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Sakura ducked through the underbrush, gritting her teeth against an irritated mutter as she went. Stupid arrogant toerag. Obnoxious over-promoted paper chuunin. Bratty, pushy, presumptuous- Sakura paused, wincing, and murmured an apology to Tetsuya as a whippy branch she shoved aside and released too swiftly nearly hit him in the face, but he only whuffed at her, plumed tail wagging.
Sakura brushed a hand over the top of his head, and he nosed at her forearm. She ruffled his ears and forged onwards, back out into the main - clear - area of the training ground. Stupid flimsy training posts.
She’d need to report in that they were damaged and needed replacing; she’d broken all three of them set back near the river. And she was still seething. She set herself and took a few deep breaths, trying to run through her usual cooldown kata, though she wasn’t ready to try and head back into the village proper yet.
It failed to calm her nerves, and Sakura stopped halfway through, her teeth grinding. She stopped herself forcibly, easing her jaw.
There should be another row of training posts set back in the trees on the other side of the clear area. She could go and beat against those for a while.
Maybe she’d break all three of them, too.
Maybe she’d feel less like hunting down Kanda and breaking him afterwards.
Sakura took a deep breath, shaking her head. She thought she’d controlled her temper well enough while actually still in the Archives - while she was still where anyone could see her - but damn if it hadn’t taken a monumental force of will.
“I suppose that’s progress.” Sakura said softly, pausing and rubbing one of Tetsuya’s ears between her fingers. “A year ago if some higher-ranked nin took that tone with me I’d have been devastated . . . not-”
“Desirous of causing some devastation?” Tetsuya suggested with a grin that stretched his long muzzle oddly.
Sakura laughed a little. Tetsuya looked delicate - with his slender figure, long face, and feathery, silky coat - but, just like Sakura herself, he was anything but, beneath the deceptive appearance. Sakura smiled slightly. She knew that about herself, now, and was confident in it. She’d grown a lot in the last year and more, and. . .
Tetsuya pushed up onto his hind legs, licking her cheek affectionately, and Sakura hugged him before he dropped down to all four paws again.
It helped, having Tetsuya, who understood her so well and matched her so well - it helped, knowing her sensei understood her too, and valued her. Knew her well enough to choose Tetsuya to match her and trusted her enough to give them to each other. Whatever idiot arrogant chuunin - or anyone else - might say about her . . . their opinions didn’t matter.
Kakashi-sensei had taught her that, too. Perceptions didn’t matter, opinions didn’t matter - not most peoples’ - only her own strength and smarts mattered. Success, and survival, they mattered. And her sensei expected those things from her; his opinion mattered, his praise enough motivation to keep Sakura working even when things were difficult or confusing enough that she doubted or wavered, and her own drive to learn wasn’t enough on its own.
Sakura fought hard never to disappoint his expectations.
Sakura took a breath. That was all true. And she rarely did - it had been months since the last time Kakashi-sensei had turned that faintly disappointed look on her.
So what did it matter if there were idiot toerag chuunin who thought she was nothing more than a useless, decorative kunoichi who would never amount to anything - his implication that Sakura dragged down her sensei or was carried solely by his name had been particularly infuriating - idiots likely never to rise higher in rank, nor to accomplish anything of much note. Sakura might still be a genin but she ran A-rank missions and came out the other side.
Sakura was Kakashi-sensei’s apprentice, and she was proud of that - proud of herself.
Sakura nodded sharply, closing her eyes for a moment. The simmering fizz of irritation had calmed further, and she smiled as Tetsuya nuzzled into her palm, smoothing her hand along his muzzle and up over the top of his head.
“Feeling better?”
Sakura whirled, startled. She hadn’t had any idea Kakashi-sensei was there until she heard his voice, and-
There he was, near the edge of the clear space at the centre of the training field - leaning back against Bull as though they had all been there for hours; Bull a mountain behind Kakashi-sensei’s shoulders and all the other ninken piled all around him, cuddled against his legs and sides. Bisuke tucked under his right arm, Pakkun perched atop Bull’s shoulder just shy of Kakashi-sensei’s own. . .
Kakashi-sensei blinked slowly, then lifted his arms, turning out his empty hands.
“Sensei?” Sakura asked uncertainly.
Kakashi-sensei hummed low in his throat, barely audible at this distance. Tetsuya leaned against Sakura’s legs, and she put a hand down to him, then. . .
Sakura trotted towards her sensei, and Kakashi-sensei twitched his fingers inwards briefly, an invitation underlining the one made obvious by his pose. Sakura smiled, slowing just a little as she approached - but not much.
She hopped over Urushi, who curled her lip to bare her teeth, but didn’t make a sound or even bother to lift her head, and thumped into Kakashi-sensei’s side.
Kakashi-sensei laughed, a low, warm sound, and his left arm curled around Sakura cosily as she nestled down against him. Urushi was solid against her shins as she tucked her legs nearer, and Urushi resettled herself to push against Sakura just a little, cosy. Urushi propped her head on Sakura’s knee and closed her eyes.
Tetsuya picked his way over the tangle of Kakashi-sensei’s legs and the other ninken with graceful steps - his long, slender legs made it easy - and curled himself along Sakura’s back. His long head tucked across her neck and shoulder, and Kakashi-sensei shifted his arm behind Sakura to make a little more room.
His free hand brushed over Sakura’s hair, and she closed her eyes, snuggling in against his shoulder as she let out a breath, relaxing.
“So,” Kakashi-sensei said, and Sakura squeezed her eyes closed, wincing and tensing up again, “you’ve destroyed half the posts in this training field, and a few of the rocks if I don’t miss my guess,” he said, which of course he hadn’t, “feeling any better now, pup?”
Sakura squirmed, and Kakashi-sensei squeezed her tighter. She sighed, relaxing again slowly and smoothing her fingers over Urushi’s muzzle, then the fluff atop her head. Urushi nosed at her wrist companionably in response.
“. . .yes.” Sakura said, and huffed. “Though maybe less because of the smashing. I just needed to think it through and . . . remember.” she said, frowning.
Remember that it meant less than nothing, that Sakura was better than that, that-
“Sometimes the smashing helps you think it through, mm?” Kakashi-sensei prompted without judgement, and Sakura bit her lip.
Maybe.
“I. . . Yes, I suppose so.” Sakura said, fidgeting.
Kakashi-sensei’s free hand moved down to her knees, patting her upper calf and then tugging gently, bringing Sakura’s legs up crossways across his lap, letting her snuggle into his side more comfortably. Sakura curled up tight, feeling snug and cared for, and turned her face into the thick shoulder of Kakashi-sensei’s flak vest.
Tetsuya snuffled at her neck under her hair, and Sakura smiled.
“What did you need to think through?” Kakashi-sensei asked, and Sakura pressed her lips together. “I heard there was some sort of altercation?” he prompted, and she sighed. Of course he already knew.
“I didn’t shout back.” Sakura said, though she had wanted to, damn the idiot.
“I wouldn’t blame you if you had.” Kakashi-sensei said, and that was nice. Sakura didn’t want to lose her temper so showily, but . . . it had been tempting in the moment.
“He wasn’t worth it.” Sakura said with a huff, wriggling a little and bracing her chin against the button on Kakashi-sensei’s flak vest. “An over-promoted chuunin with an over-inflated sense of self-worth who thinks kunoichi are only for looking pretty and,” she paused; for looking pretty and for running the kinds of missions in which looking pretty played a major factor in success; Sakura had hated the preliminary lessons intended to give them the grounding for those in the Academy and hated the idea of them even more now, “that the only reason I’m rated so highly is because of your reputation.”
Sakura huffed, then giggled as she realised that Kakashi-sensei had at the same time.
“Your name and your reputation do make a difference to how I’m seen,” Sakura said scrupulously, “both in Konoha and in the Bingo Books.” Sakura had been shocked the first time she saw herself there, though it had been almost an addendum to Kakashi-sensei’s pages at the time - including a rather strongly-worded warning to that effect, in fact.
Kakashi-sensei scoffed. “My reputation may reflect on you, but you put in the work for every bit of your skills, pup.” he said with unshakable confidence, squeezing where his fingers curled just above her knee, and that confirmation of his thoughts was nice. Sakura buried her smile against his collar.
“Thank you, sensei.” Sakura said, and Kakashi-sensei patted her knee, then reached up to ruffle her hair, smoothing it out along her cheek.
“Just the truth.” Kakashi-sensei said simply.
“That’s why it doesn’t matter what he says. What any of them think of me.” Sakura said, with a short, sharp nod. Tetsuya licked her ear, making her laugh.
“Clever pup.” Kakashi-sensei said, voice warm, and that was even better, Sakura thought, grinning.