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It’s bittersweet, that’s the only way Sakura knows how to describe it. It’s been a year since the invasion during the last chunin exams, a year since Sasuke left in search of Orochimaru and power, a year since Naruto left with Jiraya-sama, a year since she asked Tsunade-sama to train her. A year since they’d been team 7. She barely saw her sensei around either, it was bittersweet, that’s how she felt every day. When she saw the rest of the konoha 11 , or what was left, with their jounin sensei, still training as a team. Even Shikamaru still trained with his team and Asuma sensei despite being a chunin already. She supposes she can’t really train with her team … if her team wasn’t around. Kakashi sensei was often out of the village, team 7 had after all been disbanded in all but formality. Without a genin team, her sensei was back on back to back S ranking missions. She saw him every now and then, and she knows he tried but she was busy at the hospital and training under Tsunade and her sensei was out of the village more than he was in. It was bittersweet and lonely, it was the best way she could describe it. No one understood the team 7 bond like she did. After all, they’d been a dysfunctional family, but still a family. Team 7 … the time as team 7 had been the happiest time of Sakura’s life, even with all the setbacks and trouble that her team and sensei seemed to be a magnet for. She didn’t truly understand hardship, at least back then. She’d been from a happy civilian family, she’d been a bit ostracised but it was nothing in the face of the boys and her sensei. They’d been messy and annoying and chaotic but a family nonetheless. No one understood that. After all, no one knew Uchiha Sasuke beyond his deflection and Uzumaki Naruto behind his loudness. No one knew Hatake Kakashi behind his uncaring front. She did, and there was no way to explain that to anyone. After all, her boys were gone and her sensei was busy. So was she, but still, she looks at the framed picture and sighs softly. She wonders how they all were. The boys were no doubt growing at enormous, unfair rates, her sensei probably as strong as ever. She was making it too, she was getting stronger after all. She had to, after everything she’d lacked and done, all the weight she’d thrown at others, she had to be stronger, had to be better. She’d bring Sasuke back and make it up to Naruto, even if she died trying.
She’s training under the hokage, Tsunade-sama herself. It was truly an honour, everyone told her so. After all, the legendary medical nin didn’t just take an apprentice out of nowhere. She knew there were eyes on her and her team mates. Whispers of the second coming of the legendary sanin. She refused to let Tsunade-sama down, or bring the boys down. She’d prove she could stand on her own. And yet … it was lonely, she saw the other teams and thought of her own team. Wondered how they were doing, dreamt of simpler times when they were altogether. It’d been a year since she’d heard from either boy. Sasuke was to be expected, Naruto she’d figured was busy with the toad sage, and the quiet rumours that Jiraya-sama kept them moving so as to not reveal their location so she supposes that’s fair. She wonders what it’d be like when he came back, wonders what’ll happen to them. Sakura stores all this in her heart and works hard, she’s got her boys to take care of when the time finally comes after all, she was desperate and maybe that’s why Tsunade-sama took her on as an apprentice. The hokage had been strict and stern and unforgiving in training but outside, she was kind and gentle, often checking up on Sakura. It was no surprise and the hokage’s soft sport for her blonde team mate was public knowledge. Sakura was doing well, genuinely she was. She was working hard and getting stronger. But there was always an air of melancholy around her, bittersweet and lonely. No matter who she hung out with or how hard she trained, those feelings never really left.
She feels them most now, she’d just completed the chunin exams, she’d taken it with Ino and Choji since they needed one more person and she was alone. It’s been bittersweet then as well, training with Ino and Choji. Asuma sensei treated her well, always calling her Kakashi’s pup and of course her friends never made her feel left out. But it was lonely, she saw Shikamaru come by to watch and saw team 10 with their sensei, that familiarity and comfortability that she’d once had herself. She was on a team again and yet she’d never felt more lonely. It’s wrong she thinks, she should be doing this with Naruto and Sasuke with their lazy sensei watching over them. But what choice did she have ? It was bittersweet, The chunin exams had been … well just as disastrous as her first, but she’d been promoted nonetheless. She leaves the hokage tower with her friends, everyone congratulating each other and congratulating Neji on his double promotion to jounin but as they leave, her friends take off in a short sprint and she looks up. Asuma sensei, Guy sensei and Kurenai sensei are all waiting, all her friends run to their respective jounin sensei who sweep them up in hugs and congratulations. She watches Guy sensei cry over them as Lee cries as well and Neji and Tenten try to escape but only halfheartedly, both of them smiling. She watched Kurenai sensei wrap her team up into a tight hug, all of them hugging her back, she watches them melt against their sensei as Kurenai sensei plants a soft kiss on all of their heads. She watches Asuma sensei pull Ino and Choji in for a hug which Shikamaru stands off to the side sighing about troublesome sensei’s and teammates. She watches as Asuma sensei somehow picks up Ino and Choji, Ino squeaking in indignation and Choji laughing. It’s a cute sight, the love and care the sensei have for their teams so palpable, anyone who was alive could sense it. Sakura feels her heart tighten.
Her hands grip the flack vest tighter. Of course, Tsunade-sama had congratulated her, said she was proud and knew Sakura could do it but … she’d imagined becoming a chunin with Sasuke and Naruto, her lazy sensei would pat their heads as though they were his ninken and they’d all squawk at him, and he’d cheat them into paying for his dinner while slipping cash into their pockets. He would’ve given them a lazy eye smile and said good job, as though he didn’t care but they knew. She’d dreamt of this, wanted this. But she wanted to do it with her team, as team 7 under the legendary copy nin Hatake Kakashi. Not as a sensei-less filler for another team whose team mate had already been promoted. It’s bittersweet, she clutches the letter or promotion in her other hand, it’s lonely. She watches her friends with their sensei. She can’t interrupt, she shouldn’t. This was a monumental moment for any genin and for their sensei. She couldn't … she didn’t … her heart clenches, blinks back tears. This was a happy day, and yet she was so sad. She’d done it with none of the people that she’d wanted to succeed in front of, she’d achieved this without her family cheering for her. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. She should’ve been promoted with her boys. Naruto would be screaming for the whole village to hear, Sasuke would have that smug look on his face as though failure wasn’t in the realm of possibility, she’d be beaming so brightly as their sensei would look as though he didn’t care but they’d see the pride in his eye, they’d know. No, it wasn’t supposed to be like this. Watching her friends and their sensei in front of her, she clutches her promotion paper in her hand tightly, paper crinkling under her grip. Tears brimmed in her eyes, no she couldn’t cry here. She wasn’t sad, well she was but she wasn't. She was so happy and proud of herself, but she wanted her boys and her sensei and her team. Her family. She’d never imagined she’d get to chunin as anything other than Haruno Sakura of team 7. The team that frankly everyone had had eyes on, even if it wasn’t because of her. She wanted her team.
Truthfully, Kakashi had never run this fast in his life. He knew the chunin exams were today, of course, he’d been off on other business with Hanzo and whatever that didn’t matter. He knew his kid was taking the exam, despite what she probably thought, Kakashi knew what she was doing all the time. Always asked for updates from Tsunade during his debriefs, asked Asuma to take care of her, after all it was obvious that Sakura would sit the exam with Asuma’s remaining kids. He wanted to be there, he really did. But you could only take the chunin exam as a team of three and of course his other two kids weren’t around, Kakashi himself had been on back to back S rank missions, S rank ninja were always few and far between and he’d been given all the missions seeing as Guy, Asuma and Kurenai all still had their teams. There was nothing Kakashi could do. Even if he wanted to, his girl was better off with the hokage, learning a discipline she’d excel at from the best of the best. It was why he’d recommended her to the hokage in the first place. He’d been busy, and his kid had been busy too, training for the exams while still training under the hokage. Kakashi missed his pups, of course he did. There wasn’t a second he didn’t think of them. Besides the hokage, he was the only one that received semi-regular updates about Naruto, and he could only hope that Sasuke was okay with Orochimaru. He wanted his kids back together, of course he did. When he’d first become a jounin sensei, he never thought he was capable of this much care and affection, but the pups wormed their way in, taking a hold of his heart, making a home for themselves. So now, Kakashi was racing to get back, he’d made his friends give him updates every step of the way of the exams. The exams were genuine but also a cover, and he wasn’t going to risk anything happening to the only girl on his team. Guy had sent word the second the whole group of kids returned, and that Sakura’s promotion was basically confirmed. Kakashi had never run this fast in his life. He’d made it in time, his heart aching at the sight of his lost pup all by herself. Could see his friends with their own teams, so proud and filled with love. And there his pup was, all alone and lost. He landed silently in front of her, placing a hand on her head.
Sakura closes her eyes and takes a breath, ready to slip away unnoticed, away from the happy proud celebrations in front of her when an all too familiar hand lands on her head and her breath hitches, opening her eyes. She knew that hand anywhere, the way it petted her as though she was a pup. She blinks, tilting her head up as she takes in the face of her sensei, eye smiling at her. “Mah mah Sakura, good job pup” he says and she bursts into tears. Kakashi puts the flack best onto his girl proudly, nodding over her head to the other sensei who look relieved he’d made it in time. “You did good, I heard about it all, I’m so proud of you” he says as she tries to wipe her tears. Kakashi had never been the best at emotions but with his girl, he’d learnt. Learnt to be better with words and affection. His pup looks up at him with teary green eyes and he smiles at her, hand running through her hair comfortingly. For the first time in a year, Sakura’s heart feels lighter. Her sensei was here. He was here, she has no clue how but he’d materialised all for her and that thought sends another wave of tears down her face. Her sensei was here, and she wasn’t alone anymore and she was so grateful. She knew how hard he tried for her, for them. He’d never broken a promise, looking out for her even through all the distance. She lets her sensei put on the vest for her and she looks at him with teary eyes “sensei” her voice warbles “Sensei I wanted to do it with Naruto and Sasuke-kun and with you. I’m so happy but” she says and Kakashi continues to soothe her softly “I know pup, I know but they’d be so proud of you, and I’m proud of you too. You did so well all on your own, you’ve gotten so strong. We’re always with you, no matter where we are. Always team 7 right?” Kakashi says softly, trying to soothe the ache in his girl’s heart. She nods at him tearily, clumsily wiping her tears away “You’ve done so well on your own, but I’m here now. I’m always here if you need me, I always know what you’re up to and how you’re doing no matter what” her sensei says softly. She smiles at him through tears, she knew that. “Always team 7” she echos.
“Don’t cry Sakura” her sensei sing songs softly, that tone he always used to comfort her “You did well, you’re a chunin now” Kakashi says lazily but pride was evident “Neither of the boys are, they're still genin, I always knew you were more talented than them” Kakashi says and it draws a laugh from his girl as she wipes the last of the tears off of her cheeks. “Sensei look” she says, a bit childishly thrusting the paper in front of her sensei’s eye. Kakashi eye smiles again “Mhm , officially a chunin now hm? It won’t take long before you surpass your sensei” he says. Sakura scoffs, the bratty side coming out now “Sensei, we’re already better than you” she says and Kakashi just smirks “Is that so, so that means you’re going to treat your sensei to a meal?” he teases as Sakura squeaks in indignation. “Mah mah, I’m kidding, since I only have to spend money on one kid, I’ll treat you come on” he says as Sakura beams. The other sensei look at the scene fondly, there’d been nothing they could say to Kakashi’s lone pup to make her feel better, the only person who’d make a difference, whose words and presence meant something was Kakashi. They’d seen the way that their cold friend had softened in the face of his kids, the way they all had but especially Kakashi. For someone who’d gone through so much, who looked as though he was going through the motions of life, the presence of the kids had softened him, linked him to the presence. They all knew, he was fiercely protective of them and cared about them more than he’d ever admit out loud. Kakashi had needed those kids as much as they needed him. Team 7, they’d never understand the extent of it all but it was obvious to them, to anyone who saw. They were his pups, and he’d die before any of them got hurt. Kakashi watches with an eye smile as Sakura babbles pleasantly about the exams and everything she’s been doing since they’d last seen each other, a warm feeling washing over him, protective and steady in his commitment to watch out and care for them. Sakura felt so content, heart not heavy, bittersweet feeling washing away for the first time as she tells her sensei all about her adventures. She knew she was safe, more safe than she’d ever be with her lazy sensei trailing behind her. Team 7, she thought. Yes, they’d reunite one day she was sure of it. Her boys would be by her side and her sensei would follow behind them apologising for the chaos trail they left in their wake. For now ? This was more than enough, her small hand latches onto the edge of Kakashi’s vest much like how all of them had done at one point or another, Kakashi settles a hand on her head again, steering them towards Sakura’s favourite restaurant. Kakashi would make sure his kids would come home to him, he’d hold them close and never let any of them go. For now ? His girl by his side, so much like that big eyed 12 year old he’d first met, it was enough. Team 7 would always be a family, no matter where they were or what they were doing.