Elevate - A Naruto Fanfic

Chapter 4

Sakura's muscles screamed in protest as she collapsed onto the soft grass, her chest heaving with exertion. Sweat plastered her pink hair to her forehead, and her legs trembled from the effort of standing. She gazed up at the clear blue sky, squinting against the bright sunlight as she tried to catch her breath.

"I thought... you said... light exercises," she panted, shooting an accusatory glance at Inoichi.

The tall blonde man chuckled, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "This is light, Sakura-chan. Wait until you see what real training looks like."

Sakura groaned, letting her head fall back onto the grass. She'd known that becoming a ninja wouldn't be easy, but this... this was something else entirely. Her body ached in places she didn't even know could ache, and they'd only been at it for what, an hour?

Nearby, Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji sprawled on the ground in various states of exhaustion. Even the ever-energetic Ino seemed worn out, her usual chatter reduced to breathless mumbling. Shikamaru had his eyes closed, looking for all the world as if he'd fallen asleep right there on the grass. Only the rapid rise and fall of his chest betrayed his wakefulness. Choji, red-faced and puffing, had already produced a bag of chips from somewhere and was munching away contentedly.

As Sakura's breathing slowly returned to normal, she found herself marveling at the resilience of these children. They'd kept pace with her throughout the grueling exercises, and while they were clearly tired, none of them complained. Well, except for Shikamaru's occasional mutters of "troublesome," but Sakura was quickly learning that was just his way.

"Alright, everyone," Inoichi called out, clapping his hands together. "Take a few minutes to rest, then we'll move on to the next set."

A collective groan rose from the group of children, Sakura's voice joining the chorus. She pushed herself up onto her elbows, surveying the training ground with newfound appreciation. The Yamanaka compound's gardens were beautiful, all manicured lawns and carefully tended flower beds. But this area was different – a wide, open space of packed earth and short grass, clearly designed for exactly this purpose.

As she watched, Inoichi moved among the children, offering words of encouragement and gentle corrections on form. When he reached Sakura, he crouched down beside her, his expression kind but evaluating.

"How are you holding up, Sakura-chan?" he asked, his voice low enough that the others couldn't overhear.

Sakura considered the question carefully. Her first instinct was to put on a brave face, to insist she was fine and could keep going. But something in Inoichi's gaze told her he would see right through such bravado.

"Honestly?" she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm exhausted. I didn't realize I was so... out of shape."

Inoichi nodded, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "That's to be expected. You haven't had the same training as the others. But I'm impressed, Sakura-chan. You kept up better than I anticipated."

A warm glow of pride bloomed in Sakura's chest at the praise. She sat up straighter, some of her fatigue forgotten in the wake of Inoichi's words.

"Really?" she asked, unable to keep the eagerness from her voice.

"Really," Inoichi confirmed. "You have a lot of potential. With hard work and dedication, I have no doubt you'll catch up to the others in no time."

Sakura beamed, her earlier exhaustion giving way to a renewed determination. She could do this. She would do this.

"Now then," Inoichi said, rising to his feet. "Are you ready for the next round?"

Sakura nodded, scrambling to her feet despite the protests of her aching muscles. "Yes, Inoichi-san!"