So yeah, I wrote a new fanfic instead of working on IA... Then again, I couldn't help it, this was bothering me for weeks and I needed to write something that resembled a Gaara/Sakura to get it out of my system.
This will be more like a collection of oneshots, in two, maybe three chapters. Updates will be erratic, my exams are coming up. Not sure if this will be romance or friendship, we'll have to see.
Un-beta-ed, so if there's a beta among my readers horrified by my grammar, ponctuation and whatever else is wrong, you're more than welcome to work out the kinks in this and future chapters. ^^
She couldn't breathe, distorted arm pinning her to a tree and claws digging into the bark. It was crushing her, her lungs desperately seaking for air while her head was spinning. Dread pooled into her stomach and she could barely keep her eyes open. Was this how she was going to die? The pair of mismatched eyes – one black with inhuman yellow irises, the other cold and jade-colored – had promised her that before their owner mercilessly slammed her into the tree. The metallic taste of blood filled her mouth and spilled over, adding to her discomfort. A low, inhuman and hollow laughter escaped her assailant, before the claws tightened, digging into her flesh and slowly shattering her bones.
Her own screams woke her. She sat up, struggling with her sheets, throat raw and breathing heavily. She shuddered before burying her head in sweaty palms. The dream had been as vivid as the first nights that had followed her encounter with him. Slipping out of her bed, she started towards the small kitchen of the hotel room, mindful not to wake Ino and Chôji, who occupied the other two rooms. Pouring herself a glass of water, she downed it in a series of quick gulps and refilled it. She sat on one of the stools, one leg tucked under her and emeralds wandering towards the balcony window. It was a starry night and she could hear the wind howling outside, sounding exactly like the monster's laughter in her dream. She hadn't had this dream in over a year and she had hoped they wouldn't manifest anymore. Obviously, being in Suna to take the Chûnin exam, nonetheless, didn't exactly help when it came to forgetting traumatic events. Ever since she set out for the Village Hidden in the Sand with her Hokage, her classmates and friends, panic slowly and surely settled in. What if she had to fight against Gaara? Even if she did manage to calm her nerves and her urge to just run the hell away, she still wouldn't stand a chance against him! Her shishou – as observant as ever – had questioned her and, after more than half an hour of constant interrogation and a few nasty remarks, she had gotten the truth out of her. The blonde Kage had then shamelessly laughed at her, reassuring her that not only she could stand up to the redhead if she had to, but he also wouldn't kill her. It would be harmful for the two village's treaty. Not at all convinced, the pinkette had stalked off under the pretense of "examining some rare herbs that only grew on the border of the Fire and Wind countries".
Now here she sat, barely hours away from the second and last test, as unsure and worried as ever. They didn't even know what they had to do for this examination. The first part had been relatively simple, they had to go retrieve some special scrolls scattered around in the desert around Suna and guarded by higher-ranked nin. With Sakura's swift genjutsu and Ino's mind-possessing technique, the two guards had been quickly disabled, allowing Chôji to easily recover the scroll. Inside it, a note congratulating them on their success and indicating the place and time of the next stage, as well as their starting point, "Gate 12". They had spent the rest of the day lounging around the hotel room allocated to them by the executive committee, speculating about their next trial and preparing for it. Taking another sip of her water, Sakura mentally ran over her stuff again, making sure she didn't forget anything. By the time she was done, the rising sun could be seen on the horizon and she decided to start making breakfast. Chôji would appreciate it and they needed to be sated before the examination. Ten minutes later and a groggy Akimichi stepped out of his room, still in pyjamas and tiredly rubbing his eyes, a big smile splayed on his lips. He sat down at the counter and Sakura immediatly set a big bowl of rice in front of him, as well as some tamagoyaki, pickled vegetables and miso soup.
"Gimme a sec' and the fish will be done." she said, also smiling."There isn't a lot of it though, since we're in the desert and all."
"Please, Sakura, don't mention the desert. I've dreamt about sand all night!" came her best friend's exasperated voice from her door. "And to what do we owe the sudden breakfast making? Preparing to become a mom?"
The Yamanaka heir settled down next to her teammate, picking on some vegetables until the pinkette served her as well. She was already dressed in her usual purple attire, hair tied in a loose pony-tail. It had grown too long for her to wear it in a bun. Sakura served her rice as well, before settling down in front of them. Chôji was already half done by the time she picked her chopsticks up.
"There's more, go help yourself when you're done." she told him, before locking eyes with the other girl. "Nothing in particular, just woke up earlier and thought I'd make sure we were physically fit before the exam, seeing as I'm the team's medic and all. Eat your fish and rice, Ino, not just the vegetables."
The blonde scoffed and flung some of her nori towards her, that the pinkette caught and directed towards her stomach. They ate in silence, Chôji and Sakura heading to get dressed once they were done, while Ino did the washing up. By eight o'clock, they were dressed, armed, packed and ready to go.
The hotel lobby was mostly occupied when they got down, people chattering in almost every corner. The trio spotted the other Genin of Konoha and made a bee-line towards them. Kiba welcomed them with a huge grin.
"Mornin', guys, ready for today's exam?" he excitedly asked – shouted rather. "We're so kickin' ass today, nothing's gonna get between me and my promotion!
Akamaru barked in agreement. In the two years since the first took the exam, the dog had grown to nearly three times it's original size and he wasn't done yet, from what Kiba had told them. In, a year or so, the brunette would probably be able to ride him. Hinata smiled at them, timidly greeting them. She had grown her hair out and had gained some weight which, far from making her fat, brought out her curves. Sakura had to admit she was pretty jealous of her physique. A few Stone-nin slyly glanced towards the Hyûga heiress, but quickly turned away when they met Sakura's and Ino's glares. The poor girl had gotten quite some unwanted and unwelcome attention from mostly shady guys and when Shino and Kiba were too distracted to keep them away, the two girls took care of it.
"So, what are we waiting for?" Ino hissed, searching for someone in charge of the examination. "Shouldn't we get this over with before the heat becomes unbearable?"
As soon as the words left her lips, a Suna Jônin appeared at the entrance and beckoned them to follow him. More of them were waiting for them outside and Sakura was surprised to see Temari among of them. From the sudden outburst of murmurs around her, she supposed that so did her comrades. An elder stepped out from behind the Jônin, telling them that one would guide each team to the arena and their respective gates, as well as update them on what happens next. Sakura's team was set under Temari, much to the pinkette's relief, since she could now discreetly interrogate her about a certain brother that haunted her nightmares and why exactly she hadn't seen him yet. Ino beat her to it, though.
"So you're already a Jônin? That was pretty fast! What about your brothers?"
"They both passed Chûnin last year. Kankurô tried out for Jônin afterwards, but failed, so he's waiting for his next opportunity. As for Gaara... he didn't take it yet." Temari explained, her tone going from rather jovial when speaking about the puppet-master to somewhat reserved when mentioning the sand-wielder.
Sakura suspected there was more to it than him deciding to temporarily put it off, but decided not to push the matter. So did Ino.
"So, what 'bout the exam?" Chôji asked, breaking the awkward silence.
They were going towards the back of the village, closed off by the mountain surrounding Suna. They entered a rather small opening in the wall, that looked a lot like a cave entrace. The pinkette curiously eyed the rock, softly stroking it when she passed. It's soft texture and the coolness under her fingers heavily contrasted with the desert's arid climate. It felt good. Inside, they followed a well-lit tunnel, with oil lamps attached to the walls every five steps. Ino suddered and even Chouji looked tense behind his joyful, chips-munching appearance. The Suna kunoichi strutted on, unperturbed. After a few minutes of silent walking, she finally opened her mouth, her words echoing in the tunnel.
"At the end of this tunnel, we'll end up in front of a maze. You'll have to get through it. Alive, preferably."
"How do you mean? We enter on one side and have to find the exit? Or do we have to get to a specific spot?"
"That's up to you. Once you're in, you're on your own. All the information I'm allowed to give out is that it's a maze, you have five hours to complete it – and it has to be done, there will be no promotion for those who failed, even if they were brilliant – and you're not obligated to finish it as a team. You can separate once you're in, if you prefer."
Temari was determined not to say any more. Sakura watched her back, thoughts miles away. What was the purpose of this exercise? It wasn't survival like when they were in the forest, the alloted time wasn't barely enough to test that. Besides, their first exam seemed more of the survival-type. She supposed it was their wits with that were tested, then, and their nerves. If the maze was covered, they had no chance of getting through it with the help of natural references; no sun, no cardinal points. In the same time, they would be closed up with the other participants, who would use this trial to get rid of competition, as well as all the other traps the examinators have set up. Of that, she was sure. If there was one thing she had learned during her stay in Suna, it was that Sand-nin were very tough on their shinobi, bordering on merciless. She understood the need to work their men and women hard in order for them to become stronger – her shishou was also harsh with her during training –, but bringing them to the edge of death and then letting them fend for themselves... No wonder their shinobi were as gruff as Kankurô and Temari. No, scratch that, they were actually part of the nice people. The dangerous ones were those like Gaara...
Her sudden crash with Chouji's shoulder brought her out of her reveries, hysterical, inhuman laughter and bloodied claws fading away to the recesses of her mind. The brunette shot her a questioning glance, to which she answered with a small smile. Peering over his shoulder, she froze. The tunnel ended in a huge cavern, the top of which was widely open. They seemed to be hundreds of meters under the ground, the blue of the sky barely visible. There were oil lamps attached all around them and she could make out some sort of stands fifteen meters above them, on the rock face, towering above the labyrinth. Said construction proudly stood before them, it's walls as high as Jiraiya-sama's Gamabunta and as wide as four Akimichi Chôza's standing side to side. Temari let them gawk at the construction for a while, before leading them away. They now stood in front of the maze's entrance, with two Suna-nin on each side of the wall and the number 12 written in white on the floor. Sakura loudly gulped, uneasy. Ino's elbow in her side brought her to attention and she followed the blonde's gaze upwards, where a figure was suddenly illuminated. It was one of the elders from the Council.
"Welcome, Genin of the Hidden Villages." he said in a quavering voice. "I believe our faithful Jônin have explained this trial's practical details. We shall now begin the second exam. Good luck to all and come out alive!"
His last words were greeted with cheers, the old man vanishing in the shadow of the stands. Sakura glanced at Temari, who nodded once, before heading towards a staircase opposite of the maze that would probably lead her to the upper levels. Gathering her courage, the pinkette stepped in the maze, followed by her comrades. There was a loud crash and a boulder now blocked their only way out.
"Well, guess that means we won't leave that way!" Ino joked, though her voice lacked strength.
The lighting in the maze was feeble at best and it was difficult to see. They waited for their eyes to get used to it, noticing that, for now, they could only go straight ahead. Chôji walked in the front, to block any surprise attack, Ino was second so she could help out either him, or Sakura, who was charged with guarding their backs. The pinkette raised her eyes, trying – and failing – to make out familiar figures in the audience. They made a turn to the left, hearts hammering in their ribcages. She was right about the pressure they would be under during their time in the maze. One never knew when an enemy could show up around the corner or a trap might go off under their feet. It was eerily quiet, their steps making entirely too much noise in the kunoichi's opinion.
"Wait!" Ino's whisper was harsh in the silence.
She sniffed the air once, before grabbing her teammate's arm and dragging him back the way they came, gesturing to Sakura to follow. When they were back on their first path, she looked at her bewildered friends.
"Poisonous plants." she explained, rummaging through her backpack. "They only grow near Suna. They're recognazible thanks to the sweet scent they emit, but underneath it is a toxic, odorless poison. It can be lethal if we continuously breathe it in. Aha, found it!"
She victoriously brandished three masks, tossing one to each one of them. "I made these before leaving Konoha, I knew they'd come in handy!" she smiled, satisfied, before sending a taunting wink towards her rival. "You should learn more about your plants, oh almighty medic-nin, you seem to be lacking in the area!"
Sakura snorted, carefully tying the white mask. They headed back and soon found said plants, shyly growing in a small gap between the wall and the floor. The leaves were green and rather plain-looking, the flowers an incredible, pale indigo color, periodically opening to release it's traitorous smell. The rosette crouched in front of it, half-holding her breath, and put on a pair of medical gloves. She cut off a few small, round fruits, as well as a few leaves and petals, storing them in three different vials that she gingerly put away, for further examination. Ino rolled her eyes and Chôji fidgeted uncomfortably, but she ignored them both. It was for the sake of her studies, they could wait a few minutes.
They only took off their masks once they had made three more turns and were now trying to detect any unusual noise that might help them find their way. They were in the maze for more than forty minutes and had yet to come across enemies or traps. The lack of obstacles was becoming frustrating, an unwelcome feeling to their already tense party. Barely had she finished the thought that a huge stone loudly crashed on them. Chôji jumped towards Ino, arms encircling her waist, to shove her out of the boulder's way, while Sakura unconsciously shot her fist forward, smashing it to pieces. When silence settled back again and the dust cleared, she looked at the duo at her feet.
"Are you guys okay?" she asked, massaging her sore hand.
The Akimichi heir removed himself off his teammate, sending her a wavering smile, while the other kunoichi just nodded, dazed.
"You're bleeding, Sakura." she finally said.
Said teenager dismissed her worries with a wave of her healthy hand and proceeded to bandage the wounded one. She preferred not using chakra, for fear of it beeing seen in the dim passage.
"Looks like I don't owe you anymore, Ino-pig."
The blonde finally smiled at that, putting on a superior look. "Pff, as if! Chôji was the one to save me, you just showed off, Forehead!"
They both snickered, the sole male of their team shaking his head, a small smile on his lips. He could imagine Shikamaru grumbling «troublesome women» from wherever he was watching the exam from.
They went on for what seemed like an eternity when finally, the road split into two distinct directions. It was the first time it happened and they all looked at each other, worried. Which way now? Both passages looked exactly the same, as gaunt and as uninviting as the other. No noise came from either, no smell, no breeze. Chôji frowned, Ino started tapping her fingers on her crossed arms and Sakura bit her lip.
"I say we go right."
"Left side looks good to me."
The two girls who had spoken in the same time looked at each other, for once unwilling to bicker. It was also useless to ask the other on the reasons of their choice, since they knew they didn't particularly have any.
Sakura sighed. "We should sit down and talk this through. Make a plan."
Once settled, the young apprentice gravely looked at her friends. "I don't have anything to base my assumptions on, but here's what I think, nonetheless: I doubt we need to find a way out of this place. If we think about it, our only way out is they way we, and the other teams, came in. And I'm pretty sure they closed off all the gates. Which means that what we're looking for is in this maze." she explained, eyeing both of them to make sure they were listening. "Probably in the middle, it wouldn't make much sense to put it elsewhere. Both these roads seem to be going in that direction, so I say we split up."
Silence ensued from her words, before Ino shot up. "There's no way in hell that'll happen! Unless you haven't noticed, we're an odd number, so one of us will end up alone! And who knows what else there is in this place... we could get killed!"
Sakura, who had anticipated her reaction waited for the end of her tirade before speaking up again. "Listen, I know it's not the best choice we have... okay, it's probably actually stupid, but we have to give it a try. We've been in here for two hours already and still are pretty much lost. We can cover more field if we separate. You brought the emergency signals I gave you, right? Well, the moment one of us finds the place, just shoot it and we can join up."
She still looked very unconvinced, but it was Chôji who spoke this time. "What if one of the roads turns out to be a dead-end?"
"Turn back and try to catch up. How about this, every time there's an intersection, draw a small leaf at the foot of the wall of the road you took. Make it simple and not too visible, we don't want enemies on our tails."
"Suppose we agree, which I personnally don't, how do we split up? I mean, I'm not going anywhere alone, not in this place at least. You're the medic, you need to be in a team and we can't just leave Chôji alone and without medical support!"
Sakura's smile was bitter. "You pretty much pointed out the teams. You and Chôji and me by myself." she hurried on before the florist could interrupt her. "Most of your techniques require for another person to be present and Chôji needs someone to look out for him, as in a medic to back him up. He can watch over you and you know enough basic medical ninjutsu to get trough this. Besides, you guys are a team, splitting you up would only break up your dynamics. I can handle myself and well... us, members of Team 7 were never known for our teamwork, even with Kakashi-sensei's constant preaching."
She stood up, ignoring the blonde's pitying look. Her team was a sore topic she didn't like to discuss and they both knew Sakura had always envied the bond between the members of other teams, especially those of Team Asuma. Dusting off her clothes, she extended a hand out to help both of them up, forcing a reassuring smile on her lips. Ino wrapped her in a tight hug and Chôji squeezed the had he was still holding.
"We'll be fine. Shishou is watching, as is Shikamaru. They won't let anything really bad happen to us. Could you imagine the trouble that lazy bum would be in if he had to give bad news to your parents?" she smiled when she felt the blonde chuckle against her and when the boy's eyes lit up in amusement.
"Yeah, I suppose Tsunade-sama would patch us up if anything happened..." she admitted, releasing her longtime rival. "You take care, now. Last one at the finish line takes the others out for dinner!"
"With seconds and thirds, please." Chôji quipped, making both girls laugh.
They each took their roads while the mood was still somewhat jovial. A brick wall came up behind the pinkette and from the sound of it, the same happened to Chôji and Ino. A soft whimper was heard and Sakura was already contemplating on punching through the wall that separated them.
"We're fine Sakura, just surprised, go on ahead." Ino's voice weakly filtered over the thick walls, as if she had read her mind.
Nodding to herself, Sakura started walking, desperatly trying to calm her racing heart. She was alone now, nobody to rely on, nobody to get her out of any trouble she might come across. Completely alone. Increasing her pace, she could feel the familiar sting of tears in her eyes.
'No crying, this was your brilliant idea, so now face the consequences! Calm down, think and find a way out of this hellish place!' she mentally scolded herself.
Her hand slowly slipped towards her kunai holster, forefinger slipping into the ring of the weapon she was so familiar with. Taking it out, she firmly gripped it into her left fist, more out of comfort than a real need for protection. She took a deep breath and slowed down, trying to make as little noise as possible when advancing. She could do this. She was the Hokage's apprentice, one of the legendary trio's student and said medical genius was currently watching her from somewhere up over her head, she couldn't dissapoint her. Failing was not an option. Failing meant bringing dishonor to her village, her mentor, her team and herself. She was done being weak. She was done with being saved and protected. She could and she would do this. She'd pass this exam with flying colors and make everyone proud! Haruno Sakura would leave Suna with the title of Chûnin!
... That is, if a wall of spikes didn't pierce through her entire body first. She tumbled forwards, the metal spikes biting into the skin of her thigh, left side and shoulder. Collapsing on the ground, she watched the rods slowly retract, horrified. She almost ended up as a brochette! 'What is it with these crazy people? These killing methods are ancient and freakin' gore, not to mention inhuman!'
Trying to catch her breath, she suddenly stilled, emeralds snapping to her right. She was in the middle of an intersection and there, barely a few feet away, stood a familiar figure. If it hadn't been for the soft slithering noise, she wouldn't have noticed him, as motionless as he was. But she did and she could hear her heart speeding up, her blood pulsing in her ears and a slow shaking taking hold of her body. He looked like a nightmare come true. He was a nightmare come true. There, clad in brown, gourd strapped to his back, arms crossed, hair the color of blood and eyes deadly cold, stood Sabaku no Gaara, her biggest and worst fear.
He wasn't moving, wasn't even blinking, yet she was terrified. Her muscles were locked in place, pinning her to the ground, helpless. I'm going to die. The poisonous thought formed in the back of her mind, slowly creeping through her brain and body. It was inevitable, she couldn't face him, couldn't stand up to him. The certainty of it glued her in place, numbed her every sense, shrinking her world to the point where all she could see, all she knew existed was the monstruous apparition in front of her. Someone, save me.
He took one step forward. The veil fell, she let out a shrill scream, jumping to her feet and away from him. Still frightened beyond mesure, she clasped her hands together, desperately trying to dispel the illusion she knew wasn't there. His expression never changed, but she could feel his aura become more menacing, filled with contempt. Please don't kill me.
Somewhere in her anguish-filled mind, a small voice told her he must have been disgusted. There she stood, helpless, frightened and pathetic, unable to even wield the kunai limply hanging in her left hand, to pretend she was brave enough to defend her own life. Even the prey sometimes turned against the predator when they were cornered. She just stood there... You can't kill me.
He took yet another step closer and her body was wracked with a new wave of terror. Here it came, the sand slipping out of the gourd, inching towards her unmoving body, ready to wrap around it, fill her mouth and shut out her cries, before crushing her entire form, turning her into a bloody pulp. Unwilling to see her own demise, she closed her eyes, clenched her fists and held her breath, hoping he would make it as painless as possible.
'Open your eyes, girl! How do you expect to avoid an attack if you close them?' Her mentor's words rung so loud in her head that for a moment, she thought the woman had truly uttered them. 'Are you truly this dumb or do you do it just to get on my nerves? People praise your intelligence so own up to it, use your head!'
'Sakura, believe me, if you ever meet up with Gaara during the Chûnin examination, you are more than ready to stand up to him and get out of it alive. You should give my training more credit!'
She slided away from the attack at the last moment, barely avoiding the sand tendrils that were clearly aiming for her head. Rolling on the floor, she stood up, muscles at the ready, her emerald gaze burning with newfound determination. Her shishou was right. Her ninjutsu and her techniques overall might have been lacking compared to the destructive power of her opponent, but she wasn't helpless. She had many advantages on him and more than one trick up her sleeve. Gaara was impassive, level-headed and bloodthirsty, pretty much all of his techniques based on the sand he commanded. She, on the other hand, was much more versatile. If she couldn't beat him, she would have to slow him down enough to be able tu run away and that, she could do.
'First step, distract him.' She started forming the seals, two clones appearing by her side. They all charged at him, kunai in hand. A wave of sand intercepted them. Two disappeared, the third one replaced by a log. Two more clones appeared, one in front of him, the second behind, while a third Sakura fell on him from above. All three disappeared. Suddenly, a flurry of leaves appeared around him, cutting into his armored body, followed by an army of pink haired kunoichi, throwing themselves at him. He sent waves and waves of sand at them, but their numbers never thinned. Then it clicked: the girl didn't have enough chakra to create so many clones. Irritated, he dispelled the illusion, turning his deadly jades towards her. A low, menacing growl escaped his lips.
'Second, surprise him.' She tried not let the animalistic sound distract her, nor the fear dominate her. She needed to stay focused; one single mistake could ruin her plan and get her killed. Taking a deep breath, she ran at him at full speed, straight into the new wave of sand flying her way. If the height of it was any indication, he was very pissed. She drew her hand back and punched with all her might, chakra exploding when her fist collided with the wall of sand. Behind, for the first time, Gaara's expression changed, eyes widening with disbelief and his tightly crossed arms falling to his sides. A tentative smirk crossed her lips.
'Third, slow him down.' Before he could recover, she leaped towards the wall, cutting the wire above their heads and using it to swing away from him. Already, he gathered his sand, ready for another attack. She formed new seals in the same time as six empty water bottles hit the floor around the Suna-nin. Six shapeless water blobs hung in the air for half a second, before pouring on the redhead. Gaara blinked, trying to mold the sand-turned-mud at his feet. A ferocious shout tore from his mouth, but by then, Sakura had already thrown a smoke bomb on the floor.
'Fourth, run for your life!' She sprinted away without looking back and as fast as her legs would carry her. She was blessing her shishou for having shown her her element and giving her tips on useful Suiton techniques. Hopefully, by the time his sand would dry, she'd be far, far away from him. Because from the sounds he was making when she left, he would be merciless towards those that crossed his path.
After about twenty minutes of constant running, she finnaly slowed down, before stopping altogether. Back pressed to the stone wall, she let herself slide on the floor, legs spread and hands limp beside her. She closed her eyes, regulating her breath and listening to every sound around her. A few minutes later, she took out her last bottle of water, sipping from it. She then proceeded to demolish her small reserves of rice balls, prepared that morning. If her calculation were right, she had a little less than two hours to find her way. The opening in the cavern didn't help the least bit, she couldn't see the sun and the air never seemed to change in the maze. Playing with the bottle cap, she suddenly remembered her injuries. None of them was too deep and they were starting to coagulate, but she would have to disinfect them soon. Now was out of the question, she feared the smell of antiseptic would attract other enemies and she would rather not use up any more chakra than she had during her fight, especially knowing that the redhead was on the loose and probably out to tear her apart. Moistening a cloth, she roughly cleaned the cuts up, before taking one last gulp and standing up to leave. One look towards the stands had her stopping, the metaphorical lightbulb lighting up in her head. The Council members were the ones to declare and congratulate the winners, right? And taking the stairs down from that high up wasn't an easy task for such old men, so the «finish line» as Ino had called it, had to be somewhere near them. Maybe even right under where the old man had given the introduction speech. Which meant, she'd have to make a turn on the right soon and continue straight ahead. Proud of her reasoning, she set out again.
To say the rest of her journey had been uneventful would have been a lie, but it still wasn't near as stressing or as difficult as her fifteen-minute fight with the jinchuuriki. After her meeting the demon and surviving him, the maze didn't seem nearly as gloomy, nor was the mood as creepy. She got used to the lighting, the two traps that had come up she avoided this time and the Rock team she encountered had been disciplined with a few well-aimed, chakra-laden punches. She was slowly but surely approaching her destination, excitement bubbling under her calm demeanour. She wasn't sure she did good enough to become a Chûnin, nor did she know what the elders and Kages based their decision to promote them on, but she really wanted out. Closed and suffocating areas weren't meant for Leaf-nin who, though growing up in a rather cramped village, still had huge expanses of forests around to feel free. She loved running, bouncing from tree to tree with the air whipping at her face. Here, she felt claustrophobic. No wind, no light, no natural noises or any fauna, it was so... sterile. She huffed, blowing at a pink lock that rudely fell before her eyes. She needed to cut her hair sometime soon, it was getting too long and was blocking her sight more often than not.
... She also needed to stop spacing out, she grumbled, hearing the clash of weapons barely a second before she turned around the corner. She stopped, holding her breath and listening intently, praying to whatever deity currently present that she had went unnoticed. From the sound of it, there were more than two fighters. She glanced upwards, the stand almost above her and cursed. She'd have to get through the fight to get to her destination. Gripping her kunai, she crouched and peered around the wall. Surprise froze her in place. There, barely a few feet away, five of her comrades and friends were facing two Suna-nin. Gaara and Kankurô.
Shino was busy fending off two of Kankurô's puppets, a third one laying dismantled on the floor not far away, curtesy of Chôji, currently being healed by a worried Ino, who glanced every other while towards the other fighters. She looked tired and dishevelled but her control never wavered. The younger Sand sibling was up against Akamaru and Kiba, both relentlessly attacking him, but she could see the signs of exhaustion and quite a few deep injuries on both of them. The redhead seemed as impassible and unharmed as ever. The only sign of his efforts were the tightly clenched knuckles and the evident scowl. Sakura searched the missing member and her heart jumped to her throat when she found her, limply hanging against a wall, hands bound by sand above her. The scene was painfully familiar... 'She's breathing!' the kunoichi noted, somewhat relieved. No wonder Kiba looked as savage and Shino as tense as they did. Ino was also throwing worried looks towards the Hyûga heiress, most likely wanting to help her, but five opponents and two vicious fights separated the two girls. The blonde bent forward, murmuring something in her teammate's ear, who was slightly frowning. He shook his head and Ino's expression turned desperate. The rosette didn't know what to do. She could see the path continuing beyond the seven nin and the dog, before making a turn to the left, most likely to where they had to go. The Sand siblings were fiercely guarding the way.
'What the hell do I do?' she wondered, eyes scanning the fight. She wasn't used to battling side by side with any of them, she knew she'd be more of a nuisance than anything if she were to step in. Then again, Hinata needed to be delivered and maybe her arrival would provide some distraction and give her friends the edge they needed. Maybe Gaara would even change targets and come at her, giving the others a chance to flee. 'Bad idea, very bad idea!' If her clash with him had helped her surpass the terror she felt everytime she thought of him, she was still more than scared of him and would rather have half the village backing her up if they were to fight. 'Think Sakura, think, there's got to be a way!' She couldn't use chakra to run up the sides of the walls. She had tried more than once during her journey, but failed miserably, slipping before she could take more than three steps. Besides, saving herself and leaving the other to fend for themselves would have been truly cowardly. But did the walls reject chakra or was it only wall-walking? If she tried punching through it, would it crumble and bury her friends and opponents or would she just break her hand? Was it even a good idea to start breaking things?
'Well, there's that saying «nothing ventured, nothing gained»... Or was it «he who dares, wins»? Either way, if this doesn't work I'll both look ridiculous and get my ass handed. Here goes nothing!' She breathed in a few times, calming her nerves and stood up. In a flurry of red and pink, Sakura rounded the corner, hurling towards Hinata, her favorite warcry filling the maze.
"SHANNARO!" she pulled her hand back, fist glowing blue. From the corner of her eyes, she saw the fight stop, Ino flinch and grab Chôji's arm to pull him away, while Kiba and Akamaru retreated, both pale. Even Gaara looked tense. She ignored all of their precautions and focused on the pale-eyed unconscious kunoichi and more precisely, on the wall near her hands. She punched with all her might. Rock gave way in a loud explosion and satisfaction flooded the rosette. She didn't stop however, grabbing her now freed friend by the waist and unceremoniously tossing her over her shoulder. She adeptly dodged the flying debris, looking for the opening she created through the dense cloud of dust.
"Come on!" she shouted. She knew her companions would understand her order and jumped forward, towards the barely visible opening. The dust hadn't cleared yet, when she felt a sickeningly familiar grip on her ankle, knocking her over. A strangled cry escaped her lips and she turned around, protecting Hinata from the fall. Her back and head hit the ground. Hard. Black spots dancing in front of her eyes, she turned frightened eyes towards the figure becoming taking shape in the clearing dust. Jade clashed with emerald and Sakura hugged the unconscious girl in her arms tighter, half turning to keep her out of harm's way. Sand rose and her vision was suddenly filled with green.
"Konoha Senpû!"
The redhead took a leap back, eyes focusing on the spandex-clad Leaf-nin that had interfered. Never in her life had Sakura been as happy to see Lee as she was now. The two males silently stared at each other, Gaara frowning and Lee with one hand behind his back, the other raised in front of him. There was a moment of silence during which all of the dust finally cleared and then suddenly, both shinobi straightened. Gaara turned and walked away, while Lee faced her with a brilliant smile. She looked around her, still a bit dazed. There was a huge gap in the wall with rocks all around them. Behind her stood the elders of the Council, the Kages and her mentor. The first ones looked rather displeased with the damage, the others mildly surprised and her shishou wore a small smirk. Tenten and Ino came to relieve her of Hinata and Shizune immediatly left the Godaime's side to check on her. She grabbed Lee's outstretched hand and let him pull her to her feet, wincing as the backlash of her punch rippled through her boy. The older boy sent her a concerned look and only then did she notice that her bandaged right hand was soaked with blood. She waved away his concern, smiled at him, theb turned to inspect the other people present. She was happy to see that all of Konoha's representants had made it through, as well as one team from Sand and a Genin from Rock – the one she had gone the easiest on earlier. Shizune had regained her place behind the blonde Kage and Hinata was currently smiling at a very concerned Kiba and a grumpy Shino, assuring them she was fine. Kankuro and Gaara stood near their sister, a few feet behind the elders. She seemed somewhat distracted, but the boys were both staring at her; Kankurô with an amused smile and Gaara impassively.
The sound of a man clearing his throat brought her attention back to the people in front of her. "I hereby declare the second examination of the Chûnin selection closed." he said amidst thundering cheering and claps.
The lobby was noisy for once, but not as much as the hotel's restaurant. The tables had been pushed against the walls, the middle of the room filled with excited, newly promoted Chûnin recounting their adventures in the maze. Teachers were proudly nodding, younger shinobi listening to every word with deep admiration and parents loudly praising their children. Kiba was gathering quite some attention from the local ladies with his heroic fight stories, charming smiles and half-open, white shirt. Shino was talking to Hinata, who was wearing a pretty, indigo dress. Behind her, Ino was surrounded by many men from different countries, all drawn to her long, bare-shouldered black dress, hyptnotizing blue gaze and impish smile. She tossed her hair around her shoulder and two other men joined the circle. Chôji was seated at one of the tables, happily eating away after all their ordeals. Sakura smiled at them from her seat, back against the bar and sipping at her iced tea. Even she had changed out of her daily outfit, donning a black skirt and red, sleeveless top for the occasion, tying her shoulder-length hair into a neat ponytail. She was still considering cutting it. A few stools away sat Lee and Tenten, animatedly chatting, their drinks forgotten on the counter. Biting her straw, Sakura quietly giggled. She was extremely happy and couldn't wait to get back to Konoha to tell her parents that, yes, their daughter had finally become a Chûnin! And from what Shizune had told her after the announcement of her promotion and on their way back to the village, she had impressed many with her strength, variety of techniques used and fast-thinking. Even if the Suna elders weren't pleased with the prospect of rebuilding a whole stone wall. A creak on her left informed her that someone had just joined her and and she glanced at the stranger, surprised to meet a handsome brunette. He seemed pretty familiar, but she couldn't remember where she had met him. He turned to her and she was awarded with a breathtaking smile, her thoughts jumbling in her mind.
"You were pretty impressive down there." he said in a low, gruff voice, taking a gulp of his drink.
Sakura turned her gaze away, fighting the blush that wanted to creep up to her cheeks. "Thank you." she muttered, grateful for not stuttering.
"Never thought you'd end up fighting twice against my brother and best him both times." he added, another elvish smile gracing his lips.
The kunoichi snapped up her eyes at that, all girly shyness forgotten. "Your brother?" she asked thickly, suddenly remembering why the stranger felt so familiar. "Are you... Kankurô-san?"
The Sand nin chuckled. "You didn't recognise me? Well, yeah, figures, without the paint and the hood."
"Why are you here?" she asked dryly, all friendliness forgotten.
He sent her a bemused look at her change in demeanour, but didn't comment on it. "I came to congratulate you, obviously. You're the talk of the village, you know. The small, pink-haired Leaf nin that destroyed both a stone wall and Gaara's sand with barely a punch. Suna won't be forgetting you anytime soon. Especially Gaara..."
"What do you mean?"
"Yeah well, let's say he was the most taken aback among us all. You got him pretty good the first time you fought and besides, with that Suiton you threw at him? Now pretty much everybody knows his weakness and, well, he's not all that thankful for that."
She stared at him with wide, disbelieving eyes. "You mean he's holding a grudge?" she exclaimed, a hint of fear in her voice. "He can't kill me, it would start another war!"
"That's not what I meant, don't worry. He knows as well as any of us how fragile our truce is and wouldn't break it. Besides, you're that Naruto brat's friend right?" he shrugged as if that explained everything, but Sakura was suddenly feeling nauseous.
She set her glass down as well as a few coins and slid from her stool. "I'm feeling a bit tired tonight so I'll leave early if you don't mind?"
Without waiting for an answer, she left the room, not even glancing back and hurried to the elevator, anxiously pressing her floor's button. Once the door's closed, she leaned against the wall, bringing one hand to her forehead. She hadn't seen the youngest Sand sibling since the end of the exam and had even managed to forget about him. Damn Kankurô and his need to mess her relaxing evening up! She couldn't wait to be out of Suna and on her way back to the safety of her home...
She slipped her key in the door, intent on entering the relative safety of her room and ordering some food. She'd stay in that evening and watch some stupid soap opera, far away from Sand shinobi and homicidal, vengeful redheads. Locking the door behind her, she shook her sandals off and entered the living room, heading towards the phone. She stilled. There was someone else beside her in the appartment and it couldn't be either Ino nor Chôji. She was about to reach for the vase on the chest next to her, intent on using it to distract the intruder while she pummeled them down to the floor below, when the light was suddenly turned on. She whipped around, ready to attack, only for her fighting spirit to abandon her.
Gulping thickly, she asked in a shaky voice. "Why are you here?" she hesitated, stuttering. "What... what do you want?"
He silently stared back at her, eyes roaming over her figure. His gaze travelled all over her body, from her larger than usual forehead, to her eyes, the lips she was nervously biting, her clothes, stopping longer on her bandaged right hand, her now healed side and legs, before coming up to her hand again. She had healed it as well as all of her other injuries once outside of the maze, but preffered bandaging it again, to remind herself not to strain it; her fingers and wrist were sore. She still had ways to go before perfectly mastering her shishou's technique. Uncomfortabe under his scrutiny, she hid her hand behind her back and his eyes went snapped up to her face, locking onto her own. They stared at each other for another while, Sakura becoming more creeped out by the minute. What did he want?
When he finally spoke, she jumped, startled, before heavily blushing out of shame. "You are scared of me." he stated and she didn't know what to answer. It was pretty obvious.
He looked at her for a few more moments, frowning a bit, before nodding to himself and turning towards the balcony. He put something on the table as he passed her, barely brushing her side and disappeared in the night. When she regained her senses, she stared down at what he left behind.
A pair of simple, black gloves...
That's that. Hope you enjoyed it? Reviews are welcome and helpful, so leave one if you have time? Thank you for taking time to read.
Yeti.
