Title: The Road To Badass

Summary: "They left me temporarily, so I'm going to make it more permanent." The what-if scenario when Sakura decides to make a stand for herself when the Team leaves her behind yet again.

I ran as fast as my short legs could take me, past the numerous food carts and their delicious-smelling foods, ignoring every glint of a pretty bauble. All that mattered right now, was that I arrived at the gates on time. I pretended that the huffing of my breaths did not belong to me, the sweat down my long, pink hair was not in the least gross.

After what seemed to be forever, the blur around me disappeared and my team and the gates came into view. Kakashi-sensei was there already! But why were they walking away from me?

"Kakashi-sensei!" I called out but my voice refused to form a solid tone. My puffs interfered and my lungs decided that they had had enough. A burning feeling ran up my legs, and I was forced to a stop. He had to hear me. A jounin like Kakashi-sensei had to know that I wasn't there yet. Even Sasuke-kun or Naruto would notice.

Why were they walking away from me then? Naruto was nudging Sasuke and laughing, Kakashi-sensei with his nose, for once out of his perverted book. Why wasn't I there? I tried to get their attention once more. They had to see me, I was a part of that team too!

"Kakashi-sensei! Naruto! Sasuke-kun!"

I think they finally heard me, or at least Kakashi-sensei did. He was turning his head over to me. I felt so excited and waved at him, they only needed to wait a second or two, I would be there in a few moments and we could all walk together. Kakashi-sensei would tell them to wait. As our mentor and sensei he would.

But he didn't. Like time had stopped all around me, I watched with horror as he did not acknowledge me and instead turned to tell my team members something. They both turned around, and even though I think I knew what was happening, that little hope I had reared it's head. They would wait for me. We were a team. A team.

Instead, they changed their slow, walking pace to a fast one, shooting off into the trees with chakra before I could blink.

Had it just happened?

This small, insignificant thing like changing your pace when you can't even be sure that the man had seen you? But deep down I knew he had. It was a painful feeling, and a bit like Ami telling me I was ugly again.

Like I wasn't good enough.

I stayed in the corner of my room, slowly going through every moment I had spent with my... team, and this time I looked at it properly. Without my rose-colored glasses and observed everything I had ignored.

During training, what did we do? We usually sparred, me and Naruto for a round or two, each time usually ended with me getting tired and forfeiting because I couldn't defeat his clones. After that... target practice and then...

What else was there? There should still be something more to show what I have done during training.

So why wasn't there?

'Come on Sakura, face the facts. What did Naruto and Sasuke-kun do for training? Compare them to you and you will have your answer.'

Alright. We were always at the training grounds for at least two hours, but I always left after the two-hour mark. So during the two-hour mark, what did the two members of her team do? Well there was always sparring. Violent sparring. They would almost always start with a multiple shadow-clone jutsu from Naruto, a wipe-out with Sasuke's katon jutsu.. but it never just ended the way her spars did. No. They would keep on fighting. There was a constant close combat tai-jutsu between the two of them, she didn't know what style Sasuke used but Naruto's was a mixture of handsprings, jumps and messy punches and kicks. Much like a brawler's.

There was never just an ending with their spars. When I stay behind once in a while, it always has both of them on the ground, bruised and exhausted.. Completely unlike her somewhat pristine condition.

All she did during training was give up. She didn't punch. Or kick. Could she even do a handspring? Or a flip? She could barely do jutsu, usually sticking to a henge or just protecting the client... even Naruto had at least two jutsu in his arsenal, never mind that one of them was a perverted one.

On missions all she did was watch the back of her team mates, she rarely needed to fight, and even the occasional need for defense was quickly taken away by either one of the boys.

'And today was the first time I saw them use chakra to travel. Whenever I was with them, all we did was walk."

'All I did was be a burden.'

She was no better than Ino. Her fight ended in a draw, and only because she was partly schizophrenic. No doubt by now Ino was being trained by her father and would definitely best her in the next exam. What kind of rival was she?

'The kind that is useless.'

Useless. That's what she was.

She couldn't fight, she barely knew any jutsu and her physical abilities were pathetic. She wasn't a real kunoichi, she was just a civilian who could use her chakra masquerading as one.

No you are not useless!

Sakura yelped and then covered her mouth.

Inner!

Yes nice to meet you, I've been living here for thirteen years and three months nice to meet you you DUMBASS!

I covered my ears quickly. She was loud and her voice was ringing through my head in a painful and annoying way.

Listen up you little bitch, I'm you and you're me and since you're the one who is showing ourself to the world, you shouldn't be doing such a shit job of it. You are not useless okay? I refuse to be useless or a burden!

Shut up.

Why are you only sassy in your head? Hmm?

I'm not.

You are.

Quiet Inner.

No. You are only going to steer yourself the wrong way. We chose to become ninja, and so we better become damn good ones.

You forget Inner, we are not from a shinobi clan. I... chose to become one because of Sasuke-kun remember?

So? We are among the small percentage of people from civilian clans who can get in touch with our chakra, and guess what? We are damn good at using it!

What is your point Inner?

My point is, even big clans like the Uchiha's, where everyone has chakra, don't become shinobi or kunoichi. Don't you remember? Everyone has chakra, but not everyone has the innate ability to use it you BAKA.

Well, that's true.. I guess..

And since we have that ability, when we do not have any shinobi blood in us says something!

I smiled. Inner did know how to make someone feel better, even if she was pretty rough about it.

You're right.

So stop whining about being a burden. Yes you are one, but that is TEMPORARY you hear me?

Yeah! It's not going to be for forever!

So do something about it! Get off your lazy ass and show those boys that you are better than them!

Yeah! She would!

She was not as strong as any of her teammates, but she had determination now and was revising her reason to be a shinobi.

"I will make something of myself." She said.

"I will make them regret it!"

"I, Haruno Sakura, will become a great shinobi!"

Not a Kunoichi, because Ino was one and I plan to be better than that!

Yes, Haruno Sakura did.

Hey guys, so this is kind of like a prologue. I'm still deciding whether to go first person or second person so bear with me and let me know what you think.

Okay guys so this is AU non-mass. Bear with me I'm still planning what to do but here's some stuff in case you're confused. Chuunin exams are over, it will be revealed later who passed in Team 7 though we all know that Sakura didn't make it, she will become cool and I'm going to end the melodramatic it hurts stuff. She is on the road to badass and I'm going to do my best to outline it.

Naruto has already met with Jiraiya, and there was still the invasion, the third died and Tsunade had to come back because Jiraiya didn't want to be Hokage, everyone knows this already.

Review it for any reason at all. :)