Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Naruto Shippuden. All characters in this story, excluding those that are created by me, are the intellectual property of Masashi Kishimoto. Please show support by reading or watching the original source material.
~Confronting the Shadow: Chapter Ten~
"When the Monsters Come Out to Play"
(The Following Morning)
"How the hell am I supposed to become a chūnin with you two lug-heads holding me back?" Ino complained as she leaned against a tree stump.
So far into the second exam, Team 10 hadn't made much progress. Unfortunately, they were very much small fish in a big pond. There weren't many teams that they were blatantly stronger than, so they were taking their time and being cautious. This suited Shikamaru and Chōji just fine, with the two regularly petitioning to stop for rest and snack breaks, respectively.
"This isn't a race," Shikamaru drawled with his fingers interlaced behind his head. "The teams that take their time like us are going to be the ones who arrive at the tower unscathed."
Chōji nodded in agreement while continuing to stuff his face with another handful of potato chips.
Ino's brow ticked, "You two are unbelievable," she moaned. "It's not even like we're taking our time to be pragmatic or anything like that! You guys are just lazy as hell!"
It was definitely a struggle for Ino to be the only passionate person on her team. Shikamaru had pretty much zero motivation for anything outside of staring at the clouds and playing shogi. While at the same time, Chōji lacked the self-confidence required to unlock his full potential. Ino frowned as she pondered how Team 7 was doing. It wasn't fair that Sakura was paired with heavy hitters like Sayuri and Naruto. She probably just had to lean back and file her nails while her teammates kicked ass and did all the work. It wouldn't surprise Ino if Team 7 finished the second exam already.
"Shikamaru will come up with something," Chōji assured with a carefree smile. "He always does. So just relax, okay?"
As if to reinforce Ino's confidence in him, Shikamaru snored audibly as he had apparently fallen asleep while she and Chōji were talking. Ino glowered comically at the display, feeling that her current predicament was the perfect analogy for what her team was like on a regular basis. It didn't help that their sensei was a chronic smoker who didn't have the stones to instill any discipline in them. Honestly, it felt like Ino was the only person on her team who actually cared about being a shinobi.
Falling onto her back and sighing in defeat and Ino stared up at the sky. Behind her brash exterior, she was still a bit rattled about what she'd experienced the previous evening. While unsure what the horrible chakra was or where it came from, Ino was at least confident that she had no intention of ever feeling again. It felt almost eldritch — like something sinister and forbidden that shouldn't exist. For someone like Ino, who was uniquely perceptive to chakra, she had felt every emotion that the chakra offered.
Ino had never sensed such evil in her life.
For a moment, Ino considered falling asleep as well — at least, until she detected multiple presences nearby. She quickly reached over to Shikamaru's shoulder and roughly shook him awake, much to his displeasure. However, once he saw the serious look on Ino's face, his expression grew more solemn, and he nodded in understanding. Then, after a silent exchange with Shikamaru, Chōji seemed prepared as well, having placed his bag of chips back in his backpack.
Team 10 moved through the brush of the forest in complete silence. They followed Ino's lead — both because she was the only person on their team who could sense chakra and because she wouldn't have it any other way. Neither Shikamaru nor Chōji had the energy to resist any of her bossy tendencies and were usually just content to do as she said. There was honestly nothing to gain from arguing with Ino Yamanaka.
Eventually, Team 10 arrived at their destination and saw what looked to be the aftermath of a battle — or ass-kicking, more like. A team from the Hidden Waterfall Village appeared to have gotten handled relatively easily by the lone team from the Hidden Stone Village. The largest of his squad, Han, had his foot pressed firmly onto the back of one of his defeated enemies while his teammates searched for the scroll they needed.
From their hidden position, Ino marveled silently at the sheer presence of Han's chakra — which was even more daunting than his massive frame. Ino had never met anyone with such powerful chakra. Not even a jōnin like Asuma-sensei could hold a candle to it. It made her wonder if everyone in the exams were complete monsters except for her team?
After some time, the lone girl on the team, Kurotsuchi, managed to find a scroll tucked deep within one of the Hidden Waterfall genin's backpacks, "An Heaven Scroll. Just what we needed," she remarked with a sly grin. "Looks like we've pretty much cinched our place in the tournament."
Ino became puzzled as she exchanged looks with Shikamaru and Chōji both. What tournament?
The last member of the Hidden Stone team, Akatsuchi, didn't seem to share his teammate's optimism, "We still have to make it to the tower," he remarked while scratching his cheek. "Who knows what could happen on the way there."
"Oh, give me a break, would you?" Kurotsuchi grumbled. "You're a shinobi. Try and have some confidence for once."
Despite being from completely different nations, Ino found herself empathizing with Kurotsuchi on a spiritual level.
Han suddenly raised a hand, which silenced his teammate's almost instantly, "Shut up. Someone's here."
Team 10 immediately felt their hearts sink at the prospect that they had been spotted. However, Shikamaru and Chōji immediately sighed in relief when they noticed that Han was looking in a completely different direction than them. Yet, Ino did not share in their solace as she sensed the new presence approaching the clearing. It was painfully familiar, and her knees began to tremble as she recognized it as the chakra she'd felt the previous night — though now it was at much more controlled levels.
Then, much to Team 10's shock, the mysterious figure was revealed to be Naruto of all people. Yet, even more surprising than his arrival was his completely different presence. While they hadn't known Naruto all that personally back at the Academy, Team 10 was familiar enough with him to where they could notice any visible changes. The person who they were looking at now felt like someone they'd never met before — in both demeanor and physical appearance. One of the first things Team 10 noticed was Naruto's sinister eyes, which were crimson-red and slit like a cat.
"Seems I found who I was looking for," Naruto casually remarked with a smile that, for some reason, made Team 10's skin crawl.
It was apparent that both Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi sensed the primal danger that emanated from Naruto as well. They were both incredibly tense despite the fact that their team outnumbered him three to one. The only person who seemed unfazed was Han, who looked at Naruto with barely concealed exhilaration.
"I thought that I was going to have to find your myself," Han remarked before removing his foot from the back of the Hidden Waterfall shinobi that he had effortlessly defeated. "I'm grateful that you came here on your own."
Naruto grinned, revealing a set of fanged canines. His chakra then riled up considerably, prompting Ino to cup her hand over her mouth to prevent a scream from escaping through her lips. That was Naruto? Ino couldn't believe what she was feeling. It was impossible for Naruto to have such malevolent chakra. The very sensation of it against her skin nearly prompted her to vomit her guts out.
"Han," Kurotsuchi intervened. She tried her best to sound confident despite being in the presence of two monsters about to come to blows. "We already have the scrolls that we need. We should head straight for the tower."
Kurotsuchi then flinched when Naruto's fiendish stare was fixed solely on her for the very first time.
"I couldn't care less about you two — or the scrolls for that matter," Naruto remarked with a predatory smile before pointing a clawed finger at Han. "I'm just here for him. You two can scurry off if you'd like."
Ino looked to her side and saw that Chōji was now refusing to even watch, gripping his head in his hands as he trembled in terror. In contrast, Shikamaru was frozen in place like a deer caught in a spotlight, unable to look away for even a moment. Seeing her teammate's reactions confirmed to Ino that what she was seeing was actually real. If those two blockheads could discern the stark change in Naruto's chakra, then it had to be true.
Han didn't even glance is Kurotsuchi or Akatsuchi's direction, "Sounds fine to me," he replied, agreeing with Naruto's proposal. Han then released more of his chakra, causing the ground to nearly quake under his feet.
Frankly, Team 10 was considering taking up the offer as well. There was no reason for them to stay behind and keep watching. They would have to be delusional to think that they could somehow walk out of this situation with a scroll if they got involved. Their whole plan had been to avoid the strongest teams in the exam and pick off some weaklings — which, quite obviously, was the exact opposite of what they were doing right now.
"Han, stop!" Kurotsuchi yelled. "You're supposed to fight him in the tournament, not now!"
"I don't care. Why should I wait?"
Kurotsuchi gritted her teeth in frustration, "The old man said that I was supposed to keep you under control!" she threatened — albeit feebly — before forming a single hand seal with her right hand. "I have the key to your seal, you know. He showed me how to use it before I left."
Team 10 had no clue what "seal" Kurotsuchi was referring to, but it clear that Han did, based on his strained reaction. When he failed to immediately comply, his body was then racked with visible pain — almost like a shock collar forcing an animal into submission. Naruto merely stood to the side and watched the development in apparent amusement.
"You bitch," Han growled through gritted teeth as he glared at Kurotsuchi with pure hatred. "I'll kill you."
Despite being the one in control, Kurotsuchi's hand trembled as she maintained the seal, "You didn't give me a choice!" she said, clearly worried about the possible consequences that may come later.
Han seethed in frustration and looked as though he was about to pounce at any moment. However, once more, he was stopped by another wave of pain — this time so intense that it actually looked as though it may force him to his knees. Eventually, Han couldn't take the pain any longer and obeyed, reducing his chakra back to normal levels. Whatever Kurotsuchi had done, it worked.
Meanwhile, Naruto looked almost disappointed. It was evident that he had come to Han looking for a fight, "C'mon, don't tell me that you're actually going to leave?" he whined. His almost childish reaction hardly matched the sinister chakra that he was emitting. "And after all that tough talk?"
It couldn't be any clearer that Han would have liked nothing more than to tear Naruto's head off then and there. However, with the threat of Kurotsuchi activating his seal once more, he remained silent. Without another word, the Hidden Stone team each vanished in their own respective body flickers, leaving Naruto alone in the clearing. His shoulders sagged like a child who'd just been denied his favorite toy. With a disheartened sigh, Naruto swiveled his head around the clearing like an animal searching for prey.
Then, the entire world seemed to freeze for Team 10 as Naruto looked right where they were hiding.
"I know you're over there, ya know?" Naruto called out with a playful grin — akin to a cat taunting a mouse. "Come on out."
While their instincts screamed at them to run, Team 10 couldn't bring themselves to move at all. This person calling out to them wasn't Naruto — it couldn't be! For all of his flaws, Naruto always seemed like he was a pretty good guy — even if he was a bit strange. However, right now, he had the look of a deranged psychopath. And yet, that observation didn't even include his bone-chilling chakra, which was what kept Team 10 rooted in place despite their desire to flee.
Naruto was currently acting like a demon who was failing miserably to disguise himself as a human. Had he always been like this and just kept it under wraps? Or had something happened to him in the forest?
"Are you really going to make me walk all the way over there?" Naruto groaned before ultimately shrugging his shoulders. "Alright, then."
With each step that Naruto took in their direction, Team 10 felt their hearts pound faster and faster. Ino and Shikamaru were frozen with fear, while Chōji was continuing to close his eyes and cover his head — as if pretending that nothing was happening would somehow make the problem go away. Eventually, Naruto reached their position and peeked over the bushes.
And then, in an instant, the feeling of impending doom vanished.
"Oh, it's you guys," Naruto casually greeted. By this point, his malevolent chakra and demonic features had vanished entirely, making it seem like they had never even been there in the first place. "What're you doing here?"
Watching Naruto return to his usual self so quickly was incredibly jarring. Even the talkative Ino was at a loss for words. While Team 10 remained tight-lipped, Naruto continued to look at them expectantly, as if he hadn't just been acting like a complete monster mere minutes ago.
"W-We heard a commotion and wanted to see what was happening," Ino explained as her trembling body made it difficult for her to speak — along with her teeth that chattered like she was in the cold. "We only got here just now, though, so we don't exactly know what happened."
Both Shikamaru and Chōji nodded in agreement, praying dearly that they weren't at risk for having seen too much. Thankfully, Naruto appeared satisfied with Ino's admittedly weak explanation and nodded slowly — though, it was evident that he was acutely aware of their strange behavior. Realizing that continuing to act afraid ran the risk of attracting more of Naruto's suspicion, Shikamaru subtly nudged Ino and Chōji in the ribs, prompting them to stand up.
"That guy was kinda scary, huh?" Naruto inquired with a playful smile — clearly referring to Han. "You guys are lucky that he didn't spot you."
Team 10 immediately nodded in agreement. They hoped that by playing along, they could convince Naruto that it was Han that they were afraid of, and not him. Frankly, it would be best for everyone involved if they all pretended like none of this even happened. In fact, Shikamaru internally deduced that Naruto mentioned Han on purpose as if he was trying to influence Team 10's recollection of what they'd witnessed.
Naruto's head then perked up in an apparent realization, "Hey, what scroll do you guys have?"
Deep down, Team 10 prayed that they didn't have the scroll that Naruto needed. Under normal circumstances, Ino would have never considered giving their scroll to anyone. However, given what she just witnessed, if Naruto were to demand that they hand over their scroll, she wasn't sure that she would have the stomach to deny him.
"A Heaven Scroll," Ino replied with tense shoulders.
"Oh, cool. You have the same one as us," Naruto responded, and Team 10 immediately sighed in relief.
After learning what scroll Team 10 possessed, Naruto reached into his weapon pouch and rummaged around. Then, much to their surprise, he pulled out two Earth Scrolls. Without hesitation, he held out one of the scrolls and smiled pleasantly.
"I found these while I was out on my own. Do you want one?" Naruto offered. "I only need one of them, ya know?"
Team 10 was almost too astounded to reply, so in the end, they could only nod dumbly. Shikamaru reached out to grab the scroll but was initially met with subtle resistance. He then looked directly into Naruto's eyes and was met with an icy stare that said more than any amount words could. It immediately became clear to Shikamaru that Naruto wasn't giving them an Earth Scroll out of the kindness of his heart. Rather, he was doing so in an attempt to buy their silence.
After weighing the possible consequences in his head, Shikamaru was soon reminded that Naruto was still waiting for a response. Before he was willing to hand over the Earth Scroll, he needed some kind of assurance that Team 10 would keep their mouths shut about what they saw. It was honestly a pretty fantastic deal. Team 10 was being allowed to leave unharmed, AND they were getting the scroll that they needed. Realizing that the choice was obvious, Shikamaru subtly nodded his head in acceptance of the terms. Looking decidedly pleased with himself, Naruto finally relinquished the scroll.
Once the exchange was completed, Ino suggested that it was about time that they went on their way. Naruto wished them luck, and Team 10 was quick to reciprocate the gesture. They then turned around and walked away as fast as they could without looking suspicious. At this point, they wouldn't be satisfied until they were entirely out of Naruto's sight.
Just before they walked out of view, Shikamaru looked over his shoulder to see that Naruto was carefully observing Team 10's departure. It was in that moment he pondered just how close he and his team had been to death.
Sakura abruptly woke up when she sensed a presence in the clearing. She peeked outside of the hollowed-out tree and nearly fell over when she saw that the "intruder" was just a squirrel. Sakura was immediately prepared to brush the small animal away, but then her keen eyes picked up on something threatening. Thinking quickly, she threw her kunai in front of the squirrel before it could get too close. Predictably, it was startled and immediately fled into the woods.
With a frown, Sakura pondered if her eyes had been playing tricks on her, 'Was that a paper bomb on the squirrel's back?' she wondered.
Ultimately, assuming the worst was the best course of action in the Forest of Death, Sakura steeled her nerves and prepared for some kind of attack. Some time passed before her suspicions were proven correct. Realizing that their ploy with the squirrel had failed, an enemy team emerged from the undergrowth. Sakura's heart sank when she recognized the unexpected guests as the Hidden Sound Team that Orochimaru spoke about the previous day. No doubt, they were operating under his orders.
'They managed to get by all of my traps,' Sakura internally lamented, noticing that none of the Sound trio had even so much as a scratch on their bodies.
"My apologies. Did we wake you?" the mummy-looking boy at the front of the group spoke. His head then tilted like a curious animal. "If you wouldn't mind, we'd actually like to fight Sayuri. Could you rouse her up as well?"
Looking back over her shoulder, Sakura noticed that Sayuri wasn't faring much better — even after a full night's sleep. She was hardly in any condition to be fighting anyone at the moment.
"She can't right now," Sakura responded — doing her best to appear confident. "Your boss Orochimaru made sure of that."
The Sound trio appeared shocked at the mention of Orochimaru's name.
'What on Earth could he be thinking, revealing himself so soon?' the leader of the Sound trio, Dosu, thought to himself. Their orders were to assassinate Sayuri, but there was no mention of Orochimaru getting involved first.
Zaku looked over at Dosu with a grim expression, "She knows about him," he blankly stated.
"She does," Dosu replied, knowing precisely what Zaku was thinking. They only planned on killing Sayuri's teammates if they tried to get in the way — but at this point, Sakura knew too much and needed to be silenced forever.
Sensing the impending danger, Sakura stepped out of the hollowed-out tree and threw a handful of shuriken at the Sound trio. However, Zaku countered the attack effortlessly by raising his hands and deflecting them with some kind of invisible force. Surprised by the unexpected counter, Sakura was barely able to react in time when she noticed Kin charging toward her with a kunai in hand.
Before the attack could land, Sakura rapidly weaved through six hand seals.
Without any resistance, Kin managed to plunge her kunai directly into Sakura's chest. While pleased to have landed the final blow, she was admittedly disappointed that the girl hadn't put up much of a fight. However, were Kin more observant, she would have noticed that her attack didn't draw any blood at all. Then, out of nowhere, Sakura's body exploded into hundreds of pink sakura petals.
'Genjutsu. And she caught all of us in it,' Dosu thought in surprise as he observed the clash. 'It would appear that this flower has thorns.'
Sakura then rose out of the ground like a phantom directly behind Kin and placed a kunai against her neck. Then, before Dosu and Zaku were given much time to think, she spun around and began using Kin as a human shield. Deep down, Dosu couldn't help but chastise himself for having underestimated Sakura's abilities. Clearly, she wasn't as powerless as they'd been informed. Meanwhile, Kin's face grew red in a mixture of embarrassment and rage.
"I don't want to hurt anyone — but I will if you take one step closer!" Sakura warned. Once she was sure that she had everyone's undivided attention, she continued. "Tell me everything that you know about Orochimaru — and what is the mark that he placed on Sayuri's neck?"
For a moment, Dosu and Zaku remained silent. However, much to Sakura's shock, they then began to smirk. Zaku then raised up his right hand and unleashed a sonic blast straight toward Sakura and Kin — clearly intent on killing them both. Time seemed to move slowly as it appeared as though their demise was inevitable.
Sakura was then swept off her feet at the final moment. While Kin was saved as well, her rescue was far less gentle, as she was knocked roughly onto the ground directly at Dosu and Zaku's feet. Looking up at her mysterious savior, Sakura was surprised to see that it was the strange boy who asked out Sayuri before the first exam — Rock Lee.
"Do not worry, Sakura. I am here to help," Lee assured with a smile before placing her back onto her feet. She soon recognized the squirrel from earlier perched on his shoulder.
Lee then looked back and frowned when he saw Sayuri's unconscious body. Meanwhile, Dosu and Zaku observed the new arrival with irritation. This entire process was taking too long. If not for all of these losers getting in the way, they would have already killed Sayuri by now. These Hidden Leaf pests were proving more troublesome than they could have anticipated.
Sayuri stood alone in an empty void. Then, out of nowhere, a small child manifested in front of her.
"Mom and dad didn't have to die," the child cried, wiping tears onto her sleeve.
It didn't take Sayuri very long to realize that she was looking at her older self.
"If you had been strong, you could have saved them," Sayuri's older-self continued. "Because you were weak, the entire clan was wiped out."
Sayuri was then bombarded by images of her dead clan. Many were people who she wasn't all familiar with, while some were close relatives that she used to interact with regularly — like her aunt and uncle. Lastly, she saw her parents, slumped over each other with blood pooling out of their mouths.
Suddenly, Sayuri's older self began to peel away the skin around her left eye, revealing pale skin and a golden serpentine eye underneath. No matter how much she willed it, she couldn't look away.
"You let them die," her older self taunted, her voice taking on a cruel tone. "All you did was watch."
Sayuri felt herself being pulled into the evil eye. It was then that her older self's voice was replaced entirely by Orochimaru's
"If only you had been strong."
Back in the actual world, Sayuri's body began to emanate a sickly purple chakra.
When Sayuri finally woke up, she had undergone a tremendous change. The power that she felt coursing through her body was unimaginable — beyond anything she could even imagine herself possessing. The curse mark had now extended to cover much of her skin, bringing with it a sinister chakra that reeked of death and decay.
Looking over into the clearing, Sayuri saw many people standing around in what looked like a small battlefield. Nevertheless, the only person who attracted her full attention was Sakura — who looked as though she'd been beaten to within an inch of her life. Upon seeing the state of her teammate, Sayuri felt herself become overtaken with an uncontrollable rage. Even while knowing nothing about what was going on, she was sure of one thing.
Whoever hurt Sakura was going to die — painfully.
"Why don't you back up that tough talk?" Sayuri heard the leader of the Hidden Sound team, Dosu, taunt. From what she could see, he was speaking to Neji Hyūga, who was perched up in a tree with his teammate, Tenten, at his side.
Neji was the first to notice that Sayuri had awoken.
"No. Evidently, there's no need for that," Neji remarked as he watched Sayuri enter the fray.
Confused as to what Neji was referring to, Sakura looked back to the hollowed-out tree and was elated to see that Sayuri had woken up. However, her relief was short-lived, as she immediately recognized that her teammate looked and felt different. Concurrently, when Team 10 laid eyes on Sayuri, they felt overtaken by a sense of déjà vu. Hadn't they encountered enough monstrous chakra for one day?
"Sakura," Sayuri spoke. Even her voice sounded more menacing. "Who did this to you?"
Apparently, the only person in the clearing without the desire for self-preservation, Zaku was quick to reply, "That would be me," he sneered.
Sayuri fixed her ominous Sharingan eyes directly on Zaku. More cautious than his teammate, Dosu laid eyes on Sayuri and immediately determined that they were out of their depths. Somehow, she'd survived being branded with the curse mark, and it had taken over most of her body. For a split second, Dosu saw a silhouette of Orochimaru looming behind Sayuri and knew that there was no longer any hope of victory.
Zaku seemed to notice Dosu's apprehension, "What? You scared of this half-dead little girl?" he inquired before raising up his hands and pointing them at Sayuri and Sakura. "Don't worry. I'll blow them away."
Dosu attempted to warn Zaku against attacking but was too late. His teammate unleashed a Supersonic Slicing Wave that nearly uprooted the entire clearing. Once the attack was finished, both Sayuri and Sakura were nowhere to be seen. Assuming that he had utterly obliterated them, Zaku smirked in delight. Killing them had been even easier than he expected.
"Blow who away?"
Zaku's eyes widened in shock when he heard Sayuri's voice behind him. He was then struck in the face by a back fist that sent him sailing multiple feet before ultimately landing back on the ground. Then, as soon as he rose back up to his feet, Sayuri performed the Phoenix Flower jutsu, spitting multiple miniature fireballs Zaku's way.
Eyeing the jutsu with contempt, Zaku raised his arms and unleashed a sonic airwave that immediately extinguished the flame. However, much to his shock, it was then revealed that there had been shuriken hidden within the flames. He was forced to raise his guard as he was hit head-on by the spinning projectiles.
While Zaku was distracted by the frontal attack, Sayuri vanished quickly and appeared at his back. She then planted her foot between his shoulder blades and pulled his arms as hard as she could, forcing him to bend over.
"You seem to be very proud of these arms of yours," Sayuri remarked with a cruel smile. "You must be very attached to them."
"W-What are you doing?" Zaku asked through gritted teeth.
Much to everyone's horror, Sayuri then tugged Zaku's arms back as roughly as she could, pulling his shoulders out of their sockets with a sickening pop. Sakura flinched away from the brutal display, in a mixture of both disgust and fear. Could this person actually be Sayuri?
After watching Zaku slump onto the ground in a defeated slump and a cry of agony, Sayuri finally shifted her focus to Dosu, "You're the last one, right?" she asked — clearly eager to test her new powers against someone else.
However, Sayuri was soon distracted by something in the corner of her eye. Upon looking over at the edge of the clearing, she saw an orange and blue figure walking toward them in the distance.
'Naruto,' Sayuri thought, immediately recognizing her teammate.
As soon as Sayuri caught sight of Naruto, she felt the anger evaporate from her body — followed shortly by the curse mark receding, much to everyone's relief. With the incredible power having faded away, she could no longer stand on her own two feet and quickly collapsed onto her butt. Realizing that he had a moment of advantage, Dosu swiftly gathered his teammate's unconscious bodies and vanished into the forest. Luckily for him, everyone else was too preoccupied to give chase.
"Sayuri!" Sakura shouted in joy. She could immediately feel that her teammate was back to normal.
Sayuri acknowledged Sakura's presence with a weary nod. She then recalled why she had returned to her usual self and shifted her attention back to the edge of the clearing. Sakura followed her gaze, and her eyes widened in surprise when she finally noticed Naruto as well. Another wave of happiness shot through her as she saw that her teammate was alive and well after so much time apart.
"What's going on?" Naruto asked with narrowed eyes once he finally entered the clearing. "Why are there so many people here?"
At this point, Sakura couldn't even begin to decide where to start. After all, Naruto had been separated from them right after the test began, and since then, so much had happened! — much of which she would have preferred to forget.
It was Neji who ultimately responded, being the only person in the clearing who wasn't injured or on edge, "Your teammates were nearly killed," he explained before gesturing over to Lee's unconscious body. "And one of ours was injured trying to save them."
In the meantime, Sakura carefully observed Naruto. He looked fine, with no visible injuries whatsoever. Making a mental note to ask him what happened to him while he was away, Sakura remembered everyone who came to her aid during her time of need. She quickly called out for Team 10 to come over while Neji and Tenten checked on Lee.
Oddly enough, Team 10 appeared hesitant to approach Team 7. Initially, Sakura thought they were afraid of Sayuri after seeing her taken over by the curse mark. However, she soon realized that the focus of their anxiety seemed to be Naruto of all people. Had something happened between Team 10 and Naruto in the forest?
"Are you going to ignore her?" Naruto called out with a scowl, causing Team 10 to practically jump out of their skins. "Get over here."
"Naruto, please be nice," Sakura quickly interjected as she noticed the harshness of his tone. "They helped me."
With a furrow of the brow, Naruto seemed to ponder Sakura's words before ultimately crossing his arms and averting his gaze. With the tension now faded a bit, Team 10 finally made their way over — while also making a conscious effort to stay as far away from Naruto as possible. Ino then proceeded to tend to Sakura's injuries — much like a mother fretting over her child after a playground accident.
As Sakura thanked Ino and her team for everything that they did, Naruto and Shikamaru exchanged a look — causing the latter to visibly flinch before looking away. After witnessing the strange interaction, Sayuri looked up at Naruto with tired eyes. He had a completely different presence now — one that stirred feelings of unease inside of her. Sayuri couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she would definitely seek some answers once she fully recovered.
"Take your teammate's advice," Neji suggested as he walked over to Team 7 and Team 10. "You should be grateful. In fact, since our teammate was injured protecting yours, I'd say that you owe us something in return."
Sakura immediately tensed as she felt another conflict brewing.
Neji observed their reactions before continuing, "What scroll do you have?" he asked, making his desire known.
"What?" Sakura asked with widened eyes. After all she and her team had been through trying to defend the scroll, and Neji wanted them to give it away?
Before Sakura could reply, Naruto walked into her view. His hands were stuffed into his pockets, but his posture was far less relaxed than it usually was. Almost immediately, Sakura realized that Naruto was itching for a fight.
"You know, I was hoping you'd say something like that," Naruto replied with a grin. "I've wanted to pay you back for a while now."
Neji observed Naruto with a frown, noting that he felt completely different than he had a day ago. Upon activating his Byakugan, he was shocked by what he saw. Naruto's chakra was — for lack of a better word — enormous. However, even more notably, there was a darker chakra that was mixed in with his own. For an instant, Neji thought he saw the head of a demonic fox manifest from the chakra before he deactivated his Byakugan on instinct.
Naruto watched Neji's reaction and smirked, "Don't back down now. You'd be the second guy to disappoint me today if you did."
Quickly regaining his composure, Neji entered a combat stance. He was followed soon after by Naruto, who manifested a red chakra chain from his lower back that hovered threateningly over his shoulder like a snake. The tension in the clearing could be cut with a knife. Team 10 slowly inched away in preparation to flee, Tenten watched with frightened eyes, and Sakura felt her heart sink at the apparent never-ending violence of the past few days.
On the other hand, Sayuri watched the brewing conflict in reserved silence — not sure how she felt about it. She was entirely in support of refusing to give Neji the scroll; she wasn't liking how Naruto was acting either. The person she was seeing now wasn't the boy who became her first and only friend. Seeing him also reminded her of how she hadn't been herself when the curse mark took over. Sayuri then tried to get back up to her feet but was too weak to even manage something as simple as that.
Thankfully, Sakura intervened in Sayuri's stead.
"Naruto, stop!"
Upon hearing Sakura's desperate cry, Naruto looked over his shoulder and was shocked to see tears dripping down her face. His eyes then widened when he noticed everyone in the clearing looking at him with fear. They were eyeing him warily as if he was some kind of monster.
"We've already been through so much. I just want the fighting to stop," Sakura pleaded. "So please…"
Naruto looked closely at Sayuri for the first time since entering the clearing and noticed just how unwell she looked. Her skin was pale and drenched with sweat, and she appeared almost fragile — not at all like the strong kunoichi that he had come to know. Why was he only noticing her condition now? Here he was, reunited with his teammates after nearly a day of not knowing whether they were even alive, and his first instinct was to brush them off in favor of picking a fight with some douchebag? Since when was he so callous and selfish?
Naruto looked down at his hands and noticed that they were trembling. It was only now that he realized just how strangely he'd been acting after his encounter with Genichiro in the forest. What was happening to him?
"I—" Naruto began but lost his words. He looked back at Sayuri and Sakura before quickly averting his eyes out of guilt. "I'm sorry."
Tenten was quick to interject on Neji's behalf, "We're sorry too," she said, earning a scowl from Neji in return. "Lee chose to come here and help. I'm sure that if he was awake right now, he wouldn't want anything in return. We're all comrades, after all."
Initially, everyone remained silent — still unsure about whether things were about to pop off or not. It wasn't until Naruto dispelled his chakra chain and Neji exited his fighting stance that they were able to breathe sighs of relief. Ino then proceeded to continue tending to Sakura's wounds, sending wary glances Naruto's way as she did.
Naruto was perceptive enough to pick up on Team 10's fear and decided that it would be best if he gave everyone some space. He attempted to walk away and find some tree to perch up in but was stopped when a hand weakly grabbed his wrist. Looking down at the culprit, Naruto was surprised to see Sayuri looking up at him with a stern gaze.
"Stay," Sayuri commanded in a hoarse voice, almost as if she were concerned that Naruto could disappear again at any moment.
Taking a brief glance over at Sakura and Team 10 before then turning back to Sayuri, Naruto nodded slowly, "Yeah. Okay, sure."
Realizing that Sayuri wasn't in much of a condition to get up and walk around, Naruto opted to plop down at her side. There was an awkward silence between the two as they watched Sakura interact with Team 10 as if they were old friends.
"Are you okay?" Sayuri asked lowly so that no one else would hear.
Naruto inspected Sayuri from the corner of his eye, "Yeah, I'm fine," he lied. "How about you? You don't look too hot right now."
Sayuri scowled in frustration. She hated appearing vulnerable, but it somehow felt worse when Naruto was there to see it, "Just tired," she said, downplaying her condition. "I'll feel better soon."
Choosing to take Sayuri at her word, Naruto simply nodded in response before silence reigned once more. Suddenly, he remembered something and looked down at Sayuri's wrist — which was still covered by one of her wrist warmers.
"Do you still have the scroll?" Naruto asked, only now remembering the whole reason that they were in the forest in the first place.
With a nod, Sayuri removed her wrist warmer and revealed that the seal on her wrist still contained the Heaven Scroll.
For the first time since they'd been reunited, Naruto grinned in a way that Sayuri immediately found familiar. He then dug through his weapon pouch before pulling out an Earth Scroll — much to her surprise. If that scroll was actually the real deal, it meant that all they needed to do was make it to the tower, and they would pass the second exam.
"When the hell did you get that?" Sayuri asked.
Naruto shrugged, "I found it while I was looking for you guys," he explained. "Pretty lucky, huh?"
"I'd hardly say that luck has been on our side," Sayuri replied with a slight smirk.
"Yeah, no kidding," Naruto snickered in agreement.
Maybe things would go back to normal after all?
(The Following Day)
After parting ways with their comrades, Team 7 finally continued their journey through the forest. Despite having been beaten up badly the previous day, Sakura walked with an extra pep in her step. She felt infinitely more confident with Naruto and Sayuri at her side — even with the numerous questions she had bouncing around her head. Rather than fixating on the growing darkness that she sensed in her teammates, Sakura chose to focus on the joy she felt at having them back.
"I hate my life."
Sakura had to suppress a giggle when she heard Sayuri complain for what felt like the hundredth time in the past fifteen minutes. Upon looking over her shoulder, she was immediately reminded why. The incredibly proud and dignified Sayuri Uchiha was being carried piggyback as if she were an injured child. To make matters worse, it was Naruto of all people that was holding her.
Naruto's brow furrowed in annoyance, "How do you think I feel? I'm the one who has to lug you around like a mule," he responded. "And you smell like a bag of sweaty laundry, ya know?"
"You do too, idiot. We've been in a disgusting forest for over two days now," Sayuri countered. Her cheeks were flushed red for several reasons — mainly embarrassment at being carried and discomfort at having her body pressed up against Naruto's back for so long. It was one thing to make physical contact with him during sparring but being this close to him was totally different!
Seeing her teammates bicker brought a smile to Sakura's face. She knew that they had only been in the forest for about two days but watching Naruto and Sayuri interact together hit her with a wave of nostalgia. It almost felt as if Team 7 had been reunited after years apart. And seeing everyone acting the way that they used to made Sakura feel as though nothing had changed — even when deep down she knew that wasn't the case at all.
"Maybe we should find a river and wash up a bit?" Sakura suggested. "It might not be as good as a shower or bath, but at least we could rinse off some of this sweat and dirt."
Sayuri and Naruto both exchanged a look before shrugging in agreement. Getting cleaned up did sound nice.
Soon after determining their objective, Team 7 found the main river that ran through the center of the forest. Naruto dropped Sayuri on her butt like a sack of potatoes and immediately began removing his clothes — much to the latter's chagrin. Sakura blushed at her teammate's boldness and covered her eyes. However, after peaking through her fingers, she was relieved to see that he had enough tact to keep his boxers on — which she supposed, in this case, weren't all that different than swim trunks.
Without hesitation, Naruto walked to the edge of the river and dove headfirst into the water. He remained underneath the surface for almost thirty seconds before eventually rising back up with a splash. He then proceeded to shake the water out of his hair like a wet dog. Sayuri scowled at Naruto's careless behavior but secretly envied him as she noted just how pleasant the water looked.
"Naruto, you have to be gentle with Sayuri!" Sakura chastised — unintentionally making Sayuri frown in annoyance. She wasn't some broken teacup that had just been glued back together.
For a while, the two girls watched as Naruto proceeded to wash his body. Sakura was hesitant to take off her clothes and get in the water, while Sayuri was too sore to do it on her own and too proud to ask for help. After a few minutes, Naruto finally finished and walked out of the water, stretching his tired limbs. Sayuri felt a bead of sweat trickle down the side of her head as she noticed Sakura's cheeks grow beet-red at the display. It was evident that she didn't have much experience being around boys with so little clothes on.
"Hurry up and get lost so we can clean up too," Sayuri ordered after growing sick of waiting.
Naruto looked at Sayuri and Sakura with a raised brow, "Shouldn't we stick together? I think this place has proven itself to be super dangerous by now."
Sayuri's eyes narrowed in suspicion, "Why?" she asked. "So you can sneak peeks on us while we bathe?"
"Pfft, as if. Your chests are as flat as mine."
If not for her physical condition, Sayuri would have burned Naruto to a crisp — with an equally offended Sakura cheering in the background, no doubt.
"Fine, fine," Naruto relented when he noticed the death glares that he was receiving. Maybe he'd been a little too blunt. "I'll go get us something to eat."
Naruto proceeded to walk further down the river, likely to catch some fish. Once he was finally out of sight, Sayuri and Sakura finally felt comfortable to undress. It couldn't have come at a better time either, as the early afternoon sun bore down on them intensely. It wasn't long until they finally stepped into the water, which was thankfully incredibly lukewarm and relaxing. This had definitely been an incredible idea.
As the two girls soaked in the water, Sayuri noticed Sakura taking stealthy glances at the curse mark. It immediately reminded her of her fight with Orochimaru and the pain that she had endured after being branded with his mark. Yet, what stuck with Sayuri the most was how good she felt when the power of the curse mark coursed through her body. It made her feel like she could take on the entire world. Yet, it also felt forbidden and vile — hence her guilt and shame.
"You can stop looking at it, you know?" Sayuri finally deadpanned when she realized that Sakura wasn't going to stop eyeing-up the curse mark unless she spoke up. "It's not like it'll make it go away or anything."
Sakura flinched at being caught red-handed, "S-Sorry."
Sayuri sighed at Sakura's reaction. It wasn't her intention to be rude to someone who did some much to help her, "Look, if anything else happens, I'll tell you first," Sayuri said. "Okay?"
Despite Sayuri's words of assurance, Sakura didn't appear all that convinced. Nevertheless, she didn't pry any further, and the two continued to relax in silence. Though, after a while, it was clear that Sakura still had something to get off her chest.
"Ino said something to me before we all parted ways," Sakura spoke up, earning a look from Sayuri. "She said that we needed to be careful around Naruto — that there was something wrong with him."
Frankly, Sayuri wasn't all that concerned with Ino's opinion. She'd always come off as a pretty superficial and nosy person. Nevertheless, deep down, Sayuri couldn't deny the change she'd noticed in Naruto after they were reunited. Yet, she felt that it would be hypocritical of her to bring it to light considering her incident with the curse mark. She was hardly the person to judge in a situation like this.
"Will you talk to him, please?"
Sayuri blinked, "Me?" she asked with a frown. "Why?"
With a roll of the eyes, Sakura responded, "You know why," she said. "You're probably the only person in the world that he'd talk to about something like this."
Perhaps it may have seemed that way, but Sayuri had a feeling that Naruto was the kind of person that rarely revealed anything to anyone. In her opinion, the only reason he was comfortable enough to speak with Haku was because he was conversing with a stranger that he assumed he would never meet again. Even after Sayuri revealed the truth about her clan being destroyed, Naruto still didn't say anything about his own desire for revenge — which she was only privy to because she overheard his confession during a private conversation.
"I'll try," was all Sayuri was willing to offer. She wouldn't make any promises.
It was at that moment where Sayuri realized just how much she'd changed over the past six months. Before becoming a member of Team 7, she wouldn't have even wasted her time entertaining other people's problems. Now she was essentially volunteering to be a counselor to Naruto of all people — a person who she initially hated.
Time sure had a way of changing people.
"Thank you," Sakura said with a warm smile. "I don't know what I'd be doing now without you guys."
Sayuri shook her head, "You're stronger than you think," she countered. "You just don't give yourself enough credit."
"Maybe," Sakura conceded before moving a strand of hair behind her ear. "But I'm not like you two."
More than most, Sayuri knew the pain of being compared to other people. She spent her entire childhood being Itachi Uchiha's sister, after all. No matter how much progress she made or how strong she became, Sayuri always felt inferior to her brother — even to this day. It served as her motivation, but it also didn't lead to her being a very happy person.
"Don't compare yourself to other people," Sayuri advised, earning a surprised look from Sakura. "You only need to be better than you were yesterday."
There was an odd sense of satisfaction that fluttered in Sayuri's chest when she saw Sakura's spirits visibly improve. Whether she actually believed her own words was irrelevant. Sayuri was smart enough to acknowledge her faults, but that didn't mean that she had to stand by and watch Sakura fall into the same mistakes that she had.
Because for some reason, Sayuri couldn't bear the idea of Sakura becoming anything like her.
Naruto returned shortly after Sayuri and Sakura finished up in the river. He was carrying a fishing rod made from his chakra over his right shoulder, and a chakra net containing three fish. Shortly after, they made a fire — which Sayuri lit using a fire jutsu — and began eating to their hearts content. Before now, they'd snacked on the occasional berries or nuts that they gathered in the forest, but with was the first real meal that they'd eaten in days.
"Hey, that smells pretty good."
Predictably, Team 7 grew defensive the moment they heard the intrusive voice. Identifying the intruder to be located behind the bushes, Sayuri activated her Sharingan and armed herself with a kunai — while Naruto and Sakura made similar battle preparations. However, it was then revealed that unexpected guest was a fellow Hidden Leaf shinobi — Kabuto Yakushi. Sayuri immediately recognized him as the senior participant who gave them advice during the first exam.
Kabuto casually smiled at Team 7's aggression as he walked out of forest, "I assure you, I come in peace," he said with raised arms.
"What do you want?" Sayuri asked, not at all convinced by Kabuto's words.
Even though Kabuto presented himself as a helpful guy, Sayuri didn't fully trust him. In fact, it was his generosity that she was most suspicious about. What benefit did Kabuto have from assisting the competition? As far as Sayuri could tell, the answer was none. Therefore, she was left to wonder why he did it in the first place. The fact that his motivations remained unknown was what bothered Sayuri the most.
"I'm not here for your scroll, if that's what you're worried about," Kabuto explained before reaching into his pouch and pulling out a Heaven and Earth Scroll. "Like you guys, I already have both scrolls."
As soon as Kabuto revealed that he had both scrolls, Sakura seemed to be put at ease. However, Naruto and Sayuri remained wary.
"What makes you think that we have both scrolls?" Naruto questioned.
Kabuto smiled, "You show no panic or urgency. You're taking your time heading to the tower. If you didn't already have both scrolls, you'd be scrambling to find one before it's too late," he explained. "So, as you can see, we have no quarrel. After all, outside of the exam, we're Hidden Leaf comrades."
"So what?" Naruto continued, causing Kabuto's brows to raise in surprise. "That doesn't mean we should trust you. A lot of people in this exam have shown that they have their own motives that supersede the scrolls. How can we know that you aren't one of those people?"
Sayuri nodded in agreement. Credit where credit was due, Naruto was more perceptive than she was probably willing to admit. Sayuri's thoughts immediately shifted to Orochimaru and the Hidden Sound team. They clearly had no interest in the Chūnin Exams and were merely using it to execute their own mysterious goals.
After taking a few moments to process Naruto's almost accusatory question, Kabuto smirked and adjust his glasses, "I'm impressed, Naruto. You're a true shinobi after all," he complimented. "You're right, I do have my own motives. But I feel confident that they align with yours. May I have a seat?"
A few moments passed, but Naruto eventually nodded. Quick to accept the invitation, Kabuto sat down opposite Team 7 and began to warm his hands over the fire. As Sayuri observed his behavior, she had to admit that he was an incredible actor if he actually was actually a threat. Kabuto truly came off as a harmless person, right down to his mannerisms.
"Thank you," Kabuto said after settling in. "Well, like you, I'm trying to safely make it to the tower. However, the only difference is that my teammates and I were separated. More than a minor inconvenience, you can imagine."
Team 7 didn't need to think hard to know what that was like.
"Anyway, now that I've managed to acquire the scrolls that we need, I'm meeting my team at the tower," Kabuto continued. "But, as I'm sure you've already figured out yourselves, a lot of teams are going to be staking out the perimeter of the tower in hopes of getting the scroll that they need. It'll be dangerous to travel there alone."
"So, you want to tag along with us?" Naruto asked with a frown. He'd been offered this deal before. Needless to say, it didn't work out well for him last time.
Kabuto simply nodded.
"Why should we agree to that?" Sayuri interjected. "What do you have to offer us in exchange for protection?"
Even under normal conditions, Sayuri was hardly a charitable person. However, the Forest of Death had the habit of rendering even the kindest people completely paranoid. Therefore, Sayuri was feeling even less helpful than she normally did.
Seemingly prepared for such a question, Kabuto smirked confidently, "I'm actually glad that you were the one to ask," he said — speaking to Sayuri specifically. "I happen to be a medical-nin, and from what I can tell, you're in serious need of some treatment."
Team 7 had mixed reactions. Both Naruto and Sayuri were suspicious of the fact that Kabuto was aware of the latter's physical condition. On the other hand, Sakura was secretly thrilled to be talking to a medical-nin. Up until this point, she had been completely self-taught, so she was kind of hoping that Naruto and Sayuri would accept Kabuto's offer so she could ask him for some tips.
"Sakura already used her medical ninjutsu and it didn't work," Sayuri responded.
"Can I assume that Sakura is a novice?" Kabuto asked. When he earned a nod of confirmation from Sakura, he continued. "Well, I have experience using medical ninjutsu that extends back to before I was ever even a shinobi. I'm sure that I'll be able to help."
Admittedly, the prospect of having an experienced medic on their side was very appealing. Especially for Sakura, seeing as Kabuto was the first real medic-nin that she had ever met. There was undoubtedly an opportunity for her to learn. However, more importantly, Kabuto could possibly be able to get Sayuri back in fighting shape.
"I don't know anything about medical ninjutsu. How can I be sure that you're not trying to hurt her?" Naruto asked with crossed arms. Sayuri's face nearly became red in embarrassment. Feeling so vulnerable was incredibly humiliating.
Kabuto smiled and adjusted his glasses, "What kind of fool would I be to tangle with both of this year's top rookies?" he retorted. "Besides, once this exam ends, we'll all be returning to the same village. If I betray you now, what will stop you from getting revenge on me later?"
Despite Kabuto's explanation, Naruto hardly appeared convinced. He prepared to speak once more but stopped when Sayuri raised one of her hands in a request of silence, "It's fine," she interjected. "Anything to keep me from having to be carried around for the rest of the exam."
Naruto frowned but remained silent. Clearly, he respected Sayuri's right to make decisions for herself — which she appreciated. She didn't trust Kabuto all the much either. Still, she was also aware that Naruto would be able to take him out quickly if anything happened.
Once he was given permission to evaluate her, Kabuto asked Sayuri questions about her condition. Once she was finished, he reached out with pale green chakra around his hand and began to hover it over her body. Almost immediately, Sayuri started to feel the dull pain vanish. Once Kabuto was finished, he released the jutsu and began to dig around inside his weapons pouch and pulled out a small bottle of pills.
"It seems like you somehow managed to contract chakra poisoning," Kabuto explained. "Normally, my medical jutsu would be enough, but since you're in an exam, you can't afford to spend days in recovery. Take this medication every twelve hours, and in a week, you should be fine."
Sayuri observed the bottle with doubt, "What is that?"
"They're chakra pills," Kabuto said. "Right now, your chakra is being eroded, and these pills will replenish it."
With a bit of hesitation, Sayuri reached out for the bottle of pills and observed their warily. If they were going to help her regain strength in time for the next stage of the exam, she would take them without hesitation. Nevertheless, Sayuri would have been more comfortable receiving medication from someone that she trusted.
(Evening)
Having made steady progress on their journey, and with the end in sight, Kabuto advised that they settle in for the night. Personally, Sayuri would have preferred to head straight for the tower. Yet, apparently, a lot of teams were most active during the night. Kabuto advised that they make the final push to the tower at dawn. Sakura agreed with his strategy, and therefore, so did Naruto and Sayuri.
"You're actually very talented," Kabuto complimented as he and Sakura talked shop. "I haven't heard of a genin teaching themselves the Mystical Palm jutsu without any prior experience with medical ninjutsu."
Sayuri couldn't help but roll her eyes as Sakura blushed at the praise.
"Well — I mean — I had a scroll that explained how the jutsu worked," Sakura sputtered. It was clear that she wasn't quite used to being the center of attention.
Kabuto smiled and adjusted his glasses, "All the more impressive," he said. "Would you be interested in reading some of my notes? A lot of it is from when I was beginning to learn medical ninjutsu. You might find it helpful."
As Sakura's eyes lit up at the opportunity, Sayuri felt that now was the time to take her leave. She still didn't like Kabuto, but at the same time, she didn't want to interfere with Sakura's development. Upon looking around their camp, Sayuri saw Naruto manning the perimeter. It was his turn to keep watch, but that didn't mean that she couldn't tag along for a bit.
Upon crouching down at his side, neither Sayuri nor Naruto spoke. At first, she didn't know whether he noticed that she had moved to his side. Yet, after a while, Naruto acknowledged Sayuri's presence and ended the silence.
"Was their nerd-talk really boring enough to drive you over here?" Naruto joked.
Looking back over her shoulder, Sayuri saw Sakura and Kabuto pouring over a notebook and felt that Naruto's description of the duo was fairly accurate. Nevertheless, he wasn't exactly correct in his assumption of why she left. It was less the topic of conversation and more the person that Sakura was conversing with.
Sayuri scowled, "I don't like that guy," she explained simply.
Naruto's lips straightened into a thin line, but he didn't elaborate as to whether he agreed or not. He'd already made his opinion on Kabuto known earlier in the day. He only ever agreed to the older genin's terms because Sayuri needed help. Otherwise, he would have never considered letting someone else tag along with them. Admittedly, Kabuto's experience had proven to be rather useful thus far, but still.
"You don't like anybody," Naruto countered with a smirk.
Was that true? Six months ago, Sayuri would have agreed. In fact, she specifically remembered saying during her introduction to Team 7 that she didn't particularly like anything. And yet, as time passed, she couldn't just ignore the time that she had spent with her team. Even Sayuri couldn't remain a complete loner when working so closely with other people for six months.
After a few moments of consideration, Sayuri responded, "I like you."
Usually, Sayuri would never admit something like that to anyone — even Naruto. Their bond was more of an unspoken fellowship that was rarely reinforced with words. Yet, for some reason, tonight felt different. After they were separated when Orochimaru attacked, Sayuri had no idea where Naruto was or how he was doing. She was confident enough in his strength to assume that he would make it, but deep down, she knew that there was a slim possibility that he would never return.
"Hmm, I guess you're pretty alright too," Naruto said with a small smile — one that was a bit warmer than usual. For some reason, Sayuri felt her heart flutter as she witnessed the brief flash of contentment on his face.
At this point, Sayuri was comfortable admitting that Naruto was probably the most important person currently in her life. He accepted her for who she was and didn't view her as some broken soul that needed to be repaired. That was often what prevented her from respecting any of her peers during her time at the Academy. They either didn't know anything about her, or when they did, they felt that she needed fixing.
"I have something that I need to tell you," Sayuri suddenly said — blunt as ever.
She received a bewildered look from Naruto in response, "If this is some kind of love confession, I feel like you could have set the mood a little better," he remarked. "I mean, a creepy forest hardly screams romance."
As if to illustrate his point, the sound of another participant wailing in terror echoed through the night.
"See?"
Sayuri shook her head in annoyance, "You think too highly of yourself," she deadpanned. Her expression then grew more serious. "It's nothing like that. It's about the Land of Waves."
Naruto's brows rose at the unexpected topic, "What about it?"
Sayuri struggled to find the right words for what she was trying to say. Contrary to what most would believe, she was hardly a wordsmith — and yes, that was obvious sarcasm.
"I overheard your conversation with Haku in the woods," Sayuri revealed, deciding that she didn't have the social skills to beat around the bush, even if she wanted to. "I was out trying to find you since you didn't return for breakfast and accidentally heard everything."
Unsure what she had been expecting, Sayuri was mildly surprised when her confession was met with silence. When she looked over at Naruto to gauge his reaction further, she found that he was merely staring at her. Frankly, Sayuri had expected anger, or at the very least mild annoyance. It's how she knew she would have felt were she in his position.
"Is that why you told me about your clan?" Naruto asked.
Sayuri nodded, "I felt that you'd be able to understand — and that you deserved to know."
Almost immediately, Sayuri felt a weight lifted off of her shoulders. For months now, she had been living with the burden of knowing Naruto's secret, and now she was finally able to get that off of her chest. The fact that he responded so maturely also made Sayuri's admiration for him grow even further.
"If you want to ask me about it, I'll tell you," Naruto suddenly spoke up, earning a shocked look from Sayuri.
It took a moment for Sayuri to process Naruto's words. Perhaps it was because the cat was already out of the bag, but it seemed as though he was opening up to the possibility of discussing his past. Were she a more sentimental person, Sayuri would have definitely marked this moment down as a significant milestone in their friendship. Yet, practical as she was, she focused more on determining which questions she wanted answered most.
"This person who took everything from you…what exactly did they do?" Sayuri began. It was the most obvious question to ask first.
Naruto released a slow breath and interlocked his fingers together as he gathered the will to discuss such a painful topic. However, he recognized that Sayuri was someone who suffered similar hardships throughout her life. If she could find the strength to tell him about her suffering, then he could do the same for her.
"On the night that I was born, a man interfered with my birth and killed my parents," Naruto explained. "I don't know who he is or why he did it, but I'm gonna find out."
The night of Naruto's birth? That immediately eliminated Itachi as Sayuri's prime suspect. Naruto described his parent's killer as a man, and at that time, her brother was only five years old. Secretly, Sayuri was a bit relieved to learn that Itachi couldn't have been involved. At this point, she wasn't sure if she could stomach any more secret revelations involving her brother's past. Discovering that he killed their entire clan was enough.
At this point, Sayuri only had one other question, "Did he have the Sharingan?" she asked.
Naruto looked at Sayuri and frowned, "Was it that obvious?" he said. Naruto quickly realized that she must have deduced that fact based on his reaction to seeing her Sharingan for the first time. "Yeah, he did, but only in his right eye — at least as far as I know. He wore a mask."
A masked shinobi with only one Sharingan. Who did that remind Sayuri of? She knew that Kakashi obviously wasn't responsible. Still, the comparison did highlight the possibility that the person who killed Naruto's parents didn't necessarily have to be an Uchiha. For obvious reasons, Sayuri was hoping for that to be the case. With Itachi still lurking around, her clan had enough bastards dragging their name through the mud.
"One day, he'll get what he deserves," Sayuri assured before glaring at the ground. She was saying that to herself as much as she was to Naruto. If someone like that didn't get the justice they deserved, then Sayuri would lose what little faith she had left in the world.
Naruto nodded in quiet agreement. For another few minutes, he and Sayuri didn't talk. This time, however, the silence was almost soothing and didn't forebode any uncomfortable talk. Sayuri was sure that there were still secrets between them, but that was normal.
"Thanks for telling me. You didn't have to, but you did anyway," Naruto spoke softly as he looked up at the night sky. "You're a good friend, ya know?"
Sayuri looked over to Naruto, and her entire world froze. Seeing this real, vulnerable side of him was so different than what she was used to. Naruto was always so guarded, usually hiding behind a blithe persona. Sayuri learned to like that version of Naruto over time — but these tender moments with him were what she was beginning to cherish most. It was through such moments that she realized she wanted to know his true self even more.
The moonlight then broke through the clouds and illuminated Naruto's face. Oddly enough, observing him under such a light made Sayuri feel like she was seeing him for the very first time. Her heart began to beat rapidly in her chest, and her cheeks subsequently reddened. Thankfully, Naruto had no clue that he was being watched, so Sayuri wasn't caught in such a compromising position. It was only when the moonlight was obscured once more that she was sent right back to reality.
Internally, Sayuri vowed to pretend that moment never happened.
~End~
Thanks for reading! Next chapter will be the preliminary matches.