This chapter explains why my sister was cackling like a witch. She chose Preliminary matches from a hat, then from the winners, the matches for the Finals, so please don't blame me. :3 They all seemed a little too staged, didn't they? T.T

And thank you everybody for your constant support. I love it. XD

Enjoy!


CHAPTER TWELVE—
Sakura's Fight


Sharingan eyes peered into the smoke smothering him. The urge to cough tickled the back of his throat, but he held his breath as he scoped around. Suddenly he heard another clone spontaneously explode not far from him, then another on the other side; he felt the smoke of them brush against his tired body. Sasuke exhaled, blinking back tears as his eyes begin to water.

A blur of orange left-below was his only warning before he blocked a blow from Naruto, then another from above opposite. He gripped both clones wrists tightly, his kunai digging into one of them, then raised a leg and kicked a third melting from the smoke in front of him. More cloud bloomed, and he let go of the Naruto clone by his shoulder to slice it across the neck then gravity-punch the Naruto at his feet – both exploded.

The smoke was thicker than before. Sasuke coughed and retreated out of it, breaching cool air to see a barrage of Naruto's raining down on him. He gritted his teeth and swerved through them all, leaping back in the open and stringing some hand seals together. Seconds later balls of fire barrelled through the air, homing in on the multiple Naruto clones as they shouted amongst each other to escape. The few that hit billowed the smoke away into the proctor, who moved from his position.

Sasuke landed deftly on the ground as the back of the final Naruto disappeared into the mushrooming smoke; he smirked, stretching a leg out. He disappeared, circling the cloud with speed before he skidded back to the start and breathed a plume of fire across an invisible thread. The arena was lit with an intense and warm light as it ran along the line and hugged the cloud of smoke. Fingers twisting, Sasuke gripped the fine wire and pulled, the fire squeezing in to capture any Naruto's inside.

They cried loudly, and Sakura shivered at the sound of it. She wished she could look away from the battle, but she couldn't. Sasuke's smirk was a display of dominance and confidence – or fun. It was no where near as feral as the one she was used to seeing, but it still added to the bubbling dread in her stomach. What if he could still end up like that in the future, and the Curse Mark was merely an aid?

"That's dangerous," she heard someone mutter down from her. "Naruto could be in flames."

There was a ripple of explosions and the smoke began to flood the balconies, but his thread snagged on something and Sasuke pulled firmly. A black-sooted Naruto came pelting through, hitting the ground hard then sliding across the floor before he stopped short. Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the blond's fingers gripping the elevated edge of a tile, and he lifted two fingers; Sakura's heart jumped.

He motioned a whistle and fire travelled down the wire once more, but suddenly the flames dispersed and licks of ember rushed by him as the line went limp and he foresaw Naruto coming at him just seconds before he was blinded by the residual blaze. Sasuke gasped and stumbled back several steps, unconsciously managing to block one punch to the stomach before his head throbbed with a blow to the skull. Air left his lungs the moment he left his guard down and was kicked in the stomach exactly, sending him flying back and then streaming across the floor.

He wheezed for air and blinked rapidly. He could see a blur of Naruto nearing him and swung his leg across the ground, knocking the blond off his feet and trapping one ankle under a foot, pressing down hard. Without wasting another moment, Sasuke was on him and had a fist raised. Suddenly, Naruto shouted, the vocal deep and expanding and echoing as it travelled, and Sasuke was thrown off him, the wind of the attack slamming him against the wall above the double doors.

"He did it," Sakura breathed.

Kakashi chuckled. "That knucklehead's been practising that jutsu for weeks."

For once a thrill of excitement coursed through Sakura, though she ignored why.

"Take that, Sasuke!" Naruto shouted as he stood, panting.

"Finish him, Naruto!" Chouji encouraged. A yelp left his lips when Ino whacked him over the head.

The Uchiha balanced himself as he rose against the wall. He wiped the water from his eyes and blinked hard again in Naruto's direction, trying to see through the blur.

"He can't use his Sharingan like this," Sakura whispered to herself. "He can't predict what's coming."

"You should know that a ninja can predict things without the aid of anything," Kakashi said.

"I know. The Sharingan is both his biggest weakness and strength. You, Kakashi-sensei, are in some ways fortunate that you possess only one, and can alternate between needing it or not." Sakura exhaled, chuckling. "I knew you were good, but, wow."

Kakashi leaned against the railing beside her. "Did I ever tell you how I got the Sharingan?" he asked softly.

Sakura furrowed her brow and looked to him. "No."

He hung his head and scratched the back of his neck. "Perhaps I will share it sometime," he mumbled.

His attention returned to the battle, but Sakura watched him for a few more seconds, contemplating what her old teacher's past was. They were good friends back in her time, but it was built mainly on constant presence with each other, with trust and because of their lives as a ninja. She knew him for who he was when she met him and then on, but anything before that was unknown. Reluctantly she tore her gaze from him.

"Sasuke Uchiha, do you forfeit?" Hayate asked from his perch on the railing.

"No!"

He pushed himself from the wall and stepped up towards Naruto, who looked worse for wear. Now that he wasn't moving, it was easy to see some of the burns on his bare arms, and that the sleeves of his black shirt were torn and smouldered. His muddy tanned skin was littered with scrapes and bruises, and his hair was caked with dirt, giving him a feral, wild look. Sasuke still managed to look civilised in comparison.

Thumbing the water away, the Uchiha exhaled and set his red eyes on his teammate opposite him. "It's not over yet."

Naruto chuckled. "Round two."

The moment the Uzumaki lifted his hands Sasuke had burst into action, his speed fuelled by his frustration of the battle. Naruto was rolling across the uneven floor before he could finish his jutsu, gasping and groaning until he stopped. He had barely lifted himself off the ground before Sasuke hooked his foot under him and kicked him hard, flinging him further away.

"How is he so fast now?" Kiba asked further down from Sakura.

"He almost lost against Naruto," Shino answered. "Shinobi can pull great feats when pressured or angered, but the same thing can be their undoing. You should know."

"Shut up."

Sakura had clenched the railing again as she listened to them speak, and she still couldn't tear her eyes from the match below. Sasuke kept coming and coming, leaving not a gap for Naruto to even get up and block. He was relentless.

He was serious.

And then Naruto was. He suddenly countered, catching Sasuke's fist and guiding the flow of the blow over his shoulder, throwing the Uchiha over his sprawled body. Sasuke rolled as he landed the same time Naruto got to his feet and wiped away blood from his broken lip.

"I don't intend to give up that easily, Sasuke," Naruto told him.

The Uchiha frowned then smirked.

"Good. I was getting kind of worried… loser."

Naruto chuckled.

Those words alone somehow shifted the meaning of the match. Done testing each other's skills on backing out of a corner, now came the moment of fun. Sakura could still it in their eyes that they were enjoying this match now, almost like it had become like one of their spars. The only difference was that in their spars their sole aim was to improve, but this match was to test what they knew.

She exhaled, finally able to relax.

Whoever would lose this match would no doubt be utterly disappointed, but she knew they'd come through eventually. Things had changed enough, that she was growing confident in this.

They began again with new vigour. Engaged in tai-jutsu, Sasuke had the speed to slip passed Naruto's defences, and was able to land twice as many blows than the blond could. Naruto suddenly ducked out of range from another punch and created a clone. He split from it, creating a third as he rounded Sasuke who was watching him with glowing red eyes.

Surrounded, Sasuke jumped, smirking when the Naruto's followed him. In unison the blond's started signing a jutsu, and Sasuke let himself plummet to the ground just seconds to the full blow of the wind jutsu spiralling into where he once was. Without wasting a beat, Sasuke performed a fire jutsu up into the centre of the squared wind technique, and the flames beat their way through to the ceiling before it swelled like a balloon rapidly, swallowing the Naruto's.

Sasuke huffed to himself, watching the expanded fire above litter flicks of ash. The clones exploded, making the fire bloat in three locations until a single body came plunging to the earth. Completely black and clothes and hair burned severely, Sakura felt her heart squeeze at the sight of Naruto crashing against the stone ground. She heard some people down from her cringe and Hinata inhale sharply at the impact.

"That was a smart move from Sasuke," Kakashi stated. "Fire has an advantage over Wind regardless, but by using the current of the attacks to his gain, he could capture Naruto in flames while avoiding them completely."

Sakura nodded stiffly, fighting the urge to go down and heal Naruto herself, because she knew who had won the match.

Sasuke straightened himself as he breathed, casting his eyes briefly over Hayate. Naruto wasn't moving from where he was, dislodged ash outlining his body on the concrete. Nodding, Hayate raised a hand and announced Sasuke Uchiha as the winner.

"And I really thought that knucklehead could stand a chance," Kiba commented as he rested against the railing.

"He did," Shino replied tonelessly.

Hinata exhaled in a rush and her shoulders sagged as medic-nin were called from the sides. Sasuke was beginning for the balcony as well, drawing all eyes to him as he deactivated the Sharingan. Lee eyed him with such intensity that Tenten was shaking her head, already knowing exactly what was going through his head, and through her Hyuuga teammate who had that similar smirk on his face.

"Yosh!" Lee cried. "I cannot wait to fight him for real!"

"I'll admit the Uchiha may have talent," Neji confessed, closing his eyes, "but the fact that third-rate ninja managed to hold his own annoys me."

"Lee can hold his own against you," Tenten reminded. The moment Neji glared at her she smiled sweetly at him, telling him that it was not a personal insult. "I'm just saying, Neji. You're the best of our year, but even you can get jealous of what Lee can do, because of what he's limited to."

The Hyuuga tsked, looking away. "You're wasting your breath, Tenten."

She rolled her eyes and shook her head, smiling to herself.

Sakura found herself keeping on eye on the unconscious Naruto leaving the arena. All her limbs were begging her to follow after him; he was injured and she was a medic, it was like a bee to honey. Kakashi had to plant a hand on her shoulder to keep her still, and by that time, Sasuke, walking as if he were half asleep, had reached them. He closed his eyes to rest them, and Sakura stared at his content smile.

"Good work, Sasuke," Kakashi complimented. "He almost had you."

"Yeah. He did," he replied softly.

"Knowing him, the moment he'd wake up he'll demand a re-match," Kakashi said. "Would be great training for you for the Final Exams, would it not?" The Uchiha nodded.

Sakura agreed that in the end Naruto would reluctantly help train him while also becoming so much more determined and stronger to find ways to defeat him in the end. She only hoped this rivalry wouldn't extend to the way it had last time, where jealousy overtook. First she knew she'd have to talk Naruto through the disappointment of the lost. He was so close.

"Good job," Sakura whispered. Sasuke contemplated her for a moment, but the juggling of names had begun again. And just as quickly it had stopped.

Neji Hyuuga vs Kabuto Yakushi

Sakura tensed at the last name. Neji passed by them with a haughty air, making Sasuke stare after him in interest, and Kabuto was slowly making his way onto the arena, a sharp look in his eye. The moment, however, Hayate had declared the battle to begin, Kabuto raised an arm and shouted that he forfeited. Sakura knew, instantly, that Neji took this as an insult to his pride, and the twisted look in his expression showed just that as he glowered at the spectacle wearing shinobi.

"Do I scare you that much?" the Hyuuga asked.

Kabuto chuckled. "No. Besides, I thought I'd be doing you a favour. A Hyuuga you may be, but your skill level is not known to anyone now. I gave an edge. If anything you should thank me."

He smiled so politely Sakura would have encouraged Neji to rip it off his face, or at least slap some humility into him. She knew from experience that Kabuto Yakushi was anything but modest, which was just a guise for his overflowing confidence. He thought he had everyone under his control. He thought he had everyone fooled.

Hayate nodded and affirmed Neji as the winner. The Hyuuga travelled back to his spot with a scowl on his face.

"You really don't like Kabuto," Sasuke stated.

"No, I don't."

"Why?"

"I just don't, okay?" Sakura ended firmly.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow at the sharp dismissal, which also made Sasuke frown at her behaviour.

"You're doing it again," he told her.

"Doing what?"

"Acting like you know something I don't."

Sakura scowled and looked away. "Believe it or not, Sasuke, but the world doesn't revolve around you."

"You didn't deny it – that you know something," the Uchiha pointed out.

Her frustration was steadily rising again. She didn't realise he could be so clingy when he wanted something.

"I know a lot of things," she bit back. Behind them Kakashi watched as if witnessing a game of ball tossing.

"About Kabuto." It wasn't a question.

"It's a gut feeling, Sasuke! For crying out loud it's like you want to be hit again!" Sakura started to shout. She didn't understand why she would feel so aggravated by his responses. He hadn't spoken to her this much in her last life. It was, dare she say it, almost annoying, but at the same time so interesting.

She realised that he was the type of person who wanted to know all the details. He didn't seem to like being left out of something if it concerned the whole team. He was clingy with what he doubted, vocal if with someone he knew; which could almost come across as worry. He was competitive, and grew increasingly frustrated and angry if he didn't understand things, or if it wasn't going to how he thought, or if he was just plain scared. He spoke to them as if they were equal.

He was open to her, and she only just realised it.

"Sakura, you're staring again," he said, and she blinked rapidly, casting a glance at Kakashi who looked quite amused before she pitted her gaze at Hayate conversing with a Hokage guard.

"Sorry," she murmured.

"Be careful, Sasuke," Kakashi warned. "She might fangirl again."

Sakura froze and Sasuke's expression was torn between a smirk and a look of horror. Overcome with an urge to bury herself, Sakura instead paid vehement attention to the renewed juggling of the names. And then two appeared and she felt Sasuke beside her stiffen. She, herself, took several seconds to realise the names that were chosen, and a fat chill went down her spine as she dragged her eyesight to Gaara opposite her.

Sakura Haruno vs Gaara

Then his eyes met hers.

When she entered the Kazekage's office she saw him behind his desk, working mindlessly on signing some papers that he'd only skimmed. The room was dimly lit by the lamp on his desk. It was evening, and night-time in Suna always made the sand-coloured walls of the buildings so much darker it was like she was stepping into a cave. The few potted plants about the room brightened it in a decorative sense but otherwise Sakura couldn't ever imagine living in houses that made her feel like she was sleeping underground.

He looked up once and then again, setting his pen down to motion her in. She smiled as she closed the door and approached the desk. Up closer, she could see the young and peaceful face of the Kazekage, a man who, as a child, was shrouded in pain and sadness. After the war, after learning the truth of his parents, this man had changed even more.

"You called," Sakura asked.

Gaara nodded. "I have a small question."

"Shoot."

His expression was vacant as he continued. "First, I want to thank you for assisting with the recent wounded, and lending aid to our Academy in their learning. It was greatly appreciated. However, I admit I had a second motive for asking you to come."

A ghost of a confused frown passed over her face. She hadn't realised there was another reason.

"Since my sister has given birth and I've… found myself somewhat obliged to be in the presence of the child, I've come to realise a few things," he admitted. Sakura could see how hard it was to talk about this, and she gathered that she was the only person he was confiding in. But why? At best they were mutual acquaintances. He exhaled suddenly, like a man defeated. "Is there a permanent way to assure that I never have children?"

The emotion she felt from that question tinged in her heart even now, back in time eight years ago. Here he was as a boy with no clue that he had a future – a positive future that encompassed not just his family but his entire village and hers. Here was the reason the Gaara she knew never wanted kids.

"Sakura Haruno, come to the field," Hayate's voice echoed.

She blinked herself out of the memory and robotically turned around at her remaining team; Sasuke looked like he opposed the very idea of the match, but Kakashi appeared interested. Gaara was already on the field, waiting for her to come down, and through the silence of the onlookers, she did.

Her insides were tingling with anticipation, like they were thirsting for a worthy match. Yet her throat was clenching in uncertainty, because she knew what this Gaara could do, and her mind was set into sympathy and pity for him for things that she hoped would still come to be in his future. Did this mean he had to win? But did she also have to?

Sakura swallowed as she stood opposite him and came to a decision.

No, she didn't have to win, but it didn't mean she wasn't going to fight.

"Begin!"

Sakura jolted back as his cork bulleted by, punching a slight dent in the wall behind her. Gaara's eyes slimmed and sand slowly started to dribble from the gourd, pooling at his sandalled feet. Slowly she walked around him, keeping an eye on the sand as it stretched like water out towards her as more fell from his gourd. Like his battle with Lee in her time, Gaara did not even bother watching her movements, instead relying completely on the life of his sand.

She tested with one kunai, which was blocked by the sand that seemed to swallow it until it clanked loudly by Gaara's feet. She could hear the murmuring of the other Leaf Nin watching. Then she burst into action. Skidding close to the sand she punched in Gaara's vague direction, wincing for a moment when the sand caught her fist and rubbed her skin. She pulled back and wavered before the sand wall, testing, until it curled into a ball and gutted her, throwing her away.

A gasp left her lips, yet she remained on her feet, sliding back. Gaara side-glanced at her.

Sakura had never fought Gaara before, not even in a spar. She had only ever seen him fight, and that alone was intimidating enough, but she knew that there had to be another way through his initial defence other than speed. With that thought, the rosette continued to test his boundaries with tai-jutsu and ranged weaponry until she could feel his mounting irritation – like she was a fly bothering him – and she was sure she had at least a few plans.

One hit against the sand created a tiny implosion that was almost instantly covered by the sediment encasing or reacting to the attack. Sakura knew that if she was quick enough to slip through that tiny gap after the initial attack, she might be able to slip through, but she digressed. She didn't have that speed with her own body.

Her own body.

Sakura ran for him again, and he turned to her, his lips parted to talk, until she punched the ground and sent a rush of concrete towards him. The sounds of interest around her were squashed as the stone slab slammed against the wall of sand, and it was sent back with enough force and speed Sakura had to punch it again; it shattered around her and a knew vigour filled her system.

She was ready to fight for real.

Gaara's sand must have sensed she was a bigger threat than anticipated. Arms and waves reached for her the moment she got close to him, and she moved and swerved to avoid, using her heightened instincts of survival to predict where they might attack next. She could barely land a foot on the ground before she had to move again, that it was to the point she retreated further back to safety for a breather. Gaara was facing her now.

"Fly," he whispered. "Just a fly."

The sand reached for her again, for her blood to be shed, and Sakura leapt to the side, rolling on the ground then halting and punching the earth. Cracks split the ground up to Gaara's feet, where sand began to filter just moments he himself had to move to safety. Sakura didn't rest to near him and punch at his feet. Sand darted towards her crazily, but she was gone from the spot as the concrete exploded passed Gaara and he landed on the slope of the medium-sized crater. It was luck that he lost his footing from the pebbles and slammed his hands against the sharp edge of the stone.

Sakura padded to safety by the signing statue as the sand jerked and hovered. She watched, her heart beating, as Gaara stared wide-eyed at his hand where sand from his palm cracked. She felt as though she had signed her own death wish the moment he looked up to meet her green eyes. And it was then she knew she had exceeded his highest expectations of her, because the sand came for her ever faster than before.

He was back on his feet in the crater while Sakura dodged the looming sand, the encouragement of her spectators a buzzing in the background. Hurriedly she pulled some hand-signs and timed it to riskily slam her hand against an arching pillar of sand. It exploded and she deftly slipped through towards Gaara, fist raised to punch the ground, but she felt a slither of a sand-arm curl around her ankle and she tripped, cracking her chin against the floor just metres from Gaara.

Gritting her teeth, Sakura formed a sign and punched her other fist through the concrete and felt the moist soil beneath. Instantly a large earth fist rocketed Gaara from his spot to across the arena. The sand, furious, tightened around her ankle and flung her into the signing statue so hard segments of it cracked and fell. Her head throbbed like a bad headache as she flew through the air then smacked against the ground. Blood spurted from her nose, the bone broken.

The sand dissolved from her ankle and she coughed hoarsely, shuddering as she slowly started to rise again, her hand instantly going to her crushed nose to begin the healing. Gaara was still in disbelief, cracks in his face and on his knees and along his right arm. Pain staggered up her body as she took a step, and a fleeting look at Hayate told him that she was still in the fight. She wrung her hand, walking up closer to Gaara with his sand arms simmering behind him in a threatening way.

Her pace did not falter as Sakura reached down for a slab lining and buried her fingers in between with chakra, pulling the top of the stone up as she walked. With a pulse of her chakra through both flat hands, she pushed the slab in Gaara's direction so fast she had to run to keep behind it. His sand rose, blocking the stone, and with a strong shout Sakura punched the concrete. It cracked and burst into the sand, creating a large opening that she slipped through, stepped down once and then delivered a full strike to Gaara's surprised face.

She had felt his nose break through the sheer force of her blow and for a moment felt pride flitter in her chest as he went flying. That pride was extinguished in seconds when his sand compacted against her back and crawled around her body like an army of ants, squeezing her limbs. Her mouth opened, her cry of pain cut short by the sudden intense wringing of her body. She could feel her bones creaking, threatening to break, and Sakura opened her eyes to see a sand bloody-faced Gaara curling his outstretched hand into a fist.

Sand coffin, Sakura named.

Air was abandoning her, her strength and chakra with it, and then suddenly the sand fell away and she collapsed into someone's arms. Light-headed and disorientated, Sakura could barely see her surroundings, but she knew that colour of green holding her like she knew the trees of Konoha. Then that was all.

Her face was warmed by the beating sun through the windows. She tensed her eyes then opened them, gazing at the cream-coloured ceiling of the west-wing hospital ward. The white curtains of the window swayed above her and she peered outside to see a cloudless blue sky. The scent of peppermint filled her, along with faint wisps of fresh flowers that drew her eyes to them. A white vase held three cosmos and Sakura smiled, glad to know Ino had visited sometime.

"Finally," someone drawled.

Sakura looked the other way to see Shikamaru slap a magazine down on the linoleum floor, dropping his foot from its rest on the white room divider. He leaned over the edge of her bed.

"Shikamaru," Sakura said, smiling. "What are you doing here?"

"No where else to spend time on a cloudless day," he responded. He sounded more tired than she was.

She giggled, pushing herself up. He assisted in moving a thick pillow behind her back. "There are loads of things to do on a cloudless day," she told him with a grin.

Shikamaru groaned. "I know, and they included menial chores thanks to Ino or my mother – or both."

Sakura nodded knowingly. "And I was an excuse."

"Good to know your injury didn't hurt your brain."

"I'm thick-skulled. The enemy has to do better than that to make me dumb," she stated proudly, feeling around her head for the bandages."Who wrapped my head? It's sloppy."

Shikamaru chuckled. "Sakura?"

"Hm?"

He was talking but no sound left his lips.

"Sakuuuraaa…"

She blinked, or at least she thought she did, because this time a young Naruto was hanging overhead. His hair was matted but clean, and patches covered his left cheek, and he was wearing the hospital pants but a new black shirt. Sakura frowned and then a big grin grew on his face.

"She's awake!" he shouted, his voice echoing in her brain. "See? Told you my voice could wake her up, Sasuke."

"Coincidence."

Sakura blinked drowsily and looked to the side to see her two teammates by the white divider of the room that blended into the now ash-grey walls. Sasuke was seated with his arms crossed, while Naruto was squatting on his chair. Kakashi pushed himself off the wall at the end of her bed and saluted with two fingers.

"Alright you two gremlins," he said to the Uchiha and Uzumaki who were still squabbling amongst each other. "Sakura needs her rest, not a bigger a headache."

Naruto gaped, whipping back to Sasuke. "The headache was there before me."

"Naruto, you are a headache," the Uchiha told him, standing up. "I just have to stand next to you and I get one."

Naruto scoffed, following his rival, both seemingly forgetting to even greet Sakura as they made for the door and were gone. But the rosette didn't complain as she blinked again, her brow wrinkled into a frown as she tried to make sense of what was going on and what had happened. She shuffled around in her bed, now able to smell the peppermint aroma.

"How are you feeling?" Kakashi asked, stealing Sasuke's former seat.

"Headache," she mumbled.

He chuckled. "You did take quite a beating," he said. "The fact you managed that final blow on that Sand ninja was impressive."

"Thank you."

"You really let your body go, didn't you?"

"Yes. Considering my opponent, I'm surprised I did as well as I did in this body," she admitted. "The whole fight I could feel a more superior instinct tugging me in the background, to do what I used to be able to do with my old body, but I seem to have a better grasp on what I do have to not let that stop me."

And it felt so good to just let myself go. I felt like my old self for once… again…

"A promising sign for a good kunoichi."

"I am good, Kakashi," she stated, staring at the ceiling. "I was and still am good." She didn't think she'd have to say that to reassure herself, but she was wrong. Unconsciously she was worried she would never be good enough.

"You are good. I'm not denying it."

She sighed slowly. "How did it end? How did I get here?"

"That Sand shinobi had you in his sand but Lee stepped in," Kakashi explained. "I'm sorry that I was not the one who did it."

"It's alright." Lee. He still ended up saving her.

"The match ended with Lee's interference. There was a bit of disturbance after your match, though. The Sand shinobi – all of them – looked unsettled, and I think you've impressed a few of your fellow Leaf Ninja. The following matches were: Ino and a member from Kabuto's team, the female Sand kunoichi and Chouji, the second shinobi from Kabuto's team and Shikamaru, Shino and Tenten, and then finally Kiba against Lee. The winners were, respectively: Ino, the Sand kunoichi, Shikamaru, Shino and then Lee."

Sakura sunk into her bed at the names, Ino's name ringing loudest amongst the rest. "And the Finals?"

"The first round will be Lee and Sasuke."

She laughed dryly at that match-up.

"Lee was, for lack of better word, ecstatic that Sasuke was his first opponent. He hadn't made much of an impression on Sasuke, however, even after he saved you, and his battle with Kiba didn't quite showcase his skills to what I know he can do, but I've informed Sasuke how dangerous Lee can be. I think he looks forward to the match now."

"And how is Naruto handling the loss?" she asked.

"You've been asleep for three days now," Kakashi said. She chuckled, rolling her eyes. "At first he was, naturally, upset. He thought himself too weak and such, but Sasuke slapped some sense into him – and so did Lee, and Hinata, and Ino and… well, you get the point." He shrugged.

Sakura chuckled again, louder than before.

"He's as fine as he can be, and he's sworn to make Sasuke's training hell. Maybe you should talk to him to see for yourself. He's like you: pretty good in putting himself last for the sake of his friends and teammates until he's confronted about his own wellbeing."

"Yeah," she sighed. "I will." The thought of her team made her smile, which widened the longer she thought about it. So this was what it felt like to have a normal team.

"Anyway!" Kakashi dismissed, cracking his back. "The other match-ups are Ino against the Sand kunoichi, Shikamaru and Gaara, and Hinata and Neji with Shino battling the winner."

"Woah," Sakura breathed. "They'll all be so interesting."

"Understatement," Kakashi said. "They're already drawing interest from different Feudal Lords, and I hear bets are also being placed. I, however, wonder how much of them we'll end up seeing."

"Depends," Sakura said, moistening her dry lips. "Do you intend to teach Sasuke the Chidori?"