Halllooo people!! Second chapter up! And to the reviewers, thank you for the input. Genma is a man-whore to me because I want him to be! That's why this is fanfiction! Please, please don't tell me what to do in my summary. It's helpful, but I don't think Naru/Saku fans are going to mob me just because I put them in as siblings instead of lovers or if they magically sprouted bunny ears. I mean dude, it isn't that serious. And if you are a rabid Naru/Saku fan out to flame because they aren't going to make babies anytime in the near future…. FLAME THE HELL AWAY!! I laugh at flames…mwhahahahahahahahahaha!! Besides, there are other readers who like sibling love instead of 'I'm ripping your clothes off in the next two chapter's love. And who knows, they may come to realize that they really really like each other….without clothes…
PEACE!!
There was a rush of movement as everyone ran to find the desk they would be seated at. Some genin searched frantically in their pockets to find their table assignment, dreading the thought that they would fail because they had thrown the tiny slip of paper away. Inevitably, time wound down and the first couple of teams for the day were thrown out.
Naruto and Sakura simply watched the proceedings. They had found their seats with ease and were simply waiting for the exam to start. When the papers were handed out, Naruto all but shrunk into his seat. He stared at the questions frantically trying to recall everything he had learned in the past four months. He slammed his head into the desk. It was hopeless.
"Is everything all right, maggot?"
"Fine….everything is fine."
--
"Read the damn book Naruto! I know you know finances, but that isn't what this is about. This is for math. I will not have my student be an idiot. I will not stand for it. Now read it; or I will harm you." Genma glared at his student.
Naruto sighed.
"Fine. If you believe it is sooo important." A fist slammed into the back of his head.
"Naruto, you idiot! Just read the damn book!" Sakura yelped when Genma's hand caught her, sending her flying across the room. She hit the wall and slid, more stunned than hurt.
"I have told you repeatedly to treat your teammate with respect. I tire of you taking your anger out on him. He is your teammate, not your punching bag. Five laps around the town."
Sakura stood, emerald eyes filling with tears.
"Yes sensei." She quickly fled the room.
"You didn't have to do that!" Naruto yelled, slamming his hands into the table.
"Didn't I?" Genma rounded on the blonde boy. "When will she learn that in the future, her life will sometimes be placed in your hands, and you will have a chance to decide whether or not she is worthy? If she continues to harm you, will you ever find her life worthy enough?"
"Sakura will always be worthy enough!"
Genma snorted.
"That I highly doubt. Read your book now Naruto. You have a higher pain limit than Sakura. Do not force me to put it to good use. Now, I have places to go, but I will test your understanding of this book in eight hours."
Naruto looked at the thick tome.
"Are you fucking serious!?"
Genma smiled.
"I am."
Naruto gulped.
--
Naruto sighed and looked down at the paper once more. Maybe if he broke down the questions into simple steps he could get the answers? Nodding to himself, he started dissecting the questions. Behind him, Sakura smiled softly. If he tried, she would find no faults with him. Unfortunately, it the same could not be said about Sasuke. The Uchiha quickly figured out the point of the test after the rules were given, but could only sigh in disgust when Naruto's head hit his desk. He went back to copying his answers; hopefully, he and Sakura could make enough points to get their team to the next round.
Hinata stared at Naruto as he muttered darkly to himself. His fingers tapped at the table in a parody of a calculator. She activated her Byakugan, faintly surprised to see that three of the questions he had answered were right, but the other two he had completed were wrong. She opened her mouth to tell him but then shook her head. She would let this Naruto do things that she had never thought he would be able to.
Naruto bit his lip as he stared at the complex question. Finally giving into the urge that had been plaguing him since the beginning of the test, he sketched a dark WTF? on the paper and moved on. Next to him, Hinata let out a surprised snort of laughter. He glanced over at her and noticed her Byakugan was active. Naruto frowned.
"Well, that's smart!" He said, drawing attention to himself.
"Do you have something to say, maggot?" Ibiki ground out threateningly.
"Not at all sir. I was thinking out loud. I apologize if I disturbed anyone."
Ibiki let out an annoyed huff of air.
"Just keep it down from now on. Got it, maggot?"
Naruto nodded. Ibiki moved on. Naruto sighed. He could cheat. He glanced around the classroom as he thought of ways he could cheat. He grinned and brought his hands together. In subtle motions, he went through the motions of a jutsu. In seconds, a clone popped into existence next to him and morphed into a small child. Ibiki stared at him, confused. He opened his mouth to fail the genin, but paused when he saw the original boy raise his hand.
"Yes?"
"You can't fail me. He is me. Therefore, there are simply two of me instead of one. I'm not doing anything wrong."
Ibiki frowned at the boy's logic but let it slide. The child clone darted forward suddenly, snatching an exam from a plants desk along with other students that were no longer present. Ibiki frowned at the display. He motioned to the proctors to catch the clone. It grinned and then ran out of the room, using its small stature to hide from its pursuers. Ibiki frowned. That could only be counted as an annoyance and therefore, he could not throw the genin out yet.
Sakura sighed from where she was sitting. It seemed Naruto had figured out another aspect to the test. The clone would probably dispel after memorizing the answers. She smiled softly and stared down at her almost complete test. Emerald eyes slid shut as she thought of a solution to her next problem.
--
"Sakura?"
"What!?"
Naruto frowned. He tapped her head roughly, catching her attention.
"What the hell Naruto!? Don't you dare touch me!"
Naruto's rough tapping ceased.
"Why do you hate me Sakura? I've never done anything wrong to you."
Sakura frowned.
"What are you talking about? There is no reason. I just hate you!"
"Really? Do I just deserve hatred like that with no point?" Naruto closed the book he had been reading. "I simply wanted to ask you what a word meant, but apparently, you hate me. I'll not bother you again."
Sakura went back to her kicks, wincing every time her shin connected with the tree. She ignored the rustle as Naruto left the clearing.
"Wasn't that harsh, Sakura-chan?"
Sakura let out a surprised gasp and spun around to see her new sensei staring at her.
"You aren't learning anything from me. Maybe I'll take Naruto as my apprentice. He's a bit dull, but that can be fixed."
"Sensei! I don't mean it! I mean, it's Naruto! Who cares about him!?"
She screamed when a senbon caught her hand, sending it back into the tree and sticking it there.
"You should care Sakura. He's your teammate. Your life is in his hands and his in yours." There was another flicker of movement, another pained cry. "I'll leave you to think of what this means Sakura, as it seems you do not understand the concept."
"Genma-sensei! You can't do this! An open wound like this can get infected!"
Her teacher smiled.
"Well, that'll teach you to treat your teammate the correct way wouldn't it?"
Sakura jerked back as if struck, bringing another pained moan to her lips.
"Sensei… please?"
"No." Genma turned to leave the clearing and his student behind. "You can get out yourself." He blinked. "I take that back. I bent the ends."
Sakura gasped and looked up. The ends of the senbon were curled in a loop, ensuring that she would not be able to escape her prison easily.
"Sensei?"
"Goodbye Sakura."
Her sensei left the clearing, not even looking back. Sakura screamed and dragged her hands forward slowly, attempting to escape her makeshift hold. Tears streamed from her eyes as she realized he had driven the needles too deep. She had no leverage to work her way out.
--
Sakura blinked out of her self induced haze to complete her exam. Now was not the time to dwell on such memories. She couldn't stop the shiver that went through her, as she remembered what happened in the end. Resolutely, she went back to her work. Doing the complex problems should keep her mind off of memories best forgotten. That, and her mother was depending on her. Sakura blinked back the sudden tears that clouded her vision. It was a mix of joy and sorrow that led her to where she was now. And she'd be damned if she would let herself be dragged back to where she had been before.
--
"Sa-ku-ra! Sa-ku-ra! Where are you darling?"
A pink haired child shivered in her armoire, trying not to hear the voice of the man who was calling her.
"Sakura!! Come out honey. I promise I have a gift for you."
Sakura's head jerked up.
"I promise I'm not lying."
Tentatively, Sakura opened the armoire. A hand grabbed her roughly, dragging her out of her hiding spot.
"Well, now, aren't you a silly little thing. Greedy just like your mother. You know, if you weren't alive, your mother would move away with me. But you want to exist."
A fist slammed into her delicate cheek, sending her crashing against her bed.
"You're disgusting! Always whining about becoming a shinobi. What could a useless girl like you do?" The man kicked her over so she could look up at him. Her emerald eyes were filled with tears, but not one of them fell. He kicked her again and she thumped against her bed once more. She made no move to escape as she stared past her stepfather into the dark room. Calloused hands grabbed her night gown, dragging her up to meet his eyes. Emerald met mud brown. Sakura stared blankly into the face of her aggressor and then smiled brightly. He tossed her onto her bed with a snort and then stumbled out of the room.
"I hate you." The pink haired girl curled into a ball, mindful of her pain. "I hate you. IhateyouIhateyouIhateyouIHATEYOU!"
From downstairs, a door slammed shut. Sakura's eyes slid shut. She woke later when her mother tended to her bruises, crying softly at her pink haired daughters fate.
"I'm sorry Sakura-chan. But I need him."
Sakura looked up at her mother, and smiled once more. Her mother was unable to look her daughter in the eye from that night forward.
"I know Mama. I know."
--
Sakura blinked wiped her eyes covertly and then smeared an answer on her test when she wiped the water away. In front of her, Naruto was tense. She sighed softly. She had forgotten that ever since that time he had better senses than most. She went back to her exam, this time not dwelling on the other thoughts that had been brought up. When Ino entered her mind a short while later, it was as spotless as it had ever been, without a smidgen of sadness or pain. It sparkled brightly, and the blonde blithely ignored the shadows that hid away in the corners. Of course, she wasn't truly ignoring them. After all, she couldn't even see them. Such was the neglect of Ino Yamanaka.
"Times up brats!!" Ibiki shouted. "Time for the last question. But first, I want you to think for a while on this. If you choose to take the question and fail to answer it correctly, you will never be allowed the chance to be chuunin again. However, if you leave now, you have next time to try and pass. Now, who will stay and who will go?"
A murmur went through the class. They had never heard of such a rule. Genin after genin raised their hands and were let out of class quietly. Sakura smiled softly as they left. She would stay, because she would be chuunin. In front of her, she watched as Naruto leaned back in his chair, clearly relieved that no one on his team would even think of surrendering. Next to him, Hinata slowly raised her hand in the air. He turned to face her and smile, only to see her hand almost all the way up.
"What the fuck Hinata!? Put your hand down, now!" He glared at the timid girl as her hand dropped. "How could you even consider that!? Didn't you enter this to be chuunin? What's the point in giving up, just because he said that you'd never make it!? Be a damn genin for the rest of your life then! But be a fucking god of the genin. Be a deity to others. Don't fucking let anything hold you back!"
Hinata squeaked as she thought of what he was saying. Slowly, she understood that she could be a genin, so long as she at least attempted to pass the exam that she was at now. Around the class, others mulled over the blonde's words before their hands too dropped. Ibiki sighed.
"Are you so sure that you are willing to take this risk? As genin, you will be bound to rules and levels and things that you would wish otherwise. You will not have the clearance of the higher ranking shinobi. You will be cannon fodder, killed on the battlefield and never knowing what it is you fought for."
"Who the fuck cares if it's to keep our village safe!?"
At Naruto's words, a couple more hands were raised. Some of the genin there were just not quite prepared to die for their village. Ibiki waved them out of the room.
"Ignoring this little idiot, is there anyone else who wishes to leave?"
No one raised their hands, staring at the man who could casually destroy their dreams.
"In this case, you all pass the first part of this exam!"
"What!?" A girl with dirty blonde hair yelled. "What do you mean!?"
"That was the final question." Ibiki raised his hand to his head and pulled off his hitai-ate. "I wanted to see how many of you would sacrifice anything for your village. You few are the chosen ones." He chuckled a bit. "Even if that sounded melodramatic. The genin who left will continue to fail and fail and fail because they do not know what it is to live for ones village. Every exam will be met with an equation much like this one, and those who step down once will continue to do so. You must all be prepared to give your life for your village. Such is the shinobi way." He tied his head band back on. "You each have survived this exam, and in doing so proved that you will not be so easily broken. I wish you luck on the rest of this exam. You have proven that you are brave enough to take it."
The window crashed suddenly as a bundle of cloth smashed through it. It unfurled itself as the woman inside it moved. The genin read the sign behind her.
"I am Anko Mitarashi, your next proctor. And kids, we're going to have a hell of a time." She grinned evilly, scaring some of the other genin. Sharp brown eyes surveyed the room. "Ibiki, you still have a good number of students here. Getting soft in your old age?"
Ibiki frowned.
"You weren't late Anko-chaaaan. Getting punctual in yours?"
Anko blinked in surprise and then laughed.
"I'll feed you your fucking cock Ibiki. Just call me old again."
"Fuck you. Fuck your ugly face. Fuck your stupid little mind. I will kill you for touching me."
Sakura blinked as Nari's voice echoed through her head. She smiled softly and stood, walking to where Naruto was sitting and slipped into the empty seat next to him.
"We passed huh?"
"We passed." Sakura confirmed. She leaned over, resting her head on his arm.
Anko and Ibiki noticed the lack of fear within the two as they stared at the board blankly.
"Anyway kiddies!! We meet in three hours at Training Ground 43 for a survival test. Be there or you will be disqualified!" She smiled predatorily. "It is your responsibility to find this training ground." Anko left through the window, leaving her banner behind.
"Dismissed!" The genin filed out of the classroom. Sakura remained in her seat, resting her cheek on Naruto's arm.
"Sakura?"
"Hmm?"
"We have to go Saki." Naruto smiled and patted her head playfully. You need to get the underarmor for that outfit if we have to face off with other teams."
Sakura nodded and stood.
"True. Well, let's go home then, right Naruto?"
"Yea. Your mom is probably waiting for the results."
Bloodbloodblood. Was Mama okay? Did he hurt her? Where was Mama? Mama? Mama!! Hands under her arms, picking her up, walking away from the bloody mess.
"Mama?"
"Sssh. Don't look back Sakura-chan. This is the ending chapter of this life. Tomorrow we'll start fresh. How does that sound, Sakura-chan?"
"Mama?"
"It sounds good, doesn't it?"
"Yes Mama." Her mother smiled and pressed her face to her daughter's hair.
"Everything is going to be all right from now, 'kay?"
"Okay Mama."Noisenoisenoise. Someone pulling her away from her mother. Yelling, screaming, cursing. Hands returning, her mother's smell. Comforting noises.
"It'll be alright." Sakura stared over her mother's shoulder dimly as the Police force went through her house. They brought the dead man out of the house. Sakura stared at the body as it was burned. A smile curled her lips. She would never come back to this life, ever. At age nine, Sakura walked away from one form of abuse. It was half a year before she was dragged into another.
"Sakura?" Naruto called softly, shaking her.
"Hmm?" She blinked up at him. "Oh, yea." She stood as they went to their new home. A place removed from the rest of the village. It was a modest house, boasting only two bedrooms. Naruto slept in the den, turning it into a makeshift bedroom. He left the two rooms for his female roommates. They ran to their house and walked into it. Sakura was met with hugs from a violet haired woman. Naruto stood to the side, feeling awkward and out of place.
"Sakura-chan!! Naruto! How did it go?" The emerald eyed woman backed away from the two children, smiling hopefully.
"We passed into the next stage. We have to go there in three hours."
"You have time for something to eat?" The two smiled and nodded. Her mother twirled around and walked into the kitchen. "I cooked something for you. I mean, I know it used a good portion of the groceries, but I figured you could take some of it with you. Or eat enough to have your strength up for the next exam. And then I thought you could take a nap. I know you need all of your strength. Was I right? Huh?"
"You were right Manatsu-san. Thank you very much for this."
The violet haired woman grinned.
"Thank you Naruto." She blinked. "Oh, eat, eat. You need to go rest. Eat up!" Manatsu disappeared around the corner, leaving the two alone.
"Will you need more of those bangles Saki?"
Sakura looked at her many bangles.
"I think I'll get one or three more. After all, being prepared works right? I'll also grab some of the medicinal stuff and a soldier pill or two. Will we take rations?"
"Nah. We'll pack some of this." Naaruto moved to the table and sat down. "Not the meat though, I don't think it'll keep well."
Sakura sat across from him and loaded her plate with food. Quickly and in silence, they ate their meal. Sakura stood and took the plate from Naruto as he quickly gathered what they would take with them. Preparations ready, the two slunk off into Sakura's room. The two collapsed onto the, Sakura resting her head on Naruto's arm. Her eyes slid shut as she remembered a time when she would have never touched the boy she lay next to so comfortably.
--
Sakura's head shot up when she heard something rustle in the bushes.
"W-Who's there?" Night had fallen on the pink haired shinobi's efforts. She remained pinned to the tree, the constant pain keeping her awake.
"Sakura!!" Naruto burst into the clearing. "The fucktard! I CAN'T BELIEVE HE DID THIS!" Naruto stopped in front of her, looking from palm to palm. He reached up, and his fingers brushed the metal loops their sensei had made in the senbon.
"Naruto?"
"This will hurt Sakura. I'm sorry." With that, he ripped the needle from the tree. Pain shot through Sakura as the dull throbbing roared to life again. It was repeated on her other hand. Relieved but in pain, the girl slumped forward, fully expecting her teammate to catch her. He let her fall.
"N-Naruto."
"This is all your fucking fault! Why can't you just try to get along with me!? I've never done anything to you!"
Sakura bit her lip and maneuvered herself to her knees. She sniffled a bit as pain shot through her arms. Naruto's blue eyes softened as he dropped to his knees in front of her. Reaching into his weapon's pouch, he withdrew a roll of bandages.
"Do you have anything to help with infection?"
Sakura nodded and Naruto flipped open her pouch, pulling out the small jar of cream. He removed the canteen that was dangling at his side and gently washed out the wounds. Using a clean piece of cloth, he dried her hands and applied the cream. Then he bandaged them. He pushed himself to his feet moments later. Sakura stared at her bandaged hands in shock. She had thought they would have been done crudely, but instead, the bandages were wound with almost professional precision.
"Naruto." She cut off, suddenly hesitant. It was then she heard a warning whistle. She was instantly alert when Naruto picked her up and ran. And when he transformed into a female seconds later, she knew something had gone wrong. For one, Naruto never ever ran from anything. And number two, the desperate glances he tossed over his shoulder as he sped away were not comforting.
"Naruto?"
"Shh." Naruto stopped running, pressing Sakura into a crook in a tree. "Stay here and stay silent. My clone got taken out by something, I don't know what. But it could be that guy sensei was talking about earlier.
Sakura gasped.
"The missing nin?"
"The group was seen around here last. And they pick up women to use. I'll lead them away and you go back to camp. Be safe." With that Naruto leapt backwards and vanished off, leaving her alone in the dark. There were soft scuffs as other people appeared in the clearing.
"They went thataway."
Sakura leaned back into the tree and froze when something crunched behind her. She turned and was met with cool gray eyes.
"Well, hello precious." The world went black as he knocked her out. When she next woke up, both she and Naruto had been placed in a dungeon like place.
--
Naruto and Sakura woke up two and a half hours later. Without needing to be asked, Naruto turned away so that Sakura could slip into her underarmor. The black shirt covered her from neck to waist, and Sakura sighed under the weight it added. When he turned around, he was gingerly holding a handful of her bangles, his fingers bleeding. She slipped them on, watching as his wounds healed in front of her eyes. She also added a couple bangles to her collection around her ankles. Smiling to each other, they left the room, Naruto grabbing a bag as they passed. They went to the den and loaded extra weapons into the bag. The parcel of food was tossed in on top of this.
"Sakura-chan?" Manatsu peered out from behind a wall.
"Yes Mama?"
"Good luck? Okay?"
Sakura nodded.
"Thank you Mama."
The woman followed them to the door nervously, and then tapped Sakura's shoulder as they left.
"Sakura-chan?"
"Yes Mama?"
"I know I've never told you about your father other than the fact that he was shinobi, but, well, I want you to have this." The lavender haired woman held out a wrapped package. "It served him well. And I hope it does the same for you."
"Thank you Mama."
Manatsu grabbed her daughter from behind, hugging her with everything she had.
"I love you Sakura-chan. I love you."
Sakura nodded and melted into her mother's embrace.
"I'll come back to you Mom, this I promise."
Manatsu smiled and released her daughter. She turned to Naruto.
"Good luck. And come back home, to me."
Naruto's smile could have blinded the sun.
"I will Manatsu-chan. Promise."
His smile dimmed when she flung herself at him, hugging him tightly. He met Sakura's eyes with a confused stare, clearly questioning why her mother was even touching him.
"Come back home, Naruto. You've saved me, Sakura-chan, us, spared us from so much pain. And you gave us this house. And money. An-And." She hiccupped softly and Naruto tentatively hugged her back.
"It's okay Manatsu-chan. I wanted to help you." He patted her back and pulled away from her. "We'll see you when we get back, 'kay?"
Manatsu nodded. She laughed a little and then snorted. Embarrassed, she raised her palms to her face and hid behind them. Manatsu spun around.
"Bye. Be safe." She ran into the house, closing the door behind her roughly. Sakura grabbed Naruto's hand, his eyes still watching the door to the house.
"We should go, right, Naruto?" He nodded and they left the house. Naruto couldn't help but notice how Sakura hugged the plain brown package her mother had handed her to her chest. Sakura couldn't help but laugh at the dazed smile that clung to Naruto's lips.
They would be alright. They had come too far to fail now. She gripped her package tighter with one hand, and with the other grabbed Naruto's hand. Leaping in tandem, they made their way to the next step of their test.
And yes, I made up Sakura's mother's name. It means Midsummer. Er…if this was confusing in anyway, oops…for some reason my scene breaks have been disappearing….I wonder why…