Innocent Ignorance

CHAPTER SIXTEEN - Team Time!

Naru isn't mine, although a girl can dream <3

'...' Inner

'...' Outer

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"KAKABAKA!!"

I ran towards the gravity-defying silver-haired man, squealing like a mad cow. I was awarded with a forehead flick and a sigh.

"Sakura, what did I say about calling me that?"

I grinned cheekily. "That you absolutely love it." 

It had been a few days since we had all graduated the Academy. Over the past few years, I had gotten a lot closer to Kakashi due to my constant nagging for him to train me. Thanks to him and Gai, my ninjutsu and taijutsu were—thank god—way, way better than canon Sakura's. I'd also taken up some kenjutsu (love me some slicey slice action), and had kept my weights, having slowly added more chakra into them over time. 

I still had a long way to go though. For one, I was still trying to perfect the shunshin that I had begged Shisui to teach me. I was also beginning to try to train myself in medical ninjutsu. Although I had pretty good chakra control—which allowed me to have the monstrous strength canon Sakura had displayed in Shippuden—it was still taking some time to master healing. 

I was snapped out of my reverie when a certain, youthful name screamed my name from the distance. "YOUNG SAKURA!! YOU SEEM FULL OF SPIRITS AS USUAL!!!"

Trying not to laugh at hearing Kakashi's small gasp of terror, I blinked, trying to recover my sight after being flashed by Gai's blinding smile. "Gai-sensei!! It's good to see you," I said cheerfully. "Look!" I showed him my newly earned hitaite, grinning. Gai patted my head, beaming with pride. "I knew you could do it my youthful blossom!!" he crowed. 

A panting Lee came running up after Gai. "SAKURA-SAN!!" he yelled, coming to a stop in front of me and smiling. "LEE!!" I yelled back, glomping him. After our first meeting, we had continued to spar. Now, we were awesome friends. 

"How are you, Lee?" I asked, nuzzling against him. Lee flushed bright red, and started stammering. I stepped back to give the boy his space, deeply amused. Gai laughed loudly. Kakashi snorted. 

"By the way, Sakura," Kakashi drawled. "Aren't you late for the Academy?"

"...shit."

As I started running towards the Academy, I shouted, "See you later, Kakabaka!!" Then I turned around and gave him a sultry wink and blew him a kiss.

Cackling, I left a spluttering Kakashi, a roaring youthful-extract large, and a stammering youthful-extract small behind. 

~*~

I made it to the Academy with literally a second to spare.

"Ah, Sakura! There you are!" Iruka exclaimed brightly, smiling at me. "Alright, everyone, please take your seats! As you all know, you will be receiving your teams and teachers today. Please patiently wait until your names are called, then get together with your teammates!"

Naruto bounced happily at my side. "I wonder who our teammates are gonna be, Sakura-chan!! What if it's you and me and Sasuke?? I really hope it is!! What if I get the quiet bug guy? Anyone but the quiet bug guy!!"

From the corner of my eye, I saw Shino droop a little.

"That's rude, Naru," I chided him gently, bopping the top of his head. "And don't worry about who our teammates are gonna be. I already know it's going to be the three of us."

"How can you be so sure?" Sasuke said on the other side of me, cocking an eyebrow. I smirked. "Duckbutt, you of all people should know that I have my ways."