Work Text:
“Hey! I’ve been looking for you. Spar later?”
Yuugao Uzuki was absurdly pretty, and competent, and basically the perfect combination of everything else Sakura wanted to be. She always took the time to say hello when they crossed paths. She was kind, funny and she wanted to spar. With Sakura.
It was for those reasons, and many others, that Sakura’s heart rate jumped and she had to hide a flushed face whenever they met.
For once in your life be chill, Sakura.
On a scale of crushes, it wasn’t nearly as bad as pre-teen “Sasuke Uchiha is the love of my life” levels of inhibiting, but for a successful woman who was not eleven years old, there was a surprising track record of spluttering out sentences and having to forcibly remove her foot from her mouth. Talking to her was both exciting and mortifying at the same time and Sakura honestly didn’t know if she genuinely enjoyed the torture or if it was just experiencing some twisted hormone induced stockholm syndrome at this point.
“Uh, ok - yeah. I can do that. Same time as usual?”
Yuugao smiled, tucking a stray wisp of her violet hair behind her ears, “Yeah. It’ll give us an hour or so with just us before the boys arrive. It’ll be nice to have some good old fashioned hand to hand combat without any clan abilities robbing us of our dignity.”
Which in hindsight was very sweet of her to say, considering that her skill as a sensor was practically a Kekkei Genkai in its own right.
“Speak for yourself,” Sakura replied a beat later than was socially accepted, but Yuugao - the gracious being that she was - either didn’t notice or didn’t care, and laughed all the same.
Yuugao propped her elbows on the countertop and leaned in close. Sakura gripped the patient file as if it were a lifeline. She hoped her helplessness wasn’t too obvious with her trapped on the other side of the desk, feeling like a moth being drawn to the light that would inevitably lead to her demise. “Between you and me,” Yuugao conspired, “I don’t think Kakashi and Shisui have that much dignity to lose. But you learn to love them anyway.”
Sakura nodded, unable to think of a response that was the right amount of cool or funny.
“Great - it’s a date! See you soon.”
Date?!
Sakura echoed a goodbye in a daze as Yuugao made her way back towards the reception.
She tried her best to not watch her leave and instead unfurled her fingers from the file. She willfully ignored the creaking of the plastic and focused on checking her patient notes (that she knew were accurately recorded) were accurately recorded. It was only when the tendril of a purple ponytail flicked out of sight that Sakura peeked back up, only to be greeted with Ino’s self satisfied smirk from the doorway.
“I’ve got a napkin here if you need to wipe away the drool.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Pig.” Sakura snapped the binder closed and straightened her pinafore primly.
Ino snorted and shook her head. “You’re delusional, but the good news is Ibiki needs your help so I can help you work on your pathetic poker face on the way.”
Sakura’s mouth twisted in distaste. “Again?” She hated T&I; everything about it. The cold grey walls, the concrete floors, the tiny windows - and it was always so, so unnervingly quiet. She felt like she was in the interrogation room before she’d even walked through the foyer.
Which she recognised was the entire point of the design, but despite this Sakura couldn’t help the guttural reaction that she had every time she was summoned. If she were honest with herself, she knew her reaction was solely based on her initial introduction; even that experience resulted in one of the biggest scandal’s about Kanoha’s political infrastructure being unearthed. That didn’t stop the process from leaving some scars.
Occasionally she’d remember the blood dripping from his eyes, or the texture of the skin around the holes that peppered his body or the oozing burns on his hands that were so severe that they exposed the bones in places.
And she was the one who had to piece him back together so he could sit before the village council and pray for forgiveness in hopes of leniency that would not be granted.
“Haruno, he is a traitor to this village. I only need him alive to face a proper trial - do not allow him an ounce of comfort.”
Sakura had never seen Ibiki look quite as severe, and she had never heard a man scream with pain-induced delirium before that night.
Sakura was early in her apprenticeship and Tsunade was on a mission in the wave, so she had to reset the bones in his fingers by hand as his chakra pathways were stripped so raw that she was worried her chakra would induce cardiac arrest.
She was proven correct when she attempted to clear blood from his lungs using a poison extraction technique. He almost died three times in a forty five minute period.
But Sakura was chosen to be Tsunade’s apprentice with good reason. She made sure Danzo Shimura lived to attend the trial.
That was all the time he received in the end; even The Third could not overlook the truth when it was so clearly laid out to bare.
“Stop it, forehead; you’ll get wrinkles.” Sakura startled as Ino took the file from her and handed it to one of the junior nurses at the desk.
“Let’s walk - you can tell me about your playdates with Yuugao when you buy me some journey-ice cream. I’m in the mood for strawberry shortcake.”
Sakura rolled her eyes and tried to smile, “I’m buying you ice-cream? I’m pretty sure it’s your turn to pay.”
“Yes, but I'm paying my way in romantic advice so in reality, you owe me.”
“Hey ladies, mind if I join?”
Shisui Uchiha was ridiculously handsome, and skilled, and pretty much ticked every box in a potential boyfriend. He helped old ladies cross the street, he saved drowning puppies and he even volunteered at the local orphanage! He was witty, charming and he wanted to barge in on their spar. Their spar.
It was for those reasons, and many others, that Sakura knew she had to keep Shisui away from Yuugao at all costs.
As soon as he laid on that charm it was only a matter of time before he achieved his objective - that was just how the Uchiha did things. They were wily creatures; Sakura had experienced it first hand.
Don’t give him an inch. You’ve got this, Sakura.
Sakura muttered a sullen “Yes” as Yuugao replied, “Of course!” which was a fatal miscalculation on her part because it offered Shisui the perfect opportunity to throw his arm around Yuugao with casual abandon and weasel his way into the conversation again.
“Aww don’t say that, Haruno.” Sakura tried not to hone in on the fingers artfully draped against the cloth of Yuugao’s vest, so carefully placed against her shoulder as to give the impression that he wasn’t a predator waiting for the perfect opportunity to snatch away his prize when the moment struck.
She knew she had failed miserably in her endeavour when she looked back up to Shisui's smug leer waiting for her. “I promise I won’t have you on your knees with my signature move again.”
Sakura faltered and felt her cheeks heat up in mortification at the (technically true) bold-faced statement. It was annoyingly impressive how much arrogance he’d managed to squeeze into one sentence. Especially considering that he only ever ‘had her on her knees’ struggling to swallow down bile after shunshinning himself into her solar plexus whilst trying to avoid Kakashi’s 1000 years of pain Jutsu.
The key word being trying. Both parties left their first training session together humbled in one way or another.
Not that anyone would have guessed that if they were to solely rely on the virtue of the stupidly toothy grin and razor sharp jawline. In fact, had she not been a party to that self same experience, she might have come to the conclusion that Shisui came out of that encounter as the victor.
Sakura looked back to Yuugao who seemed so effortlessly comfortable nestled in Shisui’s arms that it made her want to scream.
I can be the big spoon too, damn it!
That was when the unthinkable happened; Yuugao giggled. The type of soft, delicate - dare she say kittenish? - giggle that Sakura just simply wasn’t capable of. It was the type that Ino kept in her back pocket when she was looking for a free drink at the bar; when she had her eyes set on someone.
That damn Uchiha stole that laugh from under her nose!
Sakura forcibly relaxed the fists that she didn’t remember making. “That was a lucky shot,” she breathed out through a clenched jaw.
Shisui must have taken pleasure in seeing her squirm, because he couldn’t resist stirring the pot a little more. “When you’ve got talent, there’s no such thing as a lucky shot.”
Sakura felt static thrumming through her bones. Are saying I don’t have talent, you cocky little -
“Oh, stop it, Shisui!” Yuugao swatted at his side and rolled her eyes. “You’re going to get a toothache if you carry on at-”
“I’m going to beat you so hard they’ll be cleaning up for weeks, Uchiha.”
“Do you promise?”
There was a moment of quiet. Birds chirped in the trees.
Sakura snapped.
The next moment, she grabbed Shisui by the shirt. When did she close the distance between them?
She locked on to his alarmed expression and pulled her first back.
Before it could make contact, her grip was batted away and Shisui’s profile flickered into the treeline of the forest. She stumbled back on herself, throwing her hair over her shoulder as she turned back to him.
“Really now - if you want to lay your hands on me that badly, at least buy me a drink first.”
She sprung to action, launching herself at his form with a full belly roar. The only drink he would be drinking was going to be fed to him through a drip.
Shisui blocked the first punch, and even the second, but the kick to his solar plexus definitely caught him off guard. She took in his paling face with vicious glee. She didn’t quite have him on his knees yet, but he soon would be.
“What are the sparring rules?” he asked, ducking under an uppercut, glancing over at Yuugao. Sakura took the opportunity to drive her palm into his shoulder, earning her a muffled grunt and his full attention back on her.
“Don’t run crying to Kakashi when I hand your ass to you publicly.”
His eyes widened, and a short, disbelieving laugh escaped his lips. “Yeah, okay. Same for you then I guess.”
With the element of surprise now expended, Sakura felt the shift in the pace as Shisui took her challenge in earnest. She had to bounce back out of range of the sweeping kick that was trying to knock her off her feet.
She grabbed his shirt, partially to keep her balance but also to flip him over her shoulder; a move she’d successfully performed on Naruto many times.
However Shisui was not Naruto, and all she achieved was ripping a hole in his shirt and pulling them both prone.
“Has anyone told you that you fight like an angry racoon trapped in a trash bag when you’re mad?”
He deftly rolled to the side. A good call, considering Sakura’s fist punched through the ground of where he sat moments ago.
“Shannaro!”
In summary, Sakura’s training ‘date’ was a disaster. The training session was excellent - her back and shoulders were still sore the next morning, but her one-on-one quality time with Yuugao was a complete failure.
She spent maybe 10 minutes with her alone before Shisui ruined it with his preposterous peacocking and silly innuendos. She didn’t know how long she spent chasing him around the training ground trying to lay a good punch on him only for him to brush off most of the attempts like she was a toddler.
Each failure just made her angrier. He was too damned fast.
By the time she’d worn herself out of her rage, it was getting dark and she was breathing so hard it felt like her lungs were trying to crawl out of her windpipe. Although she was pleased to note that Shisui was also out of breath. The icing on the cake was seeing the beginnings of a truly impressive shiner on his right cheekbone.
She had healed it later, but they both knew she’d left her mark with a pretty impressive headbutt when he leaned in to taunt her. He didn’t do it again.
At some point, Kakashi had turned up and had started training with Yuugao and by the time they were done all of them just wanted to go home, eat, shower and sleep.
So logically, it was also Shisui’s fault when she was late for lunch the next day.
“Your cousin is an asshole.”
Sasuke looked up from the menu in his hands with customary scowling dark eyes. “Probably,” he agreed dismissively, turning his attention to the woman in front of him. “One miso soup, please.”
Sakura sidled into the booth, smiling at the waitress as she did so, “Hello - could I have the beef donburi please? Thank you!” The server nodded with beet-red cheeks, very pointedly not looking at Sasuke in that distinct way that indicated that it was the only thing she wanted to do, ever. She scribbled their order on her notepad before she scurried off with a chirpy “no problem!”
What was it about the Uchiha that did that to teenagers?
“Who?”
Sakura tried to shake her hair out of her face as she wriggled out of her jacket. “Who do you think? Freaking swift-step McGee with the obnoxious face and overly styled hair.” Once she was free, Sakura balled the coat as tightly as she could and punched it into submission between the crevices between the two of them.
Sasuke’s smirk was audible when he replied, “Izumi isn’t that bad.”
Sakura’s next punch ‘accidentally’ travelled past the coat onto Sasuke’s thigh; she felt a vindictive sort of pride seeing him falter when trying to hide his grimace of pain. “Shut up. First he’s stealing my last stash of Mochi at Ayame’s, then he’s getting me kicked out of my own training session with Tsunade, and now he’s stealing my dates!”
“Ah yes - the same cousin it always is,” Sasuke replied as he rubbed his thigh. “That doesn’t sound like Shisui. What did he do?”
“Well, he’s not actually stolen my date, but he keeps third wheeling them and it’s really annoying.”
“You've been on a date!?”
When Naruto arrived he brought his standard level of chaotic energy with him as he tripped over his own feet whilst getting into the booth opposite them. His blonde hair was more dishevelled than usual, with clumps of hair sticking at odd angles and other parts smooshed flat where he’d clearly been sleeping face first into a pillow.
If Sakura were a betting woman, she’d say that Naruto had been awake for 15 minutes at best.
“Nice of you to finally join us, sleeping beauty.” Sasuke snarked. The waitress returned to the table with a pot of tea and three cups, which Sakura took from her gratefully.
Naruto beamed at her, uncaring of the sleep still in his eyes and his inside out T-shirt.
“Do you want beef ramen by any chance?” The girl asked before Naruto could ask. He nodded. “I’ve already added it to your order.”
“You know me so well! Thanks”
“You order it every Thursday,” Sasuke pointed out, taking a cup of hot tea from Sakura.
“It’s still nice,” Naruto insisted, grabbing the cup from his fingers and taking a drink. Sakura quickly placed a new cup in front of Sasuke, eying his souring face and trying not to smirk too visibly. “Anyway,” Naruto continued, “Sakura you never mentioned you had a date!”
She faltered at being put on the spot under the scrutiny of her closest friends, “Ah well - it wasn’t really a date. Yuugao wanted to have a one-on-one training session before the rest of the team turned up.”
Once upon a time, the team consisted of her, Naruto, Sasuke and their captain, Tenzo. It was inevitable that they would go their separate ways.
Sasuke was training to join the military police as his father’s successor under the guidance of his brother, Itachi. Naruto was training under his father, the yellow flash (who also happened to be the Hokage), and had spent the later half of his teenage under the apprenticeship of Jiraiya, the Toad Sannin. Sakura had her apprenticeship with Tsunade. She was the first of the trio to be appointed to Jounin due to her status as a combat medic.
Despite all this, they remained a team throughout the years; it was only last year when Sakura initiated the process of requesting placement into ANBU that she was placed onto a team with Yuugao, Shisui and their captain, Kakashi Hatake, for the duration of her probationary period.
She hoped she could stay on the team together long term, despite her clashes with certain team members. They worked well as a team and they trusted each other.
“Wait,” Sasuke intoned. “You’re complaining that Shisui turned up to a training session - that he was invited to - with his own team?” She didn’t need to look at his face to catch the side-eye that was being thrown at her.
“He was early!”
Sasuke stared at her cooly over the brim of his cup, “What a crime.” Sakura decided that it must be an innate Uchiha trait to have such punchable faces. It was a good thing most of them were so ludicrously competent or they’d be wheeled around in full body casts.
“My dad is always saying that Shisui says you’re doing really well in the team,” Naruto added.
Sakura scowled, “I am doing really well in the team.”
Sasuke, sensing the opportunity to pile on, took on a haughty expression. “All you do is talk shit about him. Not once have I heard him do the same about you. He was singing your praises to my dad at last month’s clan dinner.”
“He should sing my praises. I’m a treat.”
Nartuo, placed a hand over hers across the table. “You are,” he agreed condescendingly over Sasuke’s loud scoff, “but maybe you’ve judged him without really giving him a chance.”
“Oh my god,” She said looking between Sasuke and Naruto, “is this lunch some sort of pro-Shisui intervention?”
Sasuke gave away nothing, his dark eyes impassive as ever. Naruto however cringed at her words. “I wouldn’t call it that,” he argued.
“I would. I’m sick of your bitching.”
“Shut up, Sasuke. All we’re saying is, maybe you can get more out of being on the team if you’re a little more friendly?”
Sakura had never been more grateful to see a waitress arrive. “Food’s here!”
She grabbed her bowl and stuffed a mouthful and prayed that by the time they had finished they would forget about the entire topic.
They didn’t.
It was a long lunch.
The exact sequence of events was hazy.
When it came down to it, she was outclassed.
It was the hottest day of the year so far; they were in the usual training ground that they used in between missions and she was sporting a split lip that she could not be bothered to heal. Instead she swallowed down enough water to quench her thirst without making her sick.
From her spot with her head between her legs, she could see Yuugao and Shisui running drills of ‘blind tracking’ which consisted of Shisui casting a genjutsu with the sole intention of trying to disorientate as much as possible, and Yuugao was trying to track him using her sensory abilities.
As for Sakura, well she was getting ample use of her medic skills, that much was clear. She wasn’t sure if she had pissed off Kakashi during their last mission because ever since he kept pairing them up and completely annihilating her for hours on end.
The positive was that her stamina was steadily building, and she'd learnt how to spot a substitution with a log a mile off.
“Ready for more, Haruno?”
Sakura groaned and pulled herself onto her feet. “Okay, what have I done?”
Kakashi, stood before her with his hands in his pockets, a picture of innocence. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, I’m grateful for your dedicated mentorship, but I’ve only trained with you for the past two weeks. What gives?”
At this, Kakashi shrugged and readied himself into a combat stance. “Maybe I just want to push you to develop.” He suggested with little sincerity as he gestured for her to prepare herself.
“That sounds nice,” Sakura agreed, feeling her temper get shorter the longer the sun blazed down on her sweaty forehead. “But I’m not going to get any better at healing my own broken bones at this point.”
He waited for her to strike, but she stared at him resolutely. He took her attention for a moment before he cocked his head inquisitively. “Do you remember what I told you about teammates when you joined my team?”
“Yes,” Sakura replied, puzzled. “Those who break the rules are scum, but those who abandon their friends are worse than scum. I haven’t abandoned anyone.”
“That’s true,” Kakashi replied, “technically, but I can’t help but notice a certain conflict within the team.” He gestured again for Sakura to steady herself. “Normally I wouldn’t comment, but when it starts to put my team in danger I cannot sit idle and let it happen.”
“I’m not putting Shisui or Yuugao at risk!” She hissed, affronted. “I would never-”
“I’m not talking about them,” Kakashi cut her off before she could really gather steam. “I’m talking about you. You are talented, but you constantly let your emotions get the better of you and it makes you sloppy. It might not be affecting missions now, but it’s just a matter of time.”
Sakura could acknowledge that she didn’t always handle competition, or her anger, well. In all honesty, her track record was pretty poor. In the heat of the moment she couldn’t see anything beyond the opponent that needed to be taken down.
It had led to some stupid decisions and embarrassing stories when she lost her cool. That being said, it had never really been flagged as something negative. If anything, it was probably one of the major factors in her success thus far. She’d never really considered that it might not always serve her.
Now that she thought about it - she had never tried to control it. She’s chalked it down to being someone who wasn’t afraid of her feelings.
“Sort out whatever the hell is going on with you three or I’ll bench you,” Kakashi said pleasantly.
He straightened himself, waving his arm in the air to draw the other’s attention and summoning them over
“Change of pace: Bell Test.”
Yuugao and Shisui groaned in unison, and Sakura tried to maintain her poker face after being told she might potentially fail her probation if she didn’t get her act together.
What the hell is the Bell Test?
Sakura’s muscles were screaming.
“Okay, who’s in favour of never doing that again?” Shisui asked the void.
“Aye,” Sakura warbled feebly from where she was laid out. The dappled shade of the forest canopy didn’t do much to hide that she was covered in sweat, struggling to catch her breath. “We didn’t even get the bells. How did we pass?”
Shuisui’s equally breathless laughter was a small consolation as he flopped down by her side. “He makes up the winning condition on a whim. Don’t question it.”
The skin around her knuckles was angry and hot due a mixture of broken skin and splinters. Three trees had been felled around her.
“Does he have you do that often?” Sakura asked, pushing her hair out of her eyes so she could wipe her face on her shirt.
“Every now and again,” Yuugao confirmed from her position on the other side of Sakura. “Usually when he’s trying to actually do the whole ‘coaching’ thing rather than telling us what to do and reading porn.”
Shisui sniggered.
Sakura knew there was a good chance that Kakashi was still listening in from somewhere in the trees, and presumably Shisui and Yuugao did too, so either there was an agreed understanding that it was okay to roast him to his face, or Yuugao has used her superior sensor abilities to make sure he wasn’t in earshot.
“That was fun. Using your chakra to enhance your strength and throwing trees at people is kind of an insane tactic to use in battle though.”
Sakura inspected her swollen fists as she replied, “I wasn’t using my chakra.”
A soft ‘holy shit’ echoed beside her. When she looked over she caught the tail-end of Shisui’s open mouthed gape. Was that a blush dusting those cheeks? It was hard to tell under the muted light of the forest.
“Cool. You could crush my spine with a friendly pat on the back. Noted.” His dark eyes briefly flickered over her body, pausing on her biceps.
Sakura rolled her eyes, too tired to take offence. “Yes, yes - let’s all point and laugh at the freaky muscle lady. Get in line.”
Yuugao smirked and shuffled onto her side, “I don’t think that’s what Shisui meant, was it?” She asked sweetly, one resting her head on her arm.
Shisui spluttered intelligibly, which was in all seriousness, the first time Sakura had seen him rattled. “I thought you were on Team Shisui!”
“I am,” Yuugao admitted, “That’s why I’m saying this now.” Sakura felt a pang of disappointment in her chest. Whatever her face was doing, it must have been clear to Yuugao who rolled her eyes and pushed at Sakura’s side. “For the record, I am also Team Sakura.”
Yuugao stared pointedly over Sakura’s shoulders. Sakura followed her gaze to Shisui’s profile, which was staring ahead willfully ignoring whatever Yuugao was trying to get out of him.
“I don’t understand what is going on,” Sakura admitted. Looking between them both.
Shisui covered his face with his hands and groaned. “Please not now, Yuugao,” He whined.
What the hell is happening here?
Sakura found herself being pulled into a sitting position by soft hands. “Sakura,” Yuugao said patiently, “I’ve been meaning to ask you for the past few weeks, but you keep getting distracted when we're together. Do you want to come to my wedding?”
“You’re engaged?”
“You didn’t know?” Shisui asked, sitting up next to her, looking as confused as Sakura felt.
Sakura stared up at her dumbfounded. Light filtered through the trees, creating a soft halo around her form. “For about two years,” Yuugao said. “You might know him, his name is Hayate.”
Isn't that the dude with the headscarf?
“Congratulations.” Sakura replied after a moment. “Wait, you knew?” Sakura turned to Shisui who was looking at her with a strange light in his eyes, clearly joining dots that she was not capable of connecting. “Then why have you been showboating all this time?”
He stared at her meaningfully for a beat longer. Sakura stared back.
If he wasn’t trying to get Yuugao’s attention then who - Oh.
Oh.
“I’m an idiot.”
Yuugao giggled, “Just a little.”
Sakura tried to gather her thoughts, but in an unusual turn of events she was running up empty. Shisui, in his defence, wasn’t looking like he was ready to run away, which Sakura knew would have been her choice if she were in his shoes.He was instead watching her - waiting for her to make the move, which was what gave her the confidence to respond.
“I think we’re due a do-over.” Sakura turned to face Shisui fully, holding hand in front of her.
“Hi, my name is Sakura; I’m terrible at first introductions, I’ve been known to be oblivious to romantic overtures and occasionally I can be a little too hot-headed in the heat of the moment…”
Shisui grinned and shook her hand, “I know. Wanna go for dinner tonight?”