Mayonaka

3

Naruto lowered himself into a crawling position as if he was all ready to pounce on anything that came his way. He reached for a button that dangled from his neck. "I'm in position. Is everyone ready?" After he let go of the button, he could hear his teammate say yes. He stayed still waiting while he could hear something in the bushes. The moment it poked its head out of the bush, Naruto went on the attack. He ran and took it in his arms as he rolled out into the open. "We finally got you!"

Naruto extended his arms out to find a fluffy white cat hissing at him. "Damn, I don't hate cats but this one. I hate this one." Sasuke said as he landed right next to naruto. "How many times this week have we caught this guy?"

"Eighth time and it's barely Tuesday," Sakura stated as she ran up to them with Kakashi walking not too far behind. Naruto lifted himself with his left hand while he held the cat with his right.

"You carry the cat, Sakura. It's like you the most and it won't run away." Naruto placed the cat in her arms. "As much as I hate this cat too. It does pay us well since it is a wealthy woman's cat." They began to walk to the Hokage's tower to return the woman's cat who was waiting for them there.

Sakura walked behind both Naruto and Sasuke as they chatted amongst themselves. Sakura felt excluded from them even though they had been a team for eight months already. They treated her like she was underneath them even if it wasn't on purpose. They went beyond their duties completing things without much of her help. In a way, it fueled her purpose to be better than them. She pulled the cat closer to her body as she felt it purr in comfort.

They entered the Hokage tower and made their way to the assignments room. Waiting for them was the Hokage himself, Minato Uzumaki, Naruto's father. "We're back in record time." Naruto grinned at his father while Sakura had already handed the cat over to the owner who left happily.

"That's great. You can go downstairs to collect your money." Sakura began to excuse herself but Naruto grabbed her arm to make her stay. Both Naruto and Sasuke waited for Minato to acknowledge them. "What is it? Do you want another mission for the day? I have another D-rank-."

"No. Sasuke and I were talking and we think it's time you give us a C-rank mission." Minato stopped looking at his paperwork and made eye contact with his son's eyes. "We have completed all missions in record times and we think it time to do something outside the village."

Minato stared at his son for a bit longer before breaking it and glanced at Kakashi. "No." He said nothing else and went back to his paperwork.

"Come on dad! Sasuke and I have been working hard to do something more than basic errands in the village!" Minato didn't say anything and acted like his son said nothing. This made Naruto grunt his teeth. "I know you can hear me! Sasuke and I-."

"That is enough. You are not ready to go outside the village since you don't know what a team is. All you have been doing is trying to convince me to let you and Sasuke do C-rank. What about Sakura? I can tell you aren't acknowledging her to be the same level as you." Minato wasted no time going back to his paperwork.

Naruto bite his lip in anger, he grumbled to himself before turning around and exiting the room with Sasuke and Kakashi following.

Sakura had stayed in the same spot as she was stunned by what happened before her. "Is there something you like to add Sakura?" Minato spoke out in a flat tone. She shook her head no and excused herself. She turned a corner only to bump into Ino, who was accompanied by her team.

"I'm sorry about that." Sakura spared no time walking away. Ino raised her eyebrow at her quick escape.

"What is her problem?" She just rolled her eyes and continued into Minato's office.

"Well good afternoon, team ten. How many I help you today?" Minato looked up to smile at the four of them.

"Ah, we came today to ask you for a C-rank mission. I think my kids are ready for something outside the village." Asuma smiled with a cigarette bud in his mouth.

"Well, if you think so Asuma. I have one that just came in today." Minato signaled one of his ANBU to bring someone in. "You will be escorting Tazuna to the Land of Waves." A grey-haired, bespectacled man with a large beard and dark eyes stared at the three genin.

"What a bunch of weaklings." Tazuna pick his ears as he watched the blonde girl glare at him.

"Looks can be very deceiving," Ino spoke smugly at him.

"Whatever you say, princess." Ino could feel her blood boil as Asuma put a hand on her shoulder.

::

"This is so dumb. I do know what teamwork is, it isn't my fault that Sakura didn't include herself in our conversation." Naruto sat on the bench with his arm crossed looking past his team. "I do -."

"Your father is right. You don't treat me like we are a team." Sakura cut him off which grabbed his attention. "You can't say I didn't include myself when you never include me in any team decisions." Naruto opened his mouth to respond but he immediately closed his mouth when Sakura got closer to him. "No, you can't say anything else. Your father could tell the way you guys treat me. You say very mild things against me. Hurtful little statements."

"Sakura you are just over exaggerating. We don't do that." Sasuke spoke up.

"You are the same. Since the beginning of this team, the only person that communicates outside missions is Kakashi. Just because I wasn't raised by a father who takes care of the village or a family that you can be born in to have unbelievable power doesn't mean I'm below you." Sakura could feel her eyes begin to water but she held back her tears but her tone didn't change. "I don't know why you guys act like this but you will treat me with some fucking respect until we are not a team anymore. Do you guys understand?" She watched as Naruto and Sasuke nodded their head slowly.

"Finally, we are one step closer to becoming a good team." Kakashi looked at the three. "You finally stood up for yourself and asked to be treated as an equal. I wasn't going to say anything even though it wasn't right. You have to build your confidence to face things you don't want to." Sakura's lip shook like she wanted to cry but instead, she glared at her teacher.

"You are the same. As a teacher, you still need to teach these idiots on being less self-absorbed with themselves." The pinkette could feel her sadness turn into rage.

"Hey, I'm not an idiot." Both boys said in unison.

"You never asked." He spoke out softly. "Sakura is right. The reason Hokage didn't want to give you another one was because there is no team here. The best way to fix that is team training. Hard-core style."

"Wait a minute. I think it's already time for us to head home." Naruto got up and began to walk away but Kakashi swiftly made it to him and push him to the ground, sitting atop him. "We aren't done until I say we are."

"Fuck my life."