I still don't own Naruto and s-CRY-ed so no complaining! Well…enjoy! Please review!
Sakura took the news as well as can be expected for a nine-year old girl, horribly. Hinata had spent the entire day trying to soothe the weeping girl, yet to no avail. The girl refused to speak, and hardly ate anything, worrying the trio. That is until an unlikely hero saved her from her despair.
Sasuke Uchiha had always been unfriendly towards people in general. After having witnessed his family's murder, the boy grew a natural distrust of people. Naruto and Hinata had helped the raven-haired boy from his self-hatred, though he still acted cold to everyone else.
Maybe that's why he approached the pink-haired girl that afternoon. The normally gruff exterior disappeared around the girl, and it bothered him to no end. Seeing the girl in so much pain made him want to comfort her, so he did in his own way that day.
"Hey, Sakura, I think we need to talk…" the boy started, hoping the girl would open up to him.
Sakura merely nodded, unsure about the boy. Hinata and Naruto had been friendly to her the whole time, yet Sasuke always seemed distant.
"I just wanted to let you know that if you ever want to talk about your parent's death to me, that it'd be okay. I saw my mother and father murdered about two years ago, so I know what you're going through. All I can say is that if Naruto and Hinata hadn't been there for me, I'm not sure if I would have been okay. I guess I'm saying that I'm here for you," the boy finished; in disbelief he had told this strange girl so much about his personal life. He started to walk off when he heard a small 'wait!'
The boy turned around to find the girl nervously looking down.
"I-I saw them. I saw the strange man kill my parents," she sobbed. "I was so scared, and I didn't know what to do!"
Sasuke approached the distraught girl, and gently placed his hand on her shoulder, offering comfort.
Sakura immediately hugged the startled boy, crying her eyes out into his shoulder. The boy, unsure how to proceed, gently rubbed her back, whispering that everything was going to be okay.
"I don't have anyone now," she cried. "I'm all alone."
"That's not true!" the boy quickly replied, speaking from his heart. "No matter what happens from now on, we'll be each other's family, ok?"
Silence hung in the air, as the two processed what the boy had just said.
"R-Really?" she asked, almost in disbelief.
"Yeah! If we're together, we'll never be alone again," he stated, praying she would agree.
The girl stared into his black eyes, looking for any traces of a lie. Deciding she could trust him, the girl nodded, and smiled for the first in a week.
The bond created between the two that day would prove to be Sakura's salvation. The girl began eating again, and at Sasuke's advice, quickly became friends with Naruto and Hinata. Strangely enough, Sakura didn't start talking again. The only person she spoke to was Sasuke, and she was fine with that.
Unsure whether Naruto and Hinata would accept her, he was immensely relieved to find that they were fine with the girl's silence. In time the two grew to understand her, and words became unnecessary for the girl.
The trio soon discovered why she had been a target one day in training. Naruto had challenged Sasuke to their daily fight. Sakura, unaware of the rivalry, was naturally in shock when she stepped outside, only to be greeted by her best friends fighting. Naruto unleashed one of his 'bullets', knowing Sasuke would summon Zetsuei to block, only to find a green shield block his assault.
"Woah! How the hell did you do that Sasuke?" he exclaimed, thinking his rival had created it.
"Wasn't me!" the other boy exclaimed, equally shocked.
The two then noticed then angry pink-haired girl glaring at them, surrounded by eight spinning balls.
"Uh oh," murmured Sasuke, realizing why his best friend was angry. "You can go train Naruto; I'll explain our umm…'games' to Sakura."
Naruto nodded, knowing Sasuke was best at handling an angry Sakura, just like he was best at handling an angry Hinata.
The Uchiha quickly calmed the enraged girl, explaining that he and Naruto usually fought each other as training. Seeing she was still mad, he quickly changed the subject.
"What about you? Why didn't you mention your Alter power?" he asked. He noticed the girl's sheepish smile and understood perfectly. "Let me guess, you forgot."
The girl happily nodded, all anger forgotten. She leaned over and whispered something in the boy's ear, pointing at the eight orbs.
"Hmm…so you call them the Eternity Eight?" Sasuke asked quizzically.
The pink-haired girl nodded again and proceeded to give her best friend a little show. With a flick of her wrist, Sakura sent the orbs crashing into the trees at blinding speeds. Summoning them back, she began spinning the orbs in a circle, until they seemed to create a solid looking shield.
"Wow, that's pretty impressive! We should spar some time!" he exclaimed, excited at the thought of a new training partner.
He noticed the girl's hesitant look, and realized his mistake.
"Don't worry Sakura-chan, we'll start slow. I promise, I'd never hurt you," he quickly rushed.
The girl hugged him, happy to have someone who understood her so well.
"Damnit!" Naruto cursed clutching his arm in pain. "Why is it the damn thing hurts whenever I use it now." The boy shook his arm, trying to rid himself of the stabbing pains. "But…if I can use it to protect those I care about, I will."
Two Years Later
The incident had left the village enraged, yet retrieving the kidnapped children seemed impossible. The village of the Hidden Leaf, while large, was considerably smaller than that of the Stone. It was quickly concluded to attack the Sound and Stone villages would have been suicide.
The Hokage had decided to do nothing, much to his chagrin. The only way the Leaf could have assaulted either of the groups, would have been for them to have allies as backup. The village of the Rain had isolated itself a few years back, refusing to contact other villages unless it concerned Chuunin or Jounin exams. The Sandaime considered the village of the Sand, but quickly discarded the notion. People from the Sand were proud, and would only see the Leaf's plea for help as a sign of weakness.
Thus, the village had continued as normal. The complaints slowly ceased, mostly because a majority of the parents had been slaughtered. The hardy few that had gone off on their own never returned, likely having met their demise.
Today in particular was special, for today the junior class took the Genin test. Those who passed would be considered full-fledged ninjas. Unfortunately, the kidnapping left only eleven candidates.
"Okay class, as you know, today are the Genin exams. I'll call you one-by-one, so Mizuki and I can test each of you personally," stated Iruka, the class teacher.
One Hour Later
"Unbelievable," muttered Mizuki, leaving the test room. "Only four of them passed."
"I know…Lord Hokage will not be pleased. We don't even know if the four will pass the bell test," grumbled Iruka.
"What do you think, two teams of two, or one team of four?" asked Mizuki, not really caring.
"Hmm…We'll do two teams of two for the second part. Kakashi and Kurenai will be more than enough them." With a sigh, Iruka stood and left the room, ready to announce the teams.
"Okay you four," Iruka started, looking at Naruto, Sasuke, Hinata, and Sakura. "Team 1 will consist of Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno. Your Jounin instructor will be Kakashi Hatake. Team 2 will consist of Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyuuga. Your Jounin instructor will be Kurenai Yuuhi. You will be picked up here by your instructors."
With that, their teacher left, giving the four a chance to talk.
"Feh, that test was a piece of cake!" exclaimed Naruto.
"Yeah, I gotta admit, I'm surprised everyone didn't pass," added Sasuke.
"Well we do train a lot," Hinata mused, thinking of their daily workouts.
Sakura simply nodded, backing her friend up.
It was true. The four trained daily, practicing new ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu. In reality, the four were beyond Genin level. Their Alter abilities gave them a distinct edge in battle, bringing the unknowing four to about Chuunin level.
The four had also trained their Alter abilities. Hinata, who frequently trained with Naruto, had mastered the first 'bullet' with her feet. Naruto, on the other hand, could now perform three 'bullets' without a hitch. Sasuke and Sakura on the other hand had simply trained their control to perfection. Sasuke could control Zetsuei perfectly now, making an effective sparring partner for Sakura. The pink-haired kunoichi had found she could meld her Eternity Eight into a sword, giving her a close-range weapon.
Their talk was cut short by a puff of smoke, followed by the appearance of a red-eyed woman.
"I am Kurenai Yuuhi. Which of you is Team 2?" she inquired.
At this Naruto and Hinata stood and bowed, introducing themselves to their instructor.
"Nice to meet you two. We shall meet training ground 7 in one hour." With that, the woman disappeared as quickly as she had come, leaving the two confused.
"Well…she didn't say much did she?" mused Naruto.
"No…not really," agreed Hinata, leading the boy out of the room.
"Later!" called Sasuke, hoping his sensei would be arriving soon. Sakura merely waved and pulled out a book.
One Hour Later
"So, you two are Team 2, right?"
"Yes ma'am" the duo answered simultaneously.
"Don't call me ma'am, I'm not that old. Call me Kurenai-sensei, ok?"
The two nodded, lightening up a little.
"Alright," she continued, "what are your names, likes, dislikes, and dreams?"
"I'm Naruto Uzumaki! I like ramen and training with Hinata-chan. I hate people who are mean to others, and my dream is to be Hokage!" the boy shouted excitedly.
'Interesting kid'
"I'm Hinata Hyuuga," she started softly. "I like training with Naruto-kun and practicing my Jyuuken arts. I dislike people who want to harm my friends, and my dream is to prove myself to someone."
'Hmm…she likes the boy'
"Okay you two, since Genin teams are usually comprised of three people you'll have to work extra hard." She watched the two nod before continuing. "The only reason the Sandaime has agreed to two person teams is due to the fact that you can use special abilities."
The two nodded again, realizing that they were stronger than most Genin.
"I'd like you two to give me a demonstration of your abilities. It's crucial that as a team we work well together. I myself specialize in ninjutsu and genjutsu. Your turn," she stated, pointing at Naruto.
"I specialize in ninjutsu and taijutsu, but suck at genjutsu," the boy started, clenching his fist. "And my Alter ability is this!" With that, Naruto transformed his arm. The familiar red and gold casing appearing over his right arm and torso, and three blades appearing on his back. "When transformed, I can utilize my 'bullets' and can do super-powered punches!" Naruto punched a tree, leaving a large dent in it. "See?"
"Understood, and your stamina and chakra control?" Kurenai inquired.
"I have lots of stamina, but my chakra control is still kinda shaky. At least, that's what Iruka-sensei used to say."
The woman nodded, and motioned for Hinata to stand.
"I specialize in ninjutsu and taijutsu as well. I'm not very good at genjutsu either, but my Byakugan can pierce most strong gentjusus," the girl stated, activating her bloodline limit. "My Alter ability transforms my legs, increasing my speed." The Hyuuga quickly transformed, her legs becoming encased in a metallic-looking alloy. "My speed increases, like Naruto-kun's strength does, and I can perform the first of the three 'bullets' as well."
"And your stamina and chakra control?" Kurenai continued, not missing a beat.
"Iruka-sensei said I have exceptional chakra control and my stamina was steadily increasing," the girl replied softly. 'He also mentioned that I lack self-confidence' the girl thought bitterly.
"Really? Why is that?"
"My chakra control comes from practicing my Jyuukan arts, which closes an enemy's Tenketsu points. My stamina increase comes from my daily training with Naruto-kun. As often as we train, he never gets tired!"
'Interesting…' thought the woman, watching her new charges. "Report back here tomorrow morning at nine o'clock, for survival training. And don't eat breakfast. Dismissed!"
The two bowed and left, off to see how their friends had fared…
One Hour Later
"Hey Sakura-chan, you think our sensei forgot about us?" Sasuke asked, bored out of his skull.
Sakura merely shrugged and continued reading her book on genjutsu, equally bored.
"Hello you two, you must be Team 1," came a voice from the doorway.
Looking up the duo noticed a silver-haired man standing in the doorway, a mask covering most of his face.
"You're late," Sasuke muttered.
"Sorry about that, I got lost on the load of life," the Jounin stated, guiltily rubbing his hand on the back of his hand.
Sasuke noticed Sakura's glare and took the liberty of responding for her. "Sakura-chan says yeah right," he growled, cranky from the two hour wait.
"Wait, is she a mute? I wasn't aware she couldn't speak," mused the Jounin.
"Sakura-chan isn't a mute, she simply refuses to talk to anyone other than me," the boy snapped. "So shall we begin?"
"Indeed," replied Kakashi, looking at Sasuke. "What's your name, likes, dislikes, dreams, Alter ability, strengths, and weaknesses.
"My name is Sasuke Uchiha, sole-survivor of the Uchiha massacre. My likes include training with Sakura-chan and sparring. I dislike anyone who teases Sakura-chan because she doesn't speak. My dream…no, my ambition is the kill my brother, my family's killer.
The boy then focused his power, creating a blue and silver colored robot beside him. "This is Zetsuei, my Alter power. I can control his movements in a fight, and can use his two blade-whips as weapons. I prefer ninjutsu and taijutsu, and am fairly bad at genjutsu. Iruka-sensei told me I have decent chakra control and stamina, but focus too hard on my objectives."
'Hmm…he's seems to have turned out well, despite the loss of his family. He must have good friends.' "And you?" Kakashi asked, turning to Sakura.
Sakura seemed frightened for a moment, until Sasuke sat beside her. He placed a hand on her shoulder and whispered, "I got it." The girl gave an appreciative smile and placed her hand on top of Sasuke's.
"Her name is Sakura Haruno, and was orphaned the night of the kidnappings." Sakura trembled slightly, but Sasuke calmed her with a squeeze. "She like training with me and reading, and dislikes people that tease her." The boy looked over for confirmation, and received a quick nod and a happy smile. "Her dreams are her business, and will stay that way. Now Sakura-chan, if you would?"
The girl nodded, and quickly created eight familiar looking orbs.
"These are her Eternity Eight, as she calls them. Sakura-chan can mentally fire them a high speeds, spin them fast enough to create a shield, and mold them together to make a sword. She's excellent at genjutsu, and has started learning medic ninjutsu. She dislikes fighting, but is skilled in both close and long-range combat."
At this point the boy turned to the girl and looked into her eyes. The silver-haired Jounin was puzzled at this until Sasuke turned back around and started again.
"Sakura-chan says Iruka-sensei told her she has excellent chakra control, but needs to work on her stamina," the boy finished.
"Interesting. Can you two speak mentally or something?" Kakashi asked, thinking about the eye contact thing.
At that the young Uchiha laughed and Sakura rolled hers eyes.
"We're not that weird," Sasuke replied. "It's just that we're so close that she doesn't really need to talk to me most of the time. I've gotten quite good and reading her expressions."
The Jounin nodded, and stood up. "Okay you two, meet me at training ground 4 tomorrow morning at nine o'clock for survival training. By the way, don't eat breakfast. Dismissed!" With that the silver-haired ninja disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
Sakura looked over at Sasuke and made eye contact.
"Yeah, he does seem nice," the boy replied, returning her gaze. "You're right, we didn't learn anything about him. Wanna go find Naruto and Hinata?"
The girl gave him a smile and the two raced off across the rooftops, eager to find their friends.
"…and then two hours later he finally shows up!" ranted Sasuke.
"Yeah, your sensei does seem a bit strange," commented Hinata, cutting herself with a kunai.
Sakura proceed to make hand seals and mouthed the words to a minor healing jutsu she'd been learning. The cut seemed to close back up, and Naruto quickly wiped away the blood.
"Looks like you're getting the hang of it Sakura," Naruto commented. The boy had volunteered to be the initial test subject, disliking the idea of Hinata being cut until he tried it. "At this rate we're going to need to get the Hokage to lend you one of the more advanced healing scrolls."
The pink-haired kunoichi blushed as she proceeded to wrap of the minor healing scroll she had borrowed.
"So, you ready for another duel Naruto?" Sasuke asked, sore at having lost the last one.
"Sorry, no can do," the blond replied. "Hinata-chan and I decided we should create attack strategies, considering we're a team now."
"If we learn to cover each other's weaknesses we're sure to become stronger in no time," the white-eyed girl continued, standing up.
"Later!" the duo called, off to practice their teamwork.
"Hmm…they have a good point," Sasuke murmured, turning towards Sakura.
She merely glanced back and stood.
"Yeah, I suppose we should work on our teamwork as well." With a sigh the boy got up and followed the silent girl towards their training ground.
The Next Day
Team 1
"We have to WHAT?" yelled Sasuke.
"You have to get the bell attached to my hip," Kakashi replied with a grin. "If you fail, you will be sent back to the academy."
Noticing Sakura's expression, Sasuke quickly shot back, "But there's only one bell!"
"Well then, I guess we'll see which of you two is the most qualified. If I were you, I'd take this test seriously. You have two hours. Begin!" With that, their silver-haired sensei vanished, leaving two dumbfounded Genin.
The pink-haired kunoichi turned to the boy and whispered into his ear.
"Yeah, I agree. If we work together we'll be done in no time," the boy said, nodding. "I guess it's a good thing we practiced some teamwork plays yesterday. Now let's go find him!"
Sakura nodded and followed the raven-haired boy. The two, using the stealth skills they had learned in the academy, quickly found their sensei sitting by a tree.
Sasuke prepared to attack when he felt an arm hold him back. Sakura shook her head, a whispered the word 'Kai!' The Jounin faded, and seemed to reappear, sitting on one of the branches in the tree, reading a book.
"Wow Sakura-chan, I didn't even feel the genjutsu! So what's our best plan of attack?" Sasuke asked, knowing Sakura's analytical skills were top notch.
The kunoichi took a thoughtful pose and closed her eyes. Sasuke waited patiently, knowing it'd be worth the wait.
Team 2
"Okay Hinata-chan, let's rock!" Naruto growled, wearing a foxy grin.
Hinata nodded, and began focusing her chakra. "Byakugan!" she whispered, activating her bloodline limit. The veins around the Hyuuga's eyes pulsed, and she began her search.
Naruto waited patiently, knowing his partner could now see within a 50 foot radius. 'Boy, is Kurenai-sensei in for a surprise' the shinobi thought, recalling yesterday's teamwork drills.
His musings were cut short by a hand signal from Hinata. The two slowly made their way through the brush, careful not to alert their sensei of their presence.
"Ready?" she whispered, activating her Alter.
"Always," he responded, following her suit.
Using her speed, the young kunoichi launched a surprise attack from behind, only to find her sensei an illusion.
"A fake!" Naruto called, spotting his teacher behind a nearby tree. "Shocking First Bullet" the roared, unleashing a powerful blast to tree.
The surprised Jounin barely dodged, watching in amazement as her charge blew apart a chunk of the tree. 'Damn! They found me!'
"Shocking First Bullet" a shout came from behind her.
Kurenai turned to find her other charge leap into the air, and deliver an explosive kick.
The Jounin transformed into a log, and the log exploded from the force of the kick.
"Not fast enough!" the Jounin remarked, appearing behind the surprised girl.
Hinata landed besides Naruto, and Kurenai landed on the other side of the clearing.
"You're gonna need to be better than that if you want to call yourselves ninjas," teased the red-eyed woman.
Looking at each other, the best friends nodded and shouted 'RIGHT!' in unison.
"Annihilating Second Bullet" Naruto roared, charging at his teacher.
Bracing herself, the Jounin was caught off guard when Naruto stopped short, punching the ground a few feet in front of her. A wave of dirt blinded the surprised kunoichi, giving Hinata a chance to get behind her.
"Fast enough for you?" the whit-eyed girl asked sweetly, holding the bell.
"Interesting…Naruto helped you get the bell, even though he'll fail now," Kurenai remarked.
"Nope, since it was him who blinded you, he graduates," Hinata replied, tossing the bell to Naruto.
"No way!" he exclaimed, throwing it back. "I never could have caught her, it's all yours."
"You both graduate," Kurenai cut in, catching the bell. "The test was to test your teamwork, and you both passed with flying colors."
"Of course we worked as a team, we're best friends!" Naruto replied with a laugh.
"Yeah, Naruto-kun even rescued me during the night of the kidnappings!" Hinata added, stifling her giggle.
"That's good. Then we can focus on your training then. It's obvious you two have developed your Alter abilities, so let's work on some jutsus." With that, the Jounin led her happy charges back to the training ground. Neither of the females seemed to notice the blond-haired shinobi rubbing his arm, putting up a fake smile from years of practice.
Team 1
"That was a good try you two, but time's up," Kakashi said, catching his breathe.
"Sakura-chan wants to know what you mean sensei, you said we had to get the bell and we did," Sasuke answered in an innocent voice.
Looking down, the Jounin watched the bell fade, and quickly realized it had been a genjutsu. "So when did you get it?" he asked, genuinely curious.
"About five-minutes ago," Sasuke responded. "While Sakura-chan kept you busy with her Eternity Eight, I had Zetsuei teleport behind you and cut the bell lose. From there it was a simple matter of Sakura-chan fooling you with a genjutsu while I grabbed the bell."
"Wait, wait, wait. How did your Zetsuei get behind me without me sensing it?" Kakashi asked, puzzled.
"I figured Zetsuei couldn't keep up with you because you sensed my chakra in him, so I managed to control him using only my Alter. Pretty smart, eh?" the Uchiha asked, proud of himself.
Sakura gave him a smile and nodded, and Kakashi just laughed.
"Well it seems you two did quite well, but which one of you is going to graduate?" Kakashi asked, feigning seriousness.
"Sorry sensei, but you underestimated Sakura-chan. She figured out that it was a teamwork test near the start of the test. That's why we alternated attacks, tiring you out," Sasuke said with a smirk.
"Indeed? Well then, it's safe to say you both passed with flying colors."
Sakura gave a squeal of joy and promptly hugged her partner. Sasuke quickly blushed, but returned the hug, and twirled the girl around.
"Alright Sakura-chan, we're full-fledged ninjas now!" he exclaimed, enjoying the giddy feeling his partner brought out in him.
Sakura let go and nodded, still smiling. She quickly leaned over and whispered something to the boy.
"Sakura-chan wants to grab to lunch, so when do we meet again?" Sasuke asked, feeling hungry as well.
"We'll meet everyday at nine o'clock at the bridge. We won't meet on Sundays; it's your team's day off. Later," he called, pulling out his book and walking off.
The two looked at each other and shrugged, heading back to the Hyuuga household.
So what'd you think? I know it's a little slow right now, but I promise some sweet battle scenes soon. Read and Review! Later.