Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto

Because

By Crimson Skies

Two years after Sasuke left, Tsunade had been going to put the designation 'Team Seven' back into the rotation for graduating genin teams. Sakura stormed into the Hokage's tower when she heard. Nobody knew what they'd discussed, only that it had been loud and the Hokage's office had undergone repairs for a week after. That year, when Iruka announced the teams there was a Team Six and a Team Eight but no Team Seven. The Godaime had given in to Sakura's demand, but never really understood why she'd asked what she had. Upon questioning Kakashi, he'd been frustratingly vague in his answer. Even so, she knew he understood the reason but would not explain. When pressed he answered with a question.

"How do you describe rain falling through sunlight?"

Sakura continued to fume over the matter for several weeks. Tsunade concluded that the young medic nin was entirely too much like herself. Finally when she'd calmed, she'd asked the teen again. Why was it so important? What was so special? Sakura's reply, which took her a good deal of time to formulate, was as indirect as Kakashi's.

"How do you explain a night as bright as day?"

It told her nothing. She understood that everyone's first team was important. What she didn't understand was how this one differed from others. Then Naruto returned and was reunited with Sakura and Kakashi. She'd given them the name 'Team Kakashi'. Naruto hadn't asked why. He hadn't even wondered because to him it was simple acceptance of a fact. Tsunade understood that from the lack of his reaction to the name. He hadn't expecting to reclaim their old name. Perhaps he hadn't even really realized why he hadn't. So she had asked him. Why didn't it surprise him? While his answer wasn't nearly as obscure as the others, it still explained nothing.

"Well, because that's how it is, isn't it? Team Kakashi is just Team Kakashi. Team Seven is…Team Seven."

Then he'd shrugged and walked away. She resigned herself to asking Jiraiya, who had stayed behind. Somehow, she wasn't surprised when he couldn't provide an answer. Then she'd gone to Shizune and asked her to find the records on Kakashi's team. There was nothing there to distinguish them from any other genin team. The only thing of interest to note was that, according to the statistics, their team was perfectly balanced in terms of strength and ability. Notable it was. An explanation it was not.

When Sakura and Naruto finally brought Sasuke back, it had been an extended period of time before he'd been accepted as an active Leaf ninja. When he was, Kakashi quit his solo missions and Naruto left the ANBU. Sakura quit her work at the hospital to return to active duty. They'd been placed on the same team again. They were Team Seven. No one even had to ask. When she saw them that day, as they walked into her office for their briefing, she'd understood.

Naruto, with his arms draped over Sasuke and Sakura's shoulders. Sasuke, scowling and shrugging the offending arm off. Sakura, with her long suffering sigh at her teammates' behavior. Kakashi, meandering in behind with his nose buried in that offending book. They, as whole, were Team Seven. There was nothing like that sudden revelation that coursed through her. They took the meaning of 'team' to a level she'd never seen before. She'd been member of a legendary team because each of the sannin had become legendary as individuals. But Team Seven, she realized, would be a legend in its own right and its members had known it subconsciously before anyone else. And she found herself voicing her thoughts after they left.

"Because it can't be explained, but once you see it, you just know."

END

Yes, I have seen rain falling in sunlight and a night as bright as day. It's bizarre but I have. And it's very, very difficult to describe.