Sakura Blooms! [COMPLETED]

Chapter 26: C-Ranked Mission?! (FINALLY!)

Sakura pov

When I got home, I got dressed, brushed my teeth, read a book about medicinal plants for 30 minutes, then snuggled under the covers. Just when I was about to fall asleep, I started coughing. I was hacking up blood onto my covers, staining the light grey comforter. Dammit! Not again! Where's the medication? Sakura! Can you hear me?

"Dammit Inner... We forgot to get some more from Rei-chan!" You idiot! How could you forget something like that?

"I'll just go tomorrow, before we meet up with Team 7." I talked aloud to Inner. Then I sighed, threw the covers off, and put them in the washer. I got some new ones, and snuggled into bed a second time. Although this time, I fell asleep without a problem...

~~~~~~~~~This is a dream~~~~~~~~~

"SASUKE!!" I saw senbon needles stuck in his body, in his neck, chesty, arms, legs... He looked like a pincushion!

"Why...why would you do that? I didn't ask for you to save me! So why?"

"I-I don't exactly know...my body just moved on its own.." With that he fell forward, and I dashed to catch him.

~~~~~~~End of Nightmare/dream~~~~~~

I jolted forward. I was in cold sweat, still thinking about that nightmare... After that, I couldn't sleep very well. I kept waking up, then falling back to sleep, then waking up, etc.

One time when she woke up, Inner asked, "When are you planning to tell them? Pulmonary hemorrhage is a serious thing.."

"I don't know when.." I whispered. At that time, it was already 5:41 so she decided to take shower, go grocery shopping, pick up some pastries from the cafe, and drop her groceries at the house. By then it was already 6:57, and her team was to meet at the Hokage tower at 7:15 to get a mission.

"I guess I'll have to jump on roofs, then!" I said as a jumped onto my apartment roof and starting running. It was 7:06 by the time I got to the hospital. I waltzed in and ignored the glares I got from the nurses and patients. I was used to it, this was an everyday thing.

A nurse with green hair came up to me and asked kindly, "What can I do for you Sakura-chan?"

"Rei-chan! I need some more...ya know, medicine." She looked at me sadly. Rei was one of the few that knew about my illness. She had helped me a lot since the 6 months I was diagnosed. The kind nurse gave me my medicine, and I paid with my money. I walked out and before opening the door and waved. Then I opened the door and turned around.

Bang!

Crash!

"I-Itachi?"

"Oh, Sakura! What are you doing here?"

"I was getting some medicine from the hospital's pharmacy, you?"

"I was about to do the same thing, until you walked right into me."

I had an irk mark and I yelled, "You should watch where you're going, Weasel!" Then I stuck my nose in the air and stormed away. I checked my watch. It was 7:13! I used a little bit of chakra to boost my speed and I made my way to the Hokage tower with a minute to spare, my medicine in my hand.

Naruto and Sasuke were in the Hokage's office, waiting impatiently for Kakashi and I. I made eye contact with Naruto and Sasuke and I nodded to them in a greeting.

"Ne Sakura-chan! What's in the bag? Medicine, right? I didn't think you needed medicine?" Naruto said, as nosy as ever.

"It's nothing, just some supplies for food pills. There's a recipe I wanted to try." I lied smoothly and both Naruo and Sakuke believed me. Minato looked at me sadly. Naruto opened his mouth to say something, most likely about ramen, but just then, Kakashi popped up out of nowhere with smoke.

He gave us closes-eye smile and said, "Yo." Kakashi was still reading his book. I quickly shoved my medicine in my pouch.

"Ne, Kakashi! You're on time!" I exclaimed.

Minato cleared his throat, getting our attention. "What mission would you like? There's walking dogs, painting a fence, babysitting, o--"

"Minato-san! Why can't we have a cool mission! Like, with fighting and action!" I asked as I punched and kicked the air.

"Sakura. You're all still genin, and fresh out of the Academy! A C-ranked mission is too dangerous."

"Aww c'mon, Minato-san! Please, please, please, please, please!?"

I kept begging and begging until he finally said, "Alright! I'm going to give you a C-ranked mission. Your job is to--"

"Oh, oh! Are we gonna escort a handsome prince? Oh! Or-"

"Sakura. Be. Quiet." Sasuke said, glaring at me. I stuck my tongue out at him.

Minato took this as his chance to speak. "You'll be escorting Tazuna, a bridge builder, who is from the Land of the Waves." He called out, "Bring Tazuna in."

An old grandpa waltzed in, stumbling here and there, with a sake bottle in his hand. "These brats are going to escort me? Emo boy looks like he's pathetic! Look at blondie, he has a stupid look on his face! We all looked at him, he was dreaming about ramen. That made me drool, just thinking about Ichiraku. Their miso base, the pork, and the delicious noodles. "And now that midget pinkie here is drooling and looks like she couldn't hurt a fly!" He said in disbelief.

I looked at my teammates and I was this so-called midget. "Hey!" I yelled. I started to make my way towards the old man. "I'm not a midget! Just wait and you'll see! I'm gonna be the greatest kunoichi in the Leaf!"

Everyone sweat dropped as Kakashi was holding me up by the scruff of my neck, while I was still struggling. Then Naruto said, "Yeah! I think Sakura will become a strong kunoichi! And I'll become Hokage! I'll be even greater than Dad! No offense."

Kakashi sighed and put me down. I poured at them and turned to Minato. "When do we leave?"

Kakashi said lazily, "We leave in two hours. Meet at the gates."

"Alright! I yelled. Then I performed a few handsigns and I poofed away, leaving my signature blossoms. I appeared outside and started walking to my apartment. On the way, kids avoided me on the streets, people sent dirty glares, and a couple even spit on me. So you know what day it is? Inner asked me. Did I really forget something? It's the anniversary of the nine tails' attack, a.k.a. your birthday! Oh yeah... That's why the people are more vicious than lately. Well, since it was my birthday, I decided to spend some money to treat myself. I went into the clothing store and bought a red top, with my Haruno circle on the back, I bought a pair of new sandals that were black, and I bought some new fingerless gloves. I went to the ninja tool store and bought some shuriken and kunai. I saw some really cool looking kunai and was inspecting them when s man entered the shop.

I looked at him. He looked at me and said, "You're the demon fox brat! You killed my parents!" He cracked his knuckles and I stiffened. The villagers had pushed and shoved me, maybe even kicked me. But never punch me. I grabbed my bags and teleported outside. Then I started sprinting to my parents' graves. No one followed me.