Part 53

                                    

                                          
A petite looking girl walked through the streets of Iwagakure. Her bag slipping every so often from her shoulder before she'd shrug it back on with an annoyed expression.
                          
The Pinkette had gotten through the guards guarding the gates easily enough once she revealed the letter she had received from her sensei.
                          
'Sensei...' Sakura thought sadly as his masked face flashed before her eyes.
                          
Sakura looked down at the ground, trying her hardest not to let the tears leak from her eyes again. She'd cried almost the whole to Iwa and physically didn't have any more tears to cry but still they threatened to fall.
                          
Shaking her head, Sakura looked up at the Tsuchikage building with determination.
                          
She needed to become stronger if she ever hoped to achieve the many goals her and her team have set before themselves. One of those goals now being searching for their missing Sensei If he was even...
                          
'No! I can't think like that' Sakura internally snapped at herself.
                          
"Why is leaf scum in Iwagakure?" An unfamiliar but hostile voice questioned.
                          
Sakura snapped her head up to make eye contact with a short-haired, female, teen who was staring down at her with a scowl.
                          
The pinkette stared blankly at the Iwa nin "I'm looking for training accomodation" She confidently stated.
                          
The Iwa nin narrowed her eyes at the young chuunin "I see. You must be lost if you think you'll find that in this village" 
                          
Sakura, undeterred by her words, gave a small smirk "I think that would be up to the Tsuchikage, wouldn't it?"
                          
The woman seemed ready to lunge at the pinkette but held herself back "Tch. Very well, follow me. I'm not letting you out of my sight" She said before walking off.
                          
Sakura deadpanned 'Literally just let me out of your sight'
                          
The pinkette quickly followed. A moment of silence followed as the two tried to analyze each other without the other realising it though they both knew it.
                          
"What's your name?" Sakura eventually questioned with a bored look in her eyes. Her eyes glanced around the rocky environment and found herself already missing the forest suroundings she was used to.
                          
"What's yours?" The woman retorted with a scowl.
                          
"Sakura Haruno, chuunin" The pinkette stated, trying to get past the tense atmosphere since she'd probably be staying here for a while.
                          
"Hm... I'm Kurotsuchi" The named woman announced, the hard edge in his voice softening.
                          
Sakura flashed her a kind smile "Nice to meet you Kurotsuchi-san. I hope to get along with you" 
                          
Kurotsuchi stared at her, unfamiliar with this behavior from the hidden leaf but nonetheless gave a small smile back as she led the way to her grandfather's office.
                          
___
                          
Naruto trained hard. Harder than he's ever trained with Kakashi but the training he received now wasn't only thanks to the legendary Sannin, Jiraiya, but also because of the small toads, Jiraiya had summoned in order to help teach the blonde chuunin sage mode.
                          
The two were currently in an open field, an hour away from the nearest village but somewhere within the land of fire.
                          
While Jiraiya had been warned about the effects it may have over the blonde, especially the Kyuubi side of him, the Sannin knew Naruto could handle it. Not only could he handle it but it would give Naruto an extra edge in controlling the Kyuubi.