Chapter 24 -
"Come at me boys." Sakura coaxed eloquently.
Kakashi put his book in his pocket and began a series of handseals, vanishing from whence he'd stood.
Sasuke leapt away, disapearing into a large tree.
Naruto looked around. "Should I do that too?"
"Yes Naruto-kun. It would probably be the best idea."
"But you said to come at y-"
"Go, now."
Naruto ran off.
"Lesson number one! That all ninja must master; concealling their identity and hiding their position."
Sakura looked around, and smiled that she indeed could not see anyone.
Mind you, she had not become the prodigy girl she was through mere sight.
Sakura had such an incredible hold on sensing chakra that she could read it almost as well as the sharingan.
She closed her eyes and focused, before dipping a hand into her weapons pouch.
In a lash of wind, Sakura threw three shuriken, each deliberatly missing the head of her opponants.
"You're going to have to do better than that." She sighed.
'This is way too easy!'
Just as her inner had said that, a kunai with an explosive tag flew just beneath her almost too late jump.
'You almost got me blown up!' Sakura yelled mentally. 'I better stop creating openings.'
She petalled away and appeared behind a certain jounin.
"Who you looking for?" She giggled, pouncing on him from behind. "A true ninja never leaves their back open."
'Something's not right... Oh Shit!' Sakura jumped away as there was a fair explosion.
"Almost got me sensei." Sakura smirked.
"Almost?" A voice said from behind her.
"B-but h-h-how..." Her clone stuttered as the real Sakura watched from a tree.
Kakashi made one swift strike and was shocked to see his target go up in a flourish of petals.
"Good show..." Sakura smiled.
She jumped down and walked toward the silver hair man.
She raised a kunai to his neck.
In an instant, the situation sped up drastically, becoming a series of taijutsu onslaughts.
Kakashi kicked, Sakura jumped, he cut, she ducked, he swiped for a bell and held it firm enough that upon Sakura's being kicked aside, he managed to keep it.
'That wasn't so hard. Maybe she hasn't come as far as I'd thought.' Kakashi thought, heading back to the clearing to await the others.
'Ok' Sakura thought. 'One down two to go.'
'Found you.' Sasuke smirked spying Sakura sitting under a tree.
"Sasuke-kun." Sakura called.
"Yes Sakura-chan?" Sasuke asked smoothly, dropping from above her.
She looked up.
"Can you provide more of a challenge that Kakashi?" She smirked.
He blinked and the sharingan appeared.
"I think that could be arranged.
