~Scroll 4~
Later that evening, Sakura was up in her room, working nimbly on a plushie charm. She usually made these little charms as a way to keep her hands busy and as a way to calm her frantic mind so she could come up with a plan of action… and right now… she needed a plan of action. She needed to make a decision on what she was going to do with her life.
Ever since she was a little girl, Sakura had always dreamt of being a first-rate kunoichi. Suddenly the pinkette snorted to keep a giggle at bay because in reality, she dreamt of being a kunoichi-hime, a ninja princess. Soon her giggles subsided to a sigh as she gave her plushie-charm a final snip.
Laying the faceless plushie on her desk, Sakura just absently stared at the imageless doll, while from the corner of her eye, a seemingly innocent parchment kept drawing her attention. She took a deep breath while she absently reached over to her fabric drawer, retrieving several sheets of colored felt.
When she had come home for the day, her parents had been home, and they had seen the Chuunin Application. To say that they were proud of her would be the greatest understatement of the century! Her parents went on and on about how she was going to beat the Chuunin Exams with top scores and how she would make the rank of Jounin in no time. She had to strain a smile on her face. While her parents continued on and on, Sakura knew that her parents meant well, but they were not shinobi. They were simple people, who had no idea what the Chuunin Exams could possibly be about.
Oh sure, Sakura did not doubt that there might be a knowledge portion to the exams, but she would bet her saved-up allowances that the main portion of the exams would be on her fighting ability and skills… which were quite frankly non-existing. The pinkette lowered her scissors as her hands arranged the cut pieces into a design that pleased her. She wore a sad smile as she thought about the exams.
Kakashi-sensei had said that the choice to enter was up to them individually. She knew without a doubt that Sasuke would enter. Mostly for a chance to go against that red-haired boy, who gave her the creeps and was obviously entering the exams. And Naruto… he too was excited about the exams. But the pinkette suspected that Naruto's excitement stemmed mostly out of curiosity, after all it was their village hosting the exams, and Naruto could meet new people.
He's so much like a little kitten. Sakura giggled as she finished the plushie's clothes. But why do I want to apply for the exams? She finally asked herself then looked at her half-completed plushie.
"I don't want to…" Sakura said to her creation, "but I want to stay with Sasuke and Naruto… and if I do enter, even though I don't want to, I would only be hurting them… I'm not special… not like them. I don't have a kekkei-genkai like Sasuke… heck, I'm not even an elemental specialist like Naruto… I really can't do anything… without them."
Sakura sighed deeply as she looked at the Chuunin Application. I won't be able to keep up. She thought then reached over to her lamp and turning it off. A decision made, and with a heavy heart, the tired pinkette went to sleep.
/
The next morning, Team 7 met outside a teahouse that was not too far away from their former school. Sasuke stood a bit away from his pink-haired teammate but did not fail to notice that there was something troubling her since she was unusually quiet. Stuffing his hands into his pockets, Sasuke mentally prayed that his dobe showed up and soon. Even though he felt that the pinkette was annoying, the girl was still a member of his team, and he did not need the distraction, especially during the Chuunin Exams, of worrying about the depressed girl. He would have the blonde deal with her as he knew his blonde would.
"HEY, 'NEECHAN!" And speaking of the blonde.
"Uh…" Sakura blinked out of her daze when she heard her otouto calling. With a weak smile, she greeted, "Hi."
Naruto then cantered his head to the side as he heard the troubling note again in his littermate's Heart Song. With a quick questioning glance to the raven-haired teen, who just shrugged indifferently, Naruto walked up to his taller teammate and looped his arms around her arm, causing the pinkette to blink in surprise.
"Anou, 'neechan, what's wrong?" Naruto asked, which caused Sakura to blush and look away.
"Nothing." She lied.
"Liar." Naruto called as the pair walked slowly behind the leading Uchiha. Naruto gave his teammate a nod of thanks as he knew that Sasuke was purposively taking his time to the school, despite the fact that the raven-haired teen was literally humming with excitement.
"You're worried about the exams?" Naruto asked, out right.
"Hunh… how..?"
"Maa…" Naruto shrugged than gave her arm a gentle squeeze, "You'll do fine. Have faith in yourself… beside, if we three stick together through, I know we'll pass the exams with flying colors!"
Sakura frowned a bit at the absolute conviction she heard in her otouto's voice. She knew that Naruto was incapable of lying, especially to her, so it made her curious as to why the blonde believed it so.
"And why is that, Naruto?"
Naruto gave her his infamous impish smile.
"Because we have a secret weapon!" He whispered conspiratorially.
"Well, Sasuke's Sharingan will come in handy." Sakura pouted.
"Nah… that's nothing." Naruto waved dismissively, unaware of Sasuke's glare.
"Uhm… Your Earth-jutsu is pretty good secret." Sakura hazard as an answer to which Naruto just shook his head.
"Nope… Teme and my abilities are good, but their limited by our own stamina and strength." Naruto confessed.
Sasuke mentally winced. He had no retort because his blonde was absolutely correct as much as he hated it. Both of their abilities required a lot of chakra to use, and their young bodies could handle only so much before shutting itself down or destroying them.
"Okay then, Naruto, what's this secret weapon that you're talking about?" Sakura demanded as she crossed her arms.
Even Sasuke looked on curiously to hear what his dobe had to say.
Naruto then grinned as if knowing a secret, which he did.
"You."
/
It only took Team 7 a few minutes to reach their old school, and another few minutes to come across a large group of chuunin-applicants. The three teens looked at each other curiously as they slowly moved through the crowd to see what had caught the group's attention. As they moved closer to the front, they could hear snickering and flesh-on-flesh punches.
"Is someone as talent-less as you really planning to take the Chuunin Selection Exam?" Sneered a young man with wild urchin-style brunette hair, "Why bother?"
The young man on the ground wiped the blood from his lips on his bandaged-covered hands. He was a strange looking youth. He wore a green body suit with bright yellow leggings. Across his waist was his Konoha hitai-ate, and he had a bowl-cut hair style, which oddly enough brought attention to his thick brows.
"Bunch of wet-behind-the-ears snotnoses!" Urchin-head jeered.
"You said it!" Agreed Urchin-head's friend.
"Please…" Begged a young woman with raven-colored hair up in twin buns on top of her head. She wore a pale lilac sleeveless shirt and a pair of loose black pants.
"We're begging you…" She beseeched as she came forward, "Let us in."
THOP
"Uhn -" The young woman grunted as she collapsed to the ground.
One of the spectators muttered against the two youth, who were guarding the door to room 301.. against their cruelty and yet the spectators did nothing to assist the young woman or her friend.
"What did you say?" Urchin-head challenged then continued with false concerns, "You misunderstand! We're just trying to spare you…
"The Chuunin Exams is incredibly difficult… and we should know. We've failed three times so far. There are people who made it, then immediately gave up being shinobi… others who ended up crippled… some reduced to vegetables… we've seen it all!"
Naruto snorted at the half truths that the two shinobi were spouting. He understood that the two shinobi were there for a purpose; however, he found himself greatly disagreeing to their use of excessive violence on their younger counterparts.
"Besides that, Chuunin are Cell Commanders." Urchin-head continued, "They lead their units. The responsibilities for failed missions and dead shinobi rest firmly on their shoulders.
"And you little punks have the nerve to apply? We're saving a step by weeding out the obvious losers beforehand." Urchin-head stated.
"That sounds good in theory…" Sasuke remarked with all the arrogance of a true Uchiha, "but you'd better let me through.
"And drop the force-field illusion you're created, while you're at it. I have business on the third floor."
"What's he talking about?"
"Who knows?"
"Heh…" Urchin-head's friend chuckled, "So you figured it out, eh?"
Sasuke just smirked.
"It was easy. Right, Sakura?" Naruto chimed in, "You were probably the first to notice it."
"Huh..?" Sakura blinked owlishly at what her otouto was talking about.
"You're the most analytical and the best in our cell," Naruto explained with a bright smile, "at understanding the art of illusion."
Suddenly Sakura's eyes widened as she finally understood what Naruto had meant by her being their secret weapon. Oh sure, Naruto and Sasuke may be the power, but that meant nothing if their power was not utilized to their fullest potential, which was where she came in. She was their brains! She gave her teammates a big, sunny smile before glowering at the two shinobi at the door.
Naruto stole a glance at Sasuke, who had a knowing smirk on his handsome face.
"Of course I noticed it!" Sakura declared as she stood tall and proud, "Obviously, we're still on the second floor."
The chuunin-applicants watched gobsmack as the 301-sign began to warp and become 201!
"Hey…" Urchin-head applauded, "Not bad. But just seeing through it isn't…"
He suddenly rushed Sasuke. Instantly he dropped, bringing his right leg around.
"…ENOUGH!"
Instinctively Sasuke brought his own right leg up for a block.
WHAP! WHAP!
Both attacks were blocked by the green leotard wearing youth.
He's so fast! Sakura gasped, He perceived the attack patterns on both sides and planted himself at the nexus of both of their kicks… is that even possible?
Naruto looked on curiously as he listened to the strange youth's Heart Song. The blonde found it curious that the young man choose now to reveal his true self, when only a moment ago, the odd teen was pretending to be 'weak'. Of course, Naruto also wondered why all of sudden the teen's happy ditty became happier and dittier… if that was even possible.
~Apparently he sees something that he likes.~ Ka'a chuckled as he mentally guessed what had caught the bizarre youth's eye.
The strange teen then released Sasuke and Urchin-head, who dropped unceremoniously to the ground. Sasuke, however, narrowed his eyes on the older raven-haired teen.
He blocked my kick! Sasuke mentally glowered, But there's something weird about his chakra.
"Hey…" Quietly growled another young man with long raven-black hair that was tied back in a low pony tail.
It was obvious that this young man was a friend of the odd teen and the young woman since they gathered closer to the newcomer. The long-haired youth wore a light beige buckled shirt with dark shorts, and his right arm and leg were covered in linen wrappings.
Naruto frowned at the long-haired youth. There was something familiar about the teen's pale lavender orbs, but the blonde could not place where he knew the older Genin. And of course, the teen's Heart Song did not help with Naruto's confusion.
"That's not what we agreed!" The pale-eyed teen reprimanded, "You're the one who insisted we should avoid drawing attention to ourselves."
"… B … but…" The odd teen whimpered as he blushed a violent shade of red while he stared at Sakura.
"Here we go again…" The young woman sighed dramatically while the long-haired youth resisted the urge to smack his forehead… or better yet, smack his idiotic friend.
The odd young man boldly approached Sakura, who suddenly felt uncomfortable by the teen's attention.
Sensing his oneechan's discomfort, Naruto moved closer to the pinkette and let out a low growl of warning not to approach closer.
The teen heard the growl and looked at the petite girl curiously. But he quickly pushed his curiosity aside as he focused on his pink-haired Goddess.
"Um -" The youth stuttered, "Hi… My name is Rock Lee. You're Sakura, aren't you?"
"Eh… yes." Sakura answered.
"Would you like to go out with me?" Rock asked as he winked, revealing glittering white teeth and held a thumb up. "I'll protect you with me life!"
"NO… WAY." Sakura squawked at the teen, "You are way out of hand!"
Sakura turned to walk over to Sasuke while Naruto just shook his head in disbelief.
"Hey, you!" The pale-eyed shinobi called out, catching Sasuke's attention, "What's you're name?"
"It's common courtesy to give your own name first." Sasuke challenged, causing Naruto to roll his eyes at his teammate's blatant rudeness.
"You're a rookie, aren't you? How old?" The long-haired teen pressed.
"I don't have to tell you a thing." And with that Sasuke walked away, smirking in delight at the growing number of worthy opponents that the Uchiha hoped to challenge and ignoring the looks of admiration from the raven-haired kunoichi.
"Now!" Sakura cheered as she grabbed her teammates' hands, "Sasuke, Naruto, let's go!"