I know I've been gone for a while, and I'm sure you all want to know why, but, I don't have a good reason, so I'll just leave the subject right there. This Chapter is a simple transition chapter to get me back in the groove. Another update will come soon. As I was reading the other chapters, I realized that I've gotten a lot better. But, I didn't want to just wrote in a whole knew style. So this is a simple chapter, the next one's gonna get a little CRAZY. That was your warning. Thanks for all the people that stuck with me.
.com/Poetry/To-My-Lovely-Stranger.543451 (explained at end of chapter)
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"I'll deny everything
and you can say nothing happened
but,
I can see it in your eyes…
You miss me."
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"Now, tonight's challenge is not a test of strength, but a test knowledge and team work. You will each be placed at random into groups of three. Once placed, the teams will enter a maze. Together you all must solve the riddle, and this will lead you out of the maze. If you fail to solve the riddle" Anko put her hand to her neck and made the cut throat symbol.
Gasps were heard around the arena.
"Quit!" Anko continued. She signaled to a ninja in the back of the arena to pull the lever that activated the selection system. The names began to spin. Sakura's heart quickened, her eyes watched for her name.
Please don't let me be with Neji….
Not Neji!
Not Neji!
"The first group is, Sasuke Uchiha, Neji Hyuuga and"
The third name rolled to a stop.
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'Sakura Haruno'
All of the other team assignments after this one blew past her in a blur. Sakura never thought that time could completely stand still, but apparently, when her world ended, it did. Sakura had learned a lot of things about life since the beginning of the Chunin exams. Today, she'd learned that life was
Completely
Absolutely
And utterly
Unfair.
Inner Sakura: …
Sakura: …
"…", Sakura was in a completely bewildered state. The only thing that was able to break her out of her surprised stupor was Kakashi's soft hand on her back trying to comfort her.
She looked up at her sensei with a face of accusation, even though she knew he had nothing to do with it. Sakura looked over at Sasuke, who seemed to be thinking absolutely nothing. His face was an emotionless painting.
Inner Sakura: How does he do that?
Kakashi, placed his hand on Sakura's head and mussed it a bit. Her bubble gum strands of hair were now in a disarray.
"Sensei ! Do you know how long it took me to do my hair today!? You're such a loser! I hope you know that!" , Sakura spoke in a vehement whisper. She glared at him, knowing that he had just volunteered to be her object of miss placed aggression.
"Sucks for you.", he replied with a smirk tugging at the ends of his hidden lips. He gave her a little wink, and returned to his lounge agenst the wall.
Inner Sakura: He knows something!
Sakura: He knows everything!
Inner Sakura: Calm down… maybe not everything, but he knows enough to warrant an untimely death.
Sakura: Definitely!
Sakura grimaced at her situation, completely unaware of the blank look Sasuke was casting in her direction, and the amused yet bemused gaze emitted from Neji across the room.
Anko's soprano voice jack hammered into her thoughts, "Now that the teams have been selected. Each group will assemble and be given a transportation scroll and a mission scroll. You will be teleported into an area of the forest, and complete the mission to the best of you ability, or…", she paused.
Sakura: Die…
Inner Sakura: You're not a very positive person.
Anko continued, " Once the mission is completed, you will find another teleportation scroll, and be transported to the final battle arena. Anyone left behind will be collected and taken back here. Any questions?", Anko briefly gazed around the room , trying to gauge the reactions from the kids.
She saw a lot of terrified faces, occasional looks of determination, and Sasuke. (He just didn't own any emotions)
"Good, now, assemble in your groups in the center and your scrolls and other directions will be handed out to you shortly.", Anko finished, and people went into action.
" Hey Sasuke!", Naruto yelled across the two feet between him the onyx eyed enigma, "If you don't make it to the final round, I'm gonna kick you ass into the next century, Believe it", Naruto finished, throwing a fist up into the air.
Without taking his eyes off of the arena Sasuke replied, " Of course I'll make it you idiot."
It was almost a brotherly moment for the two of them. If it wasn't drenched in subtle animosity, it might have been adorable.
Sakura sighed, "Who are you paired up with Naruto, I wasn't listening." Sakura blushed a bit, hesitant to profess her lack of focus.
"I don't remember either! I was too excited to listen. I'm just going to walk into the arena and see who finds me! Bye Sakura good luck" With that, he hopped over the railing and landed on the arena floor.
"Ready", Sakura flinched at the closeness of Sasuke's voice. He'd shifted closer to her; his arms were crossed, as he scanned the arena for his other group member.
"Ready as I'll ever be." she replied, a determined smile set on her face.
Sakura did a quick Jutsu and reappeared on the ground. With in moments she spotted Neji.
Inner Sakura: We're not walking over there, he's gonna drag his boney ass over to us.
Sakura: He's not skinny at all, are you kidding me. He's pure muscle.
Inner Sakura: Way to be observant. He's still a suspect. We still haven't eliminated him, and Sasuke.
Sakura: That means it could be either of them.
Inner Sakura: Or neither of them… our suspect list was just the people nearby, a teleportation jutsu can get you pretty far away.
"Hello Haruno, how are you feeling?", Sakura's inner rant was cut of by the silky Hyuuga voice that she had learned to loath in the past 6 hours. His voice was laden with mock courtesy.
Sakura gave him a glare, " I'm fine thanks for asking." She folder her arms and away from him. An angry blush on her cheeks.
"Where's the Uchiha?", he asked nonchalantly, amusement playing across his face as he gave her an accessing glance. His thoughts went back to hours ago, when she walked out of his front door hating him with a passion. However, he could tell, it wasn't pure loathing.
"I think he went to go get the scrolls", she hissed through her teeth, fixing him with a small glaring, then sighing.
They stood in silence. Neji had changed his cloths. Instead of his black genshin pants, he wore plane black sweats, with his clan symbol going down the left leg. He wore his usual white shirt, and his hair was in a neat pony tail. Sakura could see a single small healing scratch across his cheek.
She smirked at that.
Sasuke approached them, scrolls in hand, a curious expression on his face after watching their little exchange. He had the feeling something had happened between them, and he didn't like it. Sakura seemed venomous , and Neji's aura was that of an antagonist.
He came to a stop in front of them.
"Hyuuga", he greeted curtly.
"Uchiha", Neji replied.
Inner Sakura: Haruno!
They all stared at the two scrolls in Sasuke's hands, with blatant interest.
"Which one do we open first", Sakura said, taking one of them from Sasuke and eyeing it with a little suspicious.
"Here", Sasuke pushed a small piece of paper into her hands, "These are the directions, you read them"
Inner Sakura: Ok Ms. Drama queen.
Sakura: He's PMSing today.
Sakura handed her scroll to Neji absentmindedly. As she did this, there hands touch for an instant. Sakura could feel her body tense as a cool jolt of fire ran through her. Neji felt it too. It was like a he'd been tossed in a whirl wind. He took the scroll and looked away from her, trying to figure out what had just transpired between them.
This didn't go by unnoticed by Sasuke. His face twisted into a small glare and his mouth formed a thin tight line.
"Umm… ", Sakura said catching her breath , "Congratulations on making it past the first part of the Exams. Blah blah blah, you've done will blah blah"
"Haruno, read it properly, this is important!", Neji cut in.
"I'm reading it word for word. Some lazy Jounin probably wrote this!", Sakura yelled back. It was probably Kakashi.
Sasuke grabbed it out of her hands rather rudely and continued reading. Sakura looked up at him flabbergasted. She placed her hands on her hips and gave a little huff.
" Your challenge for this next part of the exam lays in the blue scroll. Due to the necessary preparations for you're mission, like other teams, you will not be starting right away. 4:00 A.M tomorrow morning, your team will gather in the southern training grounds, activate the scroll, and further instructions will be given.", Sasuke finished reading the writers lazy scrawl.
Neji spoke in a hushed voice to himself, "4:00 A.M…"
"What are supposed to do until then?!", Sakura screamed to no one in particular. Her self absorbed team mates were already lost in their own thoughts.
"Why don't you guys go bond?", Genma suggested as he strolled by.
They all glared at him.
" o.k.. relax", he waved his arms in defense, " go train together or something, I'm sure you want to get accustmed to each others fighting styles before you go on a mission together." He left with that, leaving them all looking at one another pensively.
"I've known you guys long enough now to…" Sakura started.
"… know how inferior you are to us…", Sasuke added jokingly, knowing full well how she'd take the comment. He'd had enough brooding for one day. He needed to get ready, and Sakura was always looking to prove herself.
"You're on Sasuke", she said, facing him, seemingly unfazed by the remark, but up for the challenge.
"I'd love to watch, I haven't gotten acquainted, with the Uchiha fighting style yet.", Neji smirked. His mind however, still lingered on their fight earlier. Sakura had been an amazing opponent. She might have beaten him, if he hadn't used his weapons.
"It's settled then. 8:00 Eastern training field", Sakura, turned around and walked out with out another word, leaving both guys smirking in amusement. They both were eager for the fight, but one of them had other plans in mind.
Genma and Kakashi watched the team from a distance.
"Did you tell her yet?", Genma asked, hands in his pocket while chewing on his senbon.
Kakashi sighed and leaned against the wall, " No. She'll figure it out on her own."
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Thanks for reading, as I said, simple , quick, and to let everyone know that I'm back. I wrote a poem for "maybe maybenot",check out .com/Poetry/To-My-Lovely-Stranger.543451. It will help you understand Gaara a little bit more, and hopefully help you solve the mystery.
.com/Poetry/To-My-Lovely-Stranger.543451
Kiba