Naruto: The Uchiha Chronicles Re-Version:

Hello again! Welcome to the newest chapter of Uchiha Chronicles! Hope you enjoy it!

Arc VI: Chunin Exams:

Chapter 42: Sakura's Progress, The Cherry Blossom in Full Bloom!

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Sakura chewed her lip in concern. Sasuki had been gone for so long. Her worry grew for her teammate with every minute that passed. From her studies, she knew ears could be delicate to repair with medical jutsu. She couldn't remove the image of the blood oozing from her ear and trickling down Sasuki's neck out of her mind, and it was made all the worse with the knowledge that it was her second ear injury in a matter of days. What if there was too much damage, was that why it was taking too long?

"Winner, Shino Aburame!" Hayate declared. His call pulled Sakura from her morbid thoughts.

Down in the arena, one of Kabuto's teammates lay unconscious on the cold concrete, thousands of tiny black beetles scurrying away from his body. Like Kabuto, he wore matching muted purple sleeveless shirt and pants over a white t-shirt. A loose cloth mask hung to his neck, concealing the older genin's face. It'd been quite a shock when the man's limbs had suddenly extended to wrap around Shino like large boa constrictors.

For a single instant it had looked like he might win, then Misumi had let out a scream of shock and surprise when the beetles swarmed from Shino's coat and begun to devour his chakra. In seconds the mans chakra was drained so bad his jutsu deactivated, collapsing to the ground. Misumi was left to shiver on the ground, his body wracked with fatigue from the sudden loss of chakra.

'I have to be careful if I ever go up against Shino again, those bugs would are a major hassle for me.' Sakura thought with a grimace. Invisible beetles scurried across her skin, making her shiver in disgust as she remembered the few Shino had managed to sneak on her. The thought of being swarmed was nightmare inducing.

While Misumi recovered under the care of medics, Shino slowly padded back up the stairs towards where his team waited a ways down the platform from Team 7. Kiba greeted the boy with a boisterous slap on the back and Hinata offered him quiet congratulations.

"Looks like the Hidden Sound is about to be eliminated from the exams." Naruto whispered in her ear.

Sakura raised an eyebrow and followed the line of his finger to the video board, where two new names were already displayed.

Temari Vs. Kin Tsuchi

"So, you don't think she has a chance?"

Naruto shook his head, his eyes locked on the Hidden Sand kunoichi Temari as she walked down the steps across from them. Her battle dress hung about her shoulders gracefully. There was an assured sway to her gait and a confident smirk on her lips as she staired down her opponent. Kin already waited in the center of the fighting area. She was a rather pretty girl, dressed in a grey vest and matching pants typical of her team. Her long, thick black hair hung to her knees and shone in the electric light of the arena. She had a look of determination as she stared at the confident Sand kunoichi.

"From what I sensed of her before, and that fan, I'm almost certain Temari is a Wind user. The other members of Kin's team used some sort of sound jutsu, so it's safe to assume she's the same. Sound travels through the air, so Temari is about the worst possible opponent for Kin. With her wind jutsu she can toss any sound techniques aside as easily as leaves in the breeze."

"Good observations Naruto, I agree." Kakashi chimed in.

Sakura nodded in understanding. When it was put like that, the outcome did seem obvious. In another circumstance she might have felt bad for Kin. The fact she was a member of the Sound, who were apparently led by Orochimaru, killed any sympathy for the girl.

"Begin!" Hayate said.

Kin reached into her pouch as soon as the fight began, throwing a pair of Senbon needles at Temari. The needles glinted malevolently in the electric light. A silver bell hung from the end of each Senbon, jingling as it flew. In a move almost too quick to perceive, Temari partially opened her fan and unleashed a blast of wind to bat the needles out of the air.

Ping-Ting!

The needles tumbled to the ground behind Kin, two razor thin wires gleaming in the light. 'She wanted to use those bells.' Sakura realized. That was probably how Kin planned to use her jutsu. Had Temari known that or was it a coincidence that she had knocked the Senbon away, Sakura wondered.

Kin's eyes widened as her needles were stopped so casually. In a flash, she threw another pair of Senbon, only to have them deflected even faster. As the needles tumbled to the ground, Temari scoffed at her opponent.

"If that's all you can do, there's no point dragging this out."

Her fan snapped open, revealing three purple circles on a tan background. With a mighty swing, the Sand kunoichi unleashed a gale force wind that slammed into Kin with the force of a charging elephant and tossed her into the air amidst a tornado of slicing wind blades. The howling wind slowly died down, leaving Kin to tumble to the ground like a doll with her strings cut. Sakura winced at the fierce thudof the girl's body slamming into the concrete.

Temari threw her enemy one last dismissive look before turning on her heel and walking back towards the stairs leading to the balcony.

"Not even a single hand seal? That means she's already completed her elemental training. She's one to keep an eye on." Naruto said quietly.

Sakura nodded in agreement, feeling somewhat numb. Even training with clones for the equivalent of a year, she'd only barely begun the second stage. To have gotten to the level Temari was at as a genin was impressive by most standards. It was only when you compared her against a freak like Naruto that it seemed more normal.

A gentle nudge to her side pulled Sakura from her musings. She looked to the side and felt a massive smile break out as she saw her missing teammate standing next to her, sweaty hair now dried and an oddly shaped earpiece in her right ear. The tension that had plagued her since Sasuki was taken away released in an instant Sakura felt lighter. Without thinking, she threw her arms around her teammate, the familiar smell of smoke and jasmine calmed the worries that had plagued her. Sasuki tensed under her touch, but eventually relaxed and patted Sakura on the back awkwardly.

"Sasuki, I'm glad you're okay! I was a little worried when that nurse dragged you off. How's the ear?"

"It's well enough, it'll be fine in a week. So, what did I miss?" Sasuki replied. "Oh, you can let go now."

Sakura released the girl with an embarrassed blush. Hiding away her embarrassment, she happily filled her in on both Shino's fight and the one shed barely missed. In the excitement of having Sasuki back with them, she wasn't paying attention to anything else. It was only when Sasuki's eyebrows shot up, and she stared at something over Sakura's shoulder, that she remembered the board was cycling through names. Turning curiously, her thoughts ground to a halt as she saw what it said.

Sakura Haruno vs. Ino Yamanaka.

"Oh." She said in surprise.

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Winter sparring wasn't fun, not if you asked Sakura. Unless there was snow or rain, they still had to go out and spar in the frigid air. The ground was frozen and hard, no forgiveness for any mistakes. The rich scent of petrichor lingered from last nights rain, and her arms were covered in goosebumps as she shivered and her breath escaped in a white cloud of steam. Thankfully most of the fights were already over, though she couldn't wait for her turn. At least then she could warm up.

"Our next spar is Sakura Haruno vs. Ino Yamanaka." Iruka glanced up from his clipboard to usher the girls forward.

Ino strode forward confidently, her short ponytail swaying as she marched directly to the center of the fighting ring and turned to wait for Sakura. 'You can do this, you've been practicing.' Sakura tried to hype herself up, replicating Ino's confident swagger as she took her place across from her friend. And it was true, she had been training, long hours spent perfecting the Level 1 forms for the Burning Leaf Style, the basic taijutsu style every student was taught. After meticulously drilling her form, surely, she would stand a better chance against Ino today!

"Alright you two, perform the Seal of Confrontation and then wait for my signal." Sakura heeded here Sensei's instructions, curling her right pinky and ring fingers towards her palm in a half ram seal. This was the traditional signal to begin a spar. "Begin!"

Sakura lunged forward, aiming a low kick at Ino that disguised her straight punch. Her stomach sank as Ino effortlessly avoided her attacks, pressing forward and pressuring Sakura with a barrage of fluid kicks and punches, battering Sakura's meticulous defense. It seemed like only seconds went by when one kick slipped through the pink-haired girls' guard.

Thwack!

Sakura let out a cry of pain as Ino's long leg slammed into her ribs. She backpedaled, trying to regain her bearings. What should she do? Ino kept pressing her, giving Sakura no time to remember the proper counters. In a bid of desperation, she threw a side kick, but it was easily dodged. She ducked under a punch and stumbled.

Ino was quick to capitalize, shoving Sakura down with a foot. Her body slammed into the cold, hard ground as Ino crouched over her chest and thrust a fist in Sakura's face. The pink-haired girls green eyes crossed as she stared at her friend's slender fist.

"Winner, Ino Yamanaka!" Iruka-Sensei called. "Perform the Seal of Reconciliation."

Her blonde friend grinned, her breaths coming out as a cloud of steam in the chilly winter air. She got up, holding out a hand for Sakura. She took it gratefully, pushing herself up as Ino pulled her. Once they were standing up, Ino the clasped together their first two fingers in the Sign of Reconciliation.

"Alright you two, go rejoin the rest of the students."

Ino patted Sakura on the shoulder encouragingly. "Nice try, but you shouldn't be thinking so much! Not every counter needs to be textbook ya know. Give that big brain some rest!" Ino said, poking Sakura's forehead teasingly.

The pink-haired girl swatted her friend's hand away, stifling a laugh. With smiles, the two girls walked back towards their classmates who were grouped around the edge of the sparring area. Sakura couldn't help but pick up bits and pieces of what some of the other girls were saying.

"Man, aside from Sasuki, Ino's the best kunoichi in class. She even makes Sakura look average and her forms so precise, like she's a robot or something." Yumi said, a brown-haired girl in pigtails.

Sakura fought a frown. Ino nudged her in the side. "Hey, ignore them, you're plenty good!" She Insisted.

She smiled and nodded. But Sakura silently agreed with Yumi. 'It seems I'm always behind Ino. She's still the cosmos.' She thought forlornly. Though Ino was her best friend, Sakura always felt like she wasn't as good. It wasn't Ino's fault. She just shined so brightly it was hard for Sakura not to be caught in her shadow.

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Sakura shook her head of those distracting memories. She never really resented Ino for standing out more, they'd been inseparable since they were six years old. Well, until recently, Sakura realized. Ever since they'd been genin she hadn't really found time to spend with Ino. It'd just slipped her mind.

'I'll have to do that after this, but first, the fight.' Sakura thought.

"It's just like our old spars at the academy, Sakura." Ino said with a confident grin. She placed a hand on her hip.

"Not justlike the academy. Things are different now." Sakura insisted. She shifted her body, squaring her shoulders with one hand in front of the other, her feet staggered, and muscles coiled to burst into motion. It was a modified version of the Burning Leaf.

Ino's eyes widened, before a grin stretched her lips. "Oh? Then let's see how much you've improved."

"Are both fighters ready?" Hayate asked, letting out a hacking cough into his fist. Sakura nodded firmly, with Ino doing the same across from her. "Then begin!"

Sakura started sprinting as soon as the proctors arm swished down. She wouldn't hold back, and her usual strategy wouldn't work with the concrete, there was no way to tunnel throw the floor quickly. All that was left was pure taijutsu. Cocking her arm back, she threw a straight punch at Ino.

The blonde girl yelped and spun out of the way. Her movements were slow, had they always been like that? Sakura planted her hands on the ground, sweeping Ino's legs in one swift move. THUD. Ino's back slammed into the concrete. Pouncing, Sakura knelt on her chest and performed the dog seal. A glowing blue aura formed around her right hand. She held it above Ino's face threateningly.

"This is a chakra scalpel. One move and I can sever anything I want. Give up." said Sakura

Ino looked at the scalpel wearily. Her chest heaved in fright under Sakura's knees. "I … I concede!"

"Winner, Sakura Haruno!"

Getting off Ino's chest. Sakura offered the girl a hand. For a moment Ino seemed too shocked to respond, eyes stretched wide and long ponytail splayed out beneath her. Once her shock cleared, her eyes twinkled as she looked up at Sakura.

"Geez, what they hell has Team 7 been feeding you?" Ino asked playfully, accepting her hand up. Sakura hauled her up with ease. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment at Ino's praise.

"Come on, let's get back up to our teams." Sakura replied, nudging Ino towards the stairs.

Ino gave a tinkling laugh, rushing up the steps with Sakura close behind. As they ran, Sakura felt a warm, fluttering feeling in her stomach. It was nice to be talking with her old friend after so many months.

Team 7 wore broad grins as they approached, especially Naruto, who rushed forward to clap Sakura on the back happily. Sasuki padded behind him more sedately.

"Way to go Sakura!"

"That was quick, she's sure come a long way." Said Sasuki.

The Uchiha's eyes met and the two shared a quick smile, though Sasuki quickly looked away pointedly. For an instant Naruto's happy smile faded, though he quickly hid it with a smile. The awkward interaction seemed to escape notice.

Naruto recovered quickly. "Congrats on getting to the finals Sakura. I know how hard you've been working. "

Her cheeks flooded with heat, still embarrassed from the praise. "Oh, thanks. I just tried my best."

Ino giggled, slapping Sakura on the shoulder. "Don't be so modest, you kicked my butt! I'm just wondering what kind of training you've been doing!" She said.

Sakura's stomach tingled pleasantly, Ino's words filled her with even more warmth than Naruto's. Part of her had wondered, feared, what would happen when Ino realized Sakura had finally passed her. Would she take it in stride and remain encouraging, or become jealous? After all, that small part of Sakura had always been a bit jealous of her friend. But those fears were pointless, and the fact Ino was so supportive made her feel lighter than air.

"That's something I was wondering myself." Asuma Sarutobi said as he sidled up to them, flanked on either side by Shikamaru and Choji. He was a scruffy-looking man, with deeply tanned skin and a black beard. "Kakashi." He said, nodding at the silver-haired jonin who rested against the wall.

"Eh, a little bit of this, a little of that." Kakashi replied with a shrug.

Ino's eyes lit up as they landed on her sensei. "Asuma-sensei, after the exams I want to increase my training! I can't be falling so far behind Sakura. No offense," she said, hastily trying to take any sting out of her words. Sakura waved the girl off.

"Sure thing, Ino." Asuma replied nonchalantly.

Shikamaru, who stood close to Naruto, let out an annoyed groan. His eyes darted to Naruto with an annoyed look. "Great, I bet we're going to get dragged into her sudden interest in training."

"What're you looking at me for?" Naruto asked him with a grin.

"Because I'm willing to bet anything Sakura picked up on some of your insane training practices. I blame this all on you." Shikamaru said.

Sakura giggled as Naruto rubbed his head sheepishly, he was right after all. The Shadow Clone training method was beyond draining. At first, she could barely stand to do it every few days. She'd stagger home, body sore and mind numb from the mental strain of memories flooding her mind. That cycle had continued until her reserves started to grow.

"We'll now select the participants for the next fight."

As the digital board began flashing names for the selection, Naruto tapped his foot impatiently. "I wish my name would come up already! It's taking forever."

The board cycled twice, before coming to a sudden stop. Naruto let out a grown of annoyance at the selection. Kankuro vs. Yoroi Akado, it read. Sakura stifled another giggle at her teammates–likely exaggerated–despair at being passed over again.

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Well what did you think? I know there wasn't as much action here, but I felt it was best to have this covering a few of the fights and then leading into next chapter where Naruto will have his fight.

As always, hope you enjoyed the story. Feel free to leave any feedback in the reviews. I'd like to thank all my patrons for making it possible to do this. If you'd like to consider becoming a patron, you can find me by searching the pa treon web address and adding /rinnetaicho.

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Until Next Time,

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