key:
"talking"
'jutsu'
thinking
"flashback"
nonhuman
Meeting the Sand Siblings... Again
Sakura woke up at six o'clock sharp like she always did, or always will? She had pretty much gotten use to being twelve again, but she knew all that would change very soon. The chunin exams, today was the day they would be nominated to take the test. The pink hair kunoichi had spent many hours of many days wondering, and contemplating the future, Sasuke's future to be exact. She had the opportunity to stop Orochimaru from placing the curse seal on the boy and luring the power hungry boy to leave Konohagakura, but if she changed the past what would happen to the future? Could she even be sure that Orochimaru wouldn't try to mark Sasuke later in the future if she did in fact stop the Sanin during the second faze of the exam? The only thing she knew for sure is that no one could know she had knowledge of the future, if her enemies, if Naruto's enemies, if Konoha's enemies were able to obtain her knowledge… She didn't even want to think about the possibility. She looked at the clock and sighed, It was time to go meet her team.
Naruto and Sasuke knew something was wrong with their female teammate the moment she arrived at their designated meeting place. The girl had dark circles under her eyes, her gaze seemed to be lost in space, and her shoulders seemed to hang lower then usual.
"Sakura?" Naruto questioned the girl, no response, he waved his hand frantically in front of her face to get her attention, nothing.
"Sakura!" Surprisingly enough, Sasuke was the one to shout at the top of his lungs and wake the girl from her complex thoughts.
"Huh? What? Sasuke?" She was surprised that the unsociable Uchiha had just yelled at her, even Naruto was gaping.
"Stop spacing out like an idiot. What's your problem?" The dark haired boy spoke emotionlessly while glaring at the pink haired girl. To be honest, what he really wanted to say was more along the lines of, "Why are you spacing out? What's wrong?", but the Uchiha would never show such weakness.
"I'm just tired that's all." She lied and could tell her teammates where skeptical of her answer, but they didn't say anything.
The three remained in silence till their sensei showed up, three hours late.
"Hey guys! Sorry I'm late, I got lost!" He smiled and waved at his students. "Liar!" Naruto shouted and his teammates just glared at their sensei annoyed.
"Hey, Kakashi sensei! Lately our missions have been too easy! I want more dangerous missions where I can shine!" Naruto shouted excitedly with his fist raised. "Yeah…" Kakashi sighed, knowing his most obnoxious student would say just that. The blonde grinned and then stared at his male teammate, Just wait… Today I'll be the one saving your ass, Sasuke.
"Naruto, hurry up!" His female teammate drew his attention away from his thoughts and back to his team who were leaving him behind,"Hey! Wait up guys!"
"Pft. Can't you take care of yourself?" The Uchiha sneered and mocked his beaten up teammate who currently being supported by their pink haired teammate as they walked back home, through the village.
"Grr, Damn you, Zazuke!" The large bruise on his face was causing him to talk funny.
"Hm… Teamwork seems to be suffering lately…" Their sliver haired sensei mused out loud.
"You hear zhat! Your ruining our teamwurk, hogging za spotlight!" Naruto clamored and pointed at the dark haired genin walking ahead of him.
"Moron, if you want me to stop making you look bad…" He started and paused before facing Naruto. "Then just become stronger than me." Sasuke finished coldly.
A hawk that suddenly circled over head caught the sliver haired shinobi and his pink haired student's attention immediately.
"Okay, that's it for today. I have to submit this mission report." Kakashi stopped walking, but didn't look up from his copy of Icha Icha Paradise. The chunin exams… Sakura didn't want to think about what was to come.
"Then I'm going home…" Sasuke spoke nonchalantly and walked off without saying good bye. Sakura didn't even bother to ask him if he'd train with her, she knew the answer and frankly, she was a bit tired of training. She had started wearing weights, constantly, on her arms and legs without the knowledge of her teammates after their fight with Zabuza. She had also been practicing taijutsu after missions, and expanding her chakra capacity. By now, she could spread her chakra to cover her whole apartment building. She had also been reading scrolls and books on advanced genjutsu and medical jutsu like there was no tomorrow, but it still wasn't enough. She could feel Naruto's and Sasuke's chakra growing larger and she could see the two growing stronger and faster everyday, she still couldn't quite keep up, but she wasn't gonna give up so easily.
"Hey, Zakura let's train togezter!" Naruto interrupted her thoughts. She sighed and looked at the beat up boy grinning widely at her, she couldn't help but smile back.
"Okay, I'll train with you…" She agreed and Naruto was practically jump up and down in response. "On one condition." She finished and smirked darkly at the boy who instantly shivered at her expression.
"Wh-What'z the condition?" Naruto asked in a shaky voice.
"You have to let me practice my medical jutsu on you." She smiled grimly and stared at the boy like he was a cute little guinea pig. Naruto was terrified and thoughts of his pink haired teammate experimenting on him filled his head. She burst out with laughter at his priceless reaction, "I'm only joking Naruto! I just want to heal your injuries that's all!" She giggled and Naruto was instantly filled with relief. It only took a few minutes to heal Naruto's cuts and bruises, he didn't have any serious injuries and because of the kyuubi's chakra there wasn't much to heal. Naruto was filled with joy that his teammate cared enough about him to heal his small injuries and he was ecstatic that their sensei had disappear, Now we can have some alone time...
His thoughts stopped short at the sight of a square box painted to look like a rock with two eyes holes in it sitting behind him. Sure, he wasn't the brightest shinobi in the village, but he wasn't stupid! "What kind of rock is square with eye holes?" He shouted pointing his finger at the pathetic attempt at a disguise. He was only mildly surprised when Konohamaru and two other young kids came crawling out of the box.
"That's the man I view as my rival!" Konhamaru bragged and introduced Naruto to his friends.
"Um… leader are you free?" The small girl in Konohamaru's group asked shyly.
"Nope, I'm training!" He grinned and pointed to himself with his thumb.
"What? You said you'd play ninja with us today!" The Hokage's grandson whined. Why would a ninja play ninja? Sakura's eye twitched slightly.
"Sorry, I promised Sakura I'd train with her today!" Naruto explained and motioned to his female teammate. "Who's she? Your girlfriend?" Konohamaru asked excitedly and Naruto scratched the back of his head shyly, "He he he, We're-". "I'm his teammate." Sakura abruptly answered the little boy's question. "Only?" Konohamaru raised his brow at the pink haired kunoichi and she nodded sternly.
"Well, you're too ugly for our leader anyway!" The boy shouted and stuck out his tongue at her. Why that little… Sakura narrowed her eyes at the boy and would have hit him if someone hadn't done it for her.
"Ow!" Konohamaru rubbed the growing lump on his head and stared wide eye at his role model who had just struck him.
"What'd you do that for?" The brunette complained.
"Apologize." Naruto's voice was filled with authority and his face completely serious, Sakura was pleasantly surprised by his maturity.
Tears threatened to pour out of the young boy's eyes.
"No!" He shouted defiantly and ran away from the group. He collided face first into Kankuro.
The two sand siblings glared down at the boy who had now fallen to the ground. Kankuro swiftly lifted up the Hokage's grandson up by his collar, "That hurt you little piece of shit!".
"Konohamaru!" Naruto shouted in concern.
"Don't, we'll get yelled at later," Temari warned her brother.
"Hey fatass! Let him go!" Naruto yelled. Smooth Naruto, real smooth… Sakura was a little disappointed that Naruto had returned to being the immature dope he usually was. Oh, well Naruto is Naruto, she smiled.
"Let's play a little before the boss comes." Kankuro lifted Konohamaru higher in a teasing manner and it worked because the blonde genin was now racing toward the puppeteer. And just as predicted Naruto lost his balance all of a sudden and fell on his back, well, more like he was caught off guard by Kankuro's invisible chakra strings.
"Wow, leaf genin are weak!" Kankuro laughed.
"Let him go!" It was Sakura's turn to step up to the plate. Kankuro just smirked at the pink haired ninja, "Why don't you make me, pinkie?"
Sakura returned his smirk, "If you insist." In a flash she pulled out three kunai and threw them at the sand ninja.
Kankuro just laughed and dodged, "Nice tr-" His words were cut short when Konohamaru was pulled out of his grip by some chakra strings that had attached themselves to the Hokage's grandson's back. Soon enough, the boy was cradled in Sakura's arms.
"You okay?" She smiled down at him, and gave him a once over to check for injuries before setting blushing boy down.
At this time, Temari and Kankuro were staring at her in disbelief. "How did you…" Kankuro half questioned her. "Manipulating chakra strings requires great concentration and chakra control, but to honest they're not that hard to use." The pink haired ninja explained.
Kankuro grinned and started making his way over to Sakura and the other leaf genin and ninja in training. He stopped only a foot from Sakura, "What's your name?" Sakura just glared at him in defiance. His smile faulted or a moment, but then he reached his hand towards the feisty girl before him only to retract his hand instantly when a small rock collided painfully with his wrist.
"What are you bastards doing in our village?" Sasuke asked cool from a branch of a nearby tree.
"Another guy's come to piss me off…" Kankuro growled while clutching his throbbing wrist.
"Get lost!" Sasuke snapped that the hooded sand ninja.
"Hey punk, why don't you come down here!" Kankuro challenged the young Uchiha.
Gaara… Sakura's head snapped up towards the tree when she sensed him. It was difficult, she had to admit, to feel his presence, but it wasn't impossible to notice because she knew what to look for chakra wise, He'd be a great assassin...
"Hey! Your going to use Crow?" Temari panicked and Sakura directed her attention back to the other two sand sibling, keeping a weary eye on Gaara's chakra signature. By now, the puppeteer had removed the bandaged body-shaped object from his back. He was about to unleash his puppet on an unsuspecting Uchiha when a stern, eery voice stopped him, "Kankuro, stop it."
The voice belonged to a short, redhead ninja standing upside on a nearby branch on the same exact tree Sasuke was perched on. "Your an embarrassment to our village." He spoke without looking at anyone in particular.
He had everyone's attention now, "Ga-Gaara…" Kankuro stuttered.
"Losing yourself in a fight, how pathetic…Why do you think we came to the leaf village?" Gaara's voice was void of all emotion and his gaze was empty. "Listen Gaara, they started it…" Kankuro began his plea of defense but was cut off.
"Shut up… or I'll kill you." Gaara's intent to kill pressed done on them intimidatingly.
"Okay, I'm sorry…" Kankuro apologized shaking in fear. "I'm also sorry… really sorry…" Temari tried to sooth her youngest brother's rage.
"My team apologizes for causing trouble." Gaara spared a glance for Sasuke before disappearing in a small whirlwind. He reappear in between his two comrades.
"It looks like we came here too early… let's go." Gaara turned to leave.
"You guys are here for the chunin exams, right? Sorry, but I have to see your papers." Sakura asked automatically and the three sand siblings turned their attention to her. She was unfazed by their gazes.
"Here." Temari held up her pass to enter Konoha, and Sakura nodded at her.
"Chunin exams?" Naruto turned to question his pink haired teammate and she gave him a quick explanation.
"I should enter right, Konohamaru?" The blonde grinned at the young boy who nodded in excitement.
"What's your name?" Sasuke was on the ground now and stared intently at the redhead whose stealth surprised him.
"Huh? You mean me?" Temari asked excitedly.
"No. Him with the gourd." Sasuke's stare didn't falter.
"Gaara of the Desert... I'm also interested in your name." Gaara replied and questioned the raven haired genin.
"It's Sasuke Uchiha." Sasuke smirked and the two locked eyes dangerously for a moment till Naruto interrupted, "Hey! Wanna know my name?" The blonde cheered.
"Not interested." Gaara replied instantly.
Kankuro, then surprised everyone by disappearing and reappearing only a few inches away from Sakura who had a kunai poised at his throat. "What do you want?" Sakura asked, she had moved into a defensive stance instinctively.
"Your name, if you don't mind?" Kankuro mused and leaned closer to the girl.
"None of your business!" The pink haired kunoichi spoke and pushed kicked the boy away, adding a little chakra to her action to strengthen the kick. She must have added a little too much chakra because the sand ninja flew fifteen feet and landed on his butt. Everyone was now staring at her.
Embarrassed, the beautiful girl flipped her long pink hair, grabbed Naruto and made her way down the alley in the opposite direction of the sand ninja, "Let's go train Naruto. Konohamaru, you and your friends can watch."
When they were free from the sand siblings and had made it to the training grounds, Sakura collapsed face first in the cool grass. "That was scary…" She sighed and mumbled into the grass blades.
"I would never let anyone hurt you Sakura." Naruto was now sitting crisscross next to the girl.
Sakura picked her self off the ground instantly at his words and blushed when she saw how serious his expression was. They stared at each other for a few minutes in silence.
"Are you guys gonna make out or what?" Konohamaru interrupted, he and his friends were staring intently at the two who were now beet red from embarrassment.
"Konohamaru!" Naruto grabbed the boy and proceeded giving him nuggie for ruining the moment. Soon, they were all laughing and playing. So much for training… Sakura mused, noticing the sun was going down.
"Sakura nee-chan, I'm sorry for calling you ugly. I was lying." Konohamaru kept his eyes on the ground, but then looked up suddenly a smiled widely greatly reminding her of Naruto, "You're really awesome!"
Author's Note:
I think it's funny that I get so many different reviews about what I should making the pairing... Maybe I should make a poll? :) This is a narsaku chapter, I apologize to those who don't like narusaku... sorry. But seriously what pairing do you guys think I should stick to?
Naruto x Sakura
Kakashi x Sakura
Itachi x Sakura
Sasuke x Sakura
Shikamaru x Sakura
Kankuro x Sakura
Sakura x Harem
ect. (Cause I seriously don't want to list them all...)
Warning: The next chapter has some SasuSaku, a bit of NaruSaku, a microscope amount of KakuSaku, and a good majority of LeeSaku (sorry :P)
