A/N: Sorry it's been a while. Had a writer's block for a while now and also have other things to do (LE GASP!) Read, Review, and Enjoy (Yes, enjoy it AFTER you review )
Early the next morning, Sakura and Sasuke stood at the front of a shop near the building they would have to turn their applications for the Chuunin Exams in at. Sasuke thought that Sakura was unusually quiet. Just then Naruto ran up, breaking the silence as he yelled his greeting to Sakura. Sakura responded blandly, though with forced happiness.
Sasuke frowned. 'Sakura…she seems weird today.' He noted.
Naruto suddenly turned his attention to Sasuke. "Yo! Sasuke! Where's Arai and…" Naruto looked around, "Ryuu?" Sasuke scowled at the ridiculous name that his older self had allowed Arai to give him to cover up himself being older Sasuke. He was still irked that Naruto knew of the two time-travelers' secret.
"I don't know." Sasuke replied testily, looking away from the bright blonde. "She wasn't there when I woke up. I assumed she was with Ryuu." He growled out the last part. His older self was starting to piss him off.
The three entered the building they were assigned to turn in their papers at and climbed the stairs up to the floor where room 301 waited for them. What they found in front of the room was a group. In front of the group stood two boys, apparently keeping everybody from getting in. They arrived in the group just in time to hear one of the boys end his speech by saying,
"We are just thinning out those who will fail anyway. What's wrong with that?"
Sasuke stepped up. "I agree…but… you will let me through and remove the surrounding you created with genjutsu. I'm going to the third floor." He heard whisperings wondering what he was talking about, but he ignored them.
"Ah…" Said the second boy. "So you noticed." Sasuke smirked.
"Sakura, you must have noticed first, right?" He asked.
"Huh?" Sakura wondered.
Sasuke smiled lightly at her. "Your analytical ability and genjutsu know-how is the most advanced in our team."
Sakura blushed and looked down with a smile. She gave a soft laugh and looked up at the two boys blocking their way, smiling smugly. "Of course, I noticed a while ago because this is the second floor."
"Yup!" Naruto agreed for emphasis. Suddenly the door numbered 301 changed to 201 as the genjutsu was released.
The first boy smirked. "Hmm…not bad. But all you did…" He threw himself down to the ground and aimed a kick at Sasuke, "was see through it!" Sasuke responded with a kick of his own that would've made contact when suddenly a boy they'd seen knocked down earlier appeared between them and caught both of their kicks in his hands. The boy dropped both of their legs after a second.
'Catching my kick with his hands…What's this chakra in his arms?' Sasuke wondered, staring at the bandaged arms. The boy in the green leotard gave a sigh of air as a long haired boy next to him said,
"Hey…What happened to the plan? You're the one who said we shouldn't draw attention to ourselves."
"Well…" The bowl-cut one mumbled and glanced at Sakura with a blush on his cheeks. The girl next to them shook her head. The boy suddenly gained a determined look and Sasuke suddenly noticed that the two had lost their injuries that they had acquired earlier.
The boy walked up to Sakura. "Hi. My name is Rock Lee. So yours is Sakura…" The boy winked and grinned, giving her a thumbs up. "Let's go out together! I'll protect you until I die!"
"No…Way…You're lame." Sakura muttered. Lee's head hung itself as Naruto giggled.
Sasuke suddenly caught the long-haired boy's pale eyes and the boy said, "Hey you, what's your name?"
"When you want to learn somebody's name, it's best to give yours first." Sasuke answered.
"You're a rookie, right? How old are you?" The boy continued, ignoring Sasuke's comment.
"I don't have to answer you." Sasuke said and the two turned away from each other. 'Man, there's a bunch of…monsters here.' Sasuke thought to himself.
"Naruto! Sasuke-kun! Let's go!" Sakura called, cheered up now. She grabbed both of the boys' hands and dragged them along. Naruto seemed depressed about one thing or another and Sasuke muttered to the girl not to pull him.
A few moments later they entered a large resting area together when a voice called out, "Hey, guy with the dark eyes!"
The three looked up. Sakura looking disturbed, Naruto confused. Sasuke said, "What is it?"
The kid, Rock Lee, looked down at them from the balcony above them. "Will you fight me right here and now?"
Arai let out a angry sigh of breath as she gazed out the window next to her and then glared at her father. "Why, dad? I want to join them and help them out!"
Sasuke appeared unmoved by her excuse. "Arai, this is their exam, not yours. You are not allowed to help them. It's three-man squads. And you're a teacher, remember?"
"So?" Arai made a random movement with her arm in frustration. "I want to see what it's like! Can't I at least join them when they enter the Forest of Death? Nobody is watching us then! I'll leave before they enter the tower!"
"No." Sasuke said firmly.
"Why?" Arai demanded.
Sasuke scowled at his persistent daughter and gave his own frustrated growl. "Because it's dangerous and this WILL change the future!"
"I'm jounin level, dad! Kakashi-sensei himself told me!" She motioned to said man who stood reading but no doubt listening to the feud with interest. "It can't possibly be difficult enough for me! Besides you told me all about it in your stories!"
"You obviously forgot one of the key points, however." Sasuke responded coldly. Arai noticed the change in her father's tone. She instantly became wary and serious herself.
"What do you mean?"
Sasuke swallowed thickly and then murmured, his voice distinctly lower so that Kakashi wouldn't hear, "He's here, remember?"
Arai flinched violently and her eyes widened in pure terror as memories resurfaced for her. Kakashi lowered his book at the sudden change and studied the girl. She trembled and leaned against her father. Sasuke wrapped his arms around her. He hated bringing up that man, but he needed to do so to ensure that his point got across to his daughter.
Kakashi looked at his older student. "This man, is he the one Arai mentioned kidnapped her when she was little?" Sasuke looked at him sharply, not knowing that Arai had told them about that.
"Yes…" He said slowly.
"And he's here…Hmmm…." Kakashi thought about this seriously. The man must've been terrifying to reduce Arai to trembling. "Who is he?"
Sasuke looked away. "You'll find out soon enough." He answered.
Arai took a shuddery breath and pulled away from her dad. She gazed at him determinedly, though her eyes still had the haunted look in them that she would acquire when she remembered her kidnapper. "I need to face my fear eventually, dad." She said.
Sasuke mentally cursed. "No. Naruto and I killed him for that exact reason; so that you would never have to face your fear. " And that's all he said on the matter, as they heard footsteps coming around the corner.
The rookies of Team Seven appeared and noticed the other three standing there. Sasuke's eyes zeroed in on his future daughter, seeing her normally clear and bright blue eyes clouded and grayish. He glanced at his older self, who caught his gaze, but the man shook his head infinitesimally to tell him not to mention it.
"Oh…So Sakura came too." Kakashi was the first to speak, catching all of their attentions. "Now we all can properly take the exam."
"What do you mean?" Sakura asked.
"The truth is that this test can only be taken in groups of three."
"Huh? But you said that the test was our individual choice. You lied to us?"
Kakashi didn't answer for a moment. "If I had told you the truth, Naruto or Sasuke would've pressured you into taking the test. Sasuke could've persuaded you…and Naruto…well…"
"So if only Naruto and Sasuke-kun had shown up?" Sakura asked.
"Then the test would've ended here. They would've not gone on any farther. But you came of your own will. You guys are my proud team." The three genin grinned.
It was then that Naruto realized something was up when he realized that Arai was unusually quiet. The girl was staring off into a world he couldn't see. "Hey! Arai-chan! What's up?"
She started so violently, Sasuke couldn't help but fear that something was extremely wrong. She gazed at them in confusion for a few moments, until her father placed a hand on her shoulder. She glanced at him and then visibly relaxed. "Ahh, well you guys do your best, okay?"
"Arai-chan, is something wrong?" Sakura asked hesitantly. Younger Sasuke took a step forward to check on her when his older self spoke,
"She's fine, just a little put out that she can't join you guys." He said. "Good luck." He gently nudged Arai and as the two walked past the group, they heard him murmur, somewhat sadly, "You'll need it."
The second exam was over, as Iruka had explained a little bit ago, and the genin of Team 7 sat in the same room, resting up a short bit. The second exam was harder than they'd thought, especially for Sasuke. He flinched as a throb of pain ran through him from the curse mark on his shoulder. He then scowled as he remembered that man Orochimaru. He had been the one to do this to him. Sakura gave him a worried glance, but he ignored it.
Naruto groaned in aggravation from where he lay next to Sasuke. "What the hell is taking so long? Iruka-sensei tells us to wait here for a little bit and then two hours passes!"
Sakura shook her head at him, her now-short hair waving behind her. "It's only been about half an hour, Naruto!"
Naruto pouted. "Two hours, half an hour, same difference!" He sat up with a scowl. "The point is that this is taking too long!"
"We should take this chance to rest while we still can." Sasuke muttered. "The third exam may be right after this." Naruto glanced at him in annoyance for not agreeing with him, but accepted Sasuke's explanation. Just then a door opened across the room. The three shinobi stood up, tense, but they realized that Sasuke's older counterpart walk in. Sasuke noticed that the man was extremely tense. He wore a mask similar to Kakashi's, only black instead, over the bottom half of his face to better hide his identity.
Naruto grinned. "Older Sa- I mean, Ryuu!" He yelled.
The man gave him a small smile, but then returned to his tense self. "I'm glad to see you all made it."
"Did you think we wouldn't?" Sakura asked, wondering if something different had happened in the other man's timeline.
'Ryuu' shook his head. "It's not that. I knew you would." His eyes flicked to a camera located in the corner of the room and motioned the genin closer.
"Where's Arai?" Sasuke asked his older self.
"She's with Kakashi and Lord Hokage."
"What was wrong with her?"
Older Sasuke frowned at his younger self's perception skills, but said, "Arai..." He glanced away and then started walking back towards the door, telling them to follow, "I'll explain after I get her back with me. She's not in good shape right now."
"What happened to her?" Naruto asked, worried for the girl. Older Sasuke didn't answer and led them to a large room where many other students were also being led into. The man separated from them and joined the other senseis in the room as well as his daughter. The three lined up in single file and stood next to the other teams as directed.
Sasuke gazed at his future daughter. The girl looked worse off then she had five days ago when they had last seen her. Her face was paler than usual and from the looks of it she was trembling. Her eyes darted back and forth as if she was a caged animal. She had huddled close to her father. Sasuke wondered what was wrong with the girl.
It was then that Anko, the second examiner, stepped forward. "First off, for the second test, congratulations on passing!" Older Sasuke wrapped an arm around his daughter. "Lord Hokage will now explain the third test! Listen carefully!"
The Hokage stepped forward and began explaining the purpose of the test. Arai looked around frantically and locked eyes on the man she feared. He looked slightly different than usual, but Arai knew for sure it was one of his disguises. She bit back a whimper in fear and moved to the other side of her father and closer to Kakashi, knowing that the two would protect her.
Kakashi turned his head slightly to examine the girl, and then follow her line of vision to the sound genins' sensei. He wondered faintly if this was the man who had kidnapped her in her time, but decided to ask questions later. Sasuke had said that he would explain then. Arai looked at Kakashi for a moment and, seeing the significant look in his eye, looked away as the boy she instantly recognized as Gaara spoke,
"I don't care what it is, just hurry up and tell us what this life-risking battle entails." The boy said.
The Hokage answered, "Yes. I'd like to now explain the third test, but…"
"Actually…" A new voice spoke up before giving a cough. A man appeared and kneeled before the Hokage. "I apologize, Lord Hokage…From here on, as the referee, will you please allow me, Gekkou Hayate…"
"By all means…" The Hokage said.
The man gave another cough and then spoke, "Hello everyone, I am Hayate." The man continued to cough as he spoke, "Ummm…before the third test there's something I'd like you to do." The genin, and Arai, gazed at the seemingly sick man in confusion. "Ummm…It's a preliminary for the third exam to decided who gets to participate in the main event."
"Preliminary?" Sakura questioned.
"Preliminary? What do you mean?" Shikamaru yelled out.
Sakura looked around Sasuke. "Sensei…I don't understand this preliminary, but why aren't all the people here allowed to participate in the next test?"
Hayate coughed. "Umm…because the first and second test may have been too easy this year…we have a bit too many people remaining…According to Chuunin Exam rules, we must have a preliminary and reduce the number of participants for the third test."
"No way…" Sakura whispered.
"As Lord Hokage indicated earlier, there will be many guests at the third test." The man went on. "So the fights could take too long, we are limited in time. Ummm…So anyway…those who are not feeling well, those who feel like quitting after these explanations…please come forward now. Since we will be starting the preliminary immediately."
"What? Right now?" Kiba yelled.
Arai flinched as she saw the sound sensei nod. Kabuto raised his hand shyly, "Umm…I'm going to quit."
Sasuke looked at him in shock as Naruto yelled out, "Huh?"
Hayate coughed. "Ummm…You're Yakushi Kabuto-kun from the leaf, right? You may leave now."
"Kabuto-san!" Naruto yelled. "Why are you quitting? Why?"
"I'm sorry, Naruto-kun…but my body is all beat up. Actually, I haven't been able to hear out of my left ear from the time I got attacked by the sound nins before the first test. And now we'll have to risk our live…I just…" Kabuto tried to explain. Naruto looked down.
Arai's father scowled under his mask at the boy. His blood boiled as he remembered how he'd been fooled into thinking Kabuto was a good guy during these exams. Anko and the Hokage talked softly nearby. Kabuto gave a wave to Team 7's genin as he passed by. Naruto pouted.
A wave of pain ran through Sasuke again from his curse mark. He gripped his shoulder. 'Ugh,' He thought angrily, 'The waves of pain are becoming more frequent.' Sakura gave another worried glance to Sasuke.
(I'm gonna skip a little ahead here….)
"I thought so…" Hokage murmured as he saw the young Uchiha in pain.
"What should we do?" Ibiki asked.
Anko leaned over next to the old man. "We should remove him from the exam and have the ANBU watching over and protecting him…"
"He's the type that wouldn't easily agree to that…" Kakashi interrupted, smiling, "since he's from the Uchiha clan after all."
"Don't be foolish!" Anko objected. "We will force him to quit! By just releasing chakra the curse becomes active and forcibly pulls out chakra. It's a forbidden jutsu which eats at the user's body."
"I'm sure he'll be fine, right, Ryuu?" Kakashi looked over at Sasuke's older self. The Hokage looked at him as well while Anko gave a confused glance.
Sasuke sighed. "Lord Hokage, please trust me when I tell you that it will be absolutely fine. The curse seal is under his control."
The Hokage sighed as well. "Alright, then allow the boy to continue, but if the curse begins to spread, then jump in and stop him."
"Yes." Ibiki and Anko said. Anko gave a glance at older Sasuke, but said nothing else.
"Then let us begin." Hayate said. The genin all turned their heads as a wall shifted and opened to reveal an electronic board. On it appeared the first contestants, Abumi Zaku and Aburame Shino. Everybody else except for the two contestants.
Kakashi, Arai, and her father appeared next to Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura up on the balcony. Naruto ran up to her. "Arai-chan, are you alright?"
Arai looked away and towards the sound nins' sensei. The man met her gaze and Arai let out a squeak of fear before cowering against her father. "He's here. He's here, dad. Don't let him get me. Please don't let him get me, daddy." She whimpered.
Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura's eyes all widened at the girl's strange behavior. Older Sasuke kneeled and looked her in the eye. "It's okay, Arai. He's not going to get you. You're safe with us." Arai gave another whimper and buried her face into his chest. Sasuke sighed.
"I believe it's time for you to explain to us exactly what's wrong with Arai, Ryuu." Kakashi said.
The four crowded around the father and daughter. Sasuke looked at them. "Fine, I'll tell you. As you already know, Kakashi, Arai is like this because…the man who had once kidnapped her is here."
"What?" Naruto cried out in shock as Sakura gasped.
"Who?" Younger Sasuke demanded.
His older self looked at him. "You've three have already met him." Sasuke narrowed his eyes as his older self grabbed his daughter's collar and tugged it down enough to reveal her shoulder. The same curse mark Sasuke had on his shoulder was also on hers.
Sakura gasped and whispered as Sasuke growled out, "Orochimaru…" Arai pulled her father closer, her whole frame trembling as Naruto gave them all a confused look.
"Yes." Her father murmured as he rubbed his daughter's back gently. "She already told you the basic details to the kidnapping, but there's more. Much more…" He took a breath and his eyes gazed back into the past as he remembered the day.
"Arai was eight and had just gotten into the Ninja Academy and N-My wife and I had decided to have a picnic as a family to celebrate. The three of us traveled a little ways out of Konoha to a large meadow. It was peaceful and nothing was going wrong. We didn't know what had happened, but suddenly the three of us were surrounded by sound nin. My wife and I fought the ninja while protecting Arai, but somehow or another…Arai had been taken right out from under us.
We captured one of the men and…interrogated him. He gave up his boss's name" -Sasuke purposely avoided saying Orochimaru's name- "but the location he had given up was empty. All of our friends helped us search." Sasuke looked at Naruto. "Naruto in particular was pissed because Arai was one of his best friends, even if she was only a child. It was the three of us, Sakura, Naruto, and I, who searched the hardest to find Orochimaru because of…previous encounters we had had." Younger Sasuke unconsciously rubbed his mark.
"It took us a year -a whole, fucking year-" Sasuke growled out, his anger rising, "to find her. A whole year for…" He sighed. "Arai had been trained, much harder than a child her age should've. It should've been too much even for a man my age. But that wasn't the only problem…by the time we'd found Arai, she absolutely hated all of us."
"Why?" Sakura asked. "It wasn't your fault that she…"
Sasuke shook his head. "That's not the reason. While Arai was being trained that man was also brainwashing her. He was altering all of her memories to painful ones. She had thought that all of us- friends and family alike- had hated her and…beat her. Me especially." They gasped. Kakashi's eye widened. "She was afraid of us and had thought it would've been better to stay with that man. She attacked us at full strength."
Sasuke looked at Kakashi. "When you had fought Arai, you had said she was at jounin level, but this isn't completely true. At full strength, back when she had attacked us, she was at jounin level. Today, at full strength, she would at least be ANBU level." The man's eyes clouded with pain. "It's a terrible thing, having to fight your own daughter when she's trying to kill you. She looked like she actually hated us…"
"I'm sorry, dad." Arai muttered in Sasuke's shirt.
Sasuke rubbed her hair and continued, "We managed to knock her out before she did much damage to herself or us. Naruto and I decided to stay behind to finish off Orochimaru as the others went back. It took us nearly a year to fix Arai's memories."
"Poor Arai-chan…" Naruto whispered. Younger Sasuke scowled.
Behind them the match finished and Sasuke was called down to fight.
A/N: Alright I know what you're thinking: what the crap is with the huge time skip? Well the story is to focus around Arai and, seeing as she wasn't with them through the first two exams, I didn't want to type about two-three books of Naruto storyline. -_-
Yes, poor Arai-chan indeed, Naruto. Oh, and noticed how I changed the order of the fights. Yeah...
Flames will be used to help me make s'mores! :D
Oh, and if you have any suggestions, I won't mind hearing them.