Chapter Text
The ground beneath her feet rumbles yet again, withstanding the tumult elicited by her strenuous efforts.
Under the gaze of the strongest kunoichi she has ever known, the Hokage who has generously accepted her demand for tutelage, her body trembles as her legs start to fail her, barely supporting her weight.
The slightest breath hurts; the air courses through her throat like lava, scorching her throat and lungs.
She's low on chakra, bruised by countless teaching spars, mentally fatigued from the pinpoint focus required for her practice, and if her limbs could act independently, they would shut down, forcing her to rest.
But Sakura still stands.
Her pupils, fiery emeralds, have never looked so determined, shimmering under the blue sky and her furrowed pink brows.
Straightening her posture, she heaves out for a long second, clearing her mind of any superfluous thoughts and thrashing away that inner voice that wants to stop.
This is just another day in the series of identical ones ever since she had stood in the training grounds in front of her master.
It’s nothing she can’t endure; she had even been complimented on her fortitude by Shizune a few months ago, and Ino always stares at her with impressed eyes, albeit sometimes clearly worried for her sake, every time she tells her what she does.
Furthermore…
"He’s probably having it even worse than me." The thought that fuels her resolve manifests itself again, as it had day after day, night after night.
She’ll never forget the shame. The shame of recollection, reviewing each of her missions, and noticing the revolting pattern.
In her opinion, there had never been a moment when she had been remotely useful or kept up with her teammates. They had to be knocked out for her to actually act without relying on them, yet still, she had been powerless anyway and had remained useless thereafter.
She’s haunted by her guilt at night, when the silence reigns in the darkness of her bedroom. Behind her closed eyes lies the memory of him covered in bandages from head to toe because of her selfish plea, carved into her brain and serving as the factual truth.
Haruno Sakura was Team Seven’s weakest link.
The girl who, deluded into her childish fantasies, had chosen the path of kunoichi to chase a boy, without putting any proper thinking into it.
The girl who, after a year spent as a Genin formed by the legendary Copy Ninja, still couldn’t prevent a cherished teammate from fleeing away.
The girl who, despite the bond she shared with the man she loved, never tried to learn more about him, nor understand his anger.
The girl who had to rely on a selfless friend for help, to the point of begging him, only for him to return crushed physically and mentally.
But everyone could change. If Uzumaki Naruto could turn from the Academy’s dead last to a ninja rivalling the geniuses of his generation, then she, Haruno Sakura, the smartest Genin of her team who had figured out perfect chakra control for surface-sticking in one go, could become a worthy kunoichi, too.
So far, after one and a half years spent studying under Tsunade's guidance, the results could only be described as a milestone, molding her into a promising reflection of the Sannin, with much room for learning and improvement.
Right now however, she still has to work on some things, judging by the crater under her feet, less profound than intended.
"That was good, but you still lose too much power when you strike. Release all of the accumulated chakra in a single point, don't be afraid to damage your body in the process, that's the only way to know your limits." Her mentor explains, smiling amidst an appreciative nod that gives her a boost of confidence.
"Yes, Lady Tsunade." Her voice is firm through her tired tone, exhaling one last time before adjusting her stance for another punch to the ground.
Contrary to what Tsunade believes, it's not that she's scared of the injuries; she has seen far worse during her time as an intern in Konoha's hospital, especially from bloody surgeries. She simply doesn't want to deal with another dramatic worry from her parents if she comes back with some broken bones.
Though she can't blame them as civilians anxious about their daughter partaking in a deadly profession, their lack of understanding easily gets on her nerves.
She must become someone worthy of Team Seven. Someone who can stand her ground against Orochimaru, walk alongside her two remaining teammates, and not be disregarded by Sasuke.
And most of all, that promise she has made to Naruto won't be empty words.
The area was concealed and secure, dozens of kilometers away from the first sign of civilization in the whole country. A mountain flooded by trees and lakes, with both of them residing in the farthest zone, a land of rock, unchecked by anyone in probably decades.
Measures required for mankind's safety, just in case this attempt would go horribly wrong.
For the first time in a while, Jiraiya is about to witness the power of a Jinchuriki once more.
Despite watching from afar, the pressure and heat that assault the atmosphere itself effortlessly affect his own body, as if his entire skin were scraped by a steady stream of scalding hot grains of sand.
Which only raises a question in his head, covered by a lifted arm to withstand the winds.
How can Naruto handle such an amount of vile, dreadful chakra, even as his flesh begins to display hints of side-effects from that fox-shaped cloak ?
Though Jiraiya had made sure to train him in a way that his frame could support the Tailed Beast's power, the mentor wasn't prepared for the gravity of the repercussions.
Only three tails are apparent, yet Naruto, standing on all fours in a strange imitating posture of the monster he keeps at bay, visibly withers away at each passing minute. What were minor bruises first now deteriorate into cracks of the flesh itself, slowly but surely revealing a second layer of the Jinchuriki's epiderm whilst the peeled skin evaporates immediately.
The Sannin can clearly see it. The more he waits like a hopeless bystander, the more the kid's mental scatters, so fast that the red eyes peering upon him are barely sane anymore.
It's not the first time he has experienced Naruto's reliance on the Nine-Tailed Fox, for Jiraiya had personally demanded that he tap into more of its chakra during their spars to improve his mastery over it gradually.
A fearsome double-edged sword, increasing the vessel's physical prowess and Jutsu lethality to lengths beyond comprehension, but also rendering him more impulsive and rageful.
Presently however, the Toad Sage watches something unprecedented unfolding, his student's consciousness teetering far too close to surrender to a malevolent influence.
He has to put an end to this training before everything goes sou—
Naruto slumps on the ground headfirst as a violent scream bursts forth. Jiraiya saunters towards him right away, but widens his eyes and steps back the second after, his spine cold from the sight alone.
A fourth tail sprouts, and with it, the cloak bubbles almost ragefully, howling in tandem with the Jinchuriki it coats. Even the atmosphere can't stand it; there's too much heat, causing an ear-piercing screech while Jiraiya's throat becomes dry in seconds.
Yet, the Sannin doesn't throw an ounce of care for his well-being, much more concerned with Naruto's state.
The kid is unresponsive through shouts of pain and wrath, the suffering fueling the rage and forming a vicious circle. His body shreds itself far too quickly for it to be healed in hours like it normally would; each torn centimeter of skin mixes with the red mantle and his own blood, covering him in a spherical layer of dark smoke.
Then, silence, followed by a heavy swallow from Jiraiya.
Before he can react to the pair of blank white eyes staring at him under the cloud, a bloodied arm surges forth, aimed at his chest.
Dodging to the left, the Sannin is distraught by a hurling shriek, clearly inhumane. A light shockwave dissipates the orb, revealing what is left of the teenager.
Jiraiya grits his teeth and frowns, a chill running along his back at the view coming straight out of a nightmare. He takes a few more steps back and analyzes the situation, pondering his options.
The shape is both humanoid and animalistic, a miniature facsimile of the Nine-Tailed Fox, bathing in Naruto's blood and that scorching red chakra. He doesn't have time to assess the extent of the damage, for Naruto, or rather, his body controlled by the tenant, roars anew and rushes forward, putting so much strength in its feet that it leaves a crater in its wake and shakes the ground.
Perturbed in his balance though the Sannin is, he jumps away in pure reflex, escaping a blow that would have killed him.
The Wild Lion's Mane that he uses mid-air doesn't restrain the foe at all; every hair burns away even before it can reach it.
Worse, this new form has registered this action as a threat and immediately counters with another shout, lashing out a burst of raw chakra directly to the Toad Sage. The sheer force sends him flying to the nearby terrain, his back colliding against the hard stone.
A yelp of pain thrums out, but once again, Jiraiya can't waste any time, for the four-tailed fox closes the distance, yearning for blood.
Extended claws, reshaping the mountain and melting matter.
Raging tails swiping, crushing any and all tactic the experienced shinobi can think of.
Soul-rending howls, repelling every projectile with its power alone.
Boiling hot chakra cloak, acting as the ultimate defense and a mortal offense.
Numerous shapeshifting tactics, all so clever that it would make Orochimaru look like an Academy student.
The fox is clever and knows how to fight, relentless and unfatigable, leaving Jiraiya no opportunity to fight back as the area slowly vanishes amid the one-sided onslaught.
Asking Gerotora to loosen the seal truly was a bad idea, and now Konoha's most proficient spy fears for the worst, forcing his mind to reel with strategies to prevent a massacre.
After minutes that rival the most intense and stressful events he had been put through, the shouts coming from the Jinchuriki begin to sound like laughs of mockery to Jiraiya's ears, though he's certain that the exhaustion is the culprit behind that.
Each step and attack is a battle against the clock, and another breath Jiraiya won't ever reclaim, fighting tooth and nail for his life and Naruto's own. So far, every try at bringing him back was unsuccessful, falling quite literally on deaf ears, and confirming once and for all that this wasn't a confrontation against a Genin, but against a rampaging Tailed Beast.
Beholding this much uncanny power, the Toad Sage wonders for a split second how the Fourth Hokage had managed to handle his wife's breakdowns, and even more, reducing the Kyubi's unsealing from the beginning of the end to only a grandiose sacrifice.
A testimony of a genius's skills, and as he imagines all the ways his former apprentice could have dealt with such a menace, the epiphany strikes like a flash.
Sliding an empty paper out of his mantle, Jiraiya inscribes a seal into it and braces himself, waiting for the umpteenth assault of the beast.
It takes naught but a second thereafter for the four-tailed figure to charge afresh, resorting to its unnatural speed as a means of confusion yet again.
Well aware that it's his sole chance, Jiraiya decides to gather as much chakra as he can towards the zone where he'll be hit, though hoping that he won't be torn into multiple pieces altogether.
The blow arrives, sharp and scalding claws carving a path in his chest, melting his attire and a layer of skin right away. Blood pours out of his like a fountain, multiple ribs are fractured instantly, and the overwhelming heat almost cauterizes the fatal wound.
Vapor erupts from his flesh and the visage smiles, satisfied with the human's pain. But in the midst of that carnage, Jiraiya finds an opening and shoves the seal on Naruto's upper body, making him scream anew and shudder for an instant.
From a blurry vision, the Sannin observes the dreadful chakra dissipating, unveiling to the world the outcome of the Jinchuriki's sudden transformation. His first layer of skin is completely absent and even some muscle tissues can be seen, exposed to any dangerous particles in the atmosphere.
Jiraiya draws blood from his injury and starts the signs. "Summoning Jutsu…"
The cloud of smoke burst into existence, spawning one of his many contractors. "What happened there ?!" The Toad shrieks, already searching for any medical aid in the bag on its back.
"Just me who messed up…" The Sannin grumbles to himself with a smile, then coughs a handful of blood. "There's no time, Naruto is unconscious and I'm losing mine… Carry us to the nearest hospital…"
He sees the toad nodding, and before his eyelids become too heavy, one thought appears clearer than anything in his mind.
Never again.
Standing in the middle of the Hokage's office, Sakura feels ecstatic, as much as she had been when she had passed the Genin graduation exam with flying colours.
On the desk, in front of her master who controls a smile so harshly that it looks painful, lies a brand new jacket, one she sees too much as a shinobi not to recognize it at first glance.
The same one that Shikamaru wears. The same one that most of her friends wear.
Clever as she is, neither the blonde Sannin, nor Shizune, nor Kakashi leaning against the wall next to the Hokage, needs to tell her the great news.
But it's not like she doesn't want them to deliver the words, on the contrary, she's so overjoyed that for once, Naruto would have a competitor for the title of the ninja unable to stay still.
Thinking of him, her lips naturally morph into a stupid, broad smile, almost a smirk.
His reaction will be glorious, she's sure of it. She can't wait for him to return, it has been two years already.
"Congratulations, Sakura." Tsunade cuts the overwhelming silence with her mirthful voice, before grinning victoriously. "You are now a Chunin."
As a response, Sakura closes a fist and giggles to herself, and blushes the tiniest bit when her mentor praises her too, with his visible eye closed, pointing out all the brilliance in the plans she had devised during her second Chunin exams.
It turns out that surviving the Forest of Death, defending her village during an assault, and being trained by a legendary kunoichi render every single test thrown at her as a piece of cake.
She didn't even resort to her spectacular strength, merely using the basics of Taijutsu and Genjutsu alongside her Medical Ninjutsu for mandatory healing. Even with most of her reserves allocated to the Byakugô, she could have kept going for many days before approaching her limits, which further proves her growth in every aspect as a full-fledged shinobi.
"Now, you'll be in charge of more important and dangerous missions, and given your formidable performance, I may even recommend you as Shizune's assistant in the hospital." Tsunade points out, pride radiating from her face like an open book.
"T-This is too many eulogies, Lady Tsunade… I owe everything to you and Kurenai-sensei for your teachings…" Sakura looks away and fidgets with a lock of pink hair, then bows in front of the desk. "As a medic and a kunoichi, I'll do my best to protect Konoha and its people."
"I'm afraid that you already fulfilled that promise since you were twelve, Sakura." Kakashi chuckles, the rejoicement in his voice ever-present. "You have saved your teammates and many of our comrades even before you had learned how to heal, and as soon as you could, there wasn't a single day for me where I didn't hear about you treating dozens of patients."
Another look at the side and a blush from the newly decorated pinkette, who mumbles another sheepish thank.
"Now, that's for the good news." The Hokage clears her throat, reaffirming authority in the room. "Since you are officially a Chunin, we have something to discuss."
The sudden change in her attitude forces Sakura to steel her nerve immediately, switching to seriousness as fast as her leader. "W-What is it ?"
Strangely from her viewpoint, Tsunade and Kakashi exchange a look and nod to one another.
"It's a shame that he isn't there to talk about it, but we can't gloss over the elephant in the room any longer. Especially not with that organization running around." Tsunade sighs, joining her arms in front of her chin. "Sakura, as Naruto's last teammate, you will learn the truth, but I have to be sure that you won't tell anything to anyone, am I clear ?"
The aforementioned kunoichi startles a bit, slightly shaken by the shift in the atmosphere. She doesn't understand what the Sannin talks about, much less the truth revolving around her friend.
As far as she can remember, Naruto had always been open about himself to everyone around him. She's aware of his life goal since they were classmates at the Academy; she knows how much he values his bonds, and she could note in a book without even trying all of his qualities, flaws, pastimes, and tastes in food.
Furthermore, he is unapologetically honest, for better or worse. She can't even imagine him lying, for he couldn't keep a secret even if his life depended on it.
Decontenanced and eager to know more, Sakura gulps and nods. "Understood, Lady Tsunade."
Tsunade pauses, taking a few seconds to peer upon her with sharpness, as if she were testing her resolve under threat. But Sakura doesn't bulge, causing Tsunade to mellow her gaze, though her student deciphers some sadness into it. "Fine. By any chance, have you ever heard of Jinchurikis ?"