Chapter Nine: "The Problem with Dreams and Memories of Evil Bosses"

Sakura: "If a shady organization offers you crazy benefits and really high pay — don't fall for it! Don't be greedy like me and end up a modern slave to capitalism ran by psychotic bosses who vowed to control the underworld."

—On Finding a Job After College Turned Wrong "Was It So Wrong To Want To Be Rich and Love My Work?"

System: It is if you over-work yourself to death plotting revenge. Now you're my slave.

Sakura: What was that?

System: Nothing.

Kisame: I feel you. Welcome to the Slaving Under Evil Bosses Club. That's why I joined the Akatsuki. At least I'm evil for world peace. Comes with free room and board.

Itachi: You're not convincing the new recruit very well.

…..

…..

DASH —!

Sakura and team were speeding along towards the tower, but keeping an eye out for any other teams. "Most likely the other teams will hide around the Tower or attack those just starting off. It's best if we pick one scroll off early so we can just ram our way past the others before those with scrolls have time to settle around the tower and take care of the competition.

Sasuke said, "I agree. Timing is crucial to get out of here without minimal injuries."

Meanwhile, the System scolded Sakura: [You need to take your time in the forest! Remember Orochimaru. How many times must I remind you?!] It's usually chipper voice sounded angry. The longer it hung around Sakura, the more emotional it seemed to be. The System was starting to be more human.

Oh pish posh! No worries! As long as we get two scrolls to be safe, I'm sure I can figure out to make us stay longer in the forest. I just don't want to risk anyone's lives when we can just snatch a scroll peacefully instead of acting desperate later on!

[You mean, you don't want to mess up your promotion]

See, this is why we are partners. You understand me so well!

[I am surprised you are so serious about your career, however I suppose even you must have some pride. You liked to brag about your great sex life in your past life, but were abstinent for the last few years before death. That is most commendable to choose work over love]

…It's more like I was forced to be a work-slave. I lvoed my actual job, I just hated who I worked with, assholes.

[I do not understand. Slavery was illegal for centuries]

I wasn't literally a slave — forget it. Point is that my old boss was…How do you say? Evil. Pure evil. Sakura winced at the memories of her old life. When she graduated college, she was ecstatic to find an elite job creating bloodline cartridges for battle tournaments that made up the bulk of entertainment and military advancements without the human bloodshed in future Konoha. And like all great industries, there was always a bit of corruption and her old boss was the head honcho of corruption. He was quite big on being humane on his employees and giving big raises, but once that man found someone who had talent, he never let go. And when she wanted to quit, he actively sabotaged her from giving manipulating her landlord to giving her higher rent to ruining her dates by interrupting. At some point, she just gave up on escaping in favor of sabotaging his company from the inside, but before her plan could hatch, she died from work-overload. Guess working overtime on the job and then doing a second job of overthrowing her bosses with three hours of sleep took it's toll.

If I didn't know he was as much a greedy bastard as I was, I would think he had a crush on me! But he was EVIL. More evil than me and that said something! Life was a bitch.

All I know, System, is that I don't see that asshole with piercings all over his damn nose again! Stupid Pein! Or should it be Nagato? Those two brothers had a black belly business, I tell you. I swear. I'm never going back to those days of working too hard! Once I'm done with the Akatsuki, easy life of romantic adventures and riches, here I come!

System: [Uh. Host? Do you remember the three children you tried to teach how to hunt a rabbit?]

Yes? The one that I dreamed of the other day? What of it?

[Do you remember the quiet, erm, emo kid as you put it?]

Ah, the cutie! Of course, he needs to eat more rabbit and not just fish. You never told me their names for some reason.

[It wasn't deemed important then and your teen self was quite irresponsible so the topic never came up. His name is Nagato. The other boy is Pein. And the last girl is Konan.]

Sakura tripped on her foot, but covered it up with a smile. Then she focused back on the System, ignoring her teammates' odd looks. You're shitting me. No, no. I don't like what you're implying. It must be a coincidence! I didn't have a Konan in my old life, but the other children are too angelic to grow up to be like my old bosses.

[It is a coincidence, but you are also Sakura Haruno in many worlds. Who knows what the gods have planned in your fates? Now about another issue, you really need to look up Konoha history instead of just business ideas, Host. Your lack of awareness is quite irresponsible.]

I'm sure this is all a coincidence. I mean, I'm also a Sakura Haruno, but I'm not nearly alike to this time's version. Falling in love with Sasuke and staying in one village all my life? Too much of a pain. I prefer to travel and not be attached. There's no way I'm facing my old bosses in the Akatsuki. Just no! Sakura truly believed in her denial as she shook her head. Once more, her team began to consider giving her another psych evaluation once they finished the exams.

[I hope you're correct…] The System was going to explain about the Akatsuki's true owners, but let it go. And despite this part not being in it's programmed personality, a strange itch formed. It wanted to tease it's host. [I'm curious to see your reaction]

Hm? Sakura got distracted when she almost ran into a branch and ducked her head.

[Nothing. Good luck on your Chuunin Exams]

Huh. You're actually being nice to me. It's creepy. Stop it.

[…] Yes, the System really wanted to see her reaction when she met the other Akatsuki.

Naruto cut off Sakura's mental conversation with the System with a worried gaze, "Um, Sakura-chan? Are you ok? You're zoning out there."

Sakura snapped out of it and smiled back. "No worries! I was just, um, thinking of battle strategies. Speak of the devil!" Sakura sensed a trace of chakra of a trio hiding in the bushes up ahead. "Look alive! 13:00 we got company!"

Sasuke and Naruto glanced at the bushes and nodded to each other. They sped up and used the element of surprise to attack first. A few kunai cut through the bushes and three enemy shinobi barely dodged in time. When they emerged from the bushes, Sakura felt a faint hesitation before steeling her mind. The three young teenagers held only bloodlust in their eyes as they were about to attack.

Sakura immediately summoned a genjutsu and the unlucky enemy found themselves feeling like they were sinking into the ground.

"Tch! You can't trick us!" One of the ninja tried to do the release sign to get out of the genjutsu only to fail. "Impossible!"

Sakura smirked. "Unlucky for you, my head's a large part of my charm." Before the exam, she thought of ways to strengthen her gentjustsus with the input of various shinobi she 'job-shadowed' as she called it. Unless they were an anbu, it would be hard to get out of her illusions with a simple release sign. Then without another word, she and the boys knocked each one out while they scrambled on their knees trying to find their bearing. It was as easy as catching little toddlers who struggled to walk.

"Huh. That was easy." Sakura twirled the earth scroll they stole in her hand. "Great work guys!"

Naruto smiled happily. "Yeah, I just know we're going to be the first guys! Though how'd you learn genjutsu, Sakura-chan? You never use it during training." Naruto's respect for his crazy friend grew. Ever since she hit her head, she's been surprising him more and more. He always knew she was smart, but he didn't realize just how much talents she hid! He clenched his fist in excitement, he had to catch up!

"I asked for advice from Kurenai — I got introduced by Kakashi-Sensei. Long story. That and I had some ideas from the Uchiha and Hyuuga books so it was basically unpaid extra training. Sigh. If only you'd teach me your Sexy no Jutsu, then I'd be unstoppable with my genjutsu."

"NO." Both Sasuke and Naruto cut her off. If Sakura used the jutsu to become a busty female, it wouldn't be a joke anymore!

"Is it because I'd be female? No worries, I can be a handsome guy and just create my own harem — though it'd still be me so it would be boring. Or would it…?" Sakura tilted her head as she thought of the implications. Hmm, a reverse harem no jutsu was tempting…

"NO!" Once again the boys disagreed. "You shouldn't do that with your clones!"

"Oho?" Sakura raised her brows suggestively. "And what are you suggesting? I didn't say anything. Hm? Are you boys hiding something? Naruto-kun, got something to share about your shadow clone groups?"

A blush painted both of their faces. Naruto spurted out, "I'm not! It's just the way you talk just sounds pervy like Kakashi-Sensei's books!"

"Hey, I'm not judging." Sakura raised her hands. "A ninja's got to do what a ninja's go to do." She whistled.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto yelled.

Groan. Their conversation cut short when the enemy shinobi began to wake up and then squirmed against the ropes that tied them to the tree. They shouted, "Let us go!"

"Nah. We got your scroll by the way. Whatcha gonna do about it?" Sakura teased evilly. If they were ambushed by then, her team would be the ones losing their scroll…or worse. She had no regrets.

"Let's just leave them." Sasuke looked down at them.

Meanwhile the System sounded an alarm: [Host! If you go to the tower now, it'd be too early! Stall time until Orochimaru attacks!]

I KNOW. Gods, you repeat yourself a lot. Don't worry. I'll just have us go to the tower slowly with the excuse of watching out for other traps or ambushes. Relaaaax, System. Oh, wait, I have a better idea!

And so, Sakura proceeded with her epic plan that she made up on the spot — "Sooo. We should make sure to get rid of our competition while we can by stealing their scrolls." Guilt pressed against her heart as she gave some bullshit reason to stay longer, but it was for a good cause! She wasn't going to fight too seriously and there was no limit to the amount of teams to win, right? So long as they just had to get there on time, they'd still pass. "If we see who will approach the tied up genin, we can tell they're evil and serve justice! Hence, we are justified in taking their scroll." She excused her guilt away in the next second.

"That's odd coming from you, Sakura. You never take the initiative without profit." Sasuke gave her a suspicious look. "What are you hiding?"

Naruto rubbed his chin while he hovered over Sakura's sweat-drenched face of guilt. Rubbing his chin like an elderly wise man, he said, "Sasuke-teme's right. You look guilty."

"I-I do not!" Why is it that every time her conscience got provoked, she couldn't lie as well as she usually did?! It's for a good cause, me! "It's a sound argument! And besides, some of the other teams that finish early are probably guarding the tower for prey like us. If we get an extra scroll, we can trick them with that one and still have two to spare. It's a safety measure, I swear!"

"Hmm…" Naruto peered closer. As a trickster himself, he was used to lying and Sakura was full of it! "I don't know, Sakura-chan. You look awwwfully guilty…" He drawled out.

Sakura turned her head to the side with a glare. Damn it! If even dense Naruto could catch her lies, she was doomed. This was humiliating — she was supposed to be the ultimate trickster —erm, merchant! "If we miss this chance to get another scroll for safekeeping, then it'd be too late if we get outnumbered by an ambush at the tower."

"She's right, but she's still hiding something. Whatever. Let's just see what happens." Sasuke cut short Naruto's interrogation and proceeded to hide in the bushes and mask his chakra. "We have the time."

"Hold up." Sakura made sure the enemy were gagged tight and then hid with Naruto following along. And so…they waited.

And waited.

A few teams passed but simply kept going. One member scoffed at the tied up trio. "Tch. It's an obvious trap. Whoever the poor suckers are must be desparate. They can only wait for someone to take the bait. Losers." He threw a rock at the trio then ran off. "They probably don't even have a scroll!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes and looked at Sakura, who pouted. Naruto stifled his laugh.

After an hour passed, Sakura thought about abandoning the ploy in favor of just getting them a bit lost until Orochimaru found them when a strange white-haired weirdo came up alone. He smiled as he fixed his glasses up, "You seem to be abandoned."

There's no way he'll fall for this. Sakura softly sighed while she waited for this guy to leave as well. She braced herself for her work to be ridiculed.

"Poor kids. You failed in killing your target, but they spared you? That's strange, there's no mercy for shinobi. Or are they watching me now?" A slow sadistic smile spread across his face. "Now how shall I lure them out?" He took out a kunai and walked up to the tied genin slowly… The tip of the kunai trailed down the cheek of one genin and blood dripped. "You better hurry or I'll have to slice his cheek off…" He called out to the bushes while the boy cried under his evil gaze.

Sakura gritted her teeth — damn it! This asshole was acting more diabolical than her. How dare he ruin her fun! And so, she leaped from the bushes in a battle stance and threw a kunai at his face. "This is an exam not a torture session! You're going too far!"

"You're not going far enough." Kabuto's eyes lit up at the sight of the pink-haired girl. "Perfect! I have some questions for you."

"Oh yeah? I'm not interested in dealing with sadistic bastards." She clenched her fists and held up another kunai. As much as she wanted to drag her arsenal of scrolls around, she only had so many ways to store them and didn't want to waste any so she had to be picky. If she a choice, she would rather just depend on not using up all her scrolls. As soon as the exams were over, she SO needed to figure out a better way of storing scrolls…She wondered if they could be tinier, but just as effective…Maybe mini-scrolls that expand in size if they needed to be bigger or a substitute for microchips or — Sakura lost herself in fantasy as she thought of her inventions.

The System scolded her: [Pay attention, Host! You aren't in your lab!]

It's fine. He has questions for me for some reason, so he shouldn't want to kill me so badly. Heh. Not yet anyway~ Her eyes flashed as she cracked her knuckles. "I changed my mind. Let's talk." It'll buy me time for Orochimaru's grand entrance and I get to see what his deal is. Win-win, me!

"Uh, Sakura, do you know him?" Naruto asked. He and Sasuke had long reached her side and prepared for battle.

"Nope! And no — he's too sadistic for my taste so he isn't another eye candy either, if you were gonna suggest that." Sakura smiled cheerfully. "We have Kakashi-Sensei so my heart's taken!"

"…" The boys gave her an odd look.

Kabuto watched them with amusement then cut to the chase. "That pink hair stands out, kunoichi. Who is your clan and are your people really from Konoha? I like to study unusual people and track their history. Pink hair is an unusual trait." He bullshitted them and waited to see if the young girl would take his bait.

"Why, I know I'm hot, but damn. To be this interested…" Sakura grimaced and messed with him. "Is this love at first sight? You look possessive so I'm not interested, I'm sorry."

Kabuto's head throbbed. "No, I'm not interested in you like that! I am a researcher by heart and simply wish to know where your unusual family trait comes from. Who are your people?" He would really rather just interrogate her with his hands, but he suspected his mentor wouldn't like that so he restrained himself. The girl didn't seem approachable so his long-term plan was aborted in favor of direct threats. "If you don't wish to see me cut your catch to bits, you'd best answer." He patted the head of a squirming genin.

Sakura grinned with her eyes dipped into crescents as she pissed him off more, "Aw, acting shy! If you tell me your name and number, I MIGHT consider dating you, but I don't know if you'd want to dissect me when I sleep. You seem like the type."

"Stop making me to be some creep, girl!"

"Sakura Haruno." She gave up her name since he'd find out sooner or later. It wasn't a secret. All he had to do was ask another student later. "We're all from Konoha so you can stop tracking pink-haired ladies and go back to stealing underwear like other perverts."

"I am not a pervert!" Kabuto gritted his teeth and spun the kunai between his fingers. "How about I teach you a lesson as payment for answering my questions —" Before he could give into his anger, a spike of familiar chakra alerted him to stand down and he faced the opposite side of the area. What was his master doing? It was too early to reveal himself. But who was he to question what he wanted? He dropped his hand and put his kunai away without a word.

Sakura turned toward the place Kabuto focused on and straightened her back. Turning serious, she informed her team, "Watch your backs, we got strong company." The hairs on the back of her neck raised as she finally faced the first Akatsuki child from her dreams.

System: [Finally, one thing is going right. I worried over your reckless urges to make things difficult for yourself, but there is still hope for your development, Host]

Fucking — okay, System! Ruining the tension, why don't you? I got it so calm your tits.

I have no material body so tits would not be part of my biolo—]

Let me do my mission in peace!

As if on cue, a pale man dressed in gray robes stepped from the dark of the forest and approached the genin. Kabuto blinked in confusion before adapting to his master's wishes and bowed.

Orochimaru smiled at Sakura and her team, "Hello dearsss."

…..

…

…..

Hidden among the leaves in snake form, Orochimaru studied the genin as they fought the rival team. He studied Sasuke's form, noted the healthy skin and young energy — yesss, he would perfect for his experiment. And he will never reject the chance for more power. All was going to go to plan in his mission to obtain all the world's secrets. As a sannin, one must have something to live for or there was no point in life, after all.

He waited at first on seeing how his future Uchiha vessel fought, but he kept getting distracted by that cursed woman's spawn. They called her Sakura…They even shared the exact same name, too. No matter how he wanted to keep his calm, he grew agitated at the sight of the pink-haired kunoichi.

Elder Sister…After all these years, she still bothered him. No matter how long it's been since she abadoned him, he could never forget her.

Memories of those idyllic days in the village he called home played before his eyes. He couldn't shake it away. The more he saw that pink genin, the more he remembered that woman who came to him like a dream. Sakura-Onee-chan…

And when she even spoke to Kabuto in the same fashion as the woman in his youth, he couldn't stop the memories from playing out fully…

"Onee-chan! I found a snake!" A young Orochimaru ran up to Sakura as she weeded the garden. "It's so pretty! Do you like it?" He looked up at her with wide eyes and Sakura squealed.

She pinched his cheeks softly as she caressed the pale white skin of the dead snake he held in his palms. "Yes, it's a pretty color. But it's yours so I can't take it."

"Oh…You don't like it…" He dropped his head down and teared up.

Sakura panicked while she said, "No! I do! But it's only good luck to the finder. White snakes are, um, good luck. Yes! They are suuuper good luck so you hold on to it, okay? When you have good luck, I have good luck. And that's a great present — both of us are happy. Maybe you can make a wish! See?"

"Uh-huh!" The young child wiped his eyes and nodded enthusiastically. "Then I wish we stay together forever!"

"…" Sakura's smile fell a little. "Orochimaru, I need to tell you some —" Then as if a siren went off in her head, she stopped talking, sporting that lost gaze again. She did that a lot those days…Even when she found him near his dead parents, she had that gaze as if guided by some great force. One day, he wanted to know what she thought about so often…maybe this world had big secrets she only knew…He wanted to know everything.

Suddenly, Sakura sighed and said, "Nevermind. Orochimaru-kun, promise me you'll be strong no matter what happens to me, okay? I want you to be happy and safe. Will you live life to your fullest?"

"Yes!" Then he grasped her dress with his small hands. "You're not leaving me, right? You promised!"

"Come here." Sakura pulled him into a hard hug and obliviously, the young Orochimaru held her back happily. "I'll make sure to get you somewhere safe, okay? Your big sister says so."

And so a couple years passed like this in peace until the day he ran into that man and everything changed. As soon as he told her about the man from Konoha, she hugged him hard and told him to carry a pouch and not open it until the end of the day. Then…she disappeared. Just as mysteriously as she arrived in his life and saved him, she left him without a word. Gone like a ghost. In the pouch she left were all of their savings with a single note saying to be strong. Enraged, he tore up that note to bits and threw it away, although he regretted it soon after.

"If only I never met him…She would never leave…!" He already lost his parents and now even his elder sister went away. Why couldn't he keep anyone close to him? Why was the world the way it was? He just…

He wanted to dissect this world that was so cruel to him. If life isn't sacred, if fate was cruel and no one lived forever — he wanted to know why. He wanted to know everything about this broken reality.

And so began his lifelong passion with science and experimentation.

No matter how long it's been, he still remembered that woman who vowed to be his elder sister…For the three years she always seemed to be lost in thought, but he never knew she was thinking of leaving him. His only family. If he knew…he would have never ran into that hokage. As soon as he mentioned him, she disappeared as if leaving him to the village elder as if she were waiting for this moment…

Orochimaru sneered. As one of the great sannin, he would never be fazed by his enemy. Even when he challenged that damned Itachi, he never let it get to him for long. Everything was simply an experience and an experiment. She was the only exception. But now…after several decades…he felt true rage as he saw that woman in the this genin of a girl. Even though she was the one who found him, fed him and stirred up his passion to discover his true life mission, she still left without a word. She broke her promise.

He would never forgive her for her betrayal.

He snapped out of his throughts when the girl started challenging Kabuto. At this rate, the clueless genin would make an enemy of his prized apprentice and he doubted if he should let Kabuto deal with her. But when she said her name was actually Sakura Haruno…

How did they have the exact same body type, temperment and now even the same name? Even if she were her granddaughter, it was too much of a coincidence to be this much alike…No matter how long he searched for her throughout the years, he never found a clue to her existence. He had checked into Konoha before, but the Haruno family had known no one outside of the village with pink they gave birth to a child with pink hair, it was ironic, but unimportant. Then suddenly, he comes back to check on the last Uchiha when her potential kin shows up in Konoha acting like his elder sister's reincarnation itself? It made no sense. He had a lot to investigate.

Doubts plagued his mind and he changed his plans then and there. With a smile, he walked out of the bushes, a human once more, and said,

"Hello dearssss."

The stage was set — Orochimaru, one of the three legendary sannin and one of the most feared missing-nin now confronted Team Seven. Once more, everything will change with this meeting.

Whether Sakura wanted to or not.

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AUTHOR NOTE:

Heya!

As you can imagine, I do not remember everything about the chuunin exams although it'd be messed up with all these influences anyway. SO! Let's just roll with it.

Battle mania fun! Go — I choose Sakura! Attack Kabuto with a fury attack! Ahahahaha!

Please enjoy your day and have some tea!

I wanted to make this longer, but my fingers died so here we are. Hope you like it and please review!

And why do I love imagining Orochimaru as a little brother. (Deep down, I confess I wish I was as smart as he was despite his fondness for scaly things).

Kisses,

WitchySkies

P.S. I have yet to stop drinking soda. My Sakura-inspired transformation plan is getting rough. Need to put more planning behind this.

P.S.S. Should I try teach english in Japan when it's safe (Idk when that'll be tho)? Life questions, mo! Anyone got experiences with that?

P.S.S.S. I should just become a ninja. An overweight ninja, but that's why I'll learn from Chouji! Let's go, bro!