21. I'll aim to complete Forest of Death within this and the next chapter, though that may be anywhere between now and a month (:) Author has a couple tests lined upcoming Monday, and I have homework and notes to do. Started on 4 March – Completed a while after…


Dear Prince (Guest),

I'm glad you find they mesh well. In this sense, I built their relationship around each other, but what is between them is more sibling-love, perhaps even more that Young!Sakura and Young!Shikamaru. The latter has been taking a sideline, but I promise that within this chapter and the next, we will run along canon, and we'll have more of Sakura's positive interactions.


Given the entire nature of the test, Kabuto was honestly surprised when Examiner Morino smiled.

He'd been worrying greatly for his kouhai's team because of their status as they were.

With Sakura's hidden paranoia, Naruto-kun's spontaneity and Sasuke's tendency to react out in anger, they were a complementary set of chain explosives.

But his fears had so far been unfounded, given that he could sense his kouhai's chains help keep her calm by connecting to her teammates.

That, and that he, like the examiners, could understand their Konoha code taps.

"And that was the final question of our paper."

He blinks because this is far from his first or second test – there has never been a tenth question like this one on determination.

Naruto-kun is clearly surprised and then, he's gently coaxed back into his seat by Sakura's chains.

Of course, Inuzuka-san jumps from his seat, "So the rest of the questions were meaningless?!"

Kabuto thinks that the boy is making too big a fuss, considering his paper is blank.

Morino-san frowns.

"Sit down, Inuzuka."

He snaps his mouth shut, the white puppy on his head whining softly.

The examiner goes back to addressing the entire room of now just over ten teams.

"Let me explain. This is Konoha's attempt at finding candidates – teams rather, with members that can hold their own under pressure. Again, this type of tenth 'question' has never been done. And usually, the first test leaves behind more teams. It is usually simply an information recall cum gathering test. Therefore all you who have stayed, are judged to be pressure resistant to a certain extent. For us as shinobi, this ability is crucial. Would anyone care to guess why?"

He allows himself a thin smile because fear makes people learn, fear, is a great motivator, the instinct of preservation.

It is a learning curve indeed.

Without much fanfare, their examiner unwinds his bandana.

And immediately Kabuto, like his kouhai and other medics present, begin cataloguing the wounds.

The injuries speak for themselves, Morino-san says no more.

Kabuto's eyes drift to survey the remaining teams, noting their eyes – all glued to the screw and burn marks.

Ah, what a twisted, perversion of the human mind.

For greater men had perished under similar attacks. He was no stranger to torture, maybe even an adept at causing pain.

Tolerating it, less so, but nonetheless competent.

Twirl any of the Genin in the room around his thumb, twist them between fingers and puppet them with light touches.

He pushes up his spectacles, attempting to compose himself, a humming chain wrapping around his forearm.

Was it his desire to hurt, or something else that drew the chain to him?

Shaking hands closing around a source of comfort, pulling from him, the deep-seated yearning, amalgamation of disgust and acceptance, pulling it out into the open for both of them to see.

Pulsing, once, twice, he imagines her voice, "Senpai…"

He doesn't have to imagine her smile, because it's directed at him, gentle, still accepting no matter what the circumstance.

ah it tears him up inside and patches him back together.

"That is the purpose of the tenth question. That will be all from me. I will hand you off to your next examiner to explain the next section."


A most astonishing lady steps forward from behind the first examiner's hulking figure.

Purple hair, spiky like he knows her personality to be.

Skin tight fishnet suit, a generous figure covered by a tan overcoat – met by low wolf whistles in the crowd.

A hat tip to her loud, outspoken personality, ah a personality shaped by his own master.

So while the other members of Konoha may suspect her for her former relation to Orochimaru, Kabuto has never once suspected her loyalty.

Because in the aftereffects of betrayal, that girl never once asked to be taken with him.

Perhaps he had never offered, but she had never asked.

"Attention brats!"

He snaps back to attention, watching her physical cues carefully – she's at ease.

Hand in a pocket, the other outstretched. She's cleared her stage, drawing all attention to her.

"This is no time to celebrate. I am the second examiner, Mitarashi Anko!"

Pupil-less eyes raking across the crowd, he's ever so careful as to display just enough fear.

"Eleven teams hm… Ahh Ibiki if you had taken any more from me I would have been upset. No matter, since I'll be cutting that number by at least half."

He taps on the chain, loose around his wrist.

"It's a survival cum collection task."

Frankly, he doesn't have to tell Sakura that for her to know, but he's bored – ah wasn't that a faux pas?

Her face turns towards him, eyes closing meaningfully.

"There're some good teams this year. But they're far and few between."

Morino-san looks over the now, more spacious room.

"If you say so. Well everyone, don't be late tomorrow. Ask your Jonin sensei for directions."

Examiners focussing on him, so he smiles guilelessly, for Mitarashi-san is a friend of Sakura's dance trainer, and he is by extension someone the lady would look out for.


Like with many things, even choosing how to pack had trade-offs.

Storing things in storage scrolls minimised weight, but increased chances of loss.

It's a five-day survival exercise, with battles and the whole package of dangers included.

Sensei tips them off that there're ferocious animals of all sorts, and that such creatures become more aggressive the further in they move.

The main tower, their likely end-point, is right in the middle of the forest and a river passing through the North-West edge to the South-East.

Of course, Kaka-sensei declines to be their sounding board for strategies, mask crinkling the way it always does, "Maa, I can't give my Genin too great a leg up on the other teams can I?"

His gestures betray this wish to be impartial – "Sakura, if you all ever need the help desperately, you have to call me, even if it means failing."

Many people tend to overlook the fact that Sensei is the product of his sensei as well, he's not entirely his own person.

Given that he knew the Fourth's Rasengan, would it come as a surprise that he knew the Hiraishin as well?

"Can it be taught, Sensei?"

His heart rumbles in its own disappointment.

He can't teach Sensei's kid sensei's own techniques.

Tapping his covered eye, it's a talk not just for his Uchiha, but everyone in his team.

"For all the magic in Obito's eye, I can't remake it. All I can do is give you this, in hope that with enough desperation, you'll be able to pull me through space and time."

Sakura's resignation belies the intention behind the reply because she passes that piece of paper over to Naruto who cradles it like a sheet of gold.

"If we called… Would you come?"

Because of them all, Sasuke fears abandonment the most so he's silently assessing his sensei of about a year.

"You all are strong in your own right. But I'll be around, so if you ever need me… I'll come."

It's a promise willingly given, just words.

A clap and a shout of enthusiasm, Naruto draws them back to their task at hand.

"I vote we bring storage scrolls, especially since we have to trek over ten kilometres!"

They nod in agreement and sensei turns to leave.

"Sleep early tonight, alright, kids?"

They yabber on furiously (Naruto mostly) and he's content to leave, because he's sure they'll be all right.


"Before we assign you all to your gates, please ensure you've submitted your waivers. They discharge Konoha of any responsibility should you die during this portion of the exam."

Sakura looks into the deep green, the shuffling of papers around her like a lullaby.

Little child soldiers, signing away their own lives.

Scarcely did her hands begin to move before she was tugged into a run, a mechanical movement.

Leg forward, the next leg following closely behind.

A lost smile spreading across her face, before Naruto waves his hands in front of her.

"Sakura-chaaan? Are you awake?"

She laughed and then looked to Sasuke.

"We'll make for the tower like we discussed yesterday. If we're lucky, we'll run into a group along the way and get the scroll we need. We're carrying the Heaven scroll, like Team 8 and 10."

"That's nice… It wouldn't have been nice to fight friends."

Naruto nods in reply, before stating that he sealed their scroll into the food storage scroll.

Sakura takes point, pulsing for Shika-chan, Hinata-chan, and her senpai's location.

Senpai's return pulse is the weakest, so his team is the furthest, followed by Shika-chan's, then Hinata-chan's.

"Ne Sakura-chan, can you do the pulse thing for the sound team that hurt Kabuto-sensei? I think they had an earth scroll."

She shakes her head, "I'd never form a chain for such people. Though, if it's retribution you're looking for, they'll come for us soon enough."

And they've been moving along the normal from their gate, 12, for close to an hour now, with no sounds of fighting, only the local fauna.

"Well, us Heaven, Hinata-chan and Shika-chan both Heaven. Kabuto-senpai, Lee-san and that Oto team with Earth. Of the Suna teams that Sensei warned us about earlier, only the one with the Kazekage's children passed. We don't know their scroll, but we should assume they're strong, since Sensei explicitly warned us. So seven teams so far. There was one Ame team that flunked after the other which gave up, so two Ame teams. Then one Taki team… and one Kusa?"

"Oh yeah the Kusa team! That one had a creepy girl with a long tongue, she tried to lick me."

Sakura giggles at the grossed-out face Naruto makes, but she- has always been protective of those whom people shunned.

"He did lick you Naruto, and he complimented you at that. Said you tasted of optimism and happiness."

Naruto brightens up at the reminder, "Aha so Sakura-chan you were just pretending to be asleep! But she, he? was nice. Nice but creepy."

Sasuke holds a hand up at that, trembling lips threatening to break into a smile.

"Shh. I think some team is going to intersect our path on the ground. But I think they aren't looking for a battle, they aren't hiding their chakra at all. If it comes too, Naruto just clone, Sakura chain and disable, I'll snag the scroll and knock them out."

It's a drill they've practised on Tora many times, used on Sensei so many times it's become useless, and tried out on each other often enough to know that without any of them it's unusable.


The team comes stumbling through, with all the brash grandeur a fresh team should have.

Above them, among the leaves, they smile, because this isn't a death game, they don't aim to kill.

Naruto clones dogpile the trio in sets, the large brimmed hats blocking their sight of the top.

Popping as quick as they latch onto their targets, Naruto calls out, "Poison and senbon!"

Sasuke is… surprised?

He pegged this team as more of a close combat type because of the sheathes on their back.

Sakura chains the first, tying hands apart and removing weapons, using clone smoke as her shield.

"One down, poison can be countered by standard antidote, free to engage."

Their team leader, or at least the most skilled has rid himself of the first wave of Naruto clones.

Umbrella opening with a flourish, metal needles ejected from their tips, and his hat discarded, the male clashes with Sasuke.

He activates his Sharingan but takes comfort in the knowledge that his opponent won't be better than Haku.

Not with senbon at any rate.

"Ah, the famed Uchiha Sharingan. You must surely be Konoha's crown jewel, Uchiha Sasuke?"

Curious banter exchanged, even as one teammate is decommissioned and the other being pressed into a corner.

"My reputation precedes me. You are?"

With a harsh enough push, he's forced to move back.

The Ame-nin bows lightly, "I am Yudachi, of Amegakure. You are a worthy foe."

His ego is stoked, and he replies in turn, "As are you. I did not expect your team to have ranged attacks."

Sasuke lunges again, kunai first, a bold move when he doesn't know all of his enemy's tricks.

But it's sheer honesty, that despite the fact that they are ninja, they both respect the wish for a level playing field and that this is not a fight to the death, only a spar of honour.

Kunai running down the length of the umbrella, a second kunai following up, aiming for the hands.

A senbon is launched from the tip of the umbrella, catching him off guard.

He closes his eyes reflexively even as he ducks, feeling the nip of metal across his forehead, Sharingan spinning, flashing a hundred different scenarios all at once –

It clangs as Sakura knocks the projectile out of the air.

He's in a chokehold, and Sasuke is dismayed by his own incompetence, "Ah, I let down my guard."

The umbrella spans his chest, the Ame-nin has him in a firm hold.

"Second one down. Last one, Naruto, hold."

With a quick nod, Yudachi-san shows his scroll.

There isn't an explosive outburst or fight or scream of unfairness, simple acceptance as a show of sportsmanship.

"I wish your team well. In this world… only the strong can escape a cycle of vicious struggle."

Naruto cheers, before sealing it away, "Earth scroll, earth scroll!"

Sakura releases the other two Ame-nin, patching them up at the same time.

Their brief scuffle caused minimal injuries, it was far more genial than she had ever dared to hope.

"We should move a distance before resting, just in case there were teams around us which heard our battle."


By the first evening, they've hit the river.

"We must have gone off course… Well following the map that the examiner showed us, we will find the tower if we follow the river's downward flow."

They stop to make camp at dusk.

"Sakura take the middle, your chains are equidistant from both Sasuke and I that way. I'll take the base in case we need meat shield from above. Sasuke with his Sharingan will do better at a higher vantage point."

They swap watches every 3 hours from roughly 10 o'clock, all waking about 8.

No one is unexpectedly roused from their sleep, and not a single team comes within their range.

"I saw tigers."

"Leeches, drawn towards heat and perspiration. Kept them off with a net."

"I think those were crocodiles in the river…"

Nonetheless, they weren't attacked, but it's agreed, "We probably don't want to travel at night, or risk the chance of running into more gigantic fauna in the dark."

However, carrying both scrolls creates a target on them.

Once it's known that they defeated a team, groups will gun for them.

In fact, opposing teams might team up to get both their scrolls.

Right on point, two teams clashing tickles the edge of Sasuke's sensing.

At the frown, Sakura pulses.

Her eyes narrow.

"Oto. Shika-chan. We will go."

Music laced with chakra, not quite the styling of the Oto male which attacked Kabuto at the start of the exams but still clearly Oto.

Sasuke leads, Naruto creating clones to form a spread-out net.

They crouch in the trees, looking down on the clearing.

The only female of the Oto team is whistling, while ringing her bells.

Naruto rubs his temple slightly, Sakura reaches her hand out to stable him.

Shifting lower, branch by branch, just until they're within reach.

Ino is out of it, likely from a failed Mind Transfer Attempt, Chouji holding onto her prone form carefully.

Shikamaru stands in front of his teammate, kunai out.

"Well, what next, Leaf kid? The girl's out. You look positively unfit. Do you want someone to die before you hand over your scroll?"

Sakura holds a hand out, signalling for Naruto to stay down even as his hands clench.

"Not at all. I was just wondering if you'd like to die."

A cocky voice coming for the female Oto-nin, who rummages through her pouch.

"Huh. I have lots of pointy needles. All the better for skewering you with I guess, Oto shits."

Upper lip curling, the team leader snaps back, "What's wrong with you, Kin?"

That hair flip is blatantly Ino, even as she muses, "Hey this girl has sass… What's wrong with me? How about your face?"

She's on him the next moment, a fistful of needless at his neck and face.

In a flash, Shikamaru snares the leader with his Shadow and Chouji moves in for the finish.

However, they fail to consider the abilities of the last Oto member, who jumps back and fires off a jutsu, blowing 'Kin' off her feet.

"Decapitating Air Waves!"

The real Ino coughs weakly as 'Kin' hits the ground and struggles to get up.

Team 7 cuts in then, Naruto clones flooding in en masse to cause confusion, Sakura sees to Ino's recovery and Sasuke restrains the female.

By the time the male with fluffed hair can get to fire off a more vicious version of his technique, Naruto clones strike from the back, a heavy blow to his head, and he goes down for the count.

Team 10 chooses to keep the leader awake just to force him to give up their scroll and Chouji, self-satisfied, gets to promptly decommission him as well.

Sakura takes over from Sasuke, chains ensnaring the last member of the Oto team.

Ino smirks, bending down to her eye level.

"Kin, was it?"

The girl's black hair is matted with sweat and dirt from her tumble.

"Go to hell!"

Naruto blinks as Ino pats the girl on her head, tut-tutting in disapproval.

Certainly, the lack of anger is unexpected.

"Your team is out, your scroll is gone. I can't say it was nice to meet you, but I can bid you farewell."

A simple two-fingered salute and she bumps foreheads.

"Mind Transfer Knockout."

Kin slumps as Ino's body does, but Ino soon gets back up.

She flashes a single smile at Sasuke before hurrying over to her teammates.

Shikamaru grumbles softly as Sakura chastises him for being careless.

"We didn't ask to be attacked, Nee."

Ino gracefully cons Chouji into saving his snacks for later, before hustling the boy over to their medic, chirping the list out to Sakura.

"Scrapes, a cut on the forearm, a bump on the head, and a sore butt from falling earlier!"

A small laugh escapes Sakura before she can help it, and her platinum blonde friend grins.

The Akimichi takes it in stride, embarrassment just dusting his cheeks as Shikamaru groans again, "Ino – didn't see you looking too fabulous when you tripped on that tree root."

This time Naruto snorts and Sasuke shakes his head.

Like that, another day passed.

Team 7 recognises Team 10's decision to keep their scroll set on them, and they make camp on the ground.

Naruto, with his clones, and Chouji set off for the river to fish and collect water

Ino directs few Naruto clones into gathering firewood and locate possible animal homes.

Sasuke tree-walks up a tall tree to regain their bearings and scout.

Shikamaru and Sakura finally, set up a perimeter.

Shikamaru with bells, wire and kunai, Sakura with her chains to prevent falling colonies of leeches.

They take watches again, but by the morning, they're all piled together in a warm bundle, fast asleep.

Maybe it was careless.

It was also sweet, and warm

Hm… warm.


If Sakura was the cold, then Shikamaru was a portable heater.

If they were the centre, then Ino and Naruto were insulation.

Finally, Chouji and Sasuke, not quite glued on, but clearly attached.

They're roused by a quiet sigh – Sakura's ears pricking and chains humming.

She shifts, and the pile almost deflates.

"Mnm what time is it, Shika-chan?"

The boy curled up next to her shuts his eyes tight, burying himself into his backpack cum pillow.

"Too early to wake up, Nee-chan."

Again, a quiet chuckle.

"Nearly 9 o'clock, kouhai."

And before the panic hits any of them, that someone got past their traps – our watch failed – we could have gotten hurt or at worse died, Sakura stretches.

"Who did you bring with you, Senpai?"

Everyone is half aware, but once assured that nothing actually did go wrong, they settle back into the sleep-haze.

Kabuto offers Sakura a hand, pulling her up.

"I lost my teammates, and so did he. So we agreed to team up, until we found our teams back."

She looks around, curious to see her senpai's temporary partner.

"Neither of you have a scroll?"

The elder boy laughs deprecatingly, "Yeah. Neither of us. Both with our teams."

She rummages through her pouch, pulling out her food storage.

"If you were anyone else, I would wonder how you lost your teammate."

Offering him a muesli bar, she sends a chain out with another.

Another male drops down from the nearby tree, and she smiles.

"Breakfast, Kusa-nin-san?"

Because it doesn't matter who he is.

Because he saw Naruto for who he was and not what he held and senpai was okay with him.

Sakura notes his slight limp as the male moves to take the bar.

"Thank you, Leaf-nin. I am Shiore of Kusa."

They settle comfortably on the ground, eating a dry breakfast.

"I'm Sakura, it's nice to meet you, Shiore-san."

After a moment of awkward smiles, she moves to heal him, only for him to violently retreat.

Eyes wide in surprise, senpai reaching out to calm her, she apologises, "I just want to heal your leg, Shiore-san."

The Kusa-nin openly hesitates, and Kabuto gently echoes his disapproval, "His chakra is… a bit caustic, Sakura-chan."

But she extends her hand again, and the Kusa-nin relents.

"May I?"


The burning was far from painful, but nonetheless not pleasant to say the least.

She hums as she heals, "Your body isn't used to your chakra…"

Yet, there isn't any judgement because she trusts that senpai's is prudent.

Shiore smiles wanly, and Sakura smiled back, "Your hair is long, isn't it troublesome?"

A little chatter here and there.

A shake of the head, and nothing more is said.

She notes his figure looming over Sasuke's in the moments after, but nothing comes of it.

Senpai's watching him for her as well, after all.

Sakura stops him the next time he approaches her sleeping friends.

"Shiore-san?"

And he had smiled.

"Yes?"

So she shook her head instead.

"Nothing," hair gently swaying.


"Orochimaru-sama, did you not intend to mark Sasuke?"

His master laughs, it's an odd sound.

"Do you think I can, with that kouhai of yours watching me like a hawk? Do you think I would, considering you're right here, and I know how protective you are of that pink haired girl? Do you think I should, Kabuto-kun?"

Being marked isn't something he would wish upon anyone.

"I had thought you wanted him to be your successor vessel?"

A thoughtful hum beneath his breath, "So I did. I wanted his eyes because Uchiha Itachi's body deteriorates every moment he continues to live. But I wonder why I came back to Konoha. Why bother killing the Kazekage to make an invasion? Maybe it was just to aid me in witnessing my sensei's devastation. Maybe it was to repay Konoha in full the hatred I received. Maybe it's just to sate my overinflated ego. I am not a mindless psychopath, Kabuto-kun. I have my reasons, albeit unsound."

When it comes down to, Kabuto realises once again, that his master is not so different from him.

They're both trying to regain their place in the world.

For all his grandeur, intelligence, and experiments, Lord Orochimaru can always – always – be traced back to the child that Sandaime Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen taught.

And that, both know, is not sufficient to be an identity.

"Will you not mark or even test him?"

"You are too hasty Kabuto. Perhaps this time, I was too. The Sharingan can help in copying techniques, but it cannot copy clan secrets, bloodlines or Hiden jutsu. Given my grasp on all arts so far, the ones I want are those the Sharingan cannot gain me. I have more time before I must shift hosts again. We will have to get back to cultivating shells with multiple bloodlines, Kabuto."

The Genin doesn't know where the sudden change of heart came from, for this was a far more mellowed, thoughtful side to his Lord than he had ever seen.

So when it comes to, both his team and the Kusa team fail.

When Team 7 and Team 10 enter the tower, they're the 2nd and 3rd teams respectively, after the Kazekage's children. Following them, a senior team would arrive on the dot, after a final spar for scrolls at the base of the tower.

Team Gai had defeated Team 8, successfully claiming the matching Heaven scroll to their Earth and summoning their Jonin sensei.


Half a month later and it's done ah (I realised, I use 'ah' a lot), I'm satisfied.

It's my holidays now, and as usual, I neglected homework to write again.

Well this is my rendition of the first time team-7-met-Orochimaru.

Technically only Sakura did, but I hope this hammers out the type of Orochimaru I want to write? This is the kind of Orochimaru I see when I look at canon!Orochimaru. I see someone who was twisted by the pressures of the world around him yet has that brilliant spark of genius that I will not deny and I think… it's an honest pity.

I'll admit in advance that I have a soft spot for Orochimaru the way I'll never have for Lord Voldemort.

I really, really like Orochimaru's character design, background and story development.

Hey, he's still human you know?

So, Shikamaru-Sakura fluff, and that's the Second Exam almost concluded.

Next chapter will be Second Exams conclusion, maybe a Orochimaru dual perspective via the Kazekage and Shiore.

The pending fall out when people realise that 'Shiore' is fake, and no preliminaries.

As of now, finalists are Teams 7, 10, Gai and Gaara. So 12 ninjas and no need for preliminaries.

I'll switch up some of the matches… Hm and we all know the matches are still rigged so it's still Sasuke vs. Gaara. Neji isn't so much of an ass, so I might not give him Naruto? I kinda like the thought of hard work vs hard work, but we all know Naruto spamming clones kinda isn't hard work so… meh. I don't want to be the jerk who matches Shikamaru up against Sakura, because I envision it to go along the lines of a dual forfeit, as would Shika v Chou.

See you in a few months, don't forget to review me your ideas on line-ups and where I should go with Orochimaru.

Yours,

Kayo.