(A/N: This chapter contains a very brief mention of suicide. You have been warned.)

*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･'(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)'･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*

One step forward, two steps back.

*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･'(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)'･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*

Going through her parents old belongs takes a toll on Sakura's mental health, but she doesn't mention this to her teammates, sensei, or outside friends. She also brushes aside the concerned looks and questions, faking a smile so they would back off. She really hates herself sometimes. Ino has come over twice since being back, but even she knows when to not push Sakura.

"We are worried," Ino tells her. "But I know you don't want to talk about it. We're here if you want to talk or if you need a shoulder. You know this, right?"

"Of course," Sakura replies out loud while opening another box of scrolls. "You guys care too much, it seems. I don't know what to do with that sometimes." But no one is here with her now. Sakura rubs at her eyes. It's nearing midnight and she's hardly made a dent in the boxes.

There's a knock on the door. "Sakura, are you still in here?" She expects it to be the Lord Fourth, but then familiar red hair makes an appearance when the door opens all the way. Worried violet eyes meet Sakura's own tired green. "Sweetie, it's almost midnight. Why are you still here?"

"Kushina-san," Sakura acknowledges quietly. "I have too much to get through before I can stop. The next D-Rank mission myself and my teammates go on won't be until 2 PM tomorrow." She looks down. "We're dog sitting. I can sleep in or something. I'm okay. I promise."

Kushina steps in fully, frowning as she does. "Sakura-chan, I'm dragging my overworked husband home right now. I'm sure he will understand that you can't get much more done tonight. Working yourself to exhaustion won't benefit you in any way. You know this, sweetie." The woman walks forward and, in a slow motion - as if to let Sakura back away if she wanted too - with narrowed eyes, she taps the area under Sakura's eyes. "You're developing eyebags. You're too young to be developing eyebags."

"I have a hard time sleeping sometimes, Kushina-san. I'm working on it."

"Honey, I'm ready - Sakura, why in the world are you still here?"

Sakura closes her eyes when Naruto's dad shows up. "Good evening, Lord Fourth. I'm sorting through my parents' belongs like I've been told to."

Minato holds up his hand. "One, it's Minato-san when I'm off duty. You know this. Two, this is silly. You're not obligated to get this done in the first week. I gave you a month to get through everything. You shouldn't even be here right now. Goodness, you look exhausted. You're not sleeping well, are you?"

"I'm working on it," Sakura repeats her earlier statement. "And I'm going to start counseling soon." Even though 'soon' isn't really soon. That seemed to put both adults at ease. "It's something that I've decided to do recently."

"May I ask what caused you to take the step?"

Sakura shrugs as she starts packing up. "A conversation here and there, Minato-san. I know you guys worry so much so I want to ease those worries."

That, apparently, is the wrong thing to say.

"Sakura, you need to seek help because you want too. You're not obligated to do so, it's only a suggestion because you came back really hurt and what happened is not something easily forgotten, but I wouldn't order an evaluation." The 'even if I wanted too' goes unsaid.

"I know, sir, but if I don't then everyone remains worried. I'm not foolish. I know what I look like when I see them."

Minato sighs. "So, I've been informed that the teams are gathering for a friendly spar? Do you look forward to that?" It's a change of subject Sakura greatly appreciates.

"Very much, sir." Sakura starts placing boxes on the shelves to be sealed in place until a more suitable time. "I'm sure Sasuke and Naruto are looking forward to it as well."

Kushina giggles. "Honestly."

*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･'(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)'･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*

Being the only girls among the large group, Hinata and Tenten take too Sakura and Ino like flies to honey. The boys - mainly Kiba and Naruto and Neji and Sasuke - size each other up. A boy clad in a green jumpsuit marches right up to Sakura and grabs her hand.

"May I have the name of such a beautiful girl?"

Sakura blinks twice. "My name is Haruno Sakura. Who are you?"

"Honestly!" Tenten forces the boy to let go of Sakura's hand, shoving him away in the process. "Stop being creepy. Sakura, this is Lee. Lee, this is Sakura."

"Pleased to meet you, Flower."

Sakura freezes. "Lee-san, please don't call me 'Flower.' Sakura or Sakura-san is just fine."

Lee must have seen something in her eyes because he bows and apologizes immediately. "I'm so sorry, Sakura-san. Please, forgive me!"

"It's alright. And thank you," she smiles a little, "for understanding."

He salutes her. "Of course, Sakura-san!"

"Alright, alright!" Kakashi steps forward, clapping his hands. "That's enough mingling amongst you all. We're going to split you into pairs and take turns sparring. We have the whole day to do this."

A pretty woman, who earlier introduced herself as "Yuhi Kurenai," steps forward and smiles kindly at all of them. "You'll be observing each other, noting strengths and weaknesses, and whatnot. We'll discuss these spars at the end. There will be a sort of point system. Since the group is rather big and we don't actually want to be here all day; the first to 20 hits wins. That, or you have 30 to 40 minutes."

"Critiquing," Shikamaru confirms. "Sounds troublesome."

Sakura and Ino share an amused look.

"Shikamaru will be with Tenten," Asuma throws out, grinning around the cigarette hanging unlite from his lips. "Maybe she'll get you to move more."

"Wonderful pairing!" Gai boosts. "Lee will pair with Shino!"

"Yosh!" Lee raises his fist in excitement.

"Kiba will pair with Naruto." Kakashi plops his hand down on Naruto's head. "Try not to kill each other, please." Naruto and Kiba share a vicious grin. Kiba's dog, Akamaru, barks happily.

"Hinata will be paired with Sasuke."

Sakura feels Hinata shrinks behind her and reaches for her hand. "It'll be alright. Go all out on him and he'll return the favor. Try your best." Hinata nods slowly.

"Ino will be paired with Neji."

"Sweet," Ino mumbles. "He's hot."

Sakura rolls her eyes. "Don't get distracted, Ino."

"Of course not," Ino grins. "Hot or not, I'm gonna' kick his ass."

Asuma steps forward. "Which leaves Sakura with Choji. You know your partner now. Go seat with them."

*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･'(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)'･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*

It's a unanimous, yet unspoken, agreement that the afternoon was fruitful and - dare he says it - fun. Hyuga Hinata requires a rigorous training regimen, but Sasuke can see a lot of potential in her fighting style; something that is unique from the traditional Hyuga fighting style. He feels the burning stare of her cousin on his back but ignores it. He knows what it means to be overprotective.

Naruto's fight with Kiba was a good laugh. The two of them took the fight seriously, but their banter made it difficult for practically anyone to take either of them seriously. Sasuke rolls his eyes. Both are nursing several bruises, but are sharing a good laugh over it. The white puppy is even sitting on Naruto's lap.

Ino's fight with Neji really surprised everyone, but not necessarily in a bad way. While the Hyuga clearly has better agility, Ino wasn't a top student for nothing. She gave as good as she got, landing minor blows on Neji, but ultimately succumbed when she attempted to use her clan's jutsu on the boy. Even so, she laughs good-naturedly when she wakes up and thanks Neji for being a good sparring partner.

True to his word, Asuma was right about Tenten getting Shikamaru to move. As in, run for his life because Tenten is a maniac. As in, she throws weapons as well as she breathes and Shikamaru gets hit. He loses within half of the time period given. Everyone laughs.

Shino's and Lee's spar is hilarious. Far funnier than Shikamaru's and Tenten's. Lee is fast, Sasuke notes quickly, a clear taijutsu master. Taijutsu and only taijutsu. That seems to be his specialty. But, ultimately, Lee loses. Who knew the boy could be so afraid of bugs crawling all over his body. Sasuke suppresses a shiver. He wouldn't handle that well either. Either way, Lee accepts his defeat gracefully and assured Shino that their next spar will be better.

The fight between Sakura and Choji is great fun. Sasuke should be more self-aware and not doubt the plump boy's speed. He really is impressive and, judging by how Sakura reacted, he's a good fight. She wins in the end. Getting 20 hits in and knocking him out cold with the last one. Of course, Sakura being Sakura, she waits for him to wake up before thanking him for a good spar.

There are promises to meet up regularly after that.

*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･'(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)'･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*

Sakura enjoys her tea quietly. It's been a peaceful morning so far. The sky is empty save for a few birds here and there and she's expecting company later. Under Ino's gentle pressure and Tenten's strong encouragement, Sakura will be hosting "Girls Day." Something that has the boys scoff and their senseis smile as if someone told a joke.

There's tea brewing on the stove, cookies baking in the oven, and a select few board games on the table off to the side. Ino mentioned playing War at some point since there's a better chance of her winning with another person. Her home is cleaned, there are fresh flowers in a vase on the table, and not a single crocked picture frame.

Her front door opens. "Sakura-chan, we're here!" Trust Ino to always feel welcomed in her home. Sakura smiles a little and gets up to greet her friends.

"Welcome," she says as she walks into the living room. "I'm in the process of making tea - "

"And cookies," Tenten inhales deeply. "Chocolate-chip~"

Sakura laughs a little. "They're almost done. Please, make yourselves comfortable."

"Thank you for having us," Hinata replies in her soft, sweet voice. "It's been tiresome at my home so this is a much-needed break." They smile at each other. Sakura has full intentions of forming a strong friendship with these two girls. Strength in numbers and whatnot.

The teapot whistles. "I'll be right back."

"I've never seen a home so clean," she hears Tenten say. "How does she manage?"

"She's a neat freak," Ino answers. "Everything has a place except dust and dirt."

"This takes dedication."

"I like it," Hinata says. "It's homey. Well lived in. Well-loved."

Sakura can't help but smile at that comment. She does try very hard to keep things up and going around her property. Especially if only to keep the memory of her parents going. The tea is ready, the teacups already out and waiting, and the cookies look ready as well. She spends a moment setting everything up before bringing a tray to the table. Ino is in the seat next to her, Hinata across from her, and Tenten at the diagonal.

"Is this white tea?" Hinata asks.

"It is."

"My goodness."

Tenten blinks. "What's wrong with it?" She picks up her cup, gentle blows on the liquid, and takes a sip. "It tastes fine to me."

"White tea is among one of the most luxurious teas in existence," Ino states. "Normally served among high leveled politicians."

"Then why are we drinking it?!" Tenten quickly places her cup down.

"I grow it in my garden," Sakura states calmly. "It's a specialty among my clan. Although, I would appreciate it if you would keep this to yourselves. I don't particularly want to face a possible demand for it." She picks up a cookie. "Next time, we'll have black tea. I don't actually grow that in my garden."

Hinata giggles quietly. "Your secret is safe with us."

"Thank you."

*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･'(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)'･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*

Tenten was hanging over Ino, both laughing carefree. Hinata's red face is covered by her hands, but even her shoulders shake with the hilarity connected to the situation. Sakura has her eyes covered, but she's smiling. Their conversations have jumped topics for hours. They've moved to the living room, choosing not to play a board game and started discussing their teams.

"A-And," Tenten manages, "Lee got so confused, but still said N-Neji had the most beautiful arms he's ever seen! Neji w-was so red, he actually skipped out on training that day. He never does that. Gai-sensei was as confused as Lee. They b-both were concerned when I couldn't stop laughing."

"I remember that. Father, Uncle, and I were sitting outside when he came home. We could never figure out what embarrassed him so much."

Ino sucks in a deep breath. "I won't lie, Hinata. Your cousin is very, very pretty. Like, extremely so. His hair is very, very pretty. He takes great care of it. Anyone can tell."

"Be careful what you say to him," Hinata calms down. "He doesn't like being called pretty."

"Oh, I'll be careful." Ino waves her off. "I mean, he could always cut his hair."

"No!" Tenten waves her hands dramatically. "Don't even suggest that. It's too pretty. The prettiest. I would probably cry if he did." She slumps against the couch. "You know, you have a pretty teammate, Sakura. The Uchiha boy. He's really pretty. All dark hair and dark eyes. He's quite the looker." She's leering. "Any interest?"

Sakura blinks, confused. "Interest?"

"You know..in dating?"

"Sakura and Sasuke? Good luck." Ino laughs. "Although, Uchiha children with pink hair sounds appealing."

Shaking her head, Sakura smiles a little. "Sasuke and I have a strong bond, Tenten, but we aren't like that. I can't speak for him, only for myself. I'm not interested in relationships right now. I only want to advance in my career and protect those important to me. That's it. Romance and other related things can wait. And they will. For a long time."

"It's good to have priorities, Sakura." Hinata idly picks at a loose string on her hoodie. "I wish my family would allow me to focus more on my chosen career as opposed to troublesome things like marriage."

"Goodness, you sound like Shikamaru." Ino sobers up quickly. "But I honestly don't get why they're pushing for a marriage contract so soon."

"Because they deem me as a failure. My younger sister can beat me in a spar and I have difficulty mastering many of my clan's signature jutsu'."

Sakura looks at her hands. "That's because your family doesn't take your training seriously. Instead of encouraging you if you fail, they look down on you. It's not right. A family shouldn't be treating a member - their heiress - that way. It's disgraceful. I would expect more from a noble clan."

"I'm really trying too," Hinata states. Her eyes glisten with unfallen tears. "Nii-san helps when he can, but our schedules are different and I don't want to take time away from him. The first time someone outside of my family took me seriously was Sasuke-san. Even Kiba and Shino hold back during spars."

"Then we start training together. Outside of our teams." Sakura crosses her arms over her chest. "I think we can learn and grow together. Bonds are important."

"Oh, Girls Day can become that. Training together could be fun."

"Do you mean it?" Hinata looks hopeful.

Sakura smiles kindly. "Absolutely."

"You're too kind, Sakura."

*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･'(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)'･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*

Kakashi silently observes his student. Each of them lost in their own thoughts. Today's D-Rank missions consisted chasing after a group of bunnies that belong to the pet store in the civilian distract and babysitting the children of a visiting politician. Both missions were uneventful. Boring, frankly. They left the four of them sluggish and annoyed.

"Alright!" He claps his hands. "Let's play a game."

Naruto yawns. "What game, sensei?" He's leaning on Sasuke's shoulder, eyes barely open to indicate his sleepiness. "Does it involve moving? I don't want to move."

"Afraid so, Naruto-chan~" Kakashi claps his hands again. "Up, up." When no one moves right away, his visible eyebrow twitches. "Or I can make you get up. Remember, you're stuck with me today for as long as I deem it. I could go find us several more D-Rank missions?"

Sakura sighs, shifting from her position next to Sasuke. "Yes, sensei. Of course, sensei." She gets up, smiling a bit at her boys when they both groan. "Up, guys. I don't want to chase after more animals today."

Rather, Kakashi thinks, they'll be chasing you.

"We're going to play tag."

"Tag?" Sasuke asks, frowning as he gets up. "Why are we going to play tag?"

"Agility training," Kakashi replies easily. "I want to see how fast and how long you guys last against your opponents."

Naruto yawns. "Opponents?"

Kakashi pulls out a scroll, opens it to reveal a summoning seal, and lays it on the ground. As he performs the hand signs to summon his ninken, he stares up at his students. One eyebrow raised when the familiar poof of white smoke appears.

"Hey, boss."

"My cute little students, meet your opponents for the game. This one is Pakkun," he points to the pug, "and these are Urushi, Bull, Shiba, Bisuke, Akino, Uhei, and Guruko. Guys, these are my adorable little students. Uchiha Sasuke, Namikaze Naruto, and Haruno Sakura. We're going to play tag today." He sees Pakkun sigh and rolls his eyes. "It's their job to avoid all of you at any cost for as long as they can. There is no time limit for now. If I think we've gone on long enough and not all - or none - of them are caught, then I'll stop the game."

Sasuke snorts. "This is sadistic."

"It's training," Kakashi corrects, sniffing hotly.

"So, we just chase these brat pups around until we catch them?" Pakkun asks. Naruto's yell of "Hey!" brings a smile to Kakashi's face. No one can see it though.

He nods. "That's the plan."

"Alright. Get in formation, guys." The dogs line up in front of Kakashi and wait for the order.

"Are my students ready?" He sees them tense. "Alright. On your mark," he sees Sakura brace herself for a leap, "get set," Sasuke tenses, "Go!" Naruto leaps ahead of them, taking for the trees. His students split up, something he wasn't entirely expecting, causing his dogs to split up.

Pakkun and Bull chase after Sakura. Shiba and Urushi chase after Sasuke and Naruto, unfortunately, gets the remaining three after himself.

"I'll give them an hour before they're caught." If they last longer than that, I'll be impressed.

*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･'(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)'･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*

Sasuke dives behind a wall and watches, breathing as controlled as he can get it, as the two dogs after him race by it. He can feel the sweat running down his back. It's a particularly hot day and to be running as he is, Sasuke shakes his head. There's no time to lose focus. Those dogs will find him soon enough.

Unless they're toying with him.

"Why is my darling little cousin hiding?"

It takes everything in Sasuke not to jump. "Go away, Shisui. I'm playing one of my sensei's sadistic games." But inside of leaving like he had hoped, Shisui just casually throws an arm around his shoulders and ruffles up his hair just for the hell of it.

"One of senpai's games? Let me guess...you're being chased by his dogs?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Sasuke tries to shrug off his arm. "Did you have him as a team leader or whatever?"

"Certainly." Shisui grins. "Senpai usually takes the role of team leader on missions. Whenever we have downtime during a mission, he would summon his dogs and have them chase us for his own amusement. He's kind of an asshole, really, but he stopped after a while. You really lucked out, kiddo."

"How?"

Shisui's grin morphs into a smirk. "Be glad it's not raining." He flares his chakra brightly. "And you better run."

"I'm telling nii-san," Sasuke growls as he leaps out from behind the wall as soon as the howls are heard.

*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･'(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)'･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*

Naruto pants heavily bent over his knees. "Damn, Kakashi-sensei." His hair is greasy from sweat. He ditched the top part of his orange outfit half an hour ago to confuse the dogs. They bought it, briefly, before giving chase once again. Naruto is currently on top of the Hokage building.

"Naruto, what in the world are you doing?"

He snaps right up. "Dad! Hi!" Naruto scratches the back of his head. "Um, Kakashi-sensei is having us play a game with his dogs."

His father's face twists in confusion before settling. A quirked eyebrow followed by an amused smile is sent his way. "Are you playing tag?"

Naruto snorts. "It's hardly tag, dad! Those dogs are crazy. Hell, Kakashi-sensei is crazy!" He tries not to twitch at the stern look for his 'inappropriate language.' "Sorry, dad. I've been running for forever. Those dogs don't know when to give up!"

"You seem tired," his dad comments. "You can hide in my office for a bit. I have a meeting in a couple of hours, but you're welcomed inside. The AC is working too."

"Really?"

"Yes, son. Really."

Instead of throwing himself at his dad, Naruto grabs his hand and starts dragging him towards the side of the building where they can hop through the window into cool air and calmness. Gosh, he wants to take a nap. "Man, I'm tired. Today was so boring. Babysitting is boring, dad. And chasing bunnies. How much longer do we have to do this?"

"Another week and a half," comes the cool reply. "And then I might send you on another mission outside of Konoha. A quick one. Barely two days. We'll see. Whose supposed to be writing up the mission reports today?"

"Sakura-chan!"Naruto doesn't see his father glance where the two dogs are hiding.

He smiles in their direction. Even the dogs of his former student know better than to disrupt his office. Besides, it's not cheating. He's simply providing a resource - his office - until further notice. Naruto may not be aware of it, but Kakashi will figure it out soon enough.

*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･'(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)'･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*

When she made it to a safe distance, Sakura climbed one the large trees of another training ground. She easily maneuvers between thick branches and fluffy leaves. The trees help her as well, weaving together to make it nearly impossible for the dogs to find her, to follow after her.

"Kakashi-sensei can be cruel, can't he?" She says to a group of leaves to her left as if they can reply. "It's really hot today and we had to chase after bunnies and babysit. It's rather boring. I can't wait for these missions to be over." The branch above her rests gently on top of her head. "Thanks." Sakura laughs a little.

She settles against the base of the tree comfortably. "Looks like I'm taking a nap. Don't let them get me, please."

*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･'(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)'･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*

When his dogs come back empty-pawed (because saying empty-handed would just be silly), Kakashi is surprised. He silently expects Naruto to be among them and Sasuke soon after. Sakura, he assumed, would have the best of luck because of her ability to adjust to nearly any given situation.

"What happened?" It's been a little over an hour. "How did you lose them?"

Urushi flops down in front of him, rolling to his back. Kakashi crouches and scratches his stomach. "We chased the Uchiha pup to the civilian market and he made use of a spice cart." He turns away, groaning in the only way a dog can. "Chili powder is torture. I can't smell anything properly. He took off after that. We tried to keep him in sight but he disappeared among the civilians. It was a busy day in the market."

Akino huffs. "Your former master let his pup into his office to hide."

Kakashi shakes his head. "That's cheating."

"Tell me about it." Akino pushes against his hand. Kakashi complies with a head ruffle.

"And Sakura?"

Pakkun steps forward, scowling in frustration. "She climbed a tree. The further she climbed up it, the more difficult it was to follow her. It was like the tree was helping her out. Eventually, we just couldn't get to her. She was completely covered by leaves and branches. I think she fell asleep by the way."

Interesting.

"Looks like you guys failed."

"How will they know about the game being over?"

"When they decide to come find me," Kakashi replies, shrugging. "For now," he reaches into his pouch. "I have treats for you all."

"You're a good master, boss."

*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･'(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)'･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*

The kids do end up meeting up with him a few hours later, each refreshed from either a nap or cool down. They apologize to the dogs, Sakura even laughing when they're dog piled and declared losers. It's said in a joking manner. Even Sasuke laughs a little despite getting dog slobber on his face.

All in good fun, the kids pet the dogs and enjoy their time together.

"Sakura-chan?" Kakashi calls out when the kids gather to leave. "A bit of your time, please?"

"I'll meet you two at the ramen stand, okay?" Naruto grins and nods. Sasuke looks unsure, looking back and forth between his teammate and sensei. He nods slowly when Sakura bumps his shoulder comfortably. "It'll be okay. I'll be headed there in no time."

"Let's take a small walk," Kakashi offers. "Just a lap around the clearing."

"What is it that you wanted to talk about, sensei?" Sakura runs a hand through her long hair. "Was my performance displeasing today?"

Kakashi shakes his head. "On the contrary, you're rather clever. Though, Sasuke and Naruto were very clever today as well. Chili powder and hiding in the Hokage's office, I'm a little impressed. Even if one of them cheated."

"Sensei, you're delaying." She's not offended, but her curiosity is building.

"Are you seeing a therapist?"

Sakura freezes, looking up at him with wide eyes. "I spoke to Inoichi-san on my birthday, sensei."

"And you've only spoken about it once?" He carefully reaches towards her face, action slow and deliberate, and taps the delicate skin on her left eye. "It's purple here. You're not getting nearly as much sleep as you should be. This can be the result of many things, but it's rather clear you're attempting to simply push the situation during Wave away."

Her fists clench, but the black material of her gloves keep her nails from biting into her palm. "Sensei, I don't want to focus on it. It only causes unnecessary derailment towards my goal of being a good shinobi and a good teammate."

"You can't possibly be either when you're not taking care of yourself, Sakura."

He feels a little bad when she flinches.

"I don't want to waste time with someone who will only make me speak about things I'd rather forget."

"Therapists can't force you to do anything you don't want to, Sakura. If you walk in and refuse to speak, then you refuse to speak. A therapist is specially trained to handle situations with or without talking. Making the effort to go, even if you don't speak, isn't wasting your time either. Or theirs. You may see it that way, but that's not the case."

"It's hard. I can't bring myself to speak to Ino or the boys about it. I've known Sasuke's brother for years, and I trust him a lot, but I can't even speak to him about it."

Kakashi plops his hand down of her head, sort of burying his fingers into her pink hair. "It's easy for some and difficult for others."

"Okay, sensei. I will seek someone out." He narrows his eyes at her defeated reply.

"If that is the case, may I refer you to someone?"

"You know someone, sensei?"

He pulls her closer and pats her head, they start walking again. "Of course, Sakura-chan. He was, after all, my therapist at one point."

*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･'(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)'･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*

His name is Shirunai Genma and he's a former member of the Hokage's elite guard, now a therapist. Usually to veterans, but Kakashi states that he's a good friend and a good listener. He also states that Genma is easy going and never pushes. He knows the possible issues any shinobi can face.

Sakura takes one look at him and finds herself calm in his presence.

"You're Kakashi's kid?" She almost corrects him on instinct but calms herself when she recognizes the playful glint in his eyes and the way he casual chews on one end of a large senbon needle.

"Good afternoon, Shirunai-san. My name is Haruno Sakura and yes, I am one of Kakashi-sensei's student." She bows formally.

Genma waves away her formalities. "Take a seat, kiddo, and let me find your file real quick. And relax. I'm not for overly stiff formalities and I certainly don't want to be called Shirunai-san. Genma or Genma-san is fine." He shuffles through some folders on his desk before thrusting one into the air. "Found it." It's a thick folder.

Sakura suspects that a lot of her life is in that folder, not just relating to the Wave mission.

"Let's get started with the basics, kiddo. As you know, my name is Shirunai Genma. I used to work directly with the current Hokage but quit that about a decade ago. I wandered in-between tasks a non-active duty shinobi can take and decided to stick with this. Let's see, I'm 29 years ago and I'm not married. Is that enough to break the ice?"

She smiles a little. "Yes, Genma-san."

"Great. Now, tell me about yourself. Whatever you're comfortable with."

She bites her bottom lip briefly. "I graduated the Academy at the age of eight, I have a love for gardening, I like eating dango, and I read a lot."

"Good, good. I got your file here, but before I look into it, I want you to tell me why you want to be here."

"If I don't start working on my problems now, I won't become a good shinobi and I will become an unfit member of my team. This is necessary."

He stares at her before shrugging. "Good enough for me, kiddo. We'll look deeper into that as we start meeting regularly." She frowns but makes no comment. "Anyway, let's get through the important nitty gritty bits first." Sakura shifts at his serious look. "First and foremost, whatever is said in this room between you and me, whether it's good or bad, or even just about your day, stays in this room. That only changes if you give me written permission to discuss this outside of this room. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Genma-san."

"Good. Next, you are free to discuss previous or current suicidal thoughts. As I just mentioned, nothing leaves this room unless you give me permission. Discussing suicide does not make me red flag you. I'll listen to everything you say, I will make suggestions, and we'll move on. We're still clear?"

She nods.

"Third, you are not required to show up for our meetings. You have to make the conscious decision to come or not. Either way, someone is still paying for the time. I would suggest coming to our meetings even if only to discuss your day. You are also not required to stay for the full meeting. If you happen to be assigned a mission, a small heads up would be appreciated."

Sakura exhales quietly.

"As is the case with previous charges, you're not required to speak during our meetings. I can talk a lot and fill the silence like a personal mission of my mine. If you walk through that door and say you don't want to talk and decide to take a nap on the couch, that's fine with me. If you want to read a book instead, that's fine with me. If you don't want to talk and you don't want me to talk, that's fine too. Trust me, kiddo. We all have shit days and sometimes we just want silence."

How many times did Kakashi-sensei just show up and say nothing? The question is on the tip of her tongue, but she holds back.

"Finally, you're allowed to get angry and throw shit." Sakura blinks. "Sounds strange? Well, kiddo, it happens. Getting angry at yourself for the 'what ifs' and 'what should have beens' happens a lot when the talking gets deep. Getting mad at other people is justified. In other words, react naturally. If you get mad and want to throw shit, get mad and throw shit. I'd rather you do it in a controlled environment than disrupting the peace. If you break down, well," he lifts a box of tissues off his desk and shakes them, "these are here for a reason. If you want to stop talking, we'll stop talking."

"You're incredibly casual about this, Genma-san."

He grins. "Some people just need a place to vent and fuck shit up, kiddo. I provide the place."

Sakura finds herself returning the smile despite his crude words. "Do you pay to repair the damages?"

"Hell no, kid. I let others fix that. Now, let's create a schedule."

She thinks things will start looking up now.

*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･'(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)'･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*

"I like him," Sakura tells Kakashi a few days later. "He doesn't push and he's working with my schedule. He's also a little odd and likes to curse, but I like that he doesn't care what others think of him. Thank you for referring him to me, sensei."

Kakashi's visible eye crinkles indicating his smile. "I'm glad, Sakura-chan. Genma is an oddball, but people generally like him rather quickly. He's easy going and suited for the job. A lot of people didn't expect him to be so good at it, but, in times of war, everyone picks up new skills."

"Do you know why he retired from active duty, Kakashi-sensei?"

"Yes, but it's not my place to say. Build up some trust before asking him personal questions. It may not seem fair currently, but you never know. Our village is very odd and many unseen things can happen." There's something secretive about his word selection, but Sakura doesn't call him out on it.

"Can I - I mean - May I ask how long you saw him before...stopping?"

"You may," Kakashi pulls out his signature orange book. "On and off for three years. You need to keep in mind that I'm active duty. Even as your sensei, I'm active duty. If I received orders right now to leave on a mission, I would have just enough time to find you a suitable substitute before I left."

"I see," Sakura replies slowly.

Kakashi reaches out and pats her head. "You'll be okay, Sakura-chan. Now, what sort of schedule do you have set up? I need to know so we can work out a training schedule since the mandatory D-Rank missions are coming to an end."

"Oh," Sakura looks over to where Naruto and Sasuke are arguing over where to eat lunch. "Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. 8 PM to 10 PM."

"That late in the evening?"

She nods. "Training with the girls - Ino, Hinata, and Tenten - in the morning until we meet up, training and, or, missions with the team, personal reflection and training for myself, and the time in-between before starting my sessions."

"When do you start?"

"This Friday."

Flipping a page in his book, Kakashi nods. Satisfied. "That's good, Sakura-chan. Do the boys know?"

"They will find out today. They've been worried. Everyone has been - "

When Ino bursts into the clearing, startling Naruto and Sasuke to the point of tripping over themselves, and heads directly for Sakura. She bends over her knees, gasping for breath. "S-Sakura. Sakura, you need to get - " She inhales deeply. "Sakura, your compound is on fire!"

Sakura's heart stops for a moment.

*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･'(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)'･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*

6089 Words