Sakura

"WOOOO! GO NARUTO!" I scream at the top of my lungs.

I hate to brag, but my best friend had kicked my other best friend's cousin's aris! "That'll teach ya you jack!" I was so proud of him and I even think Saku started crying tears of joy as Naruto ran around the stadium blowing kisses and shouting that he was the winner.

My mind drifted back to Sasuke. He had, again, disappeared and I haven't seen him since our almost-but-not-really-quite-he-did-nothing kiss.

Damn Pein is going to kill Sasuke! Saku said, catching up with my thoughts. Seriously, the man's stone but if he knew…Oh, the Uchihas' would be massacred.

Not like he's going to find out. I thought coyly, running my fingers though my hair, making sure none of it slipped loose from the ponytail.

That's my girl!

"Sasuke's match is next." Shikamaru muttered dully. I bit my lip in worry and scanned the crowd once more, looking for any Akatsuki members or Kakashi.

A ninja jumped into the center of the ring to talk to the proctor. The man nodded then said something back, but the other just repeated whatever it was he had said then jumped away.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, one of our contestants has yet to show up. So we will be progressing on to the next match."

That's me. I smiled and got ready to turn for the staircase, but then Kankuro –my dear opponent- shouted: "I withdraw!" Gasps echoed around the stadium and my eyes narrowed and I grabbed the collar of his black shirt.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? I trained a whole freaking mouth for this! And you're going to just drop out? Oh, hell no you aren't!" With that I threw him over the edge of the railing and into the stadium like he was nothing but a rag doll. Temari looked at me like I was half-mad (which I probably am) but I ignored her and turned to Gaara, with is own bemused expression, and smiled. "Wish me luck."

Then I jumped too, being sure to keep my new black ninja dress from flying up and landing into a tree and then onto the ground. I walked head high over to the proctor while Kankuro half-limped, muttering something about a shovel; the whole time glaring at me. The proctor watched and his toothpick twitched upward in muse with his eyebrows.

"Kankuro-san...do you still not want to fight?"

"I am the first born son of the Kazakage..." he growled. "I will not let this civilian girl who calls herself a princess go unpunished." I growled at the last remark, but I was glad he'd be willing to fight.

"Alright then…" I got into a stance and Kankuro's fingers enclose around a bandage wrapped around the puppet. "BEGIN!" I jumped back and Kankuro let his puppet out, just as I'd thought.

"Just because you're my brother's friend, don't think I won't hesitate to kill." His creepy, long-haired puppet lunged at me with an open mouth and I did a quick cartwheel, as two needles hit where I was previously standing. They didn't stop there either, they kept coming.

I continued to jump and flip out of the weapons range, using my taijutsu for everything it was worth, and then the puppet leaped closer; it's left hand had became a sword. I moved to stand on my hands and gathered chakra into my foot, kicking out I slammed my boot into the puppet's face –knocking it back. In the window of opportunity I withdrew Saigo from its place on my belt and swung at a glowing blue chakra string.

For a moment I was in awe by the deep crimson tint of the blade. Red like blood and the aura of evil chakra surrounding it like the blade itself was alive.

The puppet's arm went limp and the chakra string detached itself.

Kankuro looked at me in astonishment and pulled back his puppet to reattach the severed string. "What in hell?" I swung the blade up into a stance and got ready to attack again.

Fusing chakra to my feet I jumped again and started to cut off the chakra strings one by one. Kankuro started pulling his puppet around to save to from being destroyed, failing to make any real attack. Then, when he maneuvered the puppet too close, I slammed the hilt of the katana into his stomach and kneed him in the jaw.

He tumbled backwards and I planted my foot on his chest and the sword at his throat.

"Say you give." I growled. Kankuro smiled and his body started melting away into sand. I heard a dark chuckle behind me and I turned. Only to meet his fully recovered puppet, weapons ready.

The poisonous sword stabbed through my side and my clone disappeared in a puff of smoke.

I sat in the cover of the tree leaves. I'd just barely escaped that sword and I'd left Saigo back in the field when I made my get away. I cursed and inspected the bleeding cut on my side dripping poison and blood. It was still in an early effect, so I had time to get it out before I became fully immobile…but it'd give away my hiding place. Laying a hand on my bleeding side green chakra glowed and the cut started to come together and more poison seeped out.

"There you are!" I heard him yelled. In an instant a few thousand weapons flew at me. I leaped from my hiding spot.

Before I could settle on the ground more weapons flew at me. I jumped again but tripped. Two kunai knives drug into my side and a needle impaled my arm. I groaned at the dull pain.

"Hm, is that all you got? Weakling," I sifted to a sitting position and glared at the ground.

Sakura...let me help.

You can't help! You are me!

No. I'm not I am no different from Gaara's demon. I control half your fighting skills and your Rinngan. Now say: Tanuki Neiri No Jutsu! The Art of playing Possum! Release Sakura Te Hime. Saku's voice grew louder in my head and I nodded.

Bringing my hands together I released a deep breath. Kankuro's puppet lunged forward to finish me off. "Tanuki Neiri No Jutsu! The Art of Playing Possum! Release Sakura Te Hime!" I yelled.

Suddenly everything went black and I saw a ghost-like thing pull from my body, stand in between me and Kankuro. She was much more beautiful than her portraits…stunning in her demonic beauty. Her hair, silver, reached past her waist and her eyes were an enchanting emerald green. She wore a white kimono with a pink dragon snaking around her body.

She stood in a formal stance. Two finger at her nose and the other holding the skirt of her kimono so she could run at her opponent at anytime.

I felt a cold sweat wave over me and my body started to shake, like I'd suddenly caught a fever. I coughed.

"Thank you, Sakura-hime. I'll take it from here and return back to you as soon as possible." Then my vision went blank.

Naruto

This suspense was killing me. All Sakura was doing was sitting on the ground and the rest of her face was blank; like she was sleeping.

Meanwhile Kankuro was running his puppet around trying to hit something that wasn't there.

"What are you doing?" The proctor shouted, dodging the weapons that were thrown.

He growled. "I'm trying to hit whatever the hell she summoned! Can't you see it?" He swung his puppet at open air again, and then he screamed. He fell back and didn't move.

Then I could see it -only just for a moment- it was a woman; her body made completely up of green and blue chakra. There was something about her, in her face that looked like an older version of Sakura's.

Then she jumped and landed back in Sakura's body.

Did...Did Sakura have an Inner Demon too?

Sakura

I felt my strength return to me and the grogginess and sickness wore off.

Thank you for releasing me.

The proctor walked up to me and I stood, shakily resting my hands on my scrapped up knees and breathed deeply. I felt a burning sensation from the inside and I knew Saku was healing me; her aura seemed to flourish, masking with mine and chasing away the feverish cold that'd overtaken me.

"AND THE WINNER IS SAKURA KUROSU!" The crowd went wild and I smiled and caught sight of a few of the Akatsuki members, then my parents; whose faces were emotionless and shocked.

I shrugged at them and Naruto jumped down from the balcony to hug me to death.

Sasuke

The remaining leaves that swarmed around us started to fall away and I took in the deathly calm of the Chuunin Exams arena.

We were standing center stage, all eyes on us, with a surprised looking Naruto and Sakura.

"Sorry we're late." Kakashi said off-handily scratching the back of his head.

"There you are." The proctor said. "You made it just in the nick of time." Kakashi said something else and I glanced at my two teammates.

"Did you win?" I asked pointedly. Sakura and Naruto nodded.

"Hands down." Sakura smiled and suddenly her face turned grave. "You better not have been slaking." Sakura pulled a crimson katana from the ground and moved it back into its holster.

AHHHH! THIS CHAPTER!

Why am so bad at fight scenes? *Whine* Reassure me that it's good, if its bad be nice. My life is spiralling into a rut and I need more reviews. My little sister is in my room. My mother and father are enjoying their anniversery. And I'm having a stupid coversation with my little sister about a newspaper.

Please reveiw or I'll find you,

~QueenVamp