Sakura breathed heavily, as she climbed the long stairs to the stands. She was at the final teast of the Chunin Exams and just won. She had faced an older man from The Land of Earth and barely won. Even with her incredible strength he was able to beat her hand to hand. Luckily, she could heal herself when she had the chance and caught him with his guard down. She walked up the long steps and saw many of her friends sitting at the edge waiting for her. Rock Lee was the first to congratulate her and ask her out with his usual charisma. Sakura would usually shove him aside, but she was in a good mood. So, she just kicked him once when he was on the ground.
Kiba and Temari laughed as Shino pulled Sakura away from Lee. Shikamaru sighed and pulled Lee into the chair next to him. Sakura smiled and sat down grinning at all her friends. There with her was Shikamaru, Shino, Kiba, Temari, and Rock Lee. Choji was downstairs getting ready for his match, which was about to start. The last time Sakura was here there were so many other people with her. Ino had decided to dedicate all her time at the hospital and even trained under Tsunade. She wasn't a ninja anymore, but she still had one of the village's most important job's. Sakura could actually see her tending to the man she just defeated. Tenten had to leave with her family when they moved the shop to The Land of Water. Neji had taken it hard and converted all of his time into training to become an Anbu. Neji was actually one of the Anbu guarding Tsunade right now, Sakura could barely see him standing next to Tsunade and all of the other nation's leaders. Hinata was sent away to The Land of Lightning by the Hyuga clan, aparently Haishi considered her unvaluable.
Sakura's smile disapeared when she thought of the other two people. Her old teamates Naruto and Sasuke. Sakura once thought she loved Sasuke, but she knew for sure now she hated him. Naruto went on a three year training trip with Jaraiya and disapeared halfway through it. Tsunade personally looked for him, but there was no trace. He would've come back two weeks ago and probaly be with them this very moment. Sakura cursed Naruto wherever he is for leaving them. For leaving her.
Kiba snapped his fingers in front of her face, bringing Sakura out of her daze, and said "Pay attention, Choji's about to fight trenchcoat." Sakura stared down and saw Choji come out of one side of the arena. Many people from Konoha cheered as he waved and smiled at the crowd. Out of the other end came a lanky figure in a trenchcoat. He had on a large tattered jingasa hat (think of Raiden). Kakashi was playing referee and announced him as Marcus Steele from The Land of Lightning. Sakura watched as he slowly shed the trenchcoat, but left the hat on. Marcus was wearing a black sleeveless shirt and green cargo pants, as soon as Kakashi said "Begin" Marcus wripped of his hat. Choji raced toward him and Marcus did something suprising everybody.
Marcus' hat started to buzz. The edge of it was moving rapidly and he flung it at Choji. Choji was able to duck under it, but it cut his scarf clear in half. The hat came back to Marcus like a boomerang. Everybody gasped and Kiba yelled "That can't be fair!" This time Marcus charged and flung his hat downwards. Half of the hat went into the ground and raced toward Choji with Marcus right behind it. Choji jumped in the air , avoiding the hat, but not Marcus. Marcus jumped and kicked him straight in the jaw. Choji fell back, but recovered quickly and stood between Marcus and the hat. "At least he doesn't have a weapon now." said Temari as she watched them. Marcus reached toward his pockets and pulled out two sets of nunchucks. "So much for that." Shino remarked as Choji went into his human boulder form. "He's done for now." Kiba said as Choji tumbled toward Marcus. Marcus stood there and started swinging his nunchuks. Soon the nunchuks were a blur and Sakura couldn't even see them move. A second later large amounts of wind came together and caught Choji as he bounced down on top of Marcus. The wind propelled Choji back against a wall and Marcus was right after him. Choji turned back regular and met Marcus halfway. Marcus' nunchuks started to push Choji back against the wall, but Choji jumped off the wall above Marcus. Choji flipped over Marcus and used his Super Open Hand Slap. Choji's hand enlarged and smacked Marcus across the arena. "Does he have his colored pills?" Sakura asked Shikamaru. Shikamru nodded and answered "He took the green spinach before the battle and he has the yellow curry ready. I made sure he doesn't have any red chili pills, so he won't kill himself."
Marcus slowly got up as Choji once again went into his human boulder form. Marcus was able to keep Choji back by using his nunchuks to make small wind cutters. Choji didn't have the chakra to keep up the human boulder, so he transformed back. Choji raised his arms in defense as the wind cutters cut his skin. Choji was able to stop the attack by throwing an explosive tag at Marcus' feet. Marcus jumped as the tag exploded and Choji took his yellow curry pill. Sakura could see the blue chakra surrond Choji's body as both of his arms enlarged. Choji put both arms at either side of Marcus and clapped them together. Suprisingly, Marcus caught his hands and stopped Choji. You could see the strain in his face as Marcus picked Choji up by his arms and flung him at the wall. Choji his the wall so hard he made an imprint. Choji slid down to the ground and Marcus picked up his hat. Marcus then looked up at Sakura's area. Sakura was confused, but then she saw his teamates to her left. They both wore trenchcoats like him, but didn't have hats. The taller one nodded at Marcus and Marcus nodded back. Marcus flung his hat at Choji and it landed inches away from his head. In one motion Marcus sprinted toward Choji and knocked him unconcious.
Kakashi announced Marcus the victor and helped Ino carry Choji. Marcus walked up the steps toward his teamates and Sakura got a better look at him. Marcus had short black spiky hair and a scar on his face. The scar was on the edge of his lip and stopped mid-cheek. She tried to look at his teamates, but they both had hoods connected to their trench coats. The taller one seemed to motion toward the smaller then the smaller went downstairs. Marcus took off his hat and started to sharpen it then noticed Sakura staring at them. Sakura looked away and saw that Shikamaru was gone. "Checking on Choji?" Sakura asked Temari. Temari nodded and Kiba said "How can he do that? I mean look at him, he's not even winded." Sakura looked back and saw Marcus just staring at her while he sharpened his hat. "I'm interested in that weapon." Shino said. "It must be made of a foreign metal." Temari commented as the next match began.
Kakashi first announced a man from the Land of Water as Raki Wentsu. Raki was an older genin and had an eyepatch to show his experience. He was short, but had very broad shoulders. He was wearing regular villagers clothes and had a large gourd slung across his back. Kakashi announced the smaller trenchcoat as Samantha Byrne when she walked out. She ripped off the trenchcoat and Sakura first noticed her long dark red hair. She was wearing a blue jacket and black ninja pants. What caught Sakura's eye was the long katana slung around her back. Samantha also had two small crossbows attatched to her legs and a small quiver at her side. "She's always showing off her bow collection." said a voice right behind Sakura. Sakura jumped and saw Marcus behind her. "You seem to know a lot about her weapons." Shino said.
Marcus smiled and answered "I should, I made them. She like's to be called Sam by the way." At that moment Kakashi signaled for the match to begin and Raki opened his gourd. Sam started to run toward Raki as he made hand seals. Rake started to expel water from the gourd and shot many water whips at Sam. Sam was able to avoid them with ease, but when she got closer to Raki he used water bowl to shoot a jet of water straight at Sam. She couldn't miss it and was shot back, but then she dispersed in a cloud of smoke. Raki turned around frantically, but was too late as Sam shot a crossbow bolt through his gourd. The water spilled out of his gourd and quickly evaporated in the hot sun. "Why didn't she try to hit him?" Kiba asked as they watched the match intently. "Well, he has to make water from his chakra now. He'll probaly run out of energy soon if he keeps using jutsus." Shino answered Kiba.
Raki was visibly mad as he pulled two kunai out of his weapons pouch. Raki and Sam dashed toward eachother and put their blades to the test. Raki was barely able to deflect Sam's katana with his kunai and was losing ground fast. At one point Raki shoved his kunai up under Sam's katana. Raki grabbed her wrist holding the katana and she grabbbed a crossbow with her free hand. Raki smacked it out of her hand, but that gave her the opening to rip her wrist out of his grasp. In one motion Sam spun beside Raki and slashed his arm. Raki yelled grabbing his arm and kicked Sam away. Sam recovered quickly, but was knocked back when Raki used a water release technique gunshot. By kneading his chakra together Raki shot several large spheres of water out of his mouth.
Sam groggily got up as Raki ran toward her. Sam saw Raki make several hand signs and he summoned three water clones. The clones surronded her and jumped Sam at the same time. She dealt with one quickly by sending a crossbow bolt through it's head, but she was too slow to deflect the others. The first one sucker punched her straight in the face, but she countered by leg dropping him. While she was still on the ground the other clone came from her side and kicked her in the ribs. She yelped and turned over on her side, but didn't stay down long. Quickly, Sam made her own water clone and charged back into the fight. "Wait if she can make clones why only make one?" Lee asked as they fought two on two. Temari turned to Lee and and said "By only making one she can give it more power. That way it can take more hits and still stand."
At one point a Raki clone kicked the real Sam out of the brawl, but her clone knocked him over toward Sam. In the blink of an eye Sam unsheathed her katana and sliced the clone from shoulder to hip. The clone dissolved and her clone kicked the other Raki towards her. Sam had sheathed her katana and grabbed the clone underneath both armpits. Sam picked the clone up over her head and fell backwards smashing it's neck on the ground. The clone vanished and Sam disspersed her own. The real Rake was leaning against the wall breathing heavily and making hand signs. Before he could finish his jutsu Sam shot a special bolt at him. This bolt was actually several arrows that were connected by a net that pinned Rake's good arm against he wall. Sam slowly walked over to Rake and silenced him (she elbowed him in the back of the neck).
Kakashi announced her the victor and Ino came rushing out with other nurses. Ino asked Sam if she needed help, but she just shrugged and trotted back up to her teamates. Marcus highfived her as she came up and the tall one nodded to her. Instead of nodding back she jumped up and hugged him, completely suprising him. Marcus laughed as Sam let go of their leader and sat down next to him. Sakura could hear the tall one sigh as he walked down the stairs and into the arena. Sakura couldn't breathe when she saw his wild spiky blond hair.