Chapter 15: A New Sakura?!
Chapter Summary: The latent effects of Orochimaru's curse are manifesting in Sakura - - but what exactly are they?
Words: 4,203
khaelid02: Keep going my friend, I love this
Well... I love it too ;)
And here, we, go
Morning
Naruto woke up again a while later, still smushed under Sakura's body. His eyes were facing the window, and his curiosity regarding the time took precedence.
His nose brushed past hers as he turned his head, eliciting an involuntary snort, followed by deeper burrowing from the girl.
Though Naruto reveled in this, he lamented at the rumbling of his empty - - and somewhat strained - - stomach.
11:04 A.M.? I haven't eaten anything in 18 hours... Sorry, Sakura, but I don't want this memory to be tainted by the painful pangs of hunger!
He attempted to squirm out of the girl's grip, but he only succeeded in getting stuck in a tighter grip.
He tried to push her arms apart to loosen the grip, but it once again only tightened.
As a desperate act, he then squeezed his arms past her grip, bringing his shoulders up to his head's level.
He brought his arms around to her side and used his legs as a springboard to swiftly roll over, such that both were lying on their side. They had returned to where they were when Naruto had woken up before, with Sakura facing the window.
As Naruto continued to push against Sakura's grip, she groaned as she slowly began to wake. Naruto, in the meantime, continued to find success in escape, but waned his efforts in appreciation of the sight. Messy hair, scrunched-up face and all, Naruto still admired the presently sun-soaked girl.
Someone call heaven, I think they're missing an angel!...
As Sakura's eyes opened, she squinted to avoid being blinded by the light.
Her grip had finally loosened, allowing Naruto to sit up in bed and stare at her wide-eyed breaking every now and then to clear up his eyes.
Sakura, in turn, was no longer having her vision afflicted upon by the sun due to Naruto blocking it - - a warm, bright glow surrounded his head.
She asked, "Mm, Naruto, what's up?".
He answered, "Nothin'. Just... Hungry. I'm gonna brush my teeth and eat.".
"Oh... Well, I'll join you.".
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Cafeteria, 15 minutes later
In the large, empty hall, laden with dozens of benches, Naruto and Sakura sat alone directly in the middle; it was a cozy spot, not too far from the kitchen, and not devoid of sunlight, though not blindingly bright.
They were dressed in their spare clothes - - Naruto in an orange polo shirt and Sakura in a long-sleeved pink t-shirt, with both of them wearing green sweatpants and brown sandals.
Naruto had arrived earlier, as he had finished his ablutions first, but had waited for Sakura before getting food and sitting down.
On their trays sat - - one for each - - a grilled cheese sandwich, a tall glass of milk, and an orange. Naruto had requested ramen, but the chefs hadn't been prepared to feed anyone yet, much less take requests, so he was stuck with what they had on-hand.
When Naruto finished his sandwich and milk, he intended to peel his orange, but was promptly stopped by Sakura's hand.
The confused boy glanced over at Sakura, who squeaked, "I already peeled mine!...".
She brought up a slice of her orange and guided it between Naruto's lips, before gently pushing it into his mouth with a single finger.
As Naruto nervously chewed the orange slice, he found it impossible to break contact with the girl's eyes, not understanding what was going on behind them.
When he swallowed the slice, he stated, "No offense, but you're kinda creepin' me out, Sakura.".
Sakura pouted and leaned closer as she questioned, "What? Why? How?".
"Well... You've been all... Touchy with me these past few days. Y'know, with the cuddlin' and food-sharin'.".
Sakura blushed.
He knows what cuddling is?!
She shook her head and asked, "You don't like it?".
"Wha-- regardless of whether I like it, it's still unusual!".
Sakura sighed in frustration.
"Alright, fine, it's because of that stupid curse mark. I mean, my feelings haven't changed, but the way I respond to them is off.".
"What do you mean?".
She explained, "Sensei told me that the curse mark appeals to the 'darker' part of the soul - - like the darker part of Yin and Yang.".
"So... Being nice to me is evil?".
"Not evil, you idiot, dark! As in, qualities that appeal to the darker side of the soul, like impulsiveness, indecisiveness, depressed behaviors, aggressiveness, directness, et cetera.".
"And that's the part of you that likes me?".
"It's the part of me that's currently trying to take full control of how I act in accordance with how I feel about you.".
"So, you have to fight against being nice to me?".
"No, you moron! Being unusually nice is, like, compensating for the darker part. Maybe I should be nice like that more often, but right now I'm just focusing on not hurting you or weirding you out with the darker side.".
"I'm already weirded out... And confused.".
"You're confused? Imagine how I feel! Half the time I'm fighting that appeal, and the other half I'm falling for its influence!".
Naruto inquired, "So, is it always gonna be like this?".
Sakura told him, "No, it's going to get easier to manage, especially with time, and especially as I get farther from Orochimaru. Besides, I'm not going to have this mark forever! - - I hope.".
Naruto adamantly proclaimed, "Well... Then I'll kill that slithery dope, so his curse won't affect you anymore!".
Sakura joked, "If you do, I'll marry you on the spot!", and chuckled.
Naruto laughed along with her.
I hope that's only half a joke!
The pair finished the orange Sakura had peeled, and threw away their trays as Naruto placed the unpeeled orange in his shirt pocket.
Sakura egged, "Come on, Naruto, we've got half the day ahead of us!", and grabbed his hand, pulling him out of the bench and through the cafeteria.
As Naruto matched Sakura's speed, his heart began to feel light.
She'd holding my hand! It's paradise!
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In the Halls
Naruto was led past vast, tall, sunlit hallways nonstop, as Sakura had taken him on a long journey through the tower.
After a few minutes, the boy asked, "Where are we goin', Sakura?".
The girl answered, "It's a surprise - - I found this place before I came to the cafeteria! But I know you'll love it!".
Eventually, they were met with a thick wooden door with black handles.
Sakura hummed as she jumped up and down, pressing down on the handles and pulling the door back. She then grabbed Naruto by the wrist and pulled him into a small room with a shoe rack and a rubber mat at the next door.
She ordered, "You need to take your sandals off for this...".
After they had done as such, Sakura grabbed Naruto's hand and pulled him into the next room.
The floor was soft and carpeted with geometric designs, with pillars on the side and a large, yard-like center. The center of the room was flush with sunlight, due to the large window at the front (which was unseen from Naruto's earlier vantage point). Additionally, the front of the room had a single, plain, wooden throne facing the rest of the room.
In the center of the room, Sakura spun with joy and sang, "It's a chapel!"
Naruto neglected to respond, as he was absorbing the majesty of the room.
Imagine being able to come here every day!...
In order to elicit a response, Sakura gently pushed Naruto's shoulder with her hand.
In turn, Naruto chortled as he returned a slightly rougher push.
Then, Sakura, giggling, shoved Naruto, forcing him to fall and roll onto his back.
They both began laughing as Sakura helped Naruto back up.
Naruto held on to Sakura's hand as she excitedly led him to the front of the room.
This is her 'dark side'? I feel guilty enjoying it, but she's having fun!...
On the way, the girl told him, "This is probably the best part of the whole thing...".
As they approached the front of the room, Sakura veered to the side beyond the pillars, leading Naruto to yet another door.
This door, when opened, led to a flight of stairs going down, to a spacious room filled with books.
Sakura explained, "It's a library. Full of religious texts, philosophy books, and other stuff that lends itself to 'intellectuality'. Some of these have even been turned into some big movies!".
Naruto scanned the room in awe.
It's like Alexandria!...
He began to laugh in delight, reveling in the vast knowledge surrounding him.
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A Few Hours Later, Afternoon
Naruto and Sakura had been sitting in a large chair together, reading a massive book, when an unnoticed PA system activated.
Sound Team 'Dosu' has arrived.
They met each other's eyes, communicating silently, before marking the book and leaving the library hand-in-hand.
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Front of the Tower
Naruto and Sakura managed to catch Team Dosu just before they were about to take a tour from the hokage.
As the younger genin approached, it was Naruto who opened dialogue.
He greeted, "Hey, you guys, here so soon?".
Kin scoffed and replied, "Yeah, obviously!".
A calm, freezing silence overtook the hall just as Naruto had a realization.
He rushed over to the hokage, and pulled on his robe as he informed, "Hey, Old Man! These guys, they wanna de-- er, defa-- deeeefo-- depict--"
Dosu cut in, "Defect. To the Leaf.".
As Naruto detached himself, the hokage simply responded, "Hmmm...", as he nodded to himself.
Anko suddenly joined the fray, commenting, "Lord Hokage, we already have tense relations with the Sound - - can we really afford defectors, especially from among their shinobi?".
The hokage answered, "Your concerns are pertinent, Anko, if obvious. I'll mull it over.".
I suppose, for the sake of three genin, hopefully to be chunin soon, we can make some compromise with our neighbor...
Zaku gulped.
"It's better than a flat 'no', but...".
The hokage interjected, "Regardless, the exams will continue, and I must give you the tour.".
Team Dosu began to follow the hokage.
As the group left, Kin stopped for a few seconds to lean and give Naruto a grateful kiss on the cheek, simultaneously taking the orange from his pocket, before hurrying to catch up.
Sakura blushed.
She better not be messing with my Naruto!
The pink-haired girl skipped over to Naruto, and made sure that Kin saw as she gripped Naruto's hand and defiantly grunted, "Hmph!", eliciting a chuckle from the vanishing older girl.
At that point, Naruto turned to Anko and asked, "No disrespect or anythin', but I thought you were out huntin' Orochimaru?".
Anko rolled her eyes and replied, "Don't you get on my case, Naruto. I just needed a little R and R.".
Sakura squeezed Naruto's hand and lowly whispered, "You shouldn't be so rude...", prompting Naruto to sheepishly whisper back, "My bad...".
Anko - - who had somehow heard this exchange - - spoke, "Don't worry about it, I was planning on leaving just now, anyways!".
Sakura pinched Naruto as Anko left.
She then suggested, "Come on, let's go and play a game in our room or something.".
She once again pulled Naruto along the tower.
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In the Room
Naruto and Sakura had brought the book from the library onto their bed, and read it in between matches in Bushido Blade. They sat cross-legged, both immersed in the game, fully intent on avoiding the other's lethal attacks.
Naruto leaned back and groaned as he whined, "C'mon... That's like 3-7 already!".
Sakura stuck her tongue out and taunted, "It's not my fault I'm better at the game than you are!".
Naruto complained, "Ugh, you must've had some practice beforehand!".
The girl deflected, "Nope; I've heard of the game before, but I haven't played it until now. I guess older age really does bring greater wisdom, doesn't it?".
The boy muttered, "You're only, like, half a year older than me...".
Sakura let go of her controller, rolled over, pinned Naruto down, and said, "Cry harder!", as she blew a raspberry at him.
Now blushing, the boy rolled her back down, leaving her lying beside him.
They lied in silence as tension bloomed. Neither could help but meet the other's eyes, nervously breaking contact only to reconnect every few seconds.
Sakura made the first move away when she felt her leg brush past the book.
She quickly rose and ordered, "Let's just keep reading!".
Naruto rose with her and watched as she brought the book to the right page.
Was that... Desired?
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Chamber Hall
In the same chamber where Kakashi had applied the resistance seal on Sakura, Sasuke stood and analyzed the room.
All of this... It feels like it's been lived in...
He re-read a note that he had been given earlier.
Master Uchiha,
I understand that you are in quite a predicament regarding the snake sage, Orochimaru. Your female teammate has been incapacitated, and your other teammate is not ready for the next trial.
Come to the chamber hall in the second sublevel of the Northern side of the tower. We will work together, without the hokage or other chunin, to ensure that Orochimaru is stopped. Activate your sharingan once inside the chamber; we'll need it.
You will learn my identity when we meet in the hall.
Sasuke folded the paper back up, and placed it in his pocket. He then concentrated chakra in his eyes to activate the sharingan.
A somewhat familiar voice beckoned, "Ah, good - - you're here.".
The light, firm footsteps inched toward Sasuke, who turned around to take note of who it was.
He spoke, "Miss Mitarashi? Why did you call me here?".
Anko stepped out of the shadows and told him, "On my hunt for Orochimaru, I found a camp he was using; he clearly meant to return, as he left some personal items behind, but we couldn't track him because he's an expert in hiding his chakra. But I digress. I called you here because one of the items, a copy of whom I've shared with the hokage, is a sort of... Premonition.".
Sasuje shifted and questioned, "A premonition? Of what sort?".
"Why don't you read it?".
Anko tossed a small scroll to Sasuke, who opened it up to read it.
Remember, remember, the 5th of November! Betrayal, subversion, and plot. I see no reason why a feiry treason should ever be forgot. The squint red eye defied, the rightful penance denied. All dissent must be tried and stopped, before the foundations begin to rot. On that day, the righteous man will fail to uphold what should have remained in his control.
The image of an ouroboros - - a snake devouring itself - - was embedded under the message in a chakra glow.
Anko leaned on a column and explained, "It's based on an old rhyme, instead reflecting our home. See, the 5th of November - that's the day after the final part of the exam. The 'squint red eye' is the sharingan. The rest of it is much too vague, but it seems to be a threat of treason against the Hidden Leaf, if not the Land of Fire itself.".
Sasuke inquired, "How do I factor into this?".
The woman answered, "You're the heir of the clan, and you have the most potent sharingan of anyone your age. So, when we leave this tower, Kakashi and I will take you far away to train. We need you at your strongest, just in case your sharingan is in danger.".
Sasuke nodded.
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Cafeteria, Dinnertime
When Naruto and Sakura returned to the cafeteria for dinner, they came across Team Dosu.
Although Dosu was still covered in bandages, Kin and Zaku had switched to somewhat casual outfits, having donned white t-shirts with black cargo pants - - considered drab by most, but common for the Hidden Sound.
The genin all sheepishly grabbed dinner - - rice topped with chicken and white sauce.
They then all sat at the same bench - - the one Naruto and Sakura used for brunch, now letting the setting sun create a golden glow on everyone - - and sat opposite one another.
Naruto struck conversation with, "So... Did you enjoy my orange?".
Kin replied, "Yup, we all did! We were starving, thanks!".
Naruto dryly replied back, "That was sarcasm...".
Kin responded, "Don't care; it was good eatin'!".
As the genin began to eat, Naruto and Sakura's eyes landed on Dosu, who hadn't begun.
The eldest boy asked, "What do you people want from me?".
Naruto began, "Well, it's yer bandages...".
Sakura continued, "How do you plan to eat without taking them off?".
Dosu answered, "I only take the bandages off in front of people I trust; I don't trust you, so I'm not taking the bandages off.".
Naruto commented, "You trust us enough to get my help in defecting.".
Dosu jolted.
Kin teased, "He's got you there, Dosu. I keep telling you, he's not so bad, and you know that.".
Dosu sighed.
He grabbed the part of the bandages going down over his eye, and pushed the whole thing backwards, before pushing the bottom part down, flabbergasting Naruto and Sakura.
It's a hoodie?!!
They stared in shock at Dosu's revealed form, that of a boy not too handsome but not too plain, with buzzed hair and a scar about 2 inches running just under his eyelid.
Zaku jested, "Hey, I know your jaws literally dropped just now, but can you close them up, please?".
Naruto stammered, "B-b-b-but why?!".
Sakura questioned, "What's the point of covering yourself like that?!".
Dosu told them, "For one, it keeps up the whole mysterious aura. Besides, it's like the pirates used to do; they'd cover an eye so it would be easier to see in the dark when they uncovered it.".
Just then, the P.A. made another announcement.
Sand Team 'Rasa no Suna' has arrived.
Naruto's face contorted in confusion.
Why are the foreign teams named like that?
Naruto openly questioned, "Hey, how come the Leaf teams are named by number, but the others have weird names?".
Dosu twitched.
"My name?... Weird?".
Sakura waved a hand and told him, "Don't worry, he's stupid.".
She then turned to Naruto and explained, "In their own land, the participating teams are numbered; to eliminate confusion, foreign teams are instructed to create a group name in these exams; it was in the pamphlet.".
"I must've glossed over it... So, what's a 'Rasanosuna'?".
Sakura clarified, "It's 'Rasa no Suna' and it means 'Sand of Rasa' - - Rasa is their leader - - in the old language, Sinosiam. It's a dead language, but in the Hidden Sand, they teach it to all the rich kids, and it's the language we use for chakra Seals across the nations.".
Kin nudged Dosu, warning, "Hey, you might want to put the hood back on...".
Dosu argued, "Nah, they have to take the tour first; that thing takes forever!".
Alas, the Sand team had arrived just as soon, and silently at that.
The rest of the genin weren't even able to process their presence before the Sand Siblings appeared behind Naruto. Temari yanked Naruto back, plopping a kiss on his forehead, before letting him go and sitting next to Gaara, with Kankuro sitting next to her and farthest from Naruto.
Dosu's head hung, as his true face had just been revealed to three more people.
Gaara stated, "It's good to meet you again, Naruto. It's been too long.".
Naruto sheepishly replied, "Oh, yeah-h-h, good to see you, too... Gaara. How's things?".
Temari interjected, "It's been swell since you set Gaara straight, Kid. God, we've been hoping to meet you again and thank you for the past four years!".
Naruto began to clam up, but his interest was piqued.
Four years? The same length of time as my, uh... Rebirth? Could be the last thing I did before my memory got mopped. Well, right before Jiraiya got me shacked up with Fuuka.
Kankuro implored, "Come on, regale the tale! Just leave out the parts that could get us hung for treason...".
Naruto shifted in his seat.
Okay, just play it cool...
He tittered, "Well, me and Jiraiya went over to the Hidden Sand and did a few... Favors for the kazekage, and along the way I ended up helping these three.".
Zaku sarcastically replied, "Wow. What a story. I was on the edge of my seat.".
Kankuro insisted, "No, no, he's just a shit storyteller - - besides, I-I guess he's just nervous about the whole thing. I still have nightmares about it!".
Dosu glared at the genin in front of him.
No, something's off here... The energies don't match. Blondie doesn't want to be around them, but why?
Temari inquired, "Hey, you with the fake bandages, what's with that face?".
Dosu responded, "What's that supposed to mean?".
Temari answered, "Well, you got this look like you're constipated. Oh, Jeez, I hope I haven't offended...".
Zaku and Kin hung their heads and simultaneously explained, "No, that's just what his face always looks like...".
Dosu stammered, "Oh-- what-- let's just eat!".
He wolfed down his food and scurried away, leaving behind the other genin, who ate in awkward silence.
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Naruto and Sakura's Room, Midnight
When it was time to go to sleep, Naruto and Sakura lied side by side, both shying away from direct physical contact.
As Sakura tried to will herself to sleep, she felt the boy next to her shivering.
Oh, what? I know it's not from the cold...
The deafening sound of thunder crashing assaulted the genin's ears.
The girl took note of Naruto jolting before he returned to shivering.
It must be the thunder!
She whispered, "Hey, Naruto, are you... Afraid of the thunder?".
Naruto whimpered, "N-n-n-n-...".
Sakura told him, "It's okay to be afraid...".
"I'm not afraid... Of the thunder...".
Sakura winced.
"Then, what are you afraid of?".
"Well... Those Sand kids.".
"What about them?".
"Other than the redhead bein' kinda creepy, the fact that they know who I am, moreso than I do!".
"I understand... It must hurt to know less about who you are, or were, than they do.".
"Yeah...".
"You know, you could ask them.".
"What? About... Me? But then I'd have to confess that I don't remember anything!".
"Is there a problem with that?".
"Well, what if they're lying?".
"Naruto, you're being paranoid.".
"Hey, my self-confidence is fragile, okay? It's not easy to just go up to people and have faith.".
The girl cooed, "Aw, that's okay...! You being fragile makes me want to hold you tight and keep you safe!...".
Naruto quipped, "Since when?".
Sakura hesitated before replying, "Look, I promise it's not the curse mark speaking. Well, maybe a little bit. But it's mostly, if not totally, me. This may be hard for you to believe, but I really do care about you a whole lot. I've been blinding myself with my fixation on Sasuke, but he never makes me feel warm the way that you do. ".
"So, you're gonna give up on him?".
"Don't say it like that...".
"How should I say it?.
"I'm just... Thinking that I should let go, maybe. I've done some soul-searching and I don't see a real future with him, at least not as much as...".
"...".
"...".
"As what?".
"Nothing. It's a secret.".
"But you really do like me?".
"How many times do I have to say it? Of course!... I think.".
"You think?".
"Cut me some slack; I'm pretty sure, this whole thing with Sasuke and this stupid curse mark makes things so much more confusing.".
Naruto couldn't bear to verbalize his next thoughts.
So, maybe she's just confused about likin' me... Ugh, why does my life gotta be like this? Everywhere I turn, there's some new problem being shoved down my throat, whether it's something petty like walking into a wall or something as big as not even knowing most of my life's events. What's even the point of tryin'?
His heart was gripped with lamentation. The boy squirmed in bed, attempting to find a comfortable position, but was unable to rid the feeling of unease.
Just as he resigned himself to an uncomfortable sleep altogether, he felt the bed shift.
Before he knew it, Naruto had been locked at the waist by Sakura, who pulled him closer and warmed his back.
Okay, maybe it isn't all so bad...
I've had a block for a while now. It hasn't ever been easy to get from 'here' to 'there' without dealing with whatever is between the two (this is the between!); maybe there is a lesson in this :o
I'm silly!