5:30 Am - March XXXX

It was an early morning start for Naruto, he had woken up, his eyes bleary and groggy as he wiped at them.
He had stayed up most of the night watching over the pink haired beauty that lay in the broken and rickety bed.
"Oh Sakura..... It's time to wake up." Naruto shook her shoulder as he watched her long lashes flutter open.

"Naruto?" She moaned in annoyance as she slowly sat up, her bones popping as she sagged a bit.
"Where are we?"

"At Lady Shizuko's house Saku-chan." Naruto ran his pale fingers through her hair as he cupped her cheek.
"We have to get back to Kakashi-sensei."

"Alright...." Sakura mumbled as she slid out of the bed. Most of her strength had returned as she stretched eliciting a strange mewl that escaped her cherry pink lips.
Alabaster skin glowing in the orange sunrise as she tugged her sweater off, showing the scars that littered her pale body.
Digging around for another sweater she pulled out a tight fitting burgundy turtleneck. Pulling it on she adjusted her weapon holsters and hid senbon all throughout her outfit just in case.

"Ready?" Naruto tilted his head, acting as if he hadn't just seen Sakura change in front if him. Even if he doesn't show it he's still a living red blooded male with hormones.

"Yup!" Sakura chirped as she stared at the sleeping lady, knelling down she gave the withered lady a hug before standing and strolling out the door.

Immediately they headed to the inn where they found the teams asleep, each in their respective sleeping bag.
Sakura arched a pink brow as she stared at Sasuke who had his fingers curled into a claw.
Walking over to the sleeping boy, she kneeled as she stroked his surprisingly soft hair.
Just something she picked up from Mikoto when she had that short blissful time with the Uchiha's.

Sasuke gave a small mumble as he instantly relaxed, his face softened and Sakura just kept petting him.
"I'm so sorry Sasuke..... but behind every action there's a reason." She whispered before taking her hand away making the boy claw around for the warmth.

Naruto helped her up as he wrapped an arm protectively around her petite waist.
"What should we do while we wait for them?"

"I'll just read..." Sakura murmured as she sat herself in a small corner, Naruto joining beside her as he set his head on her shoulder, after all he was still sleepy.
Sakura chuckled as she pet Naruto's spiky hair. It was soft like a baby birds fresh down.

7:30 Am

Kakashi was the first to stir, his onyx eyes darted around when he felt a hidden chakra figure, grabbing his kunai he scanned the room until he saw the pair in the corner.
Sakura was immersed in a book and Naruto was fast asleep on her shoulder.

Sitting up Kakashi looked around to notice everyone still asleep, Tazuna in a bed as he drooled slightly covering the sheets in a sticky mess.
"My lord..." He mumbled as he pinched the bridge of his nose.
Standing up and stretching, Kakshi walked over to his students and just stared at them.
"Good morning you two."

"Good morning......Kakashi" Sakura drawled out, intentionally leaving out the suffix making Kakashi frown at her.

"Can't you just add Sensei?" Kakashi shook his head as he folded his muscled arms.

"No... you haven't earned it yet." Sakura muttered as she still had her nose stuffed in her book.

Now Kakashi was interested. He hadn't earned it yet? To her possibly.
He's an S-Rank Jounin, once an Anbu.
How dare she.

Leaning close to her face her lifted her cheek as he made her stare at him.
"I haven't earned it yet? Then tell me.... how shall I earn it?" His voice was a deep baritone that could make woman fall to their knees yet Sakura just stared at him.

"Get your finger off me..." She murmured, her eyes an unforgiving blizzard.

Suddenly a low animalistic growl resounded beside the rosette. Kakashi looked over to the sound and was met with slitted Red eyes that belonged to the blonde one.
Almost stumbling back he kept his balance as he could see Naruto's deadly glare.
Deciding whether to push it or leave it alone he went a little closer to Sakura.

"And if I don't? What will you-" Kakashi was cut off by the cold feeling of an extremely sharp object on the base of his throat.

How?! His mind reeled as he looked down to see pale fingers with black claws. The width was thin but the height was definitely taller than his pinky.
And it was sharp and it belonged to Naruto.
Jumping away he grabbed his throat as if to massage it as he observed his blonde student.

Naruto was now fully awake, his claws retracted slightly as his snarl died down. Leaning back down to Sakura's pale shoulder Naruto gave a warning glare to Kakashi before he went back to "Sleep".

Sakura gave an echoing laugh as she leaned back on the beige wall, watching Kakashi with hollow eyes.
It was unnerving as if she was just a doll, a pale doll that was soulless.
Kakshi sighed before strolling to the bathroom, looking at his untameable silver hair he ran a large hand through it as he pulled his mask down to wash his face.
Staring at himself he could almost feel the way her gaze made him remember his past, his horrid and disgusting past.
He was only 23 and yet the 13 year old was making him unnerved.

8:00 Am

Sakura watched as the others woke up, each ninja yawning as they rubbed their sleepy eyes, getting ready to head out to the bridge.
As they packed up nobody seemed to notice the pair in the corner. Naruto was fully awake and clutching to Sakura's sweater like a lost child holding on to their mother.
His cerulean blue eyes glanced up at her as he was enraptured by his best friend.
Sakura soon stood up, Naruto right beside her as the teams walked out and trudged their way to a nearby forest close to the bridge.

Team 8 went to go protect the bridge builder but Team 7 would start their first real training.

----

"Alright guys we will be learning the fundamental of Chakra." Kakashi explained as he stared at their eyes.
One was dull and one was icy, the other was sparked in an interest.

"Chakra control, every ninja needs it to sustain their Jutsu. We will practice Chakra control by climbing up trees without your hands." Kakashi muttered as he handed them all a dark kunai.
"You will use these to mark your progress!"

Immediately the team set to work by choosing their trees. Sakura chose a big sturdy Cedar wood tree as she placed her palm on its rough edged bark. Termites had taken shelter within the trees hollow and Sakura could feel the new buds of branches that were beginning to grow. Setting one foot on the bark she concentrated, feeling the deep swirls of her chakra as she manipulated her energy to glue her feet to the tree. Sending rivulets of chakra to her feet as she slowly started to walk up the tree.
The breeze brushed against her face as she breathed in the sweet and musty scent of the forest, she could smell the rain, the fresh dew and it calmed her.
Soon enough she found herself at the highest branch and when she opened her eyes she could barely see Naruto.

Her teammates looked up in astonishment as their mouths gaped open.
She had made it up without falling.

"Well.... those with a smaller chakra reserve have better control! That just means their chakra levels are weaker yet the control is precise!" Kakashi smiled at the boys.

Naruto immediately glared at him and Kakashi was lucky Sakura was nearby or he would set a pair of steel claws into the base of the silver nins throat.

"Did you just call Sakura weak?" Naruto growled lowly, his arms folded as he swung the blade around his index finger.

"Maa maa... no I only assured that she a better chakra control than you!" Kakashi stared at the defensive boy.

"...." Naruto sighed as he turned to his tree, yeah he knew he had a large amount of chakra in him and he knew why. It wasn't because he himself was strong. No it was because of a great tailed Fox that lived within him.
Concentrating on the wild and raging chakra he set one foot on the tree and already it started to shatter.
Lessening the chakra until he had a steady flow he started to walk up but soon the chakra flow faltered and he found himself on the marshy ground.
I'm still weak.... I need... I need to get stronger. For her!

Naruto and Sasuke kept practicing till the night cloaked them in darkness and mercury stars filled the grassy area with their embedding light.
Sakura came down from her perch in the tree landing beside Naruto. He looked exhausted as she wobbled on his feet. Him and Sasuke were beat.

Crouching she hefted Sasuke up and Naruto and let the boys lean on her shoulder, her gaze softened a bit as she carried them back to the bridge builders home. Somehow Tazuna allowed them into his home claiming he would be safer if a team was with him.
Laying the boys down on a futon she dusted her leggings before walking out into the misty forest. Her eyes scanning the area as she kneeled down looking at the small curled up herbs. Tilting her head as she gently grasped the feathery stems giving into a small smile that stretched on her lips as she watched the plant sharpen and prick into her finger as it absorbed her blood.

"I'll be waiting..... Zabuza-san...."