Cherry Blossoms and Chakra Strings: Obvious Epiphany

Tuesday found Sakura sitting in an open air restaurant, the smell of savory broth and fried dough thick in the air as people chatted in the booths around her. It was a pleasant day in Konoha, hot and breezy. It was  a refreshing change of pace from the wet and entirely too-humid atmosphere of the country she had just escaped.

Wind breezed through the restaurant, ruffling the banners hanging at the entrance and windows. Sakura took a sip of her water with her left hand, the action much more natural and smooth than it had been just a scant few days ago. The seals that once lined her wrist and arm had been refined into something much more legible, lines of chakra tracing paths up to her fingers as she smoothly brought the glass to her lips and drank her fill.

Across from her, Shino watched her move with keen interest, his goggles glued onto her hand. As she put the glass back down, he spoke.

“I’ve never seen seals that complicated before, even in your previous work,” He commented, watching as she wiped her lips with the provided handkerchief. She smiled softly.

“It was a lot rougher before. You should have seen it; I was barely able to hold a pencil,” Sakura held up her hand, admiring the inky black scrawl that stained her digits. The delicately-drawn seals trailed up every single one of her fingers and coalesced in her palm before moving downwards to link in twin bands on her wrist. The seals were so tightly interwoven that they seemed more like a mass of solid black – a masterwork just for her. “Kushina-sama helped me work out some of the kinks. It’s still not perfect, but its a lot better than before.”

“It’s unfortunate that you have to resort to such a method at all,” Shino pointed out, a small frown evident in his voice. 

Warmed by his compassion, Sakura smiled softly. “It could be worse.”

“How so?”

“I could have lost the whole hand,” She said, making him pause. “That would be a lot harder to come back from, don’t you think? Though at least then I’d be able to get an actual prosthetic. I’d even make it myself! Then I’d basically be part puppet.”

Though actually working a functioning chakra network into a piece of wood would be much harder than it sounded. Seals were one thing; they acted as guides for the chakra to move but didn’t actually move it on their own, much less circulate it back into the body for later use. That much chakra in one place only worked because it was absorbed passively by the body but a dead chunk of tree wouldn't be able to take the strain. An explosive fireball of chakra-propelled wooden shrapnel would be the best outcome in that scenario.

It’d have to be made out of metal, right? Sakura wondered, staring down at her hand in deep thought. But then you’d run into the problem of actually having fingers that articulate. You could use a mesh underneath the hand and have workable plates instead of a solid mass, but that would be expensive and there would be so much input lag that it wouldn’t even be worth it. Not to mention the weight. You’d probably need a blend of wood and metal to make it work, but mixing materials like that and then stitching them with seals is easier said than done.

Of course, all of this was assuming that one could even make a chakra network. Sakura had heard theories in the texts she’d read but she had never heard of it actually being done before. Who knew if it was even possible?

“Sakura.”

The girl in question looked up to find Shino staring at her with an unnatural stillness. Which was saying something because ‘still’ and ‘Aburame’ were practically synonyms in every reputable dictionary. His goggles bored into her eyes as he reached up to adjust them, his voice grave, “It would be inadvisable to continue that line of thinking.”

“What, you don’t think I can do it?” Sakura joked.

“I do,” Shino said without a moment of hesitation, “But the resulting reaction from Ino may have you rethinking your decision after it is already too late. I, too, would be very displeased.”

Sakura laughed nervously, even as her face flushed with warmth at her friend’s confidence in her abilities, “Heh, right. I’ll shelve that one, I guess."

Though the topic of Ino brought Sakura’s mind to another subject that had been lingering in the back of her mind. Namely, the way the girl had been acting towards her lately. The looks, the touches, the… the kisses.

Sakura’s face barely had time to cool before it was blazing again. She tapped her fingers on the table, glancing away from Shino to look at the patrons around them instead. She could feel his eyes boring into the side of her face, could feel his confusion at her sudden shift in demeanor, but she ignored it as her mind plunged into the memories of her recent interactions with Ino.

Looking back at it now, she couldn’t believe how utterly dense she had been when it came to the way her friend had treated her. In her defense though, her experiences with romance were limited to the fleeting, childish relationships she saw in the Academy and the interactions between her parents. Though she could say with certainty that her parents loved each other dearly, their relationship wasn't exactly what you would call a whirlwind of romance.

Not to mention, for as long as Sakura had known her, Ino had never been one to hide how she felt, whether that be anger, sadness, or happiness. She wore her heart on her sleeve, letting anyone and everyone around her know exactly how she felt. If she was interested in Sakura romantically, Sakura felt like she would tell her.

Which… she did, Embarrassment coursed through Sakura’s body as she recalled the literal date that she and Ino had gone on. She thought it was simply a nice dinner with a friend, but looking back on it, Ino had clearly been approaching the whole situation very differently.

Recalling those memories, the subtle glances and the way that the conversation seemed to flow between them like water, Sakura really couldn’t believe how the subtext of the situation had completely passed her by.

These days I prefer them a bit more challenging. Ino’s words echoed in Sakura’s mind, Sweet, maybe a little annoying sometimes, and denser than a rock.

“Hey, so…” Sakura coughed, looking shyly at the boy across from her, “What am I supposed to do if one of my best friends has a crush on me?”

Shino barely reacted, simply tilting his head, “So Ino finally decided to tell you?”

Ino and Shino weren’t close, at least as far as Sakura was aware, so the fact that he apparently knew what was going on and she didn’t made her feel like even more of an idiot. She whipped her head towards Shino, her jaw falling open, “You knew?”

“It wasn’t that difficult to figure out,” Shino adjusted his collar, “Why? Because she doesn’t do very much to hide it. You simply aren’t very good at picking up on signals.”

Sakura stared at her friend, utterly baffled, before her mouth closed and her face twisted unsurely. Shino tilted his head at her reaction, “You do not reciprocate?”

“Honestly? I don’t have a clue,” Sakura said honestly.

Sakura had never given much thought to romance outside of the intrusive ones that happened to cross her mind while she was working on her puppet. Dating Ino specifically was a thought that had crossed her mind once or twice, but she had only ever approached it in the way that one might wonder what a particularly pretty flower might taste like. It was an idle curiosity, but nothing you would ever really act on in real life.

It’s a very pretty flower though… Sakura thought, mind suddenly flooding with images of her friend. She'd always thought that her friend was attractive from an objective standpoint but right now, her thoughts had turned decidedly unobjective.

With some difficulty, Sakura managed to push aside thoughts of toned arms and silky blonde hair, shaking her head as if to get rid of the images her mind had conjured up. Shino watched her, silent as always.

“What do you plan to do now that you’ve realized the obvious?” He asked with a surprising amount of sass.  

“I don’t know,” Sakura admitted, slumping slightly in the booth. “I mean, there’s so much going on right now. Between my hand, the training, and everything else… I don’t think I can give her an answer yet.”

“Ino is rather impatient,” Shino observed. “Delaying your response may cause her undue stress.”

“She hasn’t actually said anything, but you’re right,” Sakura bit her lip. “I think I’ll wait until after the Chunin Exams. I need to actually think about this, you know?”

Ino had already had time to process her feelings and decided she wanted to pursue them. Sakura had only just been made aware hers even existed in the first place. She needed to deal with that before she could confidently give any kind of answer.

Shino nodded slowly. “That is a smart idea.”

The conversation drifted from there into lighter, more inane things. Sakura listened a Shino explained that he had been developing several new techniques involving his kikaichu, speaking with a rare amount of pride about the things he had done with the insect that Sakura had brought him from the Land of Waves – a last minute gift she picked up on the way out of the country.

“It survived?” Sakura asked, her face lighting up. “I was worried the trip would be too much for it.”

“The original specimen has passed but its brood have been added to my hive,” Shino answered. “The resilience of its exoskeleton has provided the hive with a significant defensive boon.”

“That’s amazing, Shino!” Sakura smiled. “How is the rest of your team doing?”

“As expected,” Shino said. “Kiba is loud, and Hinata is quiet, but we are a cohesive unit. Sensei is strangely effective at matching our temperaments.”

“Are you guys planning on entering the exams?” 

“If the opportunity arrives, then I will,” Shino said. “It is my hope that it will be a good learning opportunity. Perhaps it will even force Kiba to be more serious.”

“Heh, that’ll be the day.”

~~~

The next day, the air at Team 3’s designated training ground was crisp. It had only been a few days since they had returned from their biggest mission yet, and yet they hadn't skipped a beat getting back into what their training

Sakura sat off to the side, practicing finer motor control with her bad hand by weaving intricate patterns with a piece of string. In front of her, Tsu and Hikari were engaged in a light spar, the sounds of their clashing movements echoing through the trees. Tadao was napping nearby, belly facing towards the sun as his legs moved in tandem with whatever dream he was having.

The sound of footsteps approaching made them all pause. Iwabi appeared at the edge of the clearing in a flourish of leaves. For once, the man didn’t look tired, and he had a slight smirk on his rugged face as he stepped towards them.

“Alright, to start things off, I wanted to let you guys in on some good news,” Iwabi started the moment he stepped onto the field. “The mission we posted got picked up by a good friend of mine. They’re an expert tracker specializing in retrieval missions. If Jin’s body is out there, then it’ll be back in the village before the end of the week.”

The team collectively exhaled. They had pooled most of their remaining funds to put up an A-rank pay for the retrieval of Jin’s body. Most would agree it was a steep price, but each and every one of them agreed that it was worth it. Even if it left some of them a little broker than they would care for.

“That’s good,” Tsu said, her voice unusually quiet. “Really good.”

“Yeah,” Sakura added, feeling a weight lift from her chest. “Now all that’s left is to wait and plan the funeral.”

Iwabi leaned against a tree, crossing his arms. “In other news, I wanted to congratulate all of you. You lot did a good job in Wave. Things didn’t go exactly how they were intended, and nobody would have blamed you for giving up and passing on the mission to someone more qualified.”

He paused here, looking over them all. “But you didn’t. Even when things didn’t go our way and Sakura got injured in a way that would have most ninja turning in their resignation the moment they stepped through the village gates, you didn’t give up. You adapted. You survived. And I couldn’t be more proud of each and every single one of you.”

His words caused the genin to straighten, pride burning brightly in their chests at the obstacles they had overcome. Iwabi watched them, then slowly reached into his vest and pulled out three pieces of paper.

“Our mission was originally supposed to be a test of your abilities so I could see if the three of you had what it takes,” He smirked, holding up the papers, “I’d say you passed. The Chunin Exams are being held next month. I’m putting your names forward if you’re willing.”

A beat, and then a trio of blinding smiles were sent his way.

“Of course we are!” Tsu cheered, punching the air. Tadao howled tiredly at her feet, just awoken from his nap, “Are you nuts, sensei? Why the hell would you even ask that?”

“Consent is required to fill in the forms, believe it or not.” Iwabi chuckled as he passed them around.

“Whatever!” Tsu snatched the piece of paper out of his hands eagerly, staring at it like it held the key to the greatest riches to ever touch the Elemental Nations, “Oh man, this is gonna be great! Wouldn’t it be awesome if all three of us became chunin? That’d have to be some kind of record, right?”

Hikari smiled thinly, shaking their head. “I hate to burst your bubble, Tsu, but many people have ranked up much quicker than that in the past. Besides, even in the case that we win the tournament, it isn’t guaranteed that any of us will actually be promoted at all. That’s entirely up to the proctors and the Hokage.”

Tsu’s face fell. “Huh? Then what’s the point of the damn tournament then?”

“It’s basically a dick-measuring contest between villages,” Sakura explained, earning a dry look from Hikari and a snort from Iwabi. “It’s about reputation. The Daimyo and the lords watch to see whose ninja are the strongest. 'Hey, look at my ninja, they can beat your ninja.' It proves which village is the best investment and nets the winner more contracts in the long term.”

“Oh,” Tsu said, her grin returning. “That’s fine then. Proving that I’m better than other people is one of my favorite things to do anyway.”

Sakura giggled, but turned as she felt Hikari’s gaze on her.

“You should be excited as well, Sakura,” Hikari said softly. “Suna is a frequent contender in these exams. If they send a delegation, you might finally get the opportunity to see Lady Chiyo again.”

Sakura’s heart skipped a beat at the idea of seeing her mentor again. What would Lady Chiyo think of her now, with her skills and her injury? She had improved vastly from the last time they saw each other, but her journey wasn’t without its trips and stumbles. 

“I’ll be ready,” Sakura said, her eyes flashing with purpose. “When I see her, I’m going to make sure she’s blown out of the water when she sees how strong I’ve become.”

Hikari and Tsu smiled at her words and Iwabi clapped his hands, a small, proud smirk on his face. “I guess that’s that, then. You guys sign those and bring them back, and I’ll put the paperwork in for your entry. We’ll take some easier missions in the meantime, so I suggest taking the rest of the month to hone the skills you already have; don’t pick up anything you aren’t fully comfortable with. No need to go into the exams half-cocked.”

He disappeared in a swirl of leaves, leaving the three Genin alone with their excitement and the looming shadow of the greatest test of their lives.

~~~

Later that evening, long after the sun had dipped below the horizon. Sakura's room was bathed in the soft glow of her desk lamp, the floor behind her a chaotic mess of blueprints and scrolls. Sakura sat hunched over her drafting table, her right hand moving with surgical precision as she sketched out the schematics for her next creation.

The Chunin Exams loomed heavily in her mind, a daunting opportunity for success, or the biggest failure of her life. Despite that, she was more excited than scared. Just like with Kenji, here was a chance to prove that even though she had been hurt, even though her left hand felt like it belonged to someone else more often than not, she could still achieve her dreams.

She just had to be ready.

She tapped her pencil against her chin, her eyes narrowing as she looked at the rough sketches she had drawn out. Thanks to her injury, Teashi was difficult to work with. Not impossible, but difficult. She would spend the majority of the next month getting herself back up to snuff for the exhibition, but that didn’t mean she also couldn’t work on other things in her downtime.

She slowly turned her gaze to the window, taking in the fuzzy form lounging on the sill, bathed in the nighttime glow. 

“Kii,’ She spoke softly. The form twitched, before turning in her direction with the sharp tap-tap of chitin on wood. Her summon regarded her with numerous eyes, an inhuman face that held a strange amount of personality, “I think it’s about time I visit the colony, don’t you?”

Kii’s raspy voice sounded almost like a laugh, “The Broodmother awaits you eagerly.”

Sakura smiled widely, “Excellent.”