Space to Breathe - [ Sakura Haruno ]

CHAPTER 03

Sakura was tired by the time Ibiki finished explaining her new schedule. It had gotten dark outside, and the wind had begun to pick up alongside a heavy downpour of rain.

"I didn't bring a jacket or anything," Sakura complained as she reached the front door of the T&I headquarters, "I guess I'm about to get soaked."

With a loud sigh, causing the receptionist to lift his head from his nap and glare at her, she stepped outside and began to walk.

She didn't hurry, though. She could have, but by the time she was home she'd be soaked either way. At least this way she got to enjoy the sound of the rain in peace without her nagging mother.

It took around half an hour to reach her house, being more central than the T&I headquarters. She was soaked to the bone, and let out a soft, relieved huff of air when she entered her warm home.

"I should re-evaluate what I wear to training," she muttered to herself, causing a loud laugh to come from further in the house.

"You really should," her father Kizashi, the only other shinobi in her family, shouted back. "Your dress is pretty, but not very practical."

"Hey!" She called back, a pout already on her lips, "it has pockets!"

Kizashi, her father, laughed again at that and smiled as Sakura entered the living room, a thick blanket covered his legs as he read through some paperwork.

Sakura sat beside him, trying to catch a peak at what he was working on

Her father was what most called a 'paper nin', a shinobi who works primarily inside the village doing jobs like administration and archival work.

He had used to be a Ninjutsu specialist, but by the time the third war ended, he'd sustained a career ending injury to his chakra coils.

He could still use Justu, but his chakra capacity was practically cut down to below average genin levels.

"What did you get up to in training today, Sakura?" Kizashi asked, causing her to almost fall into her usual rant about Kakashi's nonexistent teaching skills.

But today was different, and she smiled wide.

"I got a new sensei, actually!" She exclaimed, and went into every single detail of her meeting with Ibiki.

If Kizashi's smile became strained upon hearing Ibiki's name, nobody had to know.

"What are you working on, anyways?" She asked, causing Kizashi to lighten up a bit.

"Oh, I'm part of the team responsible for the foreign Shinobi's paperwork for the Chunin Exams," he explained, "so you definitely can't see."

Sakura puffed a breath at being caught before leaning slightly on her father, "where's kaa-san?"

"She left this morning, remember?" Her father replied, "she's on a trip to The Land of Grass."

Sakura nodded with a small smile, remembering. It wasn't that she hated her mother, but she definitely didn't approve of Sakura's choice of career path and that annoyed the girl to no end.

"Anyway, Sakura," Kizashi spoke up a bit, "you need to go have a bath, and then get to bed."

"Okay, Tou-san." She droned, rolling her eyes. "I'm not a little kid anymore."

                                 
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The next morning, Sakura woke slowly, rubbing at her eyes and mumbling to herself.

It was only when she heard the heavy rain bashing down on her window that she woke up fully, taking in the outdoors.

It was wet. Wetter than she'd seen in quite a while, and certainly not the weather she'd want to wear her dress and shorts in.