Shinobi (Sequel to Otokage)

By Your Brother.

Jiraiya blinked as he gave an impressed whistle.

"These gates look pretty scary." he said.

"Gates? Gates?!" Naruto cried, pointing down the road behind him, "Did you see all those owls with their big stupid eyes? They were gonna kill us, dattebayo!"

It was at Naruto's constant insistence that they cut their leisure time to hurry over and place their first training spot near Otogakure. He wanted to see Sakura again and spend as much time with her as possible before he became Hokage. He glanced down at his kunai holster and at the old red hitai-ate tied around it.

"They're just birds, gaki."

"Who were lookin' at us like we were the next to die."

Naruto huffed and strode over to the gates. He stumbled over his own feet when two Akatsuki members, as well as Ino, Shikamaru, and Shino, walked through. His jaw dropped at the ridiculous collection of shinobi.

"Naruto!" Ino exclaimed, "What are you doing here? I thought you went to train."

"I came to see Sakura-chan... Why're all you guys together? You're a weird looking group, you know."

Shikamaru opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted a loud explosion of fire to the side of them. It was followed by the sound of breaking ground and the familiar battle cry of 'SHANNARO!!'. He sighed.

"We're here because Sasuke wouldn't stop being so troublesome."

::

Everyone who knew about the fight wanted to see it. Kisame left Takenaka Suzume's, the ANBU Director's, office and was about to bee-line towards the training grounds. But before he went, Itachi inevitably came to mind and he hurried over to the hospital instead. He took the stairs to the pediatric floor, spotting Hidan and Itachi conversing at the nurse's station.

"Itachi-san, have you taken your break yet?"

He turned to Kisame curiously.

"No. Why?"

There was a burst of fire outside the village walls. Everyone took a glance at it before continuing on with their work. The citizens of Otogakure were so accustomed to their Kage's intense training regime and sparring sessions that if there was any commotion at that specific part of the village, they'd chalk it up to being one of those days.

"She's training during the week?" Hidan mused, "Why? Someone piss her off or something?"

"She was challenged yesterday."

Kisame looked back to Itachi.

"By your brother."

::

Tobi sat on the high cement wall as he watched the battle in the distance. He was by himself, allowing him to observe with greater interest using his sharingan. Sasuke's sword was out and crackling with  lightning as he slashed at Sakura with every intent to kill. She dodged each slice of the blade before slamming her heel into the ground, stone spikes coming up and puncturing every place Sasuke stepped on.

He winced when Sakura managed to appear an inch or two in front of her opponent, brought her fist back, then clocked him in the chest. Sasuke collided with several trees until he shunshinned above her.

Sasuke was good. Very good. He fought with a touch of Orochimaru in him that he didn't think the younger knew he had. But Tobi found himself at a biased judgement with Sakura. When she trained, she trained herself to the brink of physical and mental exhaustion for the entirety of a twenty-four hour period, which was the reason why she trained only once every two weeks.

She would be alone most days to personally improve strength and speed. With her owls, she'd blindfold herself and ask them to come at her as quickly as they could. Every owl she blocked was a point for her, and every hit she endured was an injury she wouldn't heal until the end of the session as well as something that would reset her score.

If she was on schedule for a spar, it would be with either Kisame or Kakuzu. All fights were full power. It took Sakura a few years to actually start to win.

The way Sakura trained herself was like something he'd never seen before. She pushed herself to become a kunoichi-- no-- a shinobi that the whole village would look up to without question. To him, she already achieved it quite some time ago. And looking at the fight now, he firmly believed Sasuke was at a grave disadvantage. He might have trained hard, but it was fueled by raw hate; a poison. Sakura's feelings behind her actions were nothing like his, making her will stronger that his would ever be.

Tobi saw something begin to spread on Sasuke's skin. The curse mark. Sakura pulled out a slip of paper from her belt. In one fluid motion, she flipped over his shoulder and pressed said paper on the seal, stopping the transformation and forcing it back into the three comas is came from. Sasuke spun around angrily.

"Where did you get that seal?" he  demanded. He aimed several flaming projectiles in her direction to which she responded with a simple substitution. She reappeared at his side and struck at him with chakra scalpels.

"Why are you relying on a power that you never earned for yourself?" Sakura countered. She used a kunai to block the sword that came down on her. Tobi exhaled. Sasuke was lucky Sakura wouldn't waste her Yin seal on him. Had she released it, the only chance he had to take her on was by unlocking his mangekyo.

"You've got a fucking great view. I don't know why everyone else decided to stay down there."

He looked at Hidan, who had taken a seat beside him.

"So Itachi-senpai did come."

"Yep. His dumbass little bro decides to come a... nd...?"

Hidan's words slowed down as he squinted his eyes to peer at the other man closer. Tobi cocked his head. Was there something wrong? Was there something on his face?

"Wh--"

"You're a motherfucking Uchiha?!"

::

Age List (canon differences):

Sakura, along with the rest of Konoha Twelve: 24

Deidara: 26

Itachi: 29  

Kabuto, Hidan: 30

Tobi, Kakashi: 37  

Kisame, Kurenai: 39

Sasori, Konan, Nagato: 43

Jiraiya, Tsunade: 61  

Kakuzu: 99