(Tim Seltzer, seltzer@seltzerbooks.com) Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I do not own Wedding Peach.
I do not own any great quantity of money or property. I'm a STUDENT; that's
why I'm poor, okay?
Author's Note: 'Ki', 'aura' and 'chakra' will be used interchangeably
from now on. Sakura and those of the Shinobi World will keep on calling
it 'chakra', while most of the people in the alternate dimension will call
it 'ki' or 'aura'.
Sakura tried not to fidget as the class waited for their teacher to
arrive. There were curious glances flying in her direction. She was dressed
in the traditional gi, just like all the other students. Her silky pink
hair was tied up into a short ponytail. There were many people with strange
hair colors in the group, so it wasn't as if Sakura looked any weirder.
She just felt weird. There were angels, demons and even a couple of
humans in the circle of fifty-some people. A few of them noticed the abnormal
nature of Sakura's aura. Sakura could decipher out complete sentences from
some of the whispers.
"Her ki seems even weaker than a normal human girl's."
"Maybe she was desperate and Sensei took pity on her — well, she won't
last very long."
"I think she's kinda cute."
Sakura's heart skipped a beat. She hadn't received such a compliment
in years. Maybe she could prove that she was strong, too.
The door slid open. In stepped Hinagiku with her gi. Her green hair
framed her perky face. "Good-morning, class!" Hinagiku shouted out.
"Alright, class. We have a new student today." Hinagiku walked over
to Sakura and lifted her up to her feet. "Haruno Sakura-san. She's new
to this city, so please make her feel welcome."
The class clapped. A number had blank expressions, some looked sympathetic,
and there were even a couple with tiny smirks. Only a few had genuine smiles.
Sakura smiled back, effectively hiding her nervousness.
"Sakura, can you tell me what kind of training you had before?" Hinagiku
asked.
"Um... various projectile-weapons, and taijutsu," Sakura said. Some
confused looks went across the room.
"Okay. Does 'taijutsu' involve weaponry as well?" Hinagiku asked, knowing
well the answer, but wanting to teach her students something new.
"No, it is just hand-to-hand combat that shi— um, my people use," Sakura
answered. 'Close call,' she thought. She was definitely not ready to explain
she was from another reality.
"Doesn't that mean 'technique of the body'?" one student whispered to
another. "Yet another moron invents some new style."
Sakura's fists clenched. 'You're gonna eat your words for insulting
the way of the ninja, SHAAANAROOOO!'
"All right, Haruno-san. Class, not only is Sakura joining us, she is
also going to help in today's lesson. In any battle, there will be moves
your enemies will use, which none of you have seen before. Many of these
moves aren't even recorded in the, quote-on-quote, official books."
"What!?" one student yelled out. His reaction looked like Naruto's when
he was told by Kakashi the true purpose of the graduation exam, which seemed
to have 'I never was told of THIS!' written all over it.
"The reason you are at this academy is to practice and improve the well-known
martial arts," Hinagiku explained. "Don't be surprised if there is some
stuff outside the textbooks."
Was that a sadistic grin on the teacher's face?
"Anyway, the junior battle tournament is coming in a month. It will
be anything goes — not just magic and weaponry, but also new types of hand-to-hand
combat." Hinagiku turned her head back to Sakura. "Haruno-san, will you
be willing to have a quick match with Jura-kun?"
A red-haired boy stood up. He was normally built, looked fifteen, and
was at least a head taller than Sakura. He was a fire-demon by the looks
of him. The two faced each other in the middle of the circle. They did
the customary bow, but Sakura could read the blood-lust in his red eyes.
"Alright, once one person lands a hit, falls down or gets the other
in a lock, the match is over," Hinagiku said between them. She backed off.
"Ready...start!"
Jura lashed out at Sakura. She dodged his fists, barely missing each
rapid thrust. His offensive increased, and she started to block in addition
to evading the hits.
Jura became angrier: Sakura was like a lizard with the way she controlled
her arms and torso. He then resorted to some higher kicking moves.
Hinagiku narrowed her eyes. Sakura was dodging each and every one of
Jura's attacks. But her upper body was doing most of all the movement,
as if she couldn't use her legs easily. In fact, her legs were barely moving
at all. Sure, she lifted her feet from the mat only now and then, but she
basically remained in the exact same spot.
Jura noticed this as well, and decided to aim for Sakura's ankles. He
did a lower kick on Sakura's ankles, tripping her and knocking her clean
off. Her feet slipped on the matt, and she fell forward, her chest hitting
the mat.
Jura yelped in pain: something hard was on Sakura's shins; he knew it.
Sakura lost the match, but Jura swore that he could feel a bruise forming.
"She's cheating with some sort of armor on her legs!" he yelled out.
Hinagiku turned to Sakura, who was just getting up. "Haruno-san? Do
you have something on your legs?" Hinagiku asked.
Sakura blushed. "I have a few weights."
"Please take them off," Hinagiku ordered. "I want you to spar without
them."
Sakura sighed, rolling up her trousers, revealing a total of four weights
attached by strips of white cloth. She pulled out the flat pieces and laid
them on her seating area.
'Man that feels so much better! I am PUMPED!'
"Sensei, could I continue to spar with Haruno-san?" Jura asked.in a
polite manner. Yet Sakura could feel some other motives.
"Certainly," Hinagiku said. The two faced each other and bowed again.
"Ready...go!"
Jura let out a full-power offensive: Sakura literally jumped, turned
and twisted around his great array of kicks and punches. Hinagiku was impressed.
A few of the students were mesmerized — Sakura's form was a little jerky,
but she was dodging nonetheless. The word 'show-off' came into many other
students' minds.
And Jura was getting royally pissed off.
Hinagiku noticed a long time ago that this fight had escalated to a
higher level far beyond what she originally intended. But she let it be,
since Sakura seemed to handle the situation well.
'He's going berserk,' Sakura observed. Her head evaded a quick thrust.
'This can be used as an advantage, but if I don't win soon it'll be bad.
When he does land a blow on me, it will be more than just a bruise — he
might even attempt to use a spell. He'd get in trouble, but I'd be dead.'
Jura's moves were getting more and more reckless. 'Sakura is playing
with fire,' Hinagiku thought. Sakura used her analytical skills well, but
was too hesitant to even land a punch.
Sakura then did something amazing, both to herself and Hinagiku. She
jumped back with a five-meter leap, and then stood in a straight standing
position. Jura was confused, and stopped for a moment. Sakura then beckoned
Jura to come closer, using a slight hand movement and an arrogant smirk
— just as she had seen Sasuke do in his fight with Gaara.
Jura responded as she pleased, running toward her with sheer hatred
in his face. Sakura then left the spot with a burst of speed: Jura's fist
met thin air, and Sakura was behind him in an instant. She punched the
back of his head, causing him to fall to his knees.
Jura got up, and fire was burning in his eyes. Literally.
'Crap, I missed the nerve that was supposed to knock him out!' Sakura
thought. She closed her eyes for the incoming hit.
It never came.
Hinagiku stood in front of Sakura, guarding her. The master held Jura
back with one hand on his chest, the other holding his wrist. "Jura-kun,
that's enough. Both of you, sit down."
Sakura bit her lip. She wobbled back to her spot, and sat down. She
couldn't fight anymore for today.
Hinagiku decided that the demonstration had already fulfilled its purpose.
The class went back to normal practice, and Sakura sat in the corner, just
watching and thinking.
'I'm always being protected, no matter what I do," She thought. Sasuke's
words from a long time ago sank in.
(( "You're the same level as Naruto. If you have time to pay attention
to me, then go practice at least one jutsu."
A mental rock dropped on her.
"Frankly, your abilities are even lower than Naruto's."
The rock grew ten-fold.
Sasuke walked away.
Gloom descended upon the kunoichi. 'He's right...' ))
Sakura sighed. 'I guess he's still right.'
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