So I find that I'm not getting a lot of reviews on this story. Is it that bad everyone? Well oh well. I'm still going to write it for the few people who like it. Thank you to those who have favorited, followed and reviewed on this story and have not said anything bad about it. I appreciate it.

Ps. If you haven't figured it out already, I'm kind of a Sakura basher lol

No offense to those who like Sakura and all but I just think she needs to have more confidence in herself and stop chasing after a guy that clearly is just a jackass who is more interested in power than love.

"Demon"

"Talking"

'Thoughts'

(Flashbacks)

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'So there's another monster in this exam, hm? Interesting.' Baki thought to himself as he sat with the other Jounin in the room. It was only polite that he join them. Besides, it gives an excellent chance to observe and spy on them without hiding or stalking.

He stared at Mika from afar as she had pulled Gaara to sit next to him.

'Strange' Baki thought.

Normally, Gaara would have just killed anyone who dared to touch him. Was that an actual blush Baki saw?

'No.' Baki narrowed his eyes, 'Gaara is just an emotionless monster. He has no feelings in him but hatred. He's just angry is all. He can't kill with this many people around.'

He had watched in wonder as Gaara stayed and came back with Mika the next two days, sitting by her on the couch voluntarily this time. It was strange to say the least. Gaara had never wanted to be close to anyone. Why now?

'Perhaps it's because she's a Jinchuriki as well?'

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"Dammit! Why would that creep want Mika?!" Naruto yelled, "I just don't get it! Sakura, why would you just let them take her?!"

Naruto was pissed to say the least, more so at Sakura than anyone though. Sakura hung her head in shame.

"I'm sorry, Naruto but I couldn't take on three ninja at a time like that. Besides, I'm sure she's fine."

"How do you know that?!" he screamed but Sasuke growled.

"Shut up, you moron." Sasuke snarled at his teammate, "We don't know who else might be listening in on us"

"I don't care, dammit! This sucks! Who's to say those creeps just didn't kill her or something?" The blonde was slowly losing his mind as they trudged through the forest.

It was silent for a while, neither teammate wanting to admit that they had the same feelings as Naruto.

'What could have happened to Mika?' they all thought.

It was already in the fourth day and they still couldn't find anyone, let alone anyone with the scroll that they needed. Time was running out.

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It was the day of the third part of the exam and Mika wasn't really too thrilled about it. So far, her brother and other teammates still hadn't arrived. They only had a half-hour left before they would be disqualified.

'They better hurry their asses up' she thought.

She stood in the battle arena currently with the other Genin who passed the second exam. Iruka would be the first one to greet them and would appear out of their scrolls by a summoning jutsu to congratulate them and bring them to the next part of the exam. Then Mika would be able to see them when they entered the battle arena. Mika bit on her nails harshly, barely able to contain her excitement.

Since their little skirmish in the hall, Mika and Gaara hadn't spoken to each other. She expected that he was angry with her.

'Oh well.' She stared at the door, 'He'll get over it'

She glanced at the stoic red-head who was standing by his siblings and sensei in curiosity but quickly looked away when Gaara glanced back at her, sensing someone was looking at him.

Mika briefly wondered what the next exam would be like. Even though they hung around the jounin for five days, they hadn't uttered a word about what it would be like.

'Typical' she thought, 'I thought at least Kakashi would give me a hint though'

Mika held her hands to her chest in anxiety.

'Please, Naruto' she begged in her mind, 'Please be alright'

But she didn't need to pray anymore when a loud voice bellowed in the other room.

"Yeah! I passed! I passed!"

Mika and the others stared at the door with curiosity. 'Who could that be?' they all asked themselves sarcastically.

Suddenly, a blonde, a pink-haired girl and an asshole walked through the door.

Naruto looked around the room, examining it and everyone in it until his eyes fell on Mika.

His eyes widened and his grin grew, "Mika!" he ran over and barreled into her with a huge bear hug.

"Naruto" she hugged him back equally as forceful, "I knew you'd make it in time."

Naruto pulled away, "I thought you had died! Don't ever leave us again, alright?! What happened?!"

Mika smiled at him but was whisked away out of her happiness when Sasuke spoke.

"What the hell have you been doing here, Uzumaki?" Sasuke's jealous glare flickered over her, "Thought you could just cheat your way to the tower by flirting with the enemy?" he nodded his head over to the sand ninja who were staring at the scene with interest, even Gaara.

Mika glared at her teammate and pulled away from Naruto to counter the Uchiha when the Hokage entered the room. All was quiet and Mika sighed.

"We'll talk later."

All of the Genin stood in seven separate lines with their teammates as they faced the Hokage at the front of the battle arena with their sensei's' and some other proctors.

"Congratulations on passing the second exam!" Anko bellowed out with her microphone.

Everyone stood silently in reply but Anko continued, "The Third Hokage will explain the third part of the exam now. Listen carefully and give him your full attention!"

The third Hokage then spoke, a pipe in his mouth, "The purpose of this exam was to bring forth an alliance between the nations albeit temporarily."

Mika, in truth, was spacing off as the third Hokage was drawling on in his ridiculously long speech about the purpose of the exam. Really, it was impressive that the Hokage could just ramble on but that is an old man for you.

Finally, the proctor for the exam stepped forward. The man's name was Hayate Gekko. He was a very sickly looking man with heavy bags under his eyes and he coughed continuously.

"Before the actually exam, we will be having a preliminary. There are still too many of you, you see. You all will be going against each other one on one. Is there anyone who would like to forfeit?"

Mika breathed in with a sigh, 'Of course no one's going to forfeit! They got this far! Why quite now?!'

But as Mika breathed in, she smelt something curious and her eyes widened in fear.

'That scent! I know that scent!'

She looked over to notice a sound ninja in with the other senseis', 'That one' she thought, 'That is not a sensei. That's Orochimaru. I recognize his scent from when we fought a few days ago. Why is he here though?! Doesn't anyone else notice him?!'

Mika was about to make a scene when she noticed the Kabuto guy nodding to the sound ninja. No one else seemed to notice but Mika though.

'Why doesn't anyone else see it?!'

Mika growled in frustration, 'Maybe. . . maybe I should wait and tell Master Kakashi about it first. See what he thinks we should do.'

Suddenly, Sasuke, in front of her flinched in pain and grabbed his neck. Mika remembered that Sakura had told her he got bitten by Orochimaru.

"Sasuke! Are you okay? Maybe you should quite too." Sakura told him.

Naruto looked confused and oblivious of the situation. 'They didn't tell him then' Mika came to that conclusion.

Sakura was begging him to withdraw, even going so far as to cry but Sasuke snapped at her as she almost raised her hand.

"Don't you even think about it" he hissed, "Keep your mouth shut, it's none of your business!"

By this time the other Genin stared as us like we were on drugs or something. Mika rolled her eyes at the sand ninja as they gave her questioning looks.

Naruto argued with Sasuke but then the Uchiha said something to really shut him up, "Naruto, Mika"

Mika raised an eyebrow at him, "What Uchiha?"

"You guys are two of the ones I want to fight the most."

Mika gulped and smirked at him, "You wouldn't stand a chance against me, Uchiha."

Sasuke smirked at her, "Hmph. We'll see."

The proctor continued talking as if nothing happened, "No one then? Alright. There will be eleven bouts. The victors will commence to the third part of the exam. Each will fight until they are dead or unconscious or withdraw in the middle of a match."

An electric board presented itself above them hanging the wall, "This is the electric score board. Each name of the participants will be selected at random to fight each other. So then. . . Let's begin. The first match is . . ."

He paused as the electric board selected names until it stopped and Hayate shouted, "Sasuke Uchiha versus Zaku Abumi!"

The proctor called them to come forward. The sound ninja looked a bit worried and gulped.

'Why is he afraid of Sasuke? Unless this is one of the sound ninja that attacked my team?' Mika narrowed her eyes as the proctor told the rest of the Genin to go up the stairs and watch the match form above.

Hurriedly, Mika went up with Sakura and Naruto to where Kakashi was waiting for them.

Mika stood by him and whispered, "Kakashi sensei. Something's not right."

Kakashi looked confused, "What do you mean Mika?"

"That sound ninja by those other sound ninja." She spoke so lowly that her other teammates couldn't hear her, "That's Orochimaru in disguise."

Kakashi's eye widened in surprise, "How do you know?"

"His scent."

"Ah. No matter. As long as we keep an eye on him, he's no danger right now. Besides, if we attack, then we are only setting ourselves up for a war. The other sound ninja are no doubt with him. And I'm not too comfortable with the sand ninja either. Let's wait and we'll tell the Third Hokage after the exam."

Mika nodded.

Mika had one eye on Orochimaru and another on Sasuke. Right now, Zaku had a tough guy look on his face as though he would win. Even though both of his arms were in slings.

"You were pretty tough back in the forest, kid. But it ends here." Zaku laughed at him, trying to psych him out.

Sasuke just took a stance, "Whatever. Just fight me, unless you're just all talk."

Zaku got angry and tore an arm out of his sling blasting air towards him. Mika watched as her teammate dodged quickly, avoiding each blast. It seemed that this was all that Zaku could do at first. With just one arm, he was pretty much helpless.

"Come on Sasuke! Is that all you got?!" Naruto yelled beside her and Mika couldn't help but to agree.

"Yeah, Uchiha!" Mika yelled, "Give him hell already you chicken!"

Sasuke looked up at the two idiots, "Shut up, Uzumaki!"

"Which one?!" Naruto and Mika both shouted at the same time.

Sasuke ignored them and continued with the match.

Kakashi pat her hair from behind her, "Stop encouraging your brother. He's loud enough as it is."

Mika smiled at the man in the mask, "Aw, you're no fun, sensei." She turned to Orochimaru who watched Sasuke with pure obsession.

'Creep'

She turned back to Sasuke's match but this time, Zaku pulled out both of his arms and tried to blast Sasuke with all he had. That is, until Mika realized that Zaku had destroyed a shadow clone. Sasuke appeared behind Zaku and swiftly knocked him out, trying not to exert any of his remaining energy.

The crowd of jounin and Genin were silent as Zaku fell to the ground unconscious.

Gekko came over, "The winner is Sasuke Uchiha!"

Naruto jumped in the air, "Alright! It's about time, you sissy!"

Mika laughed loudly and Sakura cheered him.

Ino cheered as well and giggled ignorantly.

Sasuke ran a hand though his hair and began to walk up to his teammates. When he reached them, he immediately punched Naruto lightly on the arm and cuffed Mika lightly on the head but shocked everyone when he brought her into him with a hug. Mika tensed visibly but didn't pull away. Mika could, however, feel Naruto's hate radiating off of him. When Sasuke pulled away, Mika blushed but quickly shook it off, "What the hell Sasuke?!"

"What?"

Mika scratched the back of her head, "Why did you just . . . Hug me?"

Sasuke put his hands in his pockets and shrugged his shoulders and leaned in on the rail, waiting for the next match. Mika turned to see Sakura glaring at her and she shrugged her shoulders at her.

'Geez, it's not like I begged him to hug me. Bitch.'

Gekko announced the next match, "The next match is. . ." he waited for the board, "Shino Aburame versus Ino Yamanaka!"

Ino jumped up with joy, "Finally! I have a shot at impressing Sasuke!" she gazed dreamily at Mika's teammate. Sasuke growled at the attention and turned away to Mika.

"So let's continue our talk. I haven't scolded you yet for running off with strangers."

Mika rolled her eyes at him, "Oh whatever! It's not like I wanted to go with them! Gaara knocked me out."

Sasuke just crossed his arms and was about to reply when Kakashi intervened, "Now, now, children. Sasuke. I think that you should have a medic or someone look at you. You know, at that bruise you have. I'm sure your teammates will be elated to tell you who all passes."

"What? No! I want to stay and watch everyone's matches!"

Kakashi glared at his student's persistence and sighed, glancing over to Orochimaru.

'I was going to try and repress the cursed seal but with Orochimaru in sight, who knows if he'd try and follow? I can't take him alone.'

Kakashi sighed, "Very well. You can stay and watch the matches. But as soon as it's over, you are going to see a medic. Got it?"

Sasuke nodded and was about to turn back to Mika when Kakashi intervened again, "And stop scolding Mika. She's been through something similar to what you have been through in the forest. She doesn't need you making it worse."

Naruto was about to ask what the hell they were talking about when a harsh squeal went through the arena. Everyone turned their attention to the match.

Ino was currently head to toe in small bugs screaming in disgust and fear, "I give up! I give up! Get these things off of me!"

Mika burst out in laughter, "You chicken shit!"

Sakura shivered, "Bleh. Gross"

Sasuke just closed his eyes and shook his head, 'moron'

Naruto, however just smirked with a stupid grin on his face.

Shino called back his bugs and Ino ran back to her team. Gekko called out, "The winner is Shino Aburame!"

The score board reeled another set of names and Gekko called out, "The next match is . . . Kin Tsuchi versus Temari Subaku"

Mika couldn't help but to shout out, "Yeah! Temari! Kick her ass!"

Temari's eyes widened in shock as Mika had shouted out to her. Sasuke, Sakura and Naruto just stared at Mika as though she was crazy and Kankuro smirked and winked at her. Gaara just had a blank stare on his face.

Temari smirked as she jumped down to the arena, "Thanks, Mika! This'll be quick though."

Kin smirked back at her, "Pretty cocky don't you think? Good luck."

"I don't need luck, sweet heart." Temari spoke in that badass voice.

Sasuke glared at Mika, "Getting to know the enemy were you?"

Mika glared back at her teammate, "Of course. We all hung out together here in the tower for the last four days. It's pretty impossible not to see each other. She's not too bad."

Sakura rolled her eyes, "Hope you didn't give away any secrets." She muttered but Mika heard her.

"Shut up you-"

Kakashi broke them apart, "That's enough now you two."

Mika growled but turned to watch Temari and Kin's match. Temari had a giant fan in her hands that had been on her back and Kin had ahold of senbon needles. All of a sudden, they both attacked at once, Kin throwing the needles and Temari waving her giant fan. That's where Kin's attack failed and the wind Temari created sent the needles flying back to the owner, spearing her through the neck and chest, sending her down for the count.

Gekko rushed over to feel for a pulse but sighed, "The winner is Temari Subaku!"

"Whoohoo! Way to go!" Mika cheered. Temari merely smirked at the girl and went back to stand with her two brothers and sensei Baki.

The other Genin, however stayed silent, pretty surprised that the sand ninja had killed one of the sound ninja.

'Was I wrong to say that they were working together?' Kakashi thought.

"Hey is it okay if we stand by you guys?!" Mika smiled at Lee's familiar enthusiastic voice.

"Sure bushy brow!" Naruto nodded and Sakura greeted him but Sasuke merely glanced at him.

Guy, Lee's sensei was with him but Mika was curious to where Tenten and Neji were.

"Where's the rest of your team, Lee?" Mika asked but Lee just blushed.

"Oh they usually stay alone together most of the time. They don't like too much excitement I guess."

'More like their embarrassed to be around you two' Mika thought.

Mika bit her lip but stopped, remembering when Gaara had said it was annoying. Mika glanced over to him on the other side of the arena to notice that he was staring at her as if he knew what she was thinking.

Mika blushed but was snapped out of her thoughts when Sasuke grabbed her arm, "Stop looking over at them, do you want them come over here?!"

Mika shrugged, "I wouldn't mind if they did."

Sasuke growled exasperatedly, "You're clueless."

"Alright the next match goes to Tenten versus Kankuro Subaku! Begin!"

Mika watched the match but it was just so quick that there really wasn't much of a point to. Tenten had thrown many weapons out at him only to fail as Kankuro had revealed his jutsu at puppet mastery. Kankuro had won by grabbing Tenten with a puppet and squeezing her until she was unconscious. He hadn't killed her like Temari killed her opponent.

"Figured you'd win, Kankuro!" Mika shouted to him, trying to be nice and the puppet master winked at her.

"No doubt, huh?" he smirked and wen tot his siblings.

"If you ask me" Mika heard Sakura talking to her, "I'd say you were getting too comfortable with their presence here in the Leaf, Mika."

"Well it's a good thing I'm not asking you, Sakura. So shut up."

Sakura placed her hands on her hips, "You moron! You think you're so tough but you're just as pathetic as your brother!"

Mika huffed, "Naruto is not pathetic."

Naruto then got involved into the fight, "Hey now, this is no time to fight, guys. Let's just watch the next match."

Naruto was ignored when Sakura continued her rant, "You think you're so strong, so good at everything! But you're not! You two are twins, remember! You two are both weak, stupid and-"

"Shut up Sakura!" Sasuke came forward and in front of Mika to defend her, "Mika is not weak, stupid nor pathetic. So, instead of continuously describing yourself why don't you just go to your own match already?"

Sakura had been so worked up that she hadn't even realized that the scoreboard had her name on it.

"Next match, Sakura Haruno versus Misumi Tsurugi!"

Sakura was still surprised that Sasuke had defended both Mika and Naruto but quietly and glumly went to her match.

Mika raised an eyebrow at her cool teammate but Naruto was not impressed, "Geez Sasuke. You could have been a bit nicer."

"Yeah" Lee agreed.

Sasuke growled at them, "Sakura needs to keep her emotions in control. I just stated what was true, anyways." He turned to face Mika, "She's just jealous"

Mika blushed again but just turned quickly to watch Sakura's match. It had appeared that the man she was facing had a very peculiar jutsu. He could stretch his body. It looked sickening. The man was fairly muscular, too.

'Sakura's in trouble. She can't do anything long distance, either. The only thing she can do is detect genjutsu. She's screwed.'

However, Sakura surprised everyone when she created three shadow clones and ran to attack the ninja. Misumi, though, attacked and hit the right one, causing the clones to disappear and he coiled himself around her like a snake.

'She's done for'

However, just when Misumi made the killing blow, Sakura used a substitution jutsu and threw every weapon she had at him. The man was so surprised at the attack that he collapsed unconscious, losing a lot of blood in the process with so many kunai and shuriken in him.

Gekko hailed, "Sakura Haruno wins the match!"

In truth, it looked as though even Kakashi was shocked that she had won the match and congratulated her when she came back up to them.

"Nice going Sakura!" Naruto praised but she ignored him.

'Bitch' Mika glared at her. Sakura looked hopefully to Sasuke but was just depressed when she noticed that the Uchiha wasn't paying her any attention. Instead, Sasuke was staring at Mika with interest.

'Why the hell is so interested in her all of a sudden? He hated her just as much as I did in the land of waves mission! Did something change when we thought that Haku had killed her?'

Sakura wondered what she had done wrong in her love quest for Sasuke.

"Alright!" Everyone turned to Gekko once more, "The next match is. . . Shikamaru Nara versus Yoroi Akado!"

"Oh great" Naruto whined, "That lazy prick? This match is gonna be boring!"

Mika swatted her brother upside the head, "Quiet you! That's rude, even if it's true!"

"Ow! Mika!" The blonde whined, clutching his head.

Sasuke sighed, "Idiot"

"What did you say?!" Naruto wanted to start a fight but Mika let Sasuke handle it this time.

"I said shut up, you moron! The match is about to start!" Sasuke spoke out of his quiet badass voice.

"Ugh, this is so not gonna be fun at all" Shikamaru could be heard whining in the arena.

His opponent, however, seemed very interested, "Why don't you give up then?"

Shikamaru smirked, "And give my team a chance to yell at me for giving up so soon? No thanks."

Truth be told, Mika really couldn't follow through with Shikamaru's strategy. It seemed as though the kid had no idea what he was doing but then again, he timed out some moves perfectly. It turned out that Shikamaru could use a shadow possession jutsu technique to paralyze his opponent while Yoroi could steal someone's chakra just by touching them. It was true that Shikamaru was in a bind but at every chance he got, he managed to trap the man before he could touch him.

In the end, everyone was amazed when Shikamaru somehow made the Yoroi bang his head against the arena wall, knocking him unconscious.

"Cool" Mika spoke, "Didn't know he was so smart."

"Yeah" Naruto agreed, "He always acts so lazy and bored all of the time, you'd never guess."

"Nah." Mika sounded, "He's still lazy and all that, he just thinks that he doesn't have to do anything because he's so smart."

"Hmm." Naruto commented, "I wonder when our matches will be up, sis."

"I don't know."

"Well let's see." Naruto gazed around the room, "The people who all have to fight now are you, me, that gaara kid, bushy brows, Kiba, Neji, Kabuto, Hinata, Choji and that other sound ninja guy."

Mika shivered in excitement, "I want to go up against Gaara. I think it'd be fun."

"Fun?" Sasuke narrowed his eyes, "What the hell is wrong with you? That guy is messed up."

Mika shrugged her shoulders, "What about you, Naruto?"

Naruto thought for a bit then smiled, "I think I'd want to go up against Hinata."

"Why?" Both Mika and Sasuke asked and Naruto shrugged.

"I don't know. I guess because she always faints when I talk to her. I'd win in a heartbeat!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "That's the easy way out."

"Yeah no kidding" Mika actually agreed with the Uchiha.

Kakashi spoke up, "If you three are done chatting, it appears that the next match is up."

Sasuke, Naruto, Mika, Sakura and Lee all looked up at the Score board to find that Uzumaki's name was up.

Uzumaki laughed, "Alright! Let's do this!"

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R&R