"State your name and purpose," barked one of the shinobi guards.

"Kakashi Hatake," their sensei replied without missing a beat. "We're here from Konoha for the Sunagakure Chunin Exams." One of the guards nodded, moving aside so that the team could pass through.

"Welcome to the Village Hidden in the Sand."

Sakura smiled politely at the guard before following her team inside the rocky formation that surrounded Suna. So this is Sunagakure, she looked around, raising a hand to shelter her eyes from the sun. Buildings molded out of clay-lined the streets in an orderly fashion with few people buzzing out on the streets, a stark contrast to Konoha's evening rush. Colorful patterns painted on the outside of houses caught Sakura's eye, swirls of blue and pink decorating the dull stone. All the buildings here look fine, the kunoichi noticed, eyeing the sturdy structures. The only way you would know that they went through all those disasters is by the small number of people outside. Odd.

Naruto sneezed loudly beside her, rubbing his nose furiously. "There's sand everywhere!" he complained, waving away the dust surrounding them. "Why is it so hot here?!"

"What did you expect, loser," their other teammate spoke, wiping the sweat off his brow. "It's a desert."

The atmosphere certainly felt like it was boiling, waves of heat rising from the sand below them. The sun beat down harshly on the exposed village, making the genin sweat profusely and making them regret not bringing lighter clothing. Eventually, however, their sensei motioned them towards a particularly tall building near the center of town.

"Oh thank god," Sakura sighed as they burst into the cool, air-conditioned room. Naruto jumped in happiness, nearly knocking Sasuke over as he sprinted towards Kakashi.

"So when are we going to start, Sensei?" he asked, hopping up and down like a bouncy ball. "Is this the exam building?"

Kakashi chuckled through his mask, shaking his head at his student. "No, this is just the place we're staying at," he explained, guiding them towards a desk nestled in the corner of the room. "The exams don't start until tomorrow, so we have one day to rest and prepare."

At this, her blond teammate pouted, crossing his arms and mumbling under his breath. Sakura rolled her eyes, sharing a look with Sasuke before returning her gaze back to her sensei. A small head peeked out from behind the desk, greeting them all with a polite nod.

"Two rooms please," her sensei requested, holding up two fingers. The woman, who Sakura assumed was the receptionist, nodded, typing away on a compact laptop before pulling out four keys from her desk drawer. She handed each of them a key, pointing to the hallway where their rooms would be.

"Thank you," Sakura chirped, slipping her key into her weapons pouch. Kakashi nodded to the receptionist before turning his attention to his three genin.

"So where will we all be sleeping?" Naruto exclaimed, seeming to have gotten over his recent mood swing. "Can we pick our buddy?" He wiggled his eyes devilishly at Sakura, who simply ignored him.

"No," Kakashi refused. "You three have to sleep in one room, while I'll sleep in the other."

"What?! No fair!" Naruto whined, crossing his arms with a pout. "Why do you get a room all to yourself?"

Their sensei ignored his boisterous student, leading them all towards a room a little further down the hallway. "This will be your room," he spoke, pausing in front of a doorway. "My room is a couple doors down, closer to the lobby. We'll meet in two hours, at about six o'clock, and mingle with the other contestants. You all should get to know your competition first." With that, he waved at them before slipping into his own room, leaving the three of them alone in the hotel hallway.

"Ugh, it's so hot here!" Naruto complained as Sakura inserted her key in the lock. "I hate the desert!"

"Maybe you shouldn't have worn a jacket, dobe," Sasuke pointed out, leaning against the doorway as Sakura worked.

"At least I'm not wearing all black, teme!"

"I'm not the one complaining, loser."

The kunoichi gave the lock a final twist, turning the doorknob and pushing the door open. The boys fell silent as they all peeked into the room they would be staying in. The room was fairly tiny, with a single window leading outside. There was a small door at one end of the room that led to a bathroom, Sakura assumed, and a compact desk nestled in the corner across from it. What really caught the genin's attention was the single, king-sized bed.

"I call it!" Naruto cried out as he kicked off his shoes, tossed his pack on the floor, and belly-flopped onto the soft sheets.

"No!" Sakura and Sasuke called out in unison. Sakura threw her pack off her shoulders as well, pulling Naruto and his dirty sweatshirt off the clean comforter.

"Hey! Sakura-chan!"

"Sorry, Naruto," Sakura apologized, wiping any remaining grains of sand off the cool sheets, "but we shouldn't dirty up the bed before we have even used it. There's only one."

"Well then, how are we going to sleep?" Naruto pointed out, straightening his jacket. "Are we all going to...?"

The blond's question tapered off, hanging heavily over the three genin. Well, it's not like we haven't slept close to each other before. The kunoichi made eye contact with her other two teammates, who both remained in awkward silence as well. They each waited for one of the other two to speak up and object, but the room remained stubbornly silent.

"Okay," Sakura chirped, breaking through the awkward tension. "I guess that's settled then. We'll all just have to share the bed." Sasuke and Naruto both replied with a nod, moving to unpack their bags and settle into the cramped hotel room.

The genin each took turns changing in the bathroom into lighter, more comfortable clothes and tossed their sweaty ones into a laundry hamper they found in a closet in the bathroom. The kunoichi pulled out a pair of baby pink shorts and a flowy black t-shirt to change into from her pack. Once she was finished settling in, she flopped onto the bed beside Naruto, who had already changed and freshened up.

"What time did Kakashi-sensei say he was coming?" Sakura asked, laying her head on the comforter and wiggling her bare toes. Her blond teammate shrugged, struggling with the zipper of his new, short-sleeved orange jacket.

"Six-o'clock," Sasuke supplied as he came out of the bathroom, throwing his old clothes in the hamper. How did he hear me? Sakura thought, rolling over to face him.

"Thin walls," the boy shrugged, reading her expression. Walking over to his teammates, Sasuke peeked at his black watch. "It's five-thirty right now."

"Ugh," Naruto groaned, flopping onto the bouncy mattress. "What are we going to do for thirty minutes?!"

"Stop complaining, dobe," Sasuke growled in irritation, crossing his arms with a stony glare.

Sticking out his tongue, the blonde picked up a pillow and flung it at the Uchiha in retaliation. The raven-haired boy dodged the projectile easily, the pillow smacking harmlessly on the wall behind him. Despite this, the Uchiha's glare only sharpened, and Sakura could practically feel his temper flaring as he picked up the pillow and hurled it back at the jinchuriki.

Oh, shoot.

Realizing she was in the line of fire, Sakura ducked, however, it was too late. The pillow smacked her face, hurtled with such force that she fell back onto the mattress. Ow, she rubbed her nose, grabbing the pillow with a clenched fist. Oh hell no.

"Ha!" Naruto cried out, laughing obnoxiously at his teammate. "You hit Sakura-chan, teme! Talk about aim! You-"

He was abruptly cut off when Sakura swung the pillow at his face, twisting her body to do the same to a smirking Sasuke. The Uchiha immediately retaliated, grabbing a pillow and climbing on top of the bed. All of sudden, the three of them were in the midst of an intense three-way battle, with pillows constantly thrown across the room and feathers floating down like ashes on a battlefield.

Sasuke swung a pillow at Sakura's head, who ducked and smacked her pillow into Sasuke's stomach. She smirked as he hunched over, about to smack him once more on the head. She didn't see Naruto coming from behind, however, and was tackled by the blond, who immediately assaulted her with his deadly weapon.

"No one smacks Naruto Uzumaki and gets away with it!" he grinned, trying to pin the kunoichi down as they struggled. His smile was wiped off by a powerful blow to the face by Sasuke, who managed to go so far as push him off the bed.

"Ow," Naruto groaned, barely dodging another swing from Sasuke. Sakura pushed herself up, taking advantage of Sasuke's distraction and grabbing him from behind. His eyes widened as she pulled him down onto the mattress and aimed a strike at his head. He managed to lift his pillow in time, meeting Sakura halfway as they struggled. Letting out a small giggle, Sakura pushed against Sasuke's pillow, who smirked at her playfully. All of a sudden, her blond teammate jumped up, flopping onto her back and sandwiching both her and Sasuke beneath him.

"Eat that!" Naruto yelled, lifting his pillow. "I win, losers!"

The kunoichi was about to retaliate when a single knock resonated throughout the room. The three genin froze.

"Excuse me, sir/ma'am," a polite voice sounded through the doorway. Sakura recognized it as the receptionist from the lobby. "Could you please quiet down? I'm getting some complaints from other guests. Thank you."

The sound of heels clipping back down the hallway could be heard throughout the room before they faded away.

Silence.

"Um," the kunoichi hummed, poking her teammate above her. Naruto blushed to the tips of his ears, pulling himself off of her and scurrying off to one corner of the room. Sakura wore a similar expression, pushing herself off of Sasuke and surveying the damage to their tiny hotel room.

It looked like a hurricane had just gone through it.

Sheets spilled off the king-sized mattress, pooling onto the floor along with pillows that were missing their cases. At some point, the comforter had slipped off the bed, leaving the mattress exposed. Feathers from ripped pillows littered the floor like snowflakes, spread out haphazardly.

"We have fifteen minutes," Sasuke remarked, peering at his watch. Sakura sighed, sliding off the bed and pulling a feather out of her hair. She smirked at Sasuke, who looked up at her in confusion. She pointed to his head, where multiple snowy feathers stuck out from his dark mane. He rolled his eyes at her amusement, shaking off the feathers like a wet dog.

"We should probably clean up," the kunoichi suggested, already picking up the limp pillows and stuffing them back in their cases. The boys both nodded, before each picking up a nearby pillow and doing the same.

Kakashi knocked on their hotel room door at 6:30 pm.

"Sensei!" Naruto exclaimed as he swung open the door, his eyes narrowed and his fists clenched. "You're thirty minutes late! You are staying right down the hall from us! Why the hell are you so late?!"

Their sensei shrugged, unperturbed by his fuming blond student, and stepped further into their hotel room. Luckily, the three genin had managed to clean up their mess from earlier, so the room looked about as pristine as it had been when they first came in. That excluded the possibility, however, that Kakashi had been one of the people who had complained about 'the ruckus down the hallway'.

Wordlessly, the jonin tilted his head towards the room door, signaling his team that it was time for them to meet their fellow competitors. Nodding, Sakura slid off the bed, smoothing out her slightly wrinkled shirt and slipping on her black ninja boots. She joined Sasuke and Naruto as their followed their sensei out the door, making sure to lock it before they left.

"So who do you think our competition is?" Naruto whispered to her, leaning over as they walked down the hallway. The kunoichi shifted her gaze towards him, answering his question with a slight shrug of her shoulders.

Honestly, she didn't know herself. There was no guarantee that any of the other rookie Konoha teams had been recommended this time by their senseis, and she hadn't paid much attention to the other contestants in her previous life. The only other participants she remembered were the Sound shinobi, and even then she wasn't sure that they were even going to be in the exams this time around.

Orochimaru will still want to give Sasuke the curse mark because he needs a vessel, Sakura reasoned. At least, I think so. But the way he does it could always change. What if he doesn't even infiltrate the Chunin exams this time around?

The kunoichi bit her lip, hanging her head low as her eyes gazed at the floor below her. Either way, I need to be prepared. The fact that these exams aren't on home territory makes them even more dangerous, which means I need to be even more vigilant.

"Hey, Sakura-chan." Her blond teammate nudged her shoulder. Sakura snapped out of her thoughts, meeting her teammate's wide blue eyes. "Did you hear my question?"

Embarrassed that she had spaced out, a small pink blush rose to her cheeks, along with a slight smile. "Sorry about that, Naruto," Sakura spoke softly, tucking a stray lock into her ear. "I got a little distracted. About your question..." She trailed off, considering her words carefully. "I'm sure they'll be some people we recognize and some people we don't. Regardless, if we stay smart and vigil, I think we'll be able to beat these exams."

"Hell yeah!" Naruto whispered loudly, pumping his fist up. "We'll destroy them, Sakura-chan!"

Her and Naruto shared a grin before Kakashi cleared his throat, gaining the attention of the two genin.

"One of the teams from Konoha participating in these exams are staying in this hotel as well," Kakashi informed them, his hands hanging in his pockets as they walked into the lobby. "We will meet them in a moment."

"Who are they, sensei?" Naruto bounced on his heels, excitement shining brightly on his whiskered face. "Who are they?"

"You'll see," the jonin drawled, leaning against the wall casually.

A couple of moments later, a shout was heard through the hallway opposite them.

"Yo! Kakashi!" What seemed to be an overgrown frog leaped from the depths of the hotel hallway, bounding across the room and slugging an arm across Kakashi's shoulders at hyper speed. "My eternal rival!"

"Gai-sensei?" Sakura widened her eyes in surprise, not expecting the spandex-clad jonin to be the one staying at the hotel. That must mean-

"Sakura-san!" A smaller frog leaped from the hallway, sprinting past her teammates before skidding to stop in front of her. "My beautiful flower!"

"Hi Lee," Sakura greeted with a strained smile, lifting her hand to give a small wave to the enthusiastic boy. His hairstyle was the same gleaming bowlcut, accompanied by bushy eyebrows and his signature twinkling smile. She noticed, however, that instead of wearing his usual long, green spandex outfit, Lee was dressed in a lighter, short-sleeved version due to the weather.

"We haven't sparred in so long!" Lee exclaimed, his chocolate eyes shining brightly as he grabbed her hands. "I'm so glad you are here, Sakura-san! Now we can become Chunin together!"

Sakura blushed at his remarks with a slight smile, a little flattered by the certainty in which he said that she would become a Chunin. Her smile dropped, however, when Lee suddenly jerked away from her.

"Leave the poor girl alone," Tenten scolded, pulling Lee back by the collar. Her hair was secured tightly in two twin buns, her outfit much the same as it was back in Konoha. "You can't go around and make love confessions to a girl you have barely met."

"But Sakura-san and I know each other very well," Lee protested, clutching Sakura's hands more tightly. "We trained together a couple of times."

"I don't care. You can clearly see she is uncomfortable."

"But Tenten, you don't know the depth of our love!"

"You only met her a couple of weeks ago!"

The two teammates dissolved into a petty argument, with Tenten relentlessly scolding her persistent teammate and Lee continuously vouching for the connection he and Sakura shared. The kunoichi sighed, gently sliding her hands out of Lee's in his distraction and moving over to Sasuke and Naruto, who were giving company to Team Gai's Hyuga.

Well, giving company was a stretch.

The Uchiha and Hyuga were locked in an intense battle, engaging in silent warfare through their icy glares. Sasuke's eyes narrowed sharply, dark pupils solely trained the pearl ones before them. On the other side, Neji's face remained dead-panned, not a flicker of emotion running through his features. His eyes, however, carried a burning rage of competitiveness, like a pot boiling and bubbling, about to overflow. Of course, Sakura rolled her eyes, shaking her head. It's just like Sasuke to go pick a fight on our first day.

The kunoichi brushed her fingers against the Uchiha's, gaining his attention as he briefly glanced her way. She responded to his confused glance with a firm look that said, 'knock it off'. The boy scowled at her, but reluctantly dropped his aggressive stance and dug his hands into his pockets. Now that he had lost the attention of his glaring partner, Neji's gaze shifted over to Sakura's, barely acknowledging her with a nod before turning away to his teammates.

Seriously?! Her Inner cried out in frustration. He spends about five solid minutes glaring at Sasuke but barely even looks at me!

Sakura huffed in annoyance, giving into her Inner's immature thoughts as she glared at the back of Neji's head before turning her attention back to her sensei.

"Well then, let's head out," Kakashi spoke, picking himself up from the wall and tilting his head towards the door. "The other teams should have already arrived at the meeting place. Remember: the exams aren't starting until tomorrow. This is a just general meet-and-greet, so behave yourselves." Their sensei emphasized the last two words, glaring pointedly at Naruto. The blond boy just rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, chuckling in a nervous manner under the weight of Kakashi's stare.

The six genin followed their sensei out of the lobby and into the dry Suna heat. Sakura immediately missed the cool temperature of the hotel lobby, sweat already starting to run down her forehead at the thick atmosphere. The eight Konoha shinobi traveled through the deserted Suna streets, moving past clay houses and mud-brick structures. By the time they reached their destination, Sakura's clothes were virtually soaked through by her own sweat.

"What is this place, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked as they all slipped through a pair of large doors into the building. They stepped into what seemed to be a spread-out common room, with various shinobi littered about the space. Sakura spotted a couple genin who looked around her age, and then a couple others who almost looked double her age. Shinobi of various shapes, sizes, and villages were all crammed into this one room, and were all intent on taking home the title of Chunin.

"This is the testing center, Naruto," Kakashi explained, his hands hanging from his pant pockets. "You'll come here again tomorrow for the written test." He leaned closer to his students, motioning them to come closer with his hand. "Right now, the best advice I can give you three is to scout out your competition. Try and gather as much information as you can. It'll help you out."

He waited for the genin to nod before leaning back, his single eye gazing at them in approval. "Well, this is where I leave you three. I have to meet with the other jonin senseis. You all can find your way back to the hotel. If you need any help, just knock on my door." With a strained smile and a small wave, their white-haired sensei disappeared in a burst of smoke, leaving his three genin alone in a room full of strangers.

"Okay..." Sakura chewed on her bottom lip, glancing at her two teammates beside her. "What do you guys think we should do next?"

A wide grin split Naruto's face, his fist pumping into the air. "Let's go meet everyone!" He exclaimed, eagerly grabbing Sakura's hand and pulling her into the dense crowd of genin. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sasuke move to follow them, his posture casual and calm while his eyes darted around the room.

"Look, there's Kiba," the blond pointed out, making a beeline for the dog owner. "Kiba!" He called, letting go of Sakura's arm and rushing over to the boy.

Startled, Kiba shifted towards the blond boy with wide eyes. "Naruto? You're here too? I didn't know they let losers attend these exams," he commented smugly. A little bundle of white fur on his shoulder growled at Naruto, emphasizing his master's insult. Naruto growled back, instantly launching into a verbal battle of insults with the canine and its owner.

Rolling her eyes, Sakura brushed past the two bickering genin to the other two members of Team Eight, greeting them with a polite smile. Hinata timidly smiled back, her cheeks colored with a sweet blush at the sight of Naruto. Shino merely nodded his head to Sakura and then to Sasuke, who came up to stand beside her.

Suddenly, a shrill yell pierced through the crowd of genin.

"Sasuke-kun!"

I know that voice.

Two arms wound around Sasuke's neck, his body stilling at the unexpected contact. "Hi there, Sasuke-kun," Ino greeted with a flirty tone, giggling as she hugged the Uchiha from behind. Her honey hued ponytail twirled in the air, her popping blue eyes twinkling slyly. The Uchiha lips dropped into a troubled frown, his expression morphing into an irritated look. He tried to shrug the kunoichi off his shoulders but she remained adamant, only tightening her grip around his chest.

Her gaze then shifted to Sakura and she smiled coyly letting go of Sasuke as she made her way to her. "Oh hi there, Sakura," she greeted with an innocent smile. Her eyes, however, flickered with mischief. "I see you cut your hair. Congratulations, you managed to look even uglier than you did before."

"Nice to see you too, Ino," the medic replied sarcastically. "I hope those lame insults help you in the exams. You'll need it."

The blonde kunoichi wrinkled her nose, scrunching her eyebrows. "I'll make Chunin no problem, Forehead!" She snapped through clenched teeth, stepping forward to meet Sakura's gaze.

"Keep telling yourself that, Pig," Sakura growled back, narrowing her forest green eyes. "Maybe a magical fairy will come and grant your wish."

"Alright, alright, both of you. Calm down." A hand laid itself on Sakura's shoulder, gently pushing both her and Ino away from each other. The medic shifted her gaze to meet Shikamaru's, who seemed mildly irritated by her and Ino's bickering. "This is so troublesome," he drawled, shoving his hands back in his pockets.

Taking a step back, Sakura drew a deep breath, composing herself. He's right, she admitted reluctantly. I shouldn't be picking fights. Regardless of her thoughts, she didn't hesitate to meet Ino's glare with one of her own, wrinkling her nose at her long time rival before turning away.

So all the rookie teams from Konoha are also in this Chunin exams, Sakura noticed, surveying the common room once more. The room was full of unfamiliar faces, with shinobi from all across the land wearing headbands with symbols of Kirigakure, Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and others proudly. A bud of warmth blossomed within her as she reached up to touch her own headband, her fingers tracing the symbol of Konoha engraved into the metal. Thoughts of her home village filled her mind, a secret smile gracing her lips as she thought of her parents and the memories she had.

Her fond reminiscing was instantly shattered by an eerily familiar voice.

"What do we have here? Konoha nin, eh?"

The kunoichi whipped her head around, instinctively dropping low into an attack stance. She clenched her teeth, just barely restraining herself from leaping at the owner of the voice.

"Settle down there," the genin chuckled, bringing his hands up in front of him. He shifted his glasses further up onto the bridge of his nose, giving her a polite smile. "I come in peace."

Kabuto. The name echoed in the kunoichi's mind with venom, piercing through her happy thoughts from earlier with a bloody knife. The shinobi in question wore a seemingly good-natured smile, his speckles just resting atop his nose and his pale grey hair pulled back into a messy ponytail. He wore standard shinobi attire, blending in almost perfectly with the rest of the genin littered around the common room.

"Who are you?" Kiba demanded, stepping forward with a growling Akamaru. Kabuto's lips pulled into a strained smile, clearly not expecting this much hostility from the rookies.

"Me?" He raised a hand, pointing to the symbol atop his forehead protector. "I'm a Konoha shinobi, just like you."

He's a traitor, a liar, and a madman, Sakura growled internally, clenching her fists tighter. Pure white rage boiled through her system, burning her limbs with a blazing fire. And he works with that twisted snake.

"Though," Kabuto continued, resting his eyes on Sakura pointedly, "I'm clearly not welcome here, for some reason." The kunoichi narrowed her eyes at the man, her fingers itching to pull a kunai from her pouch. I just need to get one swipe in-

No, the more rational side of her broke through her previous train of thought. I can't lose control of my emotions here. Be calm, Sakura, be calm. Sakura chanted the words over and over again in her head until the burning rage fueling her system lessened into a small flame, flickering at the back of her mind. I need to let go of my emotions.

Releasing a deep breath, the kunoichi relaxed her tense muscles, breaking off her eye contact with the other medical ninja. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sasuke's coal orbs peering at her, studying her intently. She chose to ignore him, instead shifting her attention back to Kabuto with a significantly cooler mindset. I can't seem like a threat to Kabuto or otherwise he may switch to more drastic measures to bestow the curse mark on Sasuke. Even worse, he may try and seek me out. I don't know the chances of me winning against an opponent like Kabuto at the moment.

Her jade eyes studied the other medic, who was currently being interrogated by Kiba. She watched the way he leaned forward on his toes, how his hands lingered at the edge of his weapon pouch. She observed the ways his dark eyes settled on each of the genin, surveying and documenting their appearances with calculating practice. No, she narrowed her eyes, I don't know whether or not I will be able to beat him at the moment. For now, I'll play his game.

A hand laid itself on her shoulder, catching her attention. She moved her head to the side, meeting Sasuke's piercing gaze. He motioned her to come closer, leaning forward.

"Do you know him?" He whispered, his eyes flickering with the tiniest bit of curiosity, along with some other, indiscernible emotions. Sakura didn't have to think hard to know who he was referring to, immediately going still at his question. Sasuke is just very observant, she reassured herself, peeking at the rest of the genin. They all seemed absorbed with Kabuto and his info cards, asking him questions about the exams and talking amongst themselves. None of them seemed to notice that she and Sasuke weren't listening. Good, that means that no one else picked up on my odd behavior. Still, she shifted her gaze back to the Uchiha, if he was able to figure it out, then I should choose my words carefully.

"No, I don't," she replied, shaking her head. She tried to ignore the small seed of guilt that embedded itself within her heart at the blatant lie. "I just..." She trailed off, biting her lip in uncertainty. Sasuke raised his brow, silently urging her to continue with his steady gaze. "I...um, have a weird feeling about him, I guess," she explained, hoping Sasuke would buy into her shabby explanation.

The Uchiha narrowed his gaze slightly, peering at her for a couple of seconds with starless eyes. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but was cut off by the sound of another voice.

"And you, kunoichi?" Sakura turned to meet Kabuto's probing gaze, his lips tilted into a slight smirk. He held the fanned out info cards in front of her, keeping them just out of her reach. The kunoichi instinctively clenched her fists before forcing herself to relax, forcefully restraining her impulsive side to give way to more rational thinking.

"No thanks," she politely refused, her lips pulled into a strained smile. Kabuto frowned at her response, stepping closer with a slightly curious expression.

"Huh? Really? All of your friends wanted to see at least one person," he replied, waving the cards around for emphasis. "These cards hold valuable information on everyone taking the exams- from their home village, to their teams, to their abilities. I can tell you about anyone."

Though he said it with a light-hearted tone, Sakura couldn't help but feel sinister tones creeping into the edge of his voice. She firmly held her gaze with the other medic, meeting his calculating eyes head-on.

"No thank you," Sakura repeated, this time with more of an edge to her voice. The two medical ninja held each other's gaze for a couple of moments, silently staring each other down. Kabuto's face fell into a deep glower, his expression switching to something dangerously threatening for a moment. A shiver crawled up Sakura's spine, her body feeling strangely unsettled at his stare. Nonetheless, her viridian eyes remained strong against the Sannin's associate, the steel walls of courage encasing her heart.

Sakura's heart nearly stopped when she observed Kabuto shift into a subtle attack stance, his fingers threateningly close to the flap of his weapon couch. Fortunately, he seemed to hesitate for a moment before dropping his hand back to his side, relaxing his shoulders.

"Oh well, your loss," he smirked, shrugging his shoulders light-heartedly. The cold threat was gone from his eyes, his body leaning back into a casual stance as he stepped away from her. Sakura, however, didn't feel the slightest bit at ease.

"Anyway, it's been fun chatting with you guys," Kabuto continued, "but I should probably get back to my team now. Good luck!" With that, the white-haired boy disappeared into the crowd of chattering genin, leaving the rookies to stare at his back in confusion.

"Does anyone know why he came here?" Naruto questioned, turning to face the rest of the rookies.

"Hey, I'm not complaining, man," Kiba answered with a smug smirk. "I got all the info I needed from that guy. My opponents won't know what hit 'em!"

Her blond teammate shrugged, losing interest in the dog owner and instead nudging Sakura's shoulder. "So there isn't anyone you would like to know about?" He asked, his bright eyes twinkling with curiosity. Sakura, who was still shaken up from the encounter, simply shook her head, her gaze trained on the floor.

I need...I need time to think.

"Um...I'm going to go to the restroom," Sakura spoke softly, giving Naruto a nervous smile. She didn't wait for his reply before speed walking towards the nearest restroom sign, slipping through the door into the women's bathroom and locking it shut.

The pink-haired medic leaned against the restroom door, relaxing her head against the cool surface. The fluorescent lights flickered above her, illuminating the tiny room with a starch white light. I can't believe I reacted so badly to him, Sakura berated herself, raising her hands to massage her temples. I can't act this way every time I see an enemy. If even one of them figures out my situation...

Her thoughts trailed off, refusing to go down that path. The point is, I have to act smart. In this world, this is the first time I've met Kabuto, and I have to play the part. I'll just have to remain cautious around him and keep tabs. As long as he doesn't suspect anything, I will be fine. Sakura nodded to herself, gathering her turbulent emotions and picking herself up from the door. Feeling more confident about her emotional-state, the girl clicked open the door, about to leave the restroom when her foot snagged on something.

The kunoichi crashed onto the floor, her body halfway through the doorway. Ow... She twisted her body into a sitting position, feeling a small tingling sensation on her kneecap.

"Oh great," Sakura muttered under her breath as she observed her skinned knee, cupping her hand around the wound to stop the trickle of blood. Her palm glowed with a misty green aura, swiftly repairing the injury and leaving her skin brand new.

"Medical ninjutsu, huh?"

Sakura whipped her head around, quickly slipping a kunai out of her weapon pouch and holding it out in front of her. Her eyes widened at the sight of Kabuto approaching her slowly, like a tiger slinking towards a deer. The kunoichi instantly shot up, stepping back to put distance between the two of them. Stay calm, she reminded herself. Don't act suspicious.

Hesitating for a moment, the kunoichi reluctantly lowered her kunai, dropping her defensive stance and forcing herself to relax. "Sorry about that," she spoke with a nervous smile, "I got startled."

"No worries," Kabuto chuckled, pausing his approach. The two medical-nin were alone in the hallway, which only served to put Sakura more on edge. Shifting his glasses, Kabuto smiled at her, laying his hand on his hip in a casual manner. "So you know medical ninjutsu?"

"Y-yeah," Sakura shakily replied, keeping the kunai in her hand. "What of it?"

"Well, I'm a little interested in the medical sciences," Kabuto spoke, stepping closer to the unsettled girl. Lie, Sakura frowned. He's more than just interested in it. He lives and breathes it.

"Who taught it to you?" The boy's gaze suddenly took on a different aura, from a casual easiness to something more threatening. It was the same look he had given her earlier, when she had refused to see his info cards. "You must have been learning medical ninjutsu for a long time. You looked very comfortable performing it."

The atmosphere gradually became tenser, with Kabuto stepping closer and closer to Sakura as she fought the urge to raise her kunai at his approach. I can't act rash, she reminded herself. He's only interested in me because I'm Sasuke's teammate. Still, the girl couldn't help the chills throughout her body at the sight of Kabuto's dangerous eyes.

"Barely any genin know medical ninjutsu. It is quite rare to find someone your age who knows it, especially since the academy doesn't teach any classes about it. Who did you learn-"

"Sakura-chan!"

Sakura almost collapsed in relief when she heard the familiar shout, a bright grin splitting her cheeks when she spotted Naruto running down the hallway towards her. Her other teammate walked behind him, both of them slowing to a stop when they spotted Kabuto beside her.

"Saku-...hey, you're here too?" Naruto pointed to Kabuto in confusion, tilting his head at the speckled shinobi.

"Yeah," Kabuto chuckled with an easy smile, laying a hand upon Sakura's shoulder. The kunoichi nearly shivered at the touch, uncomfortable by the familiar gesture from her enemy. "Your teammate and I were just having a chat."

"Oh, okay," Naruto replied, dropping his hand. Sakura shifted her attention to her other teammate, who was silently observing the two ninja. His onyx orbs glanced at Kabuto's hand on her shoulder, before lingering at the kunai she held at her hand. She noticed the way he clenched his teeth, his eyes narrowing into a severe glare. Sakura widened her eyes, meeting his gaze as he reached for his kunai. Dammit! She cursed in her head. He thinks I'm in trouble. Don't attack him, Sasuke!

She slightly shook her head at the Uchiha, trying to communicate her thoughts to Sasuke through her gaze. Realizing that he was not getting the message, Sakura decided she had to take action. She extracted herself from Kabuto's grasp, slipping the kunai into her pouch and moving to stand beside her teammates.

"It was nice chatting with you," Sakura spoke to Kabuto hurriedly, "but we should return back to our hotel and rest up for tomorrow. Bye!" Not waiting for a reply, the kunoichi grabbed both of her teammate's arms, pulling them away from Kabuto and back towards the common room.

"Well, you were in a hurry to get out of there, Sakura-chan," Naruto chuckled, hooking his arm around his female teammate's as they walked back to their hotel. By now, the streets were bare and dark, a stark contrast to Konoha's bustling nightlife. "Or did we embarrass you in front of your crush?" The blond boy teased her with a lewd smile.

"I only met him today, baka!" Sakura snapped, crossing her arms as the breeze blew past them. "And he's not my crush!"

"Whatever you say," the blond grinned, wiggling his eyebrows. Sakura huffed in irritation, turning her shoulder to her teammate and moving away from him. As they neared the hotel lobby doors, Naruto immediately rushed inside, clearly eager to settle in and hog as much space on the bed as he could. Sakura was about to follow him inside when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

The kunoichi turned to meet Sasuke's piercing gaze. The warm breeze of the Suna night tickled his hair, playing with the raven locks before disappearing into the atmosphere. The orangish glow of the streetlights illuminated his pale face, accenting his dark eyes as they stared into her green orbs. The Uchiha's lips were tilted into a troubled frown, his eyes shifting in the evening light.

"What happened back there?" Sasuke asked her, his tone gentle yet firm. Normally, Sakura would've been slightly annoyed that Sasuke was prying into her business. However, when she spotted the tiniest bit of concern pass through his eyes, she felt her heart soften with warmth.

"It was nothing, Sasuke," she reassured him with a slight smile, tucking her pink hair behind her ear. "We were just...talking."

Sasuke shook his head, his grip on her arm tightening. "You had a kunai out, Sakura," he pointed out, his frown deepening. "And when Naruto and I came, you didn't look...right. What did he say to you?"

"It was nothing, really, Sasuke," Sakura replied, gently touching his hand. "I'm fine, okay?" I wish I could tell him. I wish I could.

But I can't. I can't risk him.

The Uchiha did not look convinced in the slightest, his intelligent eyes studying her keenly. She held his gaze, meeting his obsidian orbs with her jade eyes. At this point, his face was so close to her's that his warm breath tickled her nose, her cheeks heating up at the proximity. He held her gaze for a couple of moments, his hand resting lightly on her arm.

"You know you can..." Sasuke whispered softly, his voice trailing off into the wind. Sakura gently grabbed his hand, slowly intertwining their fingers.

"I know," she whispered back with a sweet smile, an understanding look in her eyes. "But I need you to trust me." She squeezed his hand before letting go, watching his reaction intently.

Sasuke stared at her with unreadable eyes, considering her words. "Fine," he replied after a couple of moments, a scowl resting on his features. He dropped his hand from her arm, shoving it back into his pocket. Sakura smiled, nudging his shoulder affectionately as she turned back to the lobby doors. The Uchiha sighed, nudging her shoulder back before following her into the hotel lobby.

11:00 pm.

The jonin read the numbers on the alarm clock with a sigh, kicking off his shoes as he settled into his hotel room. The meeting with the other Konoha sensei had gone on much longer than he had wanted to, filled with nonstop chatter of Suna rules and regulations, along with other useless topics. All Kakashi had wanted to do was flip through the pages of his beloved Paradise novel, but Kurenai had threatened to burn the book if he so much as took it out during the meeting.

As the white-haired jonin began his nightly routine, he spotted a strange scroll laying upon his nightstand. What could that be? Proceeding with caution, Kakashi crept towards the scroll, making sure to scan it for any seals or explosive tags. The parchment was rolled up tightly and was secured by a navy blue ribbon, the symbol for Konoha stitched with white thread onto the ends. Deeming the scroll safe, Kakashi gently picked it up, untying the ribbon. The ribbon fell off to reveal a seal plastered onto the parchment, the symbols very familiar to the seasoned jonin. A chakra seal? Kakashi examined it with curiosity. Whatever this is, it must be important.

Not wasting another moment, the jonin channeled his chakra into the seal, watching intently as it peeled off and fell to the floor. He unraveled the parchment, careful to keep his fingers from smudging the ink inside.

Dear Konoha jonin,

If you received this letter, you have been summoned by the Hokage to return to Konohagakure immediately. There have been concerns about certain threats to the village that require your assistance. The rest of this matter is classified. You will be fully briefed when you have returned to Konoha. Please leave no later than tomorrow evening. This is a matter of utmost importance.

Thank you,

Sandaime Hokage:

Sarutobi Hiruzen

After running his eyes over the text a couple more times, Kakashi sighed, rolling up the scroll once more and storing it safely in his pack. The jonin had a vague idea about who was making these threats to Konoha, but didn't realize that they had magnified to this scale. I'll have to return to Konoha tomorrow evening, Kakashi contemplated. He pulled open a drawer in his dresser, taking out his extra clothes and packing them into his bag. Just what is going on?

Hi there!

I hope you all have had a wonderful week so far and have been healthy! This chapter was more of a meet-and-greet chapter between the Chunin exam contestants the day before the exams (mostly between the Konoha rookies). And of course, our lovely Kabuto enters the story as well...

How do you all think Team Seven will survive the Chunin exams in Suna?

What about the letter Kakashi received? What threats could Konoha be dealing with? Is there something more...sinister going on?

What about Team Seven's relationship with each other? How do you all think Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto are developing as the story goes on?

Feel free to contemplate these questions and theorize ;) Thank you to everyone who has favorited/reviewed this story! Your opinions and theories are very interesting to read! I'm eager to hear your thoughts for this chapter!

Have an amazing weekend!