Chapter 28

Naruto's body lurched over the railing, fascinated by the match that had just finished. He couldn't believe that Shino was so strong! Sure, the bugs were a little weird and a bit creepy, but still! That kid from the Sound didn't stand a chance! Naruto shook his fist, "Oh, he's good! I can't wait to get my shot at him!"

Sakura stood next to Naruto and was just a little unsettled at the way the match had gone. Who would have thought that Shino used bugs like that? "I thought Shino was weird before, but now..." She trailed off, not sure if she should finish the sentence.

As the medics came and took Zaku to the infirmary, Naruto turned his head from side to side. "Hmm." He looked over at Sakura who gave him a quizzical look. "Ya think Kakashi and Keiko will be back soon? I don't want them to miss our matches." He grumbled the last part. They had to see him fight! If they missed his match, he didn't know what he would do!

Sakura blinked, "Oh..." While she hoped Sasuke was alright, she couldn't help but wonder that too. There were three options running through her head; One, they had ran into trouble. Two, there was something wrong with Sasuke. Three, they had stopped for some alone time... Sakura blushed at the last thought.

"What's wrong?" Naruto asked her, not expecting that kind of reaction.

She cleared her throat, "Naruto, don't you think it's a bit strange? The amount of time they spend together?"

He tilted his head to the side, "Uh, what do you mean?" He had never given it much thought.

Sakura looked around them before leaning forward, whispering into Naruto's ear. The blond boy lurched back, "What?! No that's crazy!"

Not a second later, two figures appeared behind them. Kakashi waved his hand up in a salute while Keiko held up her hand in a wave and offered a small smile. "Hi," Kakashi spoke nonchalantly.

Naruto pointed at the two of them, his eyes landing on Keiko. "Keiko! Why didn't you tell me y-!"

Sakura's fist landed square and true on Naruto's head. She told him to not say anything about it! Sakura turned toward her two teachers. She didn't pay attention to Naruto as he rubbed the growing bump on his head. "Hi? Is that all you can say? What about Sasuke? Is he alright?"

The two Jonin shared a glance over their strange behavior for a moment before shrugging it off. Keiko smiled reassuringly, noticing how Naruto's face soured at Sakura's display of concern for their teammate. She knew he was worried about Sasuke too, but it would seem that Sakura had a better idea of what was going on. Naturally, she would be more worried than Naruto, if that were the case.

"Oh, he's fine. Sleeping soundly in the infirmary." Kakashi spoke so calmly that Keiko couldn't help but admire his ability to stay completely calm. Kakashi spoke as though they were not moments away from being murdered merely minutes before. Of course, they both knew that Sasuke wasn't just in the infirmary, he was being guarded by the Anbu. Very shortly after their encounter with Orochimaru, they had handed him off into their protection.

Her teachers reassurance seemed to be enough to quell any fears she had. Sakura looked down and her shoulders sagged in a display of relief. Of course he was okay. He was Sasuke. No matter what, he always found a way to bounce back, right?

Their attention was shortly caught by the display board showing the next match.

Tsurugi Misumi Vs. Kankuro

Keiko took notice of how Naruto's hand tightened around the railing as he looked at Kankuro. "It's that guy." He said it barely loud enough for her to hear so she took a step forward, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"He's from the Sand Village. Do you know him?" Keiko inquired. She had to wonder when Naruto would have ran into him. It certainly sounded like Naruto knew him, and it didn't seem like Kankuro had given a good first impression.

Naruto's eyes narrowed slightly, "Not really. He threatened Konohamaru."

Keiko blinked. That was certainly a first impression if there ever was one. Not to mention, the Hokage's grandson no less. She had met the young boy before when he and his friends were hanging around with Naruto. Unfortunately, she didn't know much about him, other than his lineage and admiration for Naruto. She nodded, "Well, wonderful opportunity to observe him, hmm?"

As soon as Hayate called the match to start, Kankuro removed the large bundle from his back and stood it next to him. It would seem that the large bundle of bandages he had strapped to his back was a secret weapon of sorts, but to everyone watching it looked like it didn't matter. Keiko, having seen the boy's file, had a hunch it was a puppet. Tsurugi lunged forward, attacking Kankuro quickly and fiercely. Upon the first hit, Kankuro seemed unaffected, that was until Tsurugi's limbs twisted and turned like a snake, wrapping around Kankuro.

Keiko was surprised when Naruto jumped forward, "Woah! What's up with that guy's body? That's freaky! Wish I could do that."

From their place on the upper level they could make out what Tsurugi was saying, "I dislocate every one of my joints, softening my body. Then, with my chakra I can control it all perfectly."

Sakura's eyes widened in surprise. Just his chakra? Who knew that someone could use their chakra like that. Her eyes drifted down to her hand that adorned the gloves Keiko had given to her nearly two weeks ago. They had become such a constant she hardly removed them. She hadn't found the right time to use the technique that Keiko had taught her but she was nonetheless thankful. Even continuing to practice it, even in the Forest of Death. Sakura could feel the change in herself even if she didn't have a flashy move. She had to wonder, if chakra could have so many effects on someone's body, what could she do with her own?

Kankuro struggled, even as the grip around his neck tightened. It was clear to everyone that Kankuro was in a bit of a sticky situation. His opponent tightened his grip, "The more you struggle, the tighter I'll squeeze. I don't know what you're carrying in there but as long as I have a hold of you it makes no difference. I could break your neck right now if I wanted to. And I will, unless you give up."

Even though his life was clearly on the line, Kankuro smirked, "Wanna bet?" He was just barely able to get the words out through his compressed airway, only to have it constricted a moment later.

"Do you want to die?" Tsurugi questioned harshly, his grip suffocating and Kankuro struggled to breathe. Kankuro said something, but no one other than Tsurugi would have been able to hear it. Whatever it was, put him over the edge and resulted in a sickening snap to echo. Kankuro's head fell limply forward.

Lee, who had walked closer to Naruto, swallowed thickly at the sight. "I think, he broke his neck."

Keiko watched as both Sakura and Naruto stiffened and paled, looking at Lee incredulously. The Jonin spared a glance toward the other Sand Shinobi and narrowed her eyes as she looked out toward them. There was no visible reaction from any of them. That meant to her, that either they truly didn't care about the life of their teammate, or there was something else going on. Her gaze darted back to the fight and settled upon Kankuro's bundle that lay on the ground at their feet. Perhaps, it wasn't over after all. Just as the thought entered her mind, Kakuro's body sprang to life. Revealing itself as a puppet and wrapping it's arms around Tsurugi as Kankuro made himself known. He had been hiding in plain sight the whole time.

The match was quickly decided, but the tactics seemed unethical to a certain Genin. Naruto turned toward his Sensei, "Two against one is hitting below the belt, isn't it? Is that thing even fair, Kakashi Sensei?"

Kakashi blinked, looking down at his student. "It's not really two against one, it's a puppet."

Sakura nodded, "It's just the Puppet Master Jutsu, he's controlling the puppet with chakra. It's a ninja tool, like a shuriken." Her eyes traveled back down toward the medics who carried away Tsurugi's now mangled body. This was the second fight in a row that displayed just how well these guys controlled their chakra. Could she really stand a chance against these guys? They had only witnessed a small handful of their opponents and who knew what else these guys could do. Even their own classmates from the academy could be hiding techniques and jutsu they weren't aware of.

Hayate drew every one's attention toward the board and the names began to circulate. Any moment now they would see the next match up. Naruto watched intently, "Hmm, whoever it is, it's gonna be a few weirdos. This contest is full of them." So far, everyone had such weird and often freaky jutsu. Some of the things he had seen he didn't even know were possible!

His statement drew unimpressed looks from his team. Keiko poking him in the back of the head with a soft statement to behave and Kakashi making it clear Naruto had no room to talk. Naruto rubbed the back of his head where Keiko had poked him and turned to them all, "Hey! Gimme a break!"

Sakura giggled at Naruto's expense, fully agreeing with her two Sensei. Unbeknownst to her, the board reveled the next two fighters. Kakashi placed a firm hand on her shoulder, making her blink in confusion. "This isn't a time for laughter." He pointed up toward the board and she gasped when she read the names.

Sakura Haruno Vs Ino Yamanaka

The two girls made their way down to the main floor and while Naruto cheered on his teammate, Keiko crossed her arms. Sakura looked up toward them and her eyes caught Keiko's for a moment. The amount of sheer determination in Sakura's eyes surprised her, who would have thought that such a timid little girl could grow into such a determined and headstrong individual. She smiled, silently telling Sakura that she had this fight.

When Sakura turned her attention back to Ino, the smile on Keiko's face faltered slightly. It had to be Ino, didn't it?

"You're worried?"

Keiko blinked, turning her head to find Kakashi looking down toward her. Her heart fluttered as they made eye contact. The scene in the basement still fresh in her mind. She looked away from the man next to her, back down toward the two Genin about to fight. "I'm not sure if worried is the right word. I think, that this battle is going to be more personal than most."

Naruto turned his head toward her, "Huh? What do you mean?"

Keiko chuckled, "They are friends who drifted apart. In their early days at the academy, they spent most of their time together."

Recognition sparked in Naruto's features before he nodded and turned back to the fight. That's right, Sakura and Ino had been best friends. He still didn't know how she had put up with someone like Ino. Naruto had always assumed they stopped hanging out because Sakura realized how pushy Ino was. Was that not the case?

The fight began and it was clear to most everyone watching that neither girl was taking the fight particularly seriously. Both wanted to win, but just as Keiko feared, their personal feelings were getting in the way. That couldn't be more apparent when Ino had the perfect opening to punch Sakura square in the face, but froze. The momentum she had in her punch making her hand land in a loud slap across Sakura's cheek.

A deafening silence blanketed the entire area. Such a stunt was so unusual and unexpected Keiko thought she saw Asuma nearly drop his cigarette. Her eyes narrowed, this is what she thought might happen.

The slap was just as much a shock to both Ino and Sakura as it was to everyone else. It took several moments before Sakura looked up, meeting the shocked gaze of Ino's eyes. "Listen up, Ino." She said loudly, "I'm not that weak needy girl I used to be. I'm stronger than you and I'm going to prove it! And, while we're at it, your crush on Sasuke is so juvenile. Grow up, Ino! Pig!"

And, just like that, the tension between them was invigorated. Ino growled, "Sakura, you better watch your mouth! Do you have any idea of who you're lipping off to?! Don't press your luck with me, billboard brow!"

Keiko and Kakashi cast a glance at Naruto who spoke, "D-Did you hear that stuff? Sakura was so mean..." He turned toward Keiko, "Isn't that out of line? She sure made Ino mad. I've never seen her look so scary."

She answered him with a reassuring smile, "It might seem that way, but there's more to it than that, Naruto."

"Huh?"

"She doesn't want Ino to pull her punches. As much as the two of them dislike each other, Sakura want's to face Ino as an equal and to not be pitied." Keiko suspected that deep down, Sakura still respected Ino. If she didn't, then this probably wouldn't be a tactic Sakura would go for. "Remember, Sakura isn't the kind of person to flaunt her own power or to be needlessly cruel. This is what I meant when I said this battle would be more personal than most."

Naruto shifted a little uncomfortably as he watched the two girls readjust their head bands, "I don't understand it."

Kakashi cast a glance down toward his pupil, "What do you mean?"

"They're getting so worked up just from looking at each other!"

Both Kakashi and Keiko chuckled under their breath. It was amazing how he didn't realize he could be the same way when it came to Sasuke. "Well, Naruto," Kakashi began, "rivalry is a tricky business. Not that I would know." Out of the corner of his eye he made contact with Guy's gaze. He lifted his hand and gave a small smile and nod before looking back to the fight. Keiko noticed the small interaction between her fellow Jonin and covered her mouth as she chuckled. She recognized the way Guy stiffened and looked away. Keiko knew him long enough to know that Kakashi could rile him up without even trying.

All eyes returned to the fight, where it seemed that Sakura and Ino were finally getting serious. Sakura's punches and kicks were far more precise than they had been before and more powerful. When Sakura summoned the shadow clones, Keiko gasped. It was the same attack Sakura had used on her while they were training! Ino wasn't a match for Sakura's burst of speed, and just like before Sakura used her own clone as a distraction. Punching right through it to get to Ino, sending the blond flying backward. Sakura stood tall, "I'm not some crybaby anymore! Play with fire and you're gonna get burned!"

"Yes!" Keiko said in excitement as she listened to Naruto and Lee's excited cheering. Her fists tightened as her chest swelled with pride.

"Top notch strikes, considering she's a rookie." Kakashi cast a glance toward Keiko and she met his gaze. "I've never seen Sakura this good, just what training did you do?"

Keiko gave a cheeky grin and turned back to the fight, "Other than some touch up on her taijutsu, there was one thing but that's a surprise. Sakura was already gifted, she just needed the right conditions to bloom."

Naruto heard this and tilted his head, just slightly confused at the flower talk. "You're not saying she's better than me, are you?"

Without saying a word, Keiko placed a hand on his head and turned it back to the fight. Her eyes softened and she gave a small sigh. It wasn't that Sakura was better than Naruto, or vice versa. But, it was apparent that having a Jinchuriki as well as one of the last members of the Uchiha clan on her team, lead to Sakura being overshadowed. Keiko was proud that she played a small part in helping Sakura get the recognition she deserved.

The battle continued on longer than anyone had expected. With each attack, Sakura seemed to gain the upper hand on Ino little by little. Nearly five minutes later, the two girls were panting, facing one another on opposite ends of the corridor. Ino couldn't believe this! How could Sakura, that little crybaby, even be a match for he! She growled, "This wasn't how this was supposed to go! How can you be evenly matched with me?!"

Sakura made herself stand taller as she forced her breathing into a more normal rhythm. She gave a short laugh, "Evenly matched? What makes you think that? I've just been warming up. But, this isn't surprising, I've spent way too much time training to worry about my looks and my hair like you."

Ino's shaking could be seen from the upper level. "I'm tired of you making fun of me!" Ino roared, taking out a kunai. She reached behind her, doing something that no one expected a girl like Ino to ever do.

She cut her hair.

Keiko swallowed, running her hand through her own hair. Maybe, Keiko could be a little vain at times. Her hair was special to her and watching Ino so willingly sever her own sent an unpleasant chill down her spin. Not only could she never imagine her own hair being cut so haphazardly, she had to wonder just what kind of mental stress Ino was under to do it.

"I don't need this!" Ino declared, throwing the hair in a fit of anger. Her hands formed a sign in front of her, "I'm ending this, get ready to tell everyone here you lost to me, billboard brow!"

Keiko stiffened, as well as several other people. All of the Leaf Village Jonin, as well as Ino's teammates were aware of the Yamanaka Clan's secret technique. None of them had expected her to use it here in a one on one battle. Surely, Ino must have known that by using that Jutsu she was forfeiting the match. Without a way to immobilize the opponent it was far too easy to dodge. It was why the Nara and Yamanaka Clans were so close. And, why the Ino-Shika-Cho formation was continuously put together. The amount of synergy they had when working together was nothing to sneeze at. But, one piece of the puzzle on it's own. There was no way!

Just as they all expected, Sakura moved out of the way of the jutsu as soon as it was cast. She didn't need to move far to avoid it. Sakura smiled. This match was hers! Ino was nothing more than a doll at this point and so she took a few steps forward to deliver the final blow.

Or, she tried to move forward.

A force was keeping her in place and Sakura gasped, realizing her fatal mistake. The hair.

Ino's laugh had Sakura's head shooting up to look at her. It also put everyone on their toes. So, it was all an act. As Ino readied her jutsu once again, this time with Sakura unable to escape it, Keiko cursed. There was nothing that Sakura could do to win now. As long as Ino didn't miss, and she wouldn't, it was all over. Her eyes closed, sighing heavily. At least, this would be a good learning moment for Sakura.

A few moments later, Kakashi stated what Keiko knew to be true. "It's all over. The mind transfer jutsu worked."

"Mind Transfer?" Lee stated in confusion. "Does that mean that Sakura..."

"Yes," Keiko said, opening her eyes. "Ino's consciousness is now within Sakura's body." It didn't take a genius to figure out what Ino's goal would be. Especially when Sakura rose her hand into the air.

"I, Sakura Haruno, would like to wi-"

"No!" Naruto screamed, cutting off her words. "You've worked so hard to get here, Sakura! Don't disgrace yourself now by giving in to that weird Ino girl!"

Keiko smiled, though a bit pained. She appreciated what Naruto was trying to do, but there wasn't anything that could reverse the Mind Transfer once it had occurred. Not until the user released it or time was up. There was nothing Sakura could do.

Sakura scoffed, turning toward Naruto, "How about-!"

Her body froze up, confusing and startling everyone who watched. Just a moment before, it seemed as though Ino had the match. Now, something wasn't right. It would have been simple enough for Ino to say the words and win, so why wasn't she?

Hayate looked down at the girl who held her head in pain. He was unsure who he was talking to as he asked, "Are you withdrawing? Are you, or aren't you?"

With a loud roar, Sakura stood taller, "No! I'm not withdrawing today or any other day!"

There were audible gasps and murmurs, even Keiko and Kakashi voicing their disbelief. Sakura being able to overcome Ino's jutsu and force her out, it was something that wasn't easy. Of course, both of them were low on chakra, but it was something that even the Jonin watching would have had a hard time doing. If they could do it at all. It just proved that Sakura's fighting spirit was just as tenacious as Naruto and Sasuke's.

Both girls stood, breathing heavily before both charging at the other, fist's raised. Keiko's fists tightened and her eyes narrowed. If Sakura was going to use it, now would be the time to do so.

Mere moments before their fists connected, a soft blue light enveloped Sakura's fist and Keiko's heart pounded at the sight. The added power was enough to send Ino flying back, her body tumbling over itself until she landed limp several meters away. Sakura, on the other hand, stumbled back from Ino's punch. The chakra around her fist dissipating nearly instantly as she fought to keep her balance, breathing heavily.

There was stunned silence.

Sakura... had won?

Hayate moved over to the still body of Ino, placing a hand on her forehead to verify the knock out before standing and raising his hand. "Ino Yamanaka is unable to continue. Winner of the fourth match, Sakura Haruno."

Cheers erupted, both Naruto and Lee shouting and whooping in excitement. Those cheers were soon halted when Sakura took a step, and fell back as she passed out. Her world faded to black. She had won, and it wasn't a dream...

Everyone expected her to make a painful impact with the ground but in an instant, Keiko stood behind her. She easily caught Sakura in her arms and smiled warmly down at her. To think, she would be able to use the technique with such precision with so little chakra. She had doubts her father could have pulled that off. Much like her teammates, she was full of surprises.

She made eye contact with Asuma, who came to retrieve Ino before they both returned to the upper level. Both girls were placed next to one another, their teammates surrounding them in concern, demanding to know that they were okay. With a small shushing form Kakashi, it was evident that both girls would be fine. They needed only to rest.

Shikamaru sighed heavily, "Man, what a drag, to think Ino would lose to Sakura of all people."

Naruto turned to him, "Of course Sakura won! She's been working so hard to get here! But, man, to think Sakura could do something like that." He stood straighter, looking down at Sakura. His eyes softened as he watched her sleep. He blinked then, pointing fervently, "Gah! Her hand!"

All eyes landed on Sakura's hand that lay limply at her side. Keiko knelt down, picking up Sakura's hand and slipping off the glove. Sure enough, the glove's dark color was saturated with blood and here were a few open wounds on her hand. Keiko reached behind her into her pouch for her bandages. Most Shinobi always carried at least one roll around. You never knew when you would need to patch yourself up. She cast a reassuring smile toward Naruto and Lee, "Don't worry, it's just a few scratches, I'll patch her up. You two watch the next fight."

After some more convincing, Lee and Naruto reluctantly turned away, their attention drawn to the next match that was about to be announced.

"So, that's what you taught her."

Keiko's hands paused in their wrapping and she cast her gaze up to meet Kakashi's. "Yes," It was a simple answer, accompanied by a smile. She finished bandaging Sakura's hand and stood, the smile still plastered to her face.

"I didn't think you would teach her that of all things. To be able to control her chakra to that extent as a Genin..." Kakashi looked down at his unconscious student and he felt a pang of guilt in his chest. Had he really been neglecting Sakura so much he failed to notice her potential and growth? Sure, he knew she was a gifted Kunoichi in her own right, but this was completely different. To solidify her chakra perfectly in a moments notice, that could be formidable with more practice.

His gaze drifted back to Keiko, who smiled at him softly. He could feel that familiar warm feeling budding in his chest, but more than that, he didn't have words to properly thank her. He blinked, his eyes picking up on Guy standing several feet behind Keiko. His monster eye brows wiggling and a large goofy grin plastered to his face. And, just like that, the mood was ruined.

Keiko placed a hand on Kakashi's arm, "Only one more to go and you'll be three for three."

Kakashi looked over at Naruto who was watching the next match intently. "Yeah, I can't imagine who his lucky opponent will be."

Some matches get glossed over. There are a few more that I want to focus on, so they will get more detail. This story is turning into a, "Let's fix it!" as well as a Romance, and I'm looking forward to it!

You've read the story this far, might as well Favorite, Follow, and Review! Until next time~

Posted - 8/22/2021