Yo! This chapter is before the Final Chunin Exam! xO
I thought it's cute episode so I thought, why not, add this?
I hope you readers love this chapter and thank you all so much for the wonderful reviews, favs, and follows! Makes me very happy! xD
Warning: unbeta, possible grammars mistakes, and English is NOT my first language because I'm deaf so that means I know ASL. *grin*
I don't own Naruto.
Enjoy! :)
Team Saki-Shika-Cho
Chapter Twenty-One
Today is the last day before Final Chunin Exam day. Right now, Sakura and Shikamaru are relaxing up top of the tree branch. Sakura swinging her legs while Shikamaru is leaning on the tree trunk with his arms folded behind his head. His sharp eyes staring at Sakura in slight concerned, 'Troublesome woman…' he really doesn't like to think that she has to fight against the genius Hyuuga.
Sakura glanced at Shikamaru from the corner of her eyes, "You think you'll be able to win the match against Temari-san?" she asked her lazy-ass teammate. Shikamaru sighed, "Troublesome…why do I have to fight against woman again?" he complained.
The pink-hair girl rolled her eyes but smiles, "Maybe it's because the kami wants you to actually suck it up and be a man to fight against a strong woman?" she teased him. Shikamaru snorted as he closed his eyes.
"What a drag."
Sakura giggled and glanced up at the cloud in comfortable silence.
~Meanwhile~
In the middle of the town in Konoha, Izumo and Kotestu are reading the battle profiles for the Chunin Final Exam. Izumo frown, "It's no surprise that the Uchiha kid and Shikaku's son are still in it. But who would have imagined that Naruto would be still in the running?" Izumo said impressed.
Kotetsu nodded his head, "I know…and there's Sakura-chan! She will fight against Hyuuga kid."
"Yeah…" Izumo frowned as he is kind of concerned for his student.
Kotetsu glanced around his surrounding in suspicion, "There are quite a few in the crowd that I don't recognize." He whispered his friend.
"Well, officials from each of the Feudal Lord's clans have come to the village as well." Izumo whispered back as he continuing reading the battles profiles.
Koetesu hummed and glanced around for more and his ear perked up when he heard a group of three men are chatting about the bet.
A tall man pointed down at the paper, "Why don't we pick the long shot and go for this Uzumaki, Naruto?" he asked his friends.
Other average man shakes his head, "You don't usually see odds as bad as his in the Final Round. According to rumors, he got in by sheer accident."
A short man narrowed his eyes at the paper, "I see… hey there's this pink-hair girl, her opponent is Hyuuga, Neji." He said in surprised.
"Hyuuga of the Byakugan?" the tall man asked in shocked and looked at the paper one more time.
An average man whistle, "Well, I would say that safe choice is the survivor of the Uchiha or Hyuuga of the Byakugan." He said in excited to see the battle tomorrow.
The tall man chuckled, "Hmm, this girl looked weak. I don't think she'll stand a chance against him!" his friends laughed along with him.
Kotetsu twitched in anger, "Cripes…they playing the stupid bet…and underestimated our adorable student!" he growled in annoyed.
"Ignore them." Izumo grumbled as he doesn't like to hear anyone make fun of his favorite student.
~Team Ten~
Sakura and Shikamaru blinked at Choji. Sakura raised her eyebrows, "Fourth Hokage's Legacy?" she never heard of that before. Choji nodded his head.
Shikamaru pushed his hands into his pockets, "And Guy-sensei explained to Naruto about that?" he wasn't sure if Guy should be taken serious or not.
"Come on, if we get this then you both can use it for the Final Exam!" Choji said with excited. Sakura tilted her head, "Well, I'm curious about this." She glanced at Shikamaru with sparkle eyes.
The lazy-ass noticed this and groaned, "Of course…" he grumbled. He recognized that look from Sakura, she'll go and see and nothing can stop her. He sighed, "Let's check this troublesome out." He mumbled.
"Perfect! Where did you say this place is?" Sakura asked Choji.
"Honey Honey Ground." Choji answered.
~Honey Honey Ground~
When the Team Saki-Shika-Cho arrived at the place. They stared up at the large fence and Sakura noticed that the fence is electric. "Hmm, I wonder how are we going to get in?" Sakura thought out loud in wondering.
Shikamaru is thinking about any possibilities while Choji looked around and caught the hole through the fence. "Hey!" he pointed at it which caught his two teammates attention.
"Was that there on purpose?" Sakura whispered to Shikamaru in curious as they followed Choji. Shikamaru narrowed his eyes, "I don't know…" he mumbled.
As they climbed through the hole and decided to wait for Naruto to come. Shikamaru and Choji are sitting on the rock while Sakura stands on the different rock while observed the place around her.
They have waited for about twenty minutes when they felt the familiar chakras. Sakura turned her head just as in time that she witnesses Naruto jumped on the electric fence and got fried. Sakura sweatdropped at his naïve mind, 'Oh Naruto-kun…' she thought in concerned.
"Naruto-kun, are you alright?" Sakura called out to him in concerned.
Naruto and Ino looked over and saw them in the other side of the fence. "Eh?! How did you get there?!" he pointed at the Team Ten in shocked.
Sakura smiles as she pointed at the hole. Naruto and Ino glanced at each other and climbed through the hole to the other side.
Ino dust off her clothes and placed her hands on her hips, "There's no way we'll let Team Ten monopolize the Fourth Hokage's legacy!" she glared at Sakura in challenging.
Sakura surrendered her hands in amused, "Whoa, we're here because we're curious about it Ino-chan." She said with a smile.
The blonde-hair girl narrowed her eyes, "Well, this is a competition between us, Team Seven or team Ten!" she declared the challenge to Sakura since now that she is her real rival to everything.
"If we're talking secret techniques to assure victory in the Chunin Exam, then Sakura and Shikamaru should get it." Choji step in after he swallowed his chips.
Shikamaru frown, "Oi, oi…" he attempted to calm everyone down but fail.
"Alright!" Naruto shouted out in determined, "We ain't gonna lose to Team Ten! Let's go Ino!" as certain shadow-user sighed with defeat shoulders. 'Troublesome.' He supposed to be sleeping or cloud-watching but it seems that won't be happening anytime soon.
"Welcome, my young challengers!" a very familiar voice called out that caught everyone attention. Smoke appeared as an old man came out.
Naruto blinked, "Huh?" he looked at the old man in confused while other Genins stared at the horrible disguise old man, 'Guy-sensei?!' All Genins thought in shocked except Naruto.
Guy grinned, "Hai…I am the sage who oversee Honegami Grounds." He introduced himself to the oblivious Genin and other skeptical Genins.
Naruto eyes wide in sparkle with awes, "Wow! An old sage?!"
'Who would fall for that?! His wig is lopsided!' other Genins thought in disbelieved while Sakura covered her mouth attempted to hold in her laughter. It was kind of amusing for Sakura actually.
Guy cleared his throat, "Honegami Grounds is a sealed, forbidden practice site. If you can get through it faster than the Fourth Hokage's record time, you will obtain the ultimate secret." He explained.
Sakura tilted her head, "Wait, so we have to beat the Fourth Hokage record time?" she doesn't think anyone can beat the famous Yellow Flash speed. Because it's Yellow Flash.
Ino dropped her shoulders, "That's asking too much." She frowned.
"Say, old sage. Isn't there an easy way to do this?!" Naruto jumped up front of the old sage in excitement.
Guy comb his fake long beard, "Hmm, this is more difficult than an S-Rank mission. You must be willing to risk your life for this, or it will be impossible…" he purposely (and horribly) dropped the scroll while Sakura watch the scene in amused, "Damn it! What is the doing there?! That's the Tiger Scroll which contains hints to get through this practice site!" Guy said in dramatic.
"And its mine!" Naruto went to grab it but froze.
"Shadow Possession Jutsu!" Shikamaru trapped Naruto with his shadow.
Choji grabbed the Tiger Scroll and run off along with Sakura. Shikamaru let his shadow go and run after his teammates. Naruto and Ino blinked, they looked at each other and run after Team Ten.
~Meanwhile~
Asuma sighed out loud as he leaned on the wall. He has been searching for the First Mask and there's never a clue about it. Even the photos that Nama gave him is not helping him at all.
"Asuma?" he looked up and saw his girlfriend, "Kurenai." Asuma nod his head at her.
Kurenai tilted her head, "Are you alright?" she asked him in concerned. Asuma nodded his head and Kurenai narrowed her eyes, "Are you sure?" she asked again.
"Hai, just tired." Asuma rubbed the back of his neck, "Tomorrow's Chunin Final Exam…" he said with small worried.
Kurenai smirked, "If you are worried about Sakura, don't worry. She's really a good student. Very motivated." She said with fond tone.
"I see that she has soften you." Asuma chuckled. He is aware that Sakura has ability to make people cares about her and easily soften up with her.
Red-eyes woman shakes her head, "A girl like her is strong but will have tough time once she goes through hard missions…" Kurenai said.
"Yeah…but as long as she has Shikamaru and Choji with her. She'll be fine." Asuma said with a grinned on his face. Kurenai smiles at him and nodded her head agreed with her boyfriend. "I wonder how are they doing now?" Asuma thought out loud in curious what his students are doing…
~Team Ten~
Right now, Shikamaru is looking at the scroll, "The first hurdle should come into sight soon." He said to his teammates. Sakura looked up and saw large white cobweb, "This is the first hurdle?" she asked Shikamaru in curious.
"I think they underestimated us." Choji said after he saw the cobwebs.
Team Ten caught the familiar chakras running toward them. They turned around and saw Naruto in annoyed expression, "Why you!"
Ino narrowed her eyes, "Let's go Naruto-baka!" Ino run past the Team Ten along with Naruto onto the cobwebs. Choji quickly followed the and Sakura blinked then shrugged her shoulders. She walked on the spider webs calmly.
Just as Shikamaru is about to follow but halt his step when he saw a word craved onto the stone wall. "Wait!" he noticed something odd about the name.
"I'm not gonna wait!" Ino snapped.
Sakura sighed but her feet got stuck, "Eh?" she looked down in confused.
"I can't walk!"
"I don't like this!"
"Shikamaru-kun, what's going on?"
Shikamaru duct off the dirt from the stone wall, "Giant Spider Tightrope?" he read the sign name out loud and Sakura pales while Ino freaked out.
A black with red lines giant spider is crawling out of the hole. 'Oh kami…' Sakura eyes wide in fear at the horrified spider coming to them.
"Yikes! It's coming this way!"
"No shit captain obvious!"
"Yeah…but I can't move!"
Naruto takes out his kunai knife, "Like I let it get my way!"
Sakura noticed the reflection from Naruto's kunai knife and pales even more when she saw a giant spider coming toward them. "Naruto-kun! Please put your kunai away!" she begged him.
"Nani?! I can't do that!" Naruto shouted back in disbelieved and Sakura let waterfall tears coming down.
Shikamaru snapped, "Do as she say Naruto! Put it away! If you don't want to end up as food!" he glared at Naruto. Naruto clicked his tongue and put away his weapon. The spider stopped and looked around in oblivious.
The pink-hair girl sighed in relief.
"Huh?" Naruto doesn't get it.
Ino blinked, "It's as though he lost sight of us." She thought out loud in curious.
"What's going on?"
Shikamaru read the scroll out loud, "The Tiger Scroll says, 'Close the blade, calm the heart'."
Naruto looked at Shikamaru, "What does it mean?"
Shikamaru looked up, "The tremors on the wen alert the spider that prey has been caught. By remaining still, we fooled the spider into thinking that it was just a fallen leaf." He explained.
Choji frowned, "But my legs are tangled in the webm and I can't move."
"We can't escape like this." Ino said.
Shikamaru sighed, "Just listen, there are two distinct kinds of spider silk. The weft thread is sticky and used for capturing prey, and the non-sticky warp thread is used for crossing." Sakura understood and she speak up, "I see, if we move along the warp thread, we won't get stuck." she nodded her head.
"Which means this one is okay…" Choji lifted his foot and walked on the warp thread. Sakura sighed in relief as she walked on the warp thread as well.
Naruto jumped over the warp-thread carelessly toward the spider. Shikamaru twitched, "You baka! What are you doing?!"
Naruto stand face to face the spider, "We've gotta take care of this thing in case it attackes before we've completely crossed the web." He used his Shadow Clone jutsu to attacked the spider. The spider flew back onto the wall and disappeared in smokes.
Sakura blinked in surprised, "A summoning? Someone summoned a giant spider?" she, Ino and Choji are standing on the other side away from cobwebs.
Naruto released his jutsu and fell on the web as he is stuck. "Ah?!" Shikamaru rolled his eyes and went to helped Naruto and pulled him out, "Oi, watch out for the weft thread." He shakes his head.
"Phew, you saved me." Naruto said with relief.
When two walked the other side where everyone is waiting. The Genins gathered around as Shikamaru opened the tiger scroll, "It looks like this Tiger Scroll has hints on how to get through, the hurdles of the test grounds." Sakura explained.
"What's it say?" Naruto asked.
"Hmm… 'Close the blade, calm the heart'. 'Offer a wild chrysanthemum'. 'Be extremely nimble, show determination'. 'Go beyond hatred'. 'For the one who approaches, the path will not open'. 'The location of infinity, to the one anointed'." Shikamaru read out loud.
Naruto blinked owlishly while everyone thinking in silently.
.
.
.
"Huh?" Naruto shown his dumb face as other sweatdropped.
Choji shakes his head, "What so they mean?" he asked his teammates.
"A poem, maybe?" Sakura speak up, "But first two lines were hints on crossing the web." She said with slight shivered when she remembered that giant spider. Yikes.
Ino furrowed her eyebrows, "But the rest…"
"That giant spider was summoned. Meaning it was an intentional trap." Shikamaru explained.
Naruto frown, "Then there are more traps from here on too?"
"Probably." Shikamaru shrugged his shoulders.
"Ah man! What a pain!" Naruto ruffled his hair in annoyed while Shikamaru glared at him.
"You should talk! Jeez…" Sakura just giggles.
Naruto turned around and run off, "It's useless to stay here and think about it!" Ino followed her teammate leaving the Team Ten watching them. Sakura grinned, "He's really in high energy, ne?" Sakura said to her teammates.
The lazy-ass sighed, "There he goes again."
"Oh come on Pineapple-kun, it's going to be fun!" Sakura grabbed Shikamaru as they both followed behind Choji who is munching his snacks.
~Meanwhile~
"Hold on, are you telling me that Sakura is trained by four sensei?" Asuma blinked at Kurenai in surprised.
Kurenai sipped her tea, "Of course, didn't you know?" she asked him in curious.
"Well, I know that Sakura is trained by you, Izumo, and Kotetsu." Asuma leaned back with his arms crossed, "Who's the fourth one?"
Black-hair beauty shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know really. All she said that she's learning how to separate the chakras elements using her weapons." She explained.
Asuma whistled in impressed, "Really? Sounds like she has improve quite a bit stronger." He grinned wide, he can't wait to see his student's strength.
"Hai…I believe she'll be one of the best Kunoichi this village has ever seen." Kurenai said with a mysterious smile.
~Back to Genins~
Sakura is walking along side with Shikamaru, "Naruto-kun, why did you dash out to confront that giant spider?" she asked him.
"Hehe…because, we'll beat the Fourth Hokage's record time and find this legacy!" Naruto replied with a big grinned on his face. Ino rolled her eyes and Sakura noticed her lazy-ass teammate stopped while looking up.
"Shikamaru-kun?" Sakura tilted her head in confused. Shikamaru looked at her, "The next hurdle should be right up here. You guys go first." He let them know.
"What are you gonna do?" Sakura asked him interested.
Shikamaru smirked, "I have something I have to do. Just go ahead of me." He nod his teammates. Sakura frown but nodded her head understand and walked ahead of him with others.
When Sakura, Ino, and Choji arrived the place. The pink-hair noticed other absent presence, "Let me guess, Naruto follow Shikamaru-kun." She said to Ino with amused eyes.
"Yep." Ino shamelessly answered.
"Of course." Sakura smiled.
While they are waiting, Sakura has been reading the Tiger Scroll with interested. 'Hmm…maybe a riddle for the locations?' she thought in curious.
Sakura glanced up and saw two familiar figures walking toward them, "Hey, what happened?"
Shikamaru just shrugged his shoulders, "Just a small distraction. So, what's the next hurdle?" he asked his pink-hair teammate.
Sakura pointed at the pole, "Well…the tag's come off." She tried to explain further but Naruto dash toward the cave interrupted Sakura, "We don't have time! Let's go!" he shouted.
"Wait Naruto!" Ino followed her determined teammate.
The pink-hair girl sweatdropped, "We still haven't deciphered the Tiger Scroll."
Shikamaru remembered, "Offer a wild chrysanthemum…" he mumbled while Choji walked into the cave.
In the Cave...
Naruto looked around happily, "We're at the next hurdle!"
Choji noticed something on the wall so he went to investigate, "What is this?" he examined the red button on the wall. Ino checked it out as well, "It says, 'retire button'." Ino read out loud.
Shikamaru frown when Naruto walked forward, "Come back!" Naruto ignored the lazy-ass's warning, "Don't go forward recklessly!" Shikamaru snapped in annoyed.
Then suddenly the pink gas came out and Ino sniffed, "What is this?" then she fainted. Sakura gasps, "it's sleeping gas!" Sakura picked Ino up, "Don't breathe, Naruto-kun!"
Shikamaru looked up, "Climbed to the ceiling!" he grabbed Ino from Sakura and all Genins jumped up and hold the hanging chains from the ceiling.
"A-are we locked in?" Choji asked his friends nervously.
Sakura looked around at the bottom, "There should be a way to stop this smoke…"
"Oh!" Naruto noticed something, "Up here, it looks like a flower!"
Two smart-brains realized something and Sakura looked certain shadow-user, "Shikamaru-kun!"
Shikamaru nodded his head, "I know! Choji!" Choji looked at his best friend in curious, "Use your Human Boulder and blow this smoke outta here! Then search that hold under the floor!"
"Gotcha!" Choji transformed into a large ball and rolled straight down as the pink gas flew away. His body hit the hole and he attempted to move his feet to feel anything. As he felt it, he looked up, "There's a switch!"
"Okay, press it!" Shikamaru said.
Choji pressed the button and the vent opened and swallowed the gas in. Sakura smiles, "Thank kami!"
The rest jumped down from the ceiling and saw the entrance opened. Just in time that Ino opened her eyes and walked next to Shikamaru tired. "You fine?" Shikamaru asked Ino who nodded her head.
Genins walked out of the entrance and Naruto peek over and saw a large river. "Hey it's a river! Okay, this way! Just follow me!" Naruto shouted out happily and excited.
"Oi!" Shikamaru grabbed Naruto's collar from the back in annoyed, "Start studying a little." He grumbled.
Naruto glared at the lazy-ass, "What are you doing?"
"First, the Tiger Scroll. We can't afford any more mistakes." Shikamaru said as he opened the scroll, "These poem-like phrases contain hints on how to get through the hurdles." He explained.
Naruto hummed and Shikamaru sighed, "Let's figure out countermeasures before we find ourselves in a bind." He said.
Ino stared at her idiot teammate in annoyed, "Cripes, you're always jumping the gun and putting everyone in danger, Naruto-baka!" she snapped as she hit Naruto's head.
"Now, now… Naruto-kun couldn't help it…" Sakura attempted to calm Ino down.
"Sakura-chan!" Naruto cries at his wonderful and kindness pink-hair friend. Shikamaru rolled his eyes and walked away with other following him. Choji looked at Shikamaru, "Shikamaru, what's written next?" he asked.
Shikamaru read the Tiger Scroll, "Be extremely nimble, show determination." He said as all stopped at the end of the stairs. Naruto looked at the wooden board next to them, "Nimble, heh?" he runs straight to the wood board and jumped on it.
"Naruto! What are you doing?!" Ino asked him in shocked.
Naruto glanced up, "Nimbly showing determination!" suddenly, the wooden board shifted and Ino twitched in irritated.
"Baka Naruto!" Ino snapped at him.
"We have no choice! Let's go!" Shikamaru commanded as everyone followed him to the wooden board. As everyone jumped onto the wooden board one by one and Sakura being the last jumped on it as the wooden board wobbled which makes Sakura fell into Shikamaru's arms.
Shikamaru blushes while Sakura blinked but smiled up at him, "Thanks." Shikamaru coughed as he nodded his head and helped his pink-hair teammate to stand properly.
Ino grabbed Naruto's collar in pissed off, "Weren't you listening earlier?!" she growled at him.
"Well, I'm just following the Tiger Scroll…" Naruto replied in sheepishly.
Choji frowned, "Do you feel the current picking up?" he asked his friends in confused.
Sakura pales, "I-it is because of that?" she pointed the waterfall as other stared at it in fear.
"We'll crash into the rocks!" Ino squealed in panicked.
Shikamaru placed his hand on his chin, "Even if you miss the rocks, we'll fall under the waterfall." He explained calmly.
Ino twitched in disbelief, "Why are you talking like an observer?!" she snapped at him.
Shikamaru raised his eyebrows, "Huh? I'm just making a calm assessment!" he defended himself.
Sakura just sighed while Naruto noticed something, "What's that? That rock looks like a miniature version of the Hidden Leaf Villages Great Stone Faces." Naruto said.
"Nani?"
Sakura frowned, "Show determination, huh…" she thought out loud.
Naruto stood up, "I have the determination! I'm going to get that Fourth Hokage legacy!" he jumped over to the right side.
"Baka! How many times do I have to-" Shikamaru interrupted Ino's lecture, "No wait! This time Naruto is right! Jump to the right!" Shikamaru said.
Everyone jumped to the right side of the waterfall as the wooden board crashed onto the rock. Naruto hit the bottom, Sakura hit on top of Naruto, Choji hit top of Sakura, Ino hit top of Choji, and lastly, Shikamaru stands on top of Ino calmly with his arm crossed.
"I see…" he blinked, "It was set up like this beneath the waterfall. A rainbow forms on the left side with the water spray, but not on the right side. If we had chosen the left side, we'd have been eliminated." Shikamaru thought out loud in explanation mode.
Sakura gasped, "Shikamaru-kun! Please! Get off!" she pleaded.
Naruto gasped as well, "You all three are pretty heavy!" as all three felt insulted and glared at Naruto.
"Nani?!"
Shikamaru sighed out loud, "Troublesome… you don't have a shred of delicacy…"
Naruto blinked as a question mark popped above his head, "Huh?"
The Last Hurdle…
"Alright! We're at the final hurdle!" Naruto jumped around excited.
Sakura looked over Shikamaru as he opened the Tiger Scroll, "Go beyond hatred'. 'For the one who approaches, the path will not open'." He read out loud.
Sakura tilted her head, "Maybe it means the path won't open if you have a falling out with comrades?" she thought out loud in her opinion.
"Shikamaru!"
Shikamaru looked at Naruto who showing him his sparkle happy face. "Let's work together to get through to find the Fourth Hokage Legacy!"
The lazy-ass stared at Naruto then he sighed, he closed the Tiger Scroll and give it to Naruto, "Here, I'm returning it to you." He said and Naruto grabbed it with a smile.
Everyone walked down the hill toward the large building. When they walked inside, there were many, thousands of scrolls inside.
"Wow!"
Sakura looked around as Ino speak up, "Does all these scrolls have secret techniques written inside?" Ino asked.
"I don't know." Shikamaru replied while observed the large library.
Sakura crossed her arms, "We have to find the real secret among these?" she couldn't believe it.
"And the clock's gonna be ticking while we do this, troublesome."
Naruto walked up with full motivation, "There's no mistake! Fourth Hokage's Legacy is here somewhere! Let's open every one of them!"
"Stop!" Shikamaru frowned at Naruto, "Look at the size of this scared place. Who knows what kind of trap has been laid. Besides, the scrolls have been all probably fake." He said.
"Fake?" Naruto looked at Shikamaru.
Sakura agreed, "Hai, it's possible. It'll take days to check this volume of scrolls. So, there has to be a way…because there's no way we'll break the Fourth Hokage Legacy."
"A way?" Naruto asked in confused and Ino glared at Naruto, "Use your head! Baka! Naruto!"
Naruto sulked as he continued to hear it, "Baka…baka…baka…baka…baka…baka!"
"Give me a break. Stop saying that already." Naruto sulked even more when he kept hearing his teammate calling him.
Ino blinked, "it's not me."
Naruto looked up, "Nani?"
A blue parrot appeared above the Genins flying, "Baka! Baka! Naruto!"
Naruto's vein popped out in annoyed, "Stupid parrot! You have no right to call me stupid!" he pointed at the bird.
"Stupid Naruto! Stupid Naruto!" the parrot sings happily.
Naruto pissed off, "Quit saying stupid, stupid!"
"Stupid Naruto! Stupid! Stupid!"
Naruto rolled up his sleeve, "Why you!?"
Other Genins sweatdropped when they watched Naruto and the parrot arguing at each other. Until they felt the water blending in. "Water?" Shikamaru snapped out of it as he looked down.
"Shikamaru-kun!" Sakura warned her lazy-ass teammate as the wave of water splashes over them and they all flew around in the water. 'This is not ordinary water! It drained all the chakras!' Sakura thought in baffled. All of the suddenly, the water disappeared.
Ino groaned as she squeeze her hair to get rid of water and Naruto shakes his hair. Shikamaru its up as he sighed, "We're saved…" he glanced at Sakura who fixes her Leafe Headband as he nodded himself in satisfied that she's safe as well, "Was this planned too?" he mumbled.
Choji slide down the pole and stood up as grabbed his snack from his pouch, "I'm starving." He opened his food.
"Food!" the parrot snatched the food from Choji and flew.
"Hey! My food!" Choji cried out as he run after his food.
Shikamaru saw the parrot sits on the lod and shift. "Oi Naruto! Get close to that parrot!" he got an idea.
Naruto grinned, "I get it. This is my chance to catch that revolting parrot!"
"No! Smile a little! Be friendly as you approach!" Shikamaru explained.
Naruto twitched and stared at the parrot. He attempted to lift his lip to make a friendly smile.
"Smile!" Ino shouted at her teammate to courage him.
"Be natural!" Choji courage Naruto as well.
Naruto's smiles turned in very creepy way that made Ino pale at that, "His smile is creepy."
"Easy to you to say!" Naruto snapped as he wants to choke the life out of the parrot.
"Just think happy thought." Sakura speak up.
"Sakura-chan?" Naruto looked at his pink-hair friend.
Sakura smiles, "Shikamaru-kun must have something planned. Go for it Naruto-kun."
"If you say so Sakura-chan!" Naruto took a breath and looked up at the parrot. He smiles wide in creepily and walked toward the bird as he steps on the button. The entrance opened.
"So, the path will not open if you keep chasing the parrot, huh?" Sakura said in amused smiles.
Rooftop of the Tower…
The Genins arrived at the top tower and saw a green scroll on the table. Naruto run toward it, "Here it is!"
Shikamaru opened the Tiger Scroll, "The location of infinity to the one anointed." He read the last lines.
"Does that mean the scroll contains everything." Naruto asked the genius Genin.
Shikamaru nodded his head, "Yeah…although there could be some unthinkable trap."
"I believe in that Tiger Scroll! Old sage left it to us!" Naruto picked up the green scroll and they all wait for any horrible trap but nothing of it. Naruto opened the scroll in curious and then the old sage appeared.
Shikamaru blinked, "Guy-sensei?"
Sakura glopped on Shikamaru, "Why are you…"
Choji glopped on Sakura, "Here?"
Naruto blinked, "Huh? What are you talking about? Where bushy brow-sensei?" he looked around, he shrugged his shoulders and looked up at the old sage.
"Old Sage, did we break the Fourth Hokage's record? Did we make it time? Did we?" he asked in hope.
Guy stared at hopeful expression on Naruto's face then he gave him a thumbs up, "You shattered the Fourth Hokage's record! Now to learn the ultimate secret, read two lines from the scroll!" he turned around and run off.
Shikamaru sweatdropped, "It was obvious."
Sakura giggles.
Naruto thought about it, "Blade…heart…"
Sakura smiles, "Blade in the heart means Ninja." She happily explained.
Naruto opened the green scroll as everyone gathered around, "There is no shortcut to what is essential in a ninja."
"Huh?" everyone gapped while Sakura giggles.
Shikamaru sighed out loud, "All this for nothing?"
Sakura grinned, "But…it was sort of fun, ne?"
After that, the Genins left the building and Ino dropped her shoulders in disappointed. "Well, that was disappointing…"
Choji agreed, "Yeah."
"But haven't you noticed something? In the beginning, we can only think about 'winning'." Shikamaru said.
Sakura agreed with Shikamaru, "Hai…now we only want Konoha ninja to win."
"Yeah…" Ino smiles as she placed her hands on her hips.
Naruto looked up, "I get it! There's no shortcut to ninja road. So, we have to take a long journey instead!" he run downstairs, "Shikamaru! Sakura-chan! Ino! Choji! Let's do it again!"
"NANI?!"
Sakura burst out in laughing as Shikamaru groaned, "What a pain in the ass."
~Meanwhile~
Kurenai, Asuma, Kakashi and Genma are all staring at Guy who forgot to take off the bald cap. "Umm…Guy, why are you wearing a bald cap?" Asuma asked Guy in confused.
Guy grinned, "Oh those Genins are so youthful! They have the best determination and beat the Fourth Hokage's record time!" he cheered for the Genins.
"Wait, you send Genins to the Honegami Ground?" Genma asked Guy in baffled.
Guy nodded his head with a wink. "HAI! THOSE GENINS ARE SO YOUTHFUL! THIS KONOHA IS SO LUCKY TO HAVE SUCH WONDERFUL GENINS!"
Asuma chuckled, "Who did you send poor Genins to?" he put his cigarette in his mouth.
"OH MY RIVAL KAKASHI'S STUDENTS, NARUTO AND INO!"
Kakashi looked up from his book, "Ah…they can handle themselves." He went back to his reading.
"AND YOUR STUDENTS ASUMA! ALL THREE OF THEM ARE SO YOUTHFULLY WONDERFUL!"
Asuma gap, "What?! You send my students to Honegami Grounds?" he paled at the thought of anything might happened to his students.
"Relax Asuma, I'm sure your students are fine." Kurenai said in amused.
Asuma groaned as he dropped his head, 'Please don't die…I really don't want to be in death by Head of Clans and Sakura's parents…'