Naruto

Wings of a Butterfly

Chapter III

Dawn had broken in Konohagakure no Sato and in the darkness and rising sun three figures walked toward Training Ground Three. Two of the figures seemed alert and ready to start the day, one not so much. This lone genin had heeded her squad leader's advice and forwent breakfast thus she was hungry and still groggy.

Naruto being Naruto saw Sakura weak and sluggish and let out a sigh. For being the smartest girl in their class, aside from the recently revealed Sasuke, Sakura was a complete idiot. Never blindly follow the advice of someone you just met and never skip meals just because someone said you'll puke.

Naruto walked over to Sakura and pulled out a ration bar and offered it to the pinkette. "Here you need to eat something."

"Go away Naruto. Kakashi told us not to eat." Sakura said rejecting the ration bar.

"No he advised us not to eat, he didn't flat out tell us not to eat. And besides if his stunt yesterday was any indicator he will be late again today you will have plenty of time to let your stomach settle." Naruto said plainly.

"I'm on a diet, Naruto Sasuke-kun won't like me if I'm fat." Sakura said still not believing Sasuke was actually a girl.

"One Sasuke is a girl. Two Sasuke has no interest in other girls; she likes boys. Three, a diet for a ninja is just plain stupid you live an active lifestyle and your body needs fuel." Naruto said firmly.

"Sasuke-kun can't be a girl, he just can't. I'm his soulmate." Sakura said in denial.

Sasuke was clearly annoyed by Sakura's words and complete disrespect toward Naruto.

"Sakura, the Sasuke you knew in the academy was false, a ruse designed to keep others away. Didn't you notice I never flirted with any girls. And pretending to be a boy kept the male population of our class at bay." Sasuke spoke clearly. "The truth is I am a girl just like you."

"No you can't be a girl. You just can't I'm your soulmate if you're a girl then, then. NO! You just can't." Sakura said tears welling up in her eyes.

"This is just pathetic." Naruto said with a sigh. "Sakura, why can't you accept that Sasuke is a girl?"

"Sasuke-kun is my soulmate. If he's a girl then I can't be with him. Girls aren't supposed to be with other girls." Sakura said her civilian heritage rearing through.

"Sakura we're ninja who we love isn't up to others it's up to the individual and no one can tell you who to love. If you were Sasuke's true soulmate then you wouldn't care if she was a girl." Naruto explained.

"But what about my family? They would never accept it if I dated another girl." Sakura asked.

"It's not up to your family if you date another girl." Naruto said.

Sasuke who had been quiet up to this point spoke up. "Sakura, if you truly love someone, gender shouldn't be an issue. Love is Love no matter who it is or what gender they are. However, I have no interest in other girls and I do not love you."

Sakura's shoulders slumped and tears welled up in her eyes but she refused to shed them.

Just then Kakashi came walking into the clearing from a side path that none of them had noticed up until this point.

"Oh you're all here." Kakashi said oblivious to what just transpired in the clearing.

Naruto, having been annoyed with Sakura, turned toward the wayward Jonin.

"You're late." Naruto said putting the ration bar he had offered Sakura away as she never accepted it.

"A black cat crossed my path forcing me to take the long way around to the training grounds." Kakashi said.

Sasuke facepalmed at the lousy excuse, Naruto's left eye began to twitch in annoyance, and Saura had a blank expression on her face.

"Mah mah. I'm here now and we can start the exercise." Kakashi began. "This test will determine if you remain genin or not.."

"So what's the test?" Naruto asked.

Kakashi held up two bells. "Take these bells from me."

"But there are only two bells. Why?" Sakura asked.

"Whoever fails to get a bell will be sent back to the academy. Meaning at the very least one of you will fail this test." Kakashi said, emphasizing the word will.

Naruto and Sasuke looked at each other and nodded to one another. They suspected Kakashi was lying to them but they had to figure out how to test this without giving themselves away.

Kakashi pulled out an alarm clock and set the time for noon. "You have until this alarm goes off those who have a bell will pass and those without will fail. Your time starts now." Kakashi said as he hit the timer which started to count down.

All three genin instantly rushed into the treeline vanishing without a trace. Kakashi looked around the clearing and saw Sakura in a bush but there was no sign of Sasuke or Naruto.

'Hm so they know how to hide effectively. Sasuke and Naruto are dangerous. I can't take them lightly. Sasuke is from the Uchiha clan and has the highest marks out of their class. Naruto knows that disk jutsu he created from Minato-sensei's Rasengan. I shudder to think about what would happen if Naruto ever learned Sensie's jutsu.' Kakashi thought to himself.

Sakura rushed Kakashi from her hiding place determined to get a bell before Sasuke or Naruto. Sakura refused to be separated from Sasuke. As Sakura drew closer to the jonin Kakashi made a single hand seal and vanished in a swirl of leaves as Sakura 's eyes glazed over.

Sasuke facepalmed again seeing Sakura fall prey to a genjutsu.

Naruto also facepalmed seeing the second smartest girl in class fall to such a simple jutsu.

Sakura looked around confused. She was still in the forest but Kakashi had disappeared. The birds chirped and the leaves rustled when a squirrel ran through them.

"What's going on?" Sakura asked out loud.

Sakura heard a twig snap causing Sakura to spin around. Out of the foliage Sasuke stumbled out in her male form with an array of weapons piercing her skin with blood coming out of the wounds. Sakura screamed and collapsed on the forest floor.

'Maybe I overdid it.' Kakashi thought to himself.

Sasuke rushed Kakashi from her hiding spot while Naruto went to Sakura's side and scooped her up and rushed back into the treeline. Seeing Naruto get Sakura out of harm's way Sasuke ran through the hand seals for the only offensive jutsu she knew and took a deep breath.

'This won't be good.' Kakashi thought watching the young raven run through her hand seals.

"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!" Sasuke yelled as she unleashed a stream of flames from her mouth.

Kakashi had just enough time to use the kawarimi to escape the flames but his swap in was reduced to ash.

When the flames died down neither Sasuke or Kakashi could be seen. Kakashi was in a tree while Sasuke had rejoined Naruto in the treeline. Sakura woke up to see both Sasuke in her female form and Naruto looking over her.

"Sakura why didn't you recognize when you were put under a genjtusu?" Naruto asked, annoyed.

"A genjutsu? but it seemed so real." Sakura replied.

"What did you see?" Sasuke questioned.

"You were hurt. Kakashi had turned you into a weapon pincushion." Sakura replied.

Just then the alarm rang, sounding the end of the test.

"I guess we failed." Sakura said as her shoulders slumped.

"Actually you all pass. The goal was never to actually get a bell but to work as a team. And since both Naruto and Sasuke worked together to rescue you, the mission was a success." came Kakashi's voice from behind the three genin.

A/N: Hey all Azrael here I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I know I didn't focus too much on the actual bell test but I really just wanted to show how this team Seven was different from canon and to show that Sasuke and Naruto won't leave Sakura behind.