Two Steps Forward

Having a joint birthday party meant that almost all of the Nara, Akimichi, and Yamanaka clan members needed to fit under one roof. Some of the members of course were away on missions, and the three clans had never been nearly as large as the Uchiha or Hyuuga clans, but the Nara house and adjoining gardens felt like they were bursting at the seams with so many grown-ups in the modest space, children running wild and underfoot all the while.

The Yamanaka heir did not have many relatives around her own age, all of her cousins being too young or too old to really relate to her, and Choji and Shikamaru were in a similar boat. Naruto was playing with some of of the youngest Yamanaka children, toddlers crawling in the grass. Choji was sharing food with Shikamaru while they lay in the grass and Sakura was busy trying to remember the names of everyone.

Dressed in traditional clothing, in a fall maple motif and with a hairpin keeping all of her blonde tresses out of the way, Sakura looked decidedly less like a small ninja in training and much more like the heiress and beauty she knew Ino to be.

All of the comments and well wishes unto her were reflective of all of this, but most were decidedly impersonal. They ranged from "How tall you've grown, what a beauty you will be," when spoken to her face, to "-Already in the academy, learning the ninja arts, a dutiful heiress," when she was not spoken to directly.

Of course, the most important thing about her birthday wasn't Shikamaru's offer to teach her Shogi (she gave him a dogwood sapling in return), or Naruto's gift of a bouquet he'd dried with her instruction from kunoichi class, or Choji's lovely gift of handmade puddings that he knew she just loved. No, she realized she was now six, and even being just a little older was going to make some things more socially acceptable. Like going out a little more on her own, and finding somebody to work on Genjutsu with.

Three weeks of routine days later, having not seen either Uchiha and nothing really eventful happening, Iruka asked her to stay late after class one day.

"I have found you a possible tutor, she is a newer Jonin than some, but she is interested in teaching and I thought that since she's not yet eligible for a genin team, she may take you under her wing for a few lessons or lectures when she is available." Iruka thinks that she is looking for exposure to children as she likely will end up teaching and isn't certain what to expect from them in part. Of course, the child in front of him had already approached him around the time the young jonin as asking some of the academy teachers and jonin-sensei about how to apply for a genin team and what it was like to work with the children. His first thought had been Ino, with her eerie maturity and genjutsu interest she would likely be easy for most conventional teachers to educate.

"I am still interested, and my father said that it was something for when I was older, but I am now six," Sakura said proudly, a faint smile that was only a little sardonic. 'More like mid twenties, but who is really counting?'

Iruka sighed, for such an easy child to teach, she could be rather vague. "Well then, clear it up with your father and I will let her know. Her name is Kurenai Yuhi and I don't know her well personally, but she is respectable."

"Of course, I will get my father's permission, please tell me when she is available to meet with me when you know," Sakura smiled, this time without the attitude, Iruka was doing her a favor.

"Father, I have made a new friend and we are going to hang out together soon. She is also a ninja and I am very excited," She smiled widely at her father as her mother prepared dinner and he looked over some the the reports he had brought home from work that day.

"Try again," He looked at her rather sharply for what she had said.

"What do you mean?" Sakura tried to make her eyes wider and expression light.

Inoichi's brow crinkled in a frown, "Ino, I love you and I know you. I am also a highly trained human lie detector. It's time you know some of these things. I know when you are lying. So try again. This time, don't shift your eyes to the corner of the room when you are talking, and when in doubt stick to the truth, just rephrase it to suit your purposes."

"Father, I wanted to let you know that I will be staying late after school a few extra days here and there to further my studies and receive some individual tutoring. I am having some difficulty with understanding one of my classes," She stared him in the eye, slipping into her measured breathing. I am Ino, echoed in her mind and her heart.

"Better," He placed his hands on the table over the files and she felt the weight of his full attention. "Your mother and I have taught you to tell the truth, and out of respect I expect that when truly asked you can still tell me the truth Ino. I am also ninja, though and sometimes a good lie will save your life. Lying is a skill, and something you can learn to do and do well. It is as important as hitting a target with a shuriken and something we can practice together.

Of course, anybody you respect, especially those that are important in our village, the Hokage, your teachers, superiors and police I expect you to be truthful." Inoichi was understanding that balance was the key, to know how to lie well came with some responsibility. He did believe that his daughter could learn how to lie and how to be accountable though, she had already demonstrated a great deal of conceptual understanding even if physical application seemed to be one of her weakest points. Her mental application was amazing, and those physical frailties could be made up for if her mind could be made sharp as a sword.

Not unlike his wife, time and war had disillusioned him well. He wished for his child to have room to grow and be a child, even if that did not seem to be Ino's interests. In wake of her eventful morning announcement to be a serious ninja, reality crept in on him and he wished for her to be as prepared as possible for their cruel world of village politics and just what ninjas could be asked to do for their villages. His child could not afford to be candidly truthful and naive. Inoichi was far more naturally optimistic than his realist wife, but he had seen far worse than even she had. He would try his best to see that Ino could stand on her own, without a crutch.

"Now that you have lied, I would like to know the truth."

Sakura mirrors his pose, "I have asked Iruka-sensei at the academy to find me somebody who may tudor me a little more in genjutsu. He says Kurenai Yuuhi is interested in some teaching experience, it would be to both of our credit."

"I did tell you that it wasn't my expertise and you have gone out of your way, I won't deny you the opportunity. Let me know how it goes, and make sure you spend some time with your mother at the shop this coming week, she misses your company."

Sakura nods and dinner is served shortly after.

Kurenai Yuhi was several years shy of the mature woman that she remembered seeing at the Chunin exams. That does not mean the she is any less beautiful however. She has wild wavy black hair and ruby eyes that take in Sakura's form, clothed in her high collar dark purple knit top and black pants that ended just under her knees. Sakura had grown tired of the length of her hair brushing her shoulders and had taken to tying it up in a bun wrapped in cloth, as she remembers Ino of her time wearing when she cut her hair.

She cannot be sure what her tudor sees in the slightly scrawny body but she must find it satisfactory. In the past, she didn't know her well enough to get a read on her or have any advantage now. Kurenai sits down in a lotus position and Sakura mirrors her.

They are at training ground two, which is a simple training ground mainly used by genin. "My name is Kurenai Yuhi. I would like to teach one day, and although what I can teach you is limited by the fact that you are an academy student, I do have a few things that I can teach you."

"My name is Ino Yamanaka, and I have an interest in genjutsu, I understand that I may be limited my my chakra reserves, control, age and rank in my learning, but I am willing to apply myself completely."

"How old are you Ino?" She asks, the truth is Iruka has not informed her very well. It couldn't be helped that he simply doesn't know Ino that well either, with so many other students preparing to move into graduating classes and this little girl being a little overlooked in comparison. Kurenai has been told that she is studious and only occasionally obnoxious about what she knows. That her academics are very good, and her physical ability lacking, but not necessarily expected to be better.

There were many things she didn't know, and she has learned that sometimes it is easier to ask the student themselves.

"I am six, Kurenai-sensei," There was something just a little off about this six year old, unnerving almost, her speech too even and her eyes just a little to observant. "I have already begun training with my father, I am good at meditation and I'm working very hard on controlling my chakra. I'm getting better. My speed and stamina are not a strength."

"I hope to learn a little more about genjutsu than my father and the academy are willing to teach, I want to make it my strength," Sakura thinks it is best to be straightforward. The Kurenai sitting in front of her is not yet an accomplished teacher , she is not the steadfast mother, and she is not the stalwart widow. Instead, an untried young jonin looks at her and seemingly finds her lacking.

Iruka had warned the genjutsu mistress of one thing that echoed in her mind now, "A startling maturity, but maybe a little unsocialized among those her own age. Not for lack of friends perhaps." It seems apparent that those words might have hit the nail right on the head.

"You know what genjutsu is? That is is the altering of the perspective of the mind's eye?" Sakura nods.

"I am only willing to teach you two things in regards to genjutsu for now, how to recognize one, and how to break one. Beyond that you must become a genin or turn to your family- but i'm guessing your family does not have genjutsu as an aptitude, if you are turning to me to learn it."

"My Father I am certain has some ability, I believe it is more that I went against his wishes and found somebody to teach me on my own that we are here now," That and her former life granted her the knowledge and firsthand experience how terrifying genjutsu can be. She is her daddy's little princess after all. "He has given me permission to learn from you, but at first he was…" It takes her a second to figure out how to word it delicately. "He worries that I am too young. He has told me that I will not graduate early."

"Do you disagree with that? Do you wish to graduate early?" Kurenai asked.

There is no telling where she sits in the wake of the world and it's events if she graduates early and is not there to maybe guide those around Sasuke from afar. She only hopes she has enough influence to do so by then. "No, I will lose more than I will gain."

"-and what will you lose, Ino?"

"I have a family legacy to uphold. Ino-Shika-Cho is something carried out through the long history of our clans. Knowing where you come from is important," Sakura doesn't need to think about it for the answer to be on her lips in an instant. I am Ino.

"Is that what you will gain as well?" Kurenai's eyes have turned more kind and the general harshness has left her face. The entire village is unsure how to feel about a lot of things, Sakura thinks. If she remembers correctly then Kurenai is a good friend of Kakashi, who also graduated early and may not be the most stable of individuals. At this time, Kakashi is likely still working himself to death and maybe worrying Kurenai subconsciously about child prodigies.

Sakura was not a child prodigy; she had trouble of thinking of herself as a child and was far too out of sync with her physical body and physical chakra to be prodigious anyway.

"I will gain Shikamaru and Choji as teammates, I am sure," Sakura begins. "I will gain more time to be field-ready upon graduation. I refuse to watch my teammates backs and I aim to be top of my class. Well rounded of course."

"We begin now then. First clear your mind-scape. The first step to breaking genjutsu is recognizing you are under it," Kurenai seems convinced enough of her to teach her at least, and that is step one.

For an hour Sakura informed Kurenai of the tells that she was in a genjutsu. She did not get them all. Some are obvious and she wonders how she would not be able to tell that the scent of cherry blossoms are out of place in the fall when it should be maple leaves on the wind. She spots unnatural puddles of water and even an out of place Iruka asking her what she's doing out so late.

She misses an errant deer, her father walking into her training session -though it should have been obvious- and several weather changes that just seem to fool her senses. It seems that as her body's chakra is good at cloaking her in henge, and seems easy to expand, it's range of feeling isn't all that good when she is having trouble realizing it's her mind that's being tricked. Sakura isn't even supposed to break them, just signal to Kurenai that she is in one.

"The sky is purple like sunset, but it can't be that time yet."

"No, you got that one, I'll release you. You have the aptitude for genjutsu and while I don't have any time for anything formal, I will teach you when I have time. You need to better connect to you chakra though. I can feel it, you can reach with it, pushing it out to probe the environment when you think you are in a genjutsu, even if it doesn't go very far. It's very sluggish and disconnected with your body though. I've never encountered that before, so I don't know if you might need to go to a medic or just work on your control more to make it fluid."

"I understand. The library and clan may have some answers for me as well."

"In the future I will pick you up from the academy if I have time to teach you something that day," Her offer is a reasonable, and welcome one.

"I often stay after school to play with my friends and watch the clouds, I will make sure to check if you are around when the days is done." Sakura stands and bows politely. "Thank you Kurenai-Sensei."

"Thank you for applying yourself with such dedication, Ino," Sakura wonders to herself if it is her status as clan heir or simply her own formalities that seem to instill the behavior in the adults that interact with her.

Kurenai bowed and disappeared in a swirl of leaves that might have been impressive if Sakura hadn't once been able to do just that herself once. The way it was now though, she would walk home, and on her way she would stop at the library and pick up another book on chakra theory. Another step forward, and it was in this fashion she was determined to live. There was nowhere to go but forward.

AN: Beta is too busy to get to this, so It's been a while and it's really, really, raw. But there's another chapter.