Yin and Yang

Chapter 7

"Wow... only five teams..." Sakura counted. she tried to avoid looking at the polar bear, as his companion was washing blood from his snout. She didn't want to think about the carnage they had left behind, or how much. Sai was still staring at her, an odd look in his eyes. The lanky haired Ninja glared over at Sai, and nudged the one with goggles. The wolf at goggles feet lifted it's lips in a snarl. Sai only raised an eyebrow, then looked away.

(feeling lazy, doesn't want to type out these fights.)

"You made it, Naruto!? Congratulations!" Lee exclaimed at Ichiraku Ramen. Hinata was blushing happily at the comotion.

"Yeah, Sai did too!" Naruto said happily. Sai was allowing himself a little indulgence, as a small smile played at his lips. Akumaru's tail was thumping happily from seeing team seven again. Neji had kept more silent than usual,. studying Hinata's movements. His cousin had been acting strange as of late, and he thought he knew why.

"Thing is, the Cloud ninja made it through too, with flying colors no less." Sakura said. The mood of the table was dampened somewhat.

"They flattened their opponents in no time at all." Naruto said. "No hesitation during the entire exam. Even vetrens who didn't make it all the way are nervous. They signed those papers like it was nothing."

"Thats odd." Neji muttered. After a moment, the talk rose up again on happier matters, the volume soon raising their spirits again.

It was when the bells tinkled above the curtained, open doors that the mood outside the group of freinds went to curiosity and caution. Akumaru was the first to notice, and he began to growl, his fur standing on end.

"What is it boy?" Kiba asked as he turned. His eyes widened, then he turned to the giant dog to try to calm him.

In the door stood the three Cloud ninja, animals and all.

The girl, Momochi Saiya, was still wearing the same style of clothes they had seen her in a week ago in the exam room. Her long black hair was up in a pony tail, wild as ever, her violet eyes scanning the interior of the little resturant. She was wearing a fishnet shirt, over which she was wearing a cool gray belly shirt, patched up here and there with bluish material. She was wearing winter camoflage style arm warmers that reminded Naruto and Sakura of Zabuza. In addition to this, her belts were an icy blue, with her head protector hanging off the larger, looser one. Off the tighter belt, she had a pack hanging. Her pants were gray, also patched up with the same blueish material as her shirt. She had another pack strapped to her right thigh. Her boots were an impractical footwear for any ninja, as they were hiking boots, a deep icy blue, steeltoed, and held onto her feet with tight straps instead of the dangling laces.

Inuka Marou was the name of Goggles. His hand was, as always, atop the wolf Atka's head. His coat was still on but open, and hood still up, reaveling a black turtleneck sweater. The bandages on his face vanished beneith the collar of the sweater, and the goggles remained intact. He was also wearing steel toed boots, covered by deep blue/gray pants.

Maiyochi Senji was wearing the same pants and boots as Marou, but his dark gray coat was off, slung over his shoulder revealing a black T-shirt. Miki, the fox, was trottting happily at his feet, her tail floofed.

They stood in the door, looking for a good spot to sit, seemingly unaware of the attention they had brought themselves.

"The corner, Sai." Senji muttered, pointing to the clorner next to Akamaru.

"Good idea." Saiya said. Marou simply waited for his teammates to move before following, positioning himself to where no one in the resturant could see him, helped by Mauja, the bear. Akumaru obviously didn't enjoy this arangement, as he was right beside the bear, but he shut his mouth and lay his ears flat, putting his muzzle in his paws. Even Kiba was letting out a worried whine as Senji walked up to the counter to order food.

The talk in the resturant soon gained volume again through a lot of forced conversation. When the group split up that night, Sai was quieter than usual, and it was obvious from even looking at his face, that he was deep in thought.

So Naruto and Sakura let Sai go on his way alone when he shot off once they were clear of the resturant. They spoke lowly and in worried tones about their partner, and parted uneasily at Sakura's house.

Sai didn't go home. He went to the hospital roof garden to stare at the bench Yin-Chan used to sit. He was so confused. Saiya reminded him so much of her, but it wasn't really her.

"Hey there." Sai didn't turn. He'd known who was there when he'd arived. Kakashi dropped down next to Sai, and placed an arm on the young mans shoulder. "Anything imparticular bothering you?"

"Momochi Saiya...Yin-chan..." Sai muttered. " They seem the same, but they're not." Kakashi removed his arm, and scratched his head.

"I see what you mean." He said. "I think your torn between two girls." The grin was evident on Kakashi's face, even through the mask. Sai turned his eyes on Kakashi, and eyebrow rasied.

"Do you mean, I like them both?" He asked. "That I am attracted to them?"

"Yup."

"I could not find many books on this. Do you have a few I could borrow?"

"Do I ever, come on."

/\\\

"Sai is NEVER late!" Sakura exclaimed. She and Naruto were waiting beside the gates to the arena that the third test would be taken in. The Cloud Ninja team had camped out in Konoha the whole month, and had had crowds of people watching them spar in preparation for the test.

Sakura flashed back to after the second test, when Senji had been fighting. He'd turned the entire arena into ice and snow, and when he was repremanded for it by his opponent, he'd blown up in the poor ninja's face about being able to fight in different terrains. Sakura sighed, it was true. Team 7 had lost no time in training for different enviornments.

"THERE he is!" Naruto exclaimed suddenly, pointing to Sai who was coming at a leisurly pace.

"Where were you, Sai?" Sakura asked.

"Reading." Sai said simply. He continued on into the building, with Naruto and Sakura staring after him. He didn't normally read anymore, he picked up on social skills from interacting with people and through the coaching they provided. So they obviously knew something was wrong, but he didn't seem like anything was bothering him, he actually seemed more confident, and there was a determined glint in his eyes. Shrugging, Naruto and Sakura waited patiently for the matches to begin.

The only people to make it thorough were two complete teams, the clouds, Naruto and Sai, and one other. from the charts, it would be Naruto paired against Marou, Sai against Saiya, and Senji against a Suna that had made it through. Sighing, Naruto sat, waiting for the event to start, stretching while he was at it. He'd gotten back into the habit of stretching every morning, something Jiraiya had made him do.

"Naruto! Hey! Finally made it, klutz?"

Naruto smiled and turned towards the familear voice.

"Not far behind you, Kazekage." He grinned at Gaara. Beside him were three new ninja

"Meet Mikka, Salem, and Hunter." Gaara said. The three girls waved.

Mikka's wavy redish-brown hair was up in a pony tail, her head protector about her neck. Salem also had red hair, but it was obviously died, She was wearing her head protector correctly. Hunter, however, had bright, poofy blond hair, and a wild grin.

"Hey Gaara Sama! how are you?" Sakura asked happily. Hunter's eyes imeadietly narrowed and she glared at Sakura. "What?"

"Mine!" she said, while grabbing gaara's arm. Naruto sidled over to Gaara.

"Yo, can't you tell her to leave you alone?" Gaara gave Naruto a slow-head turn, a stressed look on his face.

"You can't tell her no. Try at some point." he said. Naruto took one look at the she-ninja and sweat dropped.

"Maybe not..."

"Anyway." Gaara laughed. "This is the only all girl team in Suna, and some of our best. they were sent here as body guards." Gaara said.

"Speaking of which, you should go sit down. The council'll have out hides if your not there soon." Mikka said. "See you all later! good luck!" Team seven waved, Sakura thinking back, suddenly smiled.

" I remember them! Oh my gosh! They were some of the greatest i've ever seen!"

"Don't help me." Naruto mumbled. After the breif meeting with his friend, he was back to being impatient. He had been thinking back over his fights, and thought he had found one that would work.

Unfortunatly, his fight was last, and the porctor walked onto the feild, rasing an arm.

"FIRST FIGHT OF THIS YEARS SECON CHUUNIN EXAM, MAIYOCHI SENJI vs. KAGEBAN OPAL!" Senji and Miki vanished from their teammates sides, and the only other surviving ninja, and girl from sand, leapt from the stands and landed face to face with the proctor between them. "FIRST FIGHT...BEGIN!!"

And so it did, as soon as the proctor leapt away. Senji created his prefered jutsu, an climate control. The entire arena turned into a swamp-land, and the two ninja took shelter on the low trees.

"Nice try, Cloud." Opal yelled. She had shoulder length blonde-brown hair held back by the protector across her head. "But even though i'm from sand, I use a quite different tequniuqe!" and she pulled out a scroll, and puled a brush from the pouch at her waist. Sai leaned over teh rails, his sharp eyes narrowing.

"Don't tell me..."He muttered. Sure enough, Opal whipped out a drawing as fast as Sai could, the ink coming to life, seperating from it's scroll in the form of a large squorpion.

"Nice work." Senji said. "Miki! lets go girl!" Miki yipped happily and the pair leapt up, expressing amazing speed. With a well placed kunai, the squorpion was destroyed, sending ink everywhere. Opal was grinning from her tree.

"Beautiful. I think i'll like fighting you!" She said, running her brush down the scroll. Now a giant snake came forth, It's hood opening as it hissed. Opal leapt upon it's head, and grinned. "I think this'll be a high-speed-game!" She yelled. Senji grinned, flipping a kunai.

"Sure as hell hope it is, don't fall short on me, girlie!"

"LIKE HELL I WILL!" The snake shot forward, and slammed into the ground. Opal yanked some shuriken out of her bag, and flung them at Senji who dodged them, laughing.

Up above, Garra sighed, rubbing his forhead. "She's flirting...again." He muttered, his dark eyes closed so you couldn't tell that he even had eyes.

"Aww, c'mon Gaara sama, she's just having a good time." Mikka grinned. She was leaning on the railing, smiling at their future teammate. hunter was at her usual spot, at Gaara's side. Salem was standing next to Mikka, playing with a tiny puppet that looked supiciously like a Zetsu doll. Gaara had to smile slightly in agreement. Opal was rather rambuctious, and for her not to have a good time was hard. He congtened himself to watch the landscape change time and time again, mixxing desert with swampland, forest with tundra. All the while, any surface was covered in ink and sarcastic comments were thrown back and forth.

Unfourtuanatly, Opal lost by a hair, but by a long shot witht eh comments. It was the most comedic battle anyone could remember in a long time. The whole stadium was laughing, but as usual, Gaara;s face was set like stone, but he had let an amused smile cross his features. Opal joined her freinds and Kazekage looking pleased with herself as Senji was celebrating with his teammates.

"You ready Sai?" Naruto asked, grinning at the impassive ninja. He and Sakura noticed a slight gleam in his eyes as they shifted to Saiya, who was also receiving words of encouragement. "Right, don't push youself to hard." Naruto clapped Sai on the shoulder, and Sai was gone in a flash, appearing on the feild below, still holding the remains of Senji's jutsu. He looked up at Saiya, unravling a scroll slowly. His attraction waswn't going to get in the way of this. He wouldn't let it.