Darkest Before Dawn

A True Prodigy

   "But sensei~!" Sakura whined.

   "No means no, brat."

   She crossed her arms and pouted in defeat. Ibiki was going on a solo S-Class with the option to take his student along. He immediately declined. She asked him plenty of times as to why he wouldn't let her go, and the answer was always 'it's too dangerous'. Ibiki's eyes softened as he looked at the disappointment etched in her face. He tossled her short hair.

   "Look, I don't want you getting hurt." he said, "The last mission I took you on ended with me unconscious and you getting a katana and a scroll- where did you get those things anyways?"

   She stuck her tongue out then looked away.

   "I won't complain anymore, sensei," she grumbled, "But when you get back, you're gonna teach me a new jutsu! No exceptions!"

   He smirked and patted her head for good measure before walking out of the village. Sakura watched his retreating form before turning on her heel and waling towards the training grounds. As she set up her targets, one of her friends emerged from a nearby tree.

   "G'morning, Zetsu-san!" she smiled. Zetsu, once again without his flytrap additions, sat against a tree just a few feet away from Sakura's targets.

   "Good morning, Sakura-chan. Your sensei's out on a mission again? I thought he would've taken you with him this time."

   She puffed out her cheeks as she took out sixteen kunai from her holder.

   "He wouldn't let me because of what happened last time."

   "I'm not surprised, you went on a fucking adventure with an S-Class shinobi while I played doctor back at the inn. You could've told us you'd be gone for five hours."

   Sakura grinned sheepishly and jumped onto Zetsu to give him a hug. He returned it immediately. Again, he wondered what he was doing. In all his life, he had never been close to anyone. He was born from a test tube and trained to be a weapon that spied from the shadows. There was no love in his so-called childhood- he just happened to be an experiment that went horribly right.

   "Zetsu-san?"

   And of all people to extend a smile and get out their way to become his friend, this little girl had stepped up to the challenge. Zetsu had grown accustomed to looking out for himself and himself only. After all, the only person you could trust in the world of missions, lies, and shinobi was yourself.

   "Zetsu-san!"

   But this pink thing went out of her way to become his friend even if he tried to kill her. She wasn't afraid to look death in the eye and spit in it's face. It was rare, almost non-existent, to find someone so young and so... disturbed... yet managed to live and hide behind a grin and the words: 'I'm okay'.

   "ZETSU-SAN!!"

   Zetsu focused on Sakura, who was sitting cross-legged in his lap.

   "What the hell are you on about, squirt?"

   "You spaced out and didn't answer my question!" she exclaimed. Zetsu raised a brow.

   "What question?"

   Sakura sighed and gave the man a playful glare.

   "I said: I saw Itachi-san do this cool move yesterday and I think I can do it too. Do you wanna see?"

   Itachi? As in- Uchiha? The prodigy?

   Zetsu nodded, curious to see what Sakura had in store. Her eyes brightened up as she hopped of his lap and ran to the edge of the training grounds. She held two kunai in each available space between her fingers, making a total of eight kunai in each hand. As she prepared the execution, the grass ninja combed the training grounds with his mustard yellow eyes. A large rock sat between the girl and three ground targets. The other fifteen were placed on tree in various levels and distances.

   Just what did she plan to do?

   Without warning, she burst forward with speed unimaginable for a six year old. Before she ran straight into the large boulder, she vaulted high up in the air and closed her eyes.

   What Zetsu saw next made his mind go blank for a few seconds.

   Sakura's movement was so graceful and fluid as she spun upside down and launched each kunai. She landed with a soft 'thump' on the otherside of the rock. Zetsu stood and inspected the targets. Each kunai hit dead center.

   "Impossible. How could she...?"

   Not a single kunai strayed from its mark.

   "How was that, Zetsu-san?! Was I good?" she questioned excitedly.

   "You did well, Sakura-chan. You have the precision and accuracy of a true, freakin' kunoichi."

   She blushed in childish pleasure as she skitted off to reclaim all her weapons. He stared after her, still mildly surprised at her performance. Those skills were so unreal. She was a six year old that had the ability to copy the Uchiha's eleven year old prodigy perfectly.

   This girl was deadly and could become even deadlier then anything he had ever seen.

   "You are a girl to be feared." he chuckled.

Disclaimer: The video shows what Sakura has done, and I do not own it.