"Nice job talking that guy in to just giving us the scroll," Yasuo said, flipping the Earth Scroll in his hand before slipping it in to the pouch on his hip.

Kaemon shrugged like it was no big deal. To him, it wasn't. His bloodline limit took a lot of effort to use and tired him out afterward, but it was great at times like this. "My Onsei isn't that different from your Joukei. Actually your Joukei would have been nice and handy if you had told me that his teammate was going to come up behind me as soon as I sat down." He leaned against the trunk of the tree we were in, slowly regaining his energy.

"Hey! Ran saved your ass!" the blonde exclaimed as he rolled on to his stomach, looking at Kaemon from his upside-down position from the branch above him.

"Hey idiots, shut up," I quipped from a couple branches higher. Kohei was scouting from a tree nearby, making sure that nothing was headed our way. I also had my demon senses on full alert. With Kaemon exhausted and the largest of our little group, it wasn't safe for us to move. So, we were hidden in a tree a couple hundred meters above ground.

A cry from Kohei put me on high alert. My eyes switched from brown to a molten gold as I let more demon power out to improve my vision to find what he had spotted.

"What's up?" Kaemon asked, opening his eyes slowly.

"It's Pinkie," I answered looking down in to the clearing that was right below us. "It looks like Naruto and Sasuke are unconscious."

We should check on her.

Sure that's a good idea?

It gives her four more sets of eyes and I can help heal if need be. Kaemon-san should be able to rest more comfortably down there too.

"Let's go guys," I said, dropping down to Kaemon's branch to help him move. A whistle sent Kohei circling down in to the clearing to keep an eye out and give Sakura an idea that we were coming, that it wasn't an enemy.

That didn't stop her from drawing a kunai as we slowly approached, Kaemon's arms slung over my and Yasuo's shoulders. "Hey Pinkie! Long time no see!" I called.

"Just you," she said softly. She looked exhausted and beat up. It was a few hours from dawn but you could tell she had gotten no sleep since we entered the forest almost a day ago.

"Thought we'd join you." I gave a quick smirk to the girl as Yasuo helped Kaemon sit down against a root of the tree we were under.

"Yeah." She pulled a cloth off of Sasuke's forehead, wringing it out and wetting it again with cold water from her canteen.

I sat down next to her, looking over the two boys. Sasuke looked to be in pain and he was flushed with fever. Naruto just looked fast asleep. "What happened? Poison? How long has this gone on for?" I asked, pressing too fingers to Sasuke's neck to get a pulse. He was running at over 160 beats per minute.

"He's been unconscious for a few hours now," she said with worry thickening her voice.

Most poisons act much quicker than this. Those that don't, damage the skin, leaving a hole where it enters. He also has no built up resistance to poison. If this was poison, he'd be dead already.

Rai took over, a glow coming to my hand as she swept it over Sasuke's head and over his chest.

Sakura looked a little shocked. "You know how to heal?"

"I have a friend who taught me how," I answered, telling the truth… sort of.

Source is coming from his neck? She sounded confused.

I moved so I was sitting on my knees so I could lean over the boy to look at the other side of his neck. I could feel Yasuo and Sakura watching me. Kaemon had fallen in to a light doze. I tilted the boy's head toward me, exposing the fact that he had dark marks on his neck that hadn't been there at the beginning of the test.

Rai gasped. It's a seal and not a good one.

"Where did this seal come from?" I asked, glancing at the girl beside me.

She was quiet as tears started to fall down her cheeks.

I shook my head. "Never mind. Try to catch some sleep. I'm going to try and make him a little more comfortable."

She nodded before settling against a tree root, finally allowing herself to close her eyes.

"Is there anything you can do?" Yasuo asked, keeping his voice low.

I shook my head. "Even she doesn't know how to stop it." Rai forced a glow to my hand and placed it over the seal. "She just wants to try and relieve some of his pain so, hopefully, the fever will reside a bit."

Yasuo nodded. "What do you think did it?"

"Someone had to force it upon him, that's all I know," Rai answered, keeping her voice low.

His brows furrowed and he looked toward the clearing before trying to stifle a yawn.

I smirked slightly. "Catch a nap. Kohei and I can keep a lookout." I turned my eyes back towards the healing hands and the unconscious males. "I don't need much sleep anyway."

He laughed slightly. "With the way you sleep? You would never know." He leaned back against one of the roots, sharing one with the already snoring Sakura, and closed his eyes.

You'll help me keep an eye out, right?

I don't sleep anymore unless you are, so don't worry about it. I felt a release of chakra from my body, knowing Rai was spreading it very thin in a large circle around us. With Rai here below and Kohei up above, we couldn't be snuck up on.

Sakura woke as the sun rose, looking much more awake with a couple hours asleep. Yasuo and Kaemon stirred when she drew a kunai on a poor squirrel that was coming from the other side of the clearing.

"Squirrel?" I asked. "Where did you come from?"

From up above, Kohei clicked his beak in warning. Someone was just beyond Rai's veil of chakra.

The rodent started running toward us. Sakura threw her kunai towards it, making it stop in its tracks and turn tail, running back toward the people hiding in the bush. I glanced at the girl, realizing that there was a trap set that we hadn't noticed in the dark. The glow faded from my hand and I shifted back, balanced on the balls of my feet, ready to leap in to action if need be.

"Up all night?" a voice rang through the clearing as the three sound nin from earlier appeared from the brush.

Sakura startled and gasped as she noticed their approach.

The one with the fur rug attached to his back tilted his head slightly to the side. "But it's no longer necessary. Wake up Sasuke-kun. We want to fight him."

I looked to Sakura to see her shaking as she reached in to her kunai pouch. "Wha- What are you talking about?!" she yelled at the enemy nin. "I know that someone named Orochimaru is pulling the strings from the shadows! What's his purpose?!"

This seemed to shock the sound ninja and the name clicked in my mind. Orochimaru? What is he doing here? Did he do this to Sasuke?

Do you know him?

Sadly. I've worked with a friend of his.

"What is this weird mark on Sasuke's neck?! You guys did this to him and now you want to fight him?!" she continued.

"I wonder what that man is thinking…" Rug-man mused.

I rested a hand over Sakura's, hoping to give her some reassurance as I stood. "Are you saying you guys had nothing to do with this?" I asked, my voice deadly soft as my eyes shifted from brown to gold.

Rug-man shook his head. "No, we didn't."

The other male in the group spoke up now. "But hearing that, we can't let you go. I'll kill this girl, and I'll also kill this Sasuke guy."

Both Sakura and I stiffened and readied ourselves to defend the boys. I could hear Yasuo and Kaemon slowly waking with all the chatter.

One of the male sound ninjas stepped forward.

"Wait, Zaku," Rug-man said.

I glanced toward Pinkie. He noticed her trap as well.

Rug-man bent down, pulling at the grass that had been placed over the booby trap. "You're not very good. A recently overturned stone, different colored dirt, grass doesn't grow here." He looked up at Sakura. "A booby-trap is pointless unless it goes unnoticed."

The now-named Zaku scoffed. "Stupid. So the kunai was to prevent the squirrel from setting off the trap."

Rug-man stood up straight, looking back at his comrades. "Since we have no use for the girls, kill them."

I stood up, drawing a kunai for each hand, putting myself in front of Pinkie. As the three sound leapt in to action and I prepared to defend those behind me, a few things happened. Yasuo leapt to join me in front of Sakura and she reached behind her with the kunai and cut a string that hadn't been noticed before.

Yasuo and I stopped in our tracks as a gigantic log fell from the canopies, heading straight for the airborne sound ninja.

"Giant log?" the female sound asked, as if it wasn't obvious.

Rug-man's eyes widened exponentially. "Another trap move? Oh no!"

My eyes narrowed slightly at that.

You heard it too? He's not that worried about it.

What does he have up his sleeve?

The tree made its final swing towards the sound when Rug-man placed the hand that had the resonator on the bark. "Yeah, right." A simple hand symbol and the log seemed to explode. Bark and bits of tree rained down on our group, finally pushing Kaemon to get to his feet and stand with Yasuo and me.

Sakura looked up at the failed trap, shocked. "Huh?"

"Frankly speaking," Rug-man said as his group fell towards us, "you have no talent. People like you have to work harder. A weakling like you shouldn't mess with guys like us."

A green blur came from the trees barreling towards the sound ninja. A cry of "Leaf Whirlwind!" sounded through the clearing as the blur attacked the foreign ninja, sending them hard in to the ground. Rock Lee landed alongside my teammates, standing right in front of Sakura in his trademark stance. "Then you guys should also work harder."

Rug-man dragged himself to his feet, a harsh glare focused on the leaf genin. "Who are you?"

Lee stood up straighter. "The beautiful green beast of the Hidden Leaf, Rock Lee!"

Sakura looked up at the male, confused. "Why are you here?" She couldn't understand why the petal team and other leaf teams would want to protect her and her team when everyone was supposed to be against each other.

Lee gave her a smile while keeping his attention on the enemies in front of us. "I will always appear when you are in trouble."

The sound nin finished picking themselves out of the dirt and Rug-man cracked his neck, readying himself for the battle to come. I rested an elbow on Lee's shoulder, looking out at who we were about to face. "Kaemon, stay with Pinkie. Yasuo, watch over the boys. Lee and I won't let them pass, but don't let them near Team 7," I ordered, flipping a kunai between my fingers, ready to actually do some fighting.

"Thank you, for saving me," Sakura said softly.

"I said it before," Lee started. We all looked at him, waiting for him to finish. "That I will protect you until I die."

I grinned at the boy. "That's how you win 'em! Ready to go smush some bugs?" I asked cracking my knuckles while glaring back at the sound ninja.

"With pleasure, Ran-chan," Lee answered.

Rug-man took their scroll and handed it back to Zaku. "Oh well, Zaku, you can have Sasuke-kun." He bent forward and rushed towards us. "I'll take care of them."

"Cocky son-of-a-bitch, aren't you?" I asked, smirking. "You think you can take on both of us?"

"I don't think, I know."

"Hah!" I met Lee's eye for a moment, before diving forward to slash at the nin's feet. He easily dodged.

"Was that supposed to hit me?" Rug-man looked back at me.

I grinned again. "Nope!"

He looked forward again to meet Lee pulling an entire root system out of the ground to block the potential for a sonic attack, surprising the sound nin greatly as he avoided the sharp roots.

"There's some trick to your attacks, right?" Lee clarified. "I'm not going to simply dodge it, since I've seen your attacks before." Sakura seemed shocked by the utter display of power the leaf nin displayed.

"At three against two, we're at the disadvantage," I said simply, walking towards the two fighting nin.

"We'll have to risk crushing you at full power." Lee's eyes hardened as he stood up straight.

I watched as he unwrapped the bandages from around his wrists.

He's using that? But he'll be open to attack!

"Hey Lee, you sure about this?" I called, not quite understanding what was going on.

"I'm sure. I have to protect my precious person." He glared at the Rug-man.

I simply nodded, Rai moving our body back a few paces away from the two boys.

Eyes all around the clearing watched in fascination as Rug-man dashed at Lee only to be nailed by a kick to the chin, throwing up in to the air. As they flew, the loosened bandages wound around the sound nin, securing Lee to his back as they plummeted towards the ground.

Now I see why you were worried.

Yeah, but what is Zaku up to?

I turned to see Zaku with his hands plummeting in to the earth as a cry from Lee rang through the clearing. I jumped slightly when the ground beneath me moved and fluffed up.

He's creating a landing pad!

"Lee! Watch out!" I cried, hurrying towards Rai's teammate. They landed in a puff of dust and Lee hopped away from the impact to collapse a few meters away.

When the dust cleared, Rug-man was seen sticking halfway out of a pile of soft dirt, his legs up in the air.

"Looks like I made it time," Zaku said, pulling his hands from the ground.

The leaf and petal nin watched in horror as Rug-man pulled himself from the ground, not looking as beaten up as he should have for such a horrific attack.

"No way!" the boys cried.

"What a terrifying move." He rotated his shoulders to regain feeling from the impact. "This much damage even on a sponge of dirt." He extended his right arm, pulling up the sleeve, and revealing a metal cylinder with holes cut in it. "Now, it's my turn."

I wasn't about to let Rug-man attack a boy who couldn't move. I called to the demon power, allowing me to put myself between Lee and the sound nin. "And now, you're facing me." Gold eyes burned in to Rug-man's one exposed eye. "Think you can take me on?"

His response was swinging his right arm at me, forcing me to duck and flip backwards. A sharp piercing sound ran through the eardrum of my left ear. What the hell?

I warned you in the classroom! It's that metal thing on his arm. He's trying to destroy your inner ear! Rai's voice sounded louder than ever with the loss of outside hearing in one ear.

I touched the damaged ear, my hand coming away with blood. Great. The sound nin swung on more time at me. I did not let him complete the swing, nailing a sidekick to his chest and throwing him back towards his teammates. "You may have got me once, but you won't do it again. Enjoy that victory while you can."

"What the- You shouldn't be able to move!" Zaku cried.

I simply laughed at the boy. "You think something like that will stop me. I won't let you touch any of these kids." I looked back at Rai's teammate. "Lee, you protected her, now let me protect you." I gave him a thumbs-up, which he returned before slumping to the ground. I could feel Rai working our chakra to try and repair the damage done already.

"Let's see if you're able to stand up to this!" Rug-man swung at me again, forcing me to block his right arm with my left, landing right on the metal cylinder. It rang out even louder than last time. It shouldn't be this loud! The holes are away from me!

There is chakra in the sound! That's why the healing isn't going as well as it should! I can't heal this right now. I could hear some panic in her voice at her techniques not working.

We'll get through this. I flipped myself up and over the boy's arm, nailing a hard kick to the side of his head and throwing him off me. As soon as I was free from him, I was nailed by a blast of air from Zaku, throwing me back towards Sakura and Lee.

Where's the girl?!

I looked up, realizing for the first time that the female sound nin had disappeared from sight. That was fucking stupid, letting the enemy out of my- My thoughts were cut short from a scream behind me. I turned to find the female sound nin clutching Pinkie's hair tightly in her fist. Can't let her hurt Pinkie, I promised I'd keep her safe. I dropped my defensive stance, raising my hands to say that I wasn't going to do anything.

The female turned her attention to Sakura. "Much more luster than me, this… trying to be a sexy ninja?" she asked in a mocking tone. She twisted her fist, pulling the hair tighter and causing Sakura to cry out in pain. "If you have time to treat your hair, then train you female swine!" The sound nin looked up at her partners. "Zaku, kill that Sasuke guy in front of this boy-chaser's eyes. Let's teach this one a lesson."

Kaemon, Yasuo and I could only watch as Zaku moved forward to complete the order. We couldn't risk Pinkie's life like that. Lee watched helplessly from where he had collapsed.

I watched as Sakura gripped her kunai in both hands, a look of sheer determination on her face.

"Useless, that's not going to work on me," the female gripping Pinkie's head chuckled darkly.

The leaf kunoichi looked up at her. "What are you talking about?" Then she did something I never thought she would do. She sheared the hair off of her head, leaving a very short bob. My jaw dropped along with my teammates. Now that Sakura was free, we could move in on Zaku.

"Kin! Kill her!" Zaku cried, knowing that he had seconds before he would be taken down. But we could only watch in horrible fascination as Sakura finally proved her worth as a ninja against Kin. She managed to get around the female and threw half a dozen kunai at Zaku, only for him to simply blast them back at her. She disappeared again, appearing above him throwing more kunai. Zaku blasted them back, and thinking she had disappeared again, he looked to see where she would pop up again. But it was still her when she fell on him, stabbing a kunai in to one arm and biting down hard on the other.

"Kaemon! Yasuo!" I cried, "I have Rug-man! Get Kin!" I dove for the sound nin who seemed shocked at my nickname for him. I hooked my arm around his neck, using my weight to bring us both to the ground and pull his neck at an angle that would make it easy to snap. I looked up to see Kaemon and Yasuo each grabbing the kunoichi's arms and Yasuo pulling her head back by her hair. We could only watch as Zaku continued to pummel Sakura, while she bit in to his arm for dear life. There was nothing my team could do. The boys were struggling to hold on to Kin while I had to work to hang on to Rug-man's neck, digging my knee in to the small of his back.

Sakura was finally thrown from Zaku, falling in to a heap a few meters away. We could only watch helplessly as the sound ninja ignored the fact that his teammates could easily be taken out and approached the beaten girl. As he raised his arms to send a blast of air at the female, a rustle of bushes and Ino, Chouji, and Shikamaru appeared, blocking the sound ninja from their fellow kunoichi.

Ran-san! Get to Sasuke-kun! Something is happening!

At Rai's panicked voice, I looked over at the two knocked-out genin off to the side. A purple miasma-type substance seemed to be leaking from the side of Sasuke's neck. SHIT! I leapt up, digging my foot in to Rug-man's back and ignoring the fighting that was starting to ensue around me, and rushing towards the boys. Rai's healing chakra engulfed my hands and pressed in to the seal, trying to stop whatever was going on inside Sasuke's body.

This isn't good. I can't keep this up for long.

How long can you give me?

Depends if this stuff keeps fighting me off or not. Watch our hands.

Looking at myself instead of the boy, I noticed what she was talking about. Whatever was fighting us off was burning my hands. The healing chakra was having to be separated between my hands and the boy in pain. Even in his unconscious state, he was attacking me. What the hell is going on with this boy?

I didn't have time to question it as a sudden rush of an explosion of air that flung me away from the two unconscious boys. I wiped the dirt off my face as I slid back from the sound blast. Shit, that sound blast is annoying.

"Bah, I can't take any more of this. Some minor sound nins bullying these second rate ninjas and declaring victory," a familiar voice rang out over the clearing.

"Who the hell you calling second rate, you ass?!" I yelled back at the boy, standing up to my full height and giving Rai's team a smirk.

"You, you bitch!" TenTen hollered back, her laughter proving that she was only poking fun.

"You got that part right at least!" I yelled to the Hyuuga and the female before turning from them to face the sound trio.

"They keep coming out like cockroaches," grumbled the furry man, turning his attention to the genin above us.

Neji's gaze turned to our hurt friend that lay a few feet away from me. "You made a mistake. That hurt freak right there is from our team and…" a shock of chakra rang out as he activated his Byakugan. "You're going to pay for that!"

"Ooooh… Scary!" I giggled, pulling my shoulder-length hair in to a ponytail to keep out of the way for the fight that was about to ensue.

Neji crossed his arms. "If you're going to go any further, I'm going all out-" He cut himself off as a spark of unusual charka was noticed.

What the-

It's Sasuke! It's about to get really bad!

Rug-man laughed. "If you don't like it so much, then stop acting cool and come down here," he called up to Neji.

"No," the Hyuuga called out, surprising us all. "It seems that won't be necessary." He closed his eyes, deactivating his kekkei genkai.

"Sasuke-kun! You're awake!" Sakura's cry made me turn to look to the boy. He had even more of that miasma coming off of him as he struggled to his feet.

Fear ran through everyone as, one by one, we realized what had happened to him.

The seal… It spread…

That can't be good.

It's not.

Black flame-like marks branded his skin and his Sharingan shone brightly in the darkened forest. "Sakura," he ground out, "Who did that to you?" he asked, referring to the bruises and blood.

"Sasuke!" I cried, Rai's fear and my own mingling horribly throughout my body.

"Who did it?" he asked a second time, louder this round.

Zaku was proud of his work, crying "I did!" through the clearing.

"Guys, stay back. I'm not kidding." I glanced at my teammates with golden eyes, showing them how serious I was about this. My fingernails lengthened slightly, but not enough to draw attention to it. If you could see my back, you would see a very faded tattoo of full wings. That's how much of my demon power I was letting through.

I'll heal whatever damage we take.

We're going to need it. My demon instincts are so telling me to run away right now.

"Don't worry," Sasuke said quietly, "Not only that, I feel power overflowing from within me. I feel great." He looked away from Sakura and toward the forest. "He gave it to me."

"Huh?" Sakura was confused.

I stepped forward slowly. "Who gave it to you, Sasuke?"

He cast the merest glance in my direction. "I finally understand it. I am an avenger. Even if I must eat the Devil's fruit, I am on a path where I must gain power." All of a sudden, he glared at the sound team. "Now, it was you guys, right?"

"Shit! Ino, Shikamaru, Chouji! Get the fuck out of here! Sakura! Drag Naruto in to the roots!" I cried, afraid for the genin in the clearing. "Sound guys! If you don't want to die, get the fuck out of here, now!"

I watch Shikamaru pick up Ino and took off in to the bushes with Chouji right behind him. Sakura tried her hardest to drag the blonde boy out the way, but I could tell she wasn't going to make it.

I watched the seal spread farther across Sasuke's face, the chakra flowing from him doubling. The sound nin took a step back from the force.

"His chakra is too large!" Rug-man cried, stepping back further away from the leaf genin.

Zaku took an attack stance. "Dosu!" he cried, finally giving me Rug-man's name, "No need to be afraid of this half-dead freak!" He raised his arms to the three genin left in the clearing.

"No, Zaku!" Dosu reached for his teammate. "Don't you realize-"

He was cut off by a cry of high-pitched sound as Zaku launched his attack.

"Sakura! Naruto! Sasuke!" I screamed, pushing myself to try and get to the team. I was blasted back by the attack before I could even get close. "Shit!" I screamed, trying to fight towards them. Trees were shredded and dirt was blown in to the air, making it very hard to see what was going on. I could hear cries ring around the clearing as the attack sounded. But as quick as it had sounded, it died, leaving a path of destruction through the forest.

"I've blown him away!" Zaku cried, grinning widely. My eyes widened exponentially.

"Blown who away?"

Zaku whipped around, shocked, only to get nailed by a punch and flung across the clearing.

"Sasuke!" I cried, cautiously taking steps closer to the boy. "You're hurt. I need you to sit down so I can help," I tried, knowing deep down it wouldn't work.

This time, I didn't even get a glance from him. He just shot off some of his fire tricks after the sound ninja. Surprisingly, he even managed to hide a shuriken in each flame, revealed when Zaku tried to blast them away. He ended up pretty cut up from them. But the next thing we knew was that Sasuke was behind the sound nin, pulling his arms behind him and placing a foot solidly in the middle of his back.

"So you're so proud of these arms?" he chuckled with a twisted grin.

I knew exactly what he was going to do. "Don't do it, Sasuke!" I looked at Sakura. "Pinkie! Say something!"

She couldn't. We could only watch in horrible fascination as Sasuke broke Zaku's arms, then let him fall face first in to the dirt. He then turned toward Dosu. "You're the only one left." Slowly, Sasuke walked forward. "I hope you let me have more fun."

"Shit!" I cried, diving forward to place myself between Sasuke and the sound ninja. "You don't want to do this! If you try, I'll stop you!" I glared heatedly at the boy. His smile twisted some more and I knew he was going to go through me to get to Dosu. He took another step closer and I flew. I nailed a kick to his chin, which he returned with a straight shot to my abdomen. Shit! My solar plexus! I worked hard to get my diaphragm to work again while back flipping away, before standing on my hands and wind milling with my legs, hitting him hard in the side. I only succeeded in moving him back a couple feet from Dosu, who seemed to be in shock. I was running low on oxygen when he caught my foot then he threw me clear across the clearing in to a tree. My vision swam as I landed heavily close to where Ino, Chouji, and Shikamaru were hiding. What little air I had left whooshed out and my diaphragm was still spasming, not letting me breathe.

You need to get up!

I pushed myself up. "No…" I ground out. "No…" I repeated. I felt hands trying to help me up. Shikamaru and Chouji. "Get away from me…" I managed. The tattoo on my back was darkening. My nails were getting longer. The skin around my eyes was darkening like that sand boy, making the gold glow. I was letting my power flow. I needed to protect these kids.

I needed to.

I screamed. A cry that sounded like the hawk I represent was sent to the heavens, causing everyone to stand still.

"Oh shit!" I heard Yasuo breath.

I felt more than heard the footsteps approaching Dosu stop and start approaching me.

You made yourself a more appealing target, Rai breathed.

My lungs started working normally again with the influx of demon energy. "Come get me," I ground out. I was now faster than he was, when we were on par before. I can't hold this level for long, not without going higher. I need to finish this quick. I launched quickly towards the Uchiha, moving quick enough to knock the legs out from under him. "Pinkie! Catch!" I powerful kick to the stomach, and he landed heavily in front of Sakura.

She took my cue and wrapped her arms around the boy. Whatever she was saying quietly in his ear was working. Sasuke was calming down and the seal was receding. I took a deep breath and released the excess energy. I sagged to the ground in middle of the clearing, closing my eyes and yawning. "Nap time."

A light kick hit my shoulder. I glared up at my teammates. "What?"

Kaemon shrugged. "Was just thinking we should get to the tower before you fall asleep for the next twenty-four hours."

"Bah." I dragged myself to my feet with some help from the two boys. I took a look around the clearing. Shikamaru and Chouji were standing over Naruto, looking quite confused. Ino was helping Lee to his feet. Sakura and Sasuke were sitting by the tree. A cry rang through the clearing, causing everyone to look over at the group of three boys. Chouji had just woken up Naruto by bashing him over the head with a thick branch. I hooked an arm over each set of shoulders belonging to my teammates.

I'm so tired.

Well, you did go a little crazy today.

We made our way over the other genin groups, just in time to see TenTen drop down to help Lee and Naruto going through normal antics as he slowly caught up with the rest of us.

"Hey! It's Thick-Brow!" Naruto screamed, pointing at Lee.

I pulled my arms off of my teammates and launched a combo attack with Sakura. Her fist. My foot. "Don't be rude to Lee-san!" we both said. Shortly after, I collapsed on the ground again. "I can't go on!" I groaned, grinning at the same time at my teammates.

"You'll make it," Yasuo laughed before picking me up and slinging me over his shoulder.

"Hey!" I pounded on his back with no effect.

"Sakura-san."

We all stopped to look at Lee.

"The leaf lotus blooms twice," he said quietly. Sakura merely looked confused. "The next time we meet, I will be a stronger man," he explained. "I promise."

She smiled at him. "Yeah."

"Hey Sakura! Over here!" Ino called. "I'll straighten your hair."

"On that note, we're leaving." Kaemon led the way towards the tower.

"Hey Ran-san!"

I looked up from Yasuo's shoulder at the pink-haired genin. "Yeah?"

"Thank you. For everything."

I grinned. "Don't mention it, kid."