Zaman

Chapter 14

A/N: This chapter was beta-read by RedFeather2044 on Fanfiction.net. Thank you so much for your careful editing!

It was only after Sakura arrived at her house that she realized she never actually told Sasuke where she lived. She then remembered, though, how Sasuke had walked her home after their first practice and her worries were alleviated.

Sakura was well aware of Sasuke's intelligence when it came to everything, really. Though she was more booksmart than him, and often surpassed him when it came to written tests and conceptual assessments, Sasuke was far from ignorant. He believed in being a well-rounded shinobi, relying on intelligence and physical strength. It was a very effective philosophy, and contributed to his prowess on the battlefield. In her previous life, Sasuke had forsaken some of his academic drive in order to obtain raw power and Sakura liked to think that it contributed to his convoluted sense of morals at the end of his brief life.

Grabbing paper from her father's office, Sakura began to jot down test questions. Though she wished she had a good anatomy book for reference, her memory of the human body was impeccable, and would more than suffice in this situation. And although she wanted to make the questions difficult enough to stump Sasuke and put him in his place for a little bit, she knew that she had to assume to position of a teacher, not a petty teammate. Yet again, Sakura was reminded why she should never be the sensei of a genin team.

Finally, Sakura finished drafting the test. She glanced over it, making sure that her handwriting was perfectly legible and that each diagram was drawn with the precision necessary to assess the human body. Smiling to herself, she took pride in her sketches of the chakra system. They almost perfectly resembled the diagrams found in texts. Now, all she had to do was wait for Sasuke.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Sasuke knocked on Sakura's door, politely resisting the urge to enter through the seemingly defenseless windows. Windows that certainly should be reinforced with booby-traps, given that Sakura was a ninja. Sasuke had set traps and alarms all throughout the Uchiha complex. Since he was living on such a sprawling piece of land alone, it was of utmost importance that he make sure he was safe. And even though he knew that Itachi would never be caught by simple booby-traps, he was able to trick himself into a false sense of security.

Sakura opened the door, already exuding her typical enthusiasm. Though Sasuke found her surprisingly jaded for a preteen girl–especially one with so little real-world experience–he had come to appreciate some of her optimism. Of course, it didn't reach the ludicrous levels of Naruto's demeanor, but coupled with well-deserved cynicism, Sakura's personality was quite conducive to a good ninja.

"So, did you write the test?" Sasuke started, waiting for Sakura to invite him into her house.

"Of course." Sakura's smile was slightly mischievous. "Come on in. You can take my little test on the table."

Sasuke made his way through the doorway, taking his shoes off in the front hallway. There were family photos covering both of the walls; photos of Sakura's parents' wedding, pictures of Sakura as a baby, happy family photos, and some worn, black-and-white photos of what Sasuke could only assume were Sakura's grandparents. It was a perfect family house, and where Sasuke expected to feel anger, he only felt emptiness.

Sakura slapped the test down on the table. "You have thirty minutes to complete this," she announced. "It contains all the anatomy you need to know in order to start learning medical ninjutsu. It's in no way everything you'll need to know in order to heal someone."