Sakura Petals

Silent Goodbyes

Another AN at the bottom, super important about the future of the stories, please read.

It was a sad, rainy day as the whole village was attending the Third's funeral. Everyone was given a rose to place on top of his grave. As I set the rose down, I said a quick prayer, before making my way back.

I never really knew the Third, only having met him a handful of times during big events like the Academy orientation and graduation, things like that.

So I can't really say that I was heart broken at the news of his passing. It was a sad day, yes. But I wasn't destroyed like some of the other ninja were who have actually served under his reign. I watched as Tsunade remained at the Thirds' grave for an extra second longer than everyone else.

I felt a pang hit my chest at the look on her face, a look full of sorrow. I couldn't help but think that this was how a relationship between teacher and student should be. This was something I couldn't even imagine considering who my sensei was, Kakashi-sensei and I will never be as close as Tsunade and the Third were.

Even Ibiki was more of a real sensei for me in the one month he trained me than the six months Kakashi pretended to.

But, there was a chance I could really have that kind of relationship, between teacher and student, mentor and apprentice, a master and her pupil.

Tsunade offered me something that I couldn't even imagine.

It was something that had been plaguing my mind ever since my first meeting with the Slug Princess. She had mentioned something about taking a leave of absence for a certain amount of time with the permission of the Hokage. It was something I had been thinking about before she had even mentioned it.

Leaving team 7.

We were taught in the academy that our first Genin team will be like a family. A group of people like me who will go through our first challenges and hardships together and lean on one another for support.

To have a comradery that would never be broken. Thick and thin, we'd stand by each other's side.

That's how it was supposed to be.

Team 7 couldn't have been more of the opposite.

In a certain way, we all kind of hated each other. Sasuke and Naruto may be best friends, but they way  they sometimes act while trying to out do the other made it seem more like a love/hate relationship, a rivalry that would never be settled.

Sasuke and I have always had a rock relationship, especially because I used to have a crush on him until the incident in the forest of death and he pretty much told me to get lost. It got better after he apologized, and it's only getting better from there. Slowly but surely.

Naruto, was almost the exact opposite. I remember in the academy he had a crush on me, after we got put on a team together he always stepped in to protect me. I think is was then where he started to see me as nothing but a weak civilian girl that had no right to even be here.

Not to mention the amount of times he put me down after we became a team, and the countless times we've also argued. It almost seemed like there was no going back for the either of us.

I don't think I'd ever be able to see him as a team mate. Sure we managed to work together against our fight with Gaara, but still.

There might be a chance we could work together again if they both overlook all the walls they've build between us. To look beyond statuses and names, or who our parents are.

But until they can, our team will never work out, and I may never get the chance to call them teammates or comrades, just coworkers.

Yes, a separation from them for a while will do us all some good.