—— Bloom Again ——

"Just treat me like a comma, and I'll take you to a new phrase."

———————————

"Ahhhh! Why can't I get it right?!" Naruto throw his hands up in frustration

"Maybe because you are a dobe," Sasuke sneers with a smug look on his face

"Hey! Teme, how dare you call me dobe!" Naruto snarls right back, his fist wanting to show Sasuke how he was feeling but he held back,daring the teme to go first. But before Sasuke could sneer right back, a stern voice interrupts.

"Both of you, enough with the name callings. If both of you wont stop this childish argument, I will leave this instance and you both will be on your own."

It was as always, predictably, Sakura.

Sakura stood in between both boys, scowling while her hands are folded infront of her. An annoyed look was plastered on her face.

Both boys were friends, yet wouldn't come close to even admiting it causing a huge drift between them during their regular training session that Sakura had suggested they do together since the graduation exam is coming real soon.

"Tch, I don't need both of you anyway." Sasuke rolled his eyes and sneered, getting ready to walk away as always.

Naruto silently glares deadly at Sasuke's back as Sasuke continues to walk. He would have complained but he didn't want Sasuke's presence ruining his quality time with Sakura anyway. For a moment no one talk,or move to reach out to Sasuke not even Sakura. Sakura was staring blankly at the air of space where Sasuke stood earlier bickering with Naruto. But before Sasuke was out of earshot,she spoke up.

"You know, Sasuke, for all the things that you were and for all the things I look up to you,"Sakura paused and turn to face the boy who had walk away from her too many times to count.

"I never thought you were a coward. Not until today." Sakura turn and glared at the Uchiwa fan that suddenly stop moving.

"Coward? How am I the coward?" Sasuke snark back

"You're running away from your friends. Again. It's the act of a coward who refuses to acknowledge the people who had been his friends." Sakura calmly replies,as she turns and face Sasuke.

"Friends?"Sasuke bitterly laughs, and continues, "I don't need them. What I need is power to be strong not some burden." Sasuke didn't notice how one pair of blue eyes were fill with anger and hurt.

"Why? So you could have your petty revenge and then what? Will you be happy?" Sakura counters, and raises her eyebrows

"I will be happy once I have avenge my clan. You will never understand this fact."

"Not only you're a coward,but you're a fool too. Only a fool would think that they would be happy once they avenge their clan by killing their remaining brother." Sakura states and the reaction from Sasuke was immediate.

"He's not my brother! My brother died a long time ago along with my parents. My brother died the day he decided to massacre the clan. My brother died the moment he spare me only for me to live and hate him!" Sasuke's eyes burn with anger and so much hatred,his hands balled up tightly as he remembers the horrible day.

On the other hand, Sakura swore for a moment it was as if Sasuke's sharingan was about to activate but the pair of onyx eyes stayed the same.

"Don't you see teme? Your brother spared you and is using you. He wants you to hate him. Or else why would he spare you?" Naruto suddenly spoke up shocking the pinkette

"I-I dont know what's the exact resson he spared me exactly,but I dont care. I need to avenge my clan! I will kill him and anyone who gets in my way,even you losers." Sasuke turn right back and continue his journey out of the training ground

Sakura had to cover her mouth before she gasps loudly at how similar the current Sasuke before her with the Sasuke in her dream. It was as if the one in the dream was currently this Sasuke's future. Sakura closes her eyes then.

"Sorry then, because these losers will never give up on you. I guess you'll have to try harder than insulting to get rid of us. We're here for you, Sasuke whether you want us or not." Sakura yells out, hoping the message will finally be drilled into the raven haired boy.

"Sakura-chan, y-you said we?"Naruto unsurely questions the pinkette after Sasuke was nowhere to be seen anymore.

Sakura turn to the blond boy and puts her hands on his shoulders.

"Yes, Naruto, we. You and me both. Now c'mon, we have to be strong to be able to stop Sasuke from being a fool. Let me teach you the proper way to do a shadow clone jutsu."

"Thank you, Sakura-chan." was the thought of one happy blond haired boy that day.

::

Weeks of training with Naruto had paid off and the day they were training for finally arrive.

"H-hey Sakura-chan, what if I did not pass?"

"Naruto, for the hundredth time, stop doubting yourself, you're Naruto Uzumaki!" Sakura assured the blond boy.

She knew he could definitely pass the exam especially since Iruka is not a biased person. Especially since Naruto had now pratically mastered the shadow clone jutsu and can summon up to 20 clones. To compare with her old Naruto, this Naruto had a faster progress however, her Naruto could produce even more clones. Sakura assume that the reason this Naruto is not able to do as many clones as her Naruto is because this Naruto just couldn't find the need to use them yet.

She wondered if it was in a dire situation, and Naruto had use his maximum capacity on making clones, would it be possible for Naruto to finally land a hit on her chunin self? Maybe one day she'll find out.

"Uzumaki Naruto, it's your turn!" Iruka's voice echoed throughout the academy's hall

"You're right Sakura-chan, thanks, I really need that!" Sakura watch her best friend rushes to pack and gave her a quick hug before running into the examination room. She shook her head in amusement and decided to continue to read on the anatomy of a human.

She didn't realise two pair of eyes-one onyx and the other a pupiless white were watching her.

::

"Sakura Haruno, congratulations,you are now officially a genin of Konohagakure no sato. Please come tommorow for your team assignment." Mizuki announce with a cheerful facade as Iruka passes her their village headband.

"May the will of fire burn brightly within you." Iruka proudly recites and Sakura's eyes blured with tears. She is so happy. She is finally a genin again. Team 7 is going to be back. Her family is going to be assign again.

Then, Sakura remembers something. Naruto did not pass the genin exam last time.

Sakura eagerly wipes away her tears and bowed down towards both senseis before muttering a "Thank you sensei!" and ran off to find the blond haired boy.

Everywhere she look at the academy, she couldn't find him. Her thoughts ran wild. Did he not pass? Did he pass and gain the attention of someone evil who wants to use him?
Did someone kidnap him in broad daylight? Was he- It was then when she saw Naruto sitting on the swings nearby the academy. She couldn't see his expressions but judging by his postures she assume it was bad news.

Just as she was about to approach the blond,someone else beat her to it. A shy heiress had wandered away from her usual spot to greet the blond boy. It was Hinata.

"N-Naruto-kun?" Greeted the shy heiress

"Ah, hi. What are you doing here?"

"I-I saw you l-look a little down. D-did you not p-pass?" The heiress asked shyly, concern for her crush's sake

"Oh, no actually I did pass. I just wanna suprise Sakura-chan, so if you see her don't tell her, okay? I want to make her proud of me!"Naruto excitedly exclaimed a little too loud

Sakura exasperatedly sigh, you can count on the number one prankster to make her worry over a suprise that wouldn't even be a suprise because he loudly exclaimed it to anyone who asks.

"Um, sorry about this, but I don't really know your name." Naruto frowns and scratches the back of his head. He knows she was his classmate, but they had never really talk before.

"Ah, n-no worries, N-naruto-kun!" Hinata shyly brushes away Naruto's apology,her cheeks dusted pink.

"M-my name's H-hinata." Hinata states softly as her fingers fidget with her dress

"Hinata? Hm, that's a good name!" Naruto announced making the heiress turn a dark shade of pink

"Eh, Hinata? Are you okay? You look really red!" Naruto stood up and approach the red heiress

Before Naruto could make the situation worse, Sakura chose to interrupt the moment.

"Naruto! What are you doing?" Sakura rushes to the red face heiress and start fanning the poor girl

"S-sakura-chan! I swear I didn't do anything to her."Naruto raises his hands in his defense trying to explain

"You better not," A new voice suddenly spoke up and both Sakura and Naruto look up only to meet two narrowed white irises who belong to none other than the Neji Hyuga.

"Neji!" Sakura greeted excitedly

"Sakura-chan,you know this guy?"Naruto tries to whisper while glaring at the white eyed boy in front of him

"Yeah, he spar with me once." Sakura replied

"I'm here for my cousin. So if you dont mind me,I'd like to have my cousin back before you idiots cause more trouble." Neji eyed the blond boy who was definitely way too close to Hinata for his liking and how fast his reactions were to his words

"Hey! The only idiot here is you!" As expected his reaction was immediate

"Naruto, come on, don't pick a fight with Neji-san. He's one year our senior. Besides, don't you want to go and celebrate for passing the exam? " Sakura pestered the blond and all traces of anger disappear from Naruto's face.

"Come on then, Sakura-chan I knew just the right place to celebrate!" Naruto gushes excitedly and ran off hoping that Sakura would follow him.

Sakura sigh exasperatedly and hands off Hinata to Neji carefully.

"You're a genin now."

"Yes I am. Why? Afraid I will beat you one day, Neji-kun?" Sakura teases loving how Neji's eyebrow twitch at the suffix she added to his name

"Hm, try as you might but your fate has already been determined. You'll never be able to beat me." Neji turn to leave with his hands on Hinata's shoulders supporting her weight.

"You seem to forget that I don't believe in that bullshit, Neji." Sakura turn hoping to see Neji's figure but all that was left was the wind blowing at where he was standing earlier.

"That pompous ass," Sakura muttered under her breathe and shook her head. She quickly make her way throughout the village. Afterall, she had one blond boy to find.

::

"Iruka-san! There's an emergency." A woman who Iruka recognises, gushes out, clearly concern. Iruka frowned.

"What seems to be the matter, Tsubaki-san? Where's Mizuki? I thought you'd be here with Mizuki at least."

"Iruka-san,cMizuki is a traitor!" Mizuki's fiance, Tsubaki blurted out and Iruka's eyes widen.

"What? What do you mean?"

"He's planning to steal the Scroll of Seals and present it to Orochimaru!" She confessed, tears were glistening and her hands shakes in tremor. Her fiance of two years was a traitor! And she had blindly ignore all the signs.

"What?! We need to inform the Hokage immediately!"

"Hurry Iruka-san, I tried to convince him not to do it, but I fail. It was at those times I wonder to who am I more loyal to. In the end, I decided to choose my village."

"Thank you for your honesty Tsubaki-san, now please report to the other chunins while I go report to the Hokage."

::

"You need not to worry over me,hime. I'm perfectly alright! But I do feel a little dizzy, maybe you can kiss me to make it feel better?" A man in his 40s grin, showing his pearly whites to the lady of his current attention.

He had just pretended to fall in front of her and it had finally caught her attention. Now all he needs to do is to charm her and maybe he will have a lovely company that evening.

"I wouldn't say that if I was you. My master is not that type of person." There was a whisper from a petite woman from the left but he ignore her. The only woman that is worthy of his attention is the one before him.

"Damn right I'm not. Now get loss before I send you out of this bar myself!" To add more threat into her words, she adds some chakra into her fist and slams them on a nearby table. The table spilt into half and bits of wood flew everywhere.

The man's eyes were wide and his jaw drop. He quickly gather his belongings and ran away. On the inside he swore he would come back to claim for the beauty. She is strong and beautiful. What more could he ask in a woman? Little did he know that the woman he was aiming for was definitely far from an ordinary kunoichi.

The woman huffed at how fast the man had ran away. She threw some gold coins to the bar keeper to repay for the damage she had done and walk out of the bar, her apprentice in tow.

"Wait,is that-" Her apprentice mutters as she stop and stare at the sky. A black crow flew in circles before landing onto her master's shoulder.

"A letter from Konoha? What's it doing here?" Her apprentice questions curiously seeing the Konoha elbem at the back of letter, watching her master's expression as she read for any clue and to her suprise there was shock and a serious look.

The apprentice move to get a good view of the letter herself. In black bold letters there was

Come back to Konoha and find me. I need you. Code Purple.

with a pink cherry blossom stamp at the bottom.

"What does this mean?"

"I guess it's time to go back home."

"What? Tsunade-sama,are you sure?"

"Don't doubt my decision,Shizune."

"Tsunade-sama you said that for all the bets you've lose."

"This isnt a bet. I know that for sure."

"But what about your phobia of treating...?"

"I think it's time to come out of my shell, Shizune."

-To be continued-
I wonder who could it possibly be that send that letter to Tsunade. Hehe,maybe its Orochimaru afterall XD

So does anybody have any possible theories on

A) what does Tsunade have anything to do with anything

and

B) Why she chose to return after only reading one letter?

So I've been reading some of the comments and I'm sincerly touched to see that lots of you are excited for the next part. Thank you for supporting this book. I hope you guys will continue to support my book.