The next month was relatively stress-free for Sakura. The promised D-Ranks came and went, as mind-numbingly boring as could be expected. The only highlight of the dull labour was the fact that she was doing the work intended for three genin by herself which meant that she also took home three genins' worth of pay. As such, she didn't complain when she had to catch Tora the cat for the fifth time in the same week. Instead, she gritted her teeth, gave the beast back to its hysterical owner and treated herself to a well-deserved treat at her favourite umeboshi place.

But what really made the missions worth it was what awaited Sakura once she finally got home: every evening, like clockwork, her and Genma would sit on the sofa, the coffee table between them, and play around with theories, techniques and, after a lot of nagging from Sakura's side, fuinjutsu. In those hours, the lines between mentor and mentee were at their most blurry as they both discovered new things, learned theories and techniques they never even knew existed. And, more than once, Sakura would nod off at around midnight, the warmth and comfort of the blanket she swathed herself in every evening lulling her to sleep, only to wake up in her own bed in the morning. Perhaps understandably, Sakura found that she looked forward to the evenings the most.

About a week into her "punishment", when Genma was finally fully recovered, Sakura asked him about the techniques gifted to her by Yuki-san. She discovered quite quickly that, much like when he was trying to teach her Earth Release, Genma believed in starting from the bottom and building up. As such, her first task began with the following words:

"Genma-san, is that... a bowl of water?" she asked a bit sceptically when the tokujo announced he had "just the thing" to help her with her training.

"Yup." the brunet agreed cheerfully. "And don't you look so surprised - I'm not letting you just start off with trying to melt your entire body into water and back again; we're going to start with baby steps or we're not starting at all."

Sakura nodded, deeming that a fair point, remembering back to her first attempts at Earth Release. "Okay. What do you want me to do?"

At that, Genma smirked. Then, he raised his hand and let it hang, palm-down above the surface of the water. Sakura noticed a slight wrinkle between his brown and how the corner of his lips twisted down in concentration before a soft blue glow enveloped his hand, and then, to her utter disbelief, the water rose from the bowl and seemed to stick to Genma's hand like a thin, translucent cocoon. Seeing her wide eyes and gaping mouth, Genma laughed.

"This is what I want you to start with." he announced, and the rosette raised an eyebrow.

"'Start with'?" she parroted incredulously, scowling when the brunet's smirk came back full force.

"Yes, start with. Your chakra control is so precise that I expect you to be able to do this with your whole body in, oh, let's say a month." And the tokujo had the gall to shrug.

Sakura let out a frustrated whine. "But I don't even know if I can do it with one hand!!" she protested, willing the brunet to see reason, but Genma remained (infuriatingly) unconcerned.

"Better get to practicing then, huh?" he teased as a shit-eating grin split his face and he ruffled Sakura's hair. "After all, am I not the most 'patient and thorough' teacher you've ever had?" he teased, and the rosette felt perfectly justified in smacking him with one of the sofa cushions.

But regardless of whether it annoyed her or not, Sakura obeyed. Every day, whenever she could find a minute to spare, she'd find some water - a puddle, one of the streams, or even buy a bottle and spill it - and she'd practise. It was tedious while she was working it out; only slightly more interesting than watching paint dry. The task literally required her to sit with her hand hovering over the water, chakra gathered, and hope to find a way to make it stick.

It took her far longer than she'd like to admit to realise that it was nearly the exact same process as water walking. (when she did figure that out, she nearly smacked herself in her larger-than-average forehead out of frustration). But, once that milestone had been accomplished, Sakura felt like she was making astronomical progress. Half way through her second week of practising, just as she was taking a break from painting the last part of the fence, the rosette was confident in her ability to get the water to stick around her hand in an oblong bubble. She was surprised to discover that such a seemingly simple task left her near exhausted, her chakra levels alarmingly empty. Sakura felt her respect for Hyuuga Neji skyrocket when she remembered that the teen had been able to not only emit chakra from every one of his tenketsu, but also almost solidify it-!

This time, Sakura did smack herself, wet paintbrush in hand and all.

I'm so stupid, oh my God. She chastised herself. Is it or is it not universally acknowledged that shinobi use their surroundings to their advantage? And is there not an entire Clan full of shinobi who excel at external chakra manipulation in Konohagakure? She caught herself mid-rant and deflated slightly. But how does one acquire a Hyuuga willing to help you?

Sighing, Sakura rose, cracking her back as she returned the brush into the paint can. "Hanamaki-san? I'm finished with your fence!" she called, and an elderly man hobbled out of the house, appraised the fence and smiled at her gratefully.

"Thank you, Haruno-san. You are free to go." Sakura nodded and bowed shallowly, then made her way towards the Hokage Tower to give her report of the day's missions.

She was rubbing absently at her forehead as she exited the Tower, not really paying attention to where she was going as she tried to peel off the crimson paint that she'd smeared there during her realisation. It was because of her inattention that she didn't see the body until she walked into it and staggered at the force of the collision, letting out a wonded 'oof!'.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention-! Hyuuga-san?" she cut herself off as a pair of familiar, stern lilac eyes cut in her direction.

"Haruno-san." Neji greeted coolly, but there was a hint of surprise in his voice. His eyes flickered from her own to the paint on her forehead and Sakura could swear she saw the corner of his mouth twitch up, but the amusement was gone in an instant. "It is of no matter, do not worry about it."

It took Sakura a moment to realise that the teen was referring to her hasty apology and she flushed, embarrassed. "Ah, i-if you say so." She stammered. Then, she realised that the Hyuuga shouldn't be outside. He shouldn't even be walking. "Shouldn't you be at the hospital?" she blurted out, then immediately covered her mouth, face going pinker than her hair. "I-I mean, I-I didn't know they r-released you, not that I'm implying t-that you ran off o-or something-!" she tried to clarify, but only ended up rambling till she cut herself off and simply covered her face with her hands, mortified.

A light touch at her elbow had her pulling her hands away from her face. Her eyes immediately flickered to the Hyuuga's face and noted that there was definitely amusement in his eyes this time. "I was actually released earlier today. There was no way for you to know that, so your concern is justified."

Somehow, even knowing that she was 'justified' in her outburst, the embarrassment didn't go away. Surprisingly, she didn't have to think of a response, as it seemed that the Hyuuga was not done. "My Uncle informed me that you are the one responsible for the extra flowers at my bedside when I was recovering." Sakura's face had taken on a permanent pink hue, and she inwardly cursed the Hyuuga patriarch for ratting her out. But it seemed Neji wasn't done. "Why would you do that? We hardly know each other and even my own team didn't visit me as frequently."

Sakura fidgeted uncomfortably and didn't meet the teen's eyes as she sighed. "Would it make sense if I said I felt responsible?" she asked rhetorically. "The Uchiha should've been dealt with by Hunter-nin, or his own team at least. I chose to save someone else and my genin sensei was gone on a mission; our absence meant that, instead of us having to clean up our messes like we should've done, innocent people had to risk their life and well-being for the sake of a traitor." She met his eyes, wanting her next point to ring loud and clear. "The flowers felt like the least that I could do."

Neji seemed to scrutinise her for a few seconds until he finally spoke. "Nonetheless," he began carefully, "I am grateful. For the flowers and for the promise you made my Uncle." He clarified, and Sakura inwardly renamed Hyuuga Hiashi: Hyuuga patriarch in her head, to Hyuuga Hiashi: tattletale extraordinaire. She tuned back in when she realised Neji was still talking. "-not something I'm used to strangers doing for me. Is there anything I could do to thank you?"

Sakura blinked. Then blinked again, temporarily speechless. Hyuuga Neji was... extending the metaphorical olive branch? Were her eyes deceiving her?

And then, just as she was about to say 'no', her question from earlier on in the day came back to her. How else could she get what she wanted without arising suspicion than now, when a Hyuuga was actively offering help?

"I... there is something you could do. However, it would take a while to explain, so it might be better if we relocated somewhere more comfortable." And then, before she lost her nerve, Sakura blurted out; "There's a lovely teahouse just around the corner – my treat?"

She almost fainted from relief when Neji nodded an affirmative.

"I'm sorry?" Neji asked after Sakura explained exactly what she wanted from him, and if the Hyuuga were any more prone to expressing their emotions, the rosette might've said he sounded flabbergasted.

"I need to be able to expel chakra from all my chakra points. I know you can do it – you did it with that defensive technique you used in the Chunin Exam finals." She explained for the second time, trying not to let her impatience show.

"No, that's different." The brunet denied, shaking his head, but he was still frowning. "Besides, even if you could somehow learn how to expel chakra from anywhere on your body, you wouldn't be able to do what you say you're aiming for. The Kaiten does release chakra from every tenketsu, that's true, but there is no elemental manipulation; it is purely chakra and kinetic energy. What you're telling me about is highly advanced chakra manipulation. I'm almost certain that whoever told you about this was setting you up to fail."

Sakura bristled. "That's not true." She argued, knowing that Genma would never give her a task that was impossible.

"Yes, it is. Even most jounin can only release chakra from their hands and feet. In Konoha, only my Clan has a wider range." Neji shot her down and again, and Sakura finally saw some of that pompous air that seemed to irritate Naruto so much.

"No," she ground out between clenched teeth, glaring at the brunet with all the strength of her conviction. "I meant that it's not true because I can do it." And she scowled ferociously at the teen, waiting for him to see reason.

Instead, what she got were wide eyes and a flat, toneless, "What."

Sakura blinked, her anger suddenly replaced with confusion. "I can do it. I can expel chakra and get it to bond with water from both my hands and forearms." She repeated, elaborating slightly as if Neji were thick.

Then, to her utter surprise, the Hyuuga sat up even straighter, stared at her attentively and demanded "Prove it."

The rosette stared at him incredulously then shrugged and looked around for a water source. Finally, she settled on their teacups and concentrated. Gathering chakra into her hand, she let it seep out then gradually coat her arm all the way up to her elbow as that was still an area she felt reasonably in control of. Then, she hovered her hand just above the rim of her teacup and extended her reach. She could see, and from his startled intake of breath she knew Neji could too, how a small tendril of the liquid reached out to her until it connected with the chakra around her hand and spread out, slowly pulling with it the rest of the tea until the whole cup was empty.

Neji reached out, as if in a daze, to touch it, only to draw back when his hand made contact with a quiet hiss.

"Oh, I forgot the tea's still hot." Sakura laughed and rubbed her neck sheepishly with her free hand.

The Hyuuga seemed to assess her for a few seconds, then nodded. "You were right. I believe you."

Sakura sat there for a few seconds openly gaping at the teen before she brightened, a grin so wide it was painful pulling at her lips. "That's great!" she enthused, eyes boring into the Hyuuga. "Can you help?"

To her disappointment, Neji shook his head. "I can't help you with the elemental manipulation." He denied, but before Sakura could grow dejected, he added. "However... I could show you the way the Hyuuga children are taught how to release chakra from their bodies."

The rosette stared at him in disbelief. "Won't that be sharing Clan secrets though?" she asked sceptically.

At that, an expression that could only be a smirk appeared on Neji's face. "No. I said I'll show you. Not tell you how to do it. You are not a Hyuuga, you do not have the Byakugan, thus there is minimal chance you'll be able to copy what I do. However, you may still find it beneficial to your goal."

That sneaky-!

But then, any help from a Clan that can literally see tenketsu was better than no help at all. With that in mind, Sakura grinned at the brunet across her.

"I'm game."

Only years of training his reactions prevented Genma from jumping when his front door was violently thrown open, soon accompanied by the sounds of stumbling and muttered curses.

"Kid?" he called out from his position on the sofa, quickly snatching up Minato's journal and hiding it under one of the cushions. "You alright?"

"-goddamn sourpuss Hyuuga needs to get that stick out of his ass and learn to lose ouch motherfu- that hurts-!"

At that, Genma couldn't stifle his snort nor his curiosity. "Oi, brat, come in here!" he called again, louder this time.

The grumpy muttering ceased and a few seconds later, Sakura appeared in the doorway of the living room. She was drenched, her hair, somehow free of its standard ponytail, hung limply down her back, matted with water and grime. But the icing on the cake was how she kept rubbing at very odd yet familiar-looking bruises dotted all along her arms.

"Kid," Genma began warily, attempting to hold back the laughter that threatened to escape him at the sight. The rosette looked like a wet kitten. "did you... did you make the mistake of pissing off a Hyuuga?" he asked, his tone bordering on hysterical towards the end.

Sakura grumbled some more but shook her head. "No, I made the mistake of upsetting his vanity." She replied grumpily and Genma lost it. When he finally calmed down, he noted that Sakura's lips were now curled ever so slightly upwards and he counted that a win.

"Man, I hope that he looks even worse than you!" he crowed, grinning still.

The smirk that appeared on the rosette's face in response could only be called devious. "You know those gorgeous, luscious, completely impractical locks of the Hyuuga men? The ones they seem to take so much pride in?" she asked rhetorically, but Genma still nodded. The smirk grew. "I got mud in it."

They stared at each other for a few seconds, Genma insanely proud and amused and Sakura very self-satisfied with a hint of schadenfreude glinting in her eyes. Then, they both burst out laughing. At some point, Sakura lost her balance and ended up on the rug on the floor, curled up and wheezing with the force of her laughter, tears running freely down her grime-covered cheeks. Genma was in an only slightly better state, sat on the sofa and clutching at his stomach as he laughed silently, periodically slapping one of the cushions with the flat of his hand.

When they eventually calmed down, Genma managed to choke out, "Go wash up. You're getting mud on the rug."

And Sakura shot him the most baleful, unimpressed look she could from her position on the floor, but obediently rose and left the room, grumbling renewed while Genma got up to whip up some chicken soup for when she got out.

All in all, it was a good day.

The last week of Sakura's imposed month of D-Ranks passed quickly – menial tasks in the morning were interspersed with the leaf exercise that Neji recommended, afternoons were spent on the banks of the river trying to get the water to stick to more than just her hands, early evenings were spent trying to defend herself from the Hyuuga's Juuken which Sakura quickly learnt was what Neji had meant by 'help', and late evenings were spent with Genma on theory and old techniques.

By the end of the month, Sakura could release chakra from the tips of her fingers to her shoulders, and from the soles of her feet to her hips. It was the middle area, as well as her head, that posed problems. But she didn't have much time to dwell on that, as a week after her last D-Rank, after a thorough rebuking from the Godaime and after celebratory dango with Genma, something happened.

Three days after her last D-Rank, Genma was sent away on a B-Ranked courier mission with some chunin. Easy, he said. There and back in two days, he said. On the second day of Genma's absence, Sakura received her own official C-Rank mission that was said to take two days – a simple delivery to the Tanzaku Quarters. She was assigned a team of two other chunin, and they completed the mission in the assigned time, with positive feedback from the employer and a smile from Tsunade for a job well done.

But in the evening, when Sakura was on her way home, she noted that a faint chakra signature was coming from the house although all the lights were off. She recognised the chakra as Genma's but it was far too weak for her liking. Worried, she opened the door, taking the utmost care to be silent in her movements, only to freeze in the doorway leading to the living room. On the sofa, clearly passed out, was Genma. But Sakura's heart skipped a beat then started up in double time when she switched on the light and realised just what state he was in:

The front of his normally immaculate jounin jacket was stained a blackish-brown which could only have been blood. His trademark bandana was missing, his hair stuck together with the same ruddy-brown liquid as his jacket, and his face was pale and drawn. Upon closer inspection, Sakura noted that he was running a high fever.

"Genma-san?" she tried carefully, lightly shaking his shoulder. "Genma! Wake up!"

One brown eye cracked open, hazy and unfocused and Sakura realised that Genma couldn't recognise who she was. Her heart in her throat, she tried to shift him into a sitting position, "I'm Sakura, remember? I live with you. Now c'mon, I'm gonna get you to a hospital so they can fix you up, oh god-!"

"Sakura...?" Genma mumbled, disoriented and still in the sleepy stupor. Or disoriented because of blood loss. Sakura reminded herself grimly and felt her blood go cold. Then it seemed as if the