{"id":3621,"date":"2020-09-24T12:43:03","date_gmt":"2020-09-24T16:43:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swirlingpetals.com\/?p=3621"},"modified":"2020-09-24T18:51:45","modified_gmt":"2020-09-24T22:51:45","slug":"47-the-odd-ones","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swirlingpetals.com\/?p=3621","title":{"rendered":"47 – The Odd Ones"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

They stopped for a few hours overnight, taking refuge inside a crevice that slashed down a sandstone monolith. Tired to her bones, Sakura sat down hard on the cold desert floor. She let her head fall back against the rock wall.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Barely visibly beyond the top of the fissure, the night sky was reduced to a thin river of stars. It seemed so far away, streaming far above the darkness that engulfed them. Sakura watched it, eyelids growing heavy, even as she told herself sleep would certainly elude her in a such an exposed, desolate place\u2026.<\/p>\n

What felt like a moment later, Sasuke was grazing her foot with his fingertips to wake her without startling her. She opened her eyes and looked straight at him. He waited, letting her have a moment to remember where she was. Sakura blinked. The desert. The mission. She remembered. If she didn\u2019t rouse with the first sounds of disturbed breathing, then she knew, as he must have, that she was more tired than she realized.<\/p>\n

Satisfied she was fully awake, Sasuke nodded to Kakashi. With the slightest flick of his chin in\u00a0 <\/span>acknowledgement, Kakashi turned back to his watch from the opening of the crevice.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Beyond his shadowed shape was a sea of cold, blue sand. It raced away from where he stood, crossing an enormous flat valley only to wash up against more sandstone outcroppings. Where the ground met the cliffs, the shadows were as deep blue as the ocean. But the morning sun was already burnishing the cliff tops to a warm gold.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Soon there would be no escape from the sun and the heat, no matter where they were. But right now, the shade was still an oasis.<\/p>\n

A cool breeze stirred Kakashi\u2019s hair. He turned back to face his students. The pastel light softened his edges and made him look younger than his white hair sometimes made him seem.<\/p>\n

He wasn\u2019t that much older than them, after all. Maybe not even a decade. But when Sakura first met him, she thought he was very old. She attributed it to his shock of white hair. But now she knew it was who he was, not his hair. He\u2019d seen a lot, and been through more than he\u2019d ever let on. More than most.<\/p>\n

It still amazed her that after living through so much, he\u2019d come back to the village to teach others. He could have been anywhere. But he was at the academy to help bring up the next generation of shinobi. It may have been his most challenging assignment yet.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Guiding kids, teaching them and chaperoning them, just keeping them alive, must have been much more complicated than the black-and-white outcome of a mission scroll. Missions came to an end, for better or for worse. But, as Kakashi always reminded them, teams were forever. And why he chose the three of them mystified her for years. But she saw his wisdom now.<\/p>\n

Perceptive as always, Kakashi had seen what Team 7 could be, even when they didn\u2019t see it themselves. Somehow he understood their separate abilities could fit together and become their biggest asset. Eventually. It was tough \u2014\u00a0he<\/i> was tough \u2014 but he didn\u2019t give up on them. Now they really did move as one\u2014<\/p>\n

\u201cReady team? We\u2019ve got a lot of ground to cover today\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n

They nodded and stood. The softness was gone. Blue light clung to Kakashi\u2019s edges, but he was tense and ready to go. So they were too.<\/p>\n

They traveled west, winding around enormous wind-rounded cliffs that rose up like toys abandoned in a giant sandbox.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Out in the open, heat clung to their backs, and the cloudless blue sky offered no shade. They crossed wider and wider expanses of sun-baked ground before the darting into the cool cover of ever-shrinking boulders. And then, there was no more shade. The rising dunes of the vast Wind Country desert opened up before them in great golden waves. It was a sea of sand.<\/p>\n

Kakashi glanced back down their line, and they nodded back. They would follow him anywhere. And he knew it. No words needed to be spoken. They were all thinking the same thing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Crossing out into the open space in a dark streak, they traveled in each other\u2019s footsteps, obscuring their numbers. We move as one.<\/i><\/p>\n

With the horizon shimmering in front of Sakura\u2019s eyes, her mind drifted. They worked so well together, it was like they could read each other\u2019s minds. It wasn\u2019t always that way. Other teams figured it out so much sooner, but not them\u2026.<\/p>\n

\n

Konoha\u2019s shinobi academy changed Sakura\u2019s young life. She thrived there. She fit in. She belonged<\/i>. And when it was time for her to change years and transition from normal classes to the last year, which was dedicated to shinobi training, she was ready to display her talent without hesitation. She was comfortable showing her chakra now, even though she still didn\u2019t know much more about it than when she started. But she could summon the glowing green light whenever she wanted, and Iruka promised her that was enough.<\/p>\n

At the front of the class, they each had to show what they\u2019d learned before they could move on to the next grade. Sakura waited behind Lee for her turn to demonstrate.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

She and Lee were the only students in several years who did not come from ninja clans.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It was an unspoken rule that clan students were given automatic entrance to the school. Even clan members without a developed skill were still allowed to participate in the academy in the hopes that their talents would awaken. They studied forms and learned to throw blades\u2026all the basics of ninja training.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But before the last year, they had to prove they could control their chakra, in any manner they chose. This was the cut-off. Either they passed or they were held back till they mastered it, which at that point was unlikely. It was a nice way of encouraging them to find another path.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But for non-clan students the bar was much higher. The student had to perform a known technique or be a stand-out in some area.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Lee had been working for months with Guy on his signature move \u2014 the eight-gated chakra. Sakura, however, had no technique. In front of her, Lee fidgeted nervously. But she was calm.<\/p>\n

Lee was called to the front of class. He made a lot of noise, swinging his arms and pumping his fists. His face became distorted with the immense amount of energy he was using. A single ball of yellow chakra popped onto the center of his forehead. He shook his sweaty bangs and crossed his eyes to see it. While it wasn\u2019t even the first \u2018gate\u2019 of Guy\u2019s technique, it was a start. And it was enough. The teacher nodded, impressed, and waved him over to stand with the rest.<\/p>\n

Then he motioned for Sakura to come forward. He picked up the pen from his clipboard, frowned a little at something that must have been written there, and mouthed the words \u201cpink hair.\u201d<\/p>\n

He looked up at Sakura, and she knew what was coming next, before he even asked. It had been said to her in one way or another since the day the first nins came to her house.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo clan?\u201d<\/p>\n

Sakura shook her head.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2018No clan,\u2019 was a polite way of saying she was different. That they didn\u2019t know what to do with her. There was no family at home to teach her or support her. They didn\u2019t know where her skill came from, if it could be measured and used, or if it would even last through her academy years.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It meant she was a risk. They never let her forget, even when they didn\u2019t mean to put her down.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou may begin,\u201d he said as he scribbled on his pad. When he looked up, Sakura hand was already open, revealing a vibrant green pool of light.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh! I see\u2026.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The man was deeply surprised, but she knew he\u2019d be. She had come to expect this. It was the same response every time anyone saw it.<\/p>\n

He leaned closer to inspect it. Little drops of chakra were oozing down through her fingers, turning her whole hand into a luminous ball of light. If she held it long enough, the chakra would begin to slide off the back of her hand in big fat drops.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very bright\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n

\u201cBrightest in the class,\u201d she said immediately. It was true. She knew hers was the brightest. She just didn\u2019t know what that meant, if it even meant anything\u2014\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Brightest\u2014\u2019\u201d he said as he jotted that fact down next to her name.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sakura extinguished the green light, but she didn\u2019t leave. Whenever anyone spoke to her about her chakra, there was always one last question\u2026.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd, uh, about your parents\u2026. You\u2019re sure that\u2026 I mean, that is to say\u2026There\u2019s no one else in your family with your skill?\u201c\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This was a polite was of asking if she were secretly someone else\u2019s child.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo one else. Only me.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

She was just an anomaly. Like her pink hair.<\/p>\n

The teacher shrugged. \u201cHuh. Well, then\u2026yeah. That\u2019ll do!\u201d He pointed with his pen for Sakura to join the line of others.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And then it was over. Sakura was admitted into her last year with absolutely no fanfare, just like a normal kid. No one looked at her to laugh or be afraid or impressed. In fact, Lee was the only one who seemed to be really trying his hardest for this test.<\/p>\n

There were several Hyuugas up next, one after the other, girls and boys. The rest were pointed over after quick demonstrations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sasuke Uchiha waited alone. The teacher trailed his pen down the board. \u201cUchiha, you\u2019re last on the list.\u201d The teacher didn\u2019t need a demonstration. He didn\u2019t even seem to want to look at him. \u201cYou can join the rest,\u201d he said with a single nod.<\/p>\n

Sasuke scowled. But after a moment he got slowly up and walked over. The whole class waited, including the teacher.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sasuke was different. Sakura stayed away from him. But then, everyone did. People seemed to either pity him or be afraid of him. Or both. Sakura could never tell which. But no one wanted to be around him. She\u2019d heard once that something bad had happened to him, and it seemed like people were afraid they were going to catch it too.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOkay,\u201d the teacher said finally, turning to the group. \u201cThis will be your academy class from now on.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A smiling man with a clipboard appeared at the doorway. He grinned so big it was easy to see he was genuinely pleased to be there. But the students didn\u2019t see that at first. They were too busy staring at him. A vicious scar crossed the center of his face, over his nose and into both cheeks. It was healed to a soft pink, so it must have been long ago. But they couldn\u2019t tear their eyes away.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

On any other shinobi, that scar would be the mark of a ferocious warrior. It would be a sign for all to see that this was someone to fear. Indeed, they would be taught that later on. Scars meant someone had seen battle or strife. And if it was bad enough to mark them on the outside, then it most certainly changed them on the inside as well. Their job as shinobis would be to determine if they were altered for good or bad, if they were now friend or foe.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But these young students knew none of this yet.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHello class,\u201d he bowed respectfully to them. They bobbed their heads back, never taking their eyes from his scar. \u201cMy name is Iruka, and I will be your teacher from now on. Have you had fun so far at academy?\u201d<\/p>\n

They nodded in silent unison.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood, good. Well then I promise this will be your best year yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

He looked at each one of them like he meant it. Then he smiled again. It was brilliant, warm and welcoming. It stretched up the mark on his face, made happy wrinkles at the corners of his eyes and immediately won them over. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cReady to get started?\u201d The uncertainty on their faces was replaced with wide-eyed anticipation. \u201cGreat! Now come down so I can learn each of your names and tell you some of the fun things we have planned\u2014<\/p>\n

Chattering excitedly, they scrambled from their seats and clustered around him, all talking at the same time. Each was already feeling that this was going to be a very different kind of class.<\/p>\n

With Iruka as their teacher, they began to spread their wings. Sakura too. He encouraged her to try harder and experience different things in academy. Maybe even consider a tool or weapon she might channel her energy into.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It was a fun time for all of them. Only in these classes did they get to see up-close demonstrations of techniques and hear stories of the powerful clans that made up Konoha. After that, their world expanded beyond the safety of Konoha\u2019s walls when they learned of the equal-parts awesome and terrifying powers they might encounter in the other nations. The weapons, the techniques and legends, rumors and realities of secret techniques held by clans and countries. How they were guarded and traded, hidden and unmasked. Their heads were full of fear, amazement and adventure. Those days seemed like a never-ending discovery.<\/p>\n

Sakura would later learn that Iruka\u2019s tendency toward openness was rare, even among shinobi. During that year, with the genin exams looming at the end and the inevitable exposure to outside shinobi bearing down on them, they were also taught the importance of secrecy. It could save your life, or the life of your teammate.<\/p>\n

It never occurred to Sakura not to keep her classmates\u2019 skills a secret. Over time, she had come to realize that even though she didn\u2019t quite understand Ino\u2019s mind power or how Shikamaru\u2019s shadow casting worked or where, exactly, the bugs resided in Shino\u2019s fatigues, she was proud of their skills. She was proud they belonged to Konoha. And she would keep their secrets too. They all would. Learning about each other bonded them to one another.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

All but one. Sasuke Uchiha.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He sat silently apart from the rest, alone and uninterested.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Time had not changed him. He spoke to no one, and no one spoke to him. Because of that, only the teachers addressed him. He wasn\u2019t exactly friendly with them either; he only responded with a sharp nod or one-word answers. So they pretty much left him alone, too.<\/p>\n

On the playground, Sakura always went along with the Ino and the other girls who thought he was cute. But secretly, she wasn\u2019t so sure about him. And the few snide looks he had directed at her made her think he didn\u2019t have much interest in her either.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sakura didn\u2019t care. She was too busy working to find a niche for her skill. Her chakra still just dripped off her hand. And none of the tools or techniques called to her. She didn\u2019t have a penchant for weapons like TenTen or a knack for taijutsu like Lee.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cChakra is something to be combined,\u201d Iruka would remind her when he stopped to inspect her glowing hands during class practice time. \u201cChakra should be pushed into another object, like a weapon. Or,\u201d he\u2019d always add with a wink, \u201ca body!\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Iruka\u2019s oddly dark humor was common among shinobis, she\u2019d come to learn, especially the more seasoned ones. It was like the more they\u2019d seen and lived through, the weirder their sense of humor became.<\/p>\n

But one day after repeating that joke, Iruka stopped himself, considering a new thought. \u201cYou know\u2026maybe we\u2019ve been going about this all wrong, Sakura. Maybe you\u2019re actually a healer of some type.\u201d He frowned and rubbed his chin. \u201cBut I\u2019ve never heard of any students admitted at the hospital. You would have to be older, at least. Or get special permission from the Kage. Or maybe we could arrange something\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n

But Sakura was no longer listening. She didn\u2019t want to be separated from her classmates. She fit in here. And being the youngest in a hospital training room full of adult civilians would surely mean the end of her shinobi career. Besides, she really, really liked throwing kunai at the target tied to the tree. Whatever he was thinking, she wasn\u2019t interested.<\/p>\n

She decided to try harder at channeling her chakra into objects, like the others were doing. She worked extra hard, studied diligently for the tests and was soon getting the best marks in the class. She had made admirable improvements in her taijutsu and could make her chakra take the form of many objects\u2026although getting it to stay there was another matter. It still dripped off her hand like water if she lost her concentration.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sakura sometimes caught Iruka\u2019s quizzical frown, but he never corrected her. Yet it was enough for Sakura to understand that she was still doing it wrong. And all the straight As, solid kicks and bullseyes in target practice could not make up for it.<\/p>\n

So, without telling anyone, she started to concentrate only on the green light in her hand. She was determined to make her work like all the other students.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Her chakra came easily. It always had. But that was the problem. She thought everyone could just open their eyes and there it was, glowing and ready, without any effort. She knew now they couldn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

At academy, Sakura learned it worked differently for everyone else. Chakra didn\u2019t just fall off of them like it did for her. Ino focused hers in a triangle, Shikamaru slid his into a shadow, Choji held his breath and blew up his belly. TenTen pushed hers into her weapons, and Shino combined his with his bugs to create massive waves of them on command.<\/p>\n

After several months, even with all her concentration and visualizing, she could tighten hers closer to her hand, but that was about it. Now instead of holding it in her hand like water scooped from a bucket, she could keep it one side. It glowed there, stuck to her palm in a thick layer, like pressing her hand into wet paint.<\/p>\n

It worked. Sort of.<\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

She could activate it when she held the grip of a dummy wooden weapon, just like she saw everyone else do, but she only succeeded in making it glow. She wasn\u2019t connected to it at a deeper level like Iruka told her she should be. When she removed her hand, the chakra ran off like water, fading away between her skin and the wood.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t until a field medic came to speak to the class about healing and chakra that she began to see it differently.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Iruka spoke to the black-haired woman at the edge of the class. He was pointing out students, and lingered on Ino, Sakura and a group of Hyuuga of girls. The woman\u2019s gaze landed on Sakura, and she smiled, nodding at her while Iruka spoke, and Sakura was sure he was telling her about her strange chakra\u2014<\/p>\n

The woman came to the front of the class and introduced herself as Aki from the Hyuuga clan. She too had come through academy, but her abilities were better suited for medical work. So she stayed in the village to help heal.<\/p>\n

They instantly understood. She was one of the ones who came through the academy but didn\u2019t graduate to become a shinobi. At least, not the kind that left the village.<\/p>\n

But she was pretty and kind, and nodded deferentially to the other Hyuuga students in the class, and so they all instantly liked her.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIruka asked me to come speak about chakra, about healing, and about different things you can do with it than just throwing weapons.\u201d She never looked at Sakura but Sakura still shifted uncomfortably in her seat, feeling like she was speaking just to her.<\/p>\n

\u201cHinata-san, could you come up and give a demonstration please?\u201d<\/p>\n

Sakura turned to see the girl named Hinata \u2014 another pretty, pale-eyed, dark-haired Hyuuga girl \u2014 who was looking around in surprise.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cM-Me?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Aki nodded encouragingly.<\/p>\n

Sakura didn\u2019t know Hinata. She was very quiet and kept to her own clan, of which there were many in the school. But Sakura thought, at the moment, Hinata looked very much the way she felt. She was glad it wasn\u2019t her being forced to go up there.<\/p>\n

Hinata went to the front and held out her hand, palm forward, to the class. Aki turned to the rest of the students. \u201cHyuugas have a unique chakra signature which makes it good for healing. See if you can figure out what it is\u2014\u201c She nodded at Hinata to continue.<\/p>\n

Hinata concentrated on her fingertips and slowly they were engulfed in a blue flame. It hovered and licked at her palm, growing brighter and surrounding her wrist, then back up her forearm.<\/p>\n

\u201cFire,\u201d was echoed softly several times around the classroom.<\/p>\n

Aki nodded. \u201cThat\u2019s right. Fire.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis translates very well to healing. That\u2019s why many Hyuuga opt for a career in the healing arts rather than the shinobi arts.\u201d They all nodded.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut that doesn\u2019t mean you can use it as a shinobi. To heal yourself or your teammates, or just to increase your control.\u201d This time, she glanced at Sakura. Sakura nodded, certain that Iruka had told her of her problems.<\/p>\n

\u201cHinata may I demonstrate on you?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hinata nodded, happier to be helping instead of the focus of attention.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the basic healing form. The chakra glove.\u201d She raised her hand to show that it was cloaked in a thin blue light, like a luminous glove. \u201cNow everyone give it a try.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sakura\u2019s lifted her hand, lighting it up without even trying. She pictured it as a glove. To her amazement, it responded. It looked like a giant green mitten, but it was a start.<\/p>\n

After a few moments, all the students had copied her more or less precisely.<\/p>\n

Aki nodded at them all. \u201cGood. Just watch now,\u201d she said. She took her blue hand and softly pressed it onto Hinata\u2019s forearm, letting the blue light wrap around the back like a glowing cuff.<\/p>\n

Hinata smiled, surprised. \u201cIt feels warm!\u201d<\/p>\n

Aki nodded with a smile and turned to the class. \u201cIf Hinata had a wound, my chakra would help hers to heal it. It\u2019s thin, just enough to wrap around the surface. You don\u2019t want to use too much, cause it might burn. But just enough to feel the wound under your hand and begin to heal it.\u201d She smiled at Hinata as she removed her hand. \u201cNow\u2026. Who wants to give it a try?\u201d<\/p>\n

No one raised their hands. Sakura thought about it, but she was too nervous to do it on her own.<\/p>\n

Aki looked as if she expected that. \u201cHow about this: Who has any cuts or bruises?\u201d<\/p>\n

A bunch of boys enthusiastically shot their hands up. \u201cOo-oo! I do! I do!\u201d<\/p>\n

She waved them down to one side of the class. \u201cOk, you\u2019ll be on the \u2018wounded\u2019 side.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

They were thrilled, jostling each other on the way down and showing off their \u2018wounds,\u2019 most of which amounted to nothing more than scraped knees and splinters.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn the other side we\u2019ll have our \u2018healers.\u2019\u201d The rest of the class of boys and girls filed to the other side. She raised her voice above the excited students. \u201cHealers will heal the wounded, then both will switch sides and go to the back of the opposite line. That way everyone has a chance to try out both. Okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

The students nodded their understanding. Aki stood in the middle and presided over the first pair, watching each one to make sure they did it right and wouldn\u2019t hurt each other. They all did about as well as was expected, with some of the girls doing a particularly good job getting the chakra to wrap around the arm. Aki gave nods of approval to Sakura, Ino, Hinata and a few others.<\/p>\n

None of the wounds were healed. But none of the students were getting chakra burns. So she felt comfortable enough to break them up into pairs all over the classroom, then stepped back to let them figure it out.<\/p>\n

Aki and Iruka leaned against the wall, watching and talking, while the kids laughed and interacted. Some had a hard time getting their chakra to bend and wrap. Others took to it naturally. Iruka noticed that even Sasuke had relaxed a little bit to concentrate on this challenge. He tipped his head to speak quietly to Aki while he nodded toward the Uchiha approvingly.<\/p>\n

\u201cOk! Change partners again,\u201d Aki said cheerfully. \u201cRemember, one heals. Then switch!\u201d<\/p>\n

A loud \u201cOw!\u201d sounded in unison from a pair of rowdy boys.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Iruka frowned deeply and went over, saying, \u201cNot at the same time, you two! No wonder you burned yourselves!\u201d<\/p>\n

Several kids laughed, but a boy on the other side of the room grabbed his arm suddenly and exclaimed, \u201cIt\u2019s gone! My cut\u2014 It\u2019s gone\u2026. \u201d He looked up into Sakura\u2019s surprised face. \u201cYou healed me! Like, for real<\/i>!!\u201d<\/p>\n

Sakura shrugged, but everyone was hovering around the boy, wanting to see the smooth skin of his arm too.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sakura didn\u2019t do anything special, just let her chakra slip around his arm, like Aki said. She felt the torn skin in the space under her fingers. In her mind, she simply smoothed it out. It was\u2026easy<\/i>.<\/p>\n

Iruka and Aki came over to inspect it. Aki nodded, then took the boys arm, engulfed it in blue energy \u2014 \u201cOo, it\u2019s warm,\u201d the boy said. \u201cHers was cool.\u201d \u2014 then looked up at Sakura and smiled. \u201cGood job! You healed it!\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The boy pulled his arm free to show it off to the crowd of other students.<\/p>\n

Aki laughed at the boy, but turned back to Sakura. \u201cSo, did someone teach you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Sakura shook her head, bracing herself for the inevitable questions about her upbringing. But the questions never came.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell then, you definitely have a talent for it,\u201d Aki said with a big smile. \u201cGreat job!\u201d<\/p>\n

Behind Aki\u2019s shoulder, Iruka beamed and gave her a big thumb\u2019s up. Sakura smiled back, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks and giving away just how pleased she really was.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMine\u2019s gone too!\u201d Almost immediately, another student chimed in. \u201cMine too! Well, uh, mostly\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aki and the crowd of kids left to go inspect the others. More kids were beginning to have success healing as well, with Ino and Hinata and a few other Hyuuga girls among them.<\/p>\n

Sakura was left alone at the back, opening and closing her hand, watching the light come and go like a giant firefly. She smiled, happy to find a technique that seemed to fit her.<\/p>\n

From the edge of the classroom, Iruka grinned at the controlled chaos of the whole room.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When there was a break, Iruka said to Aki, \u201cThank you for helping out! This has been so successful, we might want to include it every year!\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Aki nodded heartily, before her name was called again to inspect more \u2018healed\u2019 arms. A moment later, Iruka darted out to intervene between boys who were trying to inflict new injuries on each other just to be healed again.<\/p>\n

The students who showed ability were invited to the hospital to shadow Aki and see what she did there, and the idea of a shared class was hatched. After that, Sakura, Ino and several others spent a few afternoons a week learning some basic field medic techniques, while the other students deepened their weapons skills back at the classroom.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sakura quickly discovered she was very good at healing. She didn\u2019t have to try at it either, it just worked for her.<\/p>\n

But back at academy, she still was faced with the same problem. She may have smiled and told her classmates that she could infuse objects with her chakra just like they did\u2026.but it was a lie. She still couldn\u2019t.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After learning the most basic healing technique, however \u2014 simply thinning her chakra to cover the whole wounded area like a bandage \u2014 she thought it might be able to help her on the shinobi side too.<\/p>\n

Sakura quietly studied her classmates\u2019 skills with the same methodical attention she\u2019d used at the hospital and that she applied to every new challenge. She watched what they were doing, absorbed everything she could learn, then tried to copy back what she\u2019d seen.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Other students could move their energy through the metal or merge it with shadow, making it come alive for them. But when Sakura tried to push her chakra into these objects, it never worked. They were still just lifeless and dull.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Everyone around her had the hang of it. Even Lee, who was the most like her out of the whole class, was busy trying to unlock the second gate of Guy\u2019s technique in his spare time. They were all working on named techniques with clear-cut steps and levels\u2014<\/p>\n

Sakura didn\u2019t have any of that.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

She cut her eyes to TenTen. At first she thought they might be similar, with her chakra abilities but no clan to speak of. But now she realized they were different too.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

TenTen flung out a scroll, summoned a kunai and gripped it hard. That\u2019s when Sakura saw it: TenTen\u2019s red chakra rippling out at the edge, illuminating the weapon for a moment. One day they would be taught to hide those marks, but right now, Iruka wanted to see them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sakura breathed in and tried again. The weapon in her hand was still impenetrable, but this time, instead of pushing her chakra into it, she applied what she\u2019d learned at the hospital.<\/p>\n

She breathed out, closed her eyes, pictured the shape in her mind, and stretched her chakra thinner than she ever had, until it completely covered the surface of the kunai. She felt it when it wrapped back around and connected back to itself. It worked<\/i>.<\/p>\n

She opened her eyes. Her chakra glimmered at the edge of the kunai. It didn\u2019t drip off. As long as she concentrated, it held the shape. She smiled, pleased that she\u2019d finally done that<\/i> at least. It was a first step. She\u2019d get the feel for it later.<\/p>\n

Sakura looked up, catching Sasuke Uchiha\u2019s dark eyes as he turned away. Her smile dimmed until she saw Ino striding toward her.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSakura-chan you\u2019re doing it! I knew you\u2019d get it eventually!\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell\u2026I\u2019m only just starting<\/i> to get the hang of it\u2014\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I\u2019m not the only one who\u2019s noticed how hard you\u2019ve been trying.\u201d Her voice dropped to a sing-song whisper. \u201cSasuke-kun\u2019s been watching you too!\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sakura looked over at the boy\u2019s back. \u201cUh, really?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s the cutest boy in school,\u201d Ino continued excitedly. \u201cI\u2019ve made a list, and he\u2019s at the top! But you\u2019ll have to fight me for him,\u201d she laughed. \u201cAnd them too!\u201d The older class girls were looking from Sasuke to Sakura and back again.<\/p>\n

Sakura didn\u2019t believe her friend, but from then on, she did notice Sasuke watching her whenever she tried to make her chakra perform the way she saw the others do it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

She told herself that maybe it was like Ino said, that he wanted to help her but he was just painfully shy. Or that he was coming up with ways to talk to her. Ino would gush romantic ideas to Sakura on the playground. Sakura ignored them. But she liked the attention. It made her feel a little set apart, when everyone else seemed so special and amazing to her.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t until one afternoon when she caught the black-haired boy watching her that a new realization dawned. He wasn\u2019t admiring her, as Ino always teased. She met his eyes, only for a second. But it was long enough to see the unmistakeable, blood-red glow of a sharingan \u2014 the frightening justu that she\u2019d only heard about in whispers \u2014 swirling back into blackness. He looked at the glowing green weapon in her hands, then his mouth twisted into a scowl and he turned away.<\/p>\n

Sakura swallowed hard. The green faded from the weapon. She wasn\u2019t sure if he\u2019d seen her or not\u2026. She looked at her hand, flickering the green light there. She hadn\u2019t done anything wrong. She was still figuring it out. They all were. Hers was just taking a little longer, that\u2019s all\u2014<\/p>\n

Iruka called the class back inside.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sakura walked in at the back. Sasuke was ahead of her. He looked up when he went in acknowledging another nin at the door, an older man with white hair. Sakura glanced up, watching him. At first she thought he was very old, but maybe he wasn\u2019t as old as his hair made it seem. He face was still smooth and young looking, and he grinned at a few of them with one eye peeking out from behind a rakishly tilted headband.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The words \u201ccopy\u201d and \u201cninja\u201d where whispered through the line, but Sakura didn\u2019t know what that meant except that it was about this man who was chatting with their teacher. It added to his mystique. He tracked Sasuke across the room and up to his desk. Sasuke knew it. He flopped into his chair, propped his hands in front of his mouth and sunk his head, looking out angrily at the man.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sakura looked back, surprised at the disrespect. But the man only smiled. As she passed, she heard Iruka say, \u201cWell, I guess you have a nose for those \u2018odd ones,\u2019\u201d he scanned down a list of names with a frown, \u201cbut still, that wouldn\u2019t be my first choice\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

The man turned suddenly and looked directly into Sakura\u2019s staring face. He smiled down at her. Embarrassed, she nodded politely and hurried to her seat.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The rest of their conversation was lost in scraping chairs and slapping of books and pencils. Sakura took her seat too. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Iruka introduced the visitor. Kakashi, the great Copy Ninja, was there to speak about life as a shinobi, about teams, tests and expectations. And lastly, he was there to talk about what happened if you defected\u2026.<\/p>\n

Kakashi stepped up to the desk. Without a word, he slipped a headband from his back pocket and placed it on the desk, unfolding it to reveal the sliver badge of Konoha with a deep gouge through the middle. Beside it, he placed a thick book with the large red letters \u201cB I N G O\u201d across the top, above a grainy photo with a big \u201cX\u201d over the face. He did it slowly and in complete silence, as if waiting for everyone to get a good look.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After a few moments, Kakashi looked up, taking in the whole class and smiled big. \u201cOhayo class!\u201d They politely responded in unison. Sakura was beginning to think he was nothing like the fearsome ninja he was supposed to be.<\/p>\n

\u201cSoon, you will be breaking up into teams. But first, I want to talk to about how serious it is, about what can go wrong, and\u2014\u201d He smiled briefly. \u201cTo let you know that you still have time to back out if you want to. Understand?\u201d<\/p>\n

The students nodded dully.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He cut his eyes up, scanning them all, nodding with them. \u201cGood, good\u2026.\u201d He smiled brightly, but this time, Sakura had the creeping feeling there was something dangerous behind his expression\u2026.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell then, let\u2019s begin! How many of you are going to be on a team, go on secret missions far from Konoha, and make a name for yourself among the great nations\u2014\u201d Lots of hands shot up.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd how many hope to be called up for C-rank missions? B-rank? A-rank?\u201d Lots of hands waved in the air. \u201cWell, what about S-Rank?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hands dropped and whispers of \u201cS-Rank?\u201d \u201cIs that a real thing?\u201d ricocheted around. Then the hands of some of the rowdiest boys went up, followed by several others who didn\u2019t want to miss out on that adventure.<\/p>\n

\u201cRight,\u201d Kakashi said. \u201cAnd how many would like to be the type of shinobi that stay in the village and protect it from outsiders by fighting, say, from atop the village walls\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hands were raised, but not so high in the air and not with such force of certainty. Sakura considered this option. They were of a middle range of skills, and she was thinking that she\u2019d probably be safer in this group than with the more boisterous ones\u2014<\/p>\n

Kakashi nodded solemnly, as if those questions mattered deeply to him.<\/p>\n

Sakura was just beginning to inch her hand up when Kakashi began speaking again.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet me tell you a few little stories then\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hours later, the trap the he\u2019d set for them with his smiles and innocent-sounding questions and \u2018little stories\u2019 had been sprung.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For Sakura and the rest of the class, the lecture had unraveled into a terrifying nightmare of scenarios, capped off by the threats of pain and kinds of deaths you could expect if you defected or wound up in the pages of the Bingo book.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The room was silent with shock.<\/p>\n

Kakashi picked up the headband and Bingo book.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I almost forgot.\u201d His voice was a bored monotone. \u201cNo shinobi ever gets to stay in the village while everyone else is out fighting for their lives. So if that\u2019s your plan\u2026. Uh, well, you need to get a different plan. You won\u2019t make it long outside the walls.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sakura looked at her fingers, nervously twisted around each other, and was suddenly glad she hadn\u2019t raised her hand.<\/p>\n

Kakashi rolled on the balls of his feet and looked around. \u201cSo\u2026. Any questions? No?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He grinned brightly, apparently delighted by the sound of sniffling coming from every corner of the room.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGood! And just remember, if any of this stuff scared you, even just a little bit,\u201d Kakashi\u2019s voice dropped dangerously. \u201cDon\u2019t. Come. Back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Someone openly started crying in the back row. It set off a chain reaction of tears.<\/p>\n

Iruka darted forward nervously, \u201cUh, alright class. Thank our lecturer\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n

A half-sobbed chorus of \u201cThank you,\u201d was all that could be managed.<\/p>\n

Iruka patted students on the shoulder as they exited, saying \u201cDon\u2019t worry!\u201d and \u201cYou\u2019ll do fine!\u201d and \u201cTeam selection tomorrow! Don\u2019t be late!\u201d<\/p>\n

Sakura crept out, avoiding both Kakashi\u2019s peering gaze and Iruka\u2019s bolstering words. She was shaken to her core. <\/p>\n

The next morning, Sakura cried into her breakfast. Her mother walked in, wrung her hands once at the sight of her daughter\u2019s tear-stained face, then walked out again.<\/p>\n

Sakura didn\u2019t move.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For her mother, this was the last straw. She came back in, concern clear on her face and pulled a chair up next to her daughter.<\/p>\n

\u201cSakura-chan, I\u2019m afraid this is too hard on you.\u201d She patted her hand where it rested on the table. \u201cYou know, you don\u2019t have to go back if you don\u2019t want to.\u201d Her voice turned firm \u201cI don\u2019t care what the Kage wants, it\u2019s your choice\u2026.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sakura looked down at her uneaten food and seriously considered quitting. She nodded tearfully along with her mother\u2019s soothing words\u2014<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe\u2014 Maybe you can put all this behind you.\u201d Her tone was hopeful, trying to find something to cheer her daughter. \u201cAnd\u2026. And you can just go back to your old school and pick up where you left off. Think how much they will have missed you\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n

Sakura blinked, her tears drying quickly. She didn\u2019t hear the rest. She couldn\u2019t go back; she\u2019d come too far. And there was so much more to learn. Sakura knew then she had<\/i> to return to the shinobi academy. She wasn\u2019t going to let one dumb speech scare her, was she? She wasn\u2019t just going to give up now, was she\u2026?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

She gulped down her fear, reassured her mother and somehow made it all the way to the academy building. There, she wiped her sweaty palms on the front of her dress, wrapped her cold fingers around the door knob and jerked it open only to find a deathly quiet classroom. The seats were empty.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

She had the momentary panic of being caught in a bad dream\u2014<\/p>\n

Iruka clapped once. \u201cOur second student! Marvelous! Didn\u2019t expect it would be you, Haruno-san, but you are always surprising us. Take your seat\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n

Sakura was numb. She turned, moving automatically to where he pointed. Three rows up, at the back, sat the first student. Sasuke.<\/p>\n

He scowled from behind his folded hands, unhappy at the attention, but angry and defiant nonetheless. She looked away, suddenly remembering that he looked the same yesterday. While everyone shuddered with fear, cried or ran out to the safety of their homes. Sasuke was unmoved. He was almost\u2026angry.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Then she remembered something Ino said. Sasuke\u2019s brother was a rogue. That he\u2019d done horrible things to their clan. Her mom and dad would never say. But she overheard someone in the flower shop say the cursed clan, and the rogue son, and all were dead except one. Sasuke.<\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ino had made it sound terribly romantic. But now it sounded gruesome. And Sasuke sat at the back of the class, still defiant. He didn\u2019t show a bit of emotion yesterday. And he didn\u2019t today.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sakura realized there were worse things to be afraid of than speeches.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

She folded her hands, took a breath and waited for what came next. And, just because she could, she closed her eyes and imagined running the gloves of chakra over her hands till she could feel the light surrounding them like cool water.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnly two?!\u201d Sakura opened her eyes. Kakashi was back, beaming up at them.<\/p>\n

Iruka laughed. \u201cYou\u2019ve outdone yourself this year, Kakashi. But I have to admit,\u201d Iruka looked at a paper with a set of lists on it, tapping a group of three, \u201cmaybe your instincts are right.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sakura realized then that the speech was meant to scare them. Maybe even weed out anyone who didn\u2019t believe in themselves. It was, like many things in the shinobi world, a trick.<\/p>\n

She scraped her desk with her fingernail. If she\u2019d given up this morning, then she would have never known it was a trick. She wondered if the other kids thought that same thing, then she realized that no, they probably didn\u2019t. They had parents who were shinobis, who would have known what Kakashi was up to and told them not to give up.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At the front of the class, Kakashi stood with a bemused smile. \u201cI think I got a lot more to cry this year.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Iruka nodded. \u201cSeveral more than last year. Adding the \u2018Bingo Book\u2019 was a stroke of genius.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kakashi laughed loudly and was about to elaborate, but more kids were filing in.<\/p>\n

Behind them, more adult nins came in, Kurenai, Asuma and Guy, among them. They nodded to each other. Kakashi\u2019s easy-going attitude faded as more people arrived. He folded his arms over his chest, looking more and more like the fearsome shinobi he was supposed to be.<\/p>\n

Iruka\u2019s eyes traveled up and down his list, nodding. \u201cYes. Yes. Well, that\u2019s a surprise. His parents won\u2019t be happy about that\u2026.\u201d Finally he looked up. \u201cIt\u2019s time to separate into teams. After this, these will be your leaders and your partners.\u201d<\/p>\n

He began reading. Kids started trickling down from the desks to stand with the men and women at the front. The student side of the room was emptying out, and the front filling up.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Kakashi stepped forward, looking bored. \u201cNext up,\u201d Iruka read from the bottom of the list, \u201cTeam 7 with Kakashi.\u201d<\/p>\n

Iruka read to himself, \u201ca new candidate, from Anbu\u2026. He will meet you on the field, and\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUchiha, Sasuke\u2014\u201c there was a scrape of chair and he descended down the steps, unimpressed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sakura watched him, realizing what Kakashi and Iruka had been talking about. That\u2019s who Kakashi had picked. Sasuke. The \u2018odd one.\u2019\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sakura looked around nervously. There was no one left. It was just her. Alone.<\/p>\n

Panicked thoughts began to churn. She wasn\u2019t good enough. They didn\u2019t know what to do with her. They\u2019d figured out that she didn\u2019t know how to control her chakra like everyone else\u2014<\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd Haruno, Sakura. Team 7\u2026with Kakashi.\u201d There were a few gasps. She rose without thinking and looked up to see the great copy ninja, face as hard as steel and terrifying. Sasuke looked mad.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sakura came down the steps in a daze as Iruka announced over her head, \u201cAlright class dismissed. Best of luck in your new teams!\u201d<\/p>\n

Kakashi looked down at them, not impressed. He spoke to a few other leaders and Sakura took the opportunity to speak quietly to Iruka.<\/p>\n

\u201cUh, is there a mistake, sensei, because I don\u2019t know if I\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

Suddenly, Kakashi cut across her in his sternest voice. \u201cHe is no longer your sensei, Haruno. I am. And I don\u2019t make mistakes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kakashi turned to leave. Sasuke shot her the meanest glare he could for getting off on the wrong foot. Iruka gave her a little look of sympathy, but nodded for her to go with them. It was indeed correct.<\/p>\n

The rest of the groups bounded out of the classroom, excited. But only Sakura was sick with nervousness. She had only dared to hope to be a village<\/i> shinobi. Like one that stayed in the village<\/i>. But Kakashi\u2026he was different.<\/i> He was fierce. He had his own page in the Bingo book. In a moment, she felt like she\u2019d been catapulted over the wall and out into a world she was in no way prepared for.<\/p>\n

Outside, walking behind the group toward the training pitches, Sakura admitted to herself that this was going to be hard. Harder than she\u2019d ever imagined. She was beginning to think about where she was just a few hours before, crying into her cereal. If she gave up now, she could just go back\u2026go home, not face the terrible things that Kakashi said\u2014<\/p>\n

Kakashi cut a look down at her as if she\u2019d said it out loud. He seemed to read it on her face. \u201cYou know, if this is not what you expected, you can still back out. Do it now, while you have the chance\u2014\u201c\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sakura nervously fidgeted with the edge of her dress. Was that what she wanted? She still didn\u2019t know. But she\u2019d come this far\u2014 Her green eyes peered up at Kakashi, trying to decipher if this was another trick.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He waited patiently.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

She would try. She wouldn\u2019t give up. Not yet. She gulped down her fear, gave a wobbly smile and avoided the answer. \u201cN-No sensei. It\u2019s just\u2014 It\u2019s nice to meet you. That\u2019s all!\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sasuke tsked audibly. Kakashi frowned at the sound, but was distracted by someone standing in the road ahead.<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, there he is.\u201d An extremely pale boy was waiting for them ahead. He wore shinobi garb, but he looked extremely uncomfortable. Sakura was surprised. He was their age, but she\u2019d never seen him before. \u201cAnd you\u2019re right, Haruno. Introductions are in order,\u201d then added, more to himself, \u201cI always forget that part.\u201d<\/p>\n

The unlikely trio and their lanky sensei ended up in a nearby park.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright, tell me a bit about yourselves.\u201d The friendly voice was back. But it made Sakura even more nervous. No one spoke. Sakura looked at them, no one looked back. \u201cHaruno, you want to go first?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI, uh\u2026I\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh right. I forgot. How does he do it\u2026.\u201d He remembered. His face brightened. \u201cTell me three things about yourself! Your name, your goal as a shinobi and your dream!\u201d<\/p>\n

Sasuke rolled his eyes. \u201cIruka already did this with us\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n

\u201cI know!\u201d Kakashi snapped before plastering on a smile. \u201cI know. But I\u2019m supposed to do this kind of teamwork too. Not just jump right into the bell test, like I want to,\u201d he muttered the last bit under his breath. \u201cSo back to the three things\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m Sai,\u201d the pale boy spoke, startling them all. \u201cMy goal is to excel as shinobi in the service of the Leaf, and my dream is to die in the service of the Root.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sakura had never heard of a place called \u2018Root\u2019 before.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Kakashi sighed. \u201cAs expected. Maybe we can shake that up a little bit though.\u201d Sai looked slightly concerned, the only emotion that had flitted across his empty face.<\/p>\n

Kakashi looked at Sasuke, who sat between them, expecting an answer. Sasuke scowled, but he obeyed, saying it all quickly. \u201cSasuke. Get revenge. Restore my clan.\u201d He looked away, refusing to elaborate.<\/p>\n

\u201cUm\u2026. O-okay\u2026..\u201d<\/p>\n

Sakura sat silently, watching them both. So these were to be her teammates. She wondered what Ino would think. They were nothing like her team, her friends<\/i> Shikamaru and Choji. Sakura suddenly understood why Iruka called these two the \u2018odd ones.\u2019 They were certainly odd\u2014<\/p>\n

\u201cNext?\u201d<\/p>\n

Sakura cleared her throat. \u201cMy name is Sakura. My goal as a shinobi is\u2026.\u201d Her mouth crumpled into a thoughtful frown. She tugged on a blade of grass brushing her ankle where they sat. She didn\u2019t know. And she didn\u2019t want to sound weak in front of this shinobi and the rest of them. She cleared her throat. \u201cAnd my dream is\u2026.\u201d Her voice trailed off. She shrugged. She realized didn\u2019t have a dream.<\/p>\n

Kakashi didn\u2019t seem to care. \u201cRight. Now that that\u2019s out of the way. We\u2019ll meet up at dawn on the bridge for our bell test. It will determine where I place you in the group, your skill level, what we should work on. That sort of thing. No worries. It\u2019s a breeze.\u201d His light voice dropped suddenly. \u201cBut don\u2019t eat!\u201d Then he smiled big. \u201cLater!\u201d He flipped his hand for a wave and disappeared.<\/p>\n

The boy named Sai turned and left immediately. Sasuke watched him go, glaring daggers at his back. Then he turned on Sakura.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou should quit.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou heard me. You should quit. Before he figures out that you\u2019re useless as a ninja. That you can\u2019t even use your chakra right.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her mouth turned into a snarl, her hand into a fist. \u201cYou can\u2019t tell me what to do\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n

\u201cOh yeah, what are you going to do? Punch me? With that?!<\/i>\u201d He pointed at her fist, and she looked down, seeing in fact how small and pale it really was. Her grip loosened, as did her confidence.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. \u201cYou know you don\u2019t belong here. You should quit now.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Before she could come up with a response, something mean or cutting, or at least sarcastic like Ino would have immediately thought up, Sasuke walked off, leaving her standing there.<\/p>\n

That night, she thought about what Sasuke said. She didn\u2019t have to think long. There was no ninja trick here. Sasuke was just mean. She may not be great, but she\u2019d worked too hard to let someone like him tell her what she could or could not do.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The next morning, Sakura was on the bridge at dawn. She was second to Sasuke, who sneered at her and shook his head. She turned away stubbornly and set her jaw. She\u2019d already heard his opinion. She didn\u2019t have to look at him. Sai walked up right behind them. He was quiet and cold, formal and uncomfortable all at the same time.<\/p>\n

Sasuke turned his simmering anger on the newcomer. \u201cSo you\u2019re from Root\u2026.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sai nodded.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo what do you do?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sai didn\u2019t answer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey send you here for me then? To take me out? Or recruit me?\u201d Sasuke nodded as he spoke, as if hearing the answers in his head. Sai looked from Sakura to Sasuke, confused. \u201cHuh. So just to watch over me then? Keep me in line? Yeah, ok, I see.\u201d Sasuke settled back against the rail with a smug look on his face.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sai just blinked at Sasuke as if he was speaking another language.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The sun was casting deep shadows across the bridge by the time Kakashi strolled up. He was wiping his hands on a napkin from the ramen stall, smacking his lips a little as if he\u2019d just walked from a full lunch. He yawned, pocketing the napkin, but not before he made sure everyone got a good look at the logo.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeen waiting here long? Oh right, we were meeting at dawn. Guess I forgot to let you know that time had changed.\u201d Kakashi laughed and scratched the back of his head. \u201cBut since you all are here, let\u2019s go ahead out to the training pitch. At least I can get a nap while you take your test.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sakura thought for sure this guy was crazy. Sasuke was thunderously mad. And Sai walked silently behind them, all emotion scrubbed from his face.<\/p>\n

The training fields were expansive and empty. The afternoon sun drove most nins inside. Not them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Kakashi turned to them, serious again. \u201cThis test is about teamwork.\u201d He flicked two bells at his waistband. \u201cYou must retrieve these bells. One per student. Before sundown. That\u2019s all. Off you go\u2014\u201d He bent his knees to lunge into a flash step, fingers raised in front of him.<\/p>\n

Neither Sasuke nor Sai spoke, so Sakura spoke up quickly, pointing out the obvious. \u201cWait! Kakashi-sensei, there are only two bells. Does that mean, only two teammates can get them, or\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sasuke smirked meanly at her. Kakashi smiled. \u201cThat\u2019s right Sakura. Very quick observation. Yes. Only two students will pass. The other will be sent back to the academy. Good luck!\u201d Then he was gone.<\/p>\n

Sasuke laughed. \u201cWell, I guess we know who\u2019s going back. Not me and certainly not the robot over there.\u201d Sai\u2019s face was blank. Sasuke smirked. \u201cGood luck. I\u2019m going to get my bell!\u201d<\/p>\n

Sai watched him leave then worked out the odds on his fingertips. \u201cOur task has been set before us\u2014\u201c Then he leapt to the canopy too, going the opposite direction.<\/p>\n

Sakura was alone. She stood still, thinking. The test was about teamwork. Yet there was only one bell. She started to walk toward the treeline, processing it all in her mind.<\/p>\n

That meant either two passed and moved ahead, knowing one was going to be sent back to academy, or they all failed. Sakura rattled through her options, just like the newcomer had, but there was no solution. Every scenario had one or all of them going back. There was no way to get the bell and keep the team intact\u2014<\/p>\n

A soft pop sounded up the trail in front of her, startling her. It was Sasuke\u2026 or was it? Maybe it was a clone\u2026. They\u2019d seen demonstrations, but she didn\u2019t think anyone in her class could make them. Yet. But Sasuke was so far ahead of everyone else, maybe he\u2019d done this as well\u2014<\/p>\n

\u201cSakura, help me\u2014\u201c He slumped toward her. Knife handles stuck out of his back at all angles. He looked up into her face again, pleading. His eyes were crazed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It was shocking and almost tragic to see someone so confident cut down so soon into their first trial. He cried her name again for help, and she instantly forgot all her anger towards him.<\/p>\n

\u201cSa-Sasuke-kun\u2014\u201d She reached out instinctively to help him. He fell forward, collapsing into her outstretched arms. One hand, however was curling around behind him, pulling a dagger out of his back.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSakura,\u201d his voice morphed deeper, \u201cSakura\u2026.\u201d He was getting heavier, holding her arm tighter. His eyes were spinning. \u201cWhat\u2019s the matter\u2026?\u201d His mouth was a wide gash with teeth as pointy as the kunai that he was pulling around, brandishing up at her. He laughed maniacally. \u201cCan\u2019t defend yourself? Afraid I\u2019ll tell?\u201d<\/p>\n

Sakura screamed and struggle against him. \u201cSasuke, no!!\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Panicking, she completely forgot her academy training. She didn\u2019t grab her kunai to block him. She didn\u2019t engage in taijutsu to disable him. She didn\u2019t scan her surroundings to outrun him.<\/p>\n

She shut her eyes, pushed back and swung blindly at his face. By sheer luck she clobbered him on the head. It was all reflex.<\/p>\n

His jaw cracked and his body toppled over, knocking her backwards to the forest floor and slamming her head against a fallen limb\u2014<\/p>\n

Sasuke\u2019s body disappeared in a poof. Sakura was alone, unmoving in a pile of leaves.<\/p>\n

A shadowy figure stepped from behind the tree. He still held his book open with his thumb, but it was forgotten. This girl\u2026. She was surprising\u2026.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Kakashi relied on his instincts for most things. And they were usually right.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But only time would tell if he\u2019d made the right choice picking her for Team 7. At the moment, it didn\u2019t look so promising. Genjutsu strippped away your soul, laying bare your innermost fears to prey on you. So what stopped her then? Could she really not defend herself? Or was it the crush on her teammate that held her back? Perhaps that was the only reason she\u2019d gotten this far\u2026.<\/p>\n

Well, time would tell,<\/i> he laughed softly to himself. After this, however, he\u2019d be surprised if she showed up again\u2014\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sakura groaned, moved a leg and raised a hand slowly to the back of her head. Kakashi held up two fingers and flash-stepped soundlessly to his next \u2018victim.\u2019<\/p>\n

Remembering everything suddenly, Sakura jumped up out of the leaves, grabbed her kunai and swung it around her. But she was alone. She winced at the knot growing at the back of her head, and the giant scrape up the back of her calf. The dress and low shoes she\u2019d always worn for class were poorly suited to running through the woods. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously\u2026. If these woods were even real\u2026.<\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cKai,\u201d she said softly, repeating the one genjutsu technique she\u2019d read about in class. They\u2019d never practiced it. They\u2019d never needed to. \u201cKai,\u201d she nervously said again, looking around. Nothing changed.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

She decided it must be real. And the pain radiating from the back of her head and her leg were also very real.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At least no one saw this embarrassing test, which it clearly was. She had probably walked right into a trap. It made her feel terrible, like some part of her had been exposed.<\/p>\n

There was another blood-curdling scream from far off in the woods. That one really sounded like Sasuke. But it might be another trap. Sakura looked around warily. She walked slowly, kunai out in front of her, scouring for assailants. The purpose of the test was forgotten.<\/p>\n

She walked for hours more, searching through the trees for anyone, for more traps or scares. But she never saw any. At one point, when the sun was coming in long slants through the trunks, there was another cry. It was higher, unfamiliar sounding. Must have been the new guy, Sid\u2026Sam\u2026Sad\u2026.?\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Ropes of black vine-looking things fell from the branches. She approached the leaves where they fell, but whatever it had been had turned to black spatters all over the leaves.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

She picked up a leaf, examining the fat drop of black that was oozing off the bottom. Not blood. <\/i>She touched the substance, rolled it between her thumb and forefinger, smelling it. Paint?<\/i><\/p>\n

She put the leaf quietly back down on the ground and crept away, not wanting to get caught up by whatever had snared what\u2019s-his-name.<\/p>\n

The sun had just dipped below the horizon when Sakura came out of the woods. She hadn\u2019t completed the test, but she had no light. It was too dangerous to stay longer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

She walked out to the field to see Kakashi standing there, leaning against a target post. The two black-haired boys were sitting, sweaty and tired, but not as dirty and bloodied as she was.<\/p>\n

Both of them had bells.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd there\u2019s the third!\u201d Kakashi snapped his book shut, looking fresh and relaxed. \u201cAlright, as you can see, the bell test is now over. So let\u2019s go over where everyone went wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kakashi pulled out a long strip of paper and began reading from one side.<\/p>\n

\u201cSasuke\u2026. You fell for the trap in the tree hollow in the forest course, but evaded the paper tags and sleeping darts. So, you got points for those. But you let the genjutsu of Itachi distract you from your purpose and ultimately caused your \u2018death.\u2019 Or so you thought.\u201d He looked up at Sasuke, peering over the paper, voice suddenly stern. \u201cIt was an easy genjutsu. You should have seen through it immediately. But your anger blinded you to the obvious.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sasuke jutted his chin out. The bell jangled in his hand.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Kakashi looked down the page. \u201cSai\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSai!\u201d Sakura exclaimed, suddenly remembering his name.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d Kakashi was confused.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sakura shook her head. \u201cNothing. Please continue.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSai\u2026. You avoided all the traps in the canopy course, as expected. And you laid an excellent network of realistic things to communicate back what was around you. However, you neglected to take into account that someone like me<\/i> can tell the difference between a live creature and a re-animated one. So, instead of being a concealment it turned into a dead giveaway.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sai said nothing. He didn\u2019t turn away. He stood emotionless and accepted his fate.<\/p>\n

Kakashi shifted his gaze to Sakura. He turned the paper over. The notes on her took up the whole back side.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSakura, Sakura,\u201d he began with a sigh. Sasuke snickered once. \u201cSo, to start, you entered into the forest distracted. You followed the path\u2014\u201d he flicked a cold gaze at her. \u201cAlways the most dangerous route for a shinobi.\u201d He looked back to the list. \u201cThen you went for a stroll, managed to miss the paper tags, the fallen tree trap and the sunken pit\u2026.\u201d He flicked another gaze at her surprised face \u2014 \u201calthough I think that was completely by accident\u201d \u2014 then back down again. \u201cAh yes, and then it all went wrong when you fell for the genjutsu of Sasuke-kun<\/i>.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sakura blushed deeply and looked away, mortified. Sasuke made a noise of disgust.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd then, distracted by your crush, you couldn\u2019t fight back\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n

Kakashi was going to leave it there, but seeing Sasuke\u2019s scorn, he added, \u201cproperly.<\/i>\u201d Sakura didn\u2019t fight back at all. And that was a problem. But she didn\u2019t need that added to her burden. It was going to be sizable enough.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd touching, smelling,<\/i> an unknown substance when enemy nins are around? It\u2019s certain death. Any number of poisons take the form of ink as a disguise\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n

\u201cInk?\u201d Sakura repeated, shocked. \u201cHow was I supposed to know\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n

Kakashi scanned the rest of the list and sighed again. \u201cAnyway, there\u2019s more. But it doesn\u2019t matter. You all failed.<\/i> Report back to academy tomorrow\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?!\u201d Sasuke was outraged, shaking the bell in his fist. Even Sai was standing, looking sharp. \u201cWe passed the test! We got the bells! Send her<\/i> back,\u201d Sasuke pointed savagely at Sakura. \u201cShe\u2019s the one who failed. She couldn\u2019t even find you! We made it past the traps, survived your attacks, and both got a bell. All on our own! We<\/i> passed!\u201d<\/p>\n

Kakashi was thoughtful. \u201cYes, I suppose your sleep genjutsu was a notch above a beginner level sharingan jutsu, and Sai\u2019s ink spiders were deft in removing the bell without a sound\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n

Sasuke was livid, on the edge of exploding. Even so much that disrespecting a teacher, captain and feared ninja in his own right might be a good idea.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe for you,\u201d he snarled, \u201cbut if you had managed to steal two<\/i> sharingans instead of just one then you might have seen it coming\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n

Sakura gasped. Sai\u2019s alert look fixed on Sasuke. Kakashi merely tipped his head and considered the young man for a moment.<\/p>\n

Sakura broke the tension, her nervous thoughts spilling out in a tumble to defuse the situation. \u201cI-I don\u2019t understand\u2026. If there were only two bells, how were we ever supposed to succeed? We were never going to pass as a \u2018team.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Sasuke turned to her, vicious. \u201cYou figured that out, finally? You<\/i> were never going to pass. We<\/i> were. What can you do that we can\u2019t\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n

Sakura fired back, anger rising. \u201cI don\u2019t know what he<\/i> does,\u201d she pointed at Sai. \u201cAnd neither do you! I couldn\u2019t even remember his name!\u201d<\/p>\n

Sasuke scoffed. Kakashi looked flat. This honesty did not impress him.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow were we supposed to pass\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n

Sasuke got in her face. \u201cYou<\/i> were never supposed to\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n

\u201cBut Konoha\u2019s structure is a three-man cell. Not two man\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTwo bells, that means he failed you before you began, Sakura\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n

\u201cEnough!\u201d Kakashi\u2019s angry voice startled them into silence. \u201cYou all failed the bell test,\u201d he said coldly. \u201cReport to Iruka tomorrow morning. You will be repeating your last year until you get it right.\u201d<\/p>\n

He turned, shoving the book in his back pocket and started walking away.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As soon as Kakashi was out of earshot, Sasuke rounded on Sakura. \u201cWhy did you even have to come out here and ruin it for me? Everyone knows you can\u2019t use chakra! And if he\u2019s so smart,\u201d he thumbed at the white-haired nin stalking across the open field, \u201cwhy did he even pick you?!\u201d<\/p>\n

Sakura ignored him, making him even angrier.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou should\u2019ve never made it this far,\u201d Sasuke went on, getting closer to her face. \u201cBut you were just\u2026there<\/i>. The last one one in the room\u2014 No one wanted you for their team. He<\/i> didn\u2019t even want you, but he had to take you to make it three\u2014 And now you\u2019ve ruined it for all of us!!\u201d<\/p>\n

Sakura ignored him, shutting his voice out, even as he closed in. She was replaying Kakashi\u2019s words.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The bell test. They failed. They failed a test they could never pass. Then maybe\u2026. Maybe that wasn\u2019t the right test\u2026.<\/i><\/p>\n

What did he say, at the beginning\u2026.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

She looked down, wracking her brain to remember. Sasuke\u2019s angry face was directly in front of hers, but she didn\u2019t hear him.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Something was wrong about all this\u2026. The bells, the bells\u2026.<\/i><\/p>\n

She popped her head up suddenly, eyes shining with the answer. Startled, Sasuke pulled back.<\/p>\n

The bells!\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

The bells were a lie!<\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cI figured it out,\u201d she breathed. \u201cWait,\u201d she yelled. \u201cI figured it out!\u201d She dashed around Sasuke and took off after the lanky white-haired nin. If he heard her, he didn\u2019t stop.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sasuke cursed, \u201cWhat are you doing\u2014\u201c But he ran after her anyway.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Kakashi was already halfway was across the pitch. She sprinted after him, calling his name, then came to a stop, heaving. The pain at her calf was forgotten. The two boys followed close behind, panting too.<\/p>\n

Kakashi turned finally but didn\u2019t say a word.<\/p>\n

\u201cKa-Ka\u2014\u201c She gulped in air. \u201cKakashi-sensei, I figured it out.\u201d His face was a stern mask, but she wasn\u2019t afraid. \u201cWe took the wrong test. That\u2019s why we failed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cContinue,\u201d he said quietly.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou told us, at the very beginning, the test was about teamwork. But you called it \u201cThe Bell Test.\u201d We\u2019d even heard about it, in academy. Iruka-sensei told us how hard it would be. But, the bells\u2026are a lie.\u201d Sasuke tried to laugh, but it came out sounding uncertain. \u201cWe could never pass the bell test because there was never a way to get the bells and remain a team. And you said from the beginning the test was about how we worked together as a team. But we failed completely. We were never a team. Not once.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sasuke stared at her in disbelief, then at Kakashi, then back again. Sai was watching them both as well.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Only Kakashi seem unmoved by this fanciful theory, until his face cracked into a wide grin. He leaned over, grabbing Sakura\u2019s shoulder and shaking it. \u201cGood job Haruno! Always surprising us! You figured out the first lesson of Team Kakashi! Never forget to look \u2018underneath<\/i> the underneath<\/i>!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Sakura was confused, as were the others. But Kakashi was laughing, so they laughed along nervously too.<\/p>\n

Kakashi turned to leave again. \u201cSee you tomorrow. Same spot. Same time.\u201d His gleeful voice carried over his shoulder. \u201cWe\u2019ve got some more team-building exercises to do!\u201d Then he waved his hand once in farewell and was gone in a pop.<\/p>\n

They stood alone on the pitch, blinking at the empty space. Dark shadows stretched across the grass.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sakura had a moment to take in her victory. For all their power, those two couldn\u2019t figure out Kakashi\u2019s trick. But she did. She proved that she had what it took, when it counted\u2014<\/p>\n

Sai said nothing, his face an emotionless mask. Whether he was grateful or angry, she did not know. He just turned and left.<\/p>\n

Sasuke looked across at Sakura. There were no thanks, no kind words. Nothing. He stared at her, his mouth fixed in a flat line. Finally when he spoke, there was a challenge in his voice.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo you figured out his stupid trick. It doesn\u2019t matter. You still don\u2019t belong here. This isn\u2019t your world.\u201d<\/p>\n

She shook her head, but he didn\u2019t stop.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not a shinobi, you\u2019re just a civilian. Everybody knows it. Even he<\/i> knows it.\u201d Sasuke thumbed in the direction Kakashi disappeared. \u201cKakashi picked you cause you\u2019re an oddball. Cause you don\u2019t fit in\u2014<\/p>\n

\u201cME!?<\/i>\u201d she shrieked. \u201cYou and Sai don\u2019t fit in! You both are the weird ones! I\u2019m the normal<\/i> one! I come from a normal home, I have a normal family and\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n

She stopped suddenly. Wounded shock flickered over Sasuke\u2019s face before his features settled back into dark defensiveness.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

She realized how it sounded. Sakura didn\u2019t mean to be cruel. Even to him.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

She took a breath. \u201cBesides, I\u2019m not the only one in class who doesn\u2019t know what their background is. There\u2019s Lee, and he\u2019s not\u2026weird\u2026.\u201d Her voice thinned. She looked down. \u201cWell\u2026.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Lee was a little\u2026intense, what with his green jumpsuit, orange leg warmers and overzealous dedication to bettering himself.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, so maybe Lee is a little weird.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sasuke scoffed, and Sakura was just thinking that at least they agreed on something\u2014<\/p>\n

But anger still simmered in Sasuke\u2019s eyes. \u201cIf I were you,\u201d he said quietly, \u201cI wouldn\u2019t come back tomorrow. You were lucky today. But your luck will run out.\u201d He pointed at her, delivering it like a command, \u201cGive up now, before you get yourself killed\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n

All of Sakura\u2019s pent-up frustration and self doubt boiled over. She unleashed it in one explosive yell. \u201cI\u2019m not giving up!\u201d Shocked, Sasuke shut his mouth. \u201cI\u2019m not ever giving up!!<\/i>\u201d<\/p>\n

Her voice echoed off the trees. She was glad to hear it come back to her. Even if she didn\u2019t come from a \u201cclan\u201d like all the rest or have good teammates or even ninja parents to tell her to keep going, then she\u2019d just tell it to herself.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Even if it all went wrong, even if she made all bad choices, she was not backing down. She would keep going, no matter what. She wanted this life, all of it. Enough to fight for it.<\/p>\n

She panted, fists at her side, daring Sasuke to fight her.<\/p>\n

Finally, as if he\u2019d worn himself out from fighting everything around him, Sasuke backed down. He looked again like the sullen school boy she\u2019d always seen him as. \u201cWhatever,\u201d he muttered, and turned to go.<\/p>\n

The shadowy figure lurking within earshot at the edge of the field, smiled at this development. Jamming his hands in his pockets, Kakashi strode off, whistling into the cool night air. He knew he\u2019d made the right choice when he picked her.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To be continued\u2026.<\/i><\/p>\n

\n\n\t<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

They stopped for a few hours overnight, taking refuge inside a crevice that slashed down a sandstone monolith. Tired to her bones, Sakura sat down hard on the cold desert floor. She let her head fall back against the rock wall.\u00a0 Barely visibly beyond the top of the fissure, the night sky was reduced to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3621","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-a-voice-in-the-wind","has-post-title","has-post-date","has-post-category","has-post-tag","has-post-comment","has-post-author"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5hctF-Wp","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swirlingpetals.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3621","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swirlingpetals.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swirlingpetals.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swirlingpetals.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swirlingpetals.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3621"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/swirlingpetals.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3621\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3636,"href":"https:\/\/swirlingpetals.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3621\/revisions\/3636"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swirlingpetals.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3621"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swirlingpetals.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3621"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swirlingpetals.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3621"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}