Sakura was worried. Extremely so, about the exam. On one hand, she wanted to take the test along with her team and show the world how capable of a kunoichi she was. On the other hand, she wasn't that confident about her own skills. She knew that she and her teammates had improved greatly since taken under Kakashi's wing and had learnt a lot but… the ones that had improved the most was Satsuki.
She and Naruto were secondary. But the Senju had his own personal trainers—Naruto had said that his family members were coming to train him—so he didn't have to worry much. She had no one to teach her anything, again, she had to confront Ino about this. Her blonde best friend might be able to help.
Her friend's place was where she was heading now but she decided to stop by the flower shop just in case she was tasked with looking after the store again. Sakura's instincts were right because Ino was there, sighing about a bored day. But the blonde girl brightened considerably when she saw her best friend!
"Sakura!" Ino waved wildly, gesturing for her to come forward hurriedly. "What brings you here?"
"I need help," Sakura moaned and started pouring her heart out to her best friend. Unnoticed by her, Ino's lips thinned when she mentioned her feelings towards the blonde Senju. "What do you think I should do?" she griped. "Should I join the exams?"
Ino was tempted to say no, because then Sakura would be hanging off Naruto's arm like a leech and Ino didn't want to see it. But one look at her long time best friend made her swallow all the cruel words and smile blithely. "Well, you can look for a female teacher who can understand your concerns," she ventured, not knowing what advice to offer without sounding too bitter and giving the other girl a better advantage over her. "How about Kurenai-sensei? She's a mistress of genjutsu and you have an affinity for it, right?"
Sakura nodded, biting her lip and considering. "But what about Naruto-kun and Satsuki-chan?"
Ugh. Outwardly, she tried to remain pleasant. "If they like one another," she said deviously, trying to keep the bite out of her tone. "Maybe you should just give up."
Sakura looked up, shocked at that. "Ino!" she said. "I thought you would be the last person to tell me to give up!"
Ino felt resentment stirring in her—a tumor of bitterness, jealousy and annoyance that she'd been carrying around ever since she saw Sakura and her new team chattering away. That Team Seven had been the talk of the town, of how great the clan scions were and that the teacher was famous; even Sakura who was nothing special (just a civilian child), had been brought into a special light ("My, isn't she a bright girl to be on the same team as such great people?" "She must be a child prodigy, too then.")
"Maybe you don't know me as well as you think you did," the Yamanaka returned scathingly, face and tone cold.
Only when Sakura stood and turn to flee the shop did she realize she'd been too mean. She winced. "Wait, Sakura—" she stretched an arm out but her friend stumbled away.
"Sorry," she said, her voice cracking. "I-I won't bother you ever again."
The mint-eyed girl choked back a sob as even her best friend turned her back on her. What should she do now? She needed someone to spill her worries about the Chunin Exams to, her parents just won't do because they'd actively discouraged her chasing the career as a ninja, and would probably lock her up to keep her safe from the dangers of the Chunin Exams. She couldn't even tell them about it, she thought sullenly.
"Sakura," a sharp voice cut in scathingly into her thoughts, the tone of voice almost as impersonal and cold as Ino's earlier. Sakura swallowed thickly, pushing back the memories of her falling out with her friend to the back of her mind and turned to face the speaker. She was mildly surprised to see Satsuki.
The Uchiha's clothes—her blue shirt with the signature red fan wet with sweat and her shorts dirty—clung to her skin like a second layer. She had her arms crossed and she was slightly breathless; no doubt she had been training while Sakura was moping around and whining.
"Yes?" Sakura asked when she realized her teammate was looking at her with something akin to concern in her dark eyes. "Do you need anything?" What could I possibly give you, she thought bitterly.
"Have you…" the pale girl arched an eyebrow. "… been crying?"
Vehemently, Sakura rubbed away the remnants of her weakness. "No," she said forcefully.
"Someone bullied you?"
That statement inflamed Sakura's temper, somewhere, she knew that Satsuki was only concerned about her but she could barely keep her bitterness in check. Even Satsuki, her own teammate, thought she was weak and couldn't defend herself. A deadweight.
"The Chunin Exams," she said through gritted teeth. "I'll be there."
"Good," Satsuki said even though she herself was mystified with Sakura's attitude. When her pink-haired teammate left, she had half the mind to call her back and glare at her till she talked. Pursing her lips, she settled for following her, maybe there was some bastard out there bothering her?
She wouldn't admit it but she was starting to grow fond of her team. Sometimes, when she thought about them or when she saw their team picture—their poses etched eternally into memory and never fading—it kept the nightmares and dead memories at bay.
Even if for a moment.
𖦹𖦹𖦹
"Oyabun, as a reward for mastering the jutsu you taught me, will you play ninja with me and my friends?"
Naruto lifted his blue-eyed gaze—which Moegi thought was superbly cute and she could already feel a crush developing—to inspect the friends Konohamaru had brought with him. When the brunette had suddenly sped off without so much as a thank-you after the lesson, he thought it was rude and it had left him with nothing to do. He didn't expect the brat to bring his lackeys with him.
"I am a ninja," the Senju said after a long moment.
Konohamaru pouted.
"Humor us!" With a sigh, confronted with three puppy-eyes from the kids—so this nagging feeling of guilt was how his guardians felt whenever he used this card on them?—he agreed, albeit reluctantly.
"So, who's the bad guy?"
"Well, you," Udon—or so Naruto thought his name was, he didn't care much about the name—said, his tone carrying a heavy undertone of "duh" which was able to rub the blonde the wrong way. Man, the kid really was snotty, especially with his running nose. And, ugh, ew, he just rubbed the germ with his sleeves. As a part-time medic-nin, Naruto felt disgusted and he was tempted to lecture them the importance of proper hygiene but he had a feeling they wouldn't appreciate it.
He settled for groaning. "Fine." When he saw Moegi pout at this rather enthusiastic response, as a gentleman, he mustered up a grin. "You better run, or I'll win!"
The kids ran, laughing, overjoyed they finally got to play with someone other than their own gang. Naruto ran after them half-heartedly, silently wondering would it be wise to continue playing when he should be getting ready for tomorrow's exam. A part of his mind said that now would be too late to actually learn anything and he whole-heartedly agreed with his inner voice.
"Naruto?" the boy paused, stopping in his jog as he turned around, eyebrow twitching in annoyance at the female voice—enough fangirls had approached him for today, he didn't need anymore thank you very much—but it dispersed to be replaced by a grin when he realized it was Sakura. "What are you doing here?" the girl asked curiously.
Sensing that the older boy had stopped pursuing, Konohamaru was the first to pop out of his hiding place. He approached the blonde boy, followed timidly by Udon and Moegi, staring at the newcomer shyly and with no little amount of curiosity.
"Who's she, Oyabun?" the Grandson of the Hokage asked rather snobbishly though Naruto knew he didn't mean it. A devious grin crawled up his face. "Is she your girlfriend?" he giggled at the flaming cheeks of Sakura and a tint on Naruto's face. The latter grabbed him by the shoulder in warning, like he wanted to flung the younger boy into the sky but Konohamaru continued with his comments. "Hehe, don't have to be so embarrassed but if you ask me, her forehead's a little bit big though…"
The last comment was followed with echoing calls of agreement from his friends. Naruto made the mistake of saying, "Eheh, you're right but—" he stopped when he felt the killer intent. He blanched when he saw Sakura cracking her knuckles, ready to give them all a good beating. "Yikes! Run!"
Seriously, Sakura's almost as bad as his mother; he just hoped that the day where they unite in beating him up would never come.
"Ow!"
Naruto skidded to a stop, hands snatching up Udon's and Moegi's collar before they ended up colliding with the unknown ninja like Konohamaru did. He sensed Sakura stopping too, the killer intent dispersing as she faced the newcomer; she hastily lowered her fist when she noticed the foreign headband. The different headband drew Naruto's attention too but he remained and impassive face.
The calmness facade disappeared as a frown fought its way there when the foreign ninja snatched Konohamaru up by his long scarf. "You little brat," the tattooed-face boy spat in annoyance, angered at something as petty as this, wow, he must've ego the size of an ocean. Wisely, Naruto kept that comment to his himself when an not-so-pretty grimace appeared on the other boy's face. "Watch where you're going, or am I gonna hafta' teach ya a lesson, huh?"
Naruto scowled heavily at the slur. "Unhand him," he stressed, trying to keep the hostility out of his tone but he must've failed because the look the taller boy shot him was not one of diplomacy. "It was just an accident."
"Yeah," said Sakura, piping up to save the quickly worsening situation. "We're so sorry. We were just playing around and he must not have seen you - "
"You guys are ninjas," the mean guy sneered. "Shouldn't you be more perceptive of your surroundings? And playing with kids?" He snorted dismissively. "What a bunch of losers."
Naruto was tempted to snarl fuck you, but since there were kids there, he refrained from outright cursing. Before he could retort, Konohamaru beat him to it.
"My Oyabun can kick your ass any day!" he yelled, clenching his small fists and glowering up at the boy holding him captive. "Bring it on! He'll show you that you and your village suck badly!"
"That does it kid, no one insults my village," the ninja snarled, raising a hand to punch the grandson of the Hokage. Before he could seriously hurt him though, Naruto sensed, rather than saw, a stone connecting painfully with his knuckles. He whistled appreciatively, if the assailant had applied more force to it… she could seriously break some bones.
The foreign ninja howled in pain—and he called the Konoha ninjas losers—dropping and pushing the brat roughly away from him. Moegi and Udon caught Konohamaru and as one, they skirted off to hide behind Naruto and Sakura, still brave enough to stick their tongues out to mock their opponents. He snarled, whipping his head up to the tree that canopied them to see whoever had attacked him.
Naruto smirked, already knowing who it was without looking. "Great timing as ever, Uchiha-teme, such a show-off."
Satsuki ignored her rival, eyes narrowed and cold as she glared down at the foreign ninja, noting how he'd pulled the mummy on his back out, muscles tensed as if wanting to pick a fight. "Go back to your village, boy. What do you think you're doing when you mess with the Hokage's grandson? Are you trying to incite a war?"
"She's right, Kankuro," a new female voice stated. Sakura scowled when she saw the female ninja approaching them, hips swaying seductively, her eyes aimed on Naruto and her smile flirtatious. "He's the Hokage's grandson and you'll be paying with your life if you hurt him." Then she winked at the group of Konohanians. "Ignore my brother's idiotic tendencies. We're from Sand actually—"
"Get out of my way, Temari," Kankuro snarled in a tone that one won't usually use on their older sister. "I'll teach these bunch of tree-huggers a lesson they'll never forget!"
Satsuki's eyes flared red but she kept her temper and Sharingan in check. "The only tree-hugger here is that Senju," she jabbed a thumb at Naruto, seemingly offended. "And the only one being taught a lesson here will be you once we're through with you."
"I can't watch this," Temari sighed, shaking her head, already imagining the disaster this would cause.
"Kankuro… Temari… stop this nonsense now," a masculine and raspy voice rasped, shocking the group of gathered ninjas. "You're an embarrassment to our village."
Naruto jolted, shocked that he hadn't notice this new presence when the speaker had been hanging off a tree-branch. Had the new boy not spoken, he wouldn't have noticed his presence. Man, either his presence was that unimpressive or he was really good at concealing it. He looked up this time, noticing Satsuki's wide-eyed expression but she recovered quickly and jumped down; she was grumbling to herself, most likely wondering how she didn't notice him. Naruto was annoyed at himself too, and at the foreign ninjas, why are they so many of these freaks bothering his peaceful day like this?
Temari and Kankuro paled considerably, which made Naruto assume this new guy had quite a power over them. He shot them a curious look as they stammered excused to this suspicious Gaara character; what was there so much to be afraid of this eyebrow-less, gourd-carrying, red-headed… er, freak?
"Wait!" called Sakura with an outstretched arm when they tried to made their leave. "You're from Sunagakure, am I right?" Temari nodded, flashing the absurd-hair-colored kunoichi a curious look, wondering what she wanted. "Suna and Konoha may be allies but that doesn't mean you can come and go as you please—"
Temari rolled her eyes, already anticipating where this was going. She dug her hands into her pocket before producing a passport in their faces. "See this? We already got permission. We'll be staying here for the duration of Chunin Exams." She flashed them another curious look. "Are you all joining too?"
"Yes," Naruto responded tersely. Who knows, maybe they'll sabotage them or something if they let their guard down. He would've let them leave if the trees had not been complaining about something monstrous and unnerving. He frowned, assessing them and their chakra. It was the most likely that Gaara was like him… a Jinchuriki from how his Mokuton reacted. His sensor went nuts.
"You," the blue-eyed boy made eye-contact with teal-eyed boy, but unlike the Senju's eyes, the redhead's eyes were empty and dead, only the shimmering bloodlust evident in his eyes, the only emotion seemed to be craving for bloodshed. "Yes, you, what's your name?"
"My name," the boy spoke in an older, raspy voice as if he was thirsty or something. "is Gaara." He leveled his own version of a curious stare at the Uchiha and Senju. "What about you two?" His eyes darted between Satsuki and Naruto to make it clear who he was referring to.
Instinctively, Naruto shifted so that he obscured half of Satsuki protectively, missing Satsuki's scowl. "Senju Naruto," he said coolly, hands in his pocket belying the tenseness and how he was ready to spring into action at any moment.
"Uchiha Satsuki," the pale girl said with equal calmness though her eyes were hard.
"We are very much alike, you and I," remarked Gaara as he turned to leave. "Your hate." His eyes scrutinized Satsuki heavily before turning to Naruto. "And your tenant."
Naruto's fists clenched; the people behind his back were his friends, he didn't feel like losing them anytime soon just because some stranger—Jinchuriki kin or not—spilled the beans. He tried to remain a diplomatic smile even as he wanted to chase them away already.
"Don't you have anything else to do?" said Satsuki, but her tone was clear that she wanted them to leave.
"Yeah, yeah," muttered Kankuro, sending a wink Sakura and Satsuki's way which irked Naruto greatly. "See ya later." His eyes narrowed threateningly at Naruto but he didn't leave a scathing comment like he expected to.
"You can't let those pricks win," grumbled Konohamaru, adjusting his scarf around his neck so that the ends don't touch the ground. He was clearly shaken by the encounter but the courage he showed and how well he hid his fear made Naruto beam with pride. "Kick their asses, Oyabun!"
Naruto smiled. "You bet!"
13"Sakura, glad you could make it," greeted Kakashi the moment Team Seven gathered before the designated place. Sakura blinked, surprised that her teacher would say such a thing. Her other two teammates eyed her curiously and seeing their curious stares, Kakashi eye-smiled and continued, "Well, just so you know, this test can only be completed in teams of three and no more or any less."
Satsuki's eyebrow twitched. "You dare…?"
Sakura smiled, placing a gentle hand on the other girl's shoulder to placate her. "I'm here now. And I definitely won't let any of you down!"
"That's my team!" said Kakashi cheerfully, clapping his hands together in the signature Shunshin jutsu. He looked at them with pride that made each one of them smile slightly. "Now go and make me proud!"
"Yeah!"
Naruto blinked curiously, tilting his head to the side to inspect the gathered Genins. "What're they getting so excited over?" he asked, pushing a few people away to get a better look. He was greeted to the sight of someone with a much-more terrible sense of fashion than him.
He knew a typical ninja wouldn't be wearing orange like he did but at least he was following the century; the only orange he was wearing was the orange t-shirt beneath his navy blue flak jacket—the Senju clan mark sewn on its back, signalling him as a proud member of the Senju—and there were orange strips down his black pants. Other than that, no orange but this kid dressed like a frog and would you look at those bushy brows?
Satsuki smirked. "Yeah. Like black caterpillars died on them."
Naruto choked back the loud and inappropriate laughter. He wiggled his brows which made the girl's smirk grow wider. "Wonder what's he doing there."
"Speaking of which," said Satsuki sharply when the crowd parted till Team Seven and Bushy Brows' team were left to crowd around the two arrogant ninjas. "Get out of the way, we have a test to take."
"Why, why, if it isn't the Uchiha princess," one of them sneered. "Too bad, kid, the answer's no."
"Yeah, we're stopping you guys here for your own good. You think punks like you can just stroll in and be Chunin?" The other guy jabbed a thumb at the scars on his face. "This is what we got when we took the test!"
It was Satsuki's turn to sneer cruelly. "Don't place us on the same rank as you. We're stronger than you. Now, fuck off."
Bandage-guy snarled, insulted. He lashed out his leg, "I'll show you that punks like you don't mess with people like us!"
Naruto scowled, unhappy as to how he'd treated Satsuki but the girl lashed back. Her leg would've connected with the guy's face had Bushy Brows not interfered. Naruto blinked, he didn't even see the kid move and here he was, stopping two powerful blows like it was nothing.
Satsuki retracted her leg, scowl firmly in place. She looked mildly impressed that someone was able to block her killer-kick but she managed to hide her surprise well; but there was a new light in her eyes, assessing again the threat level of Mister Bad Fashion Sense.
"There's no need to fight," Bushy Brows said, sounding rather mature despite his childish and joker appearance.
"He's right," agreed Sakura as she stepped forward. "This is nothing but a genjutsu, we're not at the third floor as is our meeting place. This is only the second floor."
"You go, girl," Naruto grinned, cheering his teammate on.
"Now if you'll excuse us," Sakura continued smugly. "We have a test to take on the upper floor."
Grumbles and embarrassed remarks followed but in the end, the crowd followed the flow and trudged up stairs. Just as Satsuki and Naruto made to leave, three people crowded their way.
Satsuki scowled, they were late as they were and these three were not making things easier. Her scowl grew heavier when she noticed the pale-colored-pupil boy before her. A Hyuga, her lips curled distastefully.
"What do you want?" she demanded rudely.
"Your name."
"Isn't it common courtesy to introduce yourself first, before you ask the name of another?" Satsuki scoffed rudely, brushing past him and gesturing for her teammates to follow. "Get lost, I don't have the time for you."
"Senju-san and Uchiha-san." While the Hyuga boy was trembling with concealed rage, Brushy Brows who seemed to be his teammate along with a bun-haired girl didn't seem intent on giving up in interacting with them. Impatiently, Satsuki was about to told him to go screw himself when he continued, unperturbed with the deathly glare sent his way. "If I may, could I ask for one of you to give me a spar?"
Said Senju and Uchiha exchanged a glance, silent communication passing through them. Sakura wondered when did the both of them get to know one another so well that they managed to communicate without words as if they'd been a team for years instead of weeks.
"Make it quick," Satsuki scoffed. "He shouldn't be too much of a challenge."
Fifteen minutes later, Satsuki had to change her opinion on Bushy Brows who's actual name was Rock Lee. Her Sharingan was spinning wildly but strangely, she was unable to copy anything and she did not see him apply chakra into any jutsu—heck, he didn't even use jutsus, merely taijutsu. She wondered why didn't he use any ninjutsu or genjutsu he had in his arsenal?
"Naruto-kun…" Sakura was watching with her mouth wide-open; she couldn't believe that Naruto was being beaten around. Well, Naruto did manage to snatch Lee out of the air once and hurl him into the wall, creating a crater. But that was it and from there, the older boy seemed to be speeding up, growing faster while Naruto grew more tired.
Fed up, the blonde slammed his fist into the ground and roots sprouted out, catching and slapping Lee but unable to hurt him seriously. Naruto cursed; what was this guy? He thought he was a goofy kid but… "Gah!" Naruto was surprised when he was suddenly pulled off the ground and into air by bandages. He didn't have time to turn his body before—
"Now, for the finishing move—Shadow of the Dancing Leaf !"
"LEE! STOP THIS RIGHT NOW!"
—And Naruto found himself tumbling down the ground. Just as he prepared himself to eat dirt, someone caught him by the waist none-too-gently. Even dazed and baffled, he registered the slender arms as Satsuki's. She lowered them both to the ground, she released him when they touched ground but she didn't move away. Sakura joined them not a moment too soon, concerned.
"Are you okay?" she asked dumbly.
Naruto scowled, patience thin when his pride took a serious blow. But his hands flew into seals for medical techniques and he was soon healing away the bruises. "Oi, Uchiha, what sort of technique did he use?"
"Just plain taijutsu."
Naruto blinked, his anger disappearing for a moment as a voice that was not Satsuki's answered him. He, along with both girls, looked up to see a larger and older version of Lee. He blanched, they could multiply? Yikes, disgusting! His expression could've been an open book but the Older Version of Lee didn't seem offended, instead he flashed them a blinding grin, his teeth shining so brightly they should come with a sign like, DO NOT LOOK TOO LONG, PERMANENT BLINDNESS MAY OCCUR.
He was dazed enough—Lee hit his head quite hard—that he giggled at his own thoughts. Satsuki looked at him as if he was insane but she didn't comment on it.
"LEE!" the man shouted passionately, tears streaming down his face. "Did I not forbid you from using that technique unless you are in danger?!"
Lee had the grace to look ashamed. "I'm sorry, Guy-sensei."
"You have disappointed me greatly, Lee."
"I'm sorry, as punishment I shall run whole perimeter of Konoha a hundred times on my hands!"
"LEE!"
"GUY-SENSEI!"
"LEE!"
"GUY-SENSEI!"
Naruto was ready to barf at any moment. "Get me away from here!" he screeched. I lost to this freak? he thought to himself. Unbelievable.
"Kai!" Sakura placed her hand in the signature dispel sign for genjutsu but the terrible sunset scene remained. It was just wrong to see a male teacher embrace his male student. Please, gah, urk, blargh.
"Let's just go," the Uchiha said, subdued.
"Won't Lee be late for the Chunin Exams then?"
"Let him be," Satsuki snapped, looking thoroughly scarred herself as she hauled Naruto to his feet, not complaining when he leaned heavily on her. "If we associate ourselves with those two… things any longer, I fear the disease will be contagious and we'll be infected."
Sakura grimaced at the thought, shivering. "And he proclaimed his love for Satsuki-chan before the battle! EW!"
Satsuki grimaced as well, balancing Naruto so that neither would stumble as they walk; for some reason, the dobe was leaning far too heavily on her. "I would rather marry Senju than him."
"Is that a compliment or what?" Said Senju asked, pouting but he didn't feel really insulted. regardless of what she said, he'd take it as a compliment anyway.
The Uchiha heiress snorted softly. "What do you think?"
Naruto smiled, leaning closer subtly to enjoy her warmth and closeness. Heh, he could get use to losing and having to lean on someone heavily. Well, as long that someone is an Uchiha girl with the name Satsuki!