Chapter 15

"Sakura,"

Turning, the pink-haired-woman searched for Naruto. He stood out in a crowd, as one would, too, if they were dressed in the brightest of autumn colors. "Come stand by us for the announcement. I'm so pumped up! I can't wait to beat the shit out of everyone!"

Both Hinata and Naruto were bombarded with their usual accompaniment. Since the war, the Uzumaki man had become a celebrity of sorts. Nary has a day gone by when he's not begged for an autograph or photo. After his declaration, however, the other contenders are all too happy to give him space.

Here they are already; the second phase of the exams.

Her footsteps guide her through the battle arena. It had been constructed after Pein's attack, built with towering rocks and formed into a dome shape. It was enormous. The stone bleachers that surrounded them could house all of Konoha easily.

"Have you seen Sasuke?" Naruto asks once she's close enough. Sakura looks at his hand, conjoined to his wife's as though they couldn't possibly be separated.

No, Sakura has not seen Sasuke. She's not heard from him in two weeks, has seen neither hide nor hair. For all she knew, he was gone. He probably left the village and gave up on the exams. It's certainly something he would do, especially considering they'd made a slight progression in their relationship. It was his job to ruin everything.

"I haven't." She sighs.

"He hasn't shown up to anymore practices." Hinata says softly. "I hope he's alright."

Just as Sakura had predicted, a storm did roll in last weekend. Horizontal winds knocked down foliage and buildings that hadn't been fully constructed, scattering streets with brick and wood.

"I wonder what's wrong with the guy."

Naruto doesn't get to surmise much longer. Kakashi steps out over the balcony, finally making his appearance.

The thousands of test takers they'd started with had broken off into a few hundred. It was still a good crop—more manageable—but with the progression of the exams, more would soon perish. This round was going to be a difficult. It would have to be.

Kakashi couldn't upgrade so many people's statuses, even if only half as many people were here.

"Congratulations," The Hokage calls out, letting his voice billow from speakers. "All of you have passed the first stage of the Jōnin Exams. Your witty determination and raw power has brought you honor thus far. You have proved that, even as civilians—even with a lost comrade, you can still be a valuable asset to our ninja world."

Abruptly, the dull gray stone of the dome turned into a blue and white grid, transforming everything into a vast nothingness. Sakura's heart pounded heavily within her chest and she looked around, searching for exits.

"What is this?" Naruto asks, gripping Sakura's shoulders as he steadies onto his wife.

Just as quickly they appeared, the grids faded out. Sakura watches in awe as thick blades of grass swallow her boots. A scent of freshly cut wafted in the air—it was synthetic, but only slightly.

Beyond them, a grove of trees rose high. The webbing above converted into a vanilla sky, complete with fluffy clouds and a white ball of sunlight. It slowly heated her skin with its warmth.

They were outside. They were outside…inside of the dome.

"What the hell?" Naruto blurts, but he cannot say anything more. The confused conversation of their fellow participants dies down as Kakashi's tone echoed all around.

"This is our new battle arena. Do not familiarize yourself with such a nice view—you won't be so lucky when the exam starts." He chuckles, but no one else shares his humor. "As you know, this next segment will be completed in groups of two. Your ninjutsu, genjutsu and taijutsu skills will be put to the test. Each day you will receive a limited amount of chakra through the bracelets you're now being fitted with—use it sparingly."

Golden bangles formed around her wrists just then, almost before Kakashi had finished his sentence. They were dancing like sparkling particles, digitizing around until they welded themselves whole.

As soon as the bracelets locked into place, a sealing kanji seared itself into the flesh of her forearm.

"E-rank through A-rank jutsu's will be permitted, so long as they are not outlawed or illegal. S-rank techniques will require more chakra than you've been granted."

Sakura raises her hand. "What is the reason behind this, Lord Hokage? If we are in actual battles, we will have full access to our powers. Why are we being hindered?"

Kakashi replies almost immediately, as if he'd been prepared for such questions. "Everyone has been in a situation where they've been chakra depleted, and jutsu's just don't seem to work on your enemy. You may even have to come up with new jutsu on the spot. The Chunin exam tests all of your shinobi skills without limitations, because the missions associated with that rank rarely have obstacles that deny your access to chakra, or your entire skillset. Jōnin have higher demands."

Sakura nods her head in understanding as he continues.

"In the life of a Jōnin, you will be put in situations where a single misstep may not only cause you to fail your mission…but also your home as you know it. There is no room for mistakes. Learning how to handle complications with crutches is crucial."

That was true enough.

"What the hell is up with all of this new-age bullshit?" Naruto whispers next to Sakura as Kakashi continues. "I get that a Jonin exam hasn't ever been done before, but doesn't this feel like overkill?

"This seems like it will be a challenge for everyone. You and Sasuke won't be able to pass easily." She mumbled right back.

Kakashi thundered over the idle talk, pushing his tone to every colossal inch the dome had to offer. "I need the participants that do not have partners to step forward."

They do as their told, exiting the relative security of the group. Naruto, who stands lackadaisically beside Sakura, doesn't even flinch as singles brushed passed. Sakura, however, defies the Hokage's command and wrings her hands nervously.

It was incredibly difficult to work as a team with someone you didn't know. Your life was in their hands—and theirs, in yours. Pairing up with a stranger who was lucky to be in the exams, and who had barely gotten by with the aid of well-practiced teammates, would be a nightmare.

Just as she started to move forward, a tight pressure bound her wrist.

Someone like Sakura was easy to spot in a crowd, Sasuke realizes, finding a blob of pink too quickly.

It had been a few weeks since he'd seen the lot of them. He'd had to do some mental evaluations under Kakashi's order, given "all that has just happened". Being in Konoha, his relationship with Sakura, blackmailed by both teammates…some alone time did him well.

Sasuke grabs her just as she takes her first step.

Sakura looked back, confusion spreading across her face. Redness splotched from ear to ear and over the bridge of her narrow nose, glowing from either embarrassment or anger. He was close enough to see the light color of her eyelashes.

She parted her lips, but words didn't come.

The man standing before her with smoothed, framing locks and pale, healthy skin did not seem disheveled in the least. There weren't swollen rims under his eyes. He wasn't skin and bone. In fact, everything looked perfectly normal.

Sakura scowls.

Nope—there was no way Sakura could do this exam with Sasuke. They weren't good together. So far, since he's been around, she's winded up in a hospital and was under the guise that she'd actually died. Plus, he'd said that she ~sHoUld HaVe~ died—what the hell was that supposed to mean?

On top of everything, she offered her home to him, because she couldn't stand the fact that he was sleeping in such horrible weather when he'd had so many safe, warm beds to rest in. So she basically forced him to spend the night in her home—because she CARED. And then he disappears, without saying anything at all to anyone.

It isn't about denied feelings. Sakura had come to terms, knowing that it would be impossible for her to be an Uchiha. It wouldn't work. None of it is fair. It isn't fair to her heart or her mind—everything seemed to tease her in the most hurtful ways.

"I'm not doing this with you." The kunoichi states. "I don't care about you and Naruto's…whatever is going on. I don't want to be involved, and I don't want you as my partner. Sorry." She jerks her hand from his hold and turns her nose upwards, flicking her long braid against his chest, hoping she sounded stronger than she felt.

A snort sounds beside her. Naruto watches the exchange humorously, covering his mouth with the back of his hand. It's like watching something from the nature channel. Naruto can hear the broadcaster now:

"Oh no, it seems the female shinobi has denied the male shinobi once again! Look at this, look at this; she seems to be strutting away! What will the male do? His attempt at cornering her has failed, and he has no chance of swaying the female with that poor call."

The Uchiha watches her walk away, clueless as to what was going on.

This...was not the girl he left on that bench, who begged him to stay. Everything was so confusing. The way her eyes caught his, when his chidori singed her stomach, she looked as though she were ready to die—like she knew it was bound to happen that way. And when they were trapped in that closet together, her shoulders shook like she was terrified of him. Then, she offers tea, a fresh bed, and warm food? How could she sleep knowing that he was right above her?

"Sakura, I want you." He says, more to himself than anything.

Because yes, Naruto had major dirt on him (Sasuke would never want Sakura to know that he cared for her and could still cut his ties, it would make everything even more confusing.) And yes, she would probably end up safer working alongside a stranger than with him, (because no matter how much he tried, she always would end up hurt, even if he knew he was doing the right thing), but he wants to be selfish. He is arrogant, prideful, and narcissistic and selfish.

Sakura keeps her head forward, even as he moves to stand beside her. His words make her mouth feel frothy, and her stomach clench.

Sakura wants him, too, in ways that Sasuke had probably never pictured before. It breaks her, it makes her…hate herself, sometimes. How could she be so weak? Without an apology, with words that didn't hold the same meaning, she blinks back tears…but does not walk away. She is weak, despicable, and can't let him go. The thought terrifies her.

Is this really okay? Would Sakura rather have him like this, than not have him at all?

Sasuke breathes out. Sakura breathes in.

A crew of strange people directed the duos into changing areas, dressing each participant in a black, tear-resistant body suite. It was thick, but breathable, offering dexterity and defense at the same time.

The top of her suit had long sleeves, but her bottoms were a pair of shorts she would never wear without a skirt on top. She tugged at their edges uncomfortably.

When the curtain around her slid open, she met Sasuke's eyes and saw that he was dressed in the same material, though covered in considerably longer pants. Even his scowl mimicked hers; they both felt like fools.

The material left nothing to the imagination, after all.

This section of the test would be televised. It was a good way to show how prosperous Konoha was becoming, safe for civilians who could be caught in brutal Jōnin battles, and an interesting way to make money for the village. It was a pay-to-view program that Sakura couldn't believe she was participating in.

Great, just one more thing to worry about.

Sakura listened intently to the instructions from staff members, and pressed her bloodied thumb to a scroll that gave permission of footage. She watches Sasuke bite his own finger and repeat the action, but her eyes stray. The broadness of his shoulders catches her eye. Even when he wore more revealing outfits, it wasn't as if she'd seen him topless (and if she had, it wasn't as if she was able to freely look). She follows the tops of his shoulder blades, the curve of his spine, his slender and toned stomach, the muscles that hid underneath…

Thus hath the candle singd the moath.

With no warning, the gridlines from before creep up the walls of the dome and swallow everything. It's then that she realizes, Sasuke had been watching her too. He puts his hands on his hips.

"Are you ready?"

If he knew how she was looking at him, he didn't let it on.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

The soil here felt like talcum powder. It smelled of rotten sod. The mixture dug into her knees as she hid, watching their enemy carefully.

Sakura had never seen anything like it. It groaned like a train, and was as large as a water tank. Moving with delicate steps, the ball of metal easily plowed through dunes on its pointed limbs. It was a well-manipulated and articulate object—which made it all that more difficult to defeat.

Then, it happened again. The cactus she'd found shelter behind disappeared. Following it was a total collapse of data, a glitch, which flickered between various environments until another random scene burst through.

Landing atop an overturned tree, Sakura spun around just as a pincer split the wood in half. It's grassy now—a forest of some sort, with trees only offering a few feet of space between them.

"Sasuke!" She called as she rolled over dead, moist leaves. They stuck to her skin, battling wind as she sprinted deeper into the woodlands.

The word "Taijutsu" was written onto the objects metal chest. Its arms, which were thick bands of wire with a three-pronged claw at the tip, spun wildly as it stretched between tree trunks. The wood offers no resistance, and neither would Sakura's bones if it caught her.

A melodic voice singsong's directly into her mind, pushing out Sakura's calculating thoughts. You have completed your first half of the battle. Nightfall will arrive in two more rounds.

"Yeah, right…thanks," Sakura says aloud, not sure how to communicate appropriately.

This voice—this, CYLAN—had explained what its duty was just before the Taijutsu machine had turned up to fight. Kakashi had kept the details of this round purposely vague, which was understandable. A place like this was a hard to picture with just words, after all. How long had she been doing this? Hours?

Sakura dove under a hollow log and crouched low, letting the robot walk passed her so she could try and catch her breath.

Sasuke was separated from her early. She'd been picked up and thrown like a ragdoll, then charged at seconds later. It was cat and mouse—and Sakura's not sure she was winning.

The crumpling sound of upturned earth forced Sakura downward, and the wood splinters just inches from her face. Lurching forward, a coiled appendage narrowly avoids her. She wraps both arms around the arm and pumps chakra to her feet, hoping to throw it off balance.

As the object swings maniacally with its other limb and Sakura calls for her partner. "Sasuke, damn it, this would be a great time for you to pop up! If you're dead, I'll kill you!"

With another vicious swing, Sakura is airborne again. The gridlines slink back, then flicker, melting trees into billowing pockets of snow. Hot, cold, dirt, ice—it was so jarring to her system. She hits the ground softer than she'd prepared for, sucking in wintery air.

This was so much more difficult than she'd thought.

Sakura let out a silent tantrum, clenching her muscles in frustration. Her chakra bracelets sapped so much of her energy. It allowed her a few seconds of strength, good enough for a punch here or a kick there, but she could hardly get close enough to do any type of real damage. The slick metal frame was too hard to hold on to…unless she used chakra, but then she couldn't punch, and it was all just so frustrating!

That chiming voice, CYLAN, interrupts her thoughts once more. Would you like me to open a direct communications route between you and your partner?

Sakura blinks. What does that mean?

It was freezing now.

The material of his uniform offered a good amount of warmth, but his face and ears reddened because of the nipping wind. His dedication paid off, however, because the telltale groan of gears on iron finally met his ears.

Jumping from his roost, Sasuke flew through the air onto the contraption below. Its talons spread wide and spun into a blinding circle, sawing the air just inches from his boots. It was difficult to maneuver mid-flight, but Sasuke was nimble, and with a quick jerk, he managed to slam his foot against the smooth exterior.

Even with the weight of his body and the force of his jump, his kick didn't leave a single dent.

Falling to the ground, Sasuke ducked away from each stabbing footstep. As he adjusted his battle tactics internally, the intrusive AI spoke again.

Contestant 08 would like to communicate with you. Permission to open a direct route; denied or granted?

I don't know what that means. He answered within his head. I'm busy right now.

Do you deny permission, or grant it?

He sighs audibly, rolls away from another attack, and grants permission. Then, the strangest thing happened.

S…Sasuke?

The shock makes his steps falter. What? What are you—Can you hear what I'm thinking?

I don't know what going on. That CYLAN thing asked if I wanted to speak with you. Are you okay? Where are you? He'd better not be injured, shannaro!

Shannaro? Sasuke questions the peculiar slang.

Sakura pauses. No way! He can hear everything I say? Oh god, this isn't good. What if I say something embarrassing?

I can't do this right now, Sasuke thinks. I'm a little preoccupied.

And he was. Blasting through rock, the machine sends pebbles flying. The stones cut Sasuke's skin, but he manages to slide under it all. Planting his palms in the frozen ground, the man kicks upwards towards the bottom of the robot, using every ounce of his natural strength to lift it from the ground. It doesn't move.

A spiraling pincer spins violently, heading straight for him.

Sasuke is so experienced! Sakura thinks as she comes upon the battle finally. She'd heard snippets of Sasuke's fighting plan—Shit, what is that? How much does this thing weigh?—somehow their thoughts were merging.

Oh no, have I been talking about how cool he looks? The tea rose leaps forward, heading directly towards the robots rotating limb. A faint green hue engulfs her petite fist and Sasuke watches as Sakura smashes its arm in one heady hit.

Damn.

Sakura blinks. They stare at each other for a beat. That was definitely not her voice.

Ripping towards them is yet another pincer, and it reaches under its body to try and shred them. Sakura kicks the middle of Sasuke's back and he lands on all fours, just missing mutilation by inches.

"Run," Sakura commands. "Let's get some distance."

They are out of the danger zone in mere seconds…but still trapped in the ever-changing environment. Sasuke and Sakura pump chakra into their legs until they can't hear the machine humming behind them. The sky starts to darken. A downpour hits just as suddenly as the snow had. Skin, still cold from such drastic temperature changes, became damp and slick with the next weather extreme. Their steps are clumsy as sloshy snow melts on top of the ground.

In the distance, a sopping evergreen looms next to a group of smaller trees. Its branches are long and heavy with leaves, providing just enough cover block some of the freezing rain. By the time they make it to the trunk, every inch of snow had dissolved and muddy water lay in its wake.

Folding her arms behind her head to catch her breath, Sakura speaks. "This is too much. It's like our battle with Kaguya and the constant switching between dimensions."

"Yeah, maybe that's what it's trying to replicate." He responds. Sasuke lifts up the border of his shirt and wipes his face. The rise and fall of his chest is just as labored as hers. Sweat, and droplets of water trickle down past his navel. Sakura's heart stutters.

I want you. She thinks of how Sasuke had said those words to her earlier, and how handsome he is in that moment, and how much she wanted to—

Sasuke jerks his head towards her, eyes wide and brow furrowed. "What?"

"W-What, what?"

Oh, shit.

Oh no.

Oh, NO!

It's too late, though. Sasuke stares, physically recoiling as her thoughts flashed through his mind in seconds. Pictures of his stomach, his chest, her hands, her—

"Cancel!" Sakura says aloud, covering her ears with her palms and turning away from him. Cancelcancelcancel you stupid—

It responds accordingly. "Direct route, cancelled."

Sasuke had seen it. The inner thoughts from Sakura's mind flickered into his, replaying his own movements. He'd simply wiped the wetness from his face. That's all he meant to do. But Sakura saw so much more, thought so much more. And...he wasn't sure how to process any of that information at all. It was the last thing he expected from... Did...she really think that way? How often did it...happen?

He had been the first to speak. Sakura's face was bright red, her hands were shaky, and she refused to look at him at all. The awkwardness was palpable. He keeps his head straight. "What…do you suggest we do?"

Inwardly cursing himself, Sasuke turns his head to the side as she gapes upward at him. "…about the Taijutsu robot, I mean."

Sakura buries her hands into her face. How much worse can this get? Kill me now, God. "C-can you can use your kekkei genkai?"

The sharingan was a bloodline limit, and though—by nature— it involved taijutsu, ninjutsu and genjutsu, only his taijutsu tomoe was active. The strains of the chakra-seeping bangles around his wrists cut off a large chunk of his abilities. He clears his throat before speaking again.

"Yes, sporadically,"

Sakura nods. They both decide to ignore what had just happened. That was good. "I'm not…fast enough to hit where I need to. You're plenty fast, but you don't have the chakra strength I do..."

"Yeah, but you can't use that strength for long." Sasuke adds. "Your chakra will drain even more quickly."

"The same goes for your eyes."

An uncomfortable silence settles between them. It's growing darker by the second, and now flashes of lightning spark overhead. It's hard to see, and now, hard to hear where the robot is. They couldn't risk being separated again…

…even if that's what Sakura wants more than anything else at this moment.

Thinking of multiple scenarios, the kunoichi rubs her arms and leans back into the tree trunk. "My chakra needs to be reserved. I'm a healing ninja, and that is ninjutsu. But since I'm not using it on that machine, I should theoretically be able to fix you up if you get hurt."

Sasuke stares at his shoes, not sure where to look. "I'm not worried about getting hurt. I was so close to it earlier, but my hits didn't affect it nearly as much as yours did."

"So what do we do?"

They both look up at the same time, and then swiftly look away once their eyes accidentally meet.

Suddenly, Sakura gets an idea.

It's a great one, really, but it's the last thing she wants to suggest after…oh god, what exactly did I show him? Taking a deep breath, the kunoichi steadies her feet. "What if…you use your sharingan to rely the information you see to me."

Sasuke looks up once more, but this time, they hold one another's gaze. "What do you mean?"

"I'm not nearly as fast as you are," Sakura explains, "But if I knew the robots attacks ahead of time, that would give me a slight advantage. You could tell me what was going to happen next from long-range, and I could get in close to attack."

Sasuke is already shaking his head before she finishes. "That puts too much of a strain on us as a team. If I drain myself of chakra before you even get close, what do we do then? I'm not willing to put myself in a position to rely on you alone. "

The way he says that makes Sakura angry. What's that supposed to mean? "You relied on me, alone, when Orochimaru attacked us all. Are you questioning my abilities?"

She watches his attitude shift.

That isn't what he meant at all.

If he ran out of chakra while she was in the thick of it, it would be setting her up for failure. It was almost black out, now. His eyes could see everything, sure, even from far away, but could hers? How would he explain what was going to happen, to someone who had never experienced the sharingan?

Sakura digs her fingernails into the bare skin of her thigh, squeezing her eyes shut as tightly as she can. Before, even if she was angry with him, at least it wasn't like this. She almost wants to fail on purpose, just to get back to the comforts of her bedroom and cry for a really, really long time.

She cursed her brain, and the immature thoughts that invaded whenever he was around.

Sasuke turns his head towards a noise in the distance. It's coming closer. Her plan would have to do, for now, and everything else could wait on the backburner. "How, exactly, would you be able to react to it?"

Sakura is already beside him, preparing herself for impact and casting away her pervious feelings in an instant.

"That depends on how quickly you process what you see."

"Not quick enough to speak it to you."

That's right, Sakura says to herself. From what she's read and seen, the sharingan processes information in nanoseconds—possibly even less time. The Uchiha brain was wired to comprehend that information. Sakura was smart, though. She furrows her eyebrows.

The answer hits them both at the same time.

"The direct route,"

There was so much that could go wrong. The hole in their hypothesis was in the idea itself—a theory may be based on evidence, but it's not fact. It's impossible to practice without expanding chakra pointlessly. If it didn't work, it didn't work.

As much as she didn't want to, Sakura knew she had to try.