Kitsune no Akuryō - Under Maintenance

What We Keep Sealed!!

Welcome to the next chapter of Kitsune no Akuryō. I've set the video in place so that it should be played near the end of the chapter. I've made note of where you can begin playing it with an (A/N:...). I hope you enjoy! The C rank mission is wrapping up. Naruto and Sasuke have been left to secure the final work on the bridge while Kakashi-sensei and Sakura deliver Gatō's thugs for interrogation. Kakashi also has some private matters to discuss with the Yondaime concerning Team 7's bright ball of sunshine.

Kakashi Hatake's P.O.V.

     Most missions didn't end like this. Normally, the team stayed together no matter what disaster it faced, but normally there also wasn't a large number of low-level threats that simply needed to be handed over to interrogation while another task needed to be overseen or observed. Naruto could handle Sasuke and the bridge, and once Sasuke was ready, he could handle the bridge with Naruto. The two were strong enough when they didn't get on each others' nerves, and Naruto was a former ROOT ANBU, so the chances of disaster were slim. 

     I glanced at Sakura who was staring ahead as she tried to keep the thugs in line, thinking back to the mission when my team was split and our girl was captured. I tried not to think of that as the reason why I pulled Sakura from guarding the bridge, but Sakura and Naruto seemed to butt heads a lot, so I tried not to worry about it. 

    As we journeyed, and I watched Sakura, I noticed how carefully she did everything, how she tried to manage every little detail just right before looking to me for approval. Outside of the companionship of Naruto or even Sasuke, Sakura became a regular teacher's pet. Once she had my advice or guidance, she followed the rule to a kunai's point. She carefully stayed away from the thugs when I warned her of the danger and tripled checked the knots which we had set in place for the prisoners each night before asking me to look them over myself. 

    Many times as she was getting ready to take watch, she looked like she was anticipating asking me a question, but I never stayed awake long enough for her to find the courage to ask the question until one night. We had just finished supper and the thugs were tied up around a tree. Sakura was looking into the fire when she asked, "Kakashi-sensei, what can I do to become stronger?"

     "Ma," I sighed, "You've only just become a genin."

     "But I need to become stronger. I have to become stronger so that I can...never mind."

     I looked at her, "Sakura."

     "Yes, sensei."

     "You need to play to your strengths and follow them."

      She turned, looking back at the fire. "My strengths," she echoed. 

      I nodded.

      "Well, I know Iruka-sensei always praised me for being smart and for my chakra control," she grinned, "I was the best girl in the class, second to Sasuke."

       I let my eyes rove the surroundings as I began to watch for danger, "Well, most high leveled ninjutsu require chakra control, but the one branch of jutsu which heavily requires chakra control would be medical ninjutsu."

     She turned to me, "How do I learn it though. I'm pretty sure you don't know medical ninjutsu."

      I shook my head, "I won't teach you that. Once you are a chunin, you can take on many teachers. You won't necessarily have me for a teacher either. However, while you are with me, you will join us in our exercises, and missions."

      "Yes, Kakashi-sensei."

      The next time after we had just retied the thugs, she plucked up the courage to speak and started, "Kakashi-sensei, you know a lot of ninjas right."