Bluebreeze27 : So. Here's chapter 8 :D Sorry for the wait! Remember, read and review!
Disclaimer: I Own.. Na.. Nothing.
Chapter 8 : Rookies, Trust and Uncertainty.
Rookies.
"Do I look..weird?" Sakura asked.
"Nope. You look great, Sakura-san." Sayaa smiled at the girl.
In exchange for her red dress, Sakura wore a sleeveless, tight fit black turtle neck shirt, black spandex shorts and over that a red skirt thing with large slits(like her dress) at both sides, ending five inches above her knees. The Haruno Clan symbol at the right end of the skirt. She had her hair in a messy high bun using 2 senbons disguised as hair chopsticks.
"Okay then. I should go. See you soon, Sayaa-san. Wish me luck!" She smiled and left.
"Good luck..and stay safe, Sakura-sama.."
"Ohayo Sa.." Naruto trailed off. Sasuke turned to see what was wrong with the dobe. Then, stared.
"Hey guys. Sorry I'm late!" Sakura puffed as she bent on her knees to catch her breath. "Good morning! ...um, what's up?"
'She looks..cute..' Both boys blushed slightly.
"You guys, okay?" Sakura waved a hand at their faces.
"Hn." Sasuke coughed. "Let's go."
"Right."
'Something's hazy..wrong about this floor..' Sakura was deep in thought. She snapped out of her stupor and grabbed her boys' hands. "Wait. This is a genjutsu.." She whispered. "Kai.." She dispelled the illusion to only the three of them. They watched as the room's number changed.
They were about to walk upstairs when they were stopped by a commotion. A girl in twin buns was pushed by a boy guarding the fake room 301.
Sakura froze. This scene reminded her too much of her bullied-years. Without thinking, she stomped over there, helped the girl up and faced the boy.
"You. Are. A. Coward." She spat then slapped the boy hard, with chakra. "Never hit a girl." With blazing eyes, she glared at the fallen boy.
"Sakura!" "Sakura-chan!" Her boys reached her. They placed their hands on her shoulders, never in their times together have they seen Sakura so mad.
"..." She forced herself to calm down. "I.. Are you okay?" She smiled at the girl tentatively.
"Yeah, thanks for that though." The girl smiled.
"Sakura, let's go?" Sasuke asked.
"Yeah.." She mumbled.
"Matte! Sakura-san, right?" A boy with thick brows and bowl hair cut in a green jumpsuit asked.
"Um..yes."
"I am Rock Lee. Please date me! I promise to protect you with my life!" Lee then held a thumbs up, and smiled, making his teeth go 'Ping!'.
Sakura sweat dropped and chuckled nervously. "I'm sorry Lee-san..ano, dating is the last thing from my mind." She rejected him down softly.
"Let's go." Both Naruto and Sasuke growled, grabbing her hands.
"Uh, yeah.." Sakura raised a brow at her boys' odd actions.
"Matte." A boy with long brown hair spoke. "The one in blue, what's your name?"
"As if I'd tell you. When asking for other people's names, you tell yours first." Sasuke sneered and on that note, Team Seven headed to their destination.
"Matte!" A voice called out to them. Sakura groaned. It was taking them ages just to go to the examination room. She then hung her head in shame. 'My fault..'
"I am Rock Lee. It is polite to tell one's name before asking another's, right, Uchiha Sasuke?" Lee exclaimed. "I challenge you! Right now!" He jumped infront of Team Seven. He looked at Sakura and promptly blushed. "Sakura-san, we meet again." And then he threw winks at her, forming weird floating hearts.
Sakura gracefully and easily evaded all of them, "Please don't throw weird things at me.." She muttered.
Naruto, fed up with all the attention Sasuke was getiing and all the moves on his Sakura-chan, started to attack Lee.
"Stay away from Sakura-chan!"
Lee effectively evaded him.
"Naruto!" Sakura exclaimed as Naruto crashed head first to the wall. Her body tensed up.
Sasuke activated his Sharingan and attacked Lee, he was easily evaded.
Sakura looked on, carefully watching the fight. Lee was much faster than Sasuke, she was no match for him. She bit her lip. Her body tensed up more as she saw bandages from Lee's hands circling her teammate. Sakura felt that this was..dangerous. She grabed a senbon from her hair and threw it to one end of the bandages. She noticed a pinwheel doing the same, she turned to look at a tortoise observing her eerily.
As the bandages were pinned to the wall by her senbon first then by the pinwheel, she rushed out to catch her falling teammate.
"I AM SORRY, MASTER!" They heard Lee as Naruto joined them to form a defensive formation.
Team Seven looked on as the tortoise reprimanded Lee. After a while, a teacher, looking awfully like Lee came and introduced himself as Gai. Gai then told them the history of his rivalry with their 'hip' sensei. As the weird bunch turned to leave, Lee looked back to them.
"I conceed, Sasuke-kun. I really am no match for the prodigy of the Uchiha Clan. But be warned of the most likely formidable opponent here, Hyuga Neji, the Hyuga Clan's prodigy. He is in my team. Until we meet again." He bowed.
"We were totally beaten. Did you see his hands? He was injured!" Naruto scowled.
No one said a thing for a few moments.
"Well, the more worthy opponents are there, the more people we will crush. Let's go, Naruto, Sakura." Sasuke headed out without looking back, knowing his teammates will follow him.
And with smiles on their faces, they did.
"Sensei!" Kakashi turned to the sweet voice of his only female student.
"Yo." He smiled. "You look good, Sakura." He complimented her.
"Thank you." She blushed slightly. The boys scowled, each wishing they had complimented the girl first.
"So, I take it the three of you are taking the exams?"
The three genin nodded.
"I am glad. Actually, if one of you did not come, those two who did wouldn't be allowed to take the exams." Kakashi smiled. "I wanted you to go through this voluntarily and for that, I am very proud of you three." Kakashi then stepped aside, letting them in.
"What's with the creepy atmosphere.." Sakura muttered.
"Sasuke-kuuuun~" Ino glomped Sasuke.
"Pig." Sakura sighed, glancing apologetically at her teammate for her best friend's behaviour.
"Troublesome.. Oh, hey, Haruno-san." Nara Shikamaru lazily waved, Akimichi Chouji beside him. "You look..very..pretty.."
"Aw, thanks, Shikamaru-san. And please call me Sakura." Sakura smiled at the blushing boy.
"Okay then..Sakura-san." He smiled slightly. Three pairs of eyes scrutinized the Nara boy but said nothing.
"Arf!" A white dog jumped at Sakura out of nowhere.
"Hi Aka-chan." Sakura cooed at the pup.
"Down boy!" Inuzuka Kiba told his dog partner. "Sorry about that Haruno. You know how Akamaru likes you so.."
"It's alright, I like Aka-chan too." Sakura smiled. "Oh hey, Shino-san, Hinata-chan." She greeted the silent members of Team Eight. "It looks like that nine of us from the Academy's here." She commented softly.
The nine of them stood silently, digesting Sakura's words. The nine young shinobi realized that they were, in fact, the only straight out the Academy ninjas to take the exams. Rookies, as one might say.
"Why don't we name ourselves?" Naruto commented, not liking the silence.
"We have names, dobe." Sasuke grunted, still untangling Ino's arms from his body.
"I meant our group, teme." The blonde growled.
"Rookie Nine.." Sakura mumbled.
"That's a good name, Sakura-san." Shikamaru commented to the girl, making her blush.
"Oi, you shouldn't draw too much attention to yourselves." A bespectacled young man approach the group.
"What do you mean?" Sakura asked, slowly inching closer to her teammates. The guy had a Konoha forehead protector, but something about him made Sakura tensed.
"Look around you." And they did. "Everyone here's veterans in taking the exam. If you draw too much attention to your group, you'll be easily marked as targets."
Sakura and Sasuke felt rather than saw Naruto shake. They both smirked.
"LISTEN TO ME! I AM UZUMAKI NARUTO AND I WILL BEAT YOU ALL!" Naruto grinned. "WE ARE ROOKIE NINE! COME GET US." He taunted.
Sakura giggled at the rest of Rookie Nine's horrified expressions. She easily caught a shuriken aimed for Naruto as Sasuke blocked a kunai for her. She turned to the other participants, "That's just rude you know." She grinned. "You, too Naruto." Naruto pouted.
"What's with you guys?! You crazy?" Ino shrieked.
Sakura smiled. "Sorry, but, we're not sorry. Right boys?"
"Hn." "You betcha!"
Trust.
After the whole fiasco (the sound ninjas attacking Yushi Kabuto-the bespectacled guy), Morino Ibiki, the examiner, ordered them into seats far from their teammates. They will be given a written examination.
'Uh oh.' Sakura thought. She made eye contact with Sasuke and they knew what the other was thinking. 'Naruto.'
As Morino Ibiki began explaining, it became obvious to the Rookie Nine what the real test was. Apart from Uzumaki Naruto, of course.
Sakura turned to Ino just before Ibiki ended his explanations. "Steal my body and die, Pig. I'll reveal all secrets you have, every. Single. One." She threatened. It wasn't like she didn't want Ino to pass, but it just scared her to think that Ino might find her own secrets, her family secrets. As soon as Sakura saw Ino gulp then glare at her, she considered her job done and gave herself a mental pat on the back.
At the corner of her eye, she saw Sasuke trying to get her attention. It was clear that the Uchiha was worried about their other teammate. She just shrugged, 'Trust him.' then proceeded to answer her test.
Sakura stared at Ibiki.
'Okay, that was..just annoying.' She scowled. Then, proceeded to glare sat the test paper on her table. 'And I worked pretty dang hard on it too.'
Other participants were slowly withdrawing from the exam, fearing for their careers. Sakura huffed. 'Idiots..They don't know how to look underneath the underneath. Che, I sound like Sensei.' She giggled, making her seatmate look at her oddly. 'Okay, I have to thank Sensei for this.' Sakura now wore a full blown smile. The first part of the exam was easy for her.
She saw Naruto shake in his seat, he then held his hand up.
Sasuke looked at her, smirking. Sakura grinned in response. 'It's all about trust. Naruto would never leave us hanging.'
"I will pass this test with my teammates and you can't bring us down! BRING IT ON!" As if Naruto's voice was a reasurance, Sakura felt all uneasiness and doubt disappear from their co-participants.
'You really are something, Uzumaki Naruto.' Sakura thought fondly of the boy.
Uncertainty
'This looks creepy.' Sakura gulped. 'Forest of Death? Just great.' She fidgeted as she stared at gate 12. 'If ever Renge-nee really decides to visit..dang..I am so doomed..'
Whatever the pink haired ninja was expecting, it did not involve a forest. She knew something was odd the moment Mitarishi Anko crashed into the room and announced she would be taking out half of the participants.
"Hey. You alright? You look pale." Sasuke asked her. "Sakura?"
"Uh, I'm fine.." She shruggred. "Just nervous. We just signed a waiver you know..It's bound to be disatrous."
"We'll protect you." Sasuke told her, Naruto nodding in the background.
"Thanks guys, but just so you know, I'll protect you too." She grinned. 'Who would have thought that the Uchiha Sasuke would be the one to clear my doubts and uncertainty?'
"Listen up brats! I am counting down to three, then go get your asses in that forest. Try not to get killed, alright?" Anko grinned at them. "Three! Two! One! GO!"
"So.." Sakura looked at her teammates. "Who's going to hold the scoll?"
"I'll hold it." Sasuke claimed.
"No, let's give it to Naruto." Both boys looked at her, clearly surprised that she said that. Sakura held out her hand to Sasuke. Sasuke scowled, giving the scroll to their female member.
"Please be careful with this, Naruto." Sakura gave the scroll to the grinning blonde.
"Of course, Sakura-chan."
"Hmppph."
"I need to pee." Naruto turned to pee but Sasuke punched his head. "Teme! What was that for?!"
"Are you really gonna ask me that, dobe?" Sasuke glared at the oblivious boy then looked pointedly at Sakura who had her back turned but they could clearly see the tips of her rapidly reddening ears.
"Um.. It's okay, I'll just turn around." The girl said, feeling uneasy and awkward at the moment.
"No." "I'll go."
And with that, Naruto turned to hide behind thick bushes.
Sakura couldn't take the silence so.. "Ano, Sasuke? Thanks for that."
"Hn." If Sakura didn't know her team mate well, she would say that Sasuke was behaving normally, aloof. But she knew him.
"What's wrong?" Sakura tilted her head to the side.
"Nothing."
"...Is this about Naruto holding the scroll?" When she received no respinse, she sighed. "It's not because I don't trust you with it or I'm doubting you because we all know how reliable you are. I'd trust you with my life, Sasuke. But you need to understand that Naruto wants to be trusted too. You've been getting too much attention, you know Gaara of the Sand, Lee-san and even Hyuga Neji-san. Naruto may not say anything but I can feel he's feeling pretty insignificant."
Sasuke digested her speech and slowly nodded. "...You're right."
"Besides, the enemy won't expect him of us three to have it." She giggled.
Sasuke smirked at that.
"Hey~!" Naruto waved. "Sorry I took so long."
Both genin tensed, Sasuke was the first to move. The kunai he threw was easily avoided by the blonde.
"What the! What's your problem?!"
"You are not our teammate." Sakura stated.
"What? What are you saying?" 'Naruto' asked.
"You are worse than the dobe in transforming. You forgot the wound." Sasuke sneered.
"Plus, Naruto's right handed. Your kunai holster's tied to your left leg. Better check your facts, Mr. Imposter!" Sakura prepared to fight.
The imposter dropped his act and the two genin found themselves fighting an enemy-nin.
"Sasuke!" Sasuke saw Naruto wriggling on the forest floor as he chased the enemy. He rolled his Sharingan-activated eyes briefly but quickly threw a kunai to cut the ropes binding his blonde teammate.
The enemy took advantage of Sasuke's lack of attention and threw several shuriken and kunai at him.
"Look out." Sakura stepped in the fight and easily defected the weapons. "Shit." She noticed an explosive tag and jumped away from it. As soon as she landed on the floor beside Naruto, two kunai were speeding towards her.
Sakura fell sideways, losing her balance as she avoided the kunais. Naruto caught her and straightened her up. Sasuke then gathered chakra in his foot and used it to throw the kunai back to their enemy. Just as the enemy avoided the kunai, Sasuke stabbed him with one.
"You guys are not normal kids." And with that, the enemy escaped. "I shall retreat for now."
Team Seven rested quietly, letting their bodies to slump slightly on the forest floor.
"..To avoid more encounters like that, I propose a code." Sakura suggested. They established the fact that if the three of them got separated, they cannot trust each other anymore.
"That's a great idea, Sakura-chan."
"Okay then, listen to this, I'm only telling this once.." Sasuke said.
After a few seconds of silence, Sakura spoke. "I don't think that's a good code, Sasuke."
"Why?" Sasuke asked, if anyone questioned him he would have gotten pissed and beat the crap out of that person but this was Sakura.
"Every shinobi knows that."
Sasuke nodded, the pink haired girl had a point. Naruto readily agreed. It was obvious that he didn't know the code.
"Okay then, what code do you suggest we use?"
"Well.."
Sakura coughed. "What the.." She looked at her surrondings. It seemed something attacked them, the only question was what? And where were her boys? "I hope they're alright..knowing them, they must be in trouble already..I gotta find them soon." She muttered.
"Well, well. Look who's here?" A very familiar voice spoke.
Sakura tensed and turned. "Renge-neechan..."
Haruno Renge stood before her. Even after years of being a missing nin did nothing to her beauty. Now, eighteen years old, Renge had a great figure. It was pronounced by the red kimono she wore. The kimono only reached mid thigh though, and her left sleeve was ripped at the shoulders. Her flowing black hair reached her lower back. Her Konoha forehead protector around her waist, just above the obi.
Emerald eyes stared at cold Hazel ones.
"What are you doing here?" Sakura gritted out. As much as she tried to despise her sister, she only felt longing at the moment. 'Stupid..' She scolded herself. She took on a defensive stance.
Renge laughed. "What? I can't see my own sister now?" She got no reply and sighed. "I just came to see how much you trained. I hope you received my letter. I don't want a worthless fight, Sakura. When I kill you, I want you to at least provide some..amusement."
The younger Haruno felt tears prickle at her eyes but refused to let them fall, instead she bit her lips.
Renge suddenly appeared before her, reaching to her hair stick. It was as if her older sister was hugging her. Sakura felt her hair cascade down before she felt the tip of the senbon(hair stick) at her neck.
"What a disappointment my dear imoutou. You're weak. You need to train more..hmm. You may use those little teammates of yours. The fox boy and the Uchiha avenger." She felt Renge pressing the senbon harder at her neck. Soon, blood trickled down her pale neck. "You kept your hair long, I see. Well, you just can't let go of the past can't you?" Renge laughed as she backed away.
Sakura immediately pressed a hand to her wound, hand glowing green. Instanty, her wound healed. She warily watched her sister use her stick to tie her own black hair, Sakura almost cried at the resemblance of her sister to her parents. Her mother's hair style and physique and her father's features in one person.
"I suggest you get going now, before you lose two important pieces. GET STRONGER, DAMN SISTER. Where's the fun in killing a weakling like you?" Renge sneered.
Sakura's eyes widened as she felt herself fly through the trees. Her sister just kicked her! Wincing, she assessed her ribs.
"Oof!" "Argh!"
"Sasuke?" It was in fact, her teammate who caught her fall.
She tensed as she felt a kunai held at her throat.
"The code." The Uchiha growled. Her eyes widened but her body relaxed, she knew this was really her teammate.
"Tomatoes are blue's, dangos are pink's while anything Ichiraku's are oranges. To one day see behind the silver mask is our greatest victory, solving Konoha's greatest mystery." She recited and immediately, the cold metal disappeared.
"You okay?" Sasuke asked her."Sorry 'bout that."
"It's fine." She smiled.
"Guys! Are you okay?!" Naruto came running towards them, waving energetically. Just as he was near the pair, he was stopped in his tacks by two kunai aimed at his feet. "Whoa!"
"The code." Sakura spoke, she observed the boy. He looked like Naruto but something felt off, feeding her doubts and uncertainty.
"Oh, alright. Tomatoes are blue's, dangos are pink's while anything Ichiraku's are oranges. To one day see behind the silver mask is our greatest victory, solving Konoha's greatest mystery." 'Naruto' grinned but a kunai effectively put a stop to his happiness. "What the!" He fell down to the forest floor.
"You're not Naruto."Both ninja glared at him.
The Naruto imposter grinned. "How did you find out, I'm not your teammate?"
"Our teammate cannot recite that code." Sakura gripped a kunai in both hands, preparing for battle.
"Oh? Why's that? And why use a long code then?" The imposter stood up, grinning madly, sending shivers down Sakura's spine.
"He's an idiot. And we knew you were listening in on us." Sasuke scoffed.
"Impressive." Naruto's image disappeared, revealing the long haired woman with the long tongue that gave Mitaraishi Anko's kunai back to her.
Staring at the woman's eyes, Sakura felt pure terror. It was as if she was facing death itsef. She glanced at her equally frozen teammate.
'What have we gotten ourselves into? I knew this exam was a bad idea..'
Bluebreeze27 : AAAAAND, chapter 8 is done! Renge finally makes an appearance! So, whatcha think? Like it? Hate it? What do you think about the appearance of Renge? And the code :D I personally love my made up code. Please drop a review or two, it would make me very happy. That can be your guys birthday present to me. I turned 18 last Jan 27 *gasp* Goodness, I'm old! Anyway. review! Chapter 9 will be posted by the end of Feb. See you, caio!
