Disclaimer – Kishimoto owns Naruto and the characters therein.

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Memories Of Others

Chapter 28

Battles In the Forest

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"Okay, so what's our plan?" Tobio asked as they dashed into the forest.

"We need to find another team and defeat them…" Sakura mused. "You two will have to do the majority of the fighting, if we can take down one team member, I can heal you up without worrying as much about being attacked myself."

"Useful, having an Iryonin on the team." Tobio agreed.

"I was using my Sharingan to try and spot which gate-tokens people received." Sasuke supplied. "If we arc left, we'll be able to take on one of the Waterfall teams."

"Takigakure's a smaller village…" Tobio mused. "That means they'll have sent either their best or their politically connected, relatives of their elders."

"I watched them during the first exam." Sasuke replied as they took to the branches. "Their equipment was brand new and they kept shifting it, like they weren't used to it."

"Politically connected." Tobio concluded.

"Sounds like it." Sakura agreed.

"Viable targets." Sasuke stated and both his team-mates nodded. "I also caught a glimpse of their scroll before they put it away. They have a Heaven scroll."

Tobio's face turned almost predatory.

"We get their scroll, then we go straight to the Tower." Sasuke continued.

"Sounds like a plan." Sakura agreed.

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"There they are." Sasuke grumbled. "Idiots! Barely paying attention to their surroundings! Boys playing at being shinobi."

"Well, they've never had to go up against Naruto when he was feeling… inventive." Tobio grumbled. "They're heading towards the tower, but fast enough that setting a trap will be… problematic. We could always use… a… distraction…"

Sasuke looked at his team-mates, who were both staring at him.

"What are you looking at me fo… oh no. No. Nonono. Ohhhhhhh no. No way. Twice is enough."

Sakura looked at him, her eyes widening as moisture started to collect around the edges.

"Awwwww, fuck." Sasuke cursed, slumping. "Fine. But you two owe me for this."

"We're team-mates." Tobio chirped as they leapt off the branch to get ahead of their targets. "Remember what Sensei said? There are no true debts between team-mates."

Sasuke activated his sharingan to glare at Tobio, who simply grinned goofily at him.

"I hate you both." Sasuke growled. "I really want you both to know that."

"We love you too, Sasuki-chan." Sakura giggled and Sasuke growled. "There's a stream up ahead, that'll be the perfect place for the ambush."

"What are you planning?" Sasuke asked, his voice a mixture of confusion and suspicion.

"Well, it'll help us to clean up…"

"…I hate you."

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"I can't believe you made me do that." Sasuke grumped as he used an unsealed towel to dry off his hair. "And even worse, it worked!"

"Not fair!" One of the captured genin grumbled. "We thought you were a kunoichi who was washing herself, not a transvestite who doesn't actually need clothes!"

Sasuke dropped the towel as he glared at the speaker. "What. Was. That?"

"Easy." Sakura said as she put her hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "They're just sore about losing to us. I mean, they were so busy drooling, they forgot to check what was behind them."

"Nah, we were checking out your alter-ego's behind." One of the other ninja snarked before Sasuke struck him across the back of his head, knocking him out. The other two joined him in unconsciousness and Sakura began riffling through their pockets.

"Take everything." Sasuke commanded as he began to strip the second one. "Leave only their underwear and a kunai each, it should let them get out of the forest."

"You're letting them live?" Sakura smiled and Sasuke grinned ferally.

"Yes. Humiliated. Totally."

"Damn, that's cold." Tobio whispered. "I like it."

"Boys." Sakura mourned, although her lips twitched with amusement. "So, once we've done this, straight to the tower?"

Sasuke and Tobio both nodded.

"Wait a moment." Sakura said as she ran straight up a tree. A moment later, she ran back down, stopping at the lowest branch. "I spotted it, it's that way."

"Then let's go." Sasuke replied as he ran up the tree to join her, Tobio hot on his heels. "The sooner we finish, the better."

"Yeah, let's not take any risks we don't have to." Tobio agreed.

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Sasuke briefly activated his sharingan, then retreated back into the shelter of the canopy.

"No sign of any enemies at the moment." He whispered, nodding to the glade spread out before them. "So, dash across or try to work our way around the edge?"

"Stream to the left, large rocks to the right." Sakura said quietly after taking a look for herself. "Rocks are good place for ambush and the noise of the stream will help hide anyone going for stealth…"

"I vote dash." Tobio offered. "Head straight across, get into the trees and go straight for the tower."

"Dash." Sakura agreed and Sasuke nodded.

"Sakura, you're still the weakest in combat. Tobio, you take the left as you're left-handed. I'll take the right. Sakura, you lead."

"Just don't stare at my butt." Sakura joked before she dropped to the ground. "Pink ready."

"Black One ready." Sasuke confirmed, dropping into position on her right.

"Black Two, ready." Tobio stated as he took a similar position on her left.

"Three." Sakura whispered just loudly enough that the two boys could hear her. "Two. One. Go!"

All three catapulted themselves out of the undergrowth and raced across the grassy glade in perfect formation, then a figure suddenly appeared in front of them.

"Kukukukukukuku… well, what do we have here?"

"Oh shit." Sakura whispered as a kunai seemed to materialize in her hand. "You're no genin, you've got too much chakra!"

"Hmmm, a sensor?" The figure asked, stalking to the edge of the shadows to reveal that she was a Kunoichi wearing a Grass headband. "Interesting. And I see you've learned to activate those delightful eyes of yours, Sasuke-kun… but since I can't have your friends interfering… "

"Brace!" Sasuke yelled as the Kunoichi unleashed a massive blast of wind. The sudden gale threatened to pull him into the air, but he used his tree-walking skills to anchor himself, as did Tobio and…

"…Nooooo!"

Sakura flew into the air, loose stones adhering to her feet and Tobio's desperate lunge missed her frantic grasp by a senbon's width.

"Sakura!" Tobio shouted as she vanished over the tree-line.

"Well, that's one down." The kunoichi smirked as she stepped fully out of the shadows and started to prowl around the two genin, eyeing them closely. "You don't have a chance, you know. You may as well surrender, I promise I woun't simply kill you if you do."

"Orochimaru!"

The kunoichi leapt backwards as Jiraiya slammed down, cratering the ground.

"That's Orochimaru? I thought he was a boy?"

"It's his spirit, but not his body."

Sasuke blinked as the dust settled to reveal Jiraiya straightening up, an elderly toad perched on each shoulder.

"Jiraiya. Sage mode already, just to deal with little old me?" Orochimaru smirked, then she paused and raised a hand to her face, which was partially ripped off to reveal pale flesh underneath. "Oh, it looks like my disguise isn't necessary any more."

Orochimaru peeled off the torn outer face and smirked.

"That was a good entrance by the wa-oah!"

Only a frantic rolling dive allowed Orochimaru to dodge the metal-capped black pillar which slammed down exactly where he had been standing, then the pillar shrunk down into a staff, lowering Hiruzen to the ground as it did so.

"Hello, my old student."

"Heh, both of you together?" Orochimaru smirked as he slowly backed away from the two. "But how did you get here so fast? It was almost like… Hiraishin!"

Jiraiya half-crouched while Hiruzen prepared to attack, then Orochimaru laughed.

"Well, I can see that this part of my plan needs a bit of a re-think. Until next time, Sensei…"

As the staff lanced out to pierce Orochimaru's heart, his body seemed to collapse into a pile of mud.

"He's gone." Jiraiya growled. "I caught an echo heading south-east, but by now, he's probably near the walls. He won't be back until he figures out what went wrong for him."

"Then we'll be ready." Hiruzen agreed. "Naruto, bring us back."

Under the shocked eyes of the two genin, three Narutos appeared in a flash of golden light.

"Hey, teme." Naruto waved, then he frowned. "Where's Sakura?"

"She was blown that way." Tobio said pointing. "We need to find her."

"Dobe." Sasuke nodded. "See you round. Hokage-sama, thank you."

"Go find Sakura." Hiruzen advised as Naruto created three more clones. "I look forwards to seeing you in the tower."

"Hai, Hokage-sama." Sasuke managed, then he turned and sprinted off towards where Sakura had been blasted. Behind him, two flashes of light marked the departure of his saviors.

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"Eeeeeeewwwwww!" Sakura groaned as she pulled herself out of the steaming pile of entrails and scales that had been a giant snake until she had used her chakra scalpels on it from within its gullet. "This is so damn gross!"

"Sakura!" Tobio shouted as he landed beside her, then he backpedalled rapidly.

"I know! Thanks to this damn handbag swallowing me, I reek!" Sakura grumbled as she tried to wipe some of the blood and other, less-identifiable fluid off her skin and clothes. "Graah! Even my storage scroll's ruined!"

"There's a stream just over there where you can wash." Sasuke said as he landed, then backstepped slightly. "I have several spare changes of clothes, you can have one."

"Hey, does that mean she's finally going to get into your pants?" Tobio snickered just before Sasuke dope-slapped him. "Ow!"

"Eurgh!" Sakura whined. "I need to wash now! My clothes are starting to dissolve!"

"Let's move." Sasuke said. "This way. Tobio and I'll keep guard."

"Thanks." Sakura said gratefully as she followed the two boys. "The sooner I get this stuff off my skin, the better. Eeewww, it's so slimy!"

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"Thanks, Sasuke." Sakura said in relief as she finished towelling her hair dry. Tobio glanced at her, his eyebrows rising.

"You look different." He said and Sakura looked down at herself. Her sandals were a pair of Tobio's and were still slightly too big for her while the shorts and t-shirt were Sasuke's, although he had refrained from giving her one of his jackets as, due to the clan-symbol on the back, it would be an official offer of marriage or adoption. Instead, she wore one of Tobio's spare shirts, the buttons undone as she wore it jacket-style.

"We should get moving." Sasuke said after a long moment. "With any luck, we can get to the tower without anything else happening to us.

"Agreed." Sakura said with a slight shiver as she stared at her Hitai-ate with the ruined fabric band. After a moment, she pushed it into her pouch and gave a firm nod.

"The sooner we get to the tower, the sooner I can ask Naruto to take a message to my parents for new clothes. Let's go."

"Still find it amazing she killed a giant snake." Tobio whispered and Sasuke nodded, his gaze measuring as he looked at Sakura.

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The door opened and Sasuke slipped through, kunai redy to attack or block and his sharingan blazing. After a few seconds, he relaxed and his eyes returned to their normal black.

"Clear."

The door opened wider, allowing Tobio and Sakura to enter, then Tobio closed it behind them.

"So, now what?" He asked as Sakura looked round, then her gaze was arrested by the large framed poem mounted on the wall in front of them.

"If qualities of heaven are your desire, acquire wisdom to take your mind higher.
"If earthly qualities are what you lack, train your body and prepare to attack.
"When heaven and earth are opened together, the perilous path will become righteous forever.
"This something is the secret way, that guides us from this place today."

"You read that very well, Sakura," Tobio said, "But what the heck does it mean?"

"It's a metaphor." Sakura explained. "Heaven is mind, Earth is body. If you're strong but unskilled, study. If you're skilled but weak, train."

"And you need to open both scrolls to advance." Sasuke realized, pulling them out of his inner jacket pocket. "Open them together… open them so that heaven crosses the earth. Tobio!"

Tobio caught the thrown scroll and Sasuke knelt down.

"Do as I do."

Sasuke broke the wax seal on the scroll and pushed it to unroll away from him. The scroll extended, then Tobio's scroll scrossed over it and a cloud of smoke formed. As it dissipated, a figure appeared.

"Hm, that was fast." Kakashi said, looking up from his book. "New wardrobe, Sakura?"