Touch - Chapter 11
Title: Touch
Fandom: Naruto
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: I have no rights to or claims on the Naruto franchise, trademark, copyright, or characters. This is for fun, not profit.
Summary: In the future what's left of humanity sends the Rokudaime Hokage back in time to make some changes. Sadly, they can't send all of her. When a seven-year-old Haruno Sakura decides to take an interest in Hatake Kakashi, the timeline shifts in some... unique... ways.
“Hold on,” Sakura said as the twins were about to go through the gates and off to their first day of school. She fished a pair of small, black boxes out of her kunai pouch. “I made you both something. They’re for good luck.”
A quick look at the ribbons around each box made sure that each girl got her designated gift.
Inside each box lay a necklace.
Both necklaces were made up of dozens of tiny rounded stones. In the center of each necklace were three longer, rectangular stones reminiscent of the crystal on Tsuande’s necklace. Each long stone was separated by five little round stones. All of the stones had tiny shimmering lines and swirls etched into them. To Sakura’s senses, the front halves of both necklaces faintly hummed with her chakra signature.
Umeko’s necklace was made out of deeply red agate stones while Anzu’s necklace was made out of much paler rose quartz stones. Sakura had chosen the stones for their price, durability, and because they matched each girl’s hair color.
“They’re so pretty,” breathed Umeko. She smoothed the pad of her thumb over one stone bead. “Thank you, Sakura-neechan.”
“Thanks for the good luck charms,” chirped Anzu.
She was already tugging her necklace over her head.
“I believe in making my own good luck,” Sakura said cheerfully as she helped Umeko with her necklace. “Those necklaces have one of my best ninja techniques stored inside of them. And it’s a secret! So don’t tell anyone about them!”
Umeko’s face lit up as her hand came up to curl around the center stone.
Anzu pressed her chin to her chest and looked down at her necklace doubtfully.
“What do they do?”
Sakura shook her head. “You don’t need to know. But if anything bad should happen - if the village is attacked by giant snakes or zombies or hungry plant-men - press your chakra or your blood into those long stones.”
Umeko shivered.
“We don’t know how to use chakra,” pouted Anzu.
“So use a little bit of your blood.” Sakura crouched down so that she could look her sisters in their eyes. “Those aren’t toys and they aren’t for fun. They’re serious ninja weapons that can kill people. The ninja technique I put in them is more dangerous than my weapons or poisons or summons. Promise me that you’ll use them to stay safe and that you’ll only use them to stay safe.”
“I promise,” Umeko said fervently.
“Promise,” Anzu agreed more sullenly.
There’s going to be trouble there, Sakura thought with a sigh. But I’d rather they have them than that they don’t.
“Sakura, you’re scaring them,” scolded their mother. She utterly ruined the solemnity of the moment. “And you’re going to make them late. Give them kisses, wish them luck, and let the rest of us have our turns.”
Sakura dutifully gave the twins hugs and kisses, wished them luck, and moved back so that someone else could have a turn at them.
The next morning, Sakura walked Fu to school. Sakura strode down the pavement in her boots, medic skirt, a pair of black shorts, and a red clan blouse. There were white whirlpools embroidered on each shoulder and the white Haruno circle in the center of the back. Her forehead protector, which was holding her hair back, gleamed in the morning light. Fu, dressed in a vibrantly red Haruno clan blouse, a pair of white shorts, a white skirt, and sandals, rushed to keep up. There were white whirlpools embroidered on each shoulder and the white Haruno circle in the center of her back. Where Sakura’s steps were confident, Fu did her best to fade into the crowd. The younger girl clutched Sakura’s hand in a sweaty death grip. Her palm slipped against Sakura’s leather clad palm and her fingers were hot against Sakura’s bared digits.
Their mother was walking the twins to school while their father and Momo made arrangements to spend the morning away from the office.
When they were still some distance from the school, Sakura pulled Fu down a side alley. It was clean and empty of everything save them. Civilians walked by either entrance to the alley without ever once glancing down it.
“Sakura-neechan?”
Sakura pulled a box out of her kunai pouch.
Even though she had seen Sakura’s gifts to the twins, Fu still stared up at Sakura with wide, shocked eyes. Her hand tightened on Sakura’s hand but she made no move to take the gift.
“For me?”
“Of course.” Sakura made a little circular gesture toward Fu with the box. “Go ahead. Open it.”
Fu slowly took the box into her free hand.
She was openly reluctant to let go of Sakura long enough to open her gift.
When she saw it, Fu gasped.
Nestled inside the box was a necklace made from red topaz stones. While the basic design was the same as the necklaces that Sakura had given to the twins, this necklace had five evenly spaced rectangular stones at its front. When the light hit the topaz beads and crystals just right, they gleamed as orange as Fu’s eyes. And just like Sakura’s previous gifts, half of the little stone beads and all of the long crystals softly hummed with Sakura’s chakra. In the depths of all of the stones glimmered the fine, delicate lines, curves, and angles of the most complex sealing arrays Sakura had ever created.
Fu cradled the box in one hand and petted the gift with soft, shaking fingers.
“Fu-chan? Do you want me to help you put it on?”
Fu tilted her head forward so that her lovely green hair slid forward and hid her face and eyes from Sakura.
“So you aren’t mad at me?”
“Mad at you?” Truly surprised, Sakura stared down at the head bent before her. “Why would I be mad at you?”
“You - You haven’t been home since before I was adopted. I thought - I thought that maybe you were mad about me sneaking into your family and being your sister now.”
Sakura’s heart squeezed in her chest. Tears prickled at the corners of her eyes and regret tugged at the curves of her heart.
“No. I was never mad at you,” Sakura said. Her hoarse voice rasped painfully in her throat. She cleared her throat and laid a gentle hand on the crown of Fu’s head. Soft green strands slid through her callused fingers. “Some bad things happened. And then some other things happened. And things weren’t okay for awhile. I just couldn’t get home any sooner than I did. But I was so, so happy to get the letter saying that you’d share my family name because I’d already thought of you as my little sister for so long.”
Fu sniffled. Her hands had closed around the box and the necklace, holding them tightly.
“But you went away for such a long time.”
“I know.” Sakura crouched in front of Fu. The younger girl was crying silent tears. Dark little splotches marked where her tears had hit the stone pavement. Sakura’s arms curved around thin, fragile shoulders and pulled the younger girl closer. Fu stumbled forward until she bumped into Sakura. She pressed her wet face into the curve of Sakura’s neck. “As a ninja, sometimes I have to go away for ages and ages on a mission. But I still love you very much. And I love you just as much as I love Anzu or Umeko or Momo. I want to protect you just as much as I want to protect them. I’m sorry that I hurt you by staying away for so long.”
“They said I was being silly but - I just - What if you were so mad you left and never came back?”
“That is silly,” Sakura said. One of her hands rubbed up and down and around and round on Fu’s back. Fu leaned heavily against Sakura. “I could never be that mad at anyone. I don’t leave. Not ever.”
Fu made a wet noise against Sakura’s shoulder.
They stayed like that for a few minutes while Sakura smoothed Fu’s hair and rubbed her back and murmured soothing truths to Fu.
“We should start heading toward the school,” Sakura said at last. “I’d hate to make you late for your induction ceremony.”
Fu gasped a sound halfway between a laugh and a sob.
“Mama would be so mad at you!”
Sakura pressed a kiss into Fu’s temple. It fell on soft skin and fine strands of mint green hair alike.
“Mmm. Let’s get you cleaned up.”
They arrived just in the nick of time for Fu to take her place at the back of the group just as Sakura had done six years earlier.
Sakura pretended not to notice her mother’s disapproving sniffs and Iruka-sensei’s evil glares. It was clear who was going to be blamed for any of Fu’s missteps.
That’s so totally unfair! I’m not that bad an influence. It’s not like I ever encouraged Naruto or Ino or anyone else to skip school with me. The visceral memory of the taste of various soaps and the elastic snap of a rubberband against her wrist made Sakura wince. Well, I’m not that bad anymore. Shizune’s a total dictator. She’d make a great kage - or headmistress of a reform school.
Sakura settled her eyes on Fu who looked so small and still and frightened. When Fu’s roaming eyes finally settled on her family, some of the fear eased out of her expression.
She even tried to smile for them.
Sakura smiled her widest, silliest smile back.
Next to her, Sakura’s mother sniffed. This time it was a wet, sad sound.
“Two daughters,” she mumbled. “Sacrificed to this village.”
Sakura winced. Time and a changed series of events had done nothing to ease her mother’s dislike of ninja. She patted the back of her mother’s hand anyway. Her mother’s hand turned over and grasped Sakura’s. Holding hands, they watched as Fu was inducted into the shinobi forces.
When the Sandaime Hokage stood up to make his speech, Sakura was disappointed to hear that it was the exact same one that he had given at her own induction. It made sense, of course, to reuse the same speech for each incoming class and as the Rokudaime she had done the same thing (graduation speeches were another matter entirely, however) but Sakura had expected better of Sarutobi Hiruzen.
It was stupid because he was only human.
Sakura only realized that she was frowning because Fu was starting to look worried. She forced herself to stop being silly and cranky. Sakura felt the lines of her face relax into more pleasant lines.
Fu’s eyes moved to study their parents then Momo before finally coming back to Sakura.
Slowly, Fu relaxed.
After the ceremony there were tight hugs and quick kisses and many wishes for Fu to have a good day.
When Fu rushed off to find her class, the same way Sakura had once done, her family was left to mill about with the other families.
“S-Sakura-san.”
Sakura turned toward the soft voice. Nearby was a painfully embarrassed looking Hinata. Beyond her, the Hyuuga clan head was speaking with the Hokage.
“Hinata-san!” Sakura beamed. “What’re you doing here?”
Hinata shot Sakura a strange look. “M-My s-s-sister, H-H-Hanabi, s-st-started t-t-today.”
“I was really only looking at my little sister.” Sakura admitted with a wry shrug. “But that’s great! Maybe our little sisters can be friends!”
Hinata looked alarmed at the mere idea of it. Sakura grimaced.
“Relax. Fu’s more like you and Naruto than like me.”
Hinata flushed scarlet. She looked terribly embarrassed. She also looked incredibly relieved.
“I-I didn’t mean to - I-I wasn’t saying that -”
“Don’t worry about it,” Sakura said easily. “I know what kind of academy student I was. Unfortunately for poor Fu, Iruka-sensei also knows what sort of academy student I was.”
Hinata grimaced apologetically. “You w-were very… f-f-free sp-spirited.”
Sakura grinned. “I like that. I’m using that to describe myself from now on.”
Hinata, who was still painfully red, giggled.
“Hey, I wanted to ask you something,” Sakura said. It was a complete lie. Until that very moment, Sakura had never considered asking Hinata for anything. But as she got older, the looming potential futures (or lack thereof) of nearly everyone she knew got closer and Sakura worried more. Doing her best would never be enough. They needed to be their best selves as well. “I’ve created a taijutsu style based on medical jutsu. Not that stuff that Tsunade-shisho does. Her style’s amazing but it’s not something every medic could learn to do. You can either fight like Tsunade-shisho or you can’t. My new style is closer to your Juken and easier for the average medic to learn and use. I’d like someone to practice it with. Would you mind?”
Really, really close to your Gentle Fist style since Neji was my research partner when I originally developed it.
Hinata opened and closed her mouth but no sounds came out. She flushed. Hinata looked down at her feet, her forefingers bumping together and twirling again.
“I-I don’t know i-if I-I could h-help you with the st-style.”
“Of course,” Sakura said. She tried not to sound too disapoointed. “I’ll just -”
“I-I w-would like a-another sparring partner though,” Hinata whispered. “I-I need the p-practice.”
“Great! When would you like to start?”
“T-Tomorrow m-morning? A-At f-five?”
“Could we start at four? It’ll give me time to get cleaned up before I walk Fu to school.”
“S-sure. T-tomorrow. At f-f-four.”
“That’s great! I’ll see you then!”
When Sakura caught up with Team Seven, the boys were putting the finishing touches on a taijutsu combo.
“Ah, Sakura! So nice of you to finally join us.”
Sakura shrugged. “I told you I was going to Fu’s induction ceremony.”
Kakashi scratched the side of his head. “You did. I was just making an observation.”
Sakura narrowed her eyes. “Mmhmm. Did you forget?”
“Aahh.” Kakashi hand had moved to scratching the back of his head. It was his tell for when he was feeling embarrassed or sheepish over some perceived flaw or failing of his. “You know tthat I always pay the greatest attention to everything that you say.”
Sakura sighed. “Right. Am I forgiven then?”
“Of course.” Kakashi smiled that bright, fake smile of his. There was at least the very edge of truth behind it. “There was never anything to forgive.”
Sakura nodded. “So what’re we doing?”
“You’ve got conditioning. The boys have got taijutsu and chakra manipulation exercises.”
Sakura shrugged. “Okay.”
After lunch there was more practice and then it was time to pick up Fu.
Team Seven was standing outside of the gates with the milling crowd of parents and siblings when the bell signaling the end of the school day rang.
Streams of children rushed out of the building and toward their respective family members. A small green-haired comet headed for Sakura.
“Oof!” Sakura gasped as Fu flung herself around Sakura’s waist. Her arms immediately went around Fu’s shoulders. “Did you have a good day?”
“Yes!” Fu chirped. She pulled back from Sakura. “I like Iruka-sensei! He’s so nice!”
“Iruka-sensei?” Naruto shouted. “Lucky! He’s the best!”
“He is!”
The two jinchuriki beamed at each other.
“You know what else is the best? Ramen! We should get him to take us out for ramen right away!”
Fu blinked. “Ramen?”
“Yeah!” Naruto cheered as if Fu had been agreeing with him. “Let’s go find Iruka-sensei!”
Naruto raced off.
The other three members of Team Seven and Fu blinked at each other.
“She wasn’t agreeing with him,” Sasuke said blankly. He looked at Fu. “Were you agreeing with him?”
“N-No.”
Sakura smiled and shook her head. “That’s just Naruto.” She put a hand on Fu’s shoulder. “Do you remember Hatake Kakashi? He’s Kakashi-sensei now. And this is my other teammate, Uchiha Sasuke.”
Fu bowed to them. “It’s a pleasure to meet you both.”
“HE SAID YES!” bawled Naruto from somewhere in the academy.
“I’M NOT TREATING YOUR WHOLE TEAM! ASK YOUR JONIN SENSEI!”
Fu quailed. “Was that Iruka-sensei?”
“Yeah.” Sakura smiled reassuringly. “He’s just shouting to be heard over Naruto. He’s not really mad.”
“You’d know the difference,” muttered Sasuke.
Sakura scowled at Sasuke. Sasuke ignored her. Fu stared at Sakura with open curiosity.
When Fu opened her mouth Sakura hastily said, “Would you like a piggy back ride Fu-chan?”
Fu beamed. “Yes, please!”
“KAKASHI-SENSEI!” Naruto shouted. He was hanging dangerous far out of one of the academy’s windows. “IRUKA-SENSEI SAYS THAT YOU SHOULD TREAT US ALL TO RAMEN!”
A hand latched onto Naruto’s collar and wrenched him back inside the building.
“THAT’S NOT WHAT I SAID!”
Fu, who was situated on Sakura’s back, asked worriedly, “Are you sure Iruka-sensei’s not mad?”
“He’s just a little annoyed,” Sakura reassured.
Kakashi sighed. “I can’t believe that kid abandoned a mission for ramen.”
“Free ramen,” Sakkura said cheerfully.
Kakashi shot Sakura a flat look as he started up the walkway toward the academy building.
“Free stuff always tastes better,” Sakura said defensively. On her back, Fu wriggled. Her hands tightened their grip on Sakura’s shoulders.
She and Sasuke were trailing along after Kakashi.
“True,” Kakashi agreed. He rubbed his chin as he held open the door for her and Fu and then Sasuke. “I wonder why that is.”
“It’s a mystery,” Sakura cheerfully agreed.
Sasuke sighed.
********************
The only reason Kurenai knew that Hinata had a sparring date that morning was because Hinata asked Kiba if Naruto had ever mentioned if Sakura liked riceballs.
“No.” Kiba said.
“Why are you interested in Sakura-san’s dietary habits?” Shino asked quietly when it became obvious that Kiba was not going to ask any sort of follow up questions.
“W-We’re meeting up at oh-four hundred tomorrow to sparring,” Hinata confessed to her twiddling fingers. “I thought it might be nice to have breakfast together afterward.”
“Why d’you want to spar with her?” demanded Kiba. “She was always near the bottom of our taijutsu classes in the academy.”
“She - She asked.”
Kiba snorted. “You’re too nice, Hinata.”
Hinata blushed.
An interesting scent distracted Akamaru which meant it also distracted Kiba. Kiba, of course, distracted his teammates and the entire matter was forgotten by everyone except Kurenai.
The first morning Sakura and Hinata met up to practice, Kurenai sat on a tree branch downwind of Sakura and Hinata’s training ground. Her chakra was carefully masked to mimic the surrounding fauna and her branch had an excellent view of the girls.
At first they were awkward. Hinata stuttered and poked her fingers together. She tumbled and scrambled away from Sakura’s blows and kicks. Hinata was so busy staring at the ground instead of watching her opponent that she entirely failed to spot the fist headed for her face.
“Stop that,” snapped Sakura, standing over the downed Hinata. “Use your eyes and your Juken properly.”
Hinata looked terrified. “B-But I could h-hurt you.”
Sakura snorted. “I won’t let you.”
Hinata’s fingers bumped together more quickly. “I-I-I-”
Sakura plopped down next to Hinata. She held one slim, tanned arm out to the other kunoichi.
“Juken me.”
Hinata glanced up at Sakura’s face. “W-What?”
“Close some of my tenketsu.”
“A-Are y-you s-sure?”
“Just do it, Hinata.”
Looking entirely unconvinced, Hinata nonetheless activated her bloodline limit. Her pale fingers stabbed into Sakura’s tanned flesh.
“Are you watching my arm?”
“Y-Yes.”
Sakura narrowed her eyes at her arm.
Hinata gasped. “H-How d-did y-you unblock them?”
“The areas of field medicine, surgery, and recovery treatments for both areas all contain higher level jutsu that require the manipulation of patients’ tenketsu. Before I could do it to anyone else, I had to learn how to manipulate my own. And it’s only natural for me to know how my chakra ought to flow. So long as you don’t blast chakra through my brain or heart or lungs, I should be able to undo anything that you do to me. And a tiny tap of chakra to any of those points probably won’t hurt me.” Sakura reached out to grasp both of Hinata’s shoulders. “You aren’t going to hurt me so do your best.”
Hinata tried harder after that.
Hinata used traditional Juken, her hands flat and movements awkward. Her shoulders were hunched as if she was waiting for criticism from an imaginary audience. Sakura used a modified form of Juken, her hands flat and her forms fluid. Her style may have strongly resembled the Gentle Fist style but the results were very different.
Her basic taijutsu style looks complete to me. Even I can tell that she’s holding back and sticking to using the same forms as Hinata. If she's skilled wnough to try to create her own taijutsu style, I wonder why she ranked so low in her taijutsu classes at the academy. I wonder what Gai would think of this new style?
The first time Hinata knocked Sakura down, Sakura smiled up at the Hyuga girl through a split lip. Even Kurenai could admit that the blood on Sakura’s teeth made the sight positively ghastly.
Hinata paled.
“Great job, Hinata-chan!”
“Y-your mouth!”
Sakura smoothed glowing green fingers over her lips. A moment later her lips were whole. Swishing water around her mouth cleaned her teeth.
“See, Hinata-chan? No harm done!” Sakura slipped into a ready stance. “Again?”
Hinata nodded as she slid into her own ready stance.
Safely hidden away on her treetop perch, Kurenai smiled.
*************************
When the edges of the sky began to lighten, Sakura rolled out of bed, got dressed, and pulled on her favorite cloak. She headed for the Yamanaka flower shop. It was the end of January and the nights were still cold.
Sakura stretched out on Ino’s front step and, her hands pillowing her head, took a nap.
She woke up when Yamanaka Ino tripped over her.
“S-Sakura-chan!”
“Ino-chan!” Sakura scrambled to her feet. “I’ve come for my ribbon.”
Ino’s pretty eyes narrowed angrily. “Your ribbon?”
Sakura nodded. “The red one. I want it back.”
Ino tossed her long, blond hair. “It’s too late. We’re genin now. And I, at least, don’t have time for such a silly competition.”
Slamming the door, she stalked off.
Sakura shouted at Ino’s back. “I challenge you to a battle between ninja!”
She had shouted the exact same thing nearly four years earlier. Ino stopped. Encouraged, Sakura shouted the next part of her old challenge.
“Winner gets the red ribbon!”
Ino twisted to glare at Sakura over her shoulder. “Where and when?”
“I’ve booked training ground seventeen for next Friday morning at four.”
“In the morning?” shrieked Ino.
“Too early for you, Ino-pig-chan?” Smiling sweetly, Sakura held out her hand. “Better surrender my ribbon now, then.”
Ino’s eyes narrowed. If there was any justice in the world, Sakura would have been burned to a crisp by that glare. Fortunately for Sakura, there was not.
“I’ll be there, Forehead,” she gritted out then stomped off.
Sakura smiled at Ino’s back then sauntered off to meet Tenzo-nii for breakfast.
Fandom: Naruto
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: I have no rights to or claims on the Naruto franchise, trademark, copyright, or characters. This is for fun, not profit.
Summary: In the future what's left of humanity sends the Rokudaime Hokage back in time to make some changes. Sadly, they can't send all of her. When a seven-year-old Haruno Sakura decides to take an interest in Hatake Kakashi, the timeline shifts in some... unique... ways.
“Hold on,” Sakura said as the twins were about to go through the gates and off to their first day of school. She fished a pair of small, black boxes out of her kunai pouch. “I made you both something. They’re for good luck.”
A quick look at the ribbons around each box made sure that each girl got her designated gift.
Inside each box lay a necklace.
Both necklaces were made up of dozens of tiny rounded stones. In the center of each necklace were three longer, rectangular stones reminiscent of the crystal on Tsuande’s necklace. Each long stone was separated by five little round stones. All of the stones had tiny shimmering lines and swirls etched into them. To Sakura’s senses, the front halves of both necklaces faintly hummed with her chakra signature.
Umeko’s necklace was made out of deeply red agate stones while Anzu’s necklace was made out of much paler rose quartz stones. Sakura had chosen the stones for their price, durability, and because they matched each girl’s hair color.
“They’re so pretty,” breathed Umeko. She smoothed the pad of her thumb over one stone bead. “Thank you, Sakura-neechan.”
“Thanks for the good luck charms,” chirped Anzu.
She was already tugging her necklace over her head.
“I believe in making my own good luck,” Sakura said cheerfully as she helped Umeko with her necklace. “Those necklaces have one of my best ninja techniques stored inside of them. And it’s a secret! So don’t tell anyone about them!”
Umeko’s face lit up as her hand came up to curl around the center stone.
Anzu pressed her chin to her chest and looked down at her necklace doubtfully.
“What do they do?”
Sakura shook her head. “You don’t need to know. But if anything bad should happen - if the village is attacked by giant snakes or zombies or hungry plant-men - press your chakra or your blood into those long stones.”
Umeko shivered.
“We don’t know how to use chakra,” pouted Anzu.
“So use a little bit of your blood.” Sakura crouched down so that she could look her sisters in their eyes. “Those aren’t toys and they aren’t for fun. They’re serious ninja weapons that can kill people. The ninja technique I put in them is more dangerous than my weapons or poisons or summons. Promise me that you’ll use them to stay safe and that you’ll only use them to stay safe.”
“I promise,” Umeko said fervently.
“Promise,” Anzu agreed more sullenly.
There’s going to be trouble there, Sakura thought with a sigh. But I’d rather they have them than that they don’t.
“Sakura, you’re scaring them,” scolded their mother. She utterly ruined the solemnity of the moment. “And you’re going to make them late. Give them kisses, wish them luck, and let the rest of us have our turns.”
Sakura dutifully gave the twins hugs and kisses, wished them luck, and moved back so that someone else could have a turn at them.
The next morning, Sakura walked Fu to school. Sakura strode down the pavement in her boots, medic skirt, a pair of black shorts, and a red clan blouse. There were white whirlpools embroidered on each shoulder and the white Haruno circle in the center of the back. Her forehead protector, which was holding her hair back, gleamed in the morning light. Fu, dressed in a vibrantly red Haruno clan blouse, a pair of white shorts, a white skirt, and sandals, rushed to keep up. There were white whirlpools embroidered on each shoulder and the white Haruno circle in the center of her back. Where Sakura’s steps were confident, Fu did her best to fade into the crowd. The younger girl clutched Sakura’s hand in a sweaty death grip. Her palm slipped against Sakura’s leather clad palm and her fingers were hot against Sakura’s bared digits.
Their mother was walking the twins to school while their father and Momo made arrangements to spend the morning away from the office.
When they were still some distance from the school, Sakura pulled Fu down a side alley. It was clean and empty of everything save them. Civilians walked by either entrance to the alley without ever once glancing down it.
“Sakura-neechan?”
Sakura pulled a box out of her kunai pouch.
Even though she had seen Sakura’s gifts to the twins, Fu still stared up at Sakura with wide, shocked eyes. Her hand tightened on Sakura’s hand but she made no move to take the gift.
“For me?”
“Of course.” Sakura made a little circular gesture toward Fu with the box. “Go ahead. Open it.”
Fu slowly took the box into her free hand.
She was openly reluctant to let go of Sakura long enough to open her gift.
When she saw it, Fu gasped.
Nestled inside the box was a necklace made from red topaz stones. While the basic design was the same as the necklaces that Sakura had given to the twins, this necklace had five evenly spaced rectangular stones at its front. When the light hit the topaz beads and crystals just right, they gleamed as orange as Fu’s eyes. And just like Sakura’s previous gifts, half of the little stone beads and all of the long crystals softly hummed with Sakura’s chakra. In the depths of all of the stones glimmered the fine, delicate lines, curves, and angles of the most complex sealing arrays Sakura had ever created.
Fu cradled the box in one hand and petted the gift with soft, shaking fingers.
“Fu-chan? Do you want me to help you put it on?”
Fu tilted her head forward so that her lovely green hair slid forward and hid her face and eyes from Sakura.
“So you aren’t mad at me?”
“Mad at you?” Truly surprised, Sakura stared down at the head bent before her. “Why would I be mad at you?”
“You - You haven’t been home since before I was adopted. I thought - I thought that maybe you were mad about me sneaking into your family and being your sister now.”
Sakura’s heart squeezed in her chest. Tears prickled at the corners of her eyes and regret tugged at the curves of her heart.
“No. I was never mad at you,” Sakura said. Her hoarse voice rasped painfully in her throat. She cleared her throat and laid a gentle hand on the crown of Fu’s head. Soft green strands slid through her callused fingers. “Some bad things happened. And then some other things happened. And things weren’t okay for awhile. I just couldn’t get home any sooner than I did. But I was so, so happy to get the letter saying that you’d share my family name because I’d already thought of you as my little sister for so long.”
Fu sniffled. Her hands had closed around the box and the necklace, holding them tightly.
“But you went away for such a long time.”
“I know.” Sakura crouched in front of Fu. The younger girl was crying silent tears. Dark little splotches marked where her tears had hit the stone pavement. Sakura’s arms curved around thin, fragile shoulders and pulled the younger girl closer. Fu stumbled forward until she bumped into Sakura. She pressed her wet face into the curve of Sakura’s neck. “As a ninja, sometimes I have to go away for ages and ages on a mission. But I still love you very much. And I love you just as much as I love Anzu or Umeko or Momo. I want to protect you just as much as I want to protect them. I’m sorry that I hurt you by staying away for so long.”
“They said I was being silly but - I just - What if you were so mad you left and never came back?”
“That is silly,” Sakura said. One of her hands rubbed up and down and around and round on Fu’s back. Fu leaned heavily against Sakura. “I could never be that mad at anyone. I don’t leave. Not ever.”
Fu made a wet noise against Sakura’s shoulder.
They stayed like that for a few minutes while Sakura smoothed Fu’s hair and rubbed her back and murmured soothing truths to Fu.
“We should start heading toward the school,” Sakura said at last. “I’d hate to make you late for your induction ceremony.”
Fu gasped a sound halfway between a laugh and a sob.
“Mama would be so mad at you!”
Sakura pressed a kiss into Fu’s temple. It fell on soft skin and fine strands of mint green hair alike.
“Mmm. Let’s get you cleaned up.”
They arrived just in the nick of time for Fu to take her place at the back of the group just as Sakura had done six years earlier.
Sakura pretended not to notice her mother’s disapproving sniffs and Iruka-sensei’s evil glares. It was clear who was going to be blamed for any of Fu’s missteps.
That’s so totally unfair! I’m not that bad an influence. It’s not like I ever encouraged Naruto or Ino or anyone else to skip school with me. The visceral memory of the taste of various soaps and the elastic snap of a rubberband against her wrist made Sakura wince. Well, I’m not that bad anymore. Shizune’s a total dictator. She’d make a great kage - or headmistress of a reform school.
Sakura settled her eyes on Fu who looked so small and still and frightened. When Fu’s roaming eyes finally settled on her family, some of the fear eased out of her expression.
She even tried to smile for them.
Sakura smiled her widest, silliest smile back.
Next to her, Sakura’s mother sniffed. This time it was a wet, sad sound.
“Two daughters,” she mumbled. “Sacrificed to this village.”
Sakura winced. Time and a changed series of events had done nothing to ease her mother’s dislike of ninja. She patted the back of her mother’s hand anyway. Her mother’s hand turned over and grasped Sakura’s. Holding hands, they watched as Fu was inducted into the shinobi forces.
When the Sandaime Hokage stood up to make his speech, Sakura was disappointed to hear that it was the exact same one that he had given at her own induction. It made sense, of course, to reuse the same speech for each incoming class and as the Rokudaime she had done the same thing (graduation speeches were another matter entirely, however) but Sakura had expected better of Sarutobi Hiruzen.
It was stupid because he was only human.
Sakura only realized that she was frowning because Fu was starting to look worried. She forced herself to stop being silly and cranky. Sakura felt the lines of her face relax into more pleasant lines.
Fu’s eyes moved to study their parents then Momo before finally coming back to Sakura.
Slowly, Fu relaxed.
After the ceremony there were tight hugs and quick kisses and many wishes for Fu to have a good day.
When Fu rushed off to find her class, the same way Sakura had once done, her family was left to mill about with the other families.
“S-Sakura-san.”
Sakura turned toward the soft voice. Nearby was a painfully embarrassed looking Hinata. Beyond her, the Hyuuga clan head was speaking with the Hokage.
“Hinata-san!” Sakura beamed. “What’re you doing here?”
Hinata shot Sakura a strange look. “M-My s-s-sister, H-H-Hanabi, s-st-started t-t-today.”
“I was really only looking at my little sister.” Sakura admitted with a wry shrug. “But that’s great! Maybe our little sisters can be friends!”
Hinata looked alarmed at the mere idea of it. Sakura grimaced.
“Relax. Fu’s more like you and Naruto than like me.”
Hinata flushed scarlet. She looked terribly embarrassed. She also looked incredibly relieved.
“I-I didn’t mean to - I-I wasn’t saying that -”
“Don’t worry about it,” Sakura said easily. “I know what kind of academy student I was. Unfortunately for poor Fu, Iruka-sensei also knows what sort of academy student I was.”
Hinata grimaced apologetically. “You w-were very… f-f-free sp-spirited.”
Sakura grinned. “I like that. I’m using that to describe myself from now on.”
Hinata, who was still painfully red, giggled.
“Hey, I wanted to ask you something,” Sakura said. It was a complete lie. Until that very moment, Sakura had never considered asking Hinata for anything. But as she got older, the looming potential futures (or lack thereof) of nearly everyone she knew got closer and Sakura worried more. Doing her best would never be enough. They needed to be their best selves as well. “I’ve created a taijutsu style based on medical jutsu. Not that stuff that Tsunade-shisho does. Her style’s amazing but it’s not something every medic could learn to do. You can either fight like Tsunade-shisho or you can’t. My new style is closer to your Juken and easier for the average medic to learn and use. I’d like someone to practice it with. Would you mind?”
Really, really close to your Gentle Fist style since Neji was my research partner when I originally developed it.
Hinata opened and closed her mouth but no sounds came out. She flushed. Hinata looked down at her feet, her forefingers bumping together and twirling again.
“I-I don’t know i-if I-I could h-help you with the st-style.”
“Of course,” Sakura said. She tried not to sound too disapoointed. “I’ll just -”
“I-I w-would like a-another sparring partner though,” Hinata whispered. “I-I need the p-practice.”
“Great! When would you like to start?”
“T-Tomorrow m-morning? A-At f-five?”
“Could we start at four? It’ll give me time to get cleaned up before I walk Fu to school.”
“S-sure. T-tomorrow. At f-f-four.”
“That’s great! I’ll see you then!”
When Sakura caught up with Team Seven, the boys were putting the finishing touches on a taijutsu combo.
“Ah, Sakura! So nice of you to finally join us.”
Sakura shrugged. “I told you I was going to Fu’s induction ceremony.”
Kakashi scratched the side of his head. “You did. I was just making an observation.”
Sakura narrowed her eyes. “Mmhmm. Did you forget?”
“Aahh.” Kakashi hand had moved to scratching the back of his head. It was his tell for when he was feeling embarrassed or sheepish over some perceived flaw or failing of his. “You know tthat I always pay the greatest attention to everything that you say.”
Sakura sighed. “Right. Am I forgiven then?”
“Of course.” Kakashi smiled that bright, fake smile of his. There was at least the very edge of truth behind it. “There was never anything to forgive.”
Sakura nodded. “So what’re we doing?”
“You’ve got conditioning. The boys have got taijutsu and chakra manipulation exercises.”
Sakura shrugged. “Okay.”
After lunch there was more practice and then it was time to pick up Fu.
Team Seven was standing outside of the gates with the milling crowd of parents and siblings when the bell signaling the end of the school day rang.
Streams of children rushed out of the building and toward their respective family members. A small green-haired comet headed for Sakura.
“Oof!” Sakura gasped as Fu flung herself around Sakura’s waist. Her arms immediately went around Fu’s shoulders. “Did you have a good day?”
“Yes!” Fu chirped. She pulled back from Sakura. “I like Iruka-sensei! He’s so nice!”
“Iruka-sensei?” Naruto shouted. “Lucky! He’s the best!”
“He is!”
The two jinchuriki beamed at each other.
“You know what else is the best? Ramen! We should get him to take us out for ramen right away!”
Fu blinked. “Ramen?”
“Yeah!” Naruto cheered as if Fu had been agreeing with him. “Let’s go find Iruka-sensei!”
Naruto raced off.
The other three members of Team Seven and Fu blinked at each other.
“She wasn’t agreeing with him,” Sasuke said blankly. He looked at Fu. “Were you agreeing with him?”
“N-No.”
Sakura smiled and shook her head. “That’s just Naruto.” She put a hand on Fu’s shoulder. “Do you remember Hatake Kakashi? He’s Kakashi-sensei now. And this is my other teammate, Uchiha Sasuke.”
Fu bowed to them. “It’s a pleasure to meet you both.”
“HE SAID YES!” bawled Naruto from somewhere in the academy.
“I’M NOT TREATING YOUR WHOLE TEAM! ASK YOUR JONIN SENSEI!”
Fu quailed. “Was that Iruka-sensei?”
“Yeah.” Sakura smiled reassuringly. “He’s just shouting to be heard over Naruto. He’s not really mad.”
“You’d know the difference,” muttered Sasuke.
Sakura scowled at Sasuke. Sasuke ignored her. Fu stared at Sakura with open curiosity.
When Fu opened her mouth Sakura hastily said, “Would you like a piggy back ride Fu-chan?”
Fu beamed. “Yes, please!”
“KAKASHI-SENSEI!” Naruto shouted. He was hanging dangerous far out of one of the academy’s windows. “IRUKA-SENSEI SAYS THAT YOU SHOULD TREAT US ALL TO RAMEN!”
A hand latched onto Naruto’s collar and wrenched him back inside the building.
“THAT’S NOT WHAT I SAID!”
Fu, who was situated on Sakura’s back, asked worriedly, “Are you sure Iruka-sensei’s not mad?”
“He’s just a little annoyed,” Sakura reassured.
Kakashi sighed. “I can’t believe that kid abandoned a mission for ramen.”
“Free ramen,” Sakkura said cheerfully.
Kakashi shot Sakura a flat look as he started up the walkway toward the academy building.
“Free stuff always tastes better,” Sakura said defensively. On her back, Fu wriggled. Her hands tightened their grip on Sakura’s shoulders.
She and Sasuke were trailing along after Kakashi.
“True,” Kakashi agreed. He rubbed his chin as he held open the door for her and Fu and then Sasuke. “I wonder why that is.”
“It’s a mystery,” Sakura cheerfully agreed.
Sasuke sighed.
********************
The only reason Kurenai knew that Hinata had a sparring date that morning was because Hinata asked Kiba if Naruto had ever mentioned if Sakura liked riceballs.
“No.” Kiba said.
“Why are you interested in Sakura-san’s dietary habits?” Shino asked quietly when it became obvious that Kiba was not going to ask any sort of follow up questions.
“W-We’re meeting up at oh-four hundred tomorrow to sparring,” Hinata confessed to her twiddling fingers. “I thought it might be nice to have breakfast together afterward.”
“Why d’you want to spar with her?” demanded Kiba. “She was always near the bottom of our taijutsu classes in the academy.”
“She - She asked.”
Kiba snorted. “You’re too nice, Hinata.”
Hinata blushed.
An interesting scent distracted Akamaru which meant it also distracted Kiba. Kiba, of course, distracted his teammates and the entire matter was forgotten by everyone except Kurenai.
The first morning Sakura and Hinata met up to practice, Kurenai sat on a tree branch downwind of Sakura and Hinata’s training ground. Her chakra was carefully masked to mimic the surrounding fauna and her branch had an excellent view of the girls.
At first they were awkward. Hinata stuttered and poked her fingers together. She tumbled and scrambled away from Sakura’s blows and kicks. Hinata was so busy staring at the ground instead of watching her opponent that she entirely failed to spot the fist headed for her face.
“Stop that,” snapped Sakura, standing over the downed Hinata. “Use your eyes and your Juken properly.”
Hinata looked terrified. “B-But I could h-hurt you.”
Sakura snorted. “I won’t let you.”
Hinata’s fingers bumped together more quickly. “I-I-I-”
Sakura plopped down next to Hinata. She held one slim, tanned arm out to the other kunoichi.
“Juken me.”
Hinata glanced up at Sakura’s face. “W-What?”
“Close some of my tenketsu.”
“A-Are y-you s-sure?”
“Just do it, Hinata.”
Looking entirely unconvinced, Hinata nonetheless activated her bloodline limit. Her pale fingers stabbed into Sakura’s tanned flesh.
“Are you watching my arm?”
“Y-Yes.”
Sakura narrowed her eyes at her arm.
Hinata gasped. “H-How d-did y-you unblock them?”
“The areas of field medicine, surgery, and recovery treatments for both areas all contain higher level jutsu that require the manipulation of patients’ tenketsu. Before I could do it to anyone else, I had to learn how to manipulate my own. And it’s only natural for me to know how my chakra ought to flow. So long as you don’t blast chakra through my brain or heart or lungs, I should be able to undo anything that you do to me. And a tiny tap of chakra to any of those points probably won’t hurt me.” Sakura reached out to grasp both of Hinata’s shoulders. “You aren’t going to hurt me so do your best.”
Hinata tried harder after that.
Hinata used traditional Juken, her hands flat and movements awkward. Her shoulders were hunched as if she was waiting for criticism from an imaginary audience. Sakura used a modified form of Juken, her hands flat and her forms fluid. Her style may have strongly resembled the Gentle Fist style but the results were very different.
Her basic taijutsu style looks complete to me. Even I can tell that she’s holding back and sticking to using the same forms as Hinata. If she's skilled wnough to try to create her own taijutsu style, I wonder why she ranked so low in her taijutsu classes at the academy. I wonder what Gai would think of this new style?
The first time Hinata knocked Sakura down, Sakura smiled up at the Hyuga girl through a split lip. Even Kurenai could admit that the blood on Sakura’s teeth made the sight positively ghastly.
Hinata paled.
“Great job, Hinata-chan!”
“Y-your mouth!”
Sakura smoothed glowing green fingers over her lips. A moment later her lips were whole. Swishing water around her mouth cleaned her teeth.
“See, Hinata-chan? No harm done!” Sakura slipped into a ready stance. “Again?”
Hinata nodded as she slid into her own ready stance.
Safely hidden away on her treetop perch, Kurenai smiled.
*************************
When the edges of the sky began to lighten, Sakura rolled out of bed, got dressed, and pulled on her favorite cloak. She headed for the Yamanaka flower shop. It was the end of January and the nights were still cold.
Sakura stretched out on Ino’s front step and, her hands pillowing her head, took a nap.
She woke up when Yamanaka Ino tripped over her.
“S-Sakura-chan!”
“Ino-chan!” Sakura scrambled to her feet. “I’ve come for my ribbon.”
Ino’s pretty eyes narrowed angrily. “Your ribbon?”
Sakura nodded. “The red one. I want it back.”
Ino tossed her long, blond hair. “It’s too late. We’re genin now. And I, at least, don’t have time for such a silly competition.”
Slamming the door, she stalked off.
Sakura shouted at Ino’s back. “I challenge you to a battle between ninja!”
She had shouted the exact same thing nearly four years earlier. Ino stopped. Encouraged, Sakura shouted the next part of her old challenge.
“Winner gets the red ribbon!”
Ino twisted to glare at Sakura over her shoulder. “Where and when?”
“I’ve booked training ground seventeen for next Friday morning at four.”
“In the morning?” shrieked Ino.
“Too early for you, Ino-pig-chan?” Smiling sweetly, Sakura held out her hand. “Better surrender my ribbon now, then.”
Ino’s eyes narrowed. If there was any justice in the world, Sakura would have been burned to a crisp by that glare. Fortunately for Sakura, there was not.
“I’ll be there, Forehead,” she gritted out then stomped off.
Sakura smiled at Ino’s back then sauntered off to meet Tenzo-nii for breakfast.