Disclaimers: See previous installments.

The hard slapping of feet against floorboards echoed through the ground floor, so neither Kakashi nor Tsunade were caught off guard when the heavy doors were flung open and a kunoichi had to pause to catch her breath. Kakashi sighed inwardly. Sakura hadn't even bothered to run properly, silently with controlled breathing. Tsunade would mark this against his teaching abilities, he figured, even though it was academy curriculum. In a soft, sad voice, he murmured, "Oh, Sakura, why did you have to do that now?"

But the girl, focused on the Hokage, didn't pay attention to her supposed teacher. She gripped one of the doors to steady herself, breathing hard and a little dizzy. She was still in a hurry, it seemed, because she struggled to speak, instead of waiting for her lungs to catch up to her racing heart. Because she had to take a gulp of air every syllable, her questioned came out slow and fragmented, but the meaning came through just fine.

"It's Naruto, isn't it?"

Kakashi wondered if Sakura had figured out the truth behind what happened years ago when the Demon Fox was defeated. Tsunade smiled.

"The Third Hokage was waiting for him. You're waiting for him."

No, it was something else. Still interesting, Kakashi decided.

"The Fourth Hokage knew that his son, Naruto, would have some amazing power and chose him as his successor. But Naruto was just a baby when he died, so the Third came out of retirement until Naruto was an adult."

The only piece of the story missing was the Fox Demon, but she'd made up for it with things even Kakashi hadn't known. He did have the Hidden Leaf's smartest mind on his team. He should have bragged about it more. When some teachers were handed a brilliant student, they made a point to see just how smart the child was. Kakashi would have wondered why he never did that, but he knew. Sakura had an incredible mind, but he'd never seen any indication that she intended to use it for more than memorizing facts. And now, the moment she'd been officially taken away on an account of negligence, she decided to announce the most confidential information about a teammate she'd never paid attention to.

Finished, Sakura used the time to finally catch her breath and stood up straight, whereas as she spoke, she had been hunched over with her hands on her knees for support.

"Did you do what I instructed?" Tsunade asked, pleased with Sakura's ability to figure so much out, wondering what her other sources, if any, were, but most importantly, she had told Sakura to come back at a specified time.

Sakura took a deep breath, not because she needed to for oxygen, but because she needed to to steady herself. She had planned to do other things, like be as honest with Rock Lee as she had with Naruto and still wasn't sure what to do about Sasuke. She just wasn't sure if she'd done everything she'd regret not doing if she died suddenly. Certainly, there were things she wanted to do, things that were important to her, but were they as important as Naruto, Ino and the mystery? After all, while she respected Lee, she barely knew him and as long as Sasuke really knew where she stood, she'd done everything she could.

"Yes," she said, finally, one hand reaching for her red ribbon and the other for her forehead protector, tied around her neck. "If I were to die tomorrow, I would want to have died without a problem left unsolved and for the people precious to me to know how important they are."

Sakura wasn't sure if she should be surprised or not that Tsunade had no more questions for her. She settled for just watching silently like Kakashi while the Hokage found a paper on her desk, signed it and handed it to him. Tsunade smiled warmly at Sakura. "Kakashi has some business with cell seven. Accompany him and return here afterwards."

"Yes, ma'am." The two bowed and exited.

Once outside, they verbally pounced on one another immediately.

"You haven't been to the bridge yet? Naruto's been waiting since this morning and I bet Sasuke-kun has, too. It's been a long time since we've had a mission, but that's no excuse now that we're back together again."

"I'm not a precious person to you?"

Since Sakura's tirade went on far longer than Kakashi's, it probably would be safe to assume that she hadn't heard his question, but since her complaints were more reflex oriented than though, she had managed to speak to him and register what he said at the same time, though it still took a bit more time to process.

"That's not what I meant earlier, Kakashi-sensei." The girl averted her eyes, ashamed for making her teacher, who had taught her and protected her, think she didn't care about him, and for what she had to admit so often lately. "There are people in my life that I've treated horribly. Because of that, how could they know how much I care about them? I promised myself that I would try to be nicer when I became a genin, but it's not a promise I've kept.

"The Hokage told me to do everything I'd regret not doing if I died tomorrow after Sasuke-kun's trial. I regret that, so I'd regret not making it right."

Kakashi walked along side her staring ahead with his hands in his pockets. "You can't think that way, Sakura. What if they died tomorrow? You'd still have your regrets. You have to correct your mistakes as you make them. You can control if there is a tomorrow for you, but that doesn't mean there will be a tomorrow for the people you love."

"You can protect the people you love," the girl countered. "Watching each others' backs is a part of teamwork, Kakashi-sensei. That's the first thing you taught us."

"Precious people aren't always going to be a position where they can be protected. Even if you are sent on the same mission, as the same team, mistakes can still be made, or ultimatums issued."

"'Kill Naruto,'" she echoed, "'or Sasuke dies.' You told us we may be faced with choices like that someday, but that's not really a choice, is it? In battle, you can't take your opponent's word for anything. You can't just assume someone is honorable. Say I choose to kill Naruto. You could have killed Sasuke anyway, leaving me alone as easy prey. Or I could team-up with Naruto to rescue Sasuke, thus creating a possible outcome where we all come out alive and are able to accomplish the mission."

"But will you be thinking that clearly then?"

"Well," Sakura gave a nervous laugh, "that's the down side."

Kakashi sighed. "I was just thinking how far you'd come, but you really haven't made the smallest step."

The two walked a bit longer in silence and while the pace was comfortable, the atmosphere between them was not.

"Kakashi-sensei?"

"Hm?" His hand strayed to his back pouch, reaching for a volume of Icha Icha Paradise. He'd managed to fit all three in there and had read them enough that it never mattered anymore which he pulled out and at what point he opened it. Just having the familiar weight of the book in his hand made difficult things easier and boring things more interesting.

"How come you're always late?" She didn't make a face at the book or try to peek at it, which showed that maybe she'd taken a small step forward after all, at least when it came to dealing with Kakashi.

"I'm never late," he replied, "except for today."

"Well, that's a new one," Sakura muttered.

"Sometimes I want to see how the three of you get along without me keeping the peace, but mostly..." he trailed off. Sakura looked at him expectantly. "...'Sorry I'm late' is the best way to enter a conversation."

It wasn't long afterwards that the two had to enter a conversation, as at the bridge, Naruto was regaling Sasuke and his assigned keeper tales of his father. Not a single member of his audience believed that his stories were true, but Anko at least was entertained. Sasuke half wanted to find out whatever made Naruto so damned dramatic and take it away from him. The other half didn't want to devote that much time to his blonde teammate, so he found himself leaning against the railing of the bridge as he usually did. In passing, he wondered why Sakura wasn't there to punch Naruto in face and get him to shut up.

"Sorry we're late," Kakashi drawled, having appeared before the boys and Anko in his usual puff of smoke. Sakura peeked out from behind him, waved and stuck her tongue out just a little. "The Hokage had a terrible rash and sent us on a desperate mission to recover hypo-allergenic cream." Naruto shuddered violently at the mental picture and neglected to scream 'LIAR!'

"I didn't wait for six hours to be assigned grunt work," Sasuke warned. "Especially not with that idiot blabbering the entire time."

"You liar," Naruto cut in, "you were two hours late and you know it. I was the only one on time today." Naruto's self-satisfied posture faltered when no one stepped in to praise him. Typical.

"You were late?" Kakashi questioned, turning to Sasuke. "Care to tell the class why?"

"My morning training took more time than usual," Sasuke replied coolly, not feeling that Kakashi had any right to demand reasons for tardiness from anyone. Kakashi appeared focused on his apparently favorite pupil, though Naruto knew by now that Kakashi's appearances were often deceitful. Anko was watching her charge with a tiny smile. It made sense that she knew the full story of whatever was going on, since she had to be everywhere Sasuke was. Sakura was, of course, hanging on Sasuke's every word with nearly visible hearts floating around her head. Naruto gritted his teeth. His dad was Hokage and still everything was SasukeSasukeSasuke. And it wasn't even like Sasuke training was anything new. Sasuke always trained. Naruto was the one with news.

"I was working on a new technique," Sasuke explained, with the same nonchalant attitude, like he mastered new techniques every day.

Damn Sharingan. He probably did.

Beneath his mask, Kakashi was frowning as his last student slipped away. Naruto was better off with Jiraiya, Sakura certainly didn't need him and it looked like Sasuke didn't, either, if he was learning new techniques on his off hours. He turned to Anko. "You have anything to do with this?"

"I might have shown him a few hand signs," she conceded. "Had him sign a contract in blood. You know, the usual." He'd always passed her off as 'Naruto-ish,' seeing only what was the most obvious, but the woman was more perceptive than Kakashi wanted to give her credit for. She read his (mostly) invisible expression, cocked her head and asked, "What?"

"I wanted to teach them all dogs," he replied.

"That ship sailed. The blonde's been doing toads for a while and frankly, snakes suit Uchiha better. He coils and strikes. None of this tracking garbage. If you really need to pass on your trade, I hear Kurenai's kids are trackers, but the one already has a dog..."

Meanwhile, Sakura was looking at both of the boys. "Animals?"

"Summoning," Sasuke supplied. "It's a fairly common to form a bond with a family of animals and summon them at will."

"The old pervert taught me to summon toads months ago," Naruto cut in. "Gama Bunta is the boss toad that I can summon, like my dad."

"That's what you were talking about before," Sakura said to Naruto with a smile. She thought about what she'd told the Hokage for a moment, all the while gazing in Naruto's direction, smiling. He didn't notice that she wasn't seeing him, he was just elated and blushing. It was one of the very few times he was thinking that life was good to him. Unfortunately, Sakura noticed him, the look on his face and punched him out of reflex. So much for being nicer.

"Sasuke-kun, what do you summon?"

Anko, finished arguing with Kakashi, looped her arms around Sasuke's shoulders and said, "He summons little green garden snakes."

Naruto, forgetting all of the tadpoles he summoned, pointed and laughed.

Sakura glowered at Anko, wanting to scream at her for touching Sasuke like that .

Sasuke was generally just not happy with this turn of events.

"If you're all done talking amongst yourselves," Kakashi intervened in a voice that invited no one to point out that he started it, "Cell Seven does have some business."

"About time," Naruto declared, arms behind his head with his elbows in the air and his eyes closed.

"By order of the Hokage, Cell Seven has been disband."

"What?" Naruto cried.

"But we're supposed to remain in our three-man cell for the entire time we're genin," Sakura protested.

Sasuke said nothing and his face remained unreadable.

"That's highly unorthodox," Anko said. "Without a cell, they can't even take the chuunin exam, never mind missions."

Sasuke snorted. "You weren't part of cell with two extra people pulling you down as a genin."

"Orochimaru is also unorthodox," Anko retorted. "You sure as hell should have noticed that when you tried to join him."

"If an 'unorthodox' method makes me stronger, that's all I care about."

"You'll only get as strong as he wants you to be, then he kills you and uses your remains. He teaches for his benefit, not the student's." She looked angry, save for the stream of tears coursing down her cheeks. "My cellmates didn't pass his test to become genin, so he killed them. He had plans for me then and he's got plans for you now. It's my job to teach you to defend yourself."

Sasuke looked away. Naruto looked at his feet. Sakura tried not to sob and failed miserably.

"Sasuke," Kakashi barked, "you are to train under Anko in whatever means of defense against Orochimaru she sees fit. Other methods of learning that leave you within the jurisdiction of Konoha is your choice."

"Naruto," Kakashi continued, "you have been officially assigned to apprentice to Jiraiya."

When he said no more, a puzzled Naruto asked, "What about Sakura-chan?"

"I've got nothing else to teach her." A long moment ticked by. "Cell Seven dismissed."

No one moved.

Nose stuck in his book, Kakashi walked away. For the genin, the departure of their teacher made time pass again.

"Guess I better find the pervert master," Naruto muttered, kicking a stone near his foot. "But hey," he added with forced optimism, "we can still hang out and stuff."

"Yeah," Sakura said softly. "We don't have to be a team to be friends." She sighed. "The Hokage told me to report to her right after this. I sort of wish she'd told me what was going on. It might have been easier if I was expecting it." Even though she'd announced she was leaving, like Naruto, she remained on the bridge.

Anko nudged Sasuke, who had been staring into the water since her outburst. "Let's get some tea." The boy didn't notice her at all.

"You saved my life."

Hearing Sasuke make an admission like that surprised them all, though they didn't know who he was talking to, if it was indeed any of them.

"Thank you, Sakura."

"Huh?" escaped Sakura's lips before she could stop herself.

"If the last battle with the Sound Ninja had gone differently, Orochimaru would have killed me before I became strong enough to avenge my clan. When you got hurt, I defended my comrades without even thinking about it. It's the only reason I'm still alive."

Sakura smiled. "You're welcome, Sasuke-kun."

"The three famous incompatible magics are that of the toad, the snake and the snail.

"The toad is faster than the snail.

"The snail cannot be eaten by the snake.

"The snake can eat the toad.

"Therefore, the three maintain a balance, for each defeats and is defeated."

"The legend of the three masters is Konoha lore, passed down throughout all the generations of our village, since it was founded by the First Hokage.

"Every several generations, three ninja of the Hidden Leaf possess a greater mastery over the three arts-Shadow, Body and Illusion-and they are the three masters.

"They bear the titles of Toad, Snake and Snail."

"I, Haruno Sakura, as my partners before me, have signed my allegiance in blood to one of the three magics and have accepted the challenge to be the next master of the Snail."