Training log: Kakashi and Sakura

[wandererkakashi]

Characters: Sakura, Kakashi
Setting: Outskirts of the rebel camp; February 10, AR
Rating: PG
Warnings: none
Summary: Kakashi gives Sakura her first training session.


It was one of those mornings. A cool breeze wafted against Sakura's face, making her shiver as she scolded herself for ever asking him to train her. She waited there for who knew how long, but she was starting to get pissed off, that was for sure. "At least three hours," she mumbled to herself, "Damn him! He tells me to get up before the crack of dawn and makes me wait!"

Deciding this was a test of some sort she stood there, in the middle of an open field, grumbling and gritting her teeth, deciding just how many ways she knew that she could torture that son of a--

"Morning, Sakura." Kakashi threw up a hand in greeting as he stepped onto the field, smiling warmly and approaching her at an easy pace. A moment later he stopped in front of her and briefly skimmed the area, his cheery welcome dropping and his face returning to its default expression. As he had predicted, they were alone, and probably would be as long as they remained there. The location had been chosen primarily for its seclusion--Kakashi already had the feeling that this session would prove difficult, so they didn't need any distractions.

"You're late!" Sakura scolded, pointing an accusing finger at the silver-haired man she adopted as her teacher. Who would have known that someone as strong as he would be so late for a training session? Then again, he could have just stood her up, so that was one thing leaning in the positive direction.

Giving him a smug look that explained everything she felt at the moment, Sakura crossed her arms, waiting for Kakashi to say some form of apology for his absolute lack in the responsibility department (as if she was all that mattered in the world).

"Yes, there was some trouble with the watchmen..." Kakashi trailed off and looked at her again, moving on to the matter at hand. "I'm glad to see you've got some energy this early. You're going to need it."

It was his turn to fold his arms over his chest as he examined her, deciding on the best place to start. He had given this session only a little thought before now, certain that he would make most of it up as he went. "Well, even I can't do much without a little prior knowledge." He raised his eyebrow expectantly. "So tell me--have you had any type of training in the past?" Kakashi wasn't expecting anything major; but if Sakura had had even a tiny push in some direction or another, be it physically or magically based--and he currently had no idea if she was gifted in either manner--it would help.

"Well...not really." Sakura rubbed her chin with her index finger, thinking of anything that would remotely count as a form of combat. "The only times I've ever 'fought' or anything was with a few boys who were picking on a kitten when I was a little girl. But, I won, although mother got horribly angry at me for getting my dress dirty. Not to mention, she didn't let me keep the cat."

Sakura smiled at the memory of her victory, but suddenly felt completely childish for even bringing it up in the first place. "Well, I was just a kid then, and we're talking the Akatsuki here, so just forget I ever said that!"

Kakashi nodded. He had figured as much; still, even her story was better than nothing. Now, at least he knew she hadn't been completely shielded in her upbringing.

"Very well." His eye rolled skyward in consideration. "Then we'll start off simple: physical skills." Looking at her, he let one hand fall to his hip. "I'll assess what you know, as well as teach you the basics." He paused again, and then, rather bluntly: "Come at me. Any way you like. If it'll help, aim for this." Using his thumb, he gestured at the bandana over his eye. "Having a target makes planning easier. We'll keep going until you get it, or until I say stop." There, Kakashi hesitated, waiting for any questions.

"Alright. I don't know what I'm doing, but I'll try." Gripping her hand into a tight fist, the girl charged with all her might at the man before her. However, being that she was still a young girl, and he an experienced fighter, what strength Sakura possessed was nothing compared to Kakashi's. But that didn't hold the pink-haired female from charging straight to her target, determined to hit her mark.

She swung, aiming for his face, hoping to hit anything at all.

In truth, he had been expecting just this.

Kakashi stepped back and her fist passed harmlessly in front of him. Using the pause that the momentum of her swing created, he moved around her and caught her opposite wrist in his hand. Kicking her legs out from under her wasn't necessary; a firm shove put her on her knees and a second later she was lying in the grass, free arm pinned beneath her as Kakashi held the other against her back. With one foot planted between her shoulder blades, he crouched over her, careful not to put too much of his weight down. She was fragile--almost frustratingly so, had he been of less patience--so fragile that there was more effort in curbing his strength than in taking her down. He let up on his grip only slightly, aware that he could snap her arm if he tried, but still held on hard enough to see her skin turn white under his fingers.

"Haste is your first mistake." Kakashi made a fist with his free hand and rested his cheek on his knuckles. "You admitted you didn't know what you were doing, and yet you charged blindly at me, regardless. Do that in a real battle and you'll die." Then, in a kinder tone, "Besides...I didn't even say 'start' yet."

Grunting upon Kakashi's counter, Sakura huffed a, "Well, when you say 'come at me,' I take it means 'start!'" Trying to catch a glance at him, she grit her teeth in anger, but knew she was under his control now. "Besides, you know I'm inexperienced, so help me out here!" Struggling a bit in his grip, but not strong enough to even get him to budge she sighed, "Please?"

Kakashi stood up, still leaning over to offer her a hand. While he had been a bit rough given her lack of skill, that in itself had told him a little more about her. She had remained rather calm, for one thing.

"First lesson," he started, looking down at her: "your approach. If your enemy's abilities are unknown, try not to make the first move if you can help it. Your stance is what we'll focus on first."

"Okay," taking his hand she stood up, ready to follow his orders. She would do anything not to be humiliated by him again. Feet spread shoulder-width apart, facing parallel was how etiquette class taught her to stand. But combat style was different, and she felt that if learning how to be 'proper and polite' was annoying and difficult, she wondered just how much more difficult it would be to learn how to defend herself.

Kakashi drew back, studying her posture. Breaking her out of nobility's teachings was only the beginning, but he shouldn't have much trouble; he had grown up knowing the mannerisms of nobles and warriors alike, and the two weren't that difficult to switch between with practice. That didn't account for his usual relaxed slouch, but he had learned that later in life.

"Generally, in a combat situation you'll want to stay tensed, but not so tensed that you make yourself nervous." Placing a hand on Sakura's back, he applied a little pressure to push her forward and make her lean slightly. "Don't stand so firm; you want to be ready to move. Stretch your legs out a little more." He went slowly and patiently, making sure her stance was correct before moving on.

"Your hands will always stay up, regardless of whether or not you're armed." Kakashi stepped in front of her to raise her arms to the correct height. "The first purpose of this is defense, should either enemy or projectile come at you. Keep your arms solid. In the event that you have to use them as a shield, you don't want to block an attack only to end up hitting yourself."

Taking a glance at where the placement of each part of her body stood, she tried to hold still, listening to his every word. She had to admit, the way her body felt was a bit awkward, but hopefully she would get over this feeling in time. Nodding occasionally at a comment or two, she chewed on her lip, wondering just how well she'd be able to move in this state. Sure it seemed easier to move around in than her normal stance, but just unusual.

Keeping her hands up she waited for the explanation to either continue or finish.

As basic as the lesson was for a start, the entire lecture took about an hour. Kakashi was as thorough as he could be, taking her inexperience into account as he showed her the fundamental methods of parrying and dodging. Having learned all this in a time that was beyond his memory, he did his best to keep things simple and group the different techniques as closely as possible.

Once he felt she knew enough to move on to the next stage, Kakashi made a motion, signaling for her to relax. "This is, of course, very basic, but without this knowledge, you'll never move on. Now, we'll try what we did earlier. Unlike before, I'll be hitting back as well as defending, so you'll have to incorporate everything I've said up to now."

A bit intense considering she still knew so little, but he was confident that experience was the only way to learn efficiently.

"Alright then." Nodding, she got into her fighting position, slowly approaching her target. 'Haste is your first mistake.' The words echoed in her head, she nodded to herself once again, taking her time, analyzing his position and stance. She was at a huge disadvantage. First off, he was much more experienced than she, not to mention much taller, a stronger build, and void of any kind of emotion. Also, since he basically taught her everything she was expected to learn, he would know exactly how she would perform a movement as well as when she would most likely perform it.

So, I've got to find some kind of opening, but attack slightly different just to throw him off kilter a bit. Thinking to herself, she finally came up with a plan. She wasn't quite sure if it would work, but it would definitely surprise him. Eyes widening, she charged at him, but instead of swinging at him like before she decided to take the opposite route, falling at the last second upon reaching Kakashi to the ground in a skidding position, as if meaning to slide onto home base for a score. Gripping the loose dirt around her she quickly flung the dust up into the air, scattering the particles of sand, creating a mist around them to lessen visibility. Swinging her left leg towards Kakashi's, she aimed to sweep him off of his feet. Thank goodness I played some stick ball as a child!

Kakashi had to give her credit for the attempt at concealment--he certainly hadn't been expecting it. But the solution was rather simple; closing his eye to avoid being blinded by the debris, he leapt back a little ways and evaded her low attack.

"Points for creativity," he commented as he looked at her again, "but if I'd had a comrade nearby waiting to attack, you'd be helpless where you are now."

The sand fluttered to the ground around the wild-eyed girl, a smirk on her features. "Well, it was worth a shot." Standing up into a fighting stance, Sakura wiped her mouth with the back of her right hand, getting the taste of dirt off of her lips. Her pink hair was now caked in brown, making her long, pink tresses appear muddled. "How about you come get me, Teacher!"

Kakashi didn't reply to that, but with a bit of speed slid into position behind her, pausing just long enough to allow her time to realize his location before tossing a fist at her side in a pulled punch.

"Where did--" Shocked by Kakashi's speed, Sakura didn't even see the punch coming until it landed in her side. Gasping form the slight pain it instilled in her body, she tried to twist her body in a way to attack, attempting to jam her right elbow into his gut.

Her reaction had been slower than he anticipated, Kakashi realized, blocking the elbow she threw at him. Nothing too terrible about it; they would just have to focus on that, as well. He backed off a few inches, permitting her room to turn around, and then thrust his palm at her shoulder to try and knock her off balance, still moving slower than he normally would in a battle.

Her body twisted, but didn't cause her to stumble, luckily, as she continued her persistent pursuit of attacking Kakashi. She was getting a bit sloppy, something that she knew she was doing, but Sakura could really care less right now. Perhaps that was her number one weakness, not wanting to lose, not wanting to appear weak before another, so she fought on, swinging harder than before at Kakashi, keeping her hands up and attacking, but not so much concerned about her defense. To put it simply, she was a mess.

"All right, stop, stop," he ordered with a sigh, stepping back and out of her range. "Sakura, you're panicking. You know I'm not going to hurt you, so calm down." Kakashi's blunt tone matched the stern look he was giving her. "By letting your emotions ruin your thought, you're telling me you can't handle the pressure of this situation."

"Of course I can handle the pressure!" she shouted at the top of her lungs, startling even herself. "Err...okay, so I'm still trying to get a hang of this. But still! You're not being very fair!" Pointing an accusing finger at the silver-haired gentleman before her she spat, "You're much more experienced than myself! Not to mention bigger, stronger, and faster by huge lengths! Or at least you put up that image." She raised an eyebrow at Kakashi but shook off the thought continuing in a more calmed tone, "So, what I'm trying to say is...help?"

Kakashi nearly sighed again. He really wasn't sure how to make this simpler, but perhaps he had been expecting too much. He was treating her as he would have a squire at the same age; and it was sexist to say so, but she was a girl, on top of everything. Speaking in a general term, that alone meant weaker upper body strength, smaller size, and less speed.

"...Okay," he said at length. "Then let's try this--rather than an actual spar, we'll just do a simulation. Kind of like when I showed you the separate steps, only all those steps will be joined together. For example..." Striding behind Sakura to where he had been moments before, Kakashi reenacted raising his fist and aiming for her right side. "Considering my speed surprised you, the best defense against this kind of maneuver is to turn and use your left hand to block, like so." He reached around her and moved her left hand into place, showing how her palm would thwart his strike if executed correctly. "At this point, offense is of no concern. Attempting to hit me as you did while still wide open was...incorrect."

Kakashi stopped, still up against her as he held her position in place. "Is this helping at all?"

"Wh-what?" Sakura's heart skipped a beat, but immediately, mentally-slapped herself stupid for thinking anything along those lines, quickly rephrasing her words to, "Err...I guess so." She always felt awkward when her personal space was violated, unexpectedly. Then again, he was her teacher, so it would just have to be something she would grow used to.

Taking a glance at how her hands moved, she studied the pattern and nodded when she understood the movement. So she could still defend herself even though she wasn't stronger than him? That was reassuring.

"Had you correctly defended like this," he went on, "your next aim would have been to get away from me and try to reassess the situation from a distance..." He went through another explanation, showing Sakura step-by-step how he would have preferred her to counter--defend with her left hand, retreat away from him, analyze what she could--all while moving alongside and guiding her.

"Now," Kakashi said in a final tone, releasing her and stepping away, "let's try it again. I'll attack you the same way as before--if you do as I showed you, you should have no problem defending against me." He was stressing this one particular maneuver because rear-attacks were a favorite of assailants, especially if they had the element of surprise. Given that Kakashi was, basically, training her during wartime when battles could erupt any day, this was one of the first things she needed to learn. "Ready?" he asked.

"Yes." Having a clearer understanding of what he expected from her, Sakura got into a defensive stance, ready to block and counter anything, within reason, that should come her way. Even if she was inferior in speed and strength, his reassurance that she should encounter no problem gave her that extra boost of confidence she needed to get serious about her situation. This wasn't a game. Sakura would have to approach this training as a life or death simulation. Should anything go wrong on the actual battlefield, she could be either rendered useless or to the extreme, die. "Come at me, Kakashi."

Not only was she more confident, but she also seemed more comfortable. That was good.

Without responding, Kakashi retreated until there were several yards between them, holding her gaze. Then, just as before, he darted behind her and moved around to her right side, aiming for the blow with a little more force than before.

Barely catching sight of the movement due to his speed, she managed to block the blow, moving her hands the way Kakashi had shown her to. She smiled up at him, congratulating herself for her success. I...I really did it! With a big grin still plastered on her face, she managed to grab the attacking member and bit harder than intended, a tingling sensation spreading through her fingers, attempting to pull him forward and off of his feet with some unknown strength.

Startled and caught off guard by the sudden display of power, Kakashi stumbled, but recovered in the same second. Seizing the wrist above the hand that had a hold of him, he pulled Sakura back towards him and used a bit of his magic to counter her effort while he steadied himself.

...Interesting.

He had most definitely felt something, on his arm as well as in his senses. "Sakura," he inquired after a moment, gazing at her hands, "what did you feel just now?"

Sakura's eyes widened at her feat, even though Kakashi did manage to counter the movement quite skillfully. "What do you mean?" she asked, not quite sure how to react to the moment, herself. It was something she never felt before, a feeling so foreign she could only explain it as 'tingly' and 'strange.' Shaking her head was the only response she could give him, not sure if any word could describe that moment of lightness and the release of some unknown energy from her fingertips. What...was that? Glancing down at her fingertips she curled her fingers and flipped her hand to and fro, trying to analyze them or some kind of answer.

So she wasn't aware. That certainly was not unheard of, but for Sakura to direct it at Kakashi as she had--it surprised him, but he was also pleased. That premature spark of magic was a positive sign.

"...Never mind. You did well." He rubbed the back of his neck, glancing up at the sun. "Seems we've been at it for a while...how about we break for a few minutes?"

Slowly winding down from the sudden burst adrenaline, Sakura nodded, gladly taking a seat against a tree. This was nothing like she thought this training session was going to be, but she liked it. She liked learning hands on, even though many of the things she did learn were found in endless textbooks, only to be discarded anyway due to the Akatsuki running the courts. Frowning at the thought of the organization that destroyed countless lives she gripped her fist tightly, punching the ground with the soft side. She would do something about it, no matter how trivial it may seem to them, at least she was doing something, and she was happy with that. Certainly, joining the rebellion section was a step towards the right direction. She met Kakashi and Lee, two people who she felt she could trust her life with.

If only he were here. A blonde-haired boy with a big grin on his face suddenly appeared in her mind. She had only met him a couple times, but with just those two times she could feel a friendship that would last a lifetime. Sakura only hoped that he was okay, but then again he was probably the one in a safer position. It wasn't exactly healthy to be a former member of the court and abandon it for a rebellion faction.

Glancing up at her teacher, she asked, "What did you do before you joined the rebellion?" It was something that crossed her mind a few times, but the question never seemed to have been asked.

Drawing out the novel that rested in his hip pouch, Kakashi also sat and leaned back against the side of the same tree, Sakura only just visible in the corner of his eye. He flipped the book open and found where he had last left off before answering, tone neutral.

"I was a member of the king's guard."

A small gasp emitted from Sakura, causing her to cover her mouth as if it was a disrespectful thing to do. Then again this did explain a lot of things. First of all, the reason why he would join a rebellion faction became a little more obvious and second, why he understood her more so than she thought he would. So he was a member of the upper class, or at least had relations to the upper class, for one did not have to be rich or of a certain bloodline, but simply dedicated to his kingdom to become a guard of the royal crown.

Nodding her head as if everything made sense now she replied, "So, I see." Then curiosity got the best of her, "What was our king like? I am but too young to know much of him. Just stories my mother used to tell me. I can only imagine a king as a person such as the tyrant who reigns over Konoha at this time. It is hard to believe there was ever a peaceful time as my mother told me."

Perhaps she was asking too much of him. It wasn't her place to ask these things, then again she felt she did have a right to know. What exactly did the rebellion fight for?

Kakashi hesitated, staring at the page but not taking in a word. It wasn't that he minded talking about the king; rather, he just wasn't sure how to describe him. Not to Sakura, at least, or to anyone who had never known him.

"...He was a great soldier--in battle, he always fought alongside his men. The first on the field, the last to leave it." That hardly did him justice, but it was the first memory Kakashi had of the king: a fighter who loved his comrades and would gladly put his life on the line to protect them. At the time, such a concept had been almost imperceptible to Kakashi, who, he now acknowledged with disgust, had refused to regard that kind of emotion as anything but a hindrance.

"He cared for everyone in the kingdom, whatever their history or bloodline or class. He always made time for his people, always saw their burdens and their challenges as his own. He was there for them, no matter how stubborn or stupid they could be..." Regretfully, Kakashi knew that from experience. "He was, basically, everything that Sir Leader is not.

"You would have liked him," he put in casually. "Some, including Akatsuki, accused him of being too soft-hearted...but for all his kindness, he was a solid ruler and a fearsome warrior. Even today, he is one of the last in this world that I would want to face as an enemy."

Stopping, Kakashi waited another moment before adding, a little more quietly, "Some would say it foolish to assume that he was a perfect king, but...personally, I cannot imagine a better." As he told all of this to Sakura, he could not help but wish that he had always been so clear-sighted. Even during his service, he had failed to realize the greatness of the man he had pledged his life to; when that realization had finally come, it had been several years too late.

Sakura focused in on Kakashi's dark orb, seeing all the emotions flow through that one glassy ball, every word meaning something different. She often read people since she was a child, capable of determining a real smile from a fake one. Nodding, she gripped her knees with her arms, glancing up at the fluffy clouds in the sky. "He sounds like a wonderful man." Winking at her teacher she added in, "Definitely a man a woman could only dream of." She cracked a cheesy smile that rivaled even that of her friend, Naruto. "But dreaming is one step towards a new future. It is something that I believe in, and though it may seem tough and sometimes even impossible, I'm sure that we'll find a king that will make everyone happy."

Jumping up she smiled at Kakashi again, the smile so big it looked like it was about to fall right off of her face. "So, are we rested? Or are you getting old on me, Sir?"

Kakashi smirked, subtle enough to where she couldn't see it. He couldn't help but like her enthusiasm--it was a pleasant thing to see unmarred hope.

Not looking up, he replied, "Very well. We'll continue. Having analyzed what you know--which is, basically, nothing, with the exception of what I just taught you," he threw in, not forgetting that "old" comment, "--I've determined what I think is the best possible method of training you given the circumstances." He turned the page. "Defense is our first priority. Through more combat simulations with you, I'll teach you how to defend against the easiest and most commonly used attacks. Obviously, those attacks will get more and more difficult as we go on. Offense will come after."

Reaching a break in the page, he clapped the book shut and glanced at Sakura. In truth, he had also planned beyond that, but telling her anything more was jumping too far ahead. "Any questions, my lady?" Kakashi asked, with only a slight emphasis on the title as he stood up.

Sticking her tongue out at the silver-haired man she cracked a smile, "No questions. Let's get on with it already!" Getting into a defensive stance, she waited for his move, enjoying the anticipation of battle that she never believed herself to possess.