new set of senbons
The heavy scent of rose incense wafted through the air of Sakura’s room. It was imperative that she return back to her old home in order to distance herself from ROOT, according to Danzou. The genin stared at her ceiling— a dull white color that strained her eyes. Breathing in the smoke, Sakura shut her eyes. She could see her parents drinking their morning coffee. The sounds of small talk and laughter echoed in her mind as the sweet taste of red bean paste simmered on her tongue. The individual stitches of her mother’s cheongsam tickled her palms.
Sakura snubbed the incense when she remembered the soft floral smell of her mother.
Opening her window a smidge, she let the scent of the cool night overtake her room. It was already autumn— as signaled by the splashes of orange and brown. Sakura would have never known the change of season if she had stayed in the ROOT Headquarters. A small voice in the back of her mind weeped for her departure, but her mission enraptured the kunoichi’s attention.
Sakura sat on her bed, which was moved to the safest corner of her room, and watched the flickers of ANBU from her distant window. She was unsure of how to win-over the Godaime— a woman who was both praised and demeaned. Murmurs across Konoha painted the woman as a war hero who had miraculous strength and could fight the Shinigami with her unfounded medical abilities. However, the Senju descendant was also a coward— leaving the village she served to waste her life and power away with alcohol and gambling.
Sakura didn’t know which persona Tsunade was, and she knew she would have to tailor a personality to suit either one. Danzou had said Sakura would have to be genuine in her approach and let the Hokage envision the kunoichi’s weaknesses, like a well crafted mirror with a slight warp in the reflection. But if she was being honest, to herself or to the stars, Sakura was scared of being underestimated again.
Pink hair spilled across her pillow like fine thread as she pulled her blanket over her body. Before drifting off, Sakura pictured the smell of black-coated brushes and newly-finished art.
❀
The trek to the Hokage Tower was one filled with anxiety.
It took everything in Sakura’s power to keep up her green genin status and not flicker her eyes across every face in the lobby. Rather, she put an excited smile on her face and ran up to one of the receptionists, slapping her hands on the table.
“I need to talk to the Hokage,” Sakura declared, using her passion of completing the mission to fuel the desire in her eyes.
The receptionist looked up from their paperwork and cocked an eyebrow at her, unimpressed. They drawled, returning to their task, “Everyone needs to see the Hokage, kid.”
Sakura, undeterred, leaned forward— making sure her face would cast a dark shadow over their paperwork. “Well I need to see her— now,” she demanded.
In the back of her mind, Sakura cringed from her behavior. She took inspiration from Naruto, the one who brought Tsunade back. Even as her skin crawled, Sakura took a gander at the Godaime liking a (stupidly) determined person.
The receptionist remained unamused, and if Sakura took a guess, she figured they were either a shinobi or just used to these antics from their aloof expression. Bored eyes simply blinked at her demand, and Sakura took it as a sign to drive the kunai in the coffin.
Sakura huffed, “I’m not leaving until I see the Hokage.”
With a wave of a hand, the receptionist dismissed her. “Yeah, good luck.” Sakura sent them a dirty glare and sat at one of the many seats in the lobby.
Keeping up with her threat, Sakura pulled out a book to pass the time. It was a heavy tomb on Advanced Medical Surgeries, and it was one (of the many) medical texts Sakura was reading. However, she didn’t only bring literature to study, it was the perfect cover for watching her surroundings and perpetuating the idea of Sakura wanting to learn medical ninjutsu.
In order to build her image of a walking-sponge for medical knowledge, Sakura had spent the past month from her departure from ROOT to volunteer at the hospital. At first, she had worked on small cuts and bruises, using bandages and gauze to patch up her patients, but as time passed, Sakura found that the training of new medical ninjutsu recruits were scarce. Only shinobi with connections could have the luxury of staying off the battlefield while earning tons of cash. When Sakura noticed that she didn’t qualify (of course it was never said aloud— “Sorry, Sakura-chan, we’re just too busy lately! You know it takes a lot of time to learn something as complicated as medical ninjutsu.”), she decided to harness the corruption as the cataclysm for her persona's sudden need to meet Tsunade.
If Sakura was being honest, medical ninjutsu wasn’t something she particularly wanted to learn. Yes, it was useful, but Sakura wanted to be seen. And medics were meant to stay in the backlines. Tsunade, the Queen of Medicine, had said so herself in “The Guide of Battle Medics: Essentials of War-Time Victory.”
However, in order to become Tsunade’s apprentice, Sakura needed to make herself believe she wanted this, and in doing so, she found that her new method of meeting the Hokage would be more effective (and faster) than climbing her way up the hospital’s ladder.
And so, Sakura waited. For days, she sat in the lobby of the Hokage Tower’s first floor. She watched as shinobi, merchants, farmers, politicians, and every walk of life enter and leave the Tower— more often than not, departing with a tired pout. Sakura envied the visitors because, at this point, she was practically a resident.
Having pulled out her canteen, Sakura gulped the last of her water. Sadly sighing as she shook the container over her mouth and was given a single drop. The genin pulled out a fourth book from her bag, which was well-stocked in food and novels of medical jargon, and continued to wait.
It was well into the night when Sakura finally gained an audience.
The kunoichi had been fast asleep on her uncomfortable chair (you would think that, after days of use, it wouldn’t be so stiff) and was awoken by a firm voice. “So this is the little squatter?”
Sakura immediately stood up, scrambling to catch her book that flew from her lap. Clutching the tomb to her chest, she looked up at her Prince Charming and gaped at what she saw.
Tsunade looked exactly like her picture in Sakura’s history books, and Sakura was stuck in a juxtaposition of surprise and familiarity. It was like seeing an old portrait— knowing that the person probably didn’t look the way they were depicted— but the painting actually matched reality.
But what shocked Sakura the most was Tsunade’s height. She was the average height for a woman of her age (well, her appearance’s age— the woman is, like, 50!). Of course, the heels she adorned gave her some inches, but unlike her face on the mountain, Tsunade didn’t look as big as the stories made her seem to be. Although the Hokage’s face was spotless of fatigue, Sakura noticed the slight slump of her shoulders and the invisible weight on her back. Sakura felt a pang of pity. The Sannin looked less like a fictitious figure and more like a living human being, and if Sakura was being honest, she was scared of her humanity.
Tsunade stood with her stance wide and arms crossed, tapping her foot as she glared at Sakura’s gaping face. Taking Sakura’s shocked silence as a yes, she sighed and curled her finger forward. “Come on.”
Shaking herself out of her trance, Sakura begged, “Please train me, Hokage-sama!”
Tsunade walked past the genin, aiming for the door. She cursed, “Kage, I need a drink.” The Hokage barreled through the door, and Sakura scurried after her— short legs practically running to catch up to Tsunade’s long strides. As the two walked through Konoha’s cool night, Sakura pretended to struggle with her heavy books and bag, and she circulated chakra through her legs to catch up.
Tsunade kept her face up, not looking at the small girl. “So you want to train under me?” she asked. Sakura nodded hurriedly, yelping a yes. Honey eyes glanced at Sakura for a moment before continuing, “You think you’re the only one? Many heirs of Konoha’s smaller clans have asked for an apprenticeship despite the stigma.”
Sakura knew what Tsunade meant by stigma. There were no clans that garnered power through healing. Shinobi villages valued strength and military power above all else. It was how clans became a thing in the first place. Powerful bloodlines bred for war were prioritized, and having an heir learn medical ninjutsu would tarnish their name. The fact that there were clans vying for Tsunade’s apprenticeship meant that the political power gained from the title valued more than their bloodline.
Sakura ran in front of Tsunade, stopping her in her tracks with wide arms. They stood at the front of a neon covered building— the muffled music emitting from the place. The Godaime crossed her hands over her chest and waited for Sakura to speak, tapping her finger. The genin started, “Compared to those clan heirs, I am nothing like a shinobi, but my ability to adapt is unrivaled.” Sakura spoke with determination laced in her voice. “I know where I’m at on Konoha’s hierarchy,” she grimaced, and despite speaking to the Hokage, Sakura cursed the system. “I know I’m nothing in your eyes.”
Jade met honey, and Sakura steeled herself with furrowed brows. “But my potential skyrockets far past those pampered clan kids.” Sakura lowered herself into a deep bow, both out of politeness and desperation. “If you accept me, I promise not to let you down.”
Sakura stayed in her bow, a nervous sweat beaded down her nose as she imagined Tsunade’s reaction. All she could see were her heels, and Sakura could only pray as silence ensued.
She heard Tsunade sigh again, but she didn’t lift her head. Sakura realized she must have looked stupid— bowing in front of, what Sakura assumes is, a club. “Lift your head, kid. You look dumb,” Tsunade said, confirming her suspicion.
Sakura followed the Hokage’s order. She stood still as Tsunade observed her once more before the woman walked in the club. Over her shoulder, she beaconed Sakura to follow.
The club, The Bent Senbon, was bustling with shinobi. The music was upbeat and painstakingly loud against Sakura’s ears. The flashing lights were blinding, and with the growing humidity from the dancing bodies, Sakura wondered how people could enjoy this— especially someone like the Hokage.
Tsunade led Sakura to a corner in the back of the club. The music was softer, but still loud enough for Sakura to have to yell across the booth they sat at. Tsunade lifted a hand, and a person ushered over from the bar to place a bottle of warm sake on the table— it seemed she was a regular.
The medic poured into two glasses and slid one towards Sakura. The Godaime and an unknown genin sharing a drink at a club!What an image, Inner laughed. She grabbed the glass Tsunade gave her and held it in her hands. The warmth of the sake kept her hands cozy, and in a way, it comforted her.
Tsunade sipped her sake slowly, savoring the taste. She sighed blissfully once it was empty and poured herself another glass. She took a look at Sakura and asked with a drawled shout, “So are you going to drink or not?”
Sakura gave the Hokage a bewildered expression and yelled across the table, “Isn’t that… I don’t know— bad for someone my age?”
She took another sip, closing her eyes. “Yeah, but we’re shinobi. This might be the oldest you’ll get.”
Sakura inhaled deeply, eyeing the glass with uncertainty. For a second, she debated whether or not to take the shot before shaking her head and launching the drink into her mouth. Sakura could smell the dull fruity aroma as it went down her throat with a harsh burn. Tear stricken eyes bulged as she tried to relieve her throat by coughing.
Tsunade laughed at her expense, and Sakura shot her a sharp glare. The older woman grasped her stomach, nearly wheezing at Sakura’s grimace. The genin pushed the glass to Tsunade— cursing the Hokage in her mind.
“So how was it?” Tsunade asked with an amused twinkle in her eye.
“Lovely,” Sakura spat out.
“Great,” the medic poured another drink and handed it to Sakura, “let’s go for Round Two.”
As Sakura grabbed the shot, a small spark traveled up her arm. Her limb numbed— as if she hit the bone of her elbow against a hard surface. Her chakra immediately took action against the spark— a subconscious reaction. Her chakra enveloped the spark within her arm like a blanket, and a soothing coolness spread throughout her body. It was as if Sakura had taken a quick shower after a harsh day of training, and as Sakura lifted the glass to her mouth, her arm was rejuvenated— having new-found energy. The pain of the spark was gone, as if it had never existed.
Sakura took the second shot with her breath held in her lungs. The sake still burned her throat. However, unlike the first time, the genin didn’t cough after setting the drink down. Rather, Sakura sharply exhaled and slammed the glass on the table.
The shot glass exploded into small shards, littering the booth with debris. A nearby waiter ran to the booth and cleaned the glass as Sakura apologized profusely.
After the mess was gone, Sakura looked at Tsunade with an embarrassed flush. The Hokage smirked. “Come to my office tomorrow at 0300 hours.”
Tsunade lifted herself from the booth, grabbing the sake bottle. She left Sakura at the club, who was dumbfounded by the prospect of gaining the Godiame's approval.
If Tsunade saw the large crack on the table, she didn’t mention it.
❀
Sakura arrived at the Hokage Tower with a triumphant smile on her face. She had hoped there were some ROOT agents near her that could see how fast her progress has gone. It had taken a month of dealing with scrapes and shitty superiors, but it was worth it in the end. After all, seeing the shock on the receptionist’s face when Tsunade met her in the lobby was priceless.
Sakura greeted Tsunade with a bow and an excited grin, “Good morning, Shishou.”
The Godaime rummaged through the inside of her green haori with an aggravated, “Hold on.” The older woman’s eyebrows scrunched against her forehead as a bead of sweat ran down the side of her face. She cursed under her breath until her eyes lit up. A gray flask appeared from the haori, and she spun the cap off with ease before gulping the liquid.
Tsunade sighed in relief. “All right, let’s go.”
Sakura shot her a confused look, but the annoyed tick in her hazel eyes shut the genin up. The two walked up a massive flight of stairs to the top of the tower. As they climbed, Sakura glanced out of the windows. Everything looked so small from where she stood. A chill ran up her spine from Tsunade’s pigtails brushing against her arm. She wondered if she could see her home through the window.
When they reached the office, Tsunade stood outside of the door— stopping Sakura. She whispered, “Don’t tell Shizune.”
Sakura asked in a murmur, “Who?” However, before she could get an answer, Tsunade opened the door and walked inside.
The genin had been to the Hokage’s office before, but this time was different. She was here without her team and with blood on her hands. There was no more naivety to be found in this space— not with the way the stares of ANBU pierced her skin. Sakura had grown too much, far too fast, to ignore the threats she faced.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a dark-haired woman greeting her. Her hair was cut short, and the smile on her face made the woman look friendly despite the valves of poison on her thigh. “Hello, Sakura-san! My name is Shizune, and I’m Tsunade-sama’s first apprentice,” she continued with a small dip of her head, “If you need any help, let me know.”
The genin returned the gesture with a bow. “Please, just call me Sakura.”
“Alright. Then please call me Shizune.”
Sakura gave a polite smile. So far so good.
Tsunade, who was standing behind Sakura, brisked past Shizune and sat at her desk. Sakura thought Tsunade looked like a powerful, unbending force as she took her spot on the Hokage’s chair. That was until Shizune sniffed the air. The genin heard Tsunade mutter under her breath before the raven-haired woman started to reprimand Tsunade with a shrill, “What did I say about drinking on the job?!”
The Godaime cleaned the inside of her ear with her pinky. “Yeah, I know,” she sighed and pitched her voice to Shizune’s, “‘What will the citizens of Konoha think?!’”
“Exactly!” Shizune shouted, using her arms to signal her distress. “You haven’t been Hokage for long. Right now you should be focusing on curating the citizen’s faith in you as a leader— not downing bottles!”
Sakura stood rigidly in the corner of the office. Was this allowed by an apprentice?
Tsunade shooed off Shizune’s remark with the flick of her wrist. “It was only a shot,” she smartly replied.
Sakura could see the angry flush on Shizune’s face. The poison mistress huffed and grabbed a stack of papers off of Tsunade’s desk. She walked out of the office with a mumbled curse, “Only a shot, she says!”
“Don’t mind her,” Tsunade said, leaning back in her chair. “She’ll be fine by tomorrow.”
In the back of her mind, Sakura questioned Tsunade’s ethics. On one hand, having a vice as a Hokage wasn’t necessarily banned, however being drunk half of the time wouldn’t be an asset towards the village.
But who am I to question my target? Sakura thought. She wasn’t here to play mediator between Tsunade and her assistant. She was here to observe and learn. Therefore, she clasped her hands and asked with a smile, “So when do we start?”
The blonde had a wicked smirk growing across her face. “Right now.” Sakura bristled in excitement. Finally, they were getting somewhere! However, to the genin’s dismay, Tsunade grabbed a large stack of papers from her desk and dropped them at Sakura’s feet in the corner of the room. “Finish this by the end of the day,” Tsunade ordered, the smirk still on her face. “I don’t have to explain what to do— do I?”
Sakura held back a groan. She repeated various versions of ‘It’s for the sake of the mission’ in her mind before sitting on the floor and sifting through the papers. It felt like she was training for mercantilism again. Separate the documents by grievances, law revisions, trading/commerce, etc. until everything falls into a group, and then, pass on the papers with value to the boss. Sakura often helped her father with these sorts of tasks. Although, unlike now, there was no comfortable silence.
The genin was tense. It was hard to portray the role of a Naruto-esque facade. She didn’t have the kind of stamina to constantly think of the good in others and the world. As she read more and more of the papers, Sakura could only feel fatigue. There was a high disparity between the requests of civilians and shinobi. When it came to inventory for shinobi, any lacking material would be filled instantly. But, when civilians were left homeless after the Konoha Crush, there was only a single building where they could reside. It made her angry, reading the words that begged for more food, more water, more supplies. People were suffering, and all Sakura could do was read the small text saying that less than 1% of the shinobi funding would go towards the civilians.
Was this what war meant to Danzou? Was this what made Danzou the man he is today? Having to witness friends and family starve and die because they were civilians? Because the pride of shinobi was worth more than the lives of a few civilians?
In a way, she understood why the old man could be so cruel.
Apparently, Tsunade had noticed her change in mood, because after another paper-signing shift, Tsunade took Sakura back to the club. Sakura brisked inside, taking her seat across from the Hokage with a sigh.
“Tough week?” Tsunade pandered, grabbing her bottle of sake from the waiter who ushered to their booth. The older woman slid a full shot glass to the genin with a sad smile. She continued, taking a sip from her own glass, “It’s hard, isn’t it?”
Sakura held the glass in her hands with a lowered head. She gave a questioning look through her bangs.
“You’re angry,” Tsunade pointed out. “You can’t do anything, and you’re angry about it.”
Sakura shot the Hokage a glare. She spat out, “I don’t have the power to do anything, but you do.” She raised her hands with a shout, “What’s stopping you? You’re the Hokage!”
The blonde drank from her glass and set it down with a tap. She took a second, savoring the taste, before revealing, “You know why I can’t. We haven’t been together long, but I know you’re smarter than that.”
The genin lowered her arms in defeat. Tsunade was right. The Hokage could only do so much. The Daimyou was in charge of the civilian population, and the Hokage’s role was to supply troops for the Fire country. Konoha acted as the primary city for shinobi, and as a result, the Hokage had to act in the interest of the military. With Orochimaru and Sand’s recent attack, Tsunade was forced to prepare for war.
“That doesn’t mean it’s right,” Sakura stated. “Innocent people don’t deserve this treatment.”
Tsunade poured herself another shot and sighed, “I know.”
Despite the loud music masking the silence between the two, Sakura still felt the emptiness. She swirled the sake in her glass, watching the liquid spin into an entrancing whirlpool.
“If you want change,” Tsunade broke the tension, “you have to grab the world by the hair and cut the dead ends. But first,” she downed her shot, “you have to become someone with the power to do it.”
Sakura asked with vigor, “How?”
“Not so fast,” Tsunade tsked. “What happens after you get rid of the dead ends? Don’t you know they grow back?”
Sakura nodded in deep thought, staring at her (now still) sake.
“As you think about that, how about we talk about why you’re here—,” The Godaime started, “why I even let you apprentice under me in the first place.”
The genin glanced at Tsunade with wide eyes. Did she know about her ROOT status? Was she about to call ANBU on her and send her to T&I? Sakura didn’t want to think about the possibility of being dropped by Danzou, but as the Hokage stared at her with a slight smirk, fear racked her body.
“Don’t look at me like that,” Tsunade whined. “It’s creepy.”
Sakura, still frozen with fear, could only mumble an apology.
“It’s fine— I understand,” Tsunade reassured. “When I was your age, I was constantly worried about what others thought of me.” She snickered as she took another shot, “But that’s what being a kid is like— having to bend to the wills of adults who forget the lessons they preach.
My grandfather, the Shodai Hokage, was a man who believed in the best of people. He yearned for peace and advocated against sending children to war.” The blonde’s smirk turned into a grim line. “As we know, nothing changed, but as a kid, I believed in him…,” she trailed off, eyes looking past Sakura, before continuing, “I really did.”
Despite not liking the alcohol, Sakura took a sip from her glass. For a moment, she wanted to forget about the porcelain mask in her room.
“But,” the Godaime’s eyes flashed with anger, “he didn’t change anything! He was the God of Shinobi, and yet he still couldn’t do what he wanted.” Tsunade slammed her glass against the table with a loud clack. “He was too humble. Uncle Tobi said he was an idiot, and for a while, I believed it.
That’s why I became invested in Medical Ninjutsu— it was the only way I could help people that actually mattered. It meant so much that I’m sitting in the Hokage’s seat.” The blonde crossed her arms. “And now I understand why my grandfather was powerless. I had, and still have, so many things I wish I could change, but I can’t. Any decision I make could make the war on the horizon closer, and then the blood on my hands will grow to the point that no one can fix anything. That’s why I chose you.”
Sakura narrowed her eyes despite the warmth of hope spreading through her bones. “What can I do? I’m just a genin.”
“Well that goes back to my first question,” Tsunade admitted with a smile. “You can be more than scissors. You have the potential to be a healer of the world— one who doesn’t have to follow the stupid rules of politics. I can see that you want change,” the Godaime poured herself another shot with a smirk, “and I can teach you how to do it.”
Sakura’s response was immediate as she jumped from her seat— palms against the table, “What do I have to do, Shishou?”
A triumphant grin grew across Tsunade’s face. “Learn Medical Ninjutsu.”
It was easy to force her smile to reach her false, bright eyes. “I’ll do anything!” Sakura twisted her stretched lips to a pleading pout. “When can we start? Soon?”
Sakura hoped her acting wasn’t obvious. As she observed the Godaime, she watched for the small movements— an upward twitch on the left side of her mouth, her pinky clutching the glass harder than before, and her right heel moving closer to Sakura. The genin internally celebrated— she was safe.
Tsunade replied to the girl with the porcelain mask, “Tomorrow, at the hospital— same time as always.”
❀
It started with a fish.
A nearly dead one, to be exact. It squirmed against a long, horizontal scroll with scribbles Sakura could read but not understand. Tsunade explained that the parchment was specifically tailored to medical chakra and that precise chakra control would be needed. Apparently, it can take years to successfully heal a fish.
It took Sakura three months.
That didn’t mean it was easy. Everyday, Sakura returned home with zero confidence and empty reserves— which wouldn’t matter much, but Sai would make sure she was humbled. His visits weren’t often, and they were in random intervals in the busiest of places. When she would go grocery shopping, there he was with an empty basket, passing by her with an insulting whisper she could barely catch. The first few times didn’t rattle Sakura much, for he would simply say a variation of, “Remember your mission— don’t stall.” It wasn’t like she was slow on the up-take with medical ninjutsu, if anything, she was progressing quickly according to Tsunade and Shizune, so Sai’s reminders were easy to forget. However, Sakura quickly learned that her partner had a knack when it came to recognizing Sakura’s insecurities. The fifth time they met, the raven-colored boy murmured, “He is waiting.” The next, he passed her a note at a shinobi clothing store (he made sure to cut in front of Sakura in the check-out line) saying, “You know he values results above all else.” This continued for a while— causing Sakura to go into a training frenzy.
She knew it was against the teachings of Tsunade, but Sakura became desperate for success. In her mind, it was the most efficient solution available, and it wasn’t nearly as dangerous as what the Sannin said once she tried it.
Sakura destroyed herself in any way possible.
It didn’t start on purpose. If anything, it was Sai’s fault for pushing her beyond what was possible. Sakura had grown so frustrated that she accidentally scratched herself when sharpening her kunai. Normally she was diligent and would reprimand herself for such a stupid mistake, but when she saw her blood rise to a neat bulb and felt the pain cut through her pestering doubts, the tension between her shoulders bled out like the mark on her wrist.
Immediately, Sakura went to grab a bandage, and she had thought nothing of it. But, that lingering feeling of euphoric relief, even if it was only for a moment, was already imprinted in the back of her mind. She would purposely hurt herself during her training after her medical ninjutsu sessions with Tsunade. A little nick or bruise would go unseen. It was perfect.
Eventually, it wasn’t enough for Sakura. She would start to carve into her skin with a kunai along the arm that was nearly lost in her fight with the Sound nin during the Chunin Exams. It was nice to know that she could still bleed with that arm. It was even better to know exactly how her arm was functioning as she cut deeper and deeper into the layers of flesh. The long head of the biceps brachii met the flexor carpi radialis and connected to the flexor retinaculum. All of this was correct, which meant it was good— that means I’m okay.
She continued to point at the anatomy of her arm with the kunai, but her focus was soon drawn to the amount of red that wasn’t inside her arm. It seemed as if her blood was everywhere— on the kunai, on her clothes, on the grout between the tiles, in the air. There was red pulsing behind her eyes, and the black soon followed after her lips turned cold. There was a stillness in her mind despite her labored breathing and her heart threatening to leap out of her chest. The black lingering on the corner of her vision formed a visual of platelets joining into a large wall until it was replaced by new granulation tissue. She could feel medical chakra form cells at a speed that she had never felt when working with fish.
Sakura stayed on the floor for a few minutes, letting her chakra completely mend her arm. She giggled at how beautiful her new skin steadily spread above the granulation tissue. Her healing wasn’t at Tsunade’s level in any way, shape, or form, but it was certainly fast for a beginner. In the midst of her tired celebration, she looked at the mess around her with a frown.
At least it’s in the bathroom. Inner supplied, trying not to laugh at how much cleaning was in store.
Sakura groaned, but was ultimately overjoyed at the outcome.
And so was Tsunade.
The Sannin scooped Sakura into her arms when the final layer of tissue was sealed and the fish started to flop around with vigor. Sakura didn’t know if her tears were from how tight Tsuande’s grip was or from doing what felt was impossible. Her shishou put her down with a hearty laugh and a pat on her head that ruined her hair. Warmth spread throughout Sakura’s body. She hadn’t felt this way since ROOT.
That night, they celebrated in the Hokage’s office. Shizune greeted them with a party popper that covered her in confetti and Sakura’s favorite dessert. Tsunade gloated to Shizune at how fast her progress was. 3 months was unheard of— not since Shizune. The sweet syrup from the dango coated Sakura’s tongue, and for the first time, Sakura thought that maybe this mission wouldn’t be so bad.
And it continued to get better.
Sakura was ushered into the hospital the next day. She shadowed Tsunade and Shizune as they worked their rounds. The genin was able to work hands-on with patients. Her skills grew from scrapes to internal injuries and, finally, to surgeries. At first, it was satisfying to see the doctors blanch at Sakura walking behind their boss, and it became all the more gratifying to become their boss. It was only a year ago when they refused to teach her medical ninjutsu due to her civilian background, but now, she was in the same league as Shizune.
Like Shizune, Sakura had her own ward she was in charge of. Her steady hands and steeled patience made her the perfect candidate as the Chief of Surgery. When Tsunade had proposed she take the position, Sakura felt guilt eating at her. She wasn’t devoted to medical ninjutsu as everyone thought her to be. Nonetheless, she accepted the position with a smile.
Most of it was paperwork. Patient records, schedules of surgeries, lists of materials they needed— these things were easy to handle compared to Tsunade’s documents. When she was called into surgery, however, it was as if the world was confined in her head. Sakura could see the anatomical diagrams from countless textbooks as she worked through layers of tissue. She could hear Tsunade’s voice walk her through the steps as she shifted organs and removed the problem. She could feel Danzou’s firm grip on her shoulder as she stitched cells together with medical chakra.
Sakura grew to enjoy her craft. She didn’t love it, but she always liked a good challenge— especially if she was good at it. What she genuinely loved, however, was learning to break boulders with a gentle flick.
Tsunade’s training was not for the weak. Sakura could confidently say it rivaled Danzou’s training in terms of danger. Large, earthy debris was flung at her at eye-straining speeds. If she didn’t dodge, Tsunade would force her to heal herself and try again. When they would work on taijutsu, Tsunade would make Sakura recite how she would solve certain medical cases as chakra-infused punches whipped past her vital spots. One wrong move and Tsunade would have to summon Katsuyu for quick healing.
It wasn’t until Sakura was covered in goop for the nth time where she begged Tsunade to teach her how to use her teacher’s inhuman strength.
Her shishou bellowed out a laugh that made Sakura jump. “Silly girl, you’re a genius in chakra control.” Tsunade pushed Sakura back with a light poke on her forehead and confessed, “You already can!”
Rocky debris flew into the air as the ground shook beneath her. For a moment, she was back at the Chunin Exams when Inner crawled up from the depths of her mind against Ino. Something had changed Sakura’s mental wiring at that time. She became jaded and hostile as her insecurities clawed at her legs and sunk her deeper into hatred. Chakra control was all she had at the time, and now, her talent can be used to free herself from sinking by destroying the very earth she was trapped in.
It was hard for Sakura to be insecure when she cultivated her power with her bare hands.
The air around her changed, and it didn’t go unnoticed. Sai had snuck into the hospital as a patient for her report. Sakura told him of a new policy Tsunade was planning to pass by the council. In the year of Sakura’s training under Tsunade, Konoha and Suna’s relationship turned from one of ire to potential alliance. With the Fourth Kazekage’s death at the hands of Orochimaru, the alliance between the two villages broke. However, even with the villages now being enemies, the damage Suna had done was far too great for a simple apology.
Suna’s new Kazekage, Gaara, wrote to Tsunade in secret, stating that he wanted to repay Naruto for saving him from his hatred. He made sure to include that meant helping Konoha with whatever it needed. Tsunade pondered over it with Sakura and Shizune for many sleepless nights, but it was hard to pass up Suna’s aid when the rebuilding of the village cost funds that Konoha currently didn’t have.
Sakura told Sai that Tsunade planned to negotiate for Suna to increase imports on Konoha’s shinobi fabric by 40%. The Land of Fire is primarily known for their lumber, but its agriculture is its 2nd largest export, specifically near the coastal regions where the Land of Fire shares a gulf with the Land of Waves. Small villages in the area cultivate cotton since the climate is the perfect balance between heat and humidity for prime crop growth.
Sakura was actually the one to propose the idea to Tsunade. Her parents had moved to Konoha due to high quality fabrics being cheaper to import within the nation than in Iwagakure, where her mother is from. Sakura didn’t know much about Iwagakure or the Land of Earth outside of what was taught at the Academy, but she knew many families from the Land of Earth in her neighborhood that fled to Konoha after the Third Shinobi War for similar reasons as her parents. Sakura tried to ask about Iwa, but she stopped asking questions about her mother’s heritage after the first time.
Mebuki grasped her shoulder hard enough to leave bruises as she begged Sakura to run if she ever saw the Demon in a mumbled frenzy. Her father tried to calm her down, but Sakura didn’t know if it really worked when she saw her mother clean the house in the same steps before sleeping with a terrified vigor. Kizashi would tuck Sakura for bed when his daughter noticed Mebuki locking each window five times. Since then, Sakura would ask her father questions about her parent’s past. Now that her parents are gone, however, Sakura realized she didn’t know anything about her parents outside of what she needed to make and sell clothes. Her father was always vague with his answers.
Sakura didn’t mean to tell Sai such a personal detail, but she was tired of being confined within the walls of her own home. She didn’t want to shy away from the fact that her parents left her with nothing but faded memories. The light spots on the wall, where their photos once were, dwindled from the passage of time.
Sai simply nodded, his perfect smile replaced with a thin line. “You have become stronger, Sakura.”
Tsunade thought the same.
Her shishou congratulated Sakura for her successful idea. The council agreed with the policy proposal. Although the policy passed by a tie-breaking vote, Tsunade grumbled about how even getting half of the council to agree with her was rare since she became Hokage.
“You’ve changed a lot since becoming my apprentice, Sakura,” Tsuande started, giving her a pat on the shoulder. “I think you’re ready for the next big step.”
She flashed a proud grin before continuing, “I signed you up for the Chunin Exams.”
If she was the Sakura from the past, the genin would have stood rigid with fear, but it was different now. Sakura held herself with confidence and flashed Tsunade a bright smile. She bowed and declared, “I won’t let you down, Shishou.”
“I know you won’t. You’re too stubborn for that.”
They continued their celebration at the Bent Senbon— drinking until they could no longer feel their toes. The pair stumbled out of the club with boisterous laughter, not caring if citizens saw two important figures of Konoha walking with two left feet and flushed cheeks. Maybe it was a drunk thought, but Sakura wondered who broke the council’s tie vote.
Apparently, she said it out loud— Tsunade’s whisper in her ear made that evident.
“That scrooge was the one who broke the tie. I never thought I’d see the day he’d go against his lackeys’ votes.”
Sakura wondered if Danzou acknowledged her change too.