ii.

there is freedom waiting for you,

on the breezes of the s k y ,

and y o u ask "what if i fall? "

oh, but my darling,

what if you f l y ?

桜

Running along the edge of Konoha fills Sakura with a sort of happiness; a sort of determination filling her being to the brim, a smile reaching her eyes like a flowering bud. Something about running along the walls, the more forest-like areas of the village, fills Sakura with a feeling she cannot explain in full.

Nature, she knows, is a divine entity-Or so she believes. A second person watching over your shoulder with a comforting grip whispering "Please take care of me as I take care of you,".To her, nature is just as divine as the female body, bodies that have the world at their feet, creating life seamlessly, brilliantly-Beautifully.

Tucking a few strands of loose hair behind her ear, Sakura continues to jog. She is still caught up in her thoughts when another body slams into hers, causing her to stumble and fall onto the figure that has just crashed into her.

"Yosh! I'm v-" The voice instantly trails off, dragging the 'v' along for several moments before going speechless.

Sakura blinks, Inner voice revving to life as she takes in the appearance of the boy before her.

oh mY KAMI THERE ARE CATERPILLARS EATING HIS FACE AND-wait a second, those aren't caterpillars... THOSE ARE HIS EYEBROWS!

Though Inner begins to make prejudice against his appearance, Sakura wards her away. She supposes if people held prejudice against the way she looks as well, she'd be just as horrid as the judgement Inner screeches in hysterics.

"H-Hello!" Stammers the boy, cheeks turning red with embarrassment.

Sakura blinks curiously, taking his offer to help her up by his (shaking) hand sticking out towards her.

"Hello," Sakura replies, much more calmly than that of the boys loud cry. He is blushing horribly, face going carnelian. He clenches his eyes shut.

"I am youthful Rock Lee, at your service, you, youthful Sp-Spring Blossom!" He cries in introduction, face still red. Sakura finds her cheeks brightening at the compliment in his introduction. She hopes it fades quickly though, as her blush is a crimson red stain on her face that makes her look even worse than normal.

"Eto... Oh! I-I'm Haruno Sakura!" Sakura finally says, bowing quickly.

Lee's blush grew brighter as he gives a quick bow as well. "That's a fitting name for such a lovely flower like yourself!" He exclaims, "I-If I can, may I join you on your morning jog!?" He asks, stuttering only slightly. An excited look falls onto his face as he stares eagerly at Sakura.

Sakura hesitates, but nods with a tentative smile. It wouldn't be that bad to have company while she jogs, in fact, the thought of him wanting to join her makes her feel... happy.

As they begin to run, Sakura adds, "I apologize that I'm not very fast and can't run very long..." She smiles sheepishly, "I've only been doing this for a few days. I hope to improve my speed soon!" With a large smile, Sakura clenches a fist determinedly.

"Th-that's very youthful, Sa-Sakura-chan! I have some extra weights from when I just s-started training and I would gladly l-lend them to you!" Offers Lee, voice growing louder with each word and a lighter blush dusting his cheeks once more.

Letting out a soft huff of slight exhaustion, Sakura nods enthusiastically. "That'd be really nice, Lee-san!"

The boy smiles brightly, beginning a small conversation with Sakura as they jog next to the wall. The two share training tactics, exercises and the promise to meet again the next morning to jog together once more.

As Sakura walks towards Team 7's meeting spot, she realizes she has just jogged the around all of Konoha with Lee and that she is rather late to meet up with her team (Even though she knows Kakashi will be even more late than her)

A panicky yelp escapes her lips as she bolts towards team 7's meet-up spot.

桜

When she arrives the boys are already there, watching as she collapses onto the bridge, falling onto her knees.

She'd sprinted from the other side of Konoha all the way back to the meeting spot, panicking as she thought the possibility of Kakashi actually being early (even though she knew that was pretty much impossible).

"Wh-whoa! Sakura-chan-Your hair!" Naruto cries instantly, running over to check on her.

"E-Eto...?" Sakura blinks in confusion, reaching back to touch her hair only to remember the complex and intricate flower braid in her hair as well as the spiky hair traps. It'd be a bad idea to touch her hair. "O-oh! My Hair!"

"Wh... Whoa! Sakura-chan, your hair looks really pretty!" informs Naruto, cheeks blushing brightly and blue eyes glowing. Another blush falls onto Sakura's cheeks.

"I-uh..! Well, I decided that long hair was impractical for a ninja lifestyle." She notices Sasuke is watching, gazing over at her hair curiously. Her bangs aren't covering her forehead, or framing the sides of her face-She is totally and wholly revealed. The thought makes her blush once more. "So, I, um, I didn't want to cut my hair, because I really do like my long hair so Kazumi-san taught me how to braid my hair in different ways to keep it super short."

Naruto blinks, rubbing the back of his neck before yelling "That's amazing Sakura-chan!" and flashing a large smile.

Sakura sweat-drops, he doesn't understand it.

"Teme-Teme! Look at her hair. Look at it! It looks like a flower, Dattebayo! And-" Naruto reaches to grab her hair but she bats his hand away, remembering the hair traps.

Naruto blinks, before smiling sheepishly, probably thinking he might've ruined her hair if he had touched it. Of course, that isn't the case, but she'll save the surprise until one of them did grab her hair.

Grumbling, Sakura stands up again, brushing the imaginary dust off her dress skirt before making a face. Her fingers dance over the embroidered circle on her dress. She clutches the skirt between her fingers and opens her mouth to ask the boys if they knew a good place for ninja clothes but halts.

...

It would be alright, she decides she'll ask Kazumi instead. A part of her wonders why she doesn't ask, ask them the question but she doesn't ponder on it any farther.

Releasing the fabric of her dress, she looks back up the boys. They've gotten into another argument. Her mouth opens once more, to yell at Naruto who is always loud.

She falters.

Why does she always yell at Naruto anyways? Because of prejudice built from her parents? Her mouth shuts once more. Suddenly her life felt like a puppets string, the puppeteer being everyone's expectations.

"Both of you, quit fighting," Sakura finally says, not directing or playing bias into her words. This time, she will wash away the prejudice everyone had built and expects her to follow.

Naruto freezes in the midst of his yell turning to look at Sakura, wincing as if expecting a punch from the pinkette.

Nothing.

"You're not going to hit me?" Questions Naruto expectantly. A tick grew on Sakura's forehead and her fist slams into the top of his head. "ITAI! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" The boy yelps, rubbing the top of his head.

"hmph," mumbles Sakura, crossing her arms and leaning against the red bridge.

After waiting a few hours, their sensei finally arrives, Naruto jumps to his case after he attempts his lame excuse, causing Sakura to roll her eyes while Sasuke mumbles a "Tch,"

"Maa, maa, Besides that-We've got a mission,"

The team perks up slightly but is prepared to be let down. "Today, we'll be weeding a civilians yard!" He informs, taking out his Icha Icha book.

Naruto is quick to whine about it, but Sakura shrugs off her slight disappointment.

Together, the team follow Kakashi to their new client.

桜

"oh, you genin 're just too cute!" Giggles the old lady, Aina, as they weed her garden.

Sakura blinks, blushing slightly while Sasuke and Naruto grumble, returning to their work. "You know, My sons 're ninja," Croons the old lady, smiling pleasantly at Sakura. "One of em', He and his wife, 're always out on 'em missions," She shakes her head, smile fading to a frown.

"They're gone so often my poor grand-child has barely even met the two of 'em," She tsks, rocking back and forth on her rocking chair. "Well, what can I-" Another argument breaks out between Sasuke and Naruto and another tick grows on Sakura's forehead as she weeds the garden. She's about to yell at them, but she notices Aina's soft smile.

"My children used to argue like that Ha..! I'm so old," she laughs, a bright smile on her face. Sakura giggles, shaking her head at Aina.

"B-baa-chan!" A familiar voice calls.

"Hiro-chan! Welcome home," Greets Aina, smiling at Hiroshi who holds a box of dango in one hand and a few bags in the other.

Sakura stands quickly in surprise, dusting off her dress skirt as she scampers over to help him. "Hiroshi-san, Hello!" Sakura greets excitedly, grabbing the box of dango and helping him take the stuff towards Aina.

"N-nani? Sakura-chan, wh-what are you doing here?" Asks Hiroshi, stammering slightly. Sakura is use to his stutter, however, having heard it almost everyday for awhile now.

"Baa-san hired us for a D-rank mission," informs Sakura, setting the dango box on the table by Aina's rocking chair.

Aina makes a sound of delight as Sakura begins to go back to weeding the garden.

"O-Oi, Sakura-chan, b-be careful, some of th-those weeds are p-poisonous!" Adds Hiroshi quickly, leaning over the fence of the porch to inform her.

"Really?" Asks Aina after a second, tilting her head. Hiroshi shakes his head, an utterly defeated look falling onto his face.

As Sakura plucks the flowered vines off the side of the house, she cringes at the sound of Naruto and Sasuke's argument getting out of hand. Aina snorts, watching the boys begin to chuck weeds at each other in anger before her eyes widen.

"'ey-'EY! WATCH MY FLOWERS!' cries Aina, sitting straighter on her rocking chair. Now, while the boys were throwing weeds at each other, they had automatically went with the larger plants which happen to be the actual flowers in the yard.

Sakura scrambles to the boys, trying to get Naruto to stop throwing flowers and weeds but, as always, his emotions cloud his reasoning. She wants to hit Naruto, like she normally does when he's being an idiot, because the both of them are being unreasonable. But if both are, then shouldn't she at least try to reason with Sasuke?

So she moves to Sasuke, trying to reason with him as well but he, just like Naruto, is letting his anger control him. Finally, Sakura is put up with it, and she's ready to knock out her idiotic teammate.

Flowers are still flying in the air and Aina looks ready to faint, so Sakura raises her fist...

...and hits Sasuke.

The yard quiets and Sakura is thrown into panic. She hit Sasuke! Hit him! She was going to hit the idiotic one! The one being... Unreasonable...

But both of them were being unreasonable. Both of them were throwing the flowers, and both wouldn't be reasoned with, in this situation, both were the idiots, but her mind... Her mind was still holding prejudice against Naruto, something her parents planted at the root.

("He's a monster," hissed her mother as she tugged Sakura harshly away from the park, "don't ever befriend that kid, you hear me, Sakura?")

However, this doesn't faze Sakura. It's still Sasuke, the boy she admires with all her being, the boy who deserves love after.. after...

"KYA! Sorry, sorry! I didn't mean to-Well, I mean, I sorta did but-You both were-and-and..!"

"It's alright," Sasuke breaks in, straightening and rubbing his bruising cheek slightly. "It doesn't matter anymore,"

Sakura quiets, reaching out towards him but instantly he bats away her palm harshly. "I'm. Fine." He hisses.

Sakura flinches, taking a sudden step back. He's mad, and he needs to cool down. Taking a deep breath, Sakura finds the only courage left clinging to her. "As I said before, I apologize for hitting you but I won't say I didn't mean to. Both you and Naruto were being unreasonable and ruining Aina-baa-san's yard. We're here for a mission to help her yard, not ruin it,"

Her throat feels dry and the part of her mind that is always afraid of judgement, of crushing expectations whispers her fears into the back of her head.

He'll hate you, the voice in her head moans, who wouldn't hate such an awful girl anyways..?

Turning before she can process the emotions on his face, in his eyes, she returns to weeding Aina-baa-san's yard, getting back to getting rid of the flowered vines hugging the house. Hey... Hasn't she seen these flowers before? In her genin books.. What's the title of the book again..?

Suddenly, Hiroshi returns from the inside, glancing towards Sakura for a brief moment as he sets a plate full of the dango he brought back on the table next to Aina.

"Hey, Hiroshi-san!" Sakura-chan, eyes glimmering as she holds the flowered vines.

Hiroshi practically jumps into the air, his being comically turning black and white as metaphorical lightning bolts flash behind him. His hands grip his hair in utter panic.

"Sa-Sakura-chan! Th-those are p-poisonous! Pu-Put those d-down this in-instant young l-lady!" Cries Hiroshi in panic. Sakura blinks innocently, glancing at the devil's weed with uncaring eyes as Hiroshi stumbles around in blind panic.

"Hiroshi-san, they're only poisonous if you eat them or get their toxic essence straight into your bloodstream," Sakura points out innocently. Hiroshi quiets, wiping sweat of his forehead in relief.

"Which is why I was wondering if I could have some!"

Hiroshi let out a high-pitched screech, body jolting in surprise. Once again, the metaphorical lightning bolts flash around him. "N-No! A-absolutely not, y-young lady! You c-could hurt yourself o-or worse! K-kill yourself! Ka-kazumi would have m-my headdd..." moans Hiroshi.

Aina-baa-san laughs, finally calm after Sakura saved her garden. "Oh! You want to learn about 'em poisons? Ya' know, Hiro-chan's parents harvest 'em weeds for t'eir own weapons." Hiroshi falters at the mention of his parents but continues to shake his head.

"B-Baa-san, sh-she's twelve!" reasons the man, gripping his hair in frustration.

Aina snorts, rolling her eyes. "The first time you harvest 'em foxglove you were six, don't make an excuse,"

"B-but there was a wa-war!" Retaliates Hiroshi, throwing his arms in the air, "I h-had to build u-up a poi-poison im-immunity if I di-didn't want to sell out K-Konoha!" He gestures wildly to Sakura, "B-But she's n-not in a war! She do-doesn't need to for-force herself through that a-at such a yon-ITAI! Baa-san!"

Hiroshi grips the red bump on his head, while Aina holds her cane stiffly, a tick on her forehead as she grinds her teeth irately.

"She's twelve, the perfect age to start her immunity to it. Besides, she's a girl, she can handle 'em poisons. I thought I taught you better-respect kuniochi of all ages ya' brat!" Aina-baa-san replies, teeth still clenched in anger. Taking a deep breath, Aina nods. "Sakura-chan, go ahead and take 'em devil's weed, alright? While you're at it, take some of the foxglove,"

Hiroshi gives a cry of outrage but Aina just rolls her eyes. "If you come over here after 'em training sessions you got with your team, I'll help ya' brew up some poisons to put on your weapons. We'll also begin... What was that damn term again? Eto... Ah, Mithridatism,"

A smile grows on Sakura's face and she nods wildly to Aina's suggestion. Holding the plants she quickly sets aside the poisonous types as yet another argument breaks out between Naruto and Sasuke.

"That's it! Naruto, go weed over there and I'll weed between the two of you, if I hear another argument I'm hitting both of you!"

桜

The weeds that grow on Aina-baa-san's house make Sakura happy. Not because those very weeds will possibly help her ninja career, but because of the way they just...The way they grow.

After being torn down multiple times, weeded from the side of the comfy little home, the vines mange to grow back without a break, once more creeping up the sides of the house. Sakura supposes, she wants to do that. After being taunted as a child, beat herself up and be told down, she wants to grow, each time blocking a hit and continuing upwards.

But.. Can she really? That day, when she hit Sasuke and tried to apologize, she couldn't even get through to him without beginning to feel like she wasn't... How could she put it? Wasn't meant for it? For playing peacekeeper over and over again even against the person she really, really likes?

Becoming unbiased is extremely hard and tiring, Sakura doesn't like it. Her head screams logic and her heart screams favor and it's just horrible.

She sits silently, watching poison trickle into the beaker. After a few days of practice with Aina-baa-san, Aina had let her take home the kit of test-tubes, beakers and poisonous weeds. Sakura was aloud to brew the poisons, but not work on her Mithridatism without Kazumi, Hiroshi or Aina nearby to ensure her safety.

The poison made her feel sick, sometimes she threw up or felt so groggy she thought she would pass out (Especially in the mornings, though Lee was very kind about the fact and suggested postponing the use of the weights as he put her health above her training).

Thinking back to the plants, Sakura pushes aside the thought as she finally finishes brewing a poison. Quietly, she pulls the flask from the brewing pod, letting the purple poison swish around at the bottom of the beaker. Smiling at the poisons, she puts them aside, letting the solution cool on the beaker pod.

Setting aside all the poisonous plants, she picks up her pen, opens her journal and makes room on the top of her desk by shoving aside several books that clutter the surface.

Nibbling on the edge of her fingers, she lets the ink flow over the page, scribbling theories and possibilities-Ideas of all sorts.

And as the night grows darker, Sakura finishes her notes. She smiles at her theories, several drafts for a new sort of seal in front of her eyes. She brushes her fingertips against the designs, smiling excitedly.

They are beautiful.

Yes, this is the beauty Sakura will gain. She may be ugly with her horrific hair and mossy eyes and big forehead. Yes, in these seals painted across her notebook cover she will find the beauty she's always dreamed of. She is ugly, but her fuinjutsu isn't.

A few pages back are notes on her poisons and she's thinking of testing them with samples of her blood but she needs expensive equipment in order to be able to see the results. She grumbles to herself. How on earth will she be able to buy the equipment?

She knows they probably have the right tools at the hospital but they presumably wouldn't even let her touch it. She huffs to herself, slouching onto her table. It is night, the room dark and the only source of light being her desktop lamp.

Suddenly the door opens and her mom pokes her head in, face alight with concern.

"Sakura-chan, sweetie, are you alright? It's 9 P.M and you haven't eaten,"

Sakura pauses, glancing up at her mother and repeating "9 P.M?"

"Yes," answers her mother, tilting her head.

Sakura stands up quickly. "I, uh, sorry I missed dinner! I got really excited with taking notes, creating theories and making poisons," Sakura confesses, blushing with embarrassment.

Her mother pales. "Poisons?" she whispers, looking horrified at what her baby is experimenting with. She finally takes sight of Sakura's poison brewing station and gulps. She glances at he daughter.

"Sakura-chan, honey, you know... It's never too late to pull out of this whole... Ninja thing," her mother informs.

Sakura pauses, back turned to her mother. Her face hardens and a bit of her hurts. She's always known her parents have never supported her choice to become a ninja but that never stopped her.

"Yes, I know," answers Sakura back, monotonously, her shoulders slumping, "And, on second thought, I'm not very hungry,"

Sakura sits back down at her desk and flashes a fake smile at her mother. "I'll eat a little later, okay?"

Her mother nods hesitantly. "Just.. Just know your kaa-chan and tou-chan love you very much, we just want the best for you," Mebuki exclaims honestly, "And we're very worried for you. So if you feel like this is too much for you, remember, it's never a bad thing to bail out, okay? It's never-"

"Yes, I get it," snaps Sakura aggressively, hunching over her work so that her hair obscures her face. "I want to be a ninja, and I'm going to be one. It's fine."

Her mother silences, opening her mouth and then closing it. She leaves the room.

Sakura's hands clench to fists and she angrily rubs her eyes, trying to get rid of the tears.

Of course, even her parents don't believe in her.

She bites her lips so hard she tastes blood and she watches as tears slide down the cover of her journal. She swears aloud, albeit softly frantically rubs her eyes and cheeks again.

She'll prove them wrong, she will.

Setting aside her journal, she tears off some sticky notes on the corner of her desk, reaching over the mountain of books to obtain one. Quickly she writes-

1. Get access to expensive equipment.

2. Test out your poisons.

3. Test out your fuinjutsu seals.

4. Prove everyone wrong.

Perhaps the last was a little cliche.

Sakura keeps it anyways.

桜

Sakura watches her kunai curve to the left but slam head-on into the middle of the target. Kakashi had once again pushed her off to the side, not that Sakura minds much anymore, considering she has new ways to keep herself occupied.

She can hear the boys tussle in their spar from where she stands and, if she wanted to, could turn her head to the right to witness them in said spar but she doesn't. Teamwork is about trusting-Sakura doesn't need to watch them fight as some sort of confirmation that they can fight-She just needs to trust that they can.

Flipping another of her few kunai into her hands she twirls it absently on her finger before gripping it in her palm, blade faced outwards and throwing it precisely.

It veers a little to the right, not quite hitting the center, but rather the ring before it. Grumbling, Sakura does it again, throwing the kunai at the target. This continues on for several more throws before she becomes bored with it. She knows she'll have to practice it more to get better, but being alone, pushed aside, is starting to get extremely lonely to her.

She runs up to the target, taking it down from it's place on the tree and plucks the kunai's off, walking back to her little area of the training grounds. Digging through her pack, she pulls out her sealing scroll and stores the target before finding her other sealing scroll for weapons and storing away the kunai.

There's something Sakura really wants to do, but she has to wait. Biting her lip, she glances at the boys deep into their spar, their gazes serious as they clash. Kunai, jutsu's and all blasting against each other in a fearsome battle. Or as fearsome as a bunch of twelve and thirteen year-old's can get.

Sakura shoves her stuff into her backpack and throws it over her shoulders, walking towards Kakashi-sensei.

"Um... Sensei, may I leave early? I had some.. Um.. I had some errands to run before I get home so I..." Sakura furrows her brow. Could she be lying any more obviously? Groaning internally, she glances up at Kakashi.

He seems to process this, and looks as if he is having a debate within his head but finally answers. "Sure, Sakura-chan, if it's really important," he finally says, eyeing her.

Sakura beams. "Arigato, Sensei! If I finish beforehand, I'll come straight back to practice!" Sakura informs before bolting out of the training grounds.

Following the roads, she finds her way to the hospital. Taking a deep breath, she walks inside.

The place smells like disinfectant and vanilla. The lady at the front desk has bags under her eyes, hair in a loose ponytail and black glasses perched on her nose.

"Um, excuse me...?" Sakura calls, feeling anxiety crawl into her stomach.

The lady glances over slowly, setting down a pen. She smiles tiredly. "Ah, hello. How may I help you today?" she asks, rubbing her temple but managing to keep the smile on her face.

"I was wondering if there was any err... Small jobs I could take on? Like.. An assistant or something..." Sakura says. Quickly, she adds "Y-You don't have to pay me or anything like that, I just want to help out and get some medical knowledge is all!"

The lady frowns, then glanced back at her clip board. She stood up and turned around, walking to a giant filing cabinet and pulled one of the drawers open. After rummaging a bit, she pulled out a paper and smiled with triumph.

Quickly, she struts back over to Sakura and hands her the paper. "We've got assistant jobs for genin, we pay as well but you need your parent's permission to start," she answers, giving a bright smile. "You looking to be a medic?"

"I.. I'm not sure, but I wanted to learn more about it," answers Sakura honestly. She plays with some loose hair out of her braids. Taking the slip, she gives a wry smile to the woman. "Though, thank you for the slip, I'll see what I can do!" Sakura proclaims.

Leaving the hospital she stands a few steps away from the door.

With pursed lips, she heads home rather than back to training.

She got more done at her house in her room than she ever had on the training ground soil in her little area alone anyways.

桜

i took forever to update and I apologize?

i greatly apologize. I know what I want to happen in this story but it was like i lost my motivation to write and then school just kicked it up a notch and everything just went to shit like i cannot tell you how many days i've been up till one am because of homework.

It's break thankfully now (I haven't done any of my homework though and break's almost over so (9TTwTT)9 it wasn't meant to last) anyways. We progress further into the story. The boys still don't know about the hair traps. huehuehuehuehuehue they'll learn though. Oh they will learn.

There aren't any *'s today it seems. I feel as if this chapter clarifies itself better than the first and I really just wanna be able to publish this so yeah. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and hopefully I won't have such a LONG pause inbetween chapters. Thanks for reading! :)

See ya'

Writing-Fantasy