Chapter Six:

Revising a Classic

There were definite advantages to being a shinobi, Sakura thought to herself as the four ninjas sprang easily across a wide ditch that had caused Dorothy and her lot much consternation. Similarly, the beasts of the forest, known as 'kalidahs' in the book, were no match for their group. Sakura was grateful when they made it across the river without losing Naruto in the process. Yes sir; things seemed to be going very smoothly. The pink-haired kunoichi could feel her confidence rising with every obstacle overcome. She could do this. She would pass the test and prove herself worthy. Of course, she still planned on scolding Master Kakashi for subjecting her to all of this; or at the very least, she would help Naruto out the next time he decided to play a prank on their perpetually late teacher. But for the most part, she was secretly very pleased with herself.

By focusing chakra into their feet, the four shinobi and Pakkun made excellent time through the countryside. Soon the yellow dirt path led them to the edge of a giant swamp, full to the brim with lotus blossoms. Sakura skidded to a stop, and the others followed her lead. For a moment, silence reigned as they all took in the beauty of the natural wonder. Almost as far as the eye could see, the swamp stretched out across the landscape. The lotus blossoms were so prolific that the water of the swamp could not be seen. It looked like a giant floral carpet, but as testament to the presence of water the yellow dirt path became a raised yellow lumber walkway that cut a distinct swath through the multi-hued field of whites, yellows, and pinks. The air smelled vaguely sweet; a memory stirred in Sakura's brain.

"Wow! Look at this place! This is great; I never saw anything like this from atop of my pole! Hee, hee; let's go guys!" the ever-enthusiastic Naruto stated, sprinting directly towards the swamp, apparently not realizing that the flowers were floating on water. Before Sakura could react, the orange-clad ninja was stopped mid-stride; a thin tendril of darkness stretched impossibly from beneath Shikamaru's feet to Naruto's.

"Geez, you're even more stupid than usual. What's up with you?"

"Hey, Shikamaru, that's not fair! Let me go!"

Sakura walked over to the frozen boy. "Naruto, he did it for your own good. That's a swamp. The flowers are floating on water. We have to stick to the path to cross it."

Naruto growled a little. The two unbewitched ninjas exchanged a glance and the unnatural shadow that connected the two boys retreated to back beneath Shikamaru's feet. Able to move freely again, the blond crossed his arms in front of his chest and scowled at Team Ten's shadow manipulator, who shrugged it off.

"If we're done playing around, let's get moving. I'm eager to meet this 'Great and Powerful' Hokage person."

All eyes turned to the Uchiha, whose voice had been calm and normal even though his body position was anything but. Standing on his left foot, he had raised his right foot straight up even with his head and to the side, the fingers of his right hand holding on to the big toe of his extended foot. The position looked painful, even to the only girl in the group. Sasuke remained perfectly balanced and poised, even as Naruto collapsed to the ground in a fit of laughter, declaring boldly that Sasuke looked like a ballerina.

Scratching the top of his head, Shikamaru sighed. "You guys are such freaks. But I suppose ballerina-boy is right. Let's get this over with."

Sasuke released his foot, allowing the leg to slowly descend to the ground. Naruto managed to control his laughter long enough to make it to his feet, although his face still sported a too-wide grin. The boys gathered in a loose group, proceeding towards the raised wooden walkway. Only Sakura remained still; something was wrong here, she was sure of it. Part of her wanted to follow after the others; she had to move or she would be left behind again. But her mind, her mind kept telling her that the swamp full of lotus flowers was dangerous, that entering it would be a mistake.

The light breeze blew across the swamp and tickled her nose with the sweet scent of lotus. Oh yeah! The field of poppies. This is a trap! Her sudden, frantic cries of 'stop' produced the desired results; all three guys ceased their forward progress before entering the swamp. As they turned back toward her, the two dark-haired boys had varying expressions of displeasure on their faces; only Naruto seemed unperturbed by the delay. Sakura quickly caught up with them, breathlessly explaining that entering the swamp of lotus blossoms meant an endless sleep for them all.

"But… that's where the yellow path goes."

"I know, Naruto, but we can't follow it in there."

"So how did the characters in the story get past it?" Shikamaru asked.

Sakura tucked an errant pink strand of hair back behind an ear. "Well, in the story, the scarecrow and the woodsman were made of straw and tin, so they didn't breathe and weren't affected by the scent."

"So maybe Naruto and Sasuke won't fall asleep."

"I don't think we should take the chance."

"Why not?"

"Because it is the scarecrow who figures out a way of getting Dorothy and the lion out of trouble."

Shikamaru eyed Naruto, who had gotten bored with the exchange of words and was busy chasing a dragonfly. "Oh." He flopped to the ground. "Man, what a drag. I knew I should have stayed in the woods." He looked back up at Sakura. "So now what do we do?"

The question drew the steady gaze of not only Sasuke, but Pakkun and even Naruto. With all eyes on her, Sakura bit her lower lip and mentally reviewed their options. In the story, after escaping the poppy field, the characters had made it to the Emerald City only to be told by Oz that they would have to kill the Wicked Witch of the West before he would help them. It would make sense then, for the group of ninjas to take on the Wicked Witch first, and then go the City.

Sakura glanced at Shikamaru. A slow, evil smirk crossed her face. An 'evil' witch? The presence of Team Ten's shadow manipulator practically guaranteed who would be playing the role of the witch. For a moment, the pink-haired kunoichi allowed her imagination to run wild. She could picture a thoroughly bespelled Ino, complete with green skin and a wart on the end of her nose. Ha! Once Sasuke saw her like that, there was no way the porker would ever have a chance of winning his heart. This was too perfect!

Sakura quickly outlined her plan to the boys, leaving out her theory that Ino would be playing the role of the witch. Naruto was as agreeable as ever; Shikamaru gave a bored sounding 'whatever', leaving only Sasuke as the silent one. His dark eyes narrowed, his perfectly pouty lips pursed slightly, causing Sakura's insides to tremble. Then a single word was crossed his lips.

"No."

"What? Sasuke, why not?"

He leveled a look at her. "You said that following this path would lead us to a shinobi that would help me get stronger. That's my only reason for coming here with you. I am an avenger; I have no interest in your silly side quest." He turned away from the group, staring out over the swamp. "I have to become stronger. I'm the only one who can kill him. I can't allow anything to get in my way: not flowers… and not you."

Sakura could feel her confidence fleeing before his cold words. Even now, was she really just a nuisance to him? The logical part of her mind tried to tell her that it was only the genjutsu talking, but her heart refused to be consoled. After all, there was a reason Sasuke was chosen to play the role of the heartless character.

The Uchiha resumed walking towards the swamp, slow and steady, while the others stared at his impassive back. Sakura's heart still ached, but fortunately her mind began working again.

"Sasuke, wait! This isn't a silly side quest. A shinobi as powerful as the Hokage won't train you or help the rest of us if we don't prove ourselves worthy. Defeating the Wicked Witch will prove that you're serious about getting stronger."

The moody boy's feet came to a stop. He sighed, and then glanced over his shoulder, one obsidian eye locking in on Sakura's earnest teal ones. He didn't engage the sharingon, but the girl felt as if he was looking through her anyways. He reversed direction to stare across the swamp. Shoulders slumping slightly, he whirled back to the waiting group; back to her.

"Fine. Let's go."

As if a great weight had been taken off her chest, Sakura suddenly felt many times lighter. The shinobi once again gathered chakra in their feet, using the power to increase their speed as they ran around the swamp. Sakura could feel a grin on her face, one that would perhaps rival that of her blond teammate. Even though they were still stuck in the genjutsu, it felt like she had wrested control away from Kurei. No longer were they bound to the conventions of the story and for once, everyone, even Sasuke, was listening to her and following her lead. Her excitement was tainted by a twinge of apprehension. Now that they were headed directly for the witch, who knew what would happen? If the genjutsu responded by changing the story, Sakura would lose her one great advantage: knowledge of how "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" went.

Well, she would worry about that if and when the time came. For now she could enjoy her moment. An image of a soaking wet, green skinned, warty Ino flashed through her brain. Sakura wasn't usually one to be spiteful, but the opportunity to show her bold rival up in front of Sasuke was not to be missed. Was it her fault that the story dictated that the witch be defeated by a simple bucket of water? Replacing the grin on her face was an almost evil smirk.

Sorry, Ino, but you are going down!