First Time to see the World

Chapter FIVE

Chapter FIVE

After Naruto and Inari's teary scene, team 7 began making their way back to Konoha, along with one extra person.

The moment Kakashi had announced that Sakura was coming with them, Ami had jumped onto Sasuke, clinging onto his arm.

Sakura had wordlessly ignored them, walking down the path quietly. Her hand lingered on the scroll now containing Kubikiri-bocho.

It was during their first rest when Kakashi had decided to get them introduced to one another. Sakura tuned out the introduction of the Genin, only looking up when it was her turn. "I'm Sakura." She said. "Zabuza-sama and Haku picked me up when I was four..five? I've been with them ever since. Should you insult any of them, I will kill you."

Ami smirked. "You mean that evil nuke-nin who-"

Sakura was on her in an instant. She knocked her over and straddled her, one kunai in each hand. She pressed the blades against the girl's neck before anyone could blink, let alone react.

"I will not hesitate to kill you. However, me doing so now will completely eradicate any chances of me becoming a part of Konoha. This is something I cannot allow, as it was Zabuza-sama's final order for me."

Sakura got off her in half a second, walking ahead like nothing had happened.

"Sasuke-kun! Did you see her? She attacked me! Sasuke-kun, do something~" Ami whined. She was still shaking from fear.

Sasuke shook her off, eyes glued to the new addition. "Shut up Ami." He growled, looking away.

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"We'll stop and make camp here." Kakashi said, looking around the clearing.

Sakura stopped. "Already?" She asked, looking up at the sky. The sun had just began to set. They would still have a few more hours until it was completely dark.

Kakashi shrug. "I don't know about you, but my team seems to be tired." He turned to look at his team. Naruto was clinging onto a tree. Sasuke was slouched over and Ami looked ready to whine.

"You guys are pathetic." Sakura snarled, but sat down anyways.

Ami sneered but sat as far away from the girl as she could. Sasuke noted this, then sat a meter away from Sakura. Ami glared, but didn't make a move. Naruto just plopped down opposite Sasuke. Kakashi made a fire and began setting up three tents; two small ones and one big one. Sakura guessed that the small ones were for Ami and Kakashi, while the boys shared the big one. "We don't have a extra sleeping bag-"

Sakura shook her head. "I don't need one."

Kakashi slowly nodded. "Okay. You can join the boys-"

"Maybe." Sakura stretched.

Kakashi sigh, and reached into his bag. He tossed his team each an energy bar. He tossed one to Sakura who caught it with out looking up. "What is this?"

"An energy bar. We don't have any extra food."

Sakura scoffed. "I'll be back." And she was gone.

  .........................................   

Sakura crouched on a branch, eyes narrowed. A brown rabbit was nibbling on some grass. Sakura winced, remembering Haku's rabbit. Where was it now?

It was dead before it could even react. A thrown kunai straight through it's heart. A painless kill.

She picked up the rabbit by it's ears and swung it up, splattering it's blood across her. She felt a drop on her cheek but ignored it. She began making her way back to the camp. She picked up a few sticks on her way.

She appeared from the trees just as Naruto scrunched up his energy bar packet. Ami was curled up in Sakura's previous spot, against Sasuke, who looked disgusted.

Purposely making her footsteps loud, she entered the camp. Everyone looked up as Sakura sat down opposite where she had been previously sitting.

"Is that blood?" Ami asked nervously.

"Sa-Sakura-chan, are you okay?" Naruto gasped. Sakura ignored them.

She placed the rabbit and the sticks on the floor. She pulled out a kunai and slit it form it's neck to it's stomach. She began to clean it with neat, precise flicks of her kunai.

Once she was done, picked up the thickest stick she had brought. She used her kunai and sharpened the tip before impaling it through the rabbit. Ami squealed. Naruto gasped and though he hid it well, Sasuke looked pretty disturbed. Kakashi simply whistled. She placed it against the camp fire.

"How could you kill something as innocent as that?" Ami gasped. Her hands were covering her face, trying not to look at the bloody mess.

Sakura shrug. "It's protein."

"It's cute." Ami sneered. She peeked out from between her fingers.

Sakura raised an eyebrow and held up the half cooked rabbit. "Cute? Right."

Ami's hand flew to her mouth and she turned away. Sakura smirked.

Soon, the smell of cooked meat began to flood the area. Naruto was drooling and Sasuke was trying, and failing, to not look hopeful.

Sakura ignored them as she cut the rabbit into a few equal pieces. She held another stick at the fire and pulled it back after a while. She stabbed it into one of the pieces and tore through the flesh.

"What are you looking at, Sasuke-kun. That's disgusting! You can't want to eat that! I certainly don't want to." Ami whined. It wasn't very convincing, as her stomach growled the moment she had finished.

Ami looked up. "Hey! Sasuke-kun's hungry. Give him some."

Sakura shook her head.

"Why? We're taking you back to Konoha even if we don't have to! You owe us! Share!" Ami screeched.

"Oh, so you want some as well?" Sakura raised an eyebrow at her. "I don't need you to take me to Konoha. I could go there myself." She knew that there were lots of holes in her statement, the main one being that Konoha might no believe her. But the girl didn't seem very smart.

She turned and tore another mouthful. She chewed and swallowed it, letting the flavor flood her mouth.

She tossed the bones away and sat down at the foot of a tree. She quickly sharpened her weapons, distantly hearing Naruto ask Kakashi about the shape of her kunai. She listened as Kakashi explained that it was a standard Kiri kunai.

Kakashi soon sent his team off to sleep. Sakura called first watch before Kakashi could say anything to her. Ami whined about being separate from her Sasuke-kun but finally shut up and crawled into her tent.

Sakura picked out a tree and climbed it. She perched on a branch and sigh. She was already missing the thrill and excitement of being a 'nuke-nin'. She guessed that the title no longer applied to her, to some extent.

She gripped her scroll and scowled into her hands. If she cried now, she wouldn't be able to stop. And so, she held back her pain and even then, her eyes were keen, on a constant lookout for danger.

Old habits die hard.