Time was slowing down. Naruto was snatched by the woman's tongue from his upper arms."Let me go!"

"Naruto!"

She watched as the woman preformed hand seals. Her fingertips glowed bright purple, and she pushed them onto Naruto's stomach where she caught a glimpse of something.

He screamed in pain and went limp. She threw a kunai to pin him to a tree by his jacket. Sakura let out a whimper and looked at Sasuke. He was still completely paralyzed from fear.

"Sasuke-kun, we have to help Naruto!"

She watched as he finally seemed to snap out of it. He leaned his head back with a sigh and reactivated his sharingan.

The woman dispelled the snake and stood on a branch not far from them. Sasuke pushed her back, causing her to land on a different branch, close to Naruto.

She couldn't even watch their fight, it was beyond what her eyes could see. So she grabbed Naruto and found a place to hide him. Roots were uplifted under a large tree, creating a cave.

Tucking him into the dark she realized there was enough space for three. Shaking off his jacket and shirt she flushed but tried to keep his body temperature lower than it was. His skin was burning up from whatever that woman did to him.

Speaking of which, her eyes traveled down and saw it. The mark from before was slowly fading. Not much, but it looked sort of faint.

What's sealed inside of him?

Turning her head back up, she figured she should help Sasuke any way she could. Climbing up until she found him, she let out a sigh of relief as he had the woman tied to the base of the tree.

"Sasuke-kun! You did it!"

Putting a hand on his back she watching him try to catch his breath with his hands on his knees.

"Just hang in there okay? I found a spot for us to sleep at tonight.

The sun was already setting low on the horizon.

Before either or them could move Sasuke was screaming in pain. A long neck retreated and she could see a three black tomoe where his neck and shoulder met. She instantly covered it with her hand, flowing her chakra inside, not knowing what the woman had even done.

She looked back to where the woman would have been and saw the space was empty. In fact, she couldn't feel the dark chakra anywhere.

He collapsed to his knees and she fell with him, holding his hand as he choked on his screams of pain.

"Sasuke-kun, hey. It'll be okay. Let it out."

His head fell onto her chest and she held him close to her heart. She leaked her chakra over him, trying to soothe him.

He soon passed out, either from too much chakra use or the pain alone, she couldn't tell. Sakura moved him beside Naruto and looked at the mark. It was a lot like Naruto's only much smaller.

She sighed and felt that his temperature was rising too. A river was close by, so she grabbed two cloths from her back pack and dipped them in the river. After she set a few traps she sat back at the base of a large root and sighed. She'll be up all night guarding these too, especially if that woman ever came back.

Later in the night she grabbed a canteen and filled it with river water to keep the cloths on the boys' heads cold.

When day break came she found she had dozed off somewhat. Rewetting their clothes again, she didn't notice the three shinobi who had found her.

"Wake Sasuke up. We want to fight."

Her head snapped to the three before leaving the roots.

There was one taller male, a hunched over male, and a slightly taller female. They had to be at least a year older than her.

Before she could make a move, they were already trying to attack her. A swirl of green caught her vision and they were all kicked to the ground. Lee landed in front of her, in fighting stance.

"Lee-san!"

"If you're in trouble, I'll always find you Sakura-chan."

She gasped and slowly closed her eyes with a smile.

Now there's someone to write home to Mama about.

The fight between the hunched over one and Lee seemed to be any easy win for Lee, but when the hunched over boy swiped at Lee he missed. Lee's stature however swayed as if dizzy.

That's when she noticed the device on his arm.

They're from sound, so their jutsu's probably derive from sound barriers.

Lee fell to his knees and hands, proceeding to throw up.

"Lee-san!"

She didn't want to admit it, but Lee was her only hope. There was no way she could take on these three by herself.

His hand clutched his left ear and she realized that the boy must've busted Lee's ear drum with sound alone.

With a swift kick in the ribs, Lee was tossed away from her. She went to move for him but she was forced on her knees by someone holding her hair.

"Your hair's a lot shinier than mine."

The girl was behind her.

"If you have time to worry about your hair, you should practice!"

She gasped as the girl pulled hard at her hair.

Her fingers dug into the ground as she realized that going all night without sleep hadn't done her any good.

There's no one left to save me now.

Sasuke-kun, Lee-san, and Naruto will all be killed.

That's just it, isn't it Sakura?

Everyone's had to save you.

You always depended on them.

Right now, you're useless.

I knew entering this exam was a bad idea!

But everyone said that I could do it.

Even I thought I could!

As the taller boy approached Sasuke and Naruto she had only moments to spare. Pulling a kunai in her hand, she hesitated for half a second.

"That won't work on me."

"What are you saying?"

The kunai slipped through her hair easily. Her hitai-ate slipped off as well, but by the time she noticed it she was already standing. What was cut off her head was at her feet, and now she wasn't turning back.

She felt something dig into her back for a second before she substituted her body for a log. Running towards the taller boy, she used one more substitution before feeling the kunai knives dig into her skin. She watched his eyes dilate as the kunai entered his arm. Her teeth sunk into his other arm, and his fist immediately made contact with her skull.

Tears prickled at her eyes as she held on with all her might, praying for someone to help her.

After a while he finally threw her off of him, and she landed in the dirt. Picking herself up slowly, she glared at him but in seconds her vision was blocked by three others.

"Ino!"

Shikamaru had obviously forced Choji to move, but they were all there.

"Gee Sakura! You're so stubborn to ask for help!"

Tears welled up in her eyes again at the relief for seeing her old best friend.

"What are you guys doing here?"

"It can't be helped. Ino came out so as men we had to follow her."

"I don't want to die!"

"Choji! Be a man!"

Sakura chanced a glace at Sasuke and Naruto. Naruto seemed completely out of it still but Sasuke was fidgeting as if in pain.

"If you have a problem fatso, you can pull out."

Choji immediately sat up.

"What? I don't think I heard him right."

"I said that you can drop out fatso!"

Sakura watched in fascination as the taboo word seemed to cause fire in Choji's veins.

Who would've known.

"OKAY!"

Chakra seemed to seep out of Choji and Sakura just stared.

"Sakura. Go check on your team mates. We can handle it from here."

Sakura nodded and ran towards the two. She poured the last of the water in her canteen on their wash clothes, noting how dry they were.

Looking back to Ino's team she noticed that whatever planned they had failed. Scrambling back to them, she noticed the collapsed Ino, meaning she had used the same jutsu on her back in the first exam. By the trail of blood at her mouth, the other team must've realized the weakness early on.

Her head snapped to her right as she heard a sound and her eyes widened.

"Sasuke-kun!"

He was up, he was standing. But the dark chakra surrounding him was stifling. He had black marks on half his body, similar to the one given to him by that woman.

She let out a whimper as he drew closer.

"Sakura."

"Sasuke-kun! You need to sit down and rest!"

"Sakura. Who did this to you?"

Her breath hitched.

"Well? Who did it?"

"Stop! Go sit down!"

He activated his Sharingan at her.

"Don't worry. I feel good."

"No! You're temperature's through the roof! You need to-"

"Who hurt you Sakura?"

The tall boy finally talked up.

"Me."

Sasuke's glare turned sharply and he smirked.

"No, Zaku don't!"

In one second she saw his arms move, in the next she was pressed against something warm. And in the third second she was sitting back on the ground, staring up at Sasuke.

"Ha! That did it."

"Did what?"

Before Zaku could turn around Sasuke had hit him with his elbow, throwing him back a few feet.

"Katon: Hosenka no Jutsu!"

Sasuke's movements were too fast for her, but he finally paused. He had his foot on Zaku's back, pulling back his arms. He had such a sick and evil look on his face, she refused to believe it was still the same kid.

She felt her body shaking as Sasuke slowly started to pull.

"S-stop it!"

"You seem to be proud of your arms."

With a sick pop Sasuke let the guy go, Zaku crumbling to the ground. Sakura started to shake as he approached the hunched over guy.

"You better make it more fun for me."

He walked past her slowly with determination and a sick smirk. Tears fell down her face and she made a sprint for him, pulling him to her.

"Sasuke-kun, stop it!"

His heard turned and red eyes glared at her, but she pleaded with him with her own bright green ones.

"Please stop!"

This isn't like you!

You're not a murderer!

She didn't notice the marks on his body receding until it went past his face and back into the mark. He collapsed in her arms, slowly panting.

"Sasuke-kun, are you okay?"

Slowly he nodded yes, but he couldn't stop looking at his hands."Sakura."

"Hm?"

"What happened to me?"

"I don't know."

He looked at her again, and she flushed knowing that he was looking at the damage on her own body.

"Ah, I'm okay."

"SAKURA-CHAN!"

She flinched as Naruto hoisted her up from her knees and onto her feet.

"Naruto! Stop yelling! Are you okay?"

Her hands moved for his shirt and he shoved them away, his hands going to her hair.

"It's so short!"

Sakura felt her cheeks flush.

"Well, I like it long, but maybe this is good you know? A change of an image!"

She offered her sincerest smile and turned away slightly.

"Ah, Lee-san!"

Her feet carried her to where Lee was being talked to by his female teammate.

"Sakura-chan! Are you okay?"

She shook her head and gave him a smile before hugging him.

"No, I'm perfectly okay thanks to you!"

When she pulled back his cheeks were bright red. Someone tugged on her sleeve and she looked to see Ino.

"Come on Sakura, I'll fix your hair."

She nodded. From their vantage point she could see Sasuke and Naruto talking with Choji and Shikamaru, no doubt getting the events of the last twenty four hours straightened out.

"Are you really okay?"

The question snapped her out of her train of thought.

"I'm fine, really. Tired, but fine. What time is it do you think?"

"Noon I'd say. We're going to get going. You guys have your two scrolls, we didn't take it. We'll get our own somehow."

Ino put the kunai back. Sakura didn't care to know how it looked anyways.

"Good luck then."

They turned to face each other.

"Yeah, you too."

That's when Sakura embraced her tight.

"Thank you for coming to my rescue Ino-chan, just like before. I can't ever repay you enough."

"Sakura, don't mention it. Just don't hold back if we face each other again okay?"

Ino threw her a wink before telling her team it was time to leave. Left with just the three of them, silence fell upon the group.

"Sakura-chan, you stayed up all night. Why not take a nap? Sasuke and I can find lunch and dinner."

She opened her mouth to protest, but she shut it none the less and went back to the small cove in the tree roots. The moment she closed her eyes, she was out.

xxXXxx

Sakura took her bath first, upstream. Today was their last day, they had to be at the tower in five hours. Rinsing the conditioner out of her now short hair, she finally got a glimpse of herself. To be frank she felt ugly, she was use to having such long pretty hair without it seemed unnatural. But for now she had to push that feeling aside. Drying off and changing into her clothes, she called out to Sasuke to have his bath next. She looked down at the ground and made it back to the camp site where she waited until they were all done bathing to build a fire.

"Naruto! Do your best to get us fish for lunch!"

"Hn. That idiot can't do it himself."

Sakura giggled and pointed Sasuke to the spot in the river where Naruto was.

"Then go help him. I'm starving. We need to build up our strength for what lies ahead in the tower."

He made a noise of irritation in his throat but did as she asked.

"Kage bushin no jutsu!"

She heard a bunch of splashing before the sound of kunai hitting the tree.

"Three isn't enough you idiot. Do it again."

"WHY IS IT ONLY ME?"

"Naruto-kun! You can do it!"

Sakura knew her call would energize Naruto one more time. And she was right.

She herself was frustrated with a lack of fire from her part. So when she heard the sound of more kunai hitting trees she called out for Sasuke's help."Sasuke-kun! Can I use a fire ball? I can't start the fire!"

They ate in silence, each mentally tracking down the hours.

"It can't be helped. We're running out of time."

Naruto and Sakura looked up at Sasuke, each nodding.

"We can't be far from the tower right?"

"Right, but you have to account for those who set up traps around the perimeter."

"Way to bring a person down Sakura-chan."

She smiled at him and sat down half her fish against the rocks.

"Hey, why don't you eat a lot?"

"Naruto's right. You shouldn't try to diet as a kunoichi."

Sakura looked from one boy to the other and gave what she hoped was a sincere smile.

"I'm full, honestly. You shouldn't eat past when you're full."

They weren't convinced.

"Either way, we should get going. The smell of the cooked fish will attract animals and enemies."

"Right."

"So put some clothes on Naruto!"

He hugged her then.

"Oh Sakura-chan, you're so cute! Don't worry, when we're married-"

The hit him on the head with her fist while her face was flushed pink.

Grabbing their bags, they unpacked camp and hit to the trees.

Right now she carried both scrolls, usually no one went for her it appeared so they were safe with her.

They traveled for hours before finally stopping in a clearing. Sakura took note how tired Sasuke seemed already. It was then that figures appeared around them, from the forest floor to the trees around them.

"Clones?"

"They have to be."

Naruto attacked one already, but his hand fell through.

"What are they made of?"

Naruto looked at his knuckle.

"Oil."

Sakura tensed and watched Sasuke activate his Sharingan.

But it seemed like a mistake. While Naruto dodged one clone, another went for Sasuke. But he couldn't move. Sakura pushed him down out of the way and managed to dodge the attack.

The clones were only saying one thing.

'Scroll please.'

She sat Sasuke up, noticing the mark was activating.

"Sasuke-kun, don't push so hard!"

"It's a genjutsu, they're not real!"

"But-"

"Just listen to me!"

"So what do we do then teme?"

"Naruto, this genjutsu is like puppet magic, someone is making the calls with their chakra. They must not be good at hand to hand combat. We have to find them!"

She tried to make him understand, but she knew his battle reflexes were taking over his brain right now. It was fight or flight.

"I have an idea. Naruto, do your best!"

"Kage bushin no jutsu!"

Pulling Sasuke up, he finally deactivated his sharingan and caught onto her plan. They fought the clones. Hardly giving them time to regenerate. In the mean while, Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura snuck out, turning two of Naruto's clones into a fake Sasuke and Sakura.

She leant Sasuke against a tree, watching the fight from a shadow with Naruto. When the time was right they remerged for the true enemy had shown themselves. It was the very first group who tried to attack them.

"Let's go you guys, I see an opening."

In a second they each had a kunai to the other team's throats.

Except Sasuke had collapsed again, causing her to turn away too. The enemy escaped, and Naruto made the motion to keep moving towards the tower that was only a mile away.

She helped Sasuke into walking, him using her as a clutch though she knew he hated it.

The sun was in the beginning stages of setting.

When they walked through the doors they were encountered with two sets of stairs and a painting on the main level.

Sakura read it to herself and brought out the two scrolls.

"It's telling us to open the scrolls."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course! It's a passage from our third year in the academy. The book of the swans."

"Alright, alright. Let's do this teme!"

Sasuke pulled away from her and the unlatched the scrolls, tossing them to the ground. Smoke filled the space and when it cleared they were shocked to see what appeared before them.

More like who.

"Iruka-sensei?"