So sorry that it's a little late. Real life has decided that I was too happy. My mom was just diagnosed with Stage 4 super aggressive kidney cancer and the doctors can't promise her anything. So, my updates might not happen as fast as before. I just wanted to you all know hat I'm not giving up on this story and fuck cancer.

Chapter 7

After securing escorts for Kankurō and Temari, Team Seven decided to go to the training grounds to continue their teamwork training. It had been decided, when they started their month long training session, that Sasuke would be the leader, but Naruto would come up with battle strategies, as he had practice from his pranking days while Sakura would take over when dealing with civilians and diplomats. So, when Konohamaru got captured, Sasuke and Sakura let Naruto jump into action.

"So, we know that Konohamaru is tied to a tree and that the nin is guarding him. We don't have to kill him, just distract him enough for one of us to get Konohamaru away to safety." Naruto commented, putting on his claws and stretching his fingers to make sure they fit right. "I'm great at distracting and Sasuke's great at sneaking so, Sakura will be acting as distraction with me while Sasuke sneaks past and gets Konohamaru to safety then joins up with us and fight the bad guy!"

Sakura nodded while Sasuke looked both pleased and annoyed. She thought it was because Naruto said that he was the best at something and that he was annoyed because of the fact that he didn't get to get in on the action. She tried to keep the pleased look off of her face, but didn't think she did when Sasuke shot her an annoyed look. She stuck her tongue out at him, smiling while Naruto laughed at them. Konohamaru's yell reminded them that they were in the bushes and what they had to do, and they sobered.

Giving his teammates a last look, Sasuke turned and disappeared from their view. Naruto and Sakura looked at each other and nodded. As Naruto tightened his fingers around the claws, Sakura took out her kodachi and got ready.

Naruto charged through the fog and immediately slashed with a claw. The unknown nin caught his wrist before it could connect, so Naruto swung with the other claw, this time connecting with the arm holding his wrist. The nin let go and staggered back while Sakura took her chance. She lunged forward and struck the ninja's left leg before he was able to reorient himself. The nin was able to jump back and threw some kunai at the two in order to give himself some space, which they dodged, before the ninja was caught with metal chains and was quickly met with Sakura's sword at his throat. Sakura followed the chains to Sasuke, who had Konohamaru behind him, now untied from the tree. Then the ninja started to laugh.

As the world around them began to clear, the ninja started to take another shape, this one, more familiar. "Iruka-sensei?" Sakura asked incredulously, quickly pulling her sword away. Sasuke pulled his chains back under his sleeves what Naruto let his claws drop in shock.

"What's going on, Iruka-sensei? Why did you kidnap Konohamaru and why did you pretend to be someone else?" Naruto sounded like how Sakura felt. The shock of it all went away and was replaced by anger. Are you freaking kidding me? Sakura glanced over at her teammates and saw her feelings reflected. Sasuke's eyes blazed with anger and his face contorted with contempt while Naruto looked more betrayed than than anyone else, but just as angry.

Iruka-sensei must have realized that he was walking on thin ice because he quickly started explaining. "It was a test! Every genin team goes through it when they get nominated for the Chūnin Exams! We had to make sure that you were ready!"

"We?" Sasuke's face was unreadable, Sakura and Naruto now standing behind him, showing a united front.

"That would be us." The three turned and saw their teacher and the Hokage come into view. Kakashi-sensei continued jovially, "I'm really surprised at Iruka though. I mean, getting bested by genin is not a great track record." He said it mildly enough, but the words were scathing.

Iruka flushed, "I didn't expect them to have new weapons, let alone know how to use them. I was caught by surprise."

Sakura tried not to take it too seriously, but knew that Sasuke and Naruto were far more volatile than she was, even though Inner was raging at her to let her out. Ignoring Inner, Sakura grabbed her teammates by the arm in bruising grips and gave them both looks that she hoped said that if they didn't shut up, they would regret it. Sasuke looked away, scowling while Naruto pouted. "Well? Did we pass?"

The Hokage was the one who answered her this time. "You may take the Chūnin Exams. They start in two days, so get some rest."

Kakashi-sensei walked up to his students and put a hand on Sakura's shoulder. "I'll make sure that they do, Hokage-sama."

Konohamaru ran to his grandfather and the two walked away, Konohamaru talking his ear off. Iruka got to his feet, dusting himself off and looked like he wanted to say something, but the look on Naruto's face made him change his mind; with an uncomfortable look on his face, he left the four alone.

As the genin tried to wrap their heads around what had happened, Kakashi-sensei spoke. "You know, I'm surprised that my cute little genin could be so vicious."

"He looked like he was going to kill the Hokage's grandson, what else were we supposed to do?" Sasuke replied, "Ask him nicely to go away and leave the kid alone?" He sounded sarcastic, which was a new emotion for him. Sakura was proud.

"Yeah, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto spoke up, "We had to get him away from Konohamaru and try to stop him. That's the whole point of being a ninja!" Sakura and Kakashi-sensei just looked at each other. She knew that he knew that, if she had to, she would have killed Iruka to save Konohamaru. Not because she liked the little brat, but because that was her duty.

After leaving the boys to do what they want, Kakashi and Sakura went back to the training grounds. "Kakashi-sensei? How come you're not really teaching me how to better control my powers?"

Kakashi sighed. He forgets sometimes that she's only thirteen and that, despite her maturity, she's still a child. "Because I don't want you to rely on it. If you rely on it, you're dead the minute you get caught without it. However, I do need to teach you something so, how about we try something new. You can sometimes catch a fish, so you won't starve, but you at least have that down. I would teach you how to incorporate water with your fighting style, but unfortunately, my powers are the complete opposite of yours. I have someone in mind to teach you a better fighting style, but he's a bit busy at the moment." Kakashi thought of his bright green friend and cringed internally. He will never let me live down asking for his help.

Sakura looked confused, but nodded and got into position. Kakashi continued, "I want you to bring up a dream of water and hold it where you feel comfortable." Sakura was able to get a small stream of water to listen before it fell back down, splashing her. Kakashi frowned, "After a month, you should be better at this, Sakura."

Sakura flushed and brought up a stream and held it up steady. Kakashi nodded, she was not holding back now. He noticed that Sakura had a bad habit of holding herself back during training, probably because of habit now. Her crush on Sasuke had stunted her growth as a ninja and Kakashi was determined to rectify that. "Now, thin it out and strike! Like a whip!"

As Sakura continued to do a water whip, she asked about his thoughts on the Suna Royal Children. "Temari is a Fan Mistress, I hesitate to say wind mistress because she only ever uses her fan. She's the eldest and, as such, she is extremely protective of her brothers. Kankurō is the middle child and a Puppeteer. Not yet a master, but still not someone for you to take lightly."

"And Gaara of the Sand? Is he like us?"

"I he's not like us, he inserts his chakra into his sand. He's the youngest of the siblings, but more deadly than those two combined. Suna has been using him as a weapon since he was young. He is the team leader and a sociopath, to the point where his siblings are scared of him."

"Well, that I knew from when I met them."

Kakashi's gaze snapped to Sakura, who was still practicing the water whip. "You met them? When?"

Sakura glanced at Kakashi, still mostly focusing on the whips. "Earlier today. Kankurō was bullying Konohamaru and Temari was with him. The Sasuke came and Gaara appeared. He was interested in me and Sasuke but didn't like Naruto for some reason." Kakashi frowned under his mask but made sure it didn't show in what Sakura could see. He didn't like that a sociopath was interested in his genin.

The day of the Chūnin Exams Team Seven, or Team Kakashi for the duration of the Exams, found themselves at the sign up location which was at the Academy building this year. After the three registered on the first floor, they made their way up the stairs.

As they walked up the first set of stairs, they were met with a huge crowd of kids, all genin. A girl in twin buns was standing in front of two other genin that were blocking the door. "Let us in, damn it! This is the third floor, right? So let us in!" The brunette girl was yelling at the other two.

Sasuke and Sakura looked at each other in confusion. "We only walked up one flight of stairs, right?" Sakura whispered in his ear, while keeping a hand on Naruto. Sasuke nodded. "I thought so." She looked at Naruto who looked like he was about to start yelling and bring attention to themselves. She squeezed his arm just enough for him to look at her and shook her head when he did.

Sakura saw the kid in green with a bowl cut watching her as Team Seven made their way to the second set of stairs. As what could only be his teammate made a scene, the bowl cut boy followed them to the next floor and get in front of them. "My name is Rock Lee and I wish to fight Sasuke Uchiha for the lovely Sakura's hand!"

What?! Before Sasuke could do something stupid, like accept, Sakura brought her hand up in a placating gesture. "I don't like Sasuke like that anymore, and to be frank, I'm only thirteen, I'm not really looking for a boyfriend right now. Can't we just be friends?"

Lee's eyes filled with tears. As Sakura and Naruto began to panic, he said, "The lovely Sakura is the nicest girl I've ever met! Of course I will wait however long she asks!" He started bowing as the bun girl and another boy walked up to them. The girl looked embarrassed by her teammate while the other boy, who had the pale eyes of the Hyuuga clan, remained stoic.

The boy closed his eyes and said, "Lee, that's enough. Stop bowing can come on, we have to go."

"Yes, Neji! Tenten, let us go!" Lee skipped to his teammates and they continued on.

Team Seven toiled at each other in slight confusion before getting into position, with Sasuke in the middle, Sakura to his right and Naruto to his left, and walked into the room.

Kakashi looked down at his team from the rafters, Gai at his side. Kakashi looked at Gai from the corner of his eye. "I'm surprised, Gai. I would have thought that he would have challenged Sasuke even after Sakura said what she did."

"Lee respects women. He knows that they are fully capable of knowing their feeling and will not try to victimize himself by saying that he's the 'nice guy' in the 'friend-zone'. He will find someone when they're both ready."

Kakashi hummed in agreement. "So, about that training regiment for Sakura…"