Chapter Eleven:

The Forest Of Death

(Part One)

This was it... The big day in where the team was going into the forest. Sakura took a deep breath as she stood in front of the gates as her team mates where behind her. She was nervous she could feel herself shiver lightly. But she kept telling herself that everything would be fine not to worry, that she'll be okay. She looked ahead of her to see people passing by acting all tough to their own team mates but Sakura knew that some of them were also nervous.

"Sakura," Sakura heard Sasuke call her. She turned to see him say "It's okay, We'll do fine." He walked up to her and put his hand on her shoulder "We'll make it through." He let go and turned to walk back to where he was at. Naruto was off somewhere so he didn't see what happened and even though Sakura never seen Sasuke act that nice to her made her a bit suspicious but what he told her made her feel more clam and that was good enough for her. "Hey Guys!" Sakura and Sasuke both looked to see Naruto running towards them "Any idea when it's going to start? I want to go already!" he crossed his arms. Sasuke shook his head. "Well we did come a bit early so maybe in a little while." Sakura said as Naruto just whined. "Whining won't make time go faster Naruto" Sakura said as she crossed her arms. She looked up to see Gaara and his siblings walking. A smile came on her face as she ran to them.

Gaara was walking around till he heard the voice he liked to hear. He turned to see Sakura ran to them. "Hey guys," she said smiling. "Hello Sakura," Gaara replied. "Hey," Kankuro said, "Hi Sakura," Temari said with a smile on her face. "I just came by to wish you guys good luck!" She said putting her arms behind her back. "Thanks Sakura," Temari said as she crossed her arms "Same goes to you and your team." Sakura nodded. "Thanks, I have a feeling were going to need it," she gave off a nervous laugh. Temari laughed with her. "Hey if you need help i'm sure Gaara, Kankuro and I are willing to come and help out." She patted Sakura's head. Sakura smiled "Thanks, I feel more better now,". Temari nodded. "No problem! Just give out a shout and we'll come running!" Temari and Sakura started to both laugh. Gaara watched his flower and sibling both laugh. He took a deep breath and looked to see her team looking at them. "Hey Sakura," Temari said a bit serious "Can I talk to you in private real quick?" Sakura looked at her and nodded. They both walked away from the guys.

After some minutes the girl both went separate ways as they both went to their own team. "Finally you decide to come back," Sasuke said as Sakura ignored Sasuke's comment. "Hey Sakura," Naruto spoke "Why did you go over there?". Sakura replied, "Oh just to wish them well, that's all" she gave off a smile. "Hmmmm..." Naruto crossed his arms and looked at Sakura suspicious "Okay then..." he said. Then a woman finally came yelling out the instructions on how they have certain amount of time to collect two types of scrolls. Then everyone waited for the people to open the gates. When they opened everyone ran in.

Team Seven stopped for a while and after exposing a imposter of Naruto they had to fight so they were a bit tired. They all went deeper into the forest. When they got deeper another person came. He said his name was Orochimaru and tried to convince Sasuke to go with him. He said that if he did then he would get the power he wanted to get his revenge. In the end Naruto and Sasuke fought him but before he left he bit Sasuke's neck giving what looked like a mark and guy left Sakura to hear two 'thumps' behind her. She quickly turned to see her team mates on the ground.

"Naruto! Sasuke!" Sakura yelled as she ran to them. She noticed them a bit redder than usual as she put her hand on their forehead. "A fever... That's not good" Sakura told herself lowly. She made a clone and did her best to take pick them up. "I need to get them to a safe place quickly." She said to herself as looked around.

Gaara's team were jumping through the treetops when they spotted a team below them. After a minute of watching them they saw they had the scroll they needed to continue the Exams. So they all jumped down. The other team all took out kunais to defend themselves as the one who might have been the leader jumped up and threw what seemed like an umbrella but was quickly turned to be knives. They were aimed at Gaara since he was ahead of his team. He only put up his hand as his sand covered him. Gaara gave off a glare as his sand had all the weapons embedded in it. Upon seeing the glare the other team all took steps back. They all saw something in Gaara's face that made them give up quickly as they offered their scroll. The leader put on the ground and then took a few steps back. Kankuro quickly went to to get it and went back into his spot.

Temari stood silent and held her breath as Kankuro did the same. They knew Gaara wasn't going to let the team live even if they begged him. Ever since Sakura left them when they were kids Gaara was never the same. He was cold hearted and in many ways people would call him heartless. Back at Suna he would kill just because he wanted to. But when Sakura was near him, he changes into the opposite personality. But now the cold hearted Gaara was out and as far he was concerned he was going kill. Temari saw Gaara have his sand engulf on the team members and saw his fist close. As soon he closed his fist Temari closed her eyes as she heard screams. When they were over she opened her eyes to see the team was dead. Then Gaara walked on like nothing ever happen. She felt Kankuro put his hand over her back in comfort as she saw him offer a smile that gave comfort. Then they both quickly left to catch up to Gaara.

After finding a place for her team mates Sakura made more normal clones and quickly went to set traps around them in case she is caught off guard. When they were all set Sakura dismissed her clones to help save energy and went to check up on the guys. She looked around inspecting her surroundings. She was hoping no one would spot them. If they did not only would the guys be in trouble but Sakura would be out numbered and to make things worse in her condition she would be beaten easily and then having Kakashi forbidding her from using her real abilities made things a lot harder since for her using 'shadows' actually help save chakra compared to the normal clones. She sat in front of her team trying to stay awake. She was trying her best to stay awake and treat her team as best as she could but even so, she could only hold up for so long. She closed her eyes.

She was sitting in front of her team and then she heard noses near by, she quickly stood up and looked around to hear the noses grow larger by the second. She looked to her right to see the same person from before, he was watching them as Sakura took out a weapon. As she got ready to defend she could feel herself shaking... she was afraid but.. of what? She tighten her grip on her weapon as she heard a footsteps next to her. She turned to see a woman in her late twenties.

"Yu-Yumi?!" Sakura said as the woman looked at her and smiled then a bright flash made her eyes open. She took in a deep breath and looked around her. It took her a minute to realized that she was asleep and her guardian ,Yumi, was also just a dream. Sakura felt tears flowing to her eyes but she stopped them before they fell. She needed to be strong.. She needed to be brave. With those thoughts in mind Sakura looked to check up on her team mates. They were still the same.. perhaps a bit better than before but even so they were in no condition to fight. So she left to sit in front of them again, keeping watch.

She was on look out she spotted a squirrel running in her direction. Not wanting it to expose a trap Sakura threw a shurken at it to frighten it away. It worked, the animal ran off in another direction. When Sakura regained her posture three ninjas appeared.

"Now be a nice little girl and over the Uchiha," a ninja with a mask said as the team of three stepped forward. He stopped and kneeled down as he exposed a trap "Nice try little girl this type of moss isn't from this part of the forest," He stood up and continued to say "Knowing that there might be more traps planted around the ground we'll just avoid them by jumping over them." Like the guy said they all jumped up into the air, but when they did Sakura put on a small smile as she cut a barely noticeable string that was tied to a kunai that was next to her. In a second a huge log was heading towards the sound ninja's direction. "She also put traps above!" the guy with mask said as he stuck out his arm and tapped a metal that was on his arm. The log was broken into pieces. The ninjas landed only yards away from Sakura and her team. Sakura was standing up willing to fight.

Sakura made hand signs and in secs clones appeared. They all spread out just dodging attacks and when they where evenly spread the let them self get hit causing the puff of smoke they created cover the whole team of sound. "Why that little girl she used her clones to blind us!" the other male of the team said as they heard what sounded like something was being thrown at them. The sound ninjas looked in the direction where Sakura was as the cloud lifted to see Kunais and Shurkens coming there way. They managed to get out in time, if the cloud stayed a second longer then they would've gotten hit. "Is that all?", the female member of the group said. Sakura did her best to fight back as the one with mask ran towards her. But he was in a better condition the she was so couldn't keep up with him so he was attacking her. After a couple of hits he grabbed her and threw to the side. "And that takes care of that," He said as turned to walk towards her team. Sakura did her best to get back up and defend her fallen team but, she didn't have enough strength to help defend herself. In fact it felt like she was about to pass out at any giving second. But the though of having any of her team members at the hands of those ninja gave her some strength and she manged to sit up. She quickly stood up and with what little energy ran to them. She stopped in front of her team, blocking the other team. She opened her mouth to say something but other voice won her.

"Hmp. You three should know better than attack a team when they are unable to defend themselves." They turned to see a woman with a angered expression. The sound ninjas all reacted bitterly to that comment. With their back facing Sakura. The woman examined the faces of the sound ninjas.

"Yu- Yumi", Sakura said shocked of what she was seeing. Yumi looked at Sakura and gave her a smile and nodded. "But you were killed", Sakura said trying to keep balance. Yumi closed her eyes and took a breath before saying "Sakura, ignore your sensei's warning." She turned her back towards and said "You do what you need to do to protect your team." Then in a black cloud she disappeared. Sakura now filled with confidence smiled and did a hand sign. She closed her eyes as the other ninjas were confused and were waiting for her attack but none came. "She just messing with us!" the other guy said "Get the boy quick!", the masked ninja nodded but when he took a step closer he saw what seemed like a shadow clone. Only it was all black and had yellow eyes stand in front of him. Startled, he stepped back. "Wha-what the hell is that?!" he said shocked. Then the 'shadow' took a step forward and hit the ninja in stomach. Sending him a yard away. Sakura opened her eyes and quickly ran to her 'shadow' as the ninja stood up. "That's no normal shadow clone" the unmasked guy said as he made a hand sign. "But even so," he said as he finished "I bet it can't to my winds attacks!", he yelled out as he stock out his hands and winds that seemed to come from no where. It hit Sakura and would've been pushed back if her 'shadow' didn't grab her arm. It appeared that the wind couldn't even budge it. The team seemed surprised and most of all freaked out. They never seen or heard of anything like this.

Gaara and his sibling where walking around the forest, now that they had the two scrolls that they needed. They were heading to their next destination. Everything was quiet til a figure ran ahead of them and paused for a moment. 'It's that woman again' Temari thought to herself. Gaara was looking at her with the cold glare he's been using to everybody.. Or almost everybody. The woman didn't speak but did point to a direction then run off. In a second Gaara's emotions changed. He seen her before. But when he almost killed his brother. She told him not to do it. He still sure of who she was but all he knew was that she was connected to his flower. Connected... to his flower.. Then it struck him.

'She was pointing to Sakura!' Gaara went still for a second 'My flower is in danger!' Gaara thought as he jumped unto the tree tops going into the direction Yumi pointed to. 'Dont worry Sakura. I'm on my way.' He thought to himself. Gaara's sibling were doing there best to keep up with him.

'Whats wrong with him? Why is he suddenly faster now?' Temari asked herself.

Here part one of the exams. I'm sorry I didn't put on sooner, things happened and everything fixed so now I put more chapters up sooner. Will Gaara come in time to help Sakura? Or will something else happen? Let's see if can you guess what will happen. Well then til next time bye-bye.