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Chapter 4
Like every morning since Naruko's mission to the land of waves, she wakes gasping for breath and covered in a cold sweat. Only this time Sasuke runs into her room and wraps his strong arms around the shaking girl, causing her to burst into tears. They stay like that for several minutes until Naruko's tears finally subside, Sasuke releases her with a slight blush on his cheeks.
"Better?" he questions her.
"Yes, th-thank you. But did you have to almost break down my door?" she laughs, back to her usual cheery self.
"Sorry about that, I can fix it later. But it's time to get out of bed and get ready for the chuunin exams. They start in a few hours. Come on, I'll fix us something to eat."
"Hey Sasuke, why do you sleep here when technically you've got a house of your own?" Naruko questions as she sits down at the table while Sasuke goes to fix them eggs.
"I'd rather not stay there, too many memories," he says quietly.
"Oh…thank you," she says as he sets down a plate of eggs and takes his own seat. "What will you be doing while we take the exam?"
"I am also participating, seeing how Kakashi said I was part of the team."
"But in a way you already are participating. Won't there be confusion if there are two Sasuke Uchiha's?"
"Already have that covered. The hokage told everyone that I am my younger self's cousin and that somehow I managed to escape the massacre and now I've returned to the village for the exams."
"Okay, and since you're on our team we are for sure going to pass!" Naruko proclaims excitedly.
After the two finish their breakfast they meet Sakura and the other Sasuke and make their way towards the examination room. As they enter the large room, the dozens of voices they could hear from the other side of the door immediately die down, their owner's eyes staring at the older Uchiha. Ignoring them they walk over to an empty corner and stay there, Sasuke's eyes shifting around, getting a good look on each person's face before moving on to the next one. But his eyes soon stop on a certain person, a man with long dark hair, yellow eyes and a headband with the hidden grass symbol on it, instantly glaring daggers at the man.
"Hi there," a male's voice says politely, as a young man with silver hair tied back into a pony tail and glasses walks up to the group.
Kabuto…I will kill that bastard.
"Hi!" Naruko says back with a wide smile on her face. "I'm Naruko, who are you?"
"The name's Kabuto. I haven't seen you guys here before. First timers?"
"What do you mean by that?" Sakura asks nervously.
"Well you see, most of the people here are retakes, I myself am on my fourth try. There are even others here that are on their fifth try."
"Yeah but we're going to pass on the first try!" Naruko proclaims proudly. "So bring it on!"
Kabuto starts to chuckle, "good luck with that," he replies before walking away.
"Naruko, Sakura, Sasuke, stay away from him."
"Why? He seems so nice."
"Just do as I say Naruko. Don't go anywhere near him, or that grass ninja over there," he says as he discreetly points to the disguised Orochimaru.
"Just do as he says dobe, remember he is from the future and knows things we don't. So you should probably listen to him."
"Fine," Naruko mumbles.
"Alright! Everyone listen up!" A tall man dressed in all black including a black trench coat and a bandana over his head with the leaf symbol on it yells out. "Get ready for phase one of the chuunin exams. The first phase is a written test, anyone who is caught cheating fails, you must answer all the questions correctly or you fail, and finally everyone on your team must pass the test or you fail! Any questions? No? Good, follow me!"
Obediently everyone follows the menacing man into a room that is filled with rows of desks, each row slightly more elevated than the one before it. As directed, all the teams are separated and forced to sit far apart from one another before the tests are handed out. At both ends of each row of desks, a proctor sits with a clipboard and pencil, jotting down notes from time to time. "You have two hours, now start!"
Crap! These questions are impossible to answer, Naruko thinks to herself as she sweatdrops looking at the paper. What am I going to do? Think Naruko! Why are there so many proctors? Of course to make sure no one cheats, but only someone like Shikamaru could ever hope to answer these correctly without cheating, even Sasuke couldn't answer these. So that must be it! They are forcing us to cheat. If that's how it's going to be, I know just what to do!
Placing her hands under the table, Naruko simultaneously forms the hand signs necessary to create a shadow clone and at the same time makes it turn into a fly. Then she makes the fly land on Shikamaru's headband and to stay there until he had answered all the questions. Finally after about an hour, Shikamaru finishes his test and Naruko dispels the disguised shadow clone, its memories instantly becoming her own. With a smirk, Naruko quickly finishes the test a few minutes before their proctor, Ibiki Morino calls time. Confidently, Naruko walks up to his desk and hands him her test when her row is called.
"Naruko Uzumaki, you and the rest of your team pass. Please continue on to the next room."
"Yeah!" Naruko yells out, earning some annoyed looks from those who have yet to have their tests graded. So quickly Naruko does as she is told and meets up with the rest of her team in the next room. "So what's next?" she asks the older Uchiha.
But before he could respond a woman with a crazed look in her eye yells out, "Listen up whelps! The name is Anko and I am going to be administering the second phase of the exam so everyone follow me outside so we can get this started!" Obediently everyone follows Anko outside where they come to a stop once they reach an ominous looking forest surrounded by a fence and barbed wire. "This ladies and gents is the forest of death, the place where the second phase of the exams will be held. Your objective is to enter the forest, find a team that is carrying the opposite scroll of yours, take it and reach the center of the forest before time runs out. Your team will either be assigned an earth or heaven scroll. You have five days to reach the center of the forest, if you are not successful, you fail. You are to obtain the scroll by any means necessary, so that means most of you will be injured, and some of you might even die. I warn you, the forest itself can be more dangerous than your opponents. When I give the signal your group will enter the forest at fifteen minute intervals, each group entering from a different point. Is that understood?" Everyone nods their heads before going to the entrance point they are assigned to.
"Okay here is what we are going to do, everyone listen up," the older Sasuke says as the group forms around him. "I've already gotten us a heaven scroll so the plan is to run as fast as we can to the center. Got it?"
"But how did you get the other scroll already? Isn't that cheating?" Sakura asks worriedly.
"Don't worry about it. Now as we're running, I will be in the front followed by Sakura, then you Sasuke and then Naruko. Unless I stop, don't stop for anything, understood?"
"Got it!"
"Team seven you are allowed to enter, good luck!" Anko yells out and quickly they enter the forest of death and begin to make their way to the center.
Just as Sasuke had ordered, the group enters their formation and together they make an all-out dash towards the center. I will stop that bastard from cursing my younger self and ruining my life. This is why I was sent back, I just know it! We should have a couple of hours before he attacks, but I will be ready this time. Together they run, all determined to reach their goal, but none of them more determined than the time traveler. I will save Naruko!
After three hours of nonstop running, Sasuke could sense the other's becoming fatigued, and after scouting out a good stop to rest and catch their breath he stops. "We'll rest here for a little while before moving on. I'll stand watch." Taking advantage of the opportunity, the three young genine drop their packs and collapse onto the ground, all breathing heavily and covered in sweat. Diligently, Sasuke perches himself on a thick branch of an ancient tree and stands guard, his sharingan activated scanning everywhere for the snake that was sure to make an appearance soon. "Where is the bastard, he's got to be close…" Suddenly Sakura's scream echoes throughout the forest, sending birds flying and animals running. Quicker than a heartbeat Sasuke jumps off the branch, simultaneously drawing his katana as he runs towards the others. What he sees makes his heart drop, standing there is Orochimaru holding a kunai to Naruko's throat. Looking around he also sees his younger self unconscious on the ground and a terrified Sakura standing there holding a kunai, her whole body shaking in fear.
"Let her go!" Sasuke yells out, his katana beginning to crackle with electricity.
"This is interesting, you have the same chakra as the Uchiha that is lying on the ground. Tell me who you are or I will kill this girl." Orochimaru hisses, lightly sliding the kunai along over Naruko's throat, drawing a thin line of blood.
"Sakura, talk to me, what happened?"
"H—he just appeared and grabbed Naruko. Sasuke tried to save her but he knocked him unconscious."
"Did that man bite Sasuke?"
"Bite him? No I don't think so."
Thank goodness, he didn't curse him yet. "Sakura, I want you to grab Sasuke and stay back. This man is out of your league. His is a missing nin that goes by the name Orochimaru. That other guy you met before phase one is his partner, keep an eye out for him." Doing as she was told, Sakura grabs the unconscious Sasuke and gets behind the older Uchiha. "I won't tell you again, let Naruko go!"
"It seems as though you care about this girl, what would you do if I killed her?" A sadistic smile on his pale face.
"You want to know who I am? I am Sasuke Uchiha."
"How interesting. Come a little closer or I will kill this girl."
"Sasuke don't listen to him! Run away!" Naruko yells and then quickly bites the snake man's hand causing him to yelp in surprise, his grip only becoming tighter.
"Stupid girl, I will teach you not to do that again!" He hisses as his neck begins to elongate, his sharp fangs protruding from his mouth. Electrifying his katana, Sasuke starts to charge towards the two, but is stopped dead as a blood curdling scream erupts from Naruko's throat. Quickly Orochimaru drops Naruko's convulsing body on the ground, licking her blood off his lips.
"You bastard!" Sasuke yells as he again charges towards the snake, his sharingan glowing slightly in the darkness. Full of rage and hatred Sasuke catches the elusive snake by his long greasy hair yanking him to the ground, creating a small crater. Then suddenly a purple aura begins to surround him and an enormous skeletal shape begins to form out of the aura. "You will die now, I will make sure that you will never be able to cause anymore pain ever again," Sasuke says murderously as a large bony hand reaches out and grabs the terrified looking man. Ever so slowly the hand begins to tighten its grip, making Orochimaru's eyes bulge from their sockets. Suddenly Orochimaru bursts into purple flames, his screams of agony echoing off the landscape. In a matter of seconds his body is reduced to ash.
As fast as his legs would carry him, Sasuke appears beside a now unconscious and unmoving Naruko, tears streaming down his face. "This isn't right, this wasn't supposed to happen! I—I failed…"
"Sasuke, what's going on? Is Naruko going to be alright?" Sakura asks timidly as her and the now conscious younger Uchiha walk out of the shadows.
"I can't believe I failed," he whispers, ignoring Sakura's question. "Naruko, I'm so sorry." Weakly Naruko opens her eyes and places her hand on Sasuke's cheek.
"Everything is going to be okay," her whisper barely audible. "It's just a small scratch, we've got to finish the exam," she manages to whisper before blacking out again.
Choking back his tears, Sasuke picks Naruko up in his arms, carrying her bridal style. "Come on you two, Naruko needs help, we've got to finish. It's her only hope." With Sakura and the younger Sasuke almost at their limits, they struggle to keep up with the speeding time traveler.
"Hey wait up!" Sasuke yells to his older self after hours of running. "We can't go on!" Seeing how the two couldn't go on any farther until they had rested, Sasuke reluctantly stops. They make camp in a small cave they had found, Sasuke creating a henge so they wouldn't be seen. After Sakura had fallen asleep, the younger Sasuke decides to speak, "I heard what you said, what did you mean by 'this wasn't supposed to happen'?"
"I believed that the reason I was sent back in time was to stop that battle between Orochimaru and you three. In the past when I was your age and taking the exam, it wasn't Naruko that was cursed, it was me."
"What do you mean cursed?"
Gently, Sasuke resituates Naruko on his lap so he could show his younger self the curse mark. "Orochimaru curses people to make them his followers. After I was bitten I became obsessed with gaining power for my revenge. Orochimaru promised me power so that I would be able to defeat Itachi, so I became blind and couldn't think of anything else. But there was a price, the price was my body. He promised to give me all the power I would need as long as I gave him my body so that when the time came he could transfer his soul into it and take it over. I spent several years with him, I turned my back on the village, and on Naruko. Before I left, we fought at the Valley of the End, and it ended with me almost killing her. She swore that she would do everything in her power to bring me back, no matter what it took. I told her I hated her, that she was weak and useless."
After a slight pause, he continues his story. "When the time came for him to take over my body, I killed him and left. I formed a new team and I defeated Itachi. Afterwards I found out the truth and swore that I would destroy Konoha and everyone in it, innocent or not. Again Naruko and I fought, the battle lasted for hours. I only had enough chakra for one more attack. I formed a chidori and charged towards Naruko, only she didn't defend herself. She purposely dropped her weapons and let my jutsu destroy her. I killed her, my best friend , the person who I had come to love. She had a letter addressed to me in her pocket, here you can read it," he says as he offers his younger self the bloody paper, tears beginning to spill out of his eyes.
With shaking hands, the younger Uchiha takes the paper and reads it several times before looking at his older self in the eyes. "Because of that curse mark, I really turn into a person like that?"
"I am so ashamed, every time I look at Naruko it takes everything I have to not break down in tears and beg for her forgiveness even though she wouldn't understand. But I came here to change it all, I wanted to prevent myself from falling into madness and to stop myself from killing the person I loved. But I have failed because Naruko was cursed. Most people who receive the curse die, I have failed to protect her again."
"I promised that I would protect her, an Uchiha never goes back on their word. I will not allow myself to fall into madness. If what you said about brother was true, then he would be disappointed that I would become a person like that," the younger Sasuke says stoically. "I will make sure her dream comes true, that she will become hokage."
"I beg of you, please don't make the same mistakes I have made. I have faith that together you and Naruko will change the world."
After several hours of silence and of the older Sasuke replacing the cool cloth on Naruko's forehead, both their eyes close from both mental and physical exhaustion. As the older Sasuke sleeps a familiar voice rings out in his head, 'don't mess it up, okay?' it whispers. 'This is your second chance, don't mess up.' Eventually rays of sunlight make their way into the small cave, stirring the three from their slumber, the sound of someone laughing making them all instantly freeze.
A/N: Cliffhanger! Can you guess who is laughing? Hope you enjoyed the chapter and again thank you all for your wonderful reviews! I will try to update soon!