Weakness

Akamaru sped past all the buildings and almost out of town. He didn't seem to be phased by another 500 pounds on his back, he was still incredibly fast.

When their team reached the Forest of Death, Akamaru stopped immediately. He didn't even need to be commanded by Kiba. All four got off Akamaru's back, and he sat down next to the fence surrounding it.

"Alright. Welcome to the Forest of Death. This is where you'll be taking you're Genin exam." Kiba said, unlocking the fence. All five of them walked in.

"Alright. Here's the drill. Each of you will have two hours to retrieve one of three scrolls I've hidden in this forest. If you can't find one, you won't pass." Kiba explained. "When you're ready."

All three of the girls ran off in a different direction.

"Well, Akamaru. Now we wait for two hours." Kiba said, "So, wanna play some fetch?"

Akamaru barked in agreement. Kiba picked up a branch off the ground, and threw it into the forest. Akamaru went after it playfully.

Tāra ran through the forest. She had no idea where she was going, but she needed to find the scroll, and fast. Two hours wasn't very long, and she couldn't scout the entire forest in that time. "Where could Kiba-sensei have hidden the scrolls? The test has to be pass-able, there's no way it could be impossible." Tāra said to herself.

"You must be wondering where they are."

Tāra looked around. She knew that voice. "Sasuke! Show yourself! I know you're here!"

"I'm not threatening you. But you must be looking for this." Sasuke said. He threw a scroll at her feet from where he was.

Tāra turned around and picked up the scroll. "Thanks. But I'm not like you. I don't cheat."

"Aww… How precious. But you know, there's no way to do the test again." Sasuke grinned.

"True. I guess you just ruined the fun." Tāra said.

"Not so true. The fun's all here." Sasuke threw a Kunai at her. The knife cut through her sleeve.

"I thought you said you weren't threatening me! I knew you were a lying crook." Tāra said. She ran in the same direction she came, only her run was cut off by something pulling on her sleeve.

"You didn't think I'd throw a kunai at you for nothing, did you little princess?" Sasuke said, "I attached a string to it, so you can't go anywhere without me saying so. Two hours should be plenty of time."

Tāra's eyes grew big. "You mean…"

Sasuke laughed. "No way. I'm going to show you what you've been missing. And not that way, I mean with your eyes."

"My… Eyes? What are you…" Tāra started.

"Your eyes have special power. I'm doing you a favor." He tugged on the line, making Tāra fall on the ground. "Or maybe I should just make this easy for you…"

"I can't believe you. Who's side are you on? You threaten me, but you help me just as much as you hurt me!" Tāra exclaimed.

Sasuke laughed. "I have my reasons. Now come over here, I can't teach you from a distance."

Tāra pulled a shuriken from her bag, but slowly approached him. She walked until he was about three yards away from him. "I'm not coming any closer." Tāra said.

"You don't trust me? That disappoints me. Well, if you want to learn the truth, you're going to have to come closer." Sasuke said.

Tāra stared at him. Can I trust him? He kissed me, but who knows what else he could do to me. But it's not like Naruto-sama is going to help me at all. Why does he want me to trust him so much?

She reluctantly moved closer to him. Step by step, inch by inch, she approached him. She stopped when she was almost face-to-face with him.

Sasuke smiled. He reached for her hands, pulling them together. "Let go of the Shuriken, and I'll undo the string."

Tāra knew what he was doing. He wanted her to let her guard down, to trust him. Can I really trust him? Will he really follow up on his word? Tāra thought. Part of her wanted to get away, part of her wanted to know more, part of her just wanted to be there, with him. In any case, She thought, I have to let go.

She was reluctant, still, but he let go of the Shuriken. Sasuke nodded. He held both of her hands with only one hand now, and with the other, he grabbed a pair of scissors out of his bag and cut the string that went through her sleeve. He replaced the scissors back in his bag, and held her hands with both of his again.

"Go ahead and run if you want. But if you really want to know your secret, follow me." Sasuke said, letting go of her hands. He stepped back a few feet.

"Why do I have to follow you?" Tāra asked.

"Because, I can sence you friends coming." Sasuke stared at his watch. He nodded, "There's no more time. Head back to your sensei. I'll teach you later."

"Do you want me to come back?" Tāra asked.

Sasuke shook his head. "This place is dangerous. Don't worry, I'll find you again." And with that, he ran off.

Tāra held the scroll with both hands. Maybe he's not such a bad guy. Maybe he's just protecting me. But from what? She thought. She could feel herself blushing. She stood there a few seconds, trying to fit the pieces together. Then she turned around, and ran towards where she thought her sensei was.