"Sakura," Sasuke sighed, "if you have time to ask me such frivolous things, you should be training. Naruto had the lowest scores in class, but he's already stronger than you. Didn't you want to get stronger?"
Sakura's shoulders slumped. She looked over in the direction Naruto had run off, practically skipping with his Chunin Exam form in hand. Sasuke's words pierced her chest with the same accuracy he trained upon his targets.
"...I… didn't say anything about becoming stronger..." she said meekly. Sasuke followed her gaze.
"You didn't have to. I can see that you do. Naruto's pretty useless on these D-ranks, but what about the next time we get a mission like the Land of Waves? He's an idiot, but I know I can count on him when the time comes. When… I went under back then, Haku's jutsu was broken by the time I woke up. Naruto must have beaten him somehow..." he said the last part more to himself than to her.
"Well… what do you think I should work on?" Sakura replied, avoiding his eyes. Sasuke sighed again. This was Kakashi's job, not his.
"I think you need more chakra." He slid his hands into his pockets and turned to leave. "See you for the first exam."
Sakura watched him walk off, then went to find Naruto, tucking her own Chunin Exam form in her pouch.
Suiton: Suiben no Jutsu!
Sakura's whip materialized out of the damp ground and quickly snatched up Naruto after the strange grass ninja used some strange jutsu against his stomach. She set him on a tree, panting, trying not to think about the sight of him freezing up in pain at the impact and then suddenly going limp as the grass ninja tossed him down to the ground below. She dumped the images alongside the visions of her own gruesome death she'd seen earlier. A blank ringing had been going through her mind, masking the terror that lay in wait if she stopped to catch her breath.
"No way would he have survived that fall..." she thought in relief.
Orochimaru twisted his tongue in thought. "Hmm… Water Style… This wasn't in Kabuto's notes. She must have only learned this technique recently, probably while away from the village. And yet, she must not have practiced very much since then if Kabuto has never seen it… to be able to use it this much already she must possess an impeccable chakra control." He eyed the fatigue that appeared in her brow as Sakura lay Naruto against a tree. "She's still no more threatening than before. Her stamina is very low, but that chakra control could make her very capable someday… no matter." He as a she turned back to the prey that sat trembling in fear. "What will you do now, Sasuke-kun?"
"...Hey! Sasuke-kun!" Sakura shouted. Sasuke flinched. "You're right about Naruto… he's a klutz… he gets in the way… and he's not very bright… But…! At least… he's doing something! At least Naruto would never be such a coward!"
Sasuke held his breath.
"Hate me so that you may kill me. Hate me so that you may live. Live on in the shame of your weakness."
"NO!" Reckless abandon filled Sasuke. His Sharingan once again flared to life. Naruto's prone form slumped in the branches, while Sakura's panic-filled gaze constantly passed between him, their teammate, and the impossible enemy. Chakra began to burn beneath his fingertips, itching to become cleansing fire.
"How could I possibly do as he says..." Sasuke thought as he clenched a kunai between his teeth. "What good would it be to survive long enough to face him… if I don't even have the guts to walk the edge between life and death now?"
Orochimaru watched Sasuke's charge with glee. He released his chakra from the constraints that prevented attention from sensors, it's gale force bellowing, beckoning Sasuke of the Uchiha Clan for a fight.
Sakura desperately clung to Sasuke's hand as he screamed from some unbearable agony
"C'mon!" she whimpered, and she felt him clench up, trying to drive the pain away, but he broke again, collapsing into her lap, and passed out.
"What… what should I do?" She flinched over Sasuke's form as some crows flew by.
Sakura's muscles wrung with pain as she hauled Naruto and Sasuke beneath some tree roots before the sun fell. The distraction of exertion was welcome to hold back the trauma of her team's first day in the second Chunin Exam.
"Well, what did you expect?" a voice in her head whispered softly, "did you think they would be easy? Perhaps you were hoping for Naruto and Sasuke to do all the fighting while you stayed safe behind their backs?" She shook her head. No matter what, she had to keep them safe, until… until…
When? Until they wake up? Until the morning? Until the five days were up and they could go home, defeated but safe? Sakura did not know.
After tending to their collective wounds as best she could she could only watch over them and keep an eye for intruders. As the night wore on her exhaustion took its toll. Through try she did to stay awake Sakura eventually nodded off.
"Orochimaru… I feel like I've heard that name somewhere..." she snored mercifully quietly.
Naruto sat up, stretching, while Sasuke pulled the damp cloth from his forehead. Both praised her for looking after them. She was so relieved tears welled up behind her eyes. Then, Orochimaru's torn face lunged at the boys. She went to shout a warning, but her voice had frozen like it had done back in the trees after Naruto had fallen. Orochimaru morphed into a huge snake and opening a gaping, fleshy mouth to consume her oblivious teammates whole. Sakura gasped into wakefulness. She immediately looked to her teammates. No change. "It was just a dream..." Sakura looked to the sky.
"There's a bit of lightness… the sun will be up in an hour or two." While she felt guilty for falling asleep on watch, a part of her also knew that she needed rest in order to fend off any potential threats. She just didn't know what to do. The academy had done little to prepare her for a situation where there was so much uncertainty, where everything could go wrong.
"It looks like I was able to recover some of my chakra," Sakura noted. She didn't want to do nothing, however… "The only water I can account for is in the canteens… how can I use my water jutsu if something happens?" She looked around, uncomfortable despite the traps she'd set up earlier remaining untouched as of yet. A thought struck her. "What if I try something else? Not water, but… earth." Still under the cover of the tree, she formed the Seal of the Snake.
Sakura grimaced as Ino's deft fingertips nudged one of the many bruises on her head. Neither had said anything more after exchanging the usual barbs regarding their mutual affection of Sasuke. Well, this didn't feel like a usual situation. Sakura looked over at the pile of pink locks that she'd cut away without a trace of remorse.
"So this time… please have my back."
Had it been enough? What had she accomplished with that, after Ino's team had come to her defense and Sasuke had woken to beat them all on his own?
The pit of inadequacy once again ate at her from the inside out.
"Maybe… no matter what… I can't measure up… I'll never be strong enough to stand at Naruto's and Sasuke's sides..." Sakura murmured. She yelped as Ino gave her hair a sharp tug.
"Now listen here, you did enough, got it? Holding out for reinforcements isn't good for nothing, you know! Quit talking like that, you'll make me depressed..." Sakura grimaced at Ino's shrill voice.
"But… Naruto and Sasuke are already so much stronger than we were at the academy, and it's like… it's like I'm still the same..."
"Well, I don't know about Naruto, but…" Sakura frowned at Ino's tone, but she went on, "who was it that was the top overall student at the academy? It wasn't you, it wasn't even Sasuke, it was me. And just look at how much help I was as soon as the enemy figured out my jutsu! How do you think that makes me feel? I'll tell you, it makes me sick..." Ino brushed another bruise but Sakura smiled through the pain. Sakura thought of Naruto, who Chouji was now attempting to prod awake.
"I guess our grades didn't matter as much as we'd thought."
"Tch, don't get too complacent. I once snooped in some records, turns out that while none of our grades measure up in the grand scheme of things, guess who I found just short of the top student of all time? Itachi Uchiha! Maybe our grades didn't count for anything, but I don't wanna hear how useless they are when you look at people like that."
"Itachi… Uchiha?" Like Orochimaru, Sakura felt she knew that name too.
"Oh damn, I forgot you're not from a clan and didn't know..." Ino said in a small voice. "Ugh… well… please promise me you won't tell anyone that I told you? Especially Sasuke? Please please please-"
"Okay, okay! You have my word, Ino, go on,"
"You promise?" Ino said dangerously. "Well… Itachi was… well, is, I guess, Sasuke's older brother. He was supposed to be incredibly strong… He became an ANBU captain at thirteen, the same age we are now, pretty much…" Ino paused. "He was the one who killed everyone in his own clan in a single night. Apparently he's an S-class rogue ninja now, wanted dead or alive." Sakura was silent. How could she have guessed… his own brother, how could she have imagined…
"...That must be the man he wants to kill."
"Huh?"
"When Team Seven started, we all shared our dreams for the future but Sasuke… just said he didn't have any dreams… but that there was someone he wanted to kill at any cost."
"Well… three guesses who, then," Ino said heavily.
"And… just now, when he woke up..."
"I finally understand… I am an avenger. I must do anything to obtain power. Even if I abandon myself to evil for it.
Sakura and Ino looked over to where Sasuke sat cross-legged by himself, staring into the darkness of the tree roots.
"Do you think we'll ever be able to see the things in his heart?" Sakura said softly.
"Didn't I just explain to you how I'm not nearly as smart as you seem to think I am? How should I know, forehead girl?"
Neji looked over to Sasuke Uchiha as his own team prepared to leave and continue the exam. "What my eyes perceived then and now seem totally different. Perhaps my vision is still incomplete. Before their untimely demise, the Uchiha were hailed as Konoha's strongest shinobi. Now that they are gone, it is we Hyuga who take up that title… Is what I saw the reason, or is there something more?" Neji returned his focus to his team as they left through the trees. "I'll make sure to watch him. He would surely be a powerful opponent."
Sasuke watched the play of the shadows as they slowly grew under the sun. Ever since this exam had started, he'd felt deep within him that things would change even more than during the Land of Waves. He'd rushed towards that change then, eager for strength. What was he now? What would he become?
"It was because of me… Mother… Father… everyone in the clan… they died because of me. Because I didn't have enough power..."
Sasuke's hands trembled as he attempted to form chakra to unravel the genjutsu of these rain ninja. His neck burned.
"I… have… no more chakra… but I have to..."
"Sasuke-kun, please wait!" Sakura whispered harshly. "I think I can find the real bodies!" Sasuke didn't lower his Ram Seal and looked over at her.
"What do you mean…?" he grunted while Naruto continued wailing on the illusions one by one.
"I'll tell you about it later, but right now, please-"
Sasuke hoped he wouldn't regret this. Well, she was his teammate…
"Fine, go now, hurry-" he moved his hand to clutch at his neck, something that didn't escape Sakura's notice, but she had to solve the problem before her. She carefully thought about the seals she had made earlier, ending with the Snake Seal.
Doton: Tsuchi no hoji!
There was a light tremble. With each site pinpointed in her mind craters rose underfoot of the strange clones. At that moment she felt the lack of pressure in her chakra as the stone grip filtered through each body uninhibited. Hurriedly, she scoured her extended senses, and felt it.
"Naruto!" Sakura shouted, "none of them are real! They're attacking at you from underground, hurry and get them out while I can still immobilize them!" She crouched as her chakra began falling rapidly.
"Y-yeah! You got it!" Naruto overcame his surprise and grabbed hold of the frozen limbs sticking out of the earth, yanking them free with a roar and nailing them with a single charge.
Sakura sighed with relief as Kabuto looked at Sakura pensively from his place in the dirt.
"How unusual… when did she learn that? Maybe she'll be worth something to her team after all. It probably won't be a big deal, but I'll inform Orochimaru-sama at the next rendezvous." He discreetly retrieved his fallen glasses and got up after inspecting them for damage.
"Well! It looks like you guys saved me!" Kabuto rubbed his head sheepishly. "I didn't know you were proficient in earth jutsu, Sakura-san!" Sakura looked between them all, somewhat awed by the success of her technique. She looked to her orange teammate as he crowed triumphantly.
"Look, look! We got us a heaven scroll!" Sasuke sat down on the ground with a long drawn breath.
"Um, Sasuke-kun… is it that thing on your neck again…?" Sakura uttered quietly.
"Don't worry about it," he muttered. "That was a nice move… Sakura."
"Yeah!" Naruto cut in, "I don't really know what you did, but you really saved our necks there, Sakura-chan! You did great!"
Unfortunately for Naruto, Sakura barely heard his praise as Sasuke's words drove all rational thought from her mind.
Orochimaru smiled contemplatively as he looked over the results of Kabuto's "harvest".
"Sasuke-kun made it through. This confirms it. He's simply perfect. To think Naruto-kun's chakra is capable of such great lengths even after my seal made a mess of his chakra circulation. And little Sakura-chan… An earth technique. Two types of elemental jutsu at her age! And Kabuto's report indicates that she must have made it on her own while under adverse conditions." Orochimaru uttered a low chuckle. "Now that I think about it… I could try out that experiment again. Why, I've never had such a promising candidate for it…!"
He grinned sinisterly as he made his way to the preliminary stage of the Chunin Exams.
Sasuke placed all his focus in putting one foot in front of the next as he made his way back to the arena of the Third Exam preliminaries. He was thankful that at least the sealing had been done in a room on the spectator level and he wouldn't have to climb the stairs again. How pathetic, he thought. If nothing else, the so-called Cursed Seal didn't hurt anymore, nor inhibit his chakra.
"If I had used my Sharingan back in the forest, I probably wouldn't be walking right now."
For perhaps the first time, he felt glad to have Sakura on his team.
He made it back to his pink and blonde companions.
"What'd I miss?"
"Oh—Sasuke-kun!" Sakura whirled to him. "How is your-"
"It's fine now," he interrupted. "Kakashi put a sealing jutsu on it. It won't bother me anymore." Naruto shot a familiar look of confusion.
"What are you guys talking about?"
"Er—just some first aid stuff, Naruto!" Sakura said hurriedly. "It's best if he doesn't worry about this. I want him to focus on his matches and do well..." The white lie wriggled out of her like a filthy parasite, however.
"Ah, well, I guess I don't really know about that stuff. I've never seemed to need it anyway..." Naruto paused. "Eh? Where's Kakashi-sensei? He didn't come back with you?" Sasuke shrugged lazily.
"Dunno. He said he had something to take care of and I went ahead. You know how he is. Anyway, what happened? I'm tired and don't wanna talk." Sakura paid his consternation little mind, relieved that that thing on his neck was better.
"Well… It was Shino Aburame from class against that Sound ninja with the wind blasts." She shuddered curiously. "Um… Shino blew off his arms using b-bugs. We're waiting to see who will fight next..."
"It was creepy but kinda cool!" Naruto prodded him, which Sasuke ignored. Bugs? The Aburame Clan was one of Konoha's Four Noble Clans. Sasuke seemed to recall hearing about their techniques from…
Anyway, the next fight. Fortunately the screen began flashing with jumbled-up names. He didn't recognize either of the names it landed on, but noted that Kabuto's teammate and one of the Sand Ninja went down.
Naruto moaned about the fight being boring. Sakura replied that the Sand Ninja seemed to be getting crushed. Something felt wrong to Sasuke, however. Then, lo and behold…
"A puppet…!" Sakura exclaimed.
"Indeed," Kakashi spoke suddenly behind them. With a practiced flash Sakura restrained Naruto from falling over the railing in fright.
"Gah! Quit doing that, Kakashi-sensei!"
"Consider it part of your stealth training, Naruto," he replied happily.
"Ah… You saved me again, Sakura-chan..." Naruto wheezed as he held his stomach where it'd come up against the railing.
Sasuke retrained his eyes on the fight. The tide had turned in an instant.
"Shinobi operate through deception," Kakashi continued. "Among all of them, few are capable of the level of trickery of Sunagakure's kugujutsu puppets. It is a true shinobi art."
"It's over just like that..." Sakura said with a note of fear as the proctor called the match. Once again she felt the root of doubt.
"They all have such unique chakra skills… I was beginning to think I was pretty good with chakra, but..."
"Sheesh… they're all a bunch of weirdos…" Naruto grumbled.
"You're one to talk, don't you think, Naruto?" Kakashi said breezily.
"Hee hee~ he's got a point there, Naruto!" Sakura giggled.
"Aw, not you too, Sakura-channnn~" he groaned. For all her worries, Sakura laughed cheerfully at his expression.
"Sakura, look," Sasuke said sharply.
Sakura Haruno vs. Ino Yamanaka, the scoreboard read.
Sasuke eyed Sakura as she first stared in shock at the scoreboard. Then she looked over at Ino, who matched her gaze with a mirrored expression. There was an undercurrent of uncertainty. Sasuke saw hesitation, anxiety. History. He seemed to remember they'd been friends.
"Hmph… don't fight over me. Fight for something better."
And without any words, Sakura's fist clenched and her expression tightened. Sasuke smirked.
"Go on," he said.
"Go, Sakura-chan!"
"...Alright."
Whatever hollow had been in Sakura's stomach all throughout the Chunin Exam coalesced then into a creeping entity that stretched her mind thin. She was already so different from what had left the academy. It had been maybe six months since then, but after the Forest of Death she was thinking analytically. She was more aware of her surroundings wherever she went. Where her kunai pouch had gone rarely used she now felt uneasy without it. The sights of blood and violence had started getting easier to bear.
Sakura grit her teeth. Did Ino face what she had against Orochimaru? She didn't think so. She had already endured more.
A touch of sentiment. Suddenly she didn't like the thought of Ino experiencing such a vision of pure bloodlust that had made her freeze in terror.
"Can it! She's not your friend anymore! We're… enemies..." Sakura thought as they took positions in the arena.
"I never thought I'd be fighting you, Sakura. Not yet..." Ino didn't look happy.
"What's with her? That pig would normally be gloating to rub my face in the pavement."
"Sakura-chan! Go get her! Win the fight!" Naruto cheered boisterously. That spark lit something in Sakura's heart.
"I'll make her take me seriously!"
"Begin!" The proctor called.
Whatever Sakura had thought, Ino had no problem matching her charge. Sakura motioned her arm, but struck out with a kick instead. Ino didn't fall for the feint and ducked under it in a sturdy stance. Ino retaliated with some quick jabs that Sakura sidestepped deftly. She continued with kicks, trying to dole out superior damage with their similar strengths. Ino stepped back towards mid-range.
"After forcing to mid-range, follow up with ranged weaponry." Sakura threw a handful of kunai, but to her surprise Ino caught the first one and swiftly returned fire, deflecting her attack and reset the pace of the fight. Her heart pounding, Sakura decided to again go in first. They matched taijutsu until Ino managed to get a winding jab under Sakura's ribs. Sakura flinched, trying to control her breath. Instinctively, she knew Ino had an opening and felt the fist coming.
But Ino faltered. Sakura didn't move, but the impact had no damage. Neither of them continued. Ino stared at the hand she'd landed Sakura with. Something rippled in Sakura's memory.
"Am I just a withering flower to you, Ino? Can't take me seriously because I'm still just a bud in your eyes? I'll make you understand!"
"In this moment," Sakura began, "I will not fight you over Sasuke."
"What was that?" Ino began to snarl. Good.
"You two just aren't meant for each other, and I'm the one who's stronger than you. You're not worth my time!"
Get angry, Ino.
"Sakura…! Do you know who you're talking to?" Ino growled. Sakura had never seen her eyes this narrowed. She looked like a hissing cat. "Don't let your forehead mess with your brain, you brat!" In admittance, Sakura did feel a twinge of fear. She'd once idolized Ino. Seeing her look and talk at her like that made her stomach churn.
"Will I ever escape being a bud, Ino? For so long, I believed in those words you gave me. They were with me every step of the way here! You made me what I am today!" Sakura smiled sadly to herself. "So please… fight me!" To Ino's surprise, Sakura took her forehead protector and retied it across her brow. Finally, she smirked and began to do the same.
"I understand, Sakura."
"And I won't lose to you anymore!"
"Crap… I can't move!" Sakura struggled against the special binding that held her in place. "Since her hair was recently part of her own body, it can conduct Ino's chakra very easily!" Ino gave a predatory grin.
"Now then… I guess I have to make you give up!"
Ninpo: Shintenshin no jutsu!
"I wanted to catch her in place with my new justu… Instead I got caught in hers..." Sakura thought as her view darkened.
…
…
...kura-chan! SAKURA-CHAN! Don't give up!"
That voice sounded familiar.
"Tch, how annoying." Ino…
"Hey! You gave everything you had to make it here! You'll be a disgrace to kunoichi if you lose to that Sasuke-obsessed girl!"
"Damn Naruto..." Ino's said in a low voice.
Naruto…?
"Naruto's so annoying! Anyway, that's right… definitely not to Ino!"
"Were you saying you want to concede?" Sakura heard the proctor say.
"Hell no!" Sakura burst out, the nature, the personality she suppressed to try and impress Sasuke shoving Ino from unceremoniously from her mind.
"Ino! You're gonna have a bad time if you don't get out of me quick!" Sakura's mind snarled.
"I… can't hold on… Kai!"
And then they were both on their knees in exhaustion.
"It's like you have two minds… What kinda crap is that…?" Ino panted.
"Something I always tried to shove deep inside me. An anger and strength that I now depend on to survive being a ninja!" Sakura responded, no less winded.
Ino scoffed as they made it to their feet. There would only be one more attack, they felt.
"I have nothing else left!" Sakura halted mid-charge, causing Ino to miss her attack. "Now!" She formed three hand signs as fast as she could. She knew getting quick with seals in the academy would come in handy.
Doton: Tsuchi no hoji!
Ino's feet caught during her recovery, encased in stone.
"What? An earth jutsu!?" Ino cried mentally.
Sakura landed a solid blow, knocking Ino out of the bind and to the stone floor. She did not rise. Sakura planted her feet in an effort to keep standing. Finally…
"Winner, Sakura Haruno."
Sakura didn't much register the win. She allowed herself to fall, having no chakra left. She was stopped by something that didn't feel like the tiled floor.
"My my… our little genin sure put on a performance," Kakashi said soothingly from above Sakura's head.
"...Sensei..."
"Take it easy. I'll get you back upstairs." With little feeling the air moved as Kakashi retreated back to the spectators. In the corner of her eye she saw Asuma-sensei do the same with Ino's prone form. He set her down alongside Ino against the wall. Somehow, she managed to hold her head up to look at her color-coded teammates.
"...You did well, Sakura," Sasuke issued. This time, Sakura did not lose herself to it.
"That's two out of three now..." Sakura groaned as she looked to Naruto.
"Sakura-chan was amazing! I always knew it, of course!" Naruto grinned at her.
"Hey… Naruto. Thanks for earlier."
Her peace said, Sakura promptly went under.
"Poor Tenten-san..."
"It was unfortunate. Tenten simply had a bad match up."
"The sand ninja are really strong..."
"Well, look who's finally awake." Sakura looked up, her brain reorganizing itself. She saw Ino sitting idly next to her and Naruto waving his arms down towards the arena while Sasuke slouched over the railing.
"Ino..."
"How do you think it makes me look when the winner of the fight sleeps for longer than me?" Winner… she won! "Still… I never expected that would happen. I looked in your mind during the first exam. I knew about your little water trick, and how there was no water in this arena. But I guess I didn't look hard enough..." Ino picked up Sakura's headband where it had fallen off of her. "Here..." Ino smiled. "I can see it now, Sakura… You've bloomed into a beautiful flower!"
Ino… You were my friend… my only friend for so long…!
Sakura broke down.
Aaaaand that seems to do it this time. I got inspired after the end of the anime proper (goodbye my perfect, flawed friend). I want to work on the next chapter immediately, so hopefully I'll manage to sort my priorities out. I'm relinquishing Zelda and RuneScape for you guys… for the moment.
I was really glad for the amount of response for the first chapter! Remember what happens next in the exams guys? We have an important fight coming up! Try and see what will be different this time around.
Until next time,
~Iggy