that unnoticed & that necessary
Fandom: Naruto
Characters: Uchiha Itachi & Haruno Sakura
Prompt: 014. frustration & 01. "this is my way as a ninja" & 21. arise from the ashes
Word Count: 3050
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Notes: Non-massacre AU. Part of a mini-series. Sequels/Prequels can be found here at CHIAROSCURO. Written for lover100 & 50_shinobi & 500themes .
-
She realized, a little belatedly and perhaps with a little more than remorse that she would never be like them.
It had only been two years, but slowly, the differences had begun to show. Sure, the nifty label of “Konoha’s superteam!” had been given all
too easily to the unconventional trio by the ones they encountered, but she had known for some time now that now, trio meant little more than two plus one. A burden, she often likened herself as. And what more could she have to say? She couldn’t fault her boys for trying to be there for her - though their tendency to want to protect her from every trip, fall or glitch in the road was at some times overbearing, it was more often than not sweet and endearing.
And so, she could offer no more than a smile and a laugh to accompany.
The first time, in Wave with Sasuke and Naruto fighting thoughtlessly to protect her, their weakest link, from the dangers that surrounded them, she thought no more of it after the danger had gone and passed. But then there had been the time in Suna after that, and the encounter with enemy recon in their own territory, near Mist and countless other times. After a while, even she had started to clue in.
With what she had to offer, she would never be able to compare to Sasuke, mini-Uchiha extraordinaire, or Naruto, optimistic to a fault and learning to embrace his father’s gift to him. What could she do, that no one else could do? A merchant’s daughter, with no more shinobi drive in her than the average civilian mulling about. It was all that she was, and to her, acceptance had seemed like the only road left.
But it was easier said than done. Not because she was unwilling to admit to the reality of what was, but because she was frightened without scruples of any thought of selfishness. Though she had never in the course of their friendship told them blunt and outright that they were all that she had, it was an unspoken truth hanging deftly in the air. They were her family, the lights of her life and her precious people. At thirteen, anything beyond was little more than a dream, but down to the depths of her bones, she never wanted to lose them.
And admitting to the faults of her own incapability warranted, at least in her mind, that exact future. Admitting to what she wasn’t, couldn’t, and would never be was a one way ticket to losing them. Of that, she was adamant.
And so she pretended, pretended like everything was okay and that she was just like them.
x x x
“Be more careful in the future, okay?” the twenty some-odd nurse smiled down at her, with enough kindness and gentleness as to bring out a wave of nostalgia within Sakura for her deceased mother.
The apologetic smile, weaved with all her remaining shyness mirrored the blonde nurse’s in all aspects of kindness, as Sakura replied with a quiet “thank you”.
“Don’t think anything of it, dear,” the nurse laughed off as she ushered the girl to the door. “Though I ought to talk to Kakashi; you and your teammates seem like you’re being tortured by that man, you poor things.”
“We are being tortured by that monster,” Sakura replied jokingly, but the slight bitterness and discontent that refused to be hidden away did not go unnoticed by the young nurse.
“I would say see you tomorrow, Sakura-chan, but,” she paused, letting a slight laugh escape, “I think we’ve both seen each other enough this week, hm?”
The laugh that escaped Sakura trilled around them in an alluringly childish tone as she smiled and waved goodbye to the nurse that she had, over the last few weeks become very well acquainted with. At first it had been a mystery as to why their chronically tardy and lazy sensei had suddenly developed an interest in their wellbeing and general improvement as shinobi, but it had become clear all too soon. In the end, it had all been his fault.
Jiraiya.
The newest addition to the Icha Icha family had been delayed, because its author had recently been rendered incapacitated by the recently appointed Godaime. No new Icha Icha equalled a grumpy Kakashi, which pretty much meant only one thing for his three disciples: torture. And true to his sudden Nazi regime, his pupils had nearly landed their own, permanent room in the hospital.
Sometimes, Sakura wished she could just punch him in the face.
And then she nearly laughed - that would really be the day, when she, little Haruno, would be able to punch her sensei, fourteen years her senior with easily twice that amount of experience in years. She flashed the nurse at the front desk, Kiya, a sweet smile as she passed, and the young woman waved back. It seemed to Sakura that she had gotten to know nearly all the nurses on duty near this hour in the past few weeks, and now, instead of worried looks when she arrived, they only received her with quiet laughter.
Everyone accepted that Kakashi was an absolute tyrant to his poor kids.
Just when her feet were about to bring her within the range of the automatic door’s sensors, they flung open of their own accord. Or, it seemed that way until she was nearly mauled over by the three bodies flying through, their blood splattering onto her face at their speed. She couldn’t even flinch at the blood on her face, frozen as she was from the scene unfolding before her. The masks they wore betrayed them as ANBU the second she drank their image in, but it wasn’t their status or blood that caught her attention.
It was the seemingly lifeless body one of them clutched within his arms.
Even at this distance, she recognized on sight the silky onyx strands, now freed from their elastic hold. Though his partially cracked mask still covered his features, she would be blind not to notice his distinct Uchiha features breaking through the broken disguise. Especially since these particular features were ones that she had held close to heart since her earlier days.
Itachi.
Sasuke had mentioned in passing that his aniki had left for a mission some two months prior - she had been disappointed, like she always was, when she learned of his departure. But she had thought nothing more of it, nothing of the dangers his types of missions entailed, because he always returned. Without even realizing, she had, in her mind built up a hero image of him not entirely unlike Sasuke’s incurable hero worship - she had, more or less, believed him to be invincible.
But his blood, flowing as freely as his hair, shattered her naive beliefs, and she came crashing down with the realization that this could be it.
And she could do nothing but watch as his teammates yelled for the Hokage to come save Itachi.
In the chaos, Sakura’s presence was forgotten, overshadowed by the more important issue of saving Konoha’s wild card. She had watched, wide-eyed and star struck as the busty Hokage appeared, confidence in her aura and voice as she hammered out orders to the staff. The panicking staff in question all seemed to relax upon her arrival, and Sakura could only marvel at the power that she commanded with just her words.
And without realizing it, Tsunade inched her way onto Sakura’s list of idols.
Things had happened too fast after that. Under Tsunade’s barked out orders, Itachi had been taken into one of the Emergency Operation rooms, with the door swinging shut with a loud bang. Needless to say, Sakura’s position and age prevented her from gleaning any more information. Neither could the nurses tell her anything, nor could she now watch it unfold with her own eyes. And so she turned around, tense, with a tightness in her heart as she stepped out of the hospital.
But with every step she took, the tightness and tension eased from within her, and it was a few more minutes before she could understand why.
Tsunade.
For some reason, Sakura held a blind faith in their Hokage. Perhaps it was the scene that had just unfolded, and the subconscious idolization she now held for her, but, of one thing she was now sure.
Tsunade would save Itachi.
-
Sakura had been glad to find that her instincts about the Hokage had been one hundred percent accurate.
Seven hours sitting in the waiting room next to a restless Sasuke later, the doors finally burst to life. The relief that flowed through her at seeing the medic’s smiling face was unlike she had ever felt before. But she had filed it away under a mask of relief for Sasuke’s relief - she didn’t need him becoming any more suspicious than he already was of her ‘situation’.
Then, without a chance to even breathe, they had been ushered quickly into Room 217, placed with harsh orders to stay quiet and to not disturb the elder Uchiha. That had been an hour ago, and in the sixty minutes that had already passed, they barely exchanged two words. For once, she didn’t mind - at least, with Sasuke’s attention focused on his slumbering brother, she could let some of her joy slide.
But now, she had simply reverted back to watching Sasuke watching Itachi.
It was like another burst of lightning, but watching the scene before her, the epiphany she had been waiting her entire life for hit. Whether it be the inspirational woes of Tsunade’s miracle healing, or simply the appreciation of life, she knew that this was it.
Medic-nin.
As soon as she whispered the words aloud, a sense of fulfillment surged through her. She knew immediately that this is what she had been missing; her calling, her destiny, whatever it was called - this was it.
“Sakura?” Sasuke’s voice broke her out of her trance, and she blinked, refocusing her round emeralds on him.
“Huh?”
A sigh, mixed with traces of exasperation and fatigue brushed past his lips. “I said, do you want to go grab something to eat before we come back? The dobe’s not due to come back until a little later.”
“Oh yeah, sure.”
As they shuffled along and out of Itachi’s room, Sakura remained oddly thoughtful and quiet. This was so uncharacteristic of her that Sasuke, uncomfortable with his boisterous teammate suddenly becoming as quiet as their sensei, attempted to strike up a conversation.
Even more surprising was the fact that it took more then two tries on his part to even grab a piece of her attention. He should’ve known that her odd silence could only be attributed to some weirder thoughts floating through her mostly absentminded head, but he was surprised, to say the least, when she popped a random question at him.
“Say, Sasuke-kun,” she started, an even more oddly, her wide emeralds weren’t trained on him. Instead, they focused on some faraway object only she could see. “What do you think of medic-nins?”
“What?” he paused to turn his scrutinizing glare on her. “You mean like Tsunade?”
“Yeah. Exactly like Tsunade.”
For a moment, he was at a loss for a reply. Her question had been so random and unexpected that Sasuke, not wanting to offend her, stayed thoughtful for a while. Usually, a snarky reply would’ve sufficed for her questions - she never seemed to mind, anyway, and it was simply how their dynamics worked. But he sensed that for this particular question, anything less than a genuine reply would hurt the cerise haired girl.
“They’re invaluable to the shinobi forces,” he ventured finally.
“So you don’t think it’s a job reserved for the useless...the ones who can’t do anything else?”
With that sentence, he now knew exactly where this was headed, and thanked Kami that he’d listened to his instincts. He smirked down at her. “Hn. Only master-able by those with impeccable chakra control - obviously, someone like the dobe would crash and burn as a medic.”
She seemed to light up several shades at his backwards compliment to her, though he reckoned she probably hadn’t even realized it to be a compliment. But the topic was dropped thereafter, and her usual cheery persona was back, chattering several miles a minute about everything that passed through her stream of conscious.
Unnoticed to her, Sasuke let a brief smile flash over his features. She had hidden it well over the past while, but it was hard to hide the feelings of inferiority and contempt from someone who was entirely too well acquainted with it. Under Itachi’s shadows, Sasuke had felt no different than what Sakura probably felt now, overshadowed by her sensei’s overwhelming success and her teammate’s blossoming potential. But Sasuke had found his calling, his place to call home, with the people of Team Seven. And though he might not always flaunt his appreciation of his second family, he felt his heartstrings tug for her obvious distress. A few well chosen words of quiet support were all that she needed, and now all he had to do was sit back and watch.
Just as she seemed to harbour unwavering faith for both his and Naruto’s abilities, he held the same hopes for her untapped potential. Like any other cherry blossom, she would peak and reach her potential, perhaps blossoming bigger and brighter than any other.
And now, all he had to do was wait, sit back and watch.
x x x
Sakura felt the heat rush to her face before any words could stumble out of her mouth, no doubt in a jumble.
The overwhelming sense of dejavu hit her then, and she was brought back to memories of all those years ago, when she had stood in this exact position. Izumo stood as he had all those years ago - a little more jaded, a little more worn around the edges, but still with a smile to greet her all the same. “Hey, Sakura-chan,” he greeted, the boyish smile still lighting his features. “Did you need anything?”
“Hey,” she spoke, her voice almost as soft as a whisper. She almost didn’t want to utter her request. All those years ago, screwing up the courage to talk to the kind Third had been terrifying enough, but now, hidden in the tower was a different beast entirely. Sure, the blonde’s inspirational jutsus were the reason she was here to begin with, but actually talking to her and asking for this was a different thing entirely.
“Sakura?”
“Oh, sorry!” she blushed. “Is the Hokage busy right now? I would appreciate a quick word with her, if that’s alright.”
“Sure thing, Sakura-chan. I think she just finished a mission brief, so you’re in luck - she shouldn’t be too beastly right now.”
If it weren’t for the toothy grin on his face, she would’ve believed that she had voiced those thoughts by accident. But she simply flashed him a smile and thanked him before stepping herself quietly into the building.
This was it, her make it or break it moment. And she could only hope now, that it was the former rather than the latter.
x x x
“No.”
Sakura froze, her smiles and fears frozen along with her heart. No. “But-”
The blonde heaved a sigh, turning her penetrating gaze back. Sakura fought to not flinch under her scrutiny. “Why should I allow you to become my apprentice? I have enough bullshit to deal with already as the Hokage.”
“I know I can do it - I won’t be a hassle at all, I’ll work hard, as many hours as you need-”
“Empty words, Haruno.”
Sakura squared her shoulders, and took a deep breath. “Did you get that feeling, Tsunade-sama, when you first saw medical jutsu in action? A sense of fulfillment, inspiration, and everything?” Sakura said, the raw want flashing through her shining emeralds. “When I saw you the other day, saving Itachi-san, I just knew - this is what I was meant to do.”
Tsunade stayed silent for the next few minutes, her gaze never leaving Sakura. Uncomfortable as it was to have such an intimidating woman examine her so openly, Sakura refused to back down. If there was ever going to be an important time to show her confidence, it would be now.
“Tell me something,” she said finally, apparently finished with her examination. “Does this have to do with Naruto’s arrangement with Jiraiya and Sasuke’s extended arrangement with Kakashi?”
Sakura bit her lip. She had been hoping that this wouldn’t pop up in their conversation, but it was inevitable now. “Yes,” she replied with a tone of finality, bringing her steady gaze up to meet Tsunade’s. “It may not be the most honest motivation, but we all have a goal. If this can help me be close to what I could be, doing something I know I will love…well, it’s all that a shinobi can ever hope for, right?”
Tsunade’s glare deepened once more, and Sakura could practically hear the no ready to roll off her tongue. But a second later she smirked, relaxing her gaze.
“Be here at 8am tomorrow morning. Don’t be late.”
Sakura, having already decided subconsciously that she had been rejected, reeled back with surprise. “What?”
Tsunade raised an eyebrow, choosing to remain silent.
It only took Sakura another moment to realize that she had succeeded, and when she did, the excitement lit up her features like Christmas day. Refraining herself at the last moment, she settled for a deep bow rather than rushing over and receiving the Hokage in a bone crushing hug. “Thank you, Tsunade-sama! I won’t let you down!”
“Shishou.”
“Huh?”
“At least address me properly, Haruno,” Tsunade said with a smirk. Sakura, understanding the implications, smiled even wider than she thought humanely possible.
“Thank you, Tsunade-shishou!”
“Mm...now get out!”
Sakura, already ecstatic beyond belief, was only too happy to comply. As she slipped out of the tower, unable to contain her mirth any longer, swept the unsuspecting Izumo up in a wondrous hug.
“Woah,” he laughed, returning the hug. “What’d I do to deserve this?”
With a twinkle in her eye, she replied, “Today is the first day of the rest of my life.”
Characters: Uchiha Itachi & Haruno Sakura
Prompt: 014. frustration & 01. "this is my way as a ninja" & 21. arise from the ashes
Word Count: 3050
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Notes: Non-massacre AU. Part of a mini-series. Sequels/Prequels can be found here at CHIAROSCURO. Written for lover100 & 50_shinobi & 500themes .
-
She realized, a little belatedly and perhaps with a little more than remorse that she would never be like them.
It had only been two years, but slowly, the differences had begun to show. Sure, the nifty label of “Konoha’s superteam!” had been given all
too easily to the unconventional trio by the ones they encountered, but she had known for some time now that now, trio meant little more than two plus one. A burden, she often likened herself as. And what more could she have to say? She couldn’t fault her boys for trying to be there for her - though their tendency to want to protect her from every trip, fall or glitch in the road was at some times overbearing, it was more often than not sweet and endearing.
And so, she could offer no more than a smile and a laugh to accompany.
The first time, in Wave with Sasuke and Naruto fighting thoughtlessly to protect her, their weakest link, from the dangers that surrounded them, she thought no more of it after the danger had gone and passed. But then there had been the time in Suna after that, and the encounter with enemy recon in their own territory, near Mist and countless other times. After a while, even she had started to clue in.
With what she had to offer, she would never be able to compare to Sasuke, mini-Uchiha extraordinaire, or Naruto, optimistic to a fault and learning to embrace his father’s gift to him. What could she do, that no one else could do? A merchant’s daughter, with no more shinobi drive in her than the average civilian mulling about. It was all that she was, and to her, acceptance had seemed like the only road left.
But it was easier said than done. Not because she was unwilling to admit to the reality of what was, but because she was frightened without scruples of any thought of selfishness. Though she had never in the course of their friendship told them blunt and outright that they were all that she had, it was an unspoken truth hanging deftly in the air. They were her family, the lights of her life and her precious people. At thirteen, anything beyond was little more than a dream, but down to the depths of her bones, she never wanted to lose them.
And admitting to the faults of her own incapability warranted, at least in her mind, that exact future. Admitting to what she wasn’t, couldn’t, and would never be was a one way ticket to losing them. Of that, she was adamant.
And so she pretended, pretended like everything was okay and that she was just like them.
x x x
“Be more careful in the future, okay?” the twenty some-odd nurse smiled down at her, with enough kindness and gentleness as to bring out a wave of nostalgia within Sakura for her deceased mother.
The apologetic smile, weaved with all her remaining shyness mirrored the blonde nurse’s in all aspects of kindness, as Sakura replied with a quiet “thank you”.
“Don’t think anything of it, dear,” the nurse laughed off as she ushered the girl to the door. “Though I ought to talk to Kakashi; you and your teammates seem like you’re being tortured by that man, you poor things.”
“We are being tortured by that monster,” Sakura replied jokingly, but the slight bitterness and discontent that refused to be hidden away did not go unnoticed by the young nurse.
“I would say see you tomorrow, Sakura-chan, but,” she paused, letting a slight laugh escape, “I think we’ve both seen each other enough this week, hm?”
The laugh that escaped Sakura trilled around them in an alluringly childish tone as she smiled and waved goodbye to the nurse that she had, over the last few weeks become very well acquainted with. At first it had been a mystery as to why their chronically tardy and lazy sensei had suddenly developed an interest in their wellbeing and general improvement as shinobi, but it had become clear all too soon. In the end, it had all been his fault.
Jiraiya.
The newest addition to the Icha Icha family had been delayed, because its author had recently been rendered incapacitated by the recently appointed Godaime. No new Icha Icha equalled a grumpy Kakashi, which pretty much meant only one thing for his three disciples: torture. And true to his sudden Nazi regime, his pupils had nearly landed their own, permanent room in the hospital.
Sometimes, Sakura wished she could just punch him in the face.
And then she nearly laughed - that would really be the day, when she, little Haruno, would be able to punch her sensei, fourteen years her senior with easily twice that amount of experience in years. She flashed the nurse at the front desk, Kiya, a sweet smile as she passed, and the young woman waved back. It seemed to Sakura that she had gotten to know nearly all the nurses on duty near this hour in the past few weeks, and now, instead of worried looks when she arrived, they only received her with quiet laughter.
Everyone accepted that Kakashi was an absolute tyrant to his poor kids.
Just when her feet were about to bring her within the range of the automatic door’s sensors, they flung open of their own accord. Or, it seemed that way until she was nearly mauled over by the three bodies flying through, their blood splattering onto her face at their speed. She couldn’t even flinch at the blood on her face, frozen as she was from the scene unfolding before her. The masks they wore betrayed them as ANBU the second she drank their image in, but it wasn’t their status or blood that caught her attention.
It was the seemingly lifeless body one of them clutched within his arms.
Even at this distance, she recognized on sight the silky onyx strands, now freed from their elastic hold. Though his partially cracked mask still covered his features, she would be blind not to notice his distinct Uchiha features breaking through the broken disguise. Especially since these particular features were ones that she had held close to heart since her earlier days.
Itachi.
Sasuke had mentioned in passing that his aniki had left for a mission some two months prior - she had been disappointed, like she always was, when she learned of his departure. But she had thought nothing more of it, nothing of the dangers his types of missions entailed, because he always returned. Without even realizing, she had, in her mind built up a hero image of him not entirely unlike Sasuke’s incurable hero worship - she had, more or less, believed him to be invincible.
But his blood, flowing as freely as his hair, shattered her naive beliefs, and she came crashing down with the realization that this could be it.
And she could do nothing but watch as his teammates yelled for the Hokage to come save Itachi.
In the chaos, Sakura’s presence was forgotten, overshadowed by the more important issue of saving Konoha’s wild card. She had watched, wide-eyed and star struck as the busty Hokage appeared, confidence in her aura and voice as she hammered out orders to the staff. The panicking staff in question all seemed to relax upon her arrival, and Sakura could only marvel at the power that she commanded with just her words.
And without realizing it, Tsunade inched her way onto Sakura’s list of idols.
Things had happened too fast after that. Under Tsunade’s barked out orders, Itachi had been taken into one of the Emergency Operation rooms, with the door swinging shut with a loud bang. Needless to say, Sakura’s position and age prevented her from gleaning any more information. Neither could the nurses tell her anything, nor could she now watch it unfold with her own eyes. And so she turned around, tense, with a tightness in her heart as she stepped out of the hospital.
But with every step she took, the tightness and tension eased from within her, and it was a few more minutes before she could understand why.
Tsunade.
For some reason, Sakura held a blind faith in their Hokage. Perhaps it was the scene that had just unfolded, and the subconscious idolization she now held for her, but, of one thing she was now sure.
Tsunade would save Itachi.
-
Sakura had been glad to find that her instincts about the Hokage had been one hundred percent accurate.
Seven hours sitting in the waiting room next to a restless Sasuke later, the doors finally burst to life. The relief that flowed through her at seeing the medic’s smiling face was unlike she had ever felt before. But she had filed it away under a mask of relief for Sasuke’s relief - she didn’t need him becoming any more suspicious than he already was of her ‘situation’.
Then, without a chance to even breathe, they had been ushered quickly into Room 217, placed with harsh orders to stay quiet and to not disturb the elder Uchiha. That had been an hour ago, and in the sixty minutes that had already passed, they barely exchanged two words. For once, she didn’t mind - at least, with Sasuke’s attention focused on his slumbering brother, she could let some of her joy slide.
But now, she had simply reverted back to watching Sasuke watching Itachi.
It was like another burst of lightning, but watching the scene before her, the epiphany she had been waiting her entire life for hit. Whether it be the inspirational woes of Tsunade’s miracle healing, or simply the appreciation of life, she knew that this was it.
Medic-nin.
As soon as she whispered the words aloud, a sense of fulfillment surged through her. She knew immediately that this is what she had been missing; her calling, her destiny, whatever it was called - this was it.
“Sakura?” Sasuke’s voice broke her out of her trance, and she blinked, refocusing her round emeralds on him.
“Huh?”
A sigh, mixed with traces of exasperation and fatigue brushed past his lips. “I said, do you want to go grab something to eat before we come back? The dobe’s not due to come back until a little later.”
“Oh yeah, sure.”
As they shuffled along and out of Itachi’s room, Sakura remained oddly thoughtful and quiet. This was so uncharacteristic of her that Sasuke, uncomfortable with his boisterous teammate suddenly becoming as quiet as their sensei, attempted to strike up a conversation.
Even more surprising was the fact that it took more then two tries on his part to even grab a piece of her attention. He should’ve known that her odd silence could only be attributed to some weirder thoughts floating through her mostly absentminded head, but he was surprised, to say the least, when she popped a random question at him.
“Say, Sasuke-kun,” she started, an even more oddly, her wide emeralds weren’t trained on him. Instead, they focused on some faraway object only she could see. “What do you think of medic-nins?”
“What?” he paused to turn his scrutinizing glare on her. “You mean like Tsunade?”
“Yeah. Exactly like Tsunade.”
For a moment, he was at a loss for a reply. Her question had been so random and unexpected that Sasuke, not wanting to offend her, stayed thoughtful for a while. Usually, a snarky reply would’ve sufficed for her questions - she never seemed to mind, anyway, and it was simply how their dynamics worked. But he sensed that for this particular question, anything less than a genuine reply would hurt the cerise haired girl.
“They’re invaluable to the shinobi forces,” he ventured finally.
“So you don’t think it’s a job reserved for the useless...the ones who can’t do anything else?”
With that sentence, he now knew exactly where this was headed, and thanked Kami that he’d listened to his instincts. He smirked down at her. “Hn. Only master-able by those with impeccable chakra control - obviously, someone like the dobe would crash and burn as a medic.”
She seemed to light up several shades at his backwards compliment to her, though he reckoned she probably hadn’t even realized it to be a compliment. But the topic was dropped thereafter, and her usual cheery persona was back, chattering several miles a minute about everything that passed through her stream of conscious.
Unnoticed to her, Sasuke let a brief smile flash over his features. She had hidden it well over the past while, but it was hard to hide the feelings of inferiority and contempt from someone who was entirely too well acquainted with it. Under Itachi’s shadows, Sasuke had felt no different than what Sakura probably felt now, overshadowed by her sensei’s overwhelming success and her teammate’s blossoming potential. But Sasuke had found his calling, his place to call home, with the people of Team Seven. And though he might not always flaunt his appreciation of his second family, he felt his heartstrings tug for her obvious distress. A few well chosen words of quiet support were all that she needed, and now all he had to do was sit back and watch.
Just as she seemed to harbour unwavering faith for both his and Naruto’s abilities, he held the same hopes for her untapped potential. Like any other cherry blossom, she would peak and reach her potential, perhaps blossoming bigger and brighter than any other.
And now, all he had to do was wait, sit back and watch.
x x x
Sakura felt the heat rush to her face before any words could stumble out of her mouth, no doubt in a jumble.
The overwhelming sense of dejavu hit her then, and she was brought back to memories of all those years ago, when she had stood in this exact position. Izumo stood as he had all those years ago - a little more jaded, a little more worn around the edges, but still with a smile to greet her all the same. “Hey, Sakura-chan,” he greeted, the boyish smile still lighting his features. “Did you need anything?”
“Hey,” she spoke, her voice almost as soft as a whisper. She almost didn’t want to utter her request. All those years ago, screwing up the courage to talk to the kind Third had been terrifying enough, but now, hidden in the tower was a different beast entirely. Sure, the blonde’s inspirational jutsus were the reason she was here to begin with, but actually talking to her and asking for this was a different thing entirely.
“Sakura?”
“Oh, sorry!” she blushed. “Is the Hokage busy right now? I would appreciate a quick word with her, if that’s alright.”
“Sure thing, Sakura-chan. I think she just finished a mission brief, so you’re in luck - she shouldn’t be too beastly right now.”
If it weren’t for the toothy grin on his face, she would’ve believed that she had voiced those thoughts by accident. But she simply flashed him a smile and thanked him before stepping herself quietly into the building.
This was it, her make it or break it moment. And she could only hope now, that it was the former rather than the latter.
x x x
“No.”
Sakura froze, her smiles and fears frozen along with her heart. No. “But-”
The blonde heaved a sigh, turning her penetrating gaze back. Sakura fought to not flinch under her scrutiny. “Why should I allow you to become my apprentice? I have enough bullshit to deal with already as the Hokage.”
“I know I can do it - I won’t be a hassle at all, I’ll work hard, as many hours as you need-”
“Empty words, Haruno.”
Sakura squared her shoulders, and took a deep breath. “Did you get that feeling, Tsunade-sama, when you first saw medical jutsu in action? A sense of fulfillment, inspiration, and everything?” Sakura said, the raw want flashing through her shining emeralds. “When I saw you the other day, saving Itachi-san, I just knew - this is what I was meant to do.”
Tsunade stayed silent for the next few minutes, her gaze never leaving Sakura. Uncomfortable as it was to have such an intimidating woman examine her so openly, Sakura refused to back down. If there was ever going to be an important time to show her confidence, it would be now.
“Tell me something,” she said finally, apparently finished with her examination. “Does this have to do with Naruto’s arrangement with Jiraiya and Sasuke’s extended arrangement with Kakashi?”
Sakura bit her lip. She had been hoping that this wouldn’t pop up in their conversation, but it was inevitable now. “Yes,” she replied with a tone of finality, bringing her steady gaze up to meet Tsunade’s. “It may not be the most honest motivation, but we all have a goal. If this can help me be close to what I could be, doing something I know I will love…well, it’s all that a shinobi can ever hope for, right?”
Tsunade’s glare deepened once more, and Sakura could practically hear the no ready to roll off her tongue. But a second later she smirked, relaxing her gaze.
“Be here at 8am tomorrow morning. Don’t be late.”
Sakura, having already decided subconsciously that she had been rejected, reeled back with surprise. “What?”
Tsunade raised an eyebrow, choosing to remain silent.
It only took Sakura another moment to realize that she had succeeded, and when she did, the excitement lit up her features like Christmas day. Refraining herself at the last moment, she settled for a deep bow rather than rushing over and receiving the Hokage in a bone crushing hug. “Thank you, Tsunade-sama! I won’t let you down!”
“Shishou.”
“Huh?”
“At least address me properly, Haruno,” Tsunade said with a smirk. Sakura, understanding the implications, smiled even wider than she thought humanely possible.
“Thank you, Tsunade-shishou!”
“Mm...now get out!”
Sakura, already ecstatic beyond belief, was only too happy to comply. As she slipped out of the tower, unable to contain her mirth any longer, swept the unsuspecting Izumo up in a wondrous hug.
“Woah,” he laughed, returning the hug. “What’d I do to deserve this?”
With a twinkle in her eye, she replied, “Today is the first day of the rest of my life.”