Chapter 3: The Chunin Exams

Sakura's POV

After having woken up, the first thing I did was grab the scroll. I looked at it all over again, feeling a slight disappointment as it was till sealed all the way around.

Still a bit confused as to why he said I was in there too long, I decided to set it back on the table so I could get ready for the day. Take a shower, get dressed, eat breakfast, then head down to the training grounds for the usual team training, maybe a D-rank mission if we're lucky.

I made sure to stuff the scroll into my pouch as well before taking off to the training fields.

As I casually walk through the village I think back to what I saw last night. Wondering if it was all just a dream or if it was really something the spirit in the scroll conjured up in my own mind.

I let out a sigh as I got to the training grounds. To my surprise Kakashi, Naruto, and Sasuke were already there.

Is Kakashi-sensei early?

"Sakura-chan... you're... late." Naruto said softly with surprise in his voice, Kakashi and Sasuke looking at me with various faces of surprise as well.

"What? What time is it?" I asked, feeling shock go through my body.

There's no way I was even later than Kakashi-sensei.

"It's almost noon." Kakashi stated while looking at his imaginary watch. "I arrived here an hour ago myself."

I ran my fingers through my hair in frustration. Did me being in that dream like state go on for longer than I thought? Was I in there that long that I woke up late?

"Sorry guys, I guess I was so tired after coming back from our mission yesterday that I slept through my alarm clock." I said, trying to come up with an excuse rather that telling them all I was talking to a Samurai in my dreams.

Cause that would bode over well.

Kakashi-sensei gave me a crinkled eye smile in understanding of something he probably didn't really understand.

"No worries Sakura, we actually aren't going to do much today after what we have recently been through. So today, all we're going to do is-" the cry of a hawk caught Kakashi's attention. It was brown with two white circles on the underside of its wings, it flew above his head in a few circles before flying elsewhere causing him to heave out a tired sigh.

"Already?" He murmured to himself. "Sorry team change of plans, looks like we're taking the entire day off today. Let's push this little team event to tomorrow... maybe. You're free to do whatever you want for the rest of the day. Just don't do anything that would get me in trouble." With those parting words Kakashi-sensei left us in a whirl of leaves.

Well that was odd, I've never seen him get summoned like that before, it must be important.

The was a few moments of silence till Naruto and Sasuke both rounded in on me, making me stagger back a few steps, eyes wide in astonishment at them being so close all of the sudden.

"Are you really okay Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked with a worried look on his face. Sasuke didn't look worried or concerned, he looked more curious than anything.

"Yeah guys I'm fine, I promise." Sasuke seemed okay with my response and merely nodded before walking away, his figure was almost completely gone before I turned to look at Naruto. "I'll see you la-"

"Wait! Do you wanna get ramen?" Naruto cut me off with a smile.

I contemplated whether or not I should before giving a small nod, a small smile in place. "Sure Naruto." I said as the two of us began our small trek to Ichiraku.

Now, before anyone gets any ideas, Naruto is honestly just a friend.

Back at the academy Naruto was one of those people that always had something to say, and it wasn't always a good thing.

This, unfortunately, caused him to be on the receiving end of several beatings... from me. He had always been the idiot of the class, which was surprising considering who his father was, which also warranted for a beating. But he always had the optimism, a fight in him that I had always admired, no matter how much he seemed to get on my nerves.

Sasuke on the other hand was the kind of person who always did everything perfectly, with grace and elegance. He was always so cool in everything he did, which was probably why I've had a crush on him for years now, not that I'd admit it out loud to him, though I'm pretty sure he knows it already.

I think the only reason he even tolerates me is because I haven't confessed yet. I don't think I want to either.

Sasuke has enough to deal with as it is. Not to mention the hate I would get from the rest of his fangbase if they had ever found out.

The only person I had ever told was my best friend Ino, whom after I had told, broke off our friendship because she liked him too.

Ino never told anyone about my feelings for the Uchiha, so that was thankfully still kept a secret, but her betrayal will forever haunt me into never telling anyone ever again, not even him.

Which, now that I think about it, may be a good thing.

You can do better than him anyways Sakura-chan.

I froze mid step as the spirit in the scrolls voice came through my head.

Ah, so you can hear me now? It seems as though last nights encounter strengthened our bond, allowing you to finally hear me.

I bit my lip, not knowing how to respond, but a little part of me felt ecstatic knowing that last night wasn't some weird dream, and I was getting closer to my companion sword.

I put my hand to my pouch where the scroll was, feeling it buzz with an energy that made me want to actually wield him.

Gah! If I only I could learn his name!

All in due time blossom.

"Sakura-chan?" I snapped out of my thoughts on the scroll and looked up to Naruto's concerned gaze. "Are you sure you're alright from before? I know that witnessing death isn't exactly the most pleasant thing, especially when it's the first time seeing it. So do you want to put off going to Ichiraku till tomorrow?" He asked, with a sincere look on his face.

What?

I stared dumbfounded at the blond before me. What he said was actually... Considerate.

"Especially considering you're a civilian born." I felt my eyebrow twitch as a deep sense of irritation went through my body.

I take that back.

I was two seconds away from hitting him on the head until I saw a small brown box behind Naruto with a few holes in it, painted to look like a rock.

Curious, I took a step back, Naruto a confused step forward, and the box following a step behind him.

I stifled a small laugh as I saw part of a scarf sticking out of the side of the box.

"Um, Naruto, I think you have some little followers behind you." I said as I tried not to laugh, his previous comment currently on the back burner of my mind, still boiling but temporarily forgotten.

Naruto spun around and several little gasps from inside the box was heard before three little academy students popped out, eyes wide with awe.

"Wow boss! She noticed us before even you did!" The brown haired kid in the middle said as he looked up at me with big brown eyes. I recognized him immediately as the Third Hokage's grandson; Konohamaru.

The girl to his left had orange hair tied up in two cone shaped pig tails and the boy to Konohamaru's right had brown hair and glasses with snot dripping out of his nose.

"Of course Sakura-chan noticed you! She was the smartest of our grade, she even tied with Sasuke." More little gasps were heard from Naruto's words. "Even though she's a civilian born." More eyebrow twitching from me.

"So boss, are you gonna come play ninja with us?!" Konohamaru asked with glee, hopping up and down.

I smiled at his enthusiasm.

Cute.

"Sorry Konohamaru, Moegi, Udon, maybe later. Me and Sakura-chan were doing something." Naruto said as rubbed the back of his neck.

Soon a little mischievous smile came on to Konohamaru's face as he and his two little friends looked at each other before bursting out into giggles.

Oh no.

"Oh I see boss, you were going on a date with Sakura-san weren't you. She's your girlfriend isn't she?" I bristled at Konohamaru's words, even more so when Naruto rubbed his head sheepishly with a blush on his whiskered cheeks.

"You really think we'd be cute together?" I sweat dropped at Naruto's words.

That's not even close to what they said. I take back what I said earlier, stick with the Uchiha.

I made a startled noise from the back of my throat that sounded distinctly like a snort before I actually hit Naruto.

God I've been holding that in for too long.

"No, I'm not Naruto's girlfriend, and Naruto, they didn't even say anything about us being cute together." I said as I placed my fisted hands on my hips.

"Gah! The evil hag hit our boss! What do we do?" Konohamaru exclaimed while pointing a finger at me and looking at his two friends who were just as scared as he was.

I clenched my knuckles in irritation before turning to face the trio of academy students.

I could hear a small voice from behind me saying to "run while you can" by Naruto before all three of them ran off. They didn't get very far though because they had ran into someone. Quite literally I might add.

Konohamaru ran into a man who had on purple face paint, he had something wrapped around his back in wrappings with what appears to be hair sticking out from the top.

The girl next to him had dirty blonde hair tied up into four pony tails, she too had something on her back, what it was though, I couldn't tell.

Upon further inspection I saw their headbands with the Sunagakure symbol rather than Konoha's leaf insignia on the small silver plate attached to the blue cloth.

"Konohamaru!" Yelled out his two little friends and Naruto as they bolted forward when Konohamaru was picked up by his collar threateningly by the same man he had bumped into.

But none of that really seemed to be going through my mind. The only thing that was going through my mind was why foreign Shinobi were in our village.

They could be here for a mission, but if they were wouldn't they want to draw as less attention to themselves as possible? I highly doubt that they're here for some type of vacation either. Maybe an attack? After all he did have Konohamaru, he may not know who he is but that might be even worse. He doesn't care who he's getting into fights with.

I was so caught up in my thoughts I didn't even notice Sasuke had arrived until he came down from his perch on the wooden fence we were standing next to.

Looking back up I also noticed that the Suna Shinobi also had a new member of their team arrive while I was lost in thought.

Not only that but Konohamaru was set free.

We're going to have to fix that. You have to learn to pay more attention.

I sweat dropped at the Samurai's parent like tone.

"State your purpose." Sasuke said in a way that gave me chills, and not the good kind either. He had that same tone of voice he used when fighting against Zabuza and Haku.

He sounded vicious.

"Why should we answer you?" The one with the face paint asked with a scowl on his face.

"Because," I started as I stepped forward, slightly irritated at the behavior of these foreign ninja. "as foreign ninja you are to state your purpose of being in our territory whenever asked of you by another ninja, regardless of rank. Even more so when you so openly threaten the Third Hokage's grandson." I said while pointing to Konohamaru who was cowering behind Narutos' legs with his friends. "And that's just a small thing on the list of many that could ruin ties between our villages and kick you out. Because you're also dealing with our fourth and current Hokage's son, and the second son to the head of the Uchiha clan." As soon as I stated their statuses, both Naruto and Sasuke stood with a straighter back and ugh, I could just feel their ego rising.

The sole female scoffed, trying not to look so put off by my words. "Well if you must know, we're here for the chunin exams." She said as she crossed her arms over the chest.

"Chunin exams? What's that?" I face palmed at Naruto's question.

"Are you sure that's the Hokage's son?" The man with the purple face paint asked, looking at Naruto as if we were pranking him with the whole 'Hokage's son' speech.

I chose to ignore his question in favor of answering Naruto's.

"The Chunin exams are where all Shinobi across the nation come together to take the exams required to become Chunin, it's how most ninja commonly get promoted. The purpose of having ninja from other villages is to strengthen the bond between them." I explained as Naruto nodded throughout my little lecture.

"Whoa! That sounds cool. Hey hey, Konohamaru, do you think I could take the exams and become a Chunin?" He asked the little boy excitedly only for Konohamaru to scoff and shake his head.

"No way boss. Sasuke is way cooler and stronger than you are and Sakura's smarter. You'll only drag them down if you all go together." Naruto gaped at his little followers declaration and the the two began to banter.

That's funny, as the girl with zero strong points and zero ninja background, the one holding the team back should be me.

Don't think like that.

I frowned at the Samurai's words, how could I not think like that?

After everything I've done?

Actually, after everything I haven't done seems more like it.

"What's your name?" I followed Sasuke's gaze to the final person and newest arrival. The red headed man with the gourd on his back.

I noticed the nervous looks his two companions were giving each other then look back at him, only to jerk back slightly when I realized he was staring right at me with eyes almost as green as mine, only a shade or two off, and answered Sasuke's question.

"Subaku no Gaara. I'm also interested in what your names are as well." He said, looking right at me.

"Uchiha Sasuke." He answered, slightly angry that Gaara wasn't paying him any attention.

But the red head didn't say anything, he just looked at me, waiting.

"H-Haruno Sakura." I cursed myself for stammering over my words.

Why did he want to know my name? I understand why he wanted to know Sasuke's... but why me?

You sell yourself short Blossom. Perhaps there was something you did or said that interested him.

But still...

"Don't you wanna know my name?" Naruto asked while pointing at himself, shaking me out of my thoughts again. Unknowingly further interesting Gaara.

"They already know who you are Naruto, they knew as soon as you were introduced as the Fourth Hokage's son." I said while watching Gaara, he still hasn't taken his eyes off of me.

It was a bit unnerving, but I couldn't take my eyes away either, no matter how much I wanted to.

"Oh right, because everyone already knows who I am." Naruto said with even more ego than before.

Ugh.

"Let's go." Gaara said to his teammates before he disappeared in a flurry of sand, his teammates following behind a second later.

Once they were all gone I finally found myself able to move my eyes away from where Gaara was previously standing.

I had so many questions running through my mind. Mainly on just why the hell couldn't I look away from him.

You were scared. Frightened by the look in his eyes.

He's right.

There was so much emotion in his eyes. Anger, hate, loneliness, but most of all, tiredness.

He was tired.

Gaara's POV

She was talking to someone, in her mind. She had this far away look in her eye and it happened throughout the whole ordeal.

I don't know who she was talking to, but I want to.

Is she like me, does she have what I have?

Is she a monster?

I felt a stirring inside me that could only belong to the Shukaku spirit, dwelling in my very being.

My thoughts drifted back to... Haruno Sakura.

I have to know who she was talking to.

The Next Day

Sakura's POV

"Chunin exams! Really sensei? Alright!" Naruto shouted in excitement before tackling Kakashi-sensei to the ground in a bear hug.

"Now, now Naruto, that's enough." Kakashi-sensei replied awkwardly.

He didn't do well with physical contact.

Now it's true that Kakashi-sensei was once the pupil of Naruto's dad but because Kakashi was always away on missions and in ANBU, Naruto only grew up with stories until he became our sensei.

"Now then," Sensei started after composing himself now that Naruto was off of him. "The three of you are to report to the given address on the hand out with the papers already signed, they're your tickets to take the test. The exam begins at nine in the morning so you have a few extra hours to get ready or sleep in. There will also be no team meeting due to the exam, so this will be the last time I see you all until the end of part two of the exam. Well team good luck!" Kakashi-sensei all but disappeared on the three of us.

Well... Might as well get started on packing.

I started walking to the shopping district of town in order to buy more things that I'd need for the exam when I felt a warm excited buzzing in my pouch.

What are you all excited for?

All I got in return was the warm buzzing intensifying.