. "what else did you have in mind?" It had to be something low key, considering they were traveling. She thought about the other watsu style jutsu there were and which might be best, given their circumstances.

[SoleAccord]

With his belongings quickly put in order, Kakashi was now left to listen to Sakura's familial situation. It was in her interests not to bring them worry or concern, something the Copy Ninja could understand. Situations had been dire for Team 7 before, but giving up in the face of danger was not the way a shinobi of Konoha handled anything. With this confidence in mind he knew she would be able to confront the emotional trials that came from being the child of two civilians. Mebuki and Kizashi were rather unsuccessful at being ninja and never ascended beyond the rank of Genin. It never seemed to bother them; the Haruno family was not feared or loathed, but they were arguably the happiest couple within the village's walls as he listened to their daughter talk. Hands pocketed and reaching for the paperwork given by Lady Tsunade earlier, they had reached the gates and gave a farewell to the guardsmen before they touched the road itself. The sun was high in the sky and cast a warm, comforting ray across Konoha's surface. Kakashi took a moment to admire it as he walked side by side with Sakura, who was more than eager to continue the subject of training. He glanced downward at her, finding himself surprised at the initiative. It was going to take some time getting used to this new Sakura.

"Right, your training." Kakashi looked thoughtfully ahead of them, clearly working out a plan in his head for his student. "I don't keep a schedule on hand of what we are going to practice. Much of it is just the instinct I have as your teacher, but let's just say for now that we're going to do what's most efficient for us as we travel along. For instance, we don't have a dedicated location for you to practice your ability with ninja tools. We don't have an immediate body of water to allow you time to practice the Water Dragon jutsu. If we slow down at all, we affect the mission's progress, and this is a mission we don't want to be delayed on."

Kakashi had begun to pick up speed: starting at a noticeable pace increase while walking, he had begun to jog for several seconds until he had broken out into an all-out sprint with his arms trailing behind him. The speed between genin and jonin was going to be noticeable. Kakashi made certain he was holding back enough to keep her within an arms reach.

"You've shown that you can handle close-quarters combat with an opponent of equal skill," Kakashi spoke over his shoulder at Sakura, all while maintaining his speed. For every push Sakura made to go faster, he'd make the effort to keep ahead of her, but if she were to slow down he would not slow down whatsoever. A test of her stamina and endurance was underway, and the only goal in mind was testing her limits. "But you've always lacked strong abilities from a distance. Teaching you the Water Dragon technique was to give you an edge. What you'll learn on the way is utilizing another, more subtle technique. For starters, come up here." He looked forward and abandoned the main road, ascending upwards to the strong trees beside them. Sakura had done extremely well in mastering the art of tree climbing, so this would not have been the most difficult part of her training to come. As of now her only objective was keeping up with him, and he would steadily make that much, much harder. Once she was with him, Kakashi continued, "We don't have a lot of time to dedicate to up close and personal combat, so instead I want you to work on something yourself while we move forward: Mold chakra to the very tip of your index finger, and maintain it for five minutes. You'll need to concentrate on not only keeping pace with me, but holding on to that power yourself."

To place emphasis on what he'd like to see, her teacher raised his right forefinger to display a clear blue energy at the very tip. Chakra was gathered in such a compressed amount that she could easily see it with the naked eye.

"Don't let the size fool you, it can be harder than it looks even with your level of chakra control. Now, if you lose sight of me, you fail and will have to start again from the beginning." Adding another layer of frustration to a task that might have seemed easy, Kakashi's speed increased at a worrying rate. With one leap from a branch he was quickly putting distance between them, and wasn't bothering to look back to see her progress.

"And should you manage it," he shouted, moving another several feet ahead, "I want you to fire it at me!"

[Genkai]

Their mission had to come before her training, that was a given.

Sakura was aware that their constant movements would make for a challenging training session. It seemed like Kakashi was already giving this biggest issue some consideration so that something could work in their favor. Continuing to train would be wonderful but Sakura didn't wish to push it, if something couldn't be done without jeopardizing their pace or mission. The only thing she could do was give him a nod before he sped up a little, prompting the girl to follow suit, not sure what he was up to. His jog quickly turned into a sprint and she adjusted her own agility to keep up with him, as he was continuing to voice his consideration of the matter. In her mind, this speed test was a little reckless. If they were ambushed, she didn't want to be worn out. O

Of course the point of speed was to practice and build up endurance so that it wouldn't be an issue if she sped along and was ambushed in the future. He looked over his shoulder at her as they sped along, and mentioned how she had demonstrated fine close combat when up against someone like herself, in terms of skill. She thought back to her battle with Ino and for a moment, her eyes darkened. That loss had been a very tough one to handle. It might as well have been a loss in her mind, as opposed to a tie. Ino should have lost and Sakura knew that. But she moved on, knowing dwelling on it wasn't going to change the results. Kakashi Sensei then said she lacked the skills for long range combat and then led them into the trees which were running along side of the dirt road they were currently on.

As she finally caught up with him and began to follow along with him through the thick trees, using the branches and trunks for support, he explained what he'd like her to try doing as they progressed toward the overnight town. Sakura gave him a sideways look before forming a gun with her dominant right hand. She then saw him push off with even more force and he began to put more distance between them both. Her speed couldn't match his any longer, and he knew that. She didn't bother with calling out for him to wait, that was part of the training, to use speed but also chakra control. Doing two things at once would require a great deal of concentration and she knew it would take a while for her to be able to try and fire at him. Even then, would she even be able to land a hit?

If she didn't try, she'd already fail.

"Got it. Watch your back!" She called out to him. Sakura kept her pace, not wanting to pull too far ahead and catch him, only to not have any chakra built up for her shot. The girl sighed heavily and began to collect her chakra in her finger but found it had to push it to a single point in her body. Pushing to her feet or fists was simple, but to a single finger? After twenty minutes of leaping through the forest, she finally had enough juice to take her best shot at him. She knew it would get easier, the more she took the time to collect and channel the energy. For now, her first attempt would have to suffice so she could continue to get in the habit of thoughtful chakra control while keeping an eye out for the trees, as well as her teacher, still very much ahead of her.

By now, she could barely make out his form but there was no way she'd waste her chance. Sakura used some chakra in her feet, to propel her faster in order to catch up with Kakashi. Sakura took aim and fired at him. It went towards his head but he dodged it and it ended up landing on the tree ahead of them, leaving a decent sized hole where squirrels could further stash nuts away. She glared and kept going. She knew the first try wouldn't be a success but she was still mad at herself. She liked to do things well and so far, it was just a mess. Sakura noticed him put even more distance as he began to shake up where he was. Sometimes he'd be on her right, or above on her left. She went back to channeling her chakra and in only eleven minutes, she had gathered her chakra all over again to try and hit him. It missed again hanks to his dodging. Now she was more mad at him, than herself.

As much as she wanted to yell for him to stand still, she knew an enemy wouldn't be so kind.

"You're so great at dodging, despite being an excellent target." Sakura smirked. She was a little snarky with her tone, but it was clear it was in good fun. Still, she was determined to do something by lunch, at least graze him! As the hours progressed, she had many many many attempts and he had thwarted each one. As the sun was continuing to rise, she managed to have one shot get his left arm but it only snagged his long sleeve. Much to her relief, he suggested they break for lunch and get their bearings. Sakura was pretty tired and glad to oblige in her teacher's gracious suggestion. The two of them found a clearing in the woods and set down their things. Her bag landed with a heavy thud and she sat down beside it and began to fish out some of the food she brought for herself and noticed her mother had slipped in two bento boxes when she wasn't looking. "Oh...I guess mom made us lunch." She set Kakashi's between them, while she took the one with her name on it, which had a note telling her to do her best.

She shoved it in her backpack and started to eat, happy to have a real meal in her stomach.

"How far have we come?" She asked as she scooted over look over Kakashi's shoulder at the map he was studying.

[SoleAccord]

Kakashi gave Sakura a thumbs up to reply to her call of watching his back. His expectations were high and he was certain that Sakura's were as well. Once five minutes of nothing had passed and he had pulled farther and farther ahead, he pulled back on speed and did as he mentioned earlier. Allowing Sakura a better opportunity to launch an attack every five minutes was a fair handicap from his perspective. Five minutes had soon become ten, then fifteen, until finally twenty minutes had gone by. Preparing to pull back on his speed yet again to give Sakura a strong opening, he looked over his shoulder in time to see that she was increasing her pace to race towards him, chakra fueling the leaps she made across the strong branches of the dense forest. He could make out a build-up of chakra at her fingertip, and once she had taken aim towards his head her teacher had let out a small huff of amusement. The beam launched towards him, prompting him to casually side-step the attempt and allow it to collide with a tree just ahead of them. Another glance behind him had shown him Sakura's glare in full display. Understandable considering the frustrating circumstances she was in, but he wasn't about to encourage her efforts just yet.

Becoming a much more mobile target from that point forward, Sakura's efforts would need to be doubled in order to land a blow of significance. In eleven more minutes, merely one minute after he had reset his position to allow her a better opportunity to strike, she had taken another shot at him. Avoiding the blow was as simple as jumping higher than her shot. Another miss, only to collide with another tree just ahead of him. He landed and once more looked over his shoulder to read the state of her mind. She appeared upset, almost angry at him for what he was doing. Training did not come easy, and Tsunade would not be any easier than he was being right now. The emphasis of her frustration was placed in the tone of her words towards him. Sakura did not offend him, instead just made it clear to the Copy Ninja that she was being affected. The lack of immediate progress was shaking her. This wasn't about performing handsigns and avoiding his dogs any further, and that was something she would need to accept in an instant. She could not excel in everything, and without Naruto and Sasuke around to measure herself against she could not raise herself higher than anyone else like last time. The only person she could blame was herself, and the only person that was bearing witness to her efforts was her teacher.

"Thank you. You're quite good at missing," Kakashi teased with a wink, "despite being my precious student." Facing forward again, he held hopes that she'd use that for encouragement rather than discouragement. Hours of this had gone on, with her time at gathering chakra improving, but her progress at hitting him still shaky at best. Striking a jonin-level opponent wasn't designed to be easy with her level of skills and inexperience. This was a test of handling two tasks at a single time. Hitting him was not her ultimate goal, nor was it his. If she could gather that chakra to the tip of her finger and release it without even thinking about it, she would pass his test. The idea of hitting him was just her ultimate goal, and that was something he didn't think she could accomplish until she was a jonin herself. After enough time had gone on, he signaled for her to stop and stopped at a nearby clearing, clapping his hands together. "How about we take a break and eat?"

No argument from Sakura, as expected.

Retrieving the lunches she had packed, Kakashi had set down his pack and retrieved a map of the Land of Fire. He had known the country like the back of his hand due to countless missions related to securing it during the last war, but what he was looking for in particular was a large body of water necessary for Sakura to continue her training. She had come up behind him to question how far they've gone since leaving Konoha.

"From our current stopping point we're another couple hours from the next town, surprisingly ahead of schedule." Kakashi looked over his shoulder, paying her the courtesy of eye contact as he explained the situation they were in. He believed they might have taken another hour to get this far originally, yet the determination of his student was underestimated. Sakura's agility was gradually improving over the course of the last few hours. Kakashi was still easily faster, yet in the periods where he allowed her opportunity to close in on him with ease she was not wasting opportunities. Controlled bursts of stamina to launch her attack were used and used well. It took plenty of energy to scowl as much as she had, too. "I'm considering stopping again at a nearby lake, here." He returned his attention to the map, pointing at a mass of water just west of their current position, which his finger was originally pointed towards. "After we eat we'll head over there and I'll instruct you on the Water Clone technique, as well as how to add water itself to the Gunshot technique you've been working on for the past few hours."

Folding the map up and setting it back inside his bag, Kakashi retrieved the lunch Sakura had left for him and examined the contents carefully. A well-prepared lunch with meat, fish, and vegetables. No complaints. Breaking the chopsticks apart, he rested himself back against the base of a tree and let his eye drift skyward.

"Taro is proficient in Earth-Style ninjutsu, but what he's most known for is his Kekkei Genkai. 'Dry Hand' allows him to absorb the moisture and nutrients out of anything organic, that obviously includes us. The techniques I set aside for you aren't particularly powerful against Earth-Style, so Gunshot will be what we'll put a majority of our efforts in before we reach Tanzaku. Your hand seals will be an afterthought, as well as your overall speed and awareness." Kakashi glanced towards her. His voice was already deadly serious in tone, but his next set of words were spoken low enough to make her fully realize that she could not be mistaken about what he would say next. "This guy isn't on the level of Zabuza, but we're going off on outdated intelligence. I fought against him once before in the past, and he was as much of a match for me as Zabuza himself. He could be as different from that time as you are now, from who you were during the first bell test Team Seven had. If for any reason I'm compromised and I ask you to retreat from the battle, I need you to follow that order. Am I clear?"

[Genkai]

The task had seemed so simple but she had soon discovered that it was far more delicate and taxing. While she hadn't expected instant mastery and control over the challenge presented to her, she had expected it to be somewhat easier given her strengths in chakra control already. Sakura was given another dose of reality in a way. Learning the Water Dragon Jutsu wasn't easy and it took a lot of repetition in order to get any progress started. She supposed that would be Kakashi's main objective when it came to new jutsu to learn. It was a tiring road but she knew she needed to continue to buckle down and not get deterred so easily.

When she had inquired as to where they were in regards to their mission and targeted progress, he moved his head and informed her that they were doing rather well. Sakura held back the urge to make a witty comment as he then gestured to a small body of water. He said he wanted to go there and do some more training since they were ahead of schedule. Part of herwas tired and wanted to protest but the more stubborn part of her wanted to go ahead and get moving right away. The pair began to eat either way and Sakura focused on gathering her strength so that she'd be useful when they arrived at the lake he mentioned. As the girl tried to pace herself, Kakashi Sensei began to talk about their target, Taro.

The news that his kekki genkai could absorb moisture wasn't good for her, not when she was training with water.

Sakura found herself feeling considerably disadvantaged, even more so when she considered his rank was much higher than hers. Before she could begin to doubt herself, Kakashi then brought up Zabuza and how that encounter could be similar to the one they were about to have with Taro. This only made her feel more uncertain about her tagging along. She wanted to help, not just Kakashi but also those lost kids who were likely scared out of their minds. The shinobi then said that if things got out of hand and he told her go, that she would need to do as he asked. She wanted to quickly say of course she'd listen to him and do that but she also knew in the moment, she would feel conflicted and leaving him behind wouldn't be an attractive option to her.

"I...I understand." Sakura finally said as she looked up from her meal, knowing he was very serious and that it was a possibility. The mission was a serious one, even if they were training and tossing jokes each other's way. Sakura knew she would need to be able to do something when Taro made it impossible for her to use water jutsu without him messing it up. "I'd also like to make sure I can deal with hand to hand combat and weaponry. If my water jutsu becomes useless, I need to be able to keep fighting anyway." Sakura told him as she finished up her bento and packed it back away so she could bring the container back home to her mother. She got to her feet and let out a heavy sigh, trying to collect her thoughts the same why she had collected her chakra in her finger.

"I'm ready to go." She said and took his bento box and put it away before she slung her backpack over her shoulder.

There wasn't anymore doubt or sarcasm, only determination to see the mission through.

[SoleAccord]

"I'm your teacher. For that reason, put your faith in me to get you where you need to be, especially since you're the last one I've got." Kakashi responded quietly. Sakura's mention of hand-to-hand and weaponry training weren't going to be ignored. Honing her talent would not only involve her usage of water-style ninjutsu, it would also turn her into a master of all trades. What she chose to focus on entirely was up to her. He was her master, but the similarity in combat styles did not need to go beyond that. Placing his attention back to the bento, he lowered his mask and ate, and as always made certain he was at an angle that made it difficult to see his mouth clearly. When he had finished Kakashi sighed contently and allowed Sakura to take his empty tray and sticks. Getting to his feet, he favored his neck with his left hand and moved to get his pack back on. In silence he had guided her towards the body of water he had pointed out earlier, hands pocketed and eye dead ahead. Hiding dissatisfaction from Sakura was not a difficult activity, but she was a lot more analytical than anyone else might give her credit for. Becoming troubled at the thought of being unable to help her grow strong, this next exercise would need to push her to a point where complaining would be a waste of her energy. All drive to become stronger had to be placed in every action; whenever she began to whenever she stopped, all parts of her had to be moving. Strength did not come easy, but her unending need to cover every part of combat was becoming unsettling, too.

And one day he'd be of no use.

Kakashi cringed at the thought, up until they had arrived at the still mass of water that had gone undisturbed for an unknown period of time. Setting his pack back down at the base of a tree safe enough to not be drenched by the upcoming exercise, Kakashi threw a glance at Sakura for the first time in ten minutes, and nodded to the center of the lake a moment after. Standing up straight again, the Copy Ninja placed a hand on his headband and raised it, revealing his Sharingan and closing his other, natural eye. Focusing chakra to his feet without any thought necessary, he began to offer her guidance for the upcoming day, and the days to come.

"One other thing I want you to be clear about: Taro's kekkei genkai, 'Dry Hand', is called that not only because of it's ability, but because it's the only place he's been able to channel that ability. For instance, say I launched the Water Dragon jutsu towards him and he reached out to evaporate it upon contact with his hands: where are his vulnerable areas from that point?" The answer was child's play, so he did not let it linger for long. Coming to an immediate stop, his firm left hand was placed on Sakura's shoulder to get her to do the same. Just ahead of them at the other end of the lake were more strong trees, packed tightly in a dense cluster. With Sakura understanding that the situation was not completely hopeless for her new abilities, it left him room to offer her an upgrade to her fledgling Gunshot technique. Letting his hand fall from her shoulder, he raised his right hand and displayed the signature method of forming the jutsu they were now on the subject of. His index finger extended, thumb raised, and all other fingers closed together, Kakashi had molded chakra and began to put a concentrated amount to the very tip which began to display an alluring blue glow.

"Do as I do." He requested. Upon her ability to do so, Kakashi had then began to pull a thin string of water from the lake beneath them. Swirling around towards his finger, it embedded itself against the chakra he had built until the water was virtually a part of his finger. The liquid was stable and easily maintained, but having had the experience to learn the technique as well as devoted the energy into making it effective would put him a step above Sakura. He offered her time and said nothing until she had managed it herself, no matter how long it took. Molding chakra to form the Water Dragon had been one of the hardest trials he had to give her in regards to utilizing the mass of water back at the training grounds, so a small stream was child's play. The difference being that now she had to let the water collapse onto a single point to her body and make ample use of it. Once she was prepared, he had began again.

"Adopting chakra natures into the base of techniques is essential in creating your own arsenal. The Gunshot technique isn't mine, I took it's concept from a Hidden Mist ninja many years ago. What you see now is it's original form. Watch closely."

Taking his shot at the midsection of the most centered tree, Kakashi released his hold on the jutsu and fired it. The sound emitted a brief howl as the compact liquid flew forward at a high velocity. Colliding itself with the tree, it penetrated with ease and made its way through cleanly before the liquid had been completely expended. through the small hole you could just barely make out a dent on the one just behind the intended target.

"That technique, the 'Water Gun Jutsu', belonged to the Hozuki Clan in the Hidden Mist before they were wiped out. I managed to encounter one before that time and went against said technique, adopting its original concept without the use of water for other, much more tame purposes." He looked to her, his expression softening. "This move is extremely useful for assassination, but the one downside is that you'll need water nearby. However," Kakashi lowered his idle hand and shifted his entire body towards her, posture becoming less relaxed and more tense, as if something was bothering him. "I don't encourage you to use this in battle unless you have absolute confidence and control. Without it, you're at risk of using it in its base form, or even worse, you'll end up misfiring and the water will travel at an unintended target. Adding a chakra nature to a base technique is not always simple. Your control is great, but it will be put to the test in a combat situation where you need to discover your own limitations and take the risks necessary to survive your encounters. Consider this the easiest part of the training."

Taking a long step back from Sakura, Kakashi had began to perform hand seals and use them in a combination she was still unfamiliar with. Emerging on both sides of him were two identical copies of him, leaving the water and staring at her just as he was.

"As far as I'd like to push you today, we'll work on further adopting water-style ninjutsu later. The clone technique will wait until later, so for now you're going to try your hand at continuously gathering water and releasing it perfectly to try and match my earlier shot. Whether you've completed it or not, in about ten minutes I'm going to instruct you on handling multiple opponents at a single time of equal or greater skill, as well as how to lead your foe into a false sense of security."

He nodded once towards the tree and placed himself behind her, barely an arms length apart. The two clones took their positions, one on the left, the other on the right, and were five paces away compared to Kakashi himself.

[Genkai]

Although his tone was gentle, Sakura didn't take his comment that lightly. She didn't want to seem like she didn't agree with what he was doing, nor did she want seem ungrateful but still, she didn't enjoy the comment and decided to just hold her tongue. There was a shift in tone as he got his own pack on and motioned for her to follow along. For a moment she was rather ticked off at him but she was sure, he was mad too, though right now, she couldn't easily step back and figure out why a comment about wanting to hone her other areas, could cause some sort of disagreement between them, even an unspoken on. Sakura breathed in slowly and decided to not bring it up, not wanting to appear as though she were looking a gift horse in the mouth. She was glad to have Kakashi Sensei teaching her and she knew he had ever right to turn her away and yet here they were; together on a tough mission trying to adjust to one another's needs and desires.

For about ten minutes, they walked through the greenery while Sakura tried to figure out how to get herself out of this sudden mess. She honestly didn't mean to offend him if she had. But she knew right now, certain personal qualms weren't easily discussed, even between a teacher and his student. Looking off, she tried to refocus her determination though it was difficult to do, given the mood around her. She began to wonder what Sasuke and Naruto were doing and what sort of things were being taught to them and if they ever had any conflicts with their teachers. Before she could soak too long in a pool of contemplation, they had arrived at their destination. She caught his eye for a moment and then nodded to the lake itself. He had already set his pack aside and so she did the same, assuming she didn't need anything from it for their next step in whatever it was, he wanted her to master. She trusted his judgement, even if he may not believe that at the moment.

She walked out along towards the center of the lake and Kakashi was soon behind her, this time with his Sharingan revealed.

There had only been one time, possibly two, where she had witnessed him use his Sharingan.

Was now the time?

He soon proposed a question to her and she was sure the answer went without saying. It seemed Kakashi felt the same way too. In her mind though, his weakness would clearly be where he had gotten wet. His hand then went to her shoulder briefly, to signal her to stop, which she did and looked back to him. He then formed the same hand for the jutsu she had been starting to work on. He then told her to do as he was, and so she did. SHe used her right hand to form the same gesture. Looking down at the small trickle of water collecting, she began to use her chakra to do the same as her counterpart. A small orb of water eventually formed where the chakra was. It had taken considerable concentration but she did manage it without taking an embarrassing amount of time. When she had done as he asked her to do, he then continued with the demonstration. Kakashi took aim at the trees on the other side of the expanse of water and then fired off his round. It flew across and connected with the tree of his choosing before breaking through to the one behind it, only to leave a dent if one could squint and see so far. "Wow." It was very impressive and she was already eager to begin working on it.

More history of the technique was presented to her and she turned to listen, rather interested in hearing more about such a simple but strangely beautiful jutsu. He told her how the creators of it had been wiped out. That was very unfortunate but she wanted to do them justice by ensuring the jutsu wasn't lost to time. "I'll honor those who once used it." Sakura told him quietly. It was hard to think think that in so many years from now, she would be gone too, all of her knowledge lost to the world. It made her want to give a real tangible contribution to the world around, rather than just exist without giving anything back at all. Kakashi then softened his expression and mentioned how it was best used for assassinations, which she could understand. She wondered if some ANBU nin had used it decades ago. He continued and expressed a great concern and cautionary warning if she were to want to use in battle. It seemed so easy but she knew the simple jutsu could be done importantly, even with years of experience. Accidents happened in battle and those with great focus could falter.

"I understand. I won't be irrational with it." She tried to assure him as he lowered his arm and began to work on something else now. The man ended up conjuring up two water clones of himself and she wondered if she had to hit them before she worked on a target further away. She wasn't sure if he wanted her to go back to using the Water Dragon Jutsu or if he wanted her to try her hand, or finger as it were, at the Water Gun Jutsu. Sakura decided that either of the skills would need more work so she raised her arm to use the energy and water she had been told to collect just as Kakashi had done minutes ago. Behind her, the man now stood to surely observe her own actions. Sakura closed her eyes for a moment and took everything she had within her and channeled it into her right pointer fingertip. Exhaling, she let her shot go off and hit the tree Kakashi had though it had just grazed the left of it, as opposed to above where his hole was, where she had actually aimed.

Her green eyes squinted, for a moment not even sure if she had hit the damn tree. She knew not to get annoyed with herself again. As simple as it seemed, she knew it was tricky to master. And on top of that, she wasn't used to expelling energy and water in a contained manner away from her. The recoil was mild but still something to also adjust to. "So...the Hozuki Clan is famous for this technique," She commented as she raised her arm back up, using her left hand to hold onto her wrist to give her better stability this time around. "does that mean that they were hired for assassinations because of the stealth and speed of this attack?" She asked him. Him mentioned they invented it had planted a seed of interest in her head. She wondered if she'd ever be able to build upon it the same way Kakashi had done. "Is there any other similar attack, even non-water relater?" She asked, curious as to anything related to the long range burst of chakra paired with an element. "I think using fire would get tricky but perhaps a rock or something solid..." She stopped her vocal musings, sure they were useless at the moment.

"Here it goes." Sakura said as she finished gathering the chakra along with the water as she had been speaking. She took aim once more and fired it again. The shot was visibly shaky but it made more of an impact on the tree than her first attempt. This second, Sakura managed to hit above where Kakashi had, though her burst of water hadn't gone through like his. Sakura made a slight face but gave herself a shrug, seeing it as progress at least. "Do you think it would be possible for someone to use both water and say...ice or something along with the Water Gun?" She asked him, already getting a picture in her head of the jutsu being able to fire off liquid as well as a solid, which could make it pretty powerful as well as more versatile when it came to the need of the one firing it. Of course just hearing, it sounded impossible, or at the very least difficult beyond her years. Regardless of what he thought though, Sakura had already latched onto the idea of taking something and making it her own, to sort of pay homage to those no longer able to enjoy the world she was living, despite its flaws.

"If I can do something more with it someday, I'd love to show you. It's the closest to the Hozuki Clan I can get." She smiled a little and started to go back to getting ready for her next shot. Regardless of the Hozuki Clan's positive or negative impact, Sakura respected the history of shinobi who contributed by giving the world new jutsu, tactics or techniques. It was only right.

[SoleAccord]

'Not terrible, considering it was her first shot', Kakashi thought to himself after Sakura's first attempt, just able to make out the graze from his location. A small victory was still a victory, yet stopping there was not going to be permitted. Sakura intended to become stronger, confronting the weakness in her body and mind was also a necessity for it. Her mind was poised on success, it was now up to her body to sync up with her mind. A concentrated blast of chakra was quite different from blasting water, not only in preparation but in the use itself. Were they not on a timetable Kakashi would have given her at least a few weeks before she could grasp this technique to a respectable extent, but because of their status as being mission ready he was holding some doubt in his mind. Chakra control and book smarts were her strength, while her physical energy and lack of strong chakra reserves were a blatant weakness. Watching as she took hold of her shooting wrist, Kakashi had to ponder about her request for more information related to the Hozuki clan.

An uncertain hand went to the back of his neck, his exposed Sharingan averted towards the sky. Sakura seemed to confuse his obtaining of one of their abilities as hands-on knowledge surrounding their clan. His record on missions was impressive, though he was anything but a history major. He'd offer what he could to a young, impressionable mind.

"The Hidden Mist had some very capable ninja in their employ, and the Hozuki were just one of the many clans that used to represent the village. In fact, the Second Mizukage happened to be a Hozuki himself." A little fact to insert, as Sakura might enjoy knowing that she was attempting to use a technique that was also used by a Kage once upon a time. He continued. "What I can tell you for certain is that the massacre of the Mist has all but destroyed the original users of this technique. If any are left, I doubt they'd argue against my description of the potential this technique has. In experienced hands it will be a frightening move in your arsenal, but that's only if you acquire the experience of course."

Sakura went on to ask about other techniques centered around the hand placement of this move. The hand idle on his neck came to rest at his side, from there being pocketed. "I don't know of any myself, but I haven't encountered every jutsu there is in the world. There's a possibility someone has a technique quite similar to this one. Maybe you'll find out someday." Before him, even. Kakashi couldn't see himself retiring anytime soon, but Sakura's exploration of all techniques may be a journey that continues well until her final years as an active ninja. In the back of his mind he was contemplating how far her pursuit of knowledge would go. Orochimaru-- no, he shook his head at that and focused on the next shot she would take. It was absolutely ridiculous to imagine Sakura going as far as that mad man, and he'd keep her on a good path that did not demand she walk on the bodies of sacrificed comrades to find her place in the world.

With her next shot taken the Copy Ninja had found her results favorable. Managing to maintain the shot well enough, without being unable to fully penetrate the tree, was progress in itself. She shrugged at her result, bewildering him, before asking him about jutsu combinations as well. Her line of questioning suggested that she would be quite the master of ninjutsu if she continued her training.

"Is it possible? Anything is possible..." He trailed off, reflecting on the attack Orochimaru made against Konoha. Bringing back the spirits of deceased legends, of Hokage long since passed, was made a possibility thanks to Orochimaru's dabbling in a technique deemed forbidden. If Kakashi had not seen it, he might have not believed such a thing were possible, yet the Third had done battle with his predecessors and forced the retreat from Orochimaru at the cost of his life. Sakura, too, could be capable of such a feat. "However," the Copy Ninja returned focus to the present, "if these jutsu do not exist, it can always be you that creates them. Ice Style was a Kekkei Genkai to a clan in the Mist, Haku came from that clan." The wonders of a Kekkei Genkai would never belong to Sakura. She would have the risk of facing them in her lifetime, but never wield one herself. Without this Sharingan Kakashi was like her once, although considered a genius in his generation, something Sakura was not considered. "Someone like you can break the limits of ninjutsu, genjutsu, and even taijutsu if you continue to work hard. There are few limitations that gifted people like you cannot break through. Naruto, Lee, even yourself, your entire generation will see a new breakthrough in how this world is shaped, as long as people like myself do not see the world destroyed due to our own ignorance and paranoia."

Words for her to mull over later. Sakura's delving into crafting her own technique would certainly be a topic of interest later. For now, as she readied her next shot, his hand came to rest on her arm and lightly press downward. That was enough.

"You'll have time to practice again in the future. I think it's time we get started with my next lesson: facing overwhelming odds." He glanced to his left, and right, eyeing his clones that held complete physical similarities to him. "I'm an opponent with triple your experience, arsenal, and combat knowledge. To make matters worse, I hold a Kekkei Genkai that further pushes the gap between us. I'll explain what the Sharingan's capabilities are in full sometime later. Now then," he nodded to the clone to his right, which was Sakura's immediate left, and reached in his pack to retrieve a kunai. Tossing it to the clone, it was caught in its left hand and immediately looked to Sakura. Moments later, it charged.

"Defend yourself!"

The first clone was moving similar to how the original worked and was coming at her with reckless abandon. Pressing the attack to the point Sakura could not possibly stand her ground without being overwhelmed, it was Kakashi who was intending to get Sakura moving. The clone actively assaulting her was using strikes intended to moderately injure her at best; clashing against any weapon she drew with enough speed and technique to make her work twice as hard to maintain her grip, as well as keeping concentration on every other part of his body, it would be made entirely clear that her teacher was not pulling punches in this session. Purposely forcing Sakura to keep focus on that clone would mean that the other two Kakashi's were free to enter the fray at any time, yet with how much of an attack he was putting up with one clone it would be overdoing it to engage her now. Sakura had to survive for at least a minute under these intense circumstances before he would proceed, and his Sharingan eye was not leaving her movements for even a second.

[Genkai]

The information he had given her had been helpful. Unlike Naruto or possibly Sasuke, Sakura actually enjoyed leaning which was why being in the top tier of the class wasn't too difficult for Sakura. Sasuke was also in the top but she would wager his desire to learn wasn't fueled by genuine curiosity, but something darker. Shikamaru was also pretty smart when he applied himself, as was Shino. But Sakura still liked to think the enjoyment she got from reading about other clans, jutsu and history, was something most, if not all, of her fellow graduates didn't share. It was a shame really, because to Sakura you could learn so much by just opening your eyes to other people instead of focusing solely on Konoha and it's own history. It was impressive to know that their Second Hokage was someone who was very familiar with the jutsu she was learning, as well as its origins.

Though the idea of making her own jutsu or at the least building atop one already well practiced and honed, came up and Sakura really did like the idea of adding to the history books somehow. Kakashi noted that some jutsu were typically made by those with a kekki genkai, which she was aware of it. Her family wasn't steeped in ninja experience and that was likely due to not having their own trademark kekki genkai. Perhaps if they did have one from years ago, her family's life would be very different but it wasn't the case and this was hardly the time for daydreaming. Not that she didn't pine after having a kekki genkai, they were tricky and imposed a great deal of weight on someone's shoulders. People like Sasuke, Hinata and even Kakashi had different burdens to carry around with them, compared to everyone else.

Kakashi mentioned it may be possible for some sort of breakthrough to occur but she wasn't so sure.

The work would be grueling.

Not that that was what was stopping her, but it just felt too soon to be getting her hopes raised beyond her reach.

Now though, her teacher brought up the topic of facing overwhelming odds. Sakura gave him a slightly worried look. It was important to handle yourself well when overpowered, outnumbered or worse, but the idea itself still didn't sound very appealing to her, even if she knew it was a good thing to train for. She remained silent as he continued to speak, but soon stopped as he tossed the clone a kunai and it went for her. Even though his words should have been enough of a tip, Sakura was certainly caught off guard. "What?" She took a few steps back as the water clone went after her, using its kunai to try and land any cut or slash. Once Sakura regained her footing, she was trying hard to focus on where the attacks were coming from and how to avoid them. Jumping away, she had just enough time to grab her own kunai from her leg pouch as it pursued her, their metal weapons clashing. The clone's force was much stronger than her own, making it a challenge to hold onto her own weapon without sinking into the water underneath them.

Her teeth were gritted as it used many kicks, as well as punches with the free hand. Sakura moved to her left to dodge a punch to her head but in another fluid motion, the clone's other arm swept around and sliced through the air. It took a split second for her adjust her head before a bit of her hair had been taken off. That was a very close call. If she had been positioned differently, even slightly she would have surely gotten her face cut up. Sakura used her own kunai to try and block the next attack but it ended up flying from her hand and sank down into the bottom of the lake bed. There was no way she would bother to retrieve it. The clone slashed at her again when her guard was done. Sakura let out a gasp and had no other choice but to release the chakra holding her up, in order to dodge the quick attack. With a splash, she fell under the water and stayed under it as she swam to another area. Thankfully the water wasn't too clear but she also knew her chakra could give her position away.

When her feet finally hit the bottom of the soil under her, she pushed herself up and flew up through the water and used her chakra to get her up to its surface, pushing it to her knees and then she got to her feed and the chakra settled there. With enough distance, she threw a kunai at the clones and then sped forward, not wanting the clone to be the one to close the gap between them. It deflected the kunai and Sakura threw a punch at the clone, it grabbed her arm, twisted her around and threw her away. She applied more chakra to her feet to stabilize her as it lunged for her again. The two went back to it on the offensive with her trying to dodge, with little time to even counter. It landed a few hits as well as managing to cut her upper left arm. After another two minutes, the clone slowed down its chaotic pace and Sakura knew this was a blatant window for her to use.

Even so, she wasn't about to let it slip away.

She let out a cry as she twisted her body back and then threw a large kick at its chest and while it flew back, she jumped forward and used her opposite fist to land a punch to the side of its face, causing it to fly back and hit the water, and also reduce itself to water. Sakura panted heavily and looked back over to where Kakashi and the other clone were. That had been a very difficult task and she knew the training session could only get tougher. His goal was to make her try to keep her wits about her when faced with an impossible opponent but even so, she wasn't sure this was going to help their traveling the rest of the day if she was worn out. Still, she wasn't going to complain when she had just voiced a desire to do more close combat. "He's not as friendly as you." She said as she started to catch her breath. Her right hand went to her cut on the left upper outer arm. It was bleeding but not horribly so. While she caught her breath, she used her medic training to heal up the wound, not wanting it to get infected.

[SoleAccord]

Sakura’s lack of strength to measure against his meager water clone was much more evident than she might have liked. In the eyes of the young genin, the clone’s rate of attack and displayed technique in countering her moves and delivering its own were clearly keeping her pushed to her limit in both body and mind. The true test was surviving—as he told her—but as well as survival, Sakura was meant to experience the gripping realization that she was outmatched no matter her tactics and strikes sent. Kakashi’s keen Sharingan eye took notice of her gritted teeth becoming tighter and tighter with each parry. As every blow came to her, both physical and ninja tool, her strength was slowly starting to diminish. In time that fact was proven by the disarming his clone had made, causing her only weapon to go flying out of her hand and into the water below them. From that point, his student had made a clever call to release the chakra keeping her afloat, allowing her to sink into the water and vanish from sight.

The clone remained highly alert for Sakura’s next move while Kakashi monitored. The ability of his eye allowed him to see chakra; it wasn’t to the extent of the Byakugan, but Sakura’s chakra flow could be found even without actively molding it within her body. Yet even if she had not known this herself, the effort of removing herself from a contest that she had no chance of overcoming was a wise decision. Her mentor stood in silence and waited, until finally her inevitable counterattack had come in the form of her reemerging from the lake at a distance she deemed appropriate. The group of Kakashi’s looked toward her with only the clone remaining prepared. It quickly deflected her kunai with ease and had countered her next strike without much struggle. Not allowing herself to be kept down for long, Sakura had used more of her chakra to push herself forward towards the clone. The two continued this intense clash until Kakashi had seen enough, and pulled back on his clone’s power and speed to allow Sakura an opportunity she would be a fool to miss.

Dispatching the deliberately weakened water clone, it’s defeated return to nothing but liquid had signaled Sakura’s victory and allowed her time to catch her breath without the pressure of an oppressing opponent. Her performance was adequate; if he did not think applauding would seem sarcastic, he might have offered her a round.

The mention of his clones’ unfriendly attitude made him smile beneath his mask, “He wasn’t as handsome as me, either.” He added playfully. Sending the clone to retrieve the kunai she had left below him, the Jonin had given her several moments to mend her wound and catch her breath. Waiting until he was sure she was prepared – as well as his clone returning with the kunai, which he took in his own grasp – he returned her kunai to her with a casual toss, all while making certain the sharpened end would flip towards him as it made its descent towards her.

“You held out well for your first time – I’ll even admit that your tactic to submerge yourself underneath your opponent was also clever, something I might have done. Maybe you’ll turn out more like me in combat than Lady Tsunade, but only time will tell.” Kakashi spoke thoughtfully. Taking a short pause, her mentor looked her over carefully. The strikes from earlier might leave some slight bruising, and she had already taken care of the cut on her arm, yet it was probably best that he did not overdo it. “All right, I’ll explain the technique you just faced and show you one more tactic before we move on. What you just dealt with was obviously the Water Clone technique, and what sets it apart from the normal clone technique is that the clones are physical, but they only use one-tenth of the original wielders power. They have the ability to use techniques just like the Shadow Clone technique that Naruto uses, however, it’s important to remember that they are much weaker than the Shadow Clone technique. Should you give the order for them to use a technique, they could prematurely disperse before they’ve actually sustained any damage. In the hands of an accomplished user of water-style ninjutsu, this won’t matter.”

He did not make her potential obvious, but it was clear in the way he ceased speaking and allowed the information to settle in her mind that Sakura realize for herself that that could be her. Devoting enough time to her ninjutsu would offer her that potential and make her extremely deadly in environments such as the very one they were standing in.

“When we get settled for the night I’ll instruct you on the proper hand seals. Up next, we’ll cover our final tactic for the day: Deception.” Kakashi looked towards his idle remaining clone, which had brought both hands together in front of its chest to emphasize an incoming move for Sakura. It did not go further than that, as Kakashi was not yet finished preparing her for what was to come. “The unorthodox does well in keeping foes unbalanced. Even if you’re not as fast as your opponent, or possess a wider range of techniques, you can still inflict significant damage by simply outsmarting them.” His Sharingan eye wandered to her, but due to the nature of the final tactic he had lowered his headband back down. The explanation of his Sharingan and its abilities would occur later that night. His normal eye had reopened, casting a downward glance towards Sakura’s arms, chest, and then to her feet.

“Deception can be an effective tool in landing a critical blow to put unfavorable odds back in your favor. There are multiple ways of performing it – both in and out of combat – but we’ll quickly cover the combat portion.” He gestured towards his clone which had begun performing hand seals that Sakura could by now see were leading up to the Water Dragon technique. It was moving slow, deliberately allowing Sakura to monitor every single sign to confirm her suspicion, until suddenly changing its flow in the middle and performing signs that did not result in the Water Dragon. Kakashi resumed, “You can see that it’s performing a technique. In one of your later lessons I’ll help you work to prevent them from completing jutsu, but for the time being just prepare for what could come at any time. There are going to be hand seals even I can’t recognize, so you need to be mindful of your surroundings just as much as I’ll have to. So, get ready.”

The water clone had ceased performing hand seals for just a moment, then advanced into the familiar territory Sakura could recognize: it was completing the Water Dragon technique again, only this time not diverting and instead picking up speed gradually as it continued. The real Kakashi nodded his head to her and leaped a considerable distance to her left while the clone generated the technique. Water had begun to stir just in front of the clone, and the head of the Water Dragon technique had begun to emerge from the water beneath them. As it grew, it’s red eyes had begun to leer at Sakura who was standing several short feet below it.

In an instant it had dispersed its form and reverted into nothing but scattered, unmanageable water that was of no threat to Sakura herself. Planting the idea of deception in her head – to prepare for the worst possible outcome – was likely to make her consider that this was just a ploy for the incoming attack managed by the clone. The situation had changed; instead of the water clone attacking Sakura, the real Kakashi had already taken aim at Sakura’s shoulder and released a concentrated, weakened gunshot of chakra as the water fell towards the lake. Having taken care to remain just outside of her peripheral vision, it would be up to the rest of her senses to pick up on the true attack and avoid his blast. Should his blow manage to connect, it would leave nothing more than a moderate bruise of little consequence.

His greatest intention was making sure she left with her lessons learned.

[Genkai]

Had Kakashi given her some applause, Sakura may have inferred it as sarcastic but at the same time, Kakashi didn't seem like the sarcastic type, nor the kind to chide his students during such trying situations. As Sakura took deep breaths and started to calm down, she wondered what the other clone would be used for. Kakashi's cheeky reply made her snort softly. "Oh right, no clone could compare to the original's distractingly good looks I'm afraid." She rebutted. The clone went and got the weapon she had lost and gave it back to Kakashi Sensei. Sakura watched the scene, her green eyes keen to not miss anything else, such as a sudden attack which right now, she wouldn't put past the silver haired trickster. Once Kakashi received the her kunai, he tossed it back with formidable deliberation towards the curious girl. "Thanks." She said, her breathing finally even.

Her hand was quick to reach out like a magnet, able to spot the way he had thrown it would allow her to catch it without intent to injury, quite the contrary actually. He then began to speak, she had expected words of constructive criticism of how she had struggled but kept her calm. Instead though he first mentioned how well he thought she had done. He then also compared her to himself which made her grin even brighter. She took that as a very considerable compliment. Yes, Lady Tsunade was someone Sakura wanted to emulate and learn from, but she also saw plenty of merit and admiration in a ninja such as Kakashi Hatake. He could do amazing things and she wanted to take advantage of being his only student right now.

Aside from her cut, she felt fine and knew that preventing any bruising would be a waste of time and chakra so she didn't do anything else in terms of quick minor medical techniques. So now she could focus on what the man had to say in terms of the Water Clone Jutsu. He explained what it could do compared to the other jutsu they had been introduced to during the academy days. Sakura gave a small nod and her brow furrowed at the mention of the minuscule amount of energy that was needed for the creation of the water clones and how it could be very useful in the proper hands of a good shinobi. To consider a future where her skills could be preformed effortlessly on instinct was as much daunting as it was exhilarating. Sakura wanted to be the kind of ninja who could think of new ways to attack and defend, as well as counter and heal.

Kakashi had brought up the notion of deception and its uses.

A well sharpened mind could do wonders with deception and may also find ways of preventing it as well.

The other clone began to preform hand seals which hadn't gone unnoticed by the girl. Its pace wasn't as quick as the original but she suspected it was for a reason, which Kakashi quickly told her he'd be teaming up with her to help go up against it as it prepared to launch a Water Dragon jutsu. The hand seals changed and then it stopped and moved toward them, resuming a more familiar pattern. Glancing to Kakashi, she saw him nod as the clone's speed increased which prompted her teacher to leap to the left. Sakura's head jerked back to the clone in time to see the jutsu had just formed. Only able to step back once, the dragon then fell apart and she looked around. The jutsu itself had appeared a success and yet it hadn't lunged for her. Looking around, she found nothing threatening.

Before she could even call out to Kakashi, a sound reached her ear and she looked to see a burst of tiny light coming for her. Unable to react in time, it connected and caused her to stumble back and hold her shoulder in pain. It had hurt but the pain didn't last longer than a couple of seconds. When she removed her hand, she saw a light bruise already being formed and she looked to see Kakashi Sensei emerge without anymore pesky clones in tow. The message had been made perfectly clear. Anyone could deceive anyone, and to try new tactics and ways to gain the upper hand. With the lesson completed, they decided to get back on the road. Once they were packed up, they continued to move through the trees though their pace this time, wasn't as speedy as before.

By the time five hours had elapsed, their overnight town had come into view and they jumped back down to the dirt road and made their way into the heart of the town. A selection of shops and cafes were available to them but their first stop was the Inn where they could finally unload their gear and relax. After the room key was given to them, they headed up and down a long hallway to Room 24 and let themselves in. There was a double bed, a dresser, two chairs and an attached bathroom. Sakura vaguely wondered if they had assumed she and Kakashi were a couple. But then again she also knew getting two rooms would be a waste of money and that if something went wrong, they needed to be together. Setting her pack on the bed, she found relief and then excused herself to wash her hands and face since it was about time for dinner and they'd need to go out.

Wringing out the cool cloth and setting it on the counter, she exited the bathroom to find Kakashi looking out their window. Curious to see what their view was like, she walked around the bed and peered outside. There were three kids playing in the alley, kicking a ball around. They were around seven and all boys. At first they reminded her of home but instead, she also remembered their mission, the task at hand. "At least they're still safe, able to go home tonight." She said solemnly. Still, she was sure they'd be able to do some considerable good when they reached Tanzaku. "Soon the others will too." It was a glaringly bright outlook but Sakura saw no point in voicing the other grim possibilities.

"Anyway, I saw a place we could eat, it didn't look crowded but it sure smelled great." Sakura said and placed a hand on his back as she stepped around him to head out. Opening the door, she looked back at Kakashi, his face swimming in the sunlight. Colors of orange and red bounced off his face. When the light colors hit the navy blue of his mask, the light almost glowed. For a few moments, she didn't see him as a teacher, but as a person. He was known as a student, a son and a friend to many others before being a teacher. Sakura wondered what sort of hardships he must have endured, considering his daring history as a ninja, but also as a someone who lived in Konoha and made a life for himself. Sakura's hand twisted the door open and she wondered what sort of person Kakashi was, when all the labels had been stripped.

For now though, those thoughts fluttered on by and she walked out into the hall, soon to be joined by the man himself. The walk there only took five minutes and upon arriving, were seated inside at a booth across from one another. Another surge awkward surge charged through her as she wondered if she and Kakashi looked like a couple to the hostess as well. Would that assumption be so bad? Again, Sakura hardly knew who Kakashi really was so she couldn't be sure whether or not if and why it might conjure up such odd feelings. As she looked at the menu, she decided the curry steak and jasmine rice would do just fine and hoped their evening would be a smooth one, as they'd need to get up in the morning bright and early to get back on the road. "At least being together means I won't be stuck waiting for you to show up late with a silly excuse." She mentioned. "But then again, that hasn't really happened since we started, but with Naruto and Sasuke...I remember them making up some funny excuses on your behalf when we caught on."

"I think Naruto once assumed you had taken all morning to sort and organize your sock drawer-three times." She chuckled.

[SoleAccord]

“Could be worse.” Kakashi remarked quietly once Sakura and himself entered their room. The essentials were all accounted for, leaving very little reason to complain. What he noticed soon after his initial assessment was that there was only one bed between them. Inwardly he sighed, but the trouble of asking for another room was too great. Stepping inside, Sakura had excused herself to wash up, leaving him to set his things down on one of the two chairs and then move towards the window. Parting the curtains that shielded the dying light from the room, the jonin took notice of children down below playing what appeared to be a basic game of kicking a rubber ball around. Looking at their beaming faces full of excitement caused his expression to harden. His thoughts momentarily traveled to Taro and Orochimaru, causing his right fist to ball tightly.

When Sakura joined beside him he had remained silent, not even his eye traveled to her. Instead he listened to her voice, his agreement not verbal but nonetheless given. It had only been when Sakura declared that the return of those taken would be accomplished shortly did he abandon the sight of those children and look at her closely. Her mention of dinner didn’t sway his eye once, and after touching his back he eased himself. The tension that formed in his body had gone unnoticed until that point. If he intended to lead Sakura and accomplish the mission, he couldn’t allow the fear of what might happen if they were too late eat at him. That impulse was better handled by a certain hyperactive knucklehead ninja who was currently undergoing rigorous training elsewhere in the world. Once she turned around he released the last of the tension in his balled hand and shifted his body his body to completely face her.

He couldn’t put into words what exactly he saw in her at that moment. She was still young and had her share of faults, but still, he was the exact same as her. The only difference was that it was up to him to turn Sakura into something greater than he could ever imagine, as was the duty of those that came before him. What it meant to fail this mission must have struck her, but instead she kept her head where it belonged: success. If they believed they could fail, failure seemed that much more likely for the both of them.

Kakashi followed her out and allowed her to lead them to said place; it was as Sakura said: a strong aroma of delicious food was thick in the air, made even better by the fact the place was not currently busy. Once they were seated across each other, Kakashi refused a menu and instead said that he’d take whatever Sakura wanted, and once she ordered and the hostess took her menu away she had quickly settled into conversation with him. Reflecting on the days where his less-than-perfect attendance had been the bane of Team Seven’s early morning meetups made him rub the back of his neck and smile, emphasized by the closing of his eye. The idea of catching on to his methods had him curious, but once Sakura explained what that meant he was left to laugh with her.

“Well, as a jonin I have to report to someone higher-up frequently. I figured I’d get you guys used to that, along with the possibility of someone being late – consider it practice in building patience.” He explained. His eye opened and his hand lowered from the neck, settling down to his lap. The change in expression wouldn’t go unnoticed by her. Fortunately this was a good thing, something for her to carry with her at all times. “As for you, you came to me personally and asked for me to dedicate my time and energy to furthering you as a ninja, something I lacked the time to do previously. For that, I won’t be late unless there’s a good reason for it.”

Sakura didn’t know how her mannerisms and methods would evolve once she entered a position of power. Judging him was an easy task now, but once she was skilled enough to instruct her own students he wondered just how long that attitude would last. Having control over what his squad was to learn and understand was a blessing he didn’t have for very long. Even so, he’d always look back fondly to Naruto and Sakura’s irritation at his delayed arrivals. While she sat there he imagined her having a conversation similar to this one several years from now – obviously she’d include the fact her teacher was frequently late, but what else would she have said?

“You’re my legacy. Did you think about that?” he asked her, sinking into the booth slightly, “Some ninja believe that power is everything there is, that that’s how you’ll be immortalized in the world. I think it’s what we teach to the next generation that allows who we are to live on, long after we take our last breath. I believe in that.”

It may have come as some kind of surprise for Sakura, but Kakashi didn’t value the idea of copying every technique in existence. It was people like her who had to pass on the teachings of the previous generation – people like him – and then move forward to guide those who would be in her place one day.

“You’ll be Tsunade’s in time too, I don’t mind sharing, but when the time comes where you’re asked about your first teacher, could you …go easy on him?” Kakashi requested with a playful tone, smile signaled by the close of his eye.

“Excuse me,”

Kakashi opened his eye turned to a middle-aged woman who approached their table: No taller than 5’7 with neatly-brushed long brown hair and soft green eyes, Kakashi could immediately believe the silver band that stood out on this woman’s finger – she was married, and whoever married her was a lucky one. With all the qualities of a matured woman from top to bottom, he was able to take note of the apron that had a few small stains here and there on it. Beautiful as she was, it appeared as if she was a part of this establishment, possibly one of the cooks.

“I couldn’t help but notice you two once you came in. Tonight’s been a little slow for us, so I’ve had more time to pay attention to who’s coming in—sorry, sorry, rambling,” She cleared her throat with the cutest of pitches leaving her throat – how it was possible for throat-clearing to be cute, Kakashi couldn’t possibly know, but this woman was doing a fine job of being absolutely precious. “Anyway, I just couldn’t stop looking at you two. Something really set you apart from the rest and it brought me back to my youth. The way you two look at each other is making my heart skip!”

Kakashi’s eye widened, the pressure of this woman’s admiration for how he looked at Sakura – and Sakura looked at him, apparently – brought his attention back to her. He was remembering the earliest days of Team Seven and how Sakura would remember him were he to pass from the world. Kakashi held no memory of looking at Sakura so intensely, however he wasn’t aware of it enough to refuse the idea of his gaze being intense in the moment. He relaxed his eye and looked at Sakura a moment more before turning his head back to the woman.

Just before he could correct her on the situation, she continued again, “I don’t know if you knew this, but we’re currently having a special for lovers of all ages. It’s normally half off on any meal,” she leaned in closely with her voice turning silent, “but I’ve taken a liking to you two from afar. How would you like it to be seventy-five percent off? I’ll even throw in free dessert!”

The temptation of a deal that great was colossal, which was precisely why he hesitated in correcting her. As things stood, this woman was making an assumption of how Kakashi and Sakura interacted with one another and believed them to be an item. While she was not entirely correct, Kakashi was a significant person to Sakura as her teacher, and Sakura was his precious student. His intensity when he looked at her, whether it was intentional or not, did not matter now. What mattered now was if they would go through with letting this woman believe that they were lovers.

“Err, well…” Kakashi mumbled with uncertainty. His face began to grow noticeably hot, even more when he looked back at Sakura again. There was a gap in age that may have been difficult to see, yet that woman didn’t seem to notice, or care. To her, what she saw in her eyes was telling her that there was more to the story they shared. It might have upset her if she discovered that a suspicion she had about them was false. To keep up a charade wouldn’t have hurt anyone in the process. Still, it was in Sakura’s hands now. He wouldn’t use her as a prop to receive an incredible discount for a meal and free dessert.

But she could always use him.

“What do you think?” He asked her; the question related more to the way they were looking at each other than the charade they could act on, but the latter needed a more immediate answer.

[Genkai]

Oh. Of course...

He had a point.

Sakura and the boys hadn't considered he had been actually doing something important related to his ninja duties.

It made sense now and she felt stupid for nothing thinking of it earlier. She gave him two understanding nods as he then went on to say how he wouldn't be late for her unless it was for a good reason. Sakura had already set her menu down by now, having only glanced over it before she decided their conversation was worth her full attention. Kakashi went on to say that she was his legacy. Her face became more serious at that comment. No...she hadn't considered that either. His words held weight and she wondered if she'd be capable enough of carrying them with her as she grew. Sakura had fire in her, there was no doubt there but Kakashi was putting not just his time and energy into her, but also his trust and that was truly priceless. She didn't want to let him down.

The man also brought up how people had different ideas when it came to leaving a mark on the world. She thought of her old teammates and what they believed in. She then thought back to her need to make her own jutsu but also a need to heal people and use the knowledge she was gaining, for the greater good. The serious discussion was wrapping up as the man admitted she would be Tsunade's legacy as well but that he didn't mind sharing. This caused the girl to smile nervously. There was no excuse for her to fail at becoming a powerful kunnoichi, not when she had two terrific teachers backing her up and supporting her. It was an honor to be able to call both Kakashi Hatake and Lady Tsunade her mentors. She had been jealous of Naruto and even of Sasuke, at certain moments, but now she really had no more jealously or envy to hold on to.

"Oh," Her heart was actually racing a little. "I'm sure I'll have plenty of fond words regarding you." She assured Kakashi with a small sweet laugh.

Just then a woman approached their table and Sakura found herself thinking back to what the menu had to offer. Meanwhile, the women kept talking and Sakura found herself only half-listening until she mentioned the way she and Kakashi were looking at each other. If Sakura had been eating or drinking, she would have certainly choked and died. Sakura looked from the waitress back to Kakashi, not sure if she heard correctly or not. What way were they looking at each other exactly? Before she could inquire further, the woman kept speaking rather quickly and by the time she was finished, Sakura's brain was still struggling to process such a misunderstanding. It appeared Kakashi was unsure of what to do as well. Sakura slowly looked back to the woman who seemed oddly excited about them being a couple.

75% off?

Dessert?

What...?

Her mind was still twitching in panic as well as embarrassment. Kakashi was her teacher. Did they look closer than that? Sakura was beyond baffled and felt her jaw starting to drop in befuddlement. Her lips pursed outwards in a stumped manner as the woman looked them, expecting her assumptions to have been valid and correct. "A-a...actually, we..." Sakura started to stammer but the woman looked so happy. It was weird and Sakura knew it would be made worse if she tried to tell the woman the truth. As awkward as it felt, Sakura didn't have it in her to pop whatever bubbling fantasy the kind woman had created. "I um...well...we..." Sakura looked to Kakashi and gave a pained shrug, thinking they didn't have a choice in the matter. What harm could it do, really? Sakura put on a smile and reached over for Kakashi's hand, in the process she almost slapped a napkin off the table. "To be honest, we uh just started dating a few weeks ago." She lied, trying to think of something believable.

"This is new to us but...you know, when it's right, it's right..." She said nervously and squeezed Kakashi's hand a little, trying to tell herself this was better than explaining that they were actually teacher and student and not at all romantically involved. She even doubted she was Kakashi's type, not that it mattered. "We'll just have the uh beef curry and jasmine rice please." She then said quickly, wanting the lady to quickly be on her way.

"Of course, something a little hot for the two lovers." The woman smiled and took their menus and then looked between the pair. "And you two shouldn't be sitting across from each other." She gasped and motioned for Sakura to get up. "I know you two could get lost in each other's eyes but sitting next to each other is much cozier, go on." She waved her hands at Sakura until she got up and slid in next to Kakashi. "There, isn't that better? You two shouldn't be so nervous, I have a feeling you're both going to make each other happy for quite a while." A man called her from the kitchen and she sighed and apologized before she left them alone finally. Before, Sakura had thought playing along wouldn't be a big deal but now she was beginning to reconsider. There was no way out though, so she hoped Kakashi wasn't too uncomfortable.

At least they had that in common at the moment.

Looking to him, she sighed and smiled a little, mostly at the situation they were in. "I think this is something we leave out of our report, if Lady Tsunade found out we were in love, we wouldn't be able to train together." Sakura playfully pointed out.