Three days later

44th training ground

Konoha

Makuro thought it logical that none in the large crowd of genin assembled at the front of the forest would notice him or his fellow cell members as they melted stealthily into the back of throng. Unfortunately he was wrong. Almost the instant that he, Shinri, and Sato stepped into the back of the crowd, nearly everyone turned and looked at them. It was a gradual thing, this gawking, but the results remained the same.

Everyone's attention slowly turned from Anko, who was still explaining the second part of the exam to these three strange ninja who had just come out of nowhere. Sato could feel the heat of dozens of gazes on first her face, and then her hitae-ate headband. Maybe they recognized the symbol for the village hidden in the night, maybe they didn't. Either way, Sato felt like she was under glass at a museum. She rather liked it.

Most of these looks were of polite puzzlement, some were inquisitive, and very few were openly hostile. Satora's gaze was drawn to the sound cell, which was missing one member, Kin. She didn't recognize the stocky replacement for the girl, but she did recognize the other two, Dosu and Zoku. Was that hate brimming in their eyes? Were those fists clenching and unclenching?

Sato scoffed. Most likely they were pissed that Shinri had killed Kin before they could. There was no love in that cell, no comradeship. In a way, Orochimaru's cell was like Sato's own.

Then again, they weren't.

Sato flipped her hair, and she waved

Shinri gritted his teeth and shot a pure look of loathing at the girl, "Can you please not act like a complete idiot when we have everyone staring at us, Sato?"

"It's me they're looking at, Snake charmer, so don't you worry." Sato said through a smile plastered on her pretty mouth. She waved mechanically, and some of those inquisitive heads turned back to Anko, "You won't have to fret about anyone taking a gander at that ugly thing you call a face…"

Makuro could sense the surge of anger deep inside Shinri. The snake ninja was sorely tempted to take the bait the young Tasogare was offering, but he resisted. Now wasn't the time.

"OY!" Anko's whistle was shrill and loud, but it brought everyone's attention back to her. The woman put her hands on he slim hips, and glared at all the present ninja, "You guys gonna pay attention and hear some stuff that might actually keep you alive in this exam, or you want to gawp at three other noobs like yourselves?"

"Noobs?" Sato scowled.

Pause..

"Alright.." Anko glowered at everyone, then continued. She pointed behind her to the tents south of the main gate, "Now in those tents you'll be given two scrolls…"

Across the field, there were three ninja in particular who noticed the Yoru cell..
"Who are they?" Sakura asked Sasuke anxiously, taking this opportunity to lean in closer to him. She indicate the three genin that had just joined the ninja body with a nod, and waited for Sasuke's answer carefully, daring to take a step closer to him for the answer.

"They're genin from the village hidden in the night." Sasuke's eyes narrowed as his gaze swept up and down Satora, "And there's the Tasogare Kakashi told us about.."

"WHAT?" Naruto did a double take, and nearly fell over with exasperation. He had listened to Kakashi describing this powerful ninja clan, whose final living member would be present at the second part of the exam, but he never got that it was a girl. Naruto squinted at Sato, and grinned slightly, "Wow, she's pretty cute.."

"Sasuke, aren't you worried?" Sakuro asked, her eyes big with worry, "She might try to kill you!"

"Let her try." Sasuke's eyes flashed.

While Sakura stood there in absolute admiration of Sasuke's cool bravado, Naruto nearly sprained his eyes from rolling them.

She cant be all that tough, Naruto thought, gaze drifting back to Sato, But Kakashi still looked pretty wary when he was talking about her..

"Oh.." Anko finished up her talk, and fixed everyone in the group with a cocky grin, before shouting,"One more piece of advice? Don't die!"

"That won't be much of a problem, eh Makuro?" Sato said cheerily. The group as one broke, and headed towards the tents where the scrolls were being passed out. Sato, Shinri, and Makuro already knew what was going down-Yoake had explained it that very morning, with some specific guidelines

"Remember, kids, your mission isn't to race through the exam as fast as possible, and its sure not to kill everyone. This is strictly exploratory, and is probably one of the most important stages in the plan. This is your perfect opportunity to at least get a flavor as to what our opponents from sand, sound, grass, rain, mist, and leaf can do. Don't mess it up, and make the most out of every chance, got it?"

Yoake's words were still buzzing around in Sato's head as she winked at Makuro, who had remained sullenly silent most of the morning, "How about this? You take the scrolls, Kuro, and hide them in your linens. That leaves us all pretty much free to have some fun for the next three days!"

"Is that what you think this is going to be?" Shinri said distastefully as the three of them trudged over to the tents, "Fun? Just a little game, sport, maybe?"

"Shut up, Shinri!" Sato said sourly. Makuro ducked into the tent, and disappeared from view, and Shinri took this opportunity to walk away, vanishing quickly into the mass of genin.

"AHH!!!" Sato threw her head back and howled "I HATE BOYS!"

"Hey-YOU!!" A tight male voice hollered.

Sato spun on her heel, and found herself face to face with a pissed looking spikey haired ninja, arms crossed over a broad chest, looking laughable in an orange jumpsuit. Satora fixed him with a quizzical look, and the boy jumped to attention, practically hopping with rage.

"YEAH-you! You're that Tasogare chick that no one can shut up about! Well if you're so great, then you'll take a minute to listen to this!" Here the kid poked himself in the chest, "You can stand aside and give me your position as most powerful ninja, cause I'm gonna be the next Hokage-don't you forget it!"

Sato was slightly taken aback

"NARUTO!" Out of nowhere flew a kunoichi with bright pink hair, and she socked the boy in the head real good, bringing him to his knees "WHAT F--- DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING????

"HEY-LAY OFF!" The kid cried, rubbing his head.

While the orange clad boy groveled on the ground, the pink haired girl grinned, and scratched the back of her head awkwardly.

"Sorry about that, it's just Naruto. You wouldn't understand.."

"I see." Sato thought she missed something somewhere,

"You have no idea." The girl didn't look so scared of her anymore, and managed a slight smile, "I'm Haruno Sakure..you must be Satora Tasogare!"

Of course I am, you idiot, who do you think I was? "Nice to meet you." Sato stuck out a hand, and shook Sakura's in a friendly manner, "I would get to know you more, but in that forest you might turn around and whip my butt or something…ha ha ha wouldn't that be sad, right after we become friends..ha ha ha….." (Yeah right, like I'm gonna let that happen…)

Sakura returned the laugh, and smiled, "There's not a chance of me beating anyone in the exams, I'll be lucky just to get out of here alive.."

"Don't say that!" Sato's grin faded, "I bet you're as tough as any kunoichi I've met.."

Which isn't saying much, with the exception of Yoake.

"I can't even keep up with Naruto, much less Sasuke.." Sakura threw up her hands hopelessly and shook her pretty head, pink hair flying everywhere, "There's no way I can even think of-"

"Sasuke?" Sato's voice became as sharp as a kunai, "Sasuke Uchiha? He's in your cell?"

"Yes, he is." Sakura gave a weak smile, "He's so cool, but he hardly ever talks to me.."

Sato's heart was racing, and in her mind there was a terrible battle of wills, two options battling it out for action. Stick the plan and not kill Sasuke Uchiha, or avenge her entire family in one blow by killing the uchiha boy. The unfortunate side effect of that last one was that she would be blowing everything her village had ever worked for out of the water, and also jeopardizing a lot of people she couldn't afford to protect.

So she settled for looking mildly interested, "Sasuke Uchiha, huh? He must be some sort of jerk to not talk to you at all.."

"I know!" Sakura exploded, "I just want to kick him in the balls and.." She stopped, and shook her head, "What am I saying? He's so cool, wait till you meet him.."

"Oh yes." Sato smiled grimly, "Wait till I meet him…"

"SATO!" Makuro called to his cellmate, and beckoned her over, "I've got the scrolls, let's head back over to the gate."

Sato clasped Sakura on the shoulder, "Nice meeting you, friend, but I have to run. Maybe I'll see you in the forest, and we can hang out, how about that?"

"Sure!" Sakura smiled, scratching the back of her head awkwardly, "Sounds cool!"

Sato trotted over to Makruo. Shinri was nowhere in sight. Chances are he would enter the forest at a different gate altogether, and not even come in with the rest of the genin. It would be an act worthy of slippery Shinri, to be sure.

"Who were you talking to?" Kuro asked curiously.

"A wonderful person, Sakura Haruno of Kakashi Hatake's seventh cell." Sato's eyes were wild, and her fists were clenched, "A certain Sasuke Uchiha happens to be one of her cell members.."

"Don't even think about it!" Kuro seized Sato's wrist, and held it tight, "Please, Sato, I'm begging you. If you kill him now.."

"I know, I know!" Sato ripped her arm from her friends grasp, "I FREAKING KNOW!! You can trust me on this, and I won't kill him. However, you can't stop me from talking to him."

"Sato, you know as well as I do that once you start talking to him, you'll get so steamed up that you'll either say something stupid that'll get him to attack you, or you'll go for his throat first. Just avoid him. Stay away for the plan's sake. If you so much as lay a finger on him.."

The battle light faded from Satora's eye, and she nodded. Makuro could sense that she was finally listening to reason.

"Did you notice the other ninja of interest here that are not under Konoha's banner?" Makuro asked his friend in a way of a compromise. The look she gave him stated plainly that no, she hadn't noticed them.

"Orochimaru is in disguise as one of the grass ninja, just a heads up. The only sand cell left alive is to our right-don't look­ for Gosh sakes!- and Dosu's gang is circling to the left, probably out for all our blood. There are mist ninja that I heard knew Yoake back when she lived in Kirigakure.."

"I see Neji Hyuga!" Sato licked her lips as team Guy passed the pair of them. Neji gave Sato a cold and cauculating glare, daring to look her in the eye, Tenten averted her gaze, and Rock Lee stopped right in front of them, and stood proud and tall.

"Greetings, honorable Tasogare!" The boy said, throwing a salute, "I look forward to combating you in the forest of death, and will relish going to toe to toe with the cream of the Yorugakure crop.."

"Does he have a death wish?" Sato asked Tenten calmly, who balked.

"Come on, Lee." Neji plucked his friend on the arm, still giving Sato that cold look, "Don't waste your breath on her. Let's go."

As Team Guy stalked away, Sato turned to Makuro

"Can I kill him? Please?"

"He has no fear for you, Sato. I couldn't see it." Kuro said truthfully.

"Is that a yes?"

Makuro groaned, and put his head in his hands. This was going to be the longest three days of his entire life!