She was jealous. In a way, Sakura couldn't help but envy the simplistic methods her classmates and other students could do just to increase the strength in their quirks. Break it apart and let it strengthen. The training camp wasn't going to be that long either but was considered enough time to change its students, even if it was through drastic physical limits. All they had to do was push their quirks, and hold their bodies together, enduring and results would be reaped.
It wasn't the same for her. Physical training was only part of what made a shinobi's growth. There were limits further than their bodies that had to fight, otherwise, no one would stop training. Chakra was limited, and you had to factor in the level of control to determine the period of training and degree of growth.
Sakura could push herself beyond her physical limits, but if her chakra wouldn't allow it then there was no getting through that gate. It would probably take months for her to achieve the same amount of growth that someone with a quirk might achieve. When she started medical training, she had spent three months trying to master the basics, and with her chakra control that was considered quite a feat.
When Kakashi trained them in tree climbing, Sakura had gotten the execution down the easiest, but in terms of stamina, she fell far behind Sasuke and Naruto.
She had put years into training to be a ninja, no matter how lacking she was in the beginning she followed the same curriculum as her teammates and their friends. And when everyone decided to go on their own to improve further, Sakura invested years of her life to make up for it as best she could.
She did what she could with the tools at her disposal, there was nothing for her to inherit from her bloodline, all Sakura had was her will, her mind, and determination. Utilizing her talent for control was what made her able to get to where she was.
'And even that wasn't enough,' It was frustrating when no matter how hard you pushed, you somehow still kept falling behind. She was in this world because she wasn't able to do anything more against Kaguya. Naruto and Sasuke were the only ones who could prevent the end of the world, all Sakura could do was try and keep out of the way and contribute wherever she could.
In this world her experience and training made her stand a little taller, but Sakura wasn't so conceited as to believe nothing posed a threat. Everyone was reaching for their true strength, that is all. What they lacked was something they could easily gain in time. Same as she had.
Still, she could enjoy herself a little more.
Especially with her 'training' now.
Sweat was cooling against Izuku's heated skin and clutching the fabric of his jacket to his body as he followed the workout routine set by Yawara. All to reach physical exhaustion and then force his quirk to push further than his stamina would allow and his body could tolerate. And keep doing that until the threshold was crossed to the next level of strength.
After seeing the results of Sakura's toss, the whole class had woken up to the reality of the training camp and were eager to start tearing into their quirks. No matter how exhausting it would be. Izuku was glad the Sakura was with him for training.
He was able to see her fighting up close. Yawara's quirk allowed him to twist and bend his body in ways that made it almost impossible to fight in close-quarters combat. Izuku hadn't been able to get a single hit in and was usually sent into a tree for missing. After the very short sparring, he had to return to the cardio exercises. It was continuous and intensive, but Sakura was following after with perfection.
Despite the sun now blazing, she was still able to go with no resistance. And then there were her sparring sessions with Yawara.
She was running at him, to throw a punch that was caught but twisted her body at an amazing angle just to kick him square in the jaw. Yawara was a pro hero, but even with his pilabody, he couldn't compete against Sakura's speed, reaction time, and strength which she was holding off on stating she didn't want to knock him unconscious.
The man was working hard to get her tired, but even after hours, Sakura was still going strong.
Yawara wasn't sure what to do about this. He heard that the pink-haired girl was considered the strongest of the first years, but he hadn't imagined she was this….skilled. Not just in strength. In the first few minutes they fought, she was able to pick up on his movements, a difficult task for his teammates that have known him for years.
'Aizawa did say she was a tough one,' He panted, picking himself off the ground and rubbing his chin. She had at least kept her strength at bay. Yawara had seen her at the sports festival, and he knew that her punches had more bite than this.
'Strength, speed, reflexes, and observational skills are greater than the average hero,' He could see now why Shouta voiced his concerns about her training. He had tried pushing her and Izuku further, making them jog up and down a hill, doing cardio all the while, and then coming straight for a sparring session with him. But every time she came around, he was the one who ended up flat.
And she still hasn't appeared to reach her limit.
'Perhaps I should consider something else,' He thought after Sakura knocked him into the dirt for the umpteenth time.
Otherwise, he wasn't sure how much more of this training he would be able to take.
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..
The toll of the day had been high for the students of class A and B, as the forty had nothing but training with barely a moment's rest. Everyone was covered in their sweat, with joints aching, muscles tightened to a degree threatening to snap and mentally they were barely holding on. This was the exact result their teachers were looking for.
And if they wanted to eat, the only thing they were going to be provided was the ingredients for the curry they would have to make. Even the less demanding tasks felt like the heaviest chore after their hours.
"How is it Sakura's the only one never out of breath?" Toru whined, even invisible Sakura could see that she was exhausted. Even though her quirk was a constant, she had been training her stealth abilities all day with Mezo without a break.
"It's not a big deal," They just weren't used to these kinds of training regimens. Putting in hours of training for a day was nothing out of the ordinary for her. She hadn't even needed to exhaust her chakra. Katsuki scoffed loudly as he walked past her carrying a pot, after his failed attempt to light a fire using his explosion quirk he thought to make himself useful elsewhere, like chopping up the vegetables.
They were making everything themselves for dinner, which included setting up the cooking area outside. Shouto was content to be used as the lighter for everyone but then some of her classmates got a little too excited when they saw Sakura starting a fire with a stick and a plank.
"You should put that in then,"
Shouto stood behind her, "Did you do this sort of thing often?"
"Start fires?" Shouto didn't seem to get that humor, so she just elaborated. "I camped a lot,"
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..
The curry was a little too bland for curry, except for some slight over-salting and too many onions but the meat turned out fine, only slightly charred but no one complained. It was like water in the desert situation all around.
Sakura took her bites a little more carefully though, compared to yesterday's meal it was subpar at best. But as long as she could digest it.
"Did you camp with your family?" Shouto asked.
"Not really, with friends almost constantly," It's not like they could find lodgings every time they were sent out on missions or even towns. Those short times between missions were their reprieve.
Sometimes working a little less seemed the better option.
"Shouto you're starring,"
"Sorry," He was still doing it though. Shouto's social graces were limited, but his intentions were hardly threatening. "It's just I want to know something but you don't like talking about your quirk,"
"Just ask," Sakura stuffed another spoon full of curry into her mouth. Whatever she decided to tell Shouto, he had no way of deciphering if it was truth or not, and as she became more acquainted with this world, the less reason she felt to hide every aspect of herself. Besides she wasn't going to be staying for much longer. Whatever interactions she had from here on, would be severed memories once she left.
"You aren't tired at all, even after training all day, does your quirk allow you to have unlimited stamina or something?"
Sakura stopped eating and placed her spoon on her plate, "My stamina doesn't have anything to do with my quirk. After three years my body is just used to this kind of training,"
"You've been trained like this for three years?" Shouto's eyes widened.
"My teacher was a very short-tempered woman with a schedule that was almost air-tight, so she didn't take well to slacking," Sakura smiled, thinking of Tsunade's harsh training methods. "She forced me to push myself beyond my limits every day until I couldn't stay conscious,"
Shouto didn't seem to like the sound of that. His father had done something similar to him when he was a child so he didn't associate well with the thought of someone else enduring what he had to. Then again the results were clear.
"Well, I suppose I had technically asked for it since I did go and beg her to take me under her wing,"
So it was willingly, he felt better knowing that. He was already thinking of Sakura as some tragic individual that lost her family, he didn't consider what she might have been through to get this strong. Assuming that it was all handed to her, in the beginning, was something he needed to correct.
"So that's why you're so strong,"
"It helps when you have something worth fighting for. As long as you remember that reason, even the hardest training can become the strongest desire," Sakura patted Shouto's shoulder, "You also won't care what kind of tools you have at your disposal, you'll want to use them all,"
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Though everyone had to be up at the crack of dawn, most students were especially grateful they hadn't failed those exams since their make-up classes were running on torturous times to cram in as much as they could. It was the same routine, chased out of bed, rushed through breakfast where everyone was careful not to overeat in fear of regurgitating during training. Since they now knew what they were in for.
To prepare for their particular training, Sakura and Izuku were given a series of exercises to complete for fifteen minutes, that included a quick job, some cardio, and stretches to warm the muscles in preparation for tearing them apart through the day.
'I'm probably going to be the only one feeling it," Izuku gave a heavy sigh. He wanted to master One for All quickly. And he was more motivated when there was someone else in a similar wheelhouse but levels above him.
Sakura might not have been as energetic as the other students but she wasn't experiencing fatigue, despite the early wake-up call and long training hours that lay ahead. Although the door for interaction for Sakura was usually shut, lately it seemed she was willing to leave it slightly ajar, and Izuku wanted to take the chance to peer.
"You feeling okay Izuku?" She was doing stretches with her back to him, yet somehow realized he was staring.
"Y-Yeah,"
Yawara came up to the two, his bulky arms crossed and an undiscernible frown on his face. "Today we're going t do something different,"
"No more Tiger boot camp?" Sakura couldn't stop herself.
"The goal is to have you tear apart your quirks and make them stronger, but after yesterday's examination, I decided that some drastic changes are in order. This will be harder than your previous training,"
The statement made Izuku's throat go dry. He was constantly finding ways to train himself throughout the day even when he was just sitting at his desk. His body needed to become stronger to further his access to One for All. Compared to the other students, he was the one furthest behind when it came to controlling his quirk.
Yawara consulted with Shouta after seeing Sakura's progress that day, he didn't believe that his current training method was going to have much of an impact on her when she showed no signs of exhaustion. She was also a quick study and had his fighting style down within minutes, so he couldn't do much against her in combat. Izuku was progressing better than her at least, the training methods were working, but based on his quirk, it was so powerful his own body couldn't take it.
So he decided to cut out the middle man.
"Get ready to fight!"
"Huh!?"
Yawara pointed his claw at the two, "You two will spar throughout the day using your quirks, hopefully, that will be enough strain to rip them apart and make you stronger!"
That wouldn't work for Sakura, but at least this implied she wouldn't have to do those in-between cardio exercises, it seemed like the type of thing Might Guy would do, of course, this was less excessive. It was a good training method for shinobi if they wanted to strengthen their body but this wasn't the direction the training was meant to take and Sakura would need to devote more hours and more sets and reps to have any results.
Although she appeared delicate, like most shinobi her body had been trained to such drastic extents that her physical layout complete deception. She wouldn't put on heavy muscle even if she trained like a bodybuilder. For better range and movement it was preferable to be lean.
Izuku was still stuttering at the notion of facing off using their quirks, "I-Is this a good idea?"
Yawara crossed his arms, "If you go against each other to the best of your ability, then you should reap results, as long as you don't stop moving,"
'We should use weights,' Sakura knew that those were effective ways to increase someone's strength and speed was to constantly wear weights, but it took adjusting and time which wasn't something they had apparently.
"That doesn't seem like a bad idea," Sakura smiled, folding her hands behind her. "What do you say Izuku?"
"S-Sure," Izuku wanted to experience more of Sakura's fighting style and abilities and now he was going to get just that. Crouching into a fighting position, he spoke with more confidence, "Let's go!"
Sakura raised her fist, "Alright then,"
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The excitement didn't last long when Izuku was flipped looking at the forest upside down and then staring at the sky, realizing Sakura had gotten him quicker on his back than their teacher. For the tenth time in a row. He couldn't keep up with Sakura's punches and movements. Her strength left the ground uneven and because of the threatening damages, they had to move further into the forest and away from everyone else training.
An open field gives more freedom for their specific type of attacks.
"What are you doing!? I said tear your quirk apart! Where's your Plus Ultra!" Yawara cried, stretching his arms and striking a pose.
"We know where the plus extra is," Sakura huffed quietly, pulling Izuku to his feet again. "Your reaction time is too slow, I gave you a chance to counter and you didn't. Stay calm and watch your opponent's every move. I know you're analytical, but you've got to start tying your thought process to your actions,"
Izuku groaned as he got back to his feet, Sakura was giving him advice as they fought, which showed how calm she was despite the adrenaline-induced situation. He was trying to heed her advice as quickly as her punches came of course the task was difficult.
"I think I might be brain-dead from all those hits I've taken to the head,"
"You're the one who said I shouldn't hold back," Izuku was adamant to learn more about her fighting style, hoping to incorporate it with his quirk since there were parallels. "Okay, what did you learn from our sparring now?"
"Your strength is massive, but your body can handle the force, unlike mine. You have a fast reaction time, it's like you already know what moves I'm going to make before I make them,"
Sakura smiled, "That's because you only have a handful of moves,"
Izuku stuttered in his steps, "W-What?" He thought his fighting style was improving, he was even able to move around similarly to Katsuki, but Izuku had seen Sakura easily counter those moves at the sports festival. Apart from that, there was her monstrous strength. What was the difference between their quirks that she was able to do something like that? He hoped sparring with her like this would help him collect data and find the answers.
"You put most of your weight on your right, you raise your fists at three different angles, you aren't very flexible so your movements are easier to read, and I can tell when you're about to go off balance because you can't hide the expression on your face," Stepping closer, Sakura leaned up so that their foreheads were nearly touching, but Izuku was a bit taller than her. "Keep your eyes sharp. Let's go again,"
Sakura moved to the opposite side, barely ten steps away from Izuku. Yawara is at a distance but between the two to call for them to start. Sparks of green spread around Izuku as he activated his quirk, with a gust of wind following.
'He can only use a fraction of his power safely,' Izuku's body couldn't handle the full force of his quirk, but he had learned to use a quantity of that power and spread it through his body.
Izuku attacked with a right hook, a punch that missed more than once but he kept trying different combinations of the same moves. His combat experience was limited as to the rest of his classmates, but Izuku was observational.
Sakura knew that he was watching her movements as closely as possible, but he couldn't compute them fast enough to use them to his advantage. His analysis was something else. He was trying to keep an eye out for her patterns but Sakura was more varied than his previous opponents and she was more experienced in hiding her abilities.
When she ducked under, he attempted a kick, but as Sakura told him, he wasn't as flexible. Meanwhile, Izuku had barely survived a high kick from Sakura that would've nailed him to the ground. She was able to lift her foot higher than her head and bring it down just as easily with a tremendous force that ruined the landscape.
He was able to dodge one of her punches when she drew it forward, the force barely brushing against his cheek that rippled the skin. Izuku didn't know how she was able to keep that force behind her punches hidden until the moment of impact. That's what made it even harder to tell what was coming.
Anyone who didn't know would assume with her frame that Sakura's punches would be light. When Izuku attempted to throw a punch, she deflected quickly just as before. Her fighting style left no openings he could see, and Sakura knew how to keep him from creating any.
In close quarters he was completely outmatched, he figured that much after watching her all this time, going up against pros and some of their best classmates.
"Good Izuku, you're pacing a lot better now," She praised, knocking away his fist as it reached her face. She used her elbow to throw his blows off their trajectory. When he attempted it, she just countered quicker.
Izuku couldn't tell if he was getting any better, but according to Sakura's validation, he was. When their fists met, the forces clashed and Izuku's was always thrown off. It would create a barrier that so far he hasn't been able to hold against her.
"You should try to diminish any unnecessary movement," Izuku tripped when she kicked him under his feet, but he was able to find his balance. Sakura didn't' attack him in that vulnerable time though, she had given him more leeway than admitted. Or perhaps she was just tired of waiting for him to recover after every time she knocked the wind out of him.
"Have you considered improving your fighting style?"
"What?"
He couldn't tie his thoughts to dodge and immediately counter the way she was able to. Sakura sidestepped one of his attacks and grabbed his wrist to throw him into the air and he was down once again.
"Don't waste time catching your breath, react!" Izuku's eyes widened when he saw her foot coming down towards him and rolled just avoiding the impact. The ground cracked like egg shells beneath her foot. He quickly got up. "That was close!" Izuku breathed.
Yawara interjected, "Be careful, I don't want to have to call this training off because someone dies,"
"You're the one who said we should tear our quirks apart,"
"I said quirk, not your bodies," He argued.
"Um, what was that about my fighting style? Do you have more ways I can improve it?" He couldn't hide his eagerness.
Sakura tapped her legs, "It's easy to tell you rely on punches than anything else and that makes you more predictable. I use punches, but I can vary my fighting style to accommodate my body. You're practically imitating All Might's punching style, but he has a different build to yours and the force doesn't hurt him. I know that you're observant enough to pick up on other's combat styles, with the way you're using your quirk now, you should consider expanding on the way you fight, and create your style,"
Izuku's quirk came from All Might and he had been trying tirelessly to imitate his favorite hero, and he was shaking that Sakura picked up who he was trying to take after. He hadn't considered developing a style that would suit his body rather than trying to change his body to adjust to his quirk.
"Kicks huh?" Izuku held his chin. When he stopped to think about it, Sakura had seen what he was missing. He started with punches that would injure him, so he tried using his fingers to handle the force but that didn't stop him from getting hurt. When he looked at his crooked hand he was reminded of that. And now he was able to send enough power through his body that he could move faster. But he still had a limit.
Sakura had pointed out that he wasn't flexible enough, and he understood that the reason was his thinly veiled attempts to mirror All Might. When he compared to strengths, his and Sakura's seemed similar, but she was far more adaptable because of her acrobatic abilities.
"Would you help me?"
She approached him again, no fighting stance, just her fists clenched at her side, both so he couldn't tell which she would attack with.
"Sure,"
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Ochaco was nauseous, after spending hours in a plastic ball rolling down a hill with her quirk active, she didn't have anything left in her stomach. But she still felt better than Izuku looked when he appeared from the forest after Sakura and Yawara. His skin was like sand, hip lips cracked, body visibly bruised, he didn't even look like he could see through one eye with it swollen shut.
"Deku, what happened to you?!" Ochaco rushed to him after Tenya.
"Yes, it looks like you fell down the mountain,"
Sakura coughed, "It was just a tough training session. Don't worry Izuku, I'll heal you up in a second,"
"Thanks," The curly head mumbled. Izuku was hoping he wouldn't be able to feel anything, but Sakura hadn't quite beaten him to that point, unfortunately.
"Did you do that?" Ochaco gaped at Sakura.
"The training's been very effective, he was able to stand against me longer in our last sparring session,"
Izuku wasn't sure if he would call two minutes an improvement, but he was picking up on a lot of movements from her, and Sakura's speed forced him to adjust quicker. He was also able to see how she used her strength with her nimble form and that was helping him develop his new style. Now he just hoped he would be able to reap the benefits of this training before it killed him. Since Sakura seemed to have no issues with that. At least that was his impression when he was almost buried under a pile of rubble with the mini earthquake she caused.
"So that trembling was the two of you?" Tenya asked, flabbergastered. He and the rest of the campers had felt it from this distance. It was no wonder they were moved apart from the rest of the class.
Sakura patted Izuku's shoulders, starting her healing session. "You did great. I think you'll be able to read my moves one day,"
That day might not be coming any time soon, but it was assuring and in his condition warranted. Izuku was determined, she could see that much, even when he was injured and barely able to stand, he kept fighting and Sakura knew that had to be respected by continuing the fight. Of course, they weren't able to always go without stopping since Yawara had gotten nervous more than once and insisted that they be more cautious.