Three days later, team seven completed Kakashi's exercise. It was immensely more satisfying than any test-score Sakura had ever got.

"Hm… not too shabby…" said Kakashi. "But still slow. Move on to the next stage."

"Eeeeeh?!" Naruto crowed. "That's cheating, Kakashi-sensei! You never said there was another phase!"

Kakashi took the alarm clock and reduced the time between beeps to nine seconds.

"Make another clone, Naruto," was his reply.

Ever so gracious, the jerk.

And so the torture started again.

TWISTED

After a few more horrible days of intense training, team seven had completed phase three out of ten and no more. Sakura was ashamed of herself. This wasn't working because of her.

But it was just so hard to tell Sasuke-kun where to go while simultaneously aiming shuriken at other moving shuriken and choosing which ones to deflect and which ones to yell to Sasuke about, and, and, and–

And now, one day before the exam, they had shown Kakashi what they could do. It was up to him whether they participated or not.

With baited breath, Sakura, like the rest of team seven, waited for Sensei's judging graze.

"What?" their teacher asked, looking up from his pornography. "Do I have something on my face?"

How are we supposed to know, dummy! Inner Sakura exploded. You're always hiding your hotness!

Back in reality, Naruto had taken the conversation into his own reliable hands:

"So can we take the exam or not?" he bluntly demanded, as relied on right to the point.

Sasuke gave a supportive grunt for added effect.

"Kakashi," he addressed bluntly. "You said you might be revoking our applications to the exams based on our performance."

"Why?" Kakashi inquired innocently, waving Icha Icha around. "Did I ever?"

Nope, Inner Sakura muttered incredulously. You didn't… just… SAY THAT! (She was beyond demolishing anything she could get her hands on right then.)

"Eeeeegh?! You mean all this time we've been training for nothing?!" Naruto shouted, the most vocal in his mortification.

Kakashi answered by hightailing it out of there with a puff.

For a moment, no one moved.

"Hn." Sasuke was the first to speak, checking the height of the sun cooly. "I'll be seeing you tomorrow, Sakura, dobe."

"Hey!"

Sakura was too busy blushing to answer, so she settled for waving.

"I'll be seeing you blah blah blah. He sounds like an old man sometimes, that teme!" Naruto declared hotly.

No, it's just your utter lack of cultivated speech. Inner Sakura snapped defensively. Oblivious to her thoughts, Naruto turned towards her as per usual. "Do you wanna do something together, Sakura-chan?"

Sakura was about to say no, but then she remembered what was waiting at home for her and changed her mind.

"Fine, but this is not a date, got it?"

"…well okay, see you tom… – Sakura-chan???"

Ugh. I'm already regretting this.

"Are you deaf or what, Naruto?"

"N-no…" Naruto was blushing and grinning stupidly. "So what do you wanna do?"

"I told you, this is not a date!"

"Yeah, that's why I'm asking you!"

"The guy always asks the girl what she wants to do on a date!"

"I'm sorry!"

"This isn't a date!"

"Okay!"

"Okay!"

There was a moment of silence. Sakura couldn't help it, she giggled a little.

He's such a moron!

Naruto snickered right back.

"Let's get ramen!" he suggested.

And… he dropped the bomb. Baka.

"Absolutely not." Sakura crossed her arms stubbornly.

"Then what do we do?" Naruto inquired, seeming to indeed be a tad lost.

Sakura drew an exaggerated breath, even though she didn't know any better either. "I don't know!" she burst out. "Is there anything you can do at all besides inhaling ramen, Naruto?"

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Pranks."

Sakura sweatdropped.

So uncool…

But then her more practical side won over and she decided to be a little vindictive. Just this once.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to do a warm-up round against Ino-pig…" she schemed, rubbing her hands together.

"But I stopped pulling pranks when I graduated!" Naruto told her defensively.

Sakura leveled him with a deadpan stare.

"Uh… or not… hehe?"

Now that's more like it.

"Say, Naruto…" Sakura asked, the mischievous dare-devil in her now awake and kicking. "Do you still happen to own that thing you once put into Iruka-sensei's hair?"

TWISTED

Sakura returned home late, but with a toothy smile on her face. She figured that her parents were already asleep, so she made quick work of a bowl of rice, and then set to thoroughly clean off the grime on her hands.

"How was practice?"

With a start, Sakura whirled around. "Mom!" she squeaked.

Mebuki was crouching right there, perched over the kitchen chair. "You're jumpy," she stated.

Sakura scrubbed at her nails in the sink. "Sorry."

The kitchen was drenched in silence momentarily.

"I've heard about your mission." Mebuki broke it.

What mis—

Suddenly, Sakura knew exactly what mission. She chose not to answer.

Mebuki slammed her palms onto the table. "Sakura! Why didn't you say anything?"

"It's classifie–"

"Don't give me that, Sakura! All my colleagues knew about it!"

"Calm down, dear!" Kizashi, who had suddenly appeared through the kitchen door, tried to place a calming hand on her shoulder, but Mebuki swatted it off, completely focused on her daughter.

Sakura felt a lump form in her throat.

"You won't be participating in the exams," she stated, still breathing heavily. "I'm not having a kunoichi for a daughter. Least of all one on the assault squad under Hatake."

At this, something in Sakura snapped. She uncrossed her arms furiously.

"See, this is why I didn't say anything!" she yelled. Inner had taken over again. "I'm sick of you deciding over my life! I want to be a kunoichi! I want to be a kunoichi that my teammates respect!" she thought of Sasuke-kun's criticism earlier that week. "Right now I'm useless, and it's all your fault!"

Mebuki stood up, towering over her. "Repeat that again!"

"I said that it's your fault!" Sakura hadn't noticed when or how, but she was now standing in front of her mother, fists balled and a snarl on her lips. "You've always made me stay at home and do stupid chores while everyone else my age was running outside, getting tanned and learning how to make friends! You're a horrible mother!"

Slap.

"That's it! Go to your room!"

Sakura's attention was half-split on her left cheek, which throbbed with a white sort of pain.

"No!"

"Go to your room!"

"No!" she snarled at Kizashi. "Dad, she's – she's fucking crazy!"

This time the slap came down on her other cheek.

"Language!"

Sakura balled her fists and shouted in outrage.

"I hate you! Both of you! I'm taking the exams!"

"Sakura," Kizashi exclaimed. "Apologize to your mother!"

"I'm legally an adult! I'm a kunoichi of the leaf! I'm taking these exams whether you like it or not!"

Sakura bolted.

TWISTED

Team Seven reunited outside of the Academy building roughly eight hours later.

It was morning again.

Sakura had snuck out early in the morning and bought herself something edible in a nearby stall.

If she was being honest, she felt terrible. As though the exams themselves weren't terrifying enough, her fallout with her parents had been a serious blow to her morale. It was one thing to make wild proclamations and another thing to sign up to a life or dead exam with no hopes of passing.

Sakura tried not to bite her nails as she attempted to recall Kakashi's instructions. Meanwhile, Naruto was a ways off, trying to peer past the crowd around the entrance of the building, and Sasuke for once was scrutinizing her in a way that made Sakura uncomfortable. She had eye bags, bitten nails and felt terrible. Did Sasuke-kun have to choose today to finally look at her?

"Let's see… I think Sensei said the exam was being held at the conference room…" Sakura muttered, trying to break the silence. "That's room number 301, right, Sasuke-kun…?" She trailed off. Sasuke seemed eerily intense, definitely not in the mood for small talk.

Fortunately, Naruto came back soon.

"Let's go," Sasuke suggested cooly. Sakura and Naruto nodded.

He's nervous too, she realized. It was just a gut feeling, but it seemed like a certainty to her. Sasuke-kun's nervous. Just like we all are.

"Oi, teme, the door is that way!" Naruto butted in smugly.

Sakura, who had been confused up untill then, turned towards Naruto. Normally she would've explained their change of route with something like: 'Baka Naruto! We're taking a shortcut!' but she stayed silent, quietly following Sasuke up the stairs.

TWISTED

The trip upwards seemed much too short. Had she really been so spaced out? Sakura couldn't go back now. She couldn't. They had arrived.

…or not.

"Sasuke-kun…" she stuttered. "It's still nine o'clock."

"What are you talking about, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked loudly. "It's almost ten!"

Sasuke ignored them both and stopped to take in the scene unfolding before them. Two boys were blocking the door with the sign '301', while another team tried to get in. They had bruises on them, and when Sakura looked more closely, she saw a poor girl get cuffed across the face, a small crowd quickly parting as she plummeted right into the paved tiles.

This is bad… Sakura glanced at the abusers.

"We're doing you kids a favor," a red-nosed boy condescended from his perch on the doorframe.

"Yeah, just weeding out the weaker sort," his friend agreed with a shrug.

"You guys don't stand a chance at the exam."

We… don't?

Sakura's reservations were put on hold as Sasuke promptly marched in front of the duo, his demeanor much… calmer than it had been before. Amazing! Inner cooed. Her Sasuke-kun, ever cool and collected, had just gone and strolled up to the big boys, calmly suggesting for them to "let me through and drop the illusion while you're at it."

How? How can he be so brave? Sakura stared at Sasuke desperately, her knees feeling shaky. I'm not brave like him… I can't… what if Sensei only encouraged me to sign up because of–

"Right, Sakura?"

"Huh?" Confused, she snapped to attention. Sasuke had just asked her something.

"Your sensory and genjutsu abilities have improved the most out of the three of us," he explained calmly. "You were the first to notice."

Sasuke-kun… Sakura thought tenderly, now in the loop. Yes, she had noticed the genjutsu on the door back when they were still in the staircase… In a hurried attempt to relay her thoughts, she had told Sasuke that 'it's still nine o'clock', referring to the positioning of room 301, where nine was the direction of the next flight of stairs, meaning that they had yet to arrive, …but judging by the lack of reaction, Sakura had been under the impression that Sasuke hadn't understood her at all. Only he had. He had listened to her, and he had believed in her. It filled her with so much delight and happiness…

Out-loud, Sakura only managed a meager 'thank you'. But it came from the heart. Get yourself together girl! Inner yelled. And so, Sakura's gaze became focused again and she spoke up to expose the truth of the illusion for all observants.

There we go! Inner cheered, mocking their shocked faces with wild gestures.

"Hm!" But things were never as easy. "You're stupid little weaklings anyway!" One of the boys jumped forward and aimed a kick right at Sasuke-kun, which he mimicked–

Before they could touch, the genin who had previously been writhing on the ground was between them in a flash, gripping their legs in place with just his bare hands.

…uhh, say what? Sakura thought incredulously. But her incredulity quickly turned into apprehension: that blonde ponytail… she could recognize it anywhere!

Ino.

Sakura frowned, suddenly struck by the reality of her situation.

Ino is here.

Non-Kakashi genjutsu are here.

Challengers are here.

And it's real. All of it.

(And she had left home without telling anyone, without a goodbye.)

Nervously glancing around, without really knowing what she meant to do, Sakura separated from her teammates and went after Ino. She quickly checked her reflection in a mirror in passing, then hurried forwards. She had worn her red dress again, though this time a sleeveless one because it was sexier. This was a trial of love, Sakura would have to show Ino all of her assets. No matter what Sensei said, she wasn't going to face her rival in a tank top!

(Still, it had been nagging at Sakura's conscience all morning.)

With a huff, Sakura resumed her trek up the stairs and took turns staring at Sasuke-kun's arm-warmers, which were of course with her, and at her sandaled feet.

Seeing Ino again had made her feel small and ugly, an insecurity she thought she'd overcome already. Sakura ran a hand through her hair, her stomach clenching with nerves. She was wearing all her ninja gear, but was it enough? What if she had to set more complicated traps, like the ones at Wave? What if someone caught the hem of her dress? Or worse yet, her hair?

Suddenly shaking with nerves, Sakura realized that she was already at the top floor. Sakura didn't dare lift her gaze.

I don't want to see the damn door! Aghhh! If I see it, that's it! There'll be no going back!

"Hoe? What do we have here?" Startled, Sakura peered up and right into… Kakashi's masked face!

"Sensei…" she breathed, for once so, so relieved to find someone familiar to cling to.

"Decided to scout ahead?" Kakashi queried blandly. Nothing about his demeanor had changed, not even his literary choices, and for once, Sakura was glad.

She harrumphed, then nodded uncertainly. "I wore the dress today."

"Seems that way."

Sakura's fingers twitched uncertainly. "Aren't you… angry?"

"Ma, Sakura, sometimes you offend me."

She giggled.

Sensei's always good to cheer me up.

(But then she remembered why she was on edge in the first place.)

Sakura gulped, running a hand through her long mane. "But what if someone… you know…"

"Pulls a Zabuza on you?"

"Yeah." Grabbing her by the dress and throwing her face against pillars was not exactly Sakura's idea of a passing grade.

Kakashi scratched his head. "You could always shrug the dress off if things get ugly. It has a zipper."

Sakura stared, processing his words.

You're joking, Inner cried. But he wasn't. And why would he? Sakura felt her lips curl into a smile.

"Sometimes you're actually helpful, Sensei."

Kakashi patted her head happily.

"I know, I know."

And sometimes he's a stuck up, she added mentally.

"But what if…"

The spine of Kakashi's book bent until it was shut. Kakashi pocketed it.

"Ma, ma… there's only so much that can happen, Sakura-chan."

Easy for you to say, Elite Ninja With a Reputation.

Sakura purses her lips. "I'm serious, Sensei! What if not my dress, but my hair gets tangled? Or caught? And what if I need to build an efficient trap? I don't have any sheaves or…"

"You seriously didn't bring equipment?" Kakashi asked blandly.

"I brought what I had," Sakura interjected snappily.

There was an awkward moment in which Inner Sakura banged her head against a boulder repeatedly.

After staring at her drolly for what seemed to be a decade, Kakashi's hands lazily went to one of his pockets, idly thumbing a worn-looking scroll and releasing it.

Sticking his hands inside, he proceeded to withdraw his burn-proof, electricity-conducting, poison-coated, six kilometer-long ninja wire and a pair of sheaves that Sakura was intimately familiar with through his traps. Speaking of which, Kakashi also withdrew the infamous rope which Sakura had never managed to cut, even with a kunai, and then a white box with a red cross on it.

"What's all this for?" Sakura asked hesitantly.

"Why Sakura-chan, it's a loan." After a second: "with interests."

She nearly groaned.

(But then the first sentence registered.)

Sakura all but grinned. "Alright!"

This makes everything so much easier! "Thanks, Kakashi-sensei. I mean it."

Kakashi gave her an idle salute.

"Anything for my personal pests."

TWISTED

So, Sakura is terribly rude to her mother, avoids being rude to Lee (for the moment) and it is finally unveiled that team seven will participate in the exams!

(In case there was any doubt.)

Someone made a really interesting suggestion about a new, ground-breaking fanfiction skipping the chunin arc one day… but for plot reasons, I'm afraid that day won't be today.

Alas.

And now… this is kind of random, but does anyone like Kurenai? Heheh. You'd better, because she's appearing next chapter! Though not likely in the way you are imagining…

Wanna give it a guess? I'd bet you almost anything that you guys won't be able to divinate the setting in which she's… errr… introduced.

(I'm looking forwards to any wild guesses ;)