Fallen

Chapter 10: The Second Trial; Mr. Cliff!

Everyone looked at the woman. Most looked shocked. One of the weirdoes in a black cloak whispered something to one of his teammates, who chuckled. The other just stared at Anko.

Naruto looked excited. Sasuke-kun looked bored. None of them felt any nervousness whatsoever; they seemed confident in their abilities.

"Hey, Anko!" said Naruto cheerfully, waving to the woman.

"What's up, Naruto?" she asked. She was still intimidating, even when she was being friendly.

"I'm going to win this thing and become Hokage!" he shouted. The tension broke. Several people laughed.

Inner me: Just like him, right?
Yeah…, I agreed, sweat dropping.

"I'm looking forward to it!" Anko said. "Now, we're not going to use the Forest of Death this year for testing."

A lot of people cheered. A few booed. I was just quiet, no knowing what the heck she was talking about.

"Instead," Anko continued. "We're going to try and make it a bit quicker this time. So, we're going to do something nice and fast. Take a look around you!"

I did. I already knew that we were at the edge of a forest. It was hard not to when you'd been sitting in the same place for an hour. There was a path going to our left (North) and right (South). I didn't know what was ahead of either of them.

"You see that, over there?" she asked, gesturing to the right path. "That leads to a cliff. We're going to take you all to the bottom of that cliff and tie you up with chakra ropes, so you can't move your arms or legs freely. All you have to do is climb up the cliff and get to the top before sunrise tomorrow; it's simple!"

There was a lot of groaning and muttering and boos. Naruto grinned excitedly. The three cloaked guys just chuckled.

Inner me: Simple…? SIMPLE MY ASS, YOU DAMNED SON OF A-

God, calm down! I thought you said you liked her.

Inner me: That was before she started saying that doing the impossible was simple!
You said so yourself, I reminded her. We're not a normal person.

Inner me: Yeah, but-

So, I cut in. Doing something like this should be a piece of cake. Use the information we've gotten and let's figure out a plan.

Inner me: …Fine.

"Oh, and let me remind you," Anko added. "If one of your team mates doesn't pass, your whole team fails, even if you did make it up to the top."

Sasuke-kun glared at me and Naruto.

"What?" Naruto asked.

"Don't fail," he told us.

"Sasuke!" shouted Naruto. "Stop being so damn gloomy all the time! If you want us to get through, then show some confidence in us!"

"Hn," was all Sasuke-kun said in reply.

Inner me: I'm so with Naruto on this one. That guy is such a gloomy little-

Oh, shut up.

I began to think. The situation could vary drastically depending on the slightest details f how I was tied up. I'd have to come up with a lot of plans, and back up plans.

While I was forming at least three dozen, Naruto didn't look like he was concentrating at all. He was just confidently grinning, as if he'd already been chosen to be a chunin.

"Alright, fallow me! Any cheating and you'll be dropped out of the tournament on the spot! Don't think we would hesitate to kill a single one of you maggots!" Anko declared.

Inner me: She's on my good list again.

You're so weird.

Inner me: If I'm weird, you are too.

No. It's just you.

Inner me: Why you-

Anko began to run, and we fallowed. I sprinted next to Sasuke-kun and Naruto in the front, and the rest fallowed behind us. About half of the original numbers were left; around forty groups in all.

Anko stopped, and we did too. We were standing at the top of a cliff. I chanced a look down, and gulped. It had to be at least a five thousand feet drop. I would probably die before I hit the bottom if I fell off.

Anko took us down in a giant lift, and we hit the bottom after about fifteen minutes. I wondered why she thought that this would be quick.

"Alright," Anko said. "We're going to tie you all up now!"

And so we were tied up by Anko and dozens of ANBU members. When it was my turn, they did it thoroughly, wrapping several times around my legs and arms, leaving my body untouched. It made at least ninety-five percent of my ideas worthless. The other five percent would rely on luck.

They carried us to a starting point. Soon, everyone was there. Anko blew her whistle, and people began to struggle. Somehow, all three black cloaked dudes made it to the top in one jump on the first try. Shino was carried up by billions of tiny black things.

Inner me: Damn.

I know.

I tried to do that too, but I knew it was a sure failure before I'd even started. I only got about one hundred feet up, and then I came back down, landing on my feet. It hurt.

Alright, let's try something else.

Hours and hours later, the black dudes and Shino were still the only ones at the top. The rest were running, leaping, gnawing at their ropes, and doing anything else they could think of. Ten teams had already given up.

Finally, another person made it up. Sasuke-kun. I wasn't sure how he'd done it; I hadn't been looking. But next thing I knew, he wasn't there anymore.

Inner me: As expected of genius-boy.

Darkness came falling, and a few people fainted, or just stopped to take a nap. Chouji managed to bounce (yes, bounce) up to the top. Naruto, Kiba, Lee, Tenten, Neji, and Hinata were also up there. I kept on trying, fighting against the sleepiness. My stomach was starting to hurt even more where I'd been sliced.

Inner me: Sakura. All of your plans have failed. What now?

Why don't you try coming up with something? I suggested.

Inner me: Try breaking out of the ropes.

I did. No luck.

Inner me: I mean, try doing it with your super strength!

That's it! Tsunade-sama's technique!

I focused all of my chakra into my foot. It began collecting. I gathered it up for a full ten minutes, and then I jumped. I soared up into the sky. It felt amazing! I was whooshing past everything, defying gravity (sort of).

I'm flying!

Inner me: It's been such a long time….

What?

Inner me: Never mind.

I was there! I had made it to the top! Sasuke-kun looked bored. Naruto grinned broadly and whooped. I hadn't let my friends down!

One of the ANBU members untied me, and I sat down with the rest. A few other teams were there, looking exhausted. The rest were down there.

If only Ino would make it…, was the last thing I thought before falling asleep on the solid ground.

In the morning, I woke up to find it was sunny. The trial had ended. I sat up, and looked around. Everyone was still there, looking tired or sleeping. Naruto was drooling onto the grass. Sasuke-kun looked the same as always; bored-looking and awake.

"Did she…?" I asked him.

"What?"

"Did Ino make it?"

"No. Chouji and Ino are already heading back home," he answered unconcernedly.

"I see…," I said. Ino hadn't made it.

Inner me: At least we know she's alive and kicking.

Yeah.

"How many other teams made it?" I asked him.

"Besides us, Shino's group and Lee's team, four other teams made it," he answered. "They're about to take us somewhere to find out about the third trial."

"Thanks for telling me," I said. I looked at Naruto. He was still drooling, sprawled across the ground like he didn't have a care in the world. I smiled.

I didn't catch the flash of anger in Sasuke-kun's dark eyes when I did so.

A/N: Go Sakura!^^ Alright, a few things to think about. What did Inner Sakura mean when she said 'It's been such a long time'? Who are the mysterious cloaked black dudes? And it's obvious that Sasuke and Naruto are already starting to feel close to Sakura! But, of course, she's oblivious to it. Please review!