Chapter Nine: Day 1.20
Sakura's alarm jangled on the bedside table. She shut it off and went through her morning routine in silence. She'd made a decision. She may be stuck in this cycle forever, but there was something she needed to know.
The birds were singing and the sun was shining as she made her way down the street. Ino was in front of the flower shop, setting up a display for the day.
"Good morning Ino," Sakura said as she passed by.
"Good morning Sakura," Ino said. She would have said something about Sakura's "new" hairstyle but Sakura kept walking.
At the training ground, Sasuke was sitting on the ground building chakra. "Good morning Sasuke," Sakura said and sat down next to him. She closed her eyes and began to work on building her own chakra.
Sasuke opened an eye to look at her and seeing that she wasn't going to continue beyond a greeting, sighed in relief.
A few minutes later, Naruto arrived. He joined their activity. Without opening her eyes Sakura said, "good morning Naruto."
The blonde started and then replied, "good morning Sakura." After a moment he said, "good morning Sasuke."
Sasuke replied with a hum. He did not open his eyes.
An hour later, on the dot, Kakashi arrived. Before he could launch into his story about the flooded road and school children, Sakura sat bolt upright. I forgot about the wall guards! They'll be killed!
She got up and took off at top speed toward the wall. I can't believe I forgot about that! I just wanted to test myself, not get more people hurt! Then again, her mind raced as the greenery flew by, they'll be alive tomorrow. Then she remembered what Kakashi had said about life and death. No, even though they'll be fine tomorrow, I can't just let that happen to them.
"Sakura," Kakashi said. He was somehow right beside her even though she had had a huge head start. "What is it?"
Something else I have to improve on, Sakura thought. Out loud she said, "the wall guards are under attack." She tried to put on a burst of speed to get ahead of him so she didn't have to explain any further but he matched her new pace. This won't work, she thought, he'll try to stop me or question me about how I know that. We'll never get there in time. But Kakashi did not try to stop her. In fact, he was easily pulling ahead of her, making a beeline for the wall.
Sakura could hear it now, the clang of metal on metal. She sprinted up the wall but Kakashi was way ahead of her. The sound of two new pairs of feet also mounting the wall behind her told her Naruto and Sasuke were on her heels. I really need to work on my speed. Maybe if I use my chakra to- her thoughts were cut off as she crested the wall.
The two guards for this section of the wall were holding their own but Kakashi was in the thick of the fight. He dodged and weaved through the ninja in black like they were nothing. I really need to learn how he does that, he's more graceful than me!
Sakura shook herself and pulled out a kunai. A ninja in black came running at her, she blocked his kunai with hers and dispatched him as another enemy came at her. Naruto and Sasuke were on the wall now. Naruto blindsided the man Sakura was fighting and he went flying off of the wall. Sasuke was protecting Sakura's right side so she threw her kunai at a ninja heading for one of the wall guards. She'd meant it more as a distraction than anything but it hit him in the shoulder. This fresh wound distracted him and in that moment the wall guard killed him. The ground was slippery with blood so Sakura used her chakra to keep her steady as she strode forward. Another enemy ninja attacked her. She ducked under his arm as he swung his kunai and punched him in the stomach. She followed up with a roundhouse kick that sent him sailing off of the wall.
Acting as a wedge, the three genin moved forward together, stopping every so often to take on a new enemy. Explosions boomed nearby but the three hardly noticed. Sakura was beginning to tire. This is completely different than sparring with Kakashi-sensei! Still she pushed on, using her new muscle memory and training to work past the pain. If I can't finish this then I'm dead. It's all or nothing. As Sakura knocked the ninja in front of her unconscious, she didn't see any more enemies in front of her. Sasuke had also just finished off his opponent and he saw Sakura turn, fear in her eyes.
The enemy that appeared behind them had his kunai raised, his target was Naruto. The blonde was struggling at the edge. One of the explosions had cut away a piece of the large stones that made up the wall and the wall was crumbling under Naruto's feet. He was crouched awkwardly, using his chakra to keep himself from sliding over the edge, but his excessive chakra was also breaking the wall up even further.
"Naruto," Sakura cried reaching out to him. She wasn't close enough and Naruto didn't see the enemy ninja coming. Kakashi came out of nowhere, kicking the man in black into empty space. The jonin then reached out with a kunai still in his hand. He grabbed Naruto by the neck of his jacket and hauled him onto solid ground, careful to avoid cutting his student with the blade.
"Are you three okay?" Kakashi said. He was scanning the area. One of the wall guards was nursing a cut shoulder. The other was heading down the far side of the wall.
"We're fine," Sasuke said.
Kakashi nodded, "good, stay here." With that he headed down the far side of the wall as well.
"We're not babies," Naruto muttered as he stood up.
"He knows that," Sakura said. "But this divides us up equally. A wall guard and Kakashi went down to check out the situation on the ground. The other wall guard and the rest of us are up here keeping a lookout. It makes sense."
Sasuke hummed ambiguously.
As they stood watch on the wall, other Leaf ninja began arriving. Some took away the prisoners, others, the dead bodies. Sakura began to get anxious when Kakashi didn't come back right away. When he did return he hurried over to them, appraising them with a critical eye. Sakura looked down. Her red dress was stained with blood as were her arms and, she imagined, her face. She looked at Sasuke and Naruto and they looked even worse with their separate color choices. Sakura spoke up, "we're fine sensei, really."
Kakashi nodded, "we need to go give our report."
Team seven followed their sensei back down the wall and through the village on a route that Kakashi knew. It avoided people as much as possible. Even though Kakashi looked relatively the same, besides a few specks of blood, his students were a sight to behold and would frighten most civilians.
As they walked Kakashi said, "Sakura, how did you know that the wall guards were being attacked?"
Sakura almost froze in her tracks but stayed calm. Then an idea occurred to her, "I had a dream about it. When you said that you were helping schoolchildren, that's what you said just before the ninja attacked, in my dream." She wasn't sure if she should smile or not. Her mouth sort of turned up on one side.
"Okay," Kakashi said, looking at her suspiciously. "Be sure to put that in your report."
After the meeting with the Hokage, team seven was happy to go to their respective homes and wash up. "Meet back at the training ground at five," Kakashi said to their retreating backs.
The three genin groaned and turned back to complain but Kakashi had already teleported away.
Washed and changed, the three genin arrived at the training ground once more. Sakura was wearing her hair in a pony tail rather than a bun. Fifteen minutes after five Kakashi appeared.
"You're late," Sakura and Naruto yelled.
"But only just," Kakashi eye-smiled at them. "I just wanted to tell you that I'm very proud of how you three handled yourselves today. And tonight I thought we could do something special."
Naruto jumped excitedly. "Are you treating us to dinner sensei?! Please?!"
"Yes, I'm treating you," Kakashi said. He expertly leaned away from Naruto's over-excited cheers. "But only this once. Maybe I'll do it again if you three pass the chunin exams."
Sakura's eyes widened but then fell. But Sasuke looked at their sensei intently, "you're going to let us compete in the next chunin exams?"
Naruto paused in his pre-dinner celebration long enough to hear "chunin exams". Kakashi was suddenly regretting telling them this all at once. Naruto went into a fresh verse of cheers.
"You're going to let us compete in the next chunin exams sensei?" Sakura asked quietly.
"After what you three did today and our mission in the Land of Wave," Kakashi said. "I think you three are ready."
Naruto beamed under Kakashi's praise.
"When are they taking place?" Sasuke asked seriously.
Not tomorrow, Sakura thought sadly, or the day after that, or the day after that.
They talked about the exams, the day's events, and things that Sakura had almost forgotten about because they'd just happened "yesterday". The dinner together was nice but every time someone brought up the chunin exams Sakura would stare at her bowl and play with her food.
It was dark by the time they left the restaurant. As the genin began to split up, Kakashi called Sakura back.
"Sakura," Kakashi said, "I'm sure you'll do well in the chunin exams. There's no need to worry."
The kunoichi almost laughed. He knew she was upset but didn't know why. He couldn't possibly know.
When Sakura didn't answer Kakashi remained silent. Finally she said, "good night sensei." As she walked home she thought about that first horrible day, but also about the second day, and the third. This whole thing was a terrible nightmare. Kakashi would tell them about the chunin exams tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day. She'd never get to compete or test herself but have to act excited every time he told them about it. She'd keep improving as a ninja, preparing for a chunin exam that would never come, working hard with teammates that will never improve beyond the one day they have together. My brain hurts, Sakura thought, I need to go to bed.
Sakura walked into her bedroom and pulled her hair out of its ponytail, shaking it loose. When she was ready, she slipped between the covers and dropped to sleep almost immediately.