Chapter 10
And you ask me what I want this year
And I try to make this kind and clear
Just a chance that maybe we'll find better days
Cuz I don't need boxes wrapped in strings
And desire and love and empty things
Just a chance that maybe we'll find better days
Better Days, Goo Goo Dolls
Flashback Continued
10:15:45 Yesterday
"Did he do what I think he just did?" Kankarou whispered. When no reply came he looked up to see his sister with her mouth hanging wide open.
At a different table (specifaclly the one they were staring at) something interesting had just occurred. And Naruto couldn't believe what just happened.
Subaku no Gaara had just hit him with a ball.
A ball of sand. Really hard sand one might be inclined to add.
The nerve of that bastard.
What the hell…
"What the f-" A ball of sand hit him yet again. Okay, now he was just getting pissed off. What is wrong with him?! First he almost kills me-
Please note the fact that he doesn't remember you, not to mention that you freaked out the same way you did last time when you met him again at the hospital.
-throwing balls of sand at me?!
You obviously didn't hear a word I said.
"Keep your voice down and let's get started." Gaara glared at him. "Do not cause me trouble." He said icily.
Sasuke's eye twitched. He could just imagine deadly somethings heading towards Naruto at the same speed as those sand balls.
This must be his way of letting some stress out. But this guy doesn't look like someone who would lose his cool so easily unless he's anxious. He doesn't seem to concerned about the exam so…?
"Oi! What's your problem? If you wanna fight, then challenge m-"
"Table four! Start your exam now or I will be forced to fail you!" The examiner boomed (which didn't work out too well because of his cough).
"Let's start" Sasuke said stonily. The three of them peered at the paper reading the first question. Naruto scratched his head.
"So, uh- does anybody know the answer to the first one?" His teammates glared at him. "I'll take that as a no." He muttered.
Hmm, this is really hard. Maybe I'll take a closer look… Naruto stepped forward trying to pick up the exam-
"Naruto!" The blue haired boy hissed in pain, the idiot had stepped on his foot. "For God's sake watch where you're going!"
The blonde having no clue as to what his teammate was screeching about started yelling at him. "What is your problem, I'm trying to read the exam here!"
"Just where you step you idiot!"
"Maybe you should watch where you put your foot!"
"Quit talking nonsense, Naruto!"
"I'm not talking nonsense! You're just a s-"
"That.Is.IT. Table four you are now d-"
"QUIT INTERUPPTING YOU STUPID JERK."
"WHY YOU LITTLE-"A ball of sand hit him in the face.
Gaara glared at him. "Keep your voice down." Hayate was getting really pissed off at these bratty teenagers. He made his way to table four. "Clearly it was a mistake when you three passed the first part of the exam but I assure you the same mistake will not be made again. Also-"
Hayate was interrupted by the table being broken in half after a loud war cry. "Uzumaki, if you do not shut up right now I will-"It was too late the Uchiha was already half way through the seal for a fire jutsu. Gaara didn't care, so long as they didn't hit him. Just then he felt something brush past his clothes, looking down he glared. The corner of his white sash had been singed. They were so dead now.
Just as Hayate was between the boys a dome covered the three. The worst part was the dome was made of sand (which could never be good) and also the fact a certain red head was also in the dome and he just happened to be staring at them murderously.
Sasuke gulped, invoulantarily.
--
There was a loud cry of pain. Someone screamed "Naruto! You killed him, I'll kill you Subaku no Gaara!"
Uzumaki Naruto was presumed dead.
"Calm down Sasuk- ow! Don't hit me with a rock- is th-..s-sharingan!"
Sasuke had felt rage. He felt the fear too. Something had been triggered and suddenly he could see a lot clearer now.
Gaara growled slightly, Baki had called him in to remind him not to kill anyone. The blonde stood back up, a red aura making him glow and Gaara smirked he could afford to play a bit though.
That was his last thought before Naruto pelted him with a balloon filled with paint.
Where the hell did he get that?!!
10:27:12am Yesterday
When the dome finally came down Hayate nearly screamed "FREEDOM", when the medics finally dragged him away he had lost his restraint and could be heard yelling at three particular boys.
"I'll get revenge on you for this Subaku no Gaara and your stupid sand! I'd get revenge on you too Uzumaki, but you're already dead! You think you're all that Uchiha…BUT YOU'RE NOT!"
Nobody noticed Naruto slipping out to go wash his face and then maybe collapse on his bed. The reporters assumed 'there was no body to be found' and thus was a tragic story.
Nobody commented on why exactly Gaara's face was bright pink and his gourd was blue, orange, white, green and…
Nobody dared to approach the Uchiha because if looks could kill, all his fan girls would drop dead.
10:28:54am
"This is 007, I repeat this is 007. The plan is in action, your target is Uchiha Sasuke. Bring him to the Kazekage-dono alive."
10:30:00am
A warning bell sounded throughout the village. Tsunade looked up from the scroll the Hokage had given.
Tsunade,
I suspect Orochimaru will attack during the exams. Please find Jiraiya and come to protect the village. It is still your home.
Sandaime
Tsunade sighed, perhaps she should have considered opening this earlier. It was a good thing she was already at village and she had dragged Jiraiya here (she was not coming back here without a healthy distraction. Translation: Use Jiraiya to distract old sensei, and then quickly disappear before anyone catches on.)
The two looked at each other and nodded.
A nightmare had come knocking. Orochimaru is attacking home and it was unacceptable.
Even if he was her old teammate, even if he was his greatest rival and even if they were best friends.
End of Flashback
On other news the merchants are—
The bottom of the newspaper was missing.
--
Look alert, gaki. This is no time to sleep.
Tch, whatever.
Fine, but when you get ambushed the blame will lie completely with you.
Naruto only snorted but sat up straighter. He turned a lazy eye to the other side of the gate. A pink haired girl was staring straight ahead, determined not to lose her focus. He sighed, this happened just like last time. He had left again, left his teammates behind for an unreachable dream.
Hey, Fox. I have a question. If Jiraiya and Tsunade only remember me because of baa-chan's necklace and the summoning contract then…whoever gave me these goggles will remember me too? What about Iruka-sensei, why doesn't he remember me? He gave me my headband after all.
The person who gave you those 'goggles' will most likely remember you but I cannot be absolutely sure. The item is old and might not have shall we say, enough sentimental value. It has to mean something extraordinary to the giver and the receiver. Who knows, they might just remember little bits about you.
Your old sensei might have remembered you if you had taken his headband but if you recall to the day you became genin that you got your own headband after the man collapsed.
Okay, I think I understand. Demo… why is it that Tsunade and ero-sennin don't remember the same memories as me…? I mean when I woke up in that other world, the last I remembered of my original world was hitting my head and how Sasuke was never going to let me live it…down.
Naruto sighed sullenly. He had no idea why he would ever think that, even in his own world Sasuke had left them. Before he fell unconscious he had just returned from his trip with Jiraiya and it had been such a long time since he had seen him.
So when Sasuke had left again, Naruto chased after him because he had thought it was the Sand Trio kidnapping him after they knocked him out. But Sasuke had woken up just as a group of sound ninjas had arrived. He demanded answers from them about Oreo (Orochimaru) and they had talk about power. They made tempting offers and he had accepted just like that, and this time Naruto didn't bother going after him. Instead he became sulky and refused to speak about Uchiha Sasuke.
He would never forgive him for what he done this time.
It had been a month since the war had begun and the Chuunin Exams were never spoken of.
-their memories are different to fit this timeline. So while you're training with the hermit tomorrow do not show that you know what the steps are to the rasengan. Infact, don't even mention the technique and don't even try to do it on your own. This body is in no condition. For all we know the only reason they know you is because they had to babysit you and on the off chance that they did train you it was most likely just chakra control (mostly because you're horrible at that). Understand?
Tch, whatever.
--
Sakura stared ahead; she refused to think about anything but the fact that there could be an attack any second.Not even for a moment would her mind drift to a certain black-eyed, blue-haired, sharingan wielding boy. Her mind would never betray like that.
Sakura kept her eyes shut in an attempt to keep the tears behind her lids and took a shaky breath. She would not think about him, she would not think about him, she would think about him…
Remember what Tsunade-san said…I must accept his choice in order to move on. If he wants to sell his soul to the devil, let him do so. I still have Kakashi-sensei, Naruto and even Ino…
"I don't need him." She looked over to the blonde ninja, he hadn't noticed. Sighing, Sakura looked at her watch. "2:55am." Looking above towards the watch towers of Konoha she saw two Chuunin guarding the front gates. Just like Naruto and her. Guards were supposed to protect against monsters, evil things and bad people. Monsters like Kyuubi, evils like Orochimaru and bad people like…
Sakura shook her head, Sasuke-kun wasn't bad just ambitious. Even though she said this to herself again and again she couldn't stop feeling betrayed. He had chosen strangers over his teammates, and it had hurt. And it hurt even more when she thought about meeting him again, being on different sides when they had been on the same one for so long. It had hurt when he left, it would hurt if he died and it would always hurt because he was never coming back and she no longer wants him back. She tries to ignore the fact that when she tells herself that it hurts even more.
She had read in books and heard from people that war changes things. That it's never black and white, people aren't just good and evil, and that it's not just about conflicts between people but that it is a conflict within ourselves. War is a dark abyss in which people enter and never return the same, things will never be the same after it, and we will never be the same after it.
It had occurred to Sakura a few days back that something about her had changed. Her sleeping habits were different; boy weren't main priority, a friendship with Ino, best friends with Naruto, taking training seriously, hardly seeing her parents, never as loud or as violent. The truth was she had looked in the mirror a few days back and no idea who she was staring at. A girl with short hair, dark rims under eyes, cuts from training, wearing all black, holding a studying guide to become a medic-ninja and all she could think was this was not Haruno Sakura. She looked in the mirror every day after that and saw the changes and how more changes would take place. The changes concerned her at first, but they seemed so right.
She sighed again looking at her clock, three in the morning. It was time to switch chuunin and genin gaurds.
As Sakura and Naruto walked through the gates Naruto chuckled slightly and gave her a wry smile.
"You think you know yourself, huh?"
She guessed he'd seen the changes in himself too.
--
"Kisame and Itachi-san are going to be a problem Orochimaru-sama." Kabuto commented as he watched over Sasuke's training.
"Ah, yes. The Bloody Duo, there is that to take care of." He grinned maliciously, heading over to a dark haired boy. "Don't overexert yourself Sasuke-kun, we wouldn't want to ruin that body of yours. It's such a beautiful body." He whispered in the boys ear. Uchiha Sasuke hissed looking up, his hand grabbing at the seal on his neck, sharingan eyes blaring.
--
End of Chapter 10- I'm so proud of myself for updating…so what do you guys think? It's a bit morbid…but you should have seen the list of what I was going to put in there.
Anyways, Review!