Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Strawberry Secrets ❯ Chapter 2
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: deathbyshuriken 
Setting up the plot. Not much kakashi-sakura ship but it's coming in the third chappie, I promise.
Anime/Manga: Naruto Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 02.14.2006 | Pages: 1 | Words: 2.2K | Visits: 598 | Status: Work In Progress
Setting up the plot. Not much kakashi-sakura ship but it's coming in the third chappie, I promise.
Anime/Manga: Naruto Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 02.14.2006 | Pages: 1 | Words: 2.2K | Visits: 598 | Status: Work In Progress
AN: I know it's a little slow to start but it'll pick up in the next few chapters. I've been at a loss of what to do but I've finally decided the best route. There were so many possibilities after the first chapter that my brain when haywire as my muse started force-feeding it ideas. As for the bad spelling... sorry. :P I'll have to go back and spellcheck it. I put it up without really re-reading it. Ah well, some of the greatest writers in the world can't spell to save their lives. lol. I guess that's still no excuse. I can hear my highschool creative writer teacher slamming a book against the back of my head. Muah! I'm sorry Mr. Bemrose.
Disclaimer: All disclaimers still apply. I still don't own it after promising that I'd take really good care of Sasuke-kun and Naruto-kun. Somehow... they just don't believe me. --;;
Chapter 2
Sakura was in trouble. A lot of trouble. She stood before the Hokage’s desk, her eyes locked on the litter that scattered across its surface. Finding herself unable to meet the older woman’s intense glare, she fidgeted slightly and fought the urge to run.
“So you are telling me that you went to a bar last night– knowing that you shouldn’t have been there and, again, knowing that you were underage, drank alcohol?” Tsunade’s voice was soft, ringing with disappointment and anger.
“Yes, Tsunade-sama.” Sakura mumbled, tears threatening to break free of their emerald confines. She itched to swipe at them as they finally tumbled down her cool, flushed cheeks. How had Tsunade managed to get the truth out of her when she had every intention of keeping it a secret, was beyond Sakura’s comprehension. The dead giveaway might have been the fact that she was caught tossing her cookies in the bathroom by Shizune. Or that she smelled slightly of alcohol because she hadn’t had enough time to shower. Or it could have possibly been the fact that she was late. But it wasn’t like she hadn’t gone to the bar without a disguise.
“I recognized you right away, Sakura.” Shizune said from her place beside the Godaime’s desk. “I didn’t say anything to anyone because I thought that Tsunade-sama should know first. What you did to change your appearance was extremely dangerous!”
“B-but I had it under control–“
Slamming her fist down with more power than she had intended, Tsunade launched herself from her chair and glared at her prized pupil. “And what if you hadn’t? What if you had lost control of it when you were turning yourself back? You could have killed yourself!” She lifted her hands from the shattered desk’s surface and caught a scroll as it rolled towards the edge.
“Does anyone else know about this? What about Kakashi?” Tsunade asked, glancing at Shizune. Obviously, Shizune had known that she had left with her former sensei and had reported that too. “Shizune said she saw you leaving with him. What did you do, Sakura?”
“N-nothing! I passed out and he was gentlemanly enough to bring me to his place until I recovered my senses. I walked home after I regained consciousness.” Sakura blurted, getting the feeling if she hadn’t cleared up what she was doing in the copy-nin’s home, she would have been in more trouble and Kakashi would be dragged into it. She didn’t want that, seeing how she was already embarrassed enough as is. Kakashi didn't deserve it, anyways. After being so kind to her by making sure she wasn't hurt at the bar.
“Does he suspect, Shizune?” Tsunade turned her head towards her assistant.
Shizune shook her head, “No. She had enough sense to keep her real name out of it but I’m not sure he’s convinced of its validity. I think that if things aren’t cleared up soon, he’s going to start his own investigation.”
“We can’t have him sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong.” Tsunade glanced down at the mission scrolls strewn across her desk. “He’s been idle for too long. I think a nice long mission is in store for Hatake-san.”
“Don’t punish him because of me.” Sakura cried, “It was my fault. Punish me.”
“Oh, you’ll get what’s coming to you, don’t you worry.” Tsunade speared her with an angry look. “As for Kakashi, we can’t afford to have him inadvertently find out what you have been up to. This skill that you’ve developed... if anyone finds out about it, there will be a lot of people who will want it. People like Orochimaru, who is still at large.”
Dread lodged itself in her throat. Sakura stood speechless in front of her mentor and the leader of her village. “I-I didn’t th-think it would b-be...”
“Of course you didn’t think, Sakura!” Tsunade said harshly, “You never think of anyone but yourself! You don’t know how much danger you could have put our village in if this were to slip out. No one is to know about this, under any circumstances. If I catch you using this jitsu again, there will be very harsh consequences.”
Duly chastened, Sakura nodded mutely.
“And as for your punishment, I have a few d-ranked missions that you will take. As well, there will be a test on what you have learned this far. Also, I see you’re down on your volunteer time at the hospital. Go there and report to Maki-san as soon as you are dismissed with me. You will do double the hours and I expect them to be done by the end of the week. If you have enough time to create and use forbidden jitsu, then you have enough time for studies, mission and homework.” Tsunade sat back down in her chair and glared at the young girl. “Now get out of my sight and don’t come back until I’m ready to give you your missions.”
When the girl had left, Shizune looked at her mentor and asked, “May I speak freely, Tsunade-sama?”
“You think I’ve been too hard on her?”
“Yes.”
Tsunade turned her chair to face the window, she stared out at the village. “She may have just found the literal answer to immorality. She figured out something that I’ve been trying to do for years. And she used it to get into a bar. If she has found a way to reverse the effects of aging without any side-affects, then she’s opened up a floodgate and who knows what the hell is going to come out of it.”
/Sakura-and-Kakashi-sitting-in-a-tree-k-i-s-s-i-n-g\\
Sakura felt bad. She felt worse than bad. She felt worse-bad. Shaking her head out of her glum thoughts, she finished off the last of the chores that Maki-sensei had given her. The doctor hadn’t been lenient with her, sensing that she did something really bad and needed to be punished. He had taken to the notion of inflicting as much torment on the pink haired kunoichi as possible, since he had always secretly disliked the girl. It wasn’t much of a secret, actually. Sakura had sensed it from the moment she laid eyes on him, and had reciprocated in kind by shirking chores and showing up the doctor whenever she could. But now with the doctor breathing over her shoulder, watching her every move, she had to be flawless— and was.
Two months straight of mundane missions like walking dogs and clearing rice fields of pests, as well as cleaning bedpans and sponge bathing old people and Sakura had almost reached her limit. She wondered when her punishment would end. When she would take the dreaded test that Tsunade had mentioned in what seemed an eternity ago? She had gotten up at the crack of dawn, finished all the d-ranked missions and then had gone to the hospital to stay there until sun-down, where she would go home and study until she fell asleep in her books.
One particular morning, it was grey and dark outside. The forecast was looking bleak, promising rain that would turn into snow later on in the day. Sakura sighed at this bit of information, glumly turning off the radio before searching for her coat and mitts. She felt run-down and short tempered. Luckily, her parents hadn’t been around to inadvertently instigate her temper. They were off on vacation after her father had gotten back from one particularly long mission. Her mother had taken time off of work to be with her father as they travelled north to visit relatives.
She put her dishes in the sink before shrugging into her winter jacket. It was a little tight over her shoulders and smelled like must. She made a mental note to find some time during her next break to go buy a new winter jacket. Seeing as she had made a lot of money from all the missions she had been forced to take, and with no chance to spend it, she figured that she owed herself at least something for all her hard work.
When she had arrived at the hospital after doing her missions, she was surprised to be met by absolute mayhem. After shucking off her coat and mitts, she was immediately swept up in the chaos, learning that two teams had come in suffering heavy casualties. Without bothering to check in with Maki-sensei, she had gone to work providing screaming doctors with utensils to make their jobs easier, and cleaning up lighter flesh wounds that didn’t really need any attention from doctors but had to be taken care of. When finally the rush had dwindled to a trickle, Sakura allowed herself a small break.
“I NEED SOME HELP HERE!” A familiar voice yelled as doors swung open, admitting Kiba’s sister who had Kakashi slung across her back. A new burst of activity and three more people were came rushing in behind her.
Sakura was at her side, wheeling a Gurney to receive the unconscious shinobi. She glanced at his wounds and her heart caught in her throat. A gaping wound, it looked like it had been done by a knife, bled profusely from Kakashi’s left shoulder. There was another wound on the right side of his neck, it looked like his jugular had been severed by the amount of blood pumping out. She clapped a hand over the wound, forcing her chakra into his body to jump start the cells into reforming and knitting the tissue closed. When the blood had stopped flowing, she glanced around to see if there were any doctors coming, all were busy with the patients that had come in that morning. She cursed and moved one blood coated hand from the wound in his neck to the one on his shoulder. Another frantic blast of chakra and she could feel the exposed flesh beneath her palm begin to reform and knit itself back together. “Where are the doctors?” She yelled at a nurse who had come running from another operating room.
“They are tied up in surgery, Sakura-chan!” The nurse said as she arrived at the girl’s side. Sakura began barking orders, taking control of Kakashi’s wounds. “We have to move him into another room.” She said, looking around for a free room.
Another nurse joined them, “I know where one is.” She said and took hold of the Gurney.
“Wait, I’ve got my hands on him and I can’t move!” Sakura cried.
“Get on top of him.” The first nurse suggested quickly, “It’s the only way.”
Swallowing her wounded modesty for Kakashi’s sake, she straddled his stomach as the Gurney was pushed into an operating room. By the time that they had come to a halt, the torn veins had been repair, the blood had slowed to a trickle. “Get him something for the pain.” She said, unsure of what else to do as she channelled more energy into healing. “He might come to.”
When finally she had deemed it safe to get off of Kakashi’s prone form, she set her feet on the ground and grasped the edge of the bed as her knees began to buckle. The amount of chakra she had used left her weak and disoriented. She sat hard on the ground, her legs beneath her. “Sakura-chan! Are you alright?” One of the nurses cried, rushing over to the young woman’s side.
“I think I’ve just over-used...” The rest of the words were lost in the sound of blood pounding in her ears. Her sight went blurry and suddenly, her head felt too heavy to hold on her neck. She fell back and would have cracked her head on the floor if the nurse hadn’t been beside her to catch her.
TBC
Disclaimer: All disclaimers still apply. I still don't own it after promising that I'd take really good care of Sasuke-kun and Naruto-kun. Somehow... they just don't believe me. --;;
Chapter 2
Sakura was in trouble. A lot of trouble. She stood before the Hokage’s desk, her eyes locked on the litter that scattered across its surface. Finding herself unable to meet the older woman’s intense glare, she fidgeted slightly and fought the urge to run.
“So you are telling me that you went to a bar last night– knowing that you shouldn’t have been there and, again, knowing that you were underage, drank alcohol?” Tsunade’s voice was soft, ringing with disappointment and anger.
“Yes, Tsunade-sama.” Sakura mumbled, tears threatening to break free of their emerald confines. She itched to swipe at them as they finally tumbled down her cool, flushed cheeks. How had Tsunade managed to get the truth out of her when she had every intention of keeping it a secret, was beyond Sakura’s comprehension. The dead giveaway might have been the fact that she was caught tossing her cookies in the bathroom by Shizune. Or that she smelled slightly of alcohol because she hadn’t had enough time to shower. Or it could have possibly been the fact that she was late. But it wasn’t like she hadn’t gone to the bar without a disguise.
“I recognized you right away, Sakura.” Shizune said from her place beside the Godaime’s desk. “I didn’t say anything to anyone because I thought that Tsunade-sama should know first. What you did to change your appearance was extremely dangerous!”
“B-but I had it under control–“
Slamming her fist down with more power than she had intended, Tsunade launched herself from her chair and glared at her prized pupil. “And what if you hadn’t? What if you had lost control of it when you were turning yourself back? You could have killed yourself!” She lifted her hands from the shattered desk’s surface and caught a scroll as it rolled towards the edge.
“Does anyone else know about this? What about Kakashi?” Tsunade asked, glancing at Shizune. Obviously, Shizune had known that she had left with her former sensei and had reported that too. “Shizune said she saw you leaving with him. What did you do, Sakura?”
“N-nothing! I passed out and he was gentlemanly enough to bring me to his place until I recovered my senses. I walked home after I regained consciousness.” Sakura blurted, getting the feeling if she hadn’t cleared up what she was doing in the copy-nin’s home, she would have been in more trouble and Kakashi would be dragged into it. She didn’t want that, seeing how she was already embarrassed enough as is. Kakashi didn't deserve it, anyways. After being so kind to her by making sure she wasn't hurt at the bar.
“Does he suspect, Shizune?” Tsunade turned her head towards her assistant.
Shizune shook her head, “No. She had enough sense to keep her real name out of it but I’m not sure he’s convinced of its validity. I think that if things aren’t cleared up soon, he’s going to start his own investigation.”
“We can’t have him sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong.” Tsunade glanced down at the mission scrolls strewn across her desk. “He’s been idle for too long. I think a nice long mission is in store for Hatake-san.”
“Don’t punish him because of me.” Sakura cried, “It was my fault. Punish me.”
“Oh, you’ll get what’s coming to you, don’t you worry.” Tsunade speared her with an angry look. “As for Kakashi, we can’t afford to have him inadvertently find out what you have been up to. This skill that you’ve developed... if anyone finds out about it, there will be a lot of people who will want it. People like Orochimaru, who is still at large.”
Dread lodged itself in her throat. Sakura stood speechless in front of her mentor and the leader of her village. “I-I didn’t th-think it would b-be...”
“Of course you didn’t think, Sakura!” Tsunade said harshly, “You never think of anyone but yourself! You don’t know how much danger you could have put our village in if this were to slip out. No one is to know about this, under any circumstances. If I catch you using this jitsu again, there will be very harsh consequences.”
Duly chastened, Sakura nodded mutely.
“And as for your punishment, I have a few d-ranked missions that you will take. As well, there will be a test on what you have learned this far. Also, I see you’re down on your volunteer time at the hospital. Go there and report to Maki-san as soon as you are dismissed with me. You will do double the hours and I expect them to be done by the end of the week. If you have enough time to create and use forbidden jitsu, then you have enough time for studies, mission and homework.” Tsunade sat back down in her chair and glared at the young girl. “Now get out of my sight and don’t come back until I’m ready to give you your missions.”
When the girl had left, Shizune looked at her mentor and asked, “May I speak freely, Tsunade-sama?”
“You think I’ve been too hard on her?”
“Yes.”
Tsunade turned her chair to face the window, she stared out at the village. “She may have just found the literal answer to immorality. She figured out something that I’ve been trying to do for years. And she used it to get into a bar. If she has found a way to reverse the effects of aging without any side-affects, then she’s opened up a floodgate and who knows what the hell is going to come out of it.”
/Sakura-and-Kakashi-sitting-in-a-tree-k-i-s-s-i-n-g\\
Sakura felt bad. She felt worse than bad. She felt worse-bad. Shaking her head out of her glum thoughts, she finished off the last of the chores that Maki-sensei had given her. The doctor hadn’t been lenient with her, sensing that she did something really bad and needed to be punished. He had taken to the notion of inflicting as much torment on the pink haired kunoichi as possible, since he had always secretly disliked the girl. It wasn’t much of a secret, actually. Sakura had sensed it from the moment she laid eyes on him, and had reciprocated in kind by shirking chores and showing up the doctor whenever she could. But now with the doctor breathing over her shoulder, watching her every move, she had to be flawless— and was.
Two months straight of mundane missions like walking dogs and clearing rice fields of pests, as well as cleaning bedpans and sponge bathing old people and Sakura had almost reached her limit. She wondered when her punishment would end. When she would take the dreaded test that Tsunade had mentioned in what seemed an eternity ago? She had gotten up at the crack of dawn, finished all the d-ranked missions and then had gone to the hospital to stay there until sun-down, where she would go home and study until she fell asleep in her books.
One particular morning, it was grey and dark outside. The forecast was looking bleak, promising rain that would turn into snow later on in the day. Sakura sighed at this bit of information, glumly turning off the radio before searching for her coat and mitts. She felt run-down and short tempered. Luckily, her parents hadn’t been around to inadvertently instigate her temper. They were off on vacation after her father had gotten back from one particularly long mission. Her mother had taken time off of work to be with her father as they travelled north to visit relatives.
She put her dishes in the sink before shrugging into her winter jacket. It was a little tight over her shoulders and smelled like must. She made a mental note to find some time during her next break to go buy a new winter jacket. Seeing as she had made a lot of money from all the missions she had been forced to take, and with no chance to spend it, she figured that she owed herself at least something for all her hard work.
When she had arrived at the hospital after doing her missions, she was surprised to be met by absolute mayhem. After shucking off her coat and mitts, she was immediately swept up in the chaos, learning that two teams had come in suffering heavy casualties. Without bothering to check in with Maki-sensei, she had gone to work providing screaming doctors with utensils to make their jobs easier, and cleaning up lighter flesh wounds that didn’t really need any attention from doctors but had to be taken care of. When finally the rush had dwindled to a trickle, Sakura allowed herself a small break.
“I NEED SOME HELP HERE!” A familiar voice yelled as doors swung open, admitting Kiba’s sister who had Kakashi slung across her back. A new burst of activity and three more people were came rushing in behind her.
Sakura was at her side, wheeling a Gurney to receive the unconscious shinobi. She glanced at his wounds and her heart caught in her throat. A gaping wound, it looked like it had been done by a knife, bled profusely from Kakashi’s left shoulder. There was another wound on the right side of his neck, it looked like his jugular had been severed by the amount of blood pumping out. She clapped a hand over the wound, forcing her chakra into his body to jump start the cells into reforming and knitting the tissue closed. When the blood had stopped flowing, she glanced around to see if there were any doctors coming, all were busy with the patients that had come in that morning. She cursed and moved one blood coated hand from the wound in his neck to the one on his shoulder. Another frantic blast of chakra and she could feel the exposed flesh beneath her palm begin to reform and knit itself back together. “Where are the doctors?” She yelled at a nurse who had come running from another operating room.
“They are tied up in surgery, Sakura-chan!” The nurse said as she arrived at the girl’s side. Sakura began barking orders, taking control of Kakashi’s wounds. “We have to move him into another room.” She said, looking around for a free room.
Another nurse joined them, “I know where one is.” She said and took hold of the Gurney.
“Wait, I’ve got my hands on him and I can’t move!” Sakura cried.
“Get on top of him.” The first nurse suggested quickly, “It’s the only way.”
Swallowing her wounded modesty for Kakashi’s sake, she straddled his stomach as the Gurney was pushed into an operating room. By the time that they had come to a halt, the torn veins had been repair, the blood had slowed to a trickle. “Get him something for the pain.” She said, unsure of what else to do as she channelled more energy into healing. “He might come to.”
When finally she had deemed it safe to get off of Kakashi’s prone form, she set her feet on the ground and grasped the edge of the bed as her knees began to buckle. The amount of chakra she had used left her weak and disoriented. She sat hard on the ground, her legs beneath her. “Sakura-chan! Are you alright?” One of the nurses cried, rushing over to the young woman’s side.
“I think I’ve just over-used...” The rest of the words were lost in the sound of blood pounding in her ears. Her sight went blurry and suddenly, her head felt too heavy to hold on her neck. She fell back and would have cracked her head on the floor if the nurse hadn’t been beside her to catch her.
TBC