Hey everyone!! sorry this took so long to update; I have been internet deprived for a good week, and it makes me terribly happy to have it back. Since I had no internet I decided to give you all the longest chapter I have ever written (You're welcome). I hope you all enjoy the chapter. No KakaXSaku in this one, friends, but there is going to be A LOT of action.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto
Chapter 12: The Chuunin Exams 2
Rethinking it, Sakura brought out a white skirt, and had the white shirt replace the tan skirt. She had a lot of built up frustrations to get out; labeling her as weak would easily allow her to be targeted. So much so, that Sakura could get out her frustrations, and then some.
Team seven stood in front of training area 44; it was 6:30, and no one was really around.
"Have you finished your paper work?" Sakura asked as she grabbed her sheet. The two boys next to her nodded; she grabbed their sheets, and headed toward their purple haired proctor.
"Are you afraid?" The proctor, Anko, asked with a smirk. "It's okay to be afraid."
"I have no problems going into this forest," Sakura commented quietly. She was about to step back, when a kunai flew at her.
Sakura quickly dodged out of the way; the kunai only skimmed lightly against her cheek. Sakura pressed a kunai to the proctor's neck as she appeared behind her; Sakura glared viciously. "You and your games will not work on me, or my team," Sakura said hastily as she put her kunai away. Walking back to her squad, she caught a light chill.
Sakura swiftly glanced behind her to see a few grass nin looking her way. The woman smirked, and appeared in front of her in seconds; Sakura had a bad feeling.
"Why aren't you a pretty little thing," the woman said as she brought her long, snake-like tongue across her lips. "And that blood dripping down your cheek… lovely."
Sakura ignored the long black haired woman and headed toward her team. Once she arrived, Naruto and Sasuke attacked her with questions.
"Who was that?" Naruto practically yelled. "What did they say?"
Sakura just shook her head. She brought a glowing green hand up to her cheek, and healed the small cut that had previously resided there. "Wouldn't want the animals to smell my blood," Sakura commented wistfully.
"Animals?" Naruto asked while turning toward the forest. A long cage spread across the forest; barb wire was along the top of it.
"Yes," Sasuke said with a sigh. "This is know as the Forest of Death, or training area 44."
"Is everyone here?" Anko asked stepping into the middle of the group. "Okay then, let me explain a few things to you. This will be a survival mission. There are 44 gates each team will enter in; you will all be protecting something valuable. It will be either a heaven or an earth scroll.
"Your objective is to receive the scroll you don't have, and make it to the tower in the center of the forest by sunset five days from now." Anko said with a smirk. "Now remember this kiddies; only 13 teams are allowed inside the tower… but I doubt that many will make it. One more thing; anyone who opens up the scroll will immediately be disqualified. Good luck, and report to your respective gates."
Sakura walked up to Anko and grabbed a scroll. Her, Sasuke, and Naruto walked to their respective gate before looking at it.
"Heaven," Sakura whispered quietly into Sasuke and Naruto's ears. She took a deep breath and did a few hand signs; two exact copies of the scroll appeared.
"I'll carry the original," Sakura said quietly. "You two carry the copies; if anything happens, do not hesitate to give them up to protect yourselves."
"Understood," both Sasuke and Naruto said at the same time. A loud whistle rang, and the group of three burst into the Forest of Death.
---
They had already been within the forest of death for a few hours, and still nothing had happened to Team 7.
"I'm bored," Naruto complained loudly. He glared around the forest, "I wish someone would come and attack us."
"We need a safety phrase," Sasuke spoke out quietly. Sakura nodded, as did Naruto.
"What should it be?" Naruto asked.
"Something that isn't simple… only we'd know it," Sasuke muttered under his breath.
"How about, 'Kakashi-sensei is a pervert?'" Naruto asked with a large grin. Sasuke punched him on the head, and sighed.
"Not that, idiot," Sasuke muttered with a glare. "It should be intelligent…"
"'Though the way of the ninja will be rough, there shall be benefits just as much. One may act tough, and show their skills in the clutch. But a real shinobi will forever be there for his friends, until the very end.'"
Naruto stared openly at Sakura in agape. "How the hell will I be able to remember that?!"
"I got it, Dobe," Sasuke muttered as he and Sakura stood. Sakura sighed, and closed her eyes. Opening her eyes, they were a brilliant forest green once more.
"Three," Sakura muttered. She casually glanced to her left, and then to her right, twice. Naruto nodded and smirked.
"I need to take a piss!" He yelled happily as he appeared to be unzipping his pants.
"Not in the presence of a lady, you're not," Sakura yelled dramatically with a mock glare; Sasuke couldn't help but smirk at the two.
"Fine," Naruto sighed. He walked over to a bush, and began to do his business. 'He' appeared again almost a second later, Sakura couldn't help the smirk that graced her features either.
Two kunai flew at 'Naruto' effectively pinning him to a tree. 'Naruto' gapped widely, but then poofed into a different shinobi.
"We're really not that stupid," Naruto said coming out of the bushes; he had two other similar looking shinobi in his grasp. He threw them next to the shinobi that was stuck to the tree; he glared.
"You're nothing but rookies!" He yelled loudly. "You shouldn't have even been able to sense our chakra!"
"Don't be so loud," Sakura tsked as she walked up to the man. She allowed her fist to glow a light blue, and then sent a punch directly to the man's stomach; he fainted instantly. "Did you grab it, Naruto?'
"Yeah," Naruto said as he grinned. "It's another heaven scroll though… should we leave it here?"
"No," Sakura said as she cracked her neck. Glancing toward the scroll, she grabbed it and threw it to Sasuke. "You never know when we'll need an extra scroll."
Sasuke and Naruto both nodded, and after tying the three shinobi up, team seven took to the trees.
Sakura stood in the back, Naruto in the middle, and Sasuke in the front. Sasuke's eyes were a brilliant scarlet as Sakura's eyes still glowed forest green.
Sakura felt a large chill; those eyes were watching her again. Before she had time to notify the others, a large snake appeared, and struck Naruto.
"Sasuke," Sakura called as she lost sight of the raven haired teen. Flipping backward, Sakura was able to dodge the several kunai shot at her. Sakura glanced toward the tree the kunai came from, and was caught eye to eye with the grass woman from before. "State your name."
The grass nin laughed evilly, and watched Sakura. Sakura's hand flew to her kunai pouch when she saw the grass nin fly at her. A senbon needle flew at the grass nin, preventing her from coming any closer.
"Do not attack any of my teammates," Sasuke hissed as he appeared in front of Sakura. The grass nin smirked, and began to do delicate hand signs.
"Then I shall attack you, young Uchiha," the grass nin said before the forest around them began to morph. Sakura blinked before gripping her kunai tighter. She closed her eyes, but flashes of her death still invaded her mind.
'This is genjutsu,' Sakura said mentally. 'No, genjutsu shouldn't be effecting me like this…'
Sakura knew she would have to break out of whatever spell she was under; she just couldn't move to do so. Closing her eyes tighter, Sakura was able to stab herself in the leg, before grabbing Sasuke and leaping away.
"Sasuke," Sakura said as she panted lightly. Sasuke's eyes were wide, and his hand was squeezing Sakura's tightly.
"I saw…" Sasuke began, but in a blink of an eye both Sasuke and Sakura were separated. Sakura landed on her feet, but faltered when the grass nin appeared before her.
"Sakura Haruno," the person hissed; it sounded more of a man's voice than a woman's… Sakura held her kunai tightly in her hand. "The last of the Haruno Clan… do you want revenge for that my dear?"
Sakura glared at the person before her, and threw a kunai at them. The grass nin, laughed and blocked the kunai with it's tongue. Grabbing a kunai of it's own, the grass nin flung it back at Sakura with startlingly speed… way too much speed for a mere genin.
The kunai hit Sakura directly in the left arm; Sakura hissed out a curse and brought a hand to the wound.
"You're too weak to take revenge," the grass nin hissed. "If you come with me, I will help you gain power. Do you want to become stronger Sakura?"
Before Sakura could blink, Sasuke was by her side again. He had several kunai and flung them at the grass nin in quick succession. "Leave Sakura alone!"
The grass nin laughed viscously. "I only want to talk to little Saku-Chan, alone," Sakura shivered when the nin said her name so familiarly. "And if you won't let me do that, then I will have to kill you Sasuke-kun, and I really don't want to have to kill you."
"No," Sakura said finding her voice. "Stop it. If I give you our scroll will you leave us alone?"
The grass nin smirked and slightly nodded it's head. Sakura took her scroll from out of her pouch, and flung it at the grass nin. Before it reached it's destination, however, Naruto grasped the scroll, and glared back at Sakura.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Naruto yelled loudly. Sasuke stood protectively in front of Sakura, and glared back at the blonde.
"You don't understand," Sasuke yelled. "This guy… he's not a mere genin. He's way too much to handle."
Naruto landed a punch on Sasuke's face before he could say anything else. "Where the hell is my team?" Naruto yelled accusingly. "My team would never fall for this shit!"
"Naruto," Sakura said quietly. The two boy's attention was immediately toward the pink haired girl. "He knew my parents… he knew my whole family is dead…"
"Sakura?" Sasuke questioned.
"You haven't told your team?" The grass nin questioned with a hiss. "I feel so much more privileged than your teammates."
The grass nin seemed to slither up behind Sakura. "You see our little Sakura-Chan here is the only living Haruno from the prestigious Haruno Clan from the Mist. Her Mizukage killed every other living relative because their kekkai genkai is so very powerful."
"Sakura?"
"How else do you think Sakura would be able to sense everyone else's chakra?" The grass nin hissed moving to Sakura's other ear. "She's cheating."
"What-?"
"Would you like to see how powerful her kekkai genkai is?" the grass nin asked Sasuke and Naruto. "I'll show you then."
Sakura's eyes still glowed a forest green color. In front of her, the black haired grass nin disappeared.
"She will be able to follow me with her eyes, and deflect whatever weapon I attack her with." The grass nin hissed throughout the forest.
Naruto and Sasuke stood a few feet behind Sakura as a kunai was flung their way. Sakura appeared behind them and deflected it with her own kunai.
"You see?" the grass nin said. "She was made to be a shinobi; a killing machine."
"Stop it!" Naruto yelled. His eyes turned a dark shade of red, and he glared at a particular spot in the forest. "You don't know Sakura; stop acting like you do."
Out of the spot Naruto was glaring at, the grass nin came out snarling. "I've known her longer than you ungrateful kids have!"
Naruto glared at the oncoming shinobi. Naruto brought one of his fists back, and then forward connecting it with the grass shinobi's face; it sent the shinobi flying.
"You may have known her longer than we have, you pathetic stalker," Naruto grounded out. "You may know more things about her then we do, but Sakura's our family."
Sasuke stood in front of Sakura with a new confidence. He and Naruto both stood between her and the grass nin.
The grass nin stood up and glared at team seven. It looked like his face was unpeeling in some way; the eyes were a sickening yellow.
"I am Orochimaru," the grass nin hissed. "Don't even think you can best me in a fight, Kyuubi."
Naruto snarled at Orochimaru, baring his fangs and all.
Orochimaru brought his hand up to his face, and peeled off the remaining skin on his face. His face was pale; sickly so.
"You must not know of me," Orochimaru hissed as he slowly walked up to the group. "I'll make sure you won't forget my name."
Orochimaru seemed to morph into a snake before team seven's eyes. His upper torso was still the same, but his lower half was completely snake like. Without even doing hand signs, snakes of all sizes shot out of Orochimaru's shirt sleeves and flew toward team seven.
A sudden earthquake stopped the snakes in their tracks; the crack in the ground the earthquake caused, forced all the snakes to drop into the hole.
"Leave us alone," Sakura stated while walking up beside her teammates; her eyes were glazed over and her fists glowed a blazing blue.
"Such power… almost like Tsu-" Orochimaru cut himself off as he saw the glare on Sakura's face.
"Leave," she muttered. Orochimaru smirked evilly.
"I'll leave with a departing gift," Orochimaru muttered. He appeared in front of Sakura and his teeth sank deeply into her neck. He moved quickly in front of Sasuke and did the same. "For each of you."
When he appeared in front of Naruto, his hand glowed white, and connected with Naruto's stomach.
"I'll be seeing you soon, Sakura-Chan," Orochimaru smirked as he disappeared into the forest background. "You too, Sasuke-kun."
Sakura's neck started to ache, and she immediately pressed a glowing green hand the ache. Her eyes blurrily turned back to emerald green, and she glanced at her teammates.
Sasuke was clutching his neck much like Sakura had been doing, and Naruto was completely out. Sakura walked wearily over to her teammates, and grabbed both of them. Lifting them up by their shoulders, Sakura began to walk slowly around the forest.
She wearily walked until they came to a large tree; Sakura noticed the tree's roots would make excellent cover. She carefully placed Naruto and Sasuke under the tree. Sighing lightly, she set up a few traps around the tree.
She sat down while sitting between the two boys. Bringing whatever chakra she had left to her hands, they began to glow green. She placed one hand on Sasuke's neck, and one on Naruto's stomach.
"I won't be able to really protect us for long," Sakura gritted out as the pain in her neck began to increase. Sakura looked down and noticed a design starting to develop there; six commas appearing in a circular pattern. She quickly checked Sasuke and noticed only three commas. "I'll heal you as much as I can… We don't stand much chance in the forest."
---
It had been a day; Sakura was still fighting off sleep, and Naruto and Sasuke were still unconscious. Sakura had gotten fresh water from a stream that was a mile or so away; she was pressing two wash clothes to the boy's foreheads.
Sakura's head began to nod up and down, when she heard a noise. She quickly chucked a kunai at the noise, it turned out to only be a squirrel. Sakura's eyes were now alert, and they flashed forest green for an instant, before her neck began to sting.
Her eyes stayed emerald green as she brought chakra to her neck. She glanced to the two boys beside her and stood. "I don't know how long I'll last," Sakura said quietly to the two. "If one of you wanted to save the day; now would be a good time to do so."
She watched as Naruto twitched slightly in his sleep, but regardless did not wake up. She gave herself a small smile before walking out of her protective shelter.
"I know you're out there," Sakura called out tiredly. In an instant the three sound shinobi from before stood in front of her.
"We're here to fight Sasuke Uchiha," the blue haired one stated.
"You're going to have to get through me first," Sakura said as she brought a kunai out from her kunai pouch. She noticed, idly that she had two kunai left; the one in her hand, and another one in her pouch.
"Gladly," the blue haired on smirked. He charged quickly at Sakura; his teammate prevented him from going any further. "What is it Dosu?"
"Traps, Zaku," his teammate said nodding toward the tree. "She obviously set up one; that's why she's so confident."
Sakura smirked lightly; she watched as the mummied clad ninja dissembled one of her traps. "I'm still not afraid of you," Sakura said. She placed one of her hands to her ears, and it began to glow green. "I know your attacks are hearing based… "
Dosu smirked. "It appears this girl isn't as dumb as she looks," he stated as he walked closer to her. He stepped on a soft patch of grass, and looked up at Sakura in shock.
"I'm actually quite smart," Sakura commented as Dosu flew back from the explosion. Sakura smirked as Zaku and their female partner stepped a few feet back as Dosu flew into a tree.
"Bitch," Zaku muttered at her with a glare. He glanced over to see Dosu slowly getting up; he looked shaken, but that's about it.
Zaku smirked as he glared at Sakura. He brought both hands up; there were two pipe looking things that stuck out of his hands. A hard kick to the chest stopped him from doing anything though, as a green blur appeared.
"My dearest Sakura!" The green blur called as he appeared in front of Sakura. It was the Lee she had met on the first day of the chuunin exams. "I have come here to protect you since your teammates don't appear to be doing so."
"Thank you Lee," Sakura said as she lost her balance and fell to the ground. She was breathing heavily, and still fighting off sleep.
Zaku glared at the green ninja, and nodded to his female partner. "I'll take the green one; you take the girl, Kin."
"Gladly," Kin said as she charged Sakura. Sakura stood shakily on her feet, as she met Kin blow for blow with her kunai.
Sakura glanced over to see Lee and Zaku exchanging blows. She watched as Lee's bandaging began to unroll. "I will protect my friends with my life!" Lee called as he wrapped Zaku in the white bandage. Lee fell to the ground clutching his ears before he could finish his move.
"Way to ruin the fun, Dosu," Zaku muttered as he ripped the bandages off of him. Dosu ignored Zaku, as he started to walk over to Sakura.
Sakura had just landed a blow to Kin's stomach when Dosu appeared behind her. He slammed a fist into Sakura's back, and watched her go flying. Smirking, he removed his sleeve from his arm showing a mechanical arm instead of a fleshy one.
"Hear the viciousness of Sound," Dosu muttered as a screeching sound began to come from his right arm. Sakura stood up, and smirked at him.
"It does not effect me," Sakura said as she stood. She watched chakra from her hand fade in and out; her chakra was done. "Before you even attacked I had cancelled the attachment from my ear drums to my brain."
"I wonder why master wouldn't want you instead," Zaku said as his eyes widened.
"He does," Dosu stated while nodding toward Sakura's neck. Zaku was able to see the six comma figure Orochimaru had left from earlier. "It appears, more so than the Uchiha."
Sakura placed a hand to her neck as the mark began to ache again. She tried to mold chakra to her hand, but she didn't have enough left. Her ear drums switched back to on, and she almost screamed out in pain.
"Should we push her even more?" Zaku asked, and licked his lips at Sakura's pain.
"Yes," Dosu stated as he watched Kin slowly start to stir. After the punch Sakura had hit on Kin, she had effectively been knocked out. "I think some sort of revenge should be in order."
Sakura's eyes stayed alert as she watched Dosu walk closer to her; she also felt Zaku appear behind her. Zaku held her arms as Dosu approached.
Dosu said nothing as he brought his mechanical arm to Sakura's face. The fist connected with Sakura's face, and sent Sakura falling toward the ground. She glared up, as Dosu started to laugh at her.
"It's sad you're out of chakra," Zaku said as Dosu grabbed Sakura's arms. "I'm sure you would have been more fun to play with."
Zaku sent a fist toward Sakura's face; it connected with a sickening crack, and Sakura let out a yell of pain.
In an instant, Sasuke was in front of her; Zaku and Dosu were a few feet away. Sasuke wrapped his arms around Sakura, and brought her in an embrace. "Who did this to you?" He asked as he glared at the two Sound shinobi in front of them.
Sakura didn't respond, and it made Sasuke only angrier. "Who did this to you?"
"We did," Zaku said with a smirk, he stepped in front of Dosu. "She had it coming; she sent Dosu flying, and also incapacitated our teammate."
Sasuke didn't say anything as he set Sakura gently on the ground. Sasuke stood, and glared to the two shinobi in front of him. An evil aura could be felt, as the mark on Sasuke's neck began to encase his whole body.
"Death," Sasuke muttered with a sickening smirk. "That is the crime for hurting one of my teammates."
Dosu was sent into a tree before he or Zaku could even react. Sasuke appeared in front of Zaku only a minute later. Sasuke grabbed both of Zaku's arms and twisted them behind Zaku's back.
A sickening crack sounded as Sasuke broke both of Zaku's arms. He threw Zaku on the ground, and quickly walked back to where Sakura lay.
Sakura wrapped her arms tightly around Sasuke's neck; his mark slowly started to recede. "He wants us to lose control," Sakura whispered into Sasuke's ear. "We need to stick together, and stay in charge of the urge."
Sasuke's mark completely receded, and he leaned against Sakura's shoulder tiredly. Sakura's eyes darted up, as she watched Dosu pick up both of his beaten teammates.
"We will not bother you for now," Dosu said as he took out a scroll. He chucked is scroll at Sakura, who caught it effortlessly. "You can have our scroll because you have beaten us, but don't for one second believe we won't be after you again."
Sakura nodded her head as she watched Dosu disappear. She sighed tiredly, but stood up with Sasuke. "I have to heal Lee," Sakura said as she walked slowly over to Lee's side. She saw blood trailing from Lee's ears, and she frowned.
She sat down next to Lee, and placed her hands next to Lee's ears. After much concentration, Sakura got her hands to glow green, and gently placed them on top of Lee's ears. It only took a few short minutes before Lee's eyes opened; Sakura smiled and let her hands drop.
"Thank you Lee," Sakura said as he stood up.
"I promise you I will become stronger, Sakura," Lee said with a raised fist. "I will before stronger to protect you."
"I appreciate that Lee," Sakura said as she was the one now leaning on Sasuke for support. "But you should become stronger for yourself; not for me."
"You are too kind, Sakura," Lee said with a large smile. Sakura glanced toward the trees as she felt a surge of chakra there; she gripped her kunai tightly.
"We are not here to fight," Neji; Lee's teammate stated. "We have the scrolls we need, and we will not attack your team."
Lee's other teammate Tenten appeared next to Neji. "Is Lee okay?" Tenten asked Sakura.
"The sound ninja tried to attack his brain," Sakura said tiredly. "I think they were trying to stop him from using chakra, but I already know Lee is not able to use chakra. He came to protect me, which I am very grateful for."
"Thank you for healing him," Tenten said as she helped Lee up. She wrapped his arm around her shoulder and the team started to walk away.
"I would leave here as soon as you are able," Neji called from behind them. "That was a large surge of chakra the Uchiha used; it will likely draw several teams in."
"Thank you, Neji-san," Sakura said as she stood. Sasuke held onto her tightly as they began to walk over to Naruto.
Sakura smiled when she found Naruto just waking up. "Naruto," Sakura said quietly. "We need to get going. We have both scrolls, and can effectively make it to the tower."
Naruto's head shot up, and he was quickly out of bed. "What happened?" Naruto questioned after taking one glance toward Sakura. Sakura smiled, but sighed.
"You both were unconscious," she said. "I had to protect you."
"Even if you had no chakra yourself, and should have been resting," Sasuke muttered. He watched Sakura carefully place the earth scroll they had obtained from the sound team in her pouch next to the heaven scroll.
"We need to get moving," Sakura commented as she tried to stand. She shakily did so, but then fell back down after only a few seconds.
"I'll carry you, Sakura-Chan," Naruto said as he smiled sadly. "It's the least I can do for you… I mean you must have been just as tired as us; he did something to you too."
Sakura shivered but nodded, and Naruto's back appeared in her view. She leaned against Naruto's back, and wrapped her arms around his neck; Naruto's arms secured her legs.
"How far away from the tower are we?" Naruto questioned as he and Sasuke left the tree's roots.
"A few miles," Sasuke stated as they took to the trees. Sasuke looked at Naruto's back, seeing Sakura already asleep there. "I think whatever he did… he did it worse to Sakura."
"What are you talking about?" Naruto questioned as he looked over his shoulder at the sleeping pinkette.
"We have almost the same mark," Sasuke said. "Her's appears to be more powerful than mine though… I'm not even quite sure what he did to you."
"Neither am I," Naruto sighed wistfully. "I can't feel the extra power I could before, though… maybe he took that away."
"I'm worried about her," Sasuke commented quietly as the tower appeared in their view.
"You're not the only one," Naruto commented with a sigh. "You're not the only one."