Next one up! This is written aroudn 257-8ish, therefore it's semi-canon.

Title: Caught in the Moment: Strongest
Status: Complete
Rating: K+ (max)
Summery: Moments before Sakura's encounter with Itachi

Strongest

She became a Genin… she became a part of Team 7...she never understood the true meaning of the strongest, it was only until she broke away from the team did she start to understand. But now that she did, standing on the battlefield against the awful man who’d ruined Sasuke-kun and Naruto’s lives, she agreed with her sensei and Tsunade-shishou. She was the strongest of their team. Had always been the strongest.
 
“A kunoichi is always overlooked.” She remembered she had commented to her sensei in the Academy.
 
“But that is exactly what makes her the strongest.” Her sensei had smiled mysteriously at her.
 
She had then tried to pry more information from her sensei, a tall and elegant woman. But her sensei explained no more, saying that she wouldn’t understand and that she needed to experience it for herself.
 
She then, still confused, still feeling that they were overlooked, became a Genin and a member of Team 7. All of her teammates were strong. They’d started out on about the same footings but within a short period of time, they leapt ahead and she watched their backs. Sasuke-kun was the best rookie and the prodigy of the Uchiha clan. Even Naruto, she reluctantly admitted, had been stronger with his huge chakra reserve. They never turned back to give her a hand because the two of them pushed each other on and into new peaks of power. So she trained on her own. When they didn’t know, not even Kakashi. During those times, she learnt independence. And it had made her strong.
 
Kakashi-sensei had no doubt tried to be fair with his teaching. But although he wasn’t aware of it he had always favored Sasuke-kun more than any of the others. Naruto, though bitter about the inattention was given another instructor- Ebisu. And through his unmistakable luck, he was placed under Jiraiya-sama. Both Sasuke-kun and Naruto had learnt from the best. And where was she? Learning on her own. Practicing with the dummy that now hung battered beyond repair in the forest.
 
And then Team 7 collapsed and Naruto, Sasuke and her scattered. Naruto had been devastated. Though he still put up his façade of cheerfulness, he was clumsier than usual. The small crinkle next to his left eye wasn’t that obvious when he grinned. Even recently when they met again, he seemed mellower than he was. Had it been maturity or was he still hurt, she didn’t know.
 
Kakashi-sensei had blamed himself for Sasuke’s departure. The man, seemingly being reminded of someone in Sasuke-kun, had left Konoha to do more missions than his share. He was hardly there anymore. And to Sakura, his weakness became apparent.
 
She too, when Sasuke-kun left, had been devastated. Even now, she’d lapsed into her nostalgia and felt like crying. But she’d recovered faster than the other two. It was not the first time she’d been left behind. So she dealt with it and she became stronger due to it. Physically, she had always been weaker, but emotionally, she was stronger.
 
She sought the guidance of Tsunade-sama, the Godaime.
 
Her first lesson was not any form of Medical justu or the monstrous power that scared her opponents. It was to know herself.
 
“…Aside from the weaknesses, you need to know you’re strong to become strong. A kunoichi is the strongest on her team because she knows who she is.” Tsunade-shishou had said. “I can only show you the way and make sure you don’t harm yourself in the beginning but you can’t save anyone if you don’t believe that you’re strong… I know you’ve been overlooked on Team 7 but a kunoichi is alone in her growth. Being ignored makes you more deadly because your opponents don’t know your potential.”
 
She took those words into her heart. Over the two years of Naruto’s absence, she trained. With Tsunade’s guidance in the morning and on her own at night. She’d grown she’d known she did. Not just physically but psychologically. When Naruto came back and what was left of Team 7 was reassembled, she knew she was ready to face her first challenge. She was prepared to face what they were not.
 
Now she stood on the road, the man she had dreamt of killing before her. Kakashi-sensei dealing with his Kage-buushins and Naruto panting behind her from the blow this man had sent him. She stood in front him, protecting him, like he would have done to her two years ago. But now, they were looking at her back. Her opponent looked at her with disinterest. She smoothly slipped into her taijustu stance.
 
She was the strongest, because she was a kunoichi. She was the strongest, because she knew she was strong. She was the strongest, because they didn’t know her growth. They didn’t know her growth because she was overlooked.
 
“You won’t last a second against me, kunoichi.” Itachi said monotonously.
 
Oh, really?

 So...how did you like it? There's a word in there that made Sakura righteously cocky...so, hope you spot it!