Chapter Text
The five days with Sakura pass by too quick for Sora's liking. The pinkette and the girl talk about and do all sorts of things. They spend the first night, as Sakura promised, talking about first loves. Sakura does all of the talking ― most of it is about the raven-haired boy she admires so much yet, Sora can't help but notice, knows nothing about.
When the pinkette asks Sora who her first love is, her reply is "ice cream".
Sakura laughs and Sora switches the subject to the girl her mom mentioned earlier, Ino. Sakura's rage immediately lets loose and she tells Sora all about how she's her main rival.
"She even started growing out her hair after I started once I found out Sasuke likes girls with long hair!"
Sora doesn't think it's her place to meddle in this friendship, so she keeps her comments to herself and soon after all of her rambling the two of them fall asleep.
Sora takes Sakura to do some basic training the next three days, saying it's important for her to keep up not only mentally but also physically. Sakura doesn't seem to mind the first two days, but after the third she says she can't take it anymore.
"I think I should rest for a bit," She pants, the kunai in her hand falling to the ground. "For the next two days actually."
Sora agrees, because the girl has a point. It wouldn't do any good to burn her out before the exams. They spend the last two days relaxing. Sora meets up with Naruto during the second to last day and buys him ramen. He wants to train, but Sora refuses and tells him to rest, already knowing he's been training everyday the past week. He only grins in response.
On the last day before the exams, Sakura starts to give in to her nerves. She's clammy and she can't stop muttering about how nervous she is how or how unready she might be. Sora suggests that they review old academy books together and Sora quizzes Sakura on a lot of things that the girl already knows.
The morning of the first exam, Sora leaves Sakura's house early in the morning to go to her own. When she enters, the Suna siblings aren't there, probably having a final meeting with their jonin. Sora walks over to her safe, gets a small round device out, and shuts the safe closed. As she slowly makes her way to the academy slowly, the girl refrains from sighing.Today's the day. I'm not even sure what I'll do once we're in.
What do I need to prioritize?
Soon, Sora is already approaching the front of the academy. Her three teammates are already there. Sakura is twiddling her fingers, most likely out of nervousness. And as per usual, Naruto is glaring at Sasuke who pays no mind to the whisker-faced boy.
Sakura spots her first, "Good morning, Sora!"
"Good morning, Sakura," Sora returns the girl's smile and nods to the other two. "Good morning Naruto, Sasuke."
"You're late (dattebayo)." Naruto and Sasuke state at the same time.
Sora laughs and a small smile grows on her face. Right. These three are my priority.
"Sorry. I had to do something before I came and lost track of time."
Sakura walks beside Sora as they enter the academy, "Is everything alright?"
"Yeah," She waves her off. "It wasn't anything serious. I just had to make sure I left my things locked."
"Oh," The pinkette nods. "Well, that's good."
Sora smiles in response and turns to the girl, "Let me fix your protector. It's kind of crooked."
As Sora adjusts Sakura's headband, Naruto stares dumbfounded in the background.
"Hey, weren't those two fighting, dattebayo?" Naruto whispers to Sasuke while looking at the two girls who are already done and moving forward.
"Hn."
Before Naruto can express his irritation with Sasuke, they all halt when they see a bushy-browed boy get kicked away. Sora eyes the bushy-browed boy who looks awfully pitiful but also awfully familiar. He must be on Guy's team.
"Hmph! You're trying to take the Chunin Exams with that kind of skill?" One of the attackers smirks. "You should quit while you can."
"Please let us through," The girl with buns pleaded and in return almost gets punched.
Sora sighs as she flashes over and grabs the closed-eyed attackers hand before it can meet the girl's face, "Honestly, you have no manners at all. The girl did say please."
"Tch," He glares. "We're being kind to all of you. The Chunin Exams are extremely difficult."
"Well, that's just your opinion, isn't it?" Sora retorts, letting go of his hand. She doesn't realize how the bushy-browed boy is ogling at her, but Sakura and Sasuke do.
"We have-"
"I don't care what you either of you thinks," Sora interrupts. "Now, undo this lame genjustu and get out of the way."
Sasuke steps forward, "We want to go to the third floor."
Mutters are heard throughout the room.
"Oh, you noticed?"
"Sakura, you were the first one to notice, right?" Sora smiles back at her.
"Of course, I've noticed it already," Sakura replies confidently. "Because this is the second floor."
Naruto hums, agreeing with her.
"Hmph. You're pretty good, but just being able to detect it isn't enough..."
The closed eyed guy aims a kick for Sasuke while the other one goes for Sora.
Grabbing him by the throat, Sora spins him around and throws him to the other side of the room. Before he flies away, he taps something against her forehead and leaves in a puff of smoke.
Ignoring the rest of their exchange, Sora walks up to the whisker-faced boy, "Naruto, is there something on my forehead?"
He laughs, "It says idiot, dattebayo!"
"Idiot?" Sora asks, confused by the message. She rubs her forehead and the ink comes off. Why would the guard put a stamp on my forehead saying idiot? Is this a message from the Hokage?
Sora feels a tap on her shoulder and turns around to come face to face with the bushy-browed boy from before. Behind him, Sakura is giving Sora warning gestures to run and then suddenly stops as if she realizes something.
"My name is Rock Lee. You are Sora, correct?"
"I am," Sora confirms, confused. "Can I help you?"
He gives Sora a thumbs up and winks, "Please go out with me!"
Sora raises her eyebrows in surprise. W h a t ?
Naruto's jaw drops in the background. Sasuke's face goes blank. Sakura looks as if a light bulb has gone off in her head.
"Uhm..." Sora trails off. "I... I don't really know you."
His eyes gleam with hearts, "We can get to know each other!"
"Uhhhh," Sora pauses. "Sorry, I already have someone important to me. I don't have time for anything else."
"Ehhhh, dattebayo!?"
"Oh," Rock Lee deflates and then reenergizes himself. "Who is this someone? I'll show him up so that you can fall in love with me!"
Before she can reply, Sakura jumps into the conversation, "He's right over there!"
Sora follows to where Sakura's finger leads to and her heart jumps.
Sasuke.
Sakura is pointing at Sasuke.
Sora's eyes widen as she turns to Sakura who just grins. What the hell?
"EHHHH, DATTEBAYO!?" Naruto yells louder. "When did this happen!?"
Sasuke's eyes just flicker between Sora, Rock Lee, and Sakura.
"A while ago," Sakura answers as she walks up to Sora. She whispers to her, "Remember the promise?"
Sora eyes the girl in disbelief. This is her plan?
"Is that true, dattebayo!?" Naruto asks his friend.
"Ahhhhahaha..." Sora laughs awkwardly as she glances from Sakura to Naruto to Rock Lee to Sasuke. "Maybe?"
Naruto's eyes widen as do Sasuke's. Sakura nods in approval. Sora doesn't meet Sasuke's eyes.
"Oi, you there," A pale-eyed boy changes their conversation. He turns to Sasuke and asks for the raven-haired boy to identify himself, even though it's pretty obvious.
At this, Naruto's, and everyone else's, attention is captured. As Naruto glares enviously at Sasuke's interaction with the boy, Sora turns to Sakura questioningly, "Really?"
She grins mischievously, "It'll work out. You can talk to him, tell him it was just to get that bushy-browed guy off you, and talk to him about me or ask what he thinks about me!"
Sora purses her lips, "If you say so."
Naruto and Lee stand against the wall, depressed with the feelings of rejection. Not answering his questions, Sasuke finishes talking to the pale-eyed boy.
Sakura brightens up and grabs Sasuke's and Naruto's hands, "Now then, Sasuke-kun, Naruto, Sora, let's go!"
As Sakura starts pulling the two away, Sasuke, without looking at Sora, suddenly grabs her wrist and pulls her along with them.
Sora bites her lip. Sakura, in exactly whose favor is this working for?
As they walk up the stairs, Sora can't help but internally sigh. Sasuke seems too preoccupied thinking about his rivals and Naruto seems to busy glaring at Sasuke to pay attention to what Sakura said about Sora and Sora is thankful that she doesn't have to deal with it at the moment.
As they continue walking towards the testing room, they suddenly hear, "Hey, you with the unpleasant look on his face! Wait up!"
They turn around to see the bushy-browed boy calling them from above. Sora's eyebrows raise. Not again.
"What is it?" Sasuke asks.
Rock Lee has a determined gaze on his face as he asks Sasuke to fight him.
"I want to fight with you!" Rock Lee says passionately. "I want to test out how effective my techniques will be against the descendant of the clan reputed for genius ninjas!" The bushy-browed boy turns to Sora and blushes. "Also, I want to impress Sora. Love!~"
Sora internally cringes as she laughs awkwardly, "You really don't have to though... like really..."
The boy blows her a kiss.
Sora's not sure how to react and suddenly she's pulled to the side by Sakura.
"You have to be careful of that!" Sakura, who looks a little disturbed, scolds her.
"So then," Rock Lee says turning to Sasuke. "How about it?"
Sasuke glances from Sora to Rock Lee, "To be honest, you're a naive one, knowing the name of Uchiha and challenging me. Do you really want to realize what this name means, Bushy-Brow?"
Rock Lee raises a hand, "I insist."
"Wait!" Naruto says, surprising everyone. "I'm the one who's going to take out the Bushy-Brow, believe it!"
Sora sighs as Sakura tries to stop the determined whisker-faced boy. Naruto runs toward the boy but is soon knocked out cold against the wall. Sora eyes the bushy-browed boy who's exceptional in taijutsu. So, he's not all talk. And if Guy had been training them for a year just for this... they must be stronger than your average Konoha genin.
Rock Lee confirms Sora's thoughts when he turns to Sasuke and declares, "You're no match for me. Because among the Konoha genin, I'm the strongest."
Sasuke smirks and arrogantly accepts his battle request.
As the raven-haired boy runs past Sora, they meet each other's eyes. "Try to use your brain more than your eyes. You can't always see everything yet."
Sora watches as Sasuke is punched and kicked away by the boy even when he uses his Sharingan. Sora stares, bored. At least this is a wake-up call of some sort.
Before Rock Lee can use his final technique, he is stopped by a turtle, leaving Sasuke falling down to the ground. As Sakura runs to catch him, Sora walks over to the also beaten Naruto who stares in shock at Sasuke who's been beaten. He is too transfixed by the talking turtle to pay attention to Sora, so she makes her way over to Sasuke and Sakura.
Sora crosses her arms as she stares at the boy, "I thought I told you to use your brain."
He doesn't say anything. They turn and watch Rock Lee and the talking turtle.
Naruto joins them and asks Sakura about the talking turtle. Sora watches as Sasuke glares at the bushy-browed boy.
"Calm down," Sora says softly as he turns to her. "You just have to work on your taijutsu and develop your Sharingan. It's not the end of the world."
A loud puff of smoke diverts their attention before Sasuke can respond. Sora raises her eyebrows as the bushy-browed man she'd seen with Kakashi appears on the turtle. They're a really striking duo.
Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke stare at the even more intense man, dumbfounded. Rock Lee turns to defend his teacher from Sakura and Naruto's comments toward his teacher. Team 7 watches as Rock Lee is struck by his teacher and called an idiot.
"I suddenly really admire Kakashi-sensei," Sora comments. Her three teammates nod in unison.
As the teacher and student passionately apologize to each other, Team 7 is too shocked to say anything and just stare.
Sora tries not to laugh. The teacher suddenly turns to the four of them. When Guy says he and Kakashi are eternal rivals and that he's stronger than their silver-haired jonin, Sakura and Naruto protest. Before Rock Lee can defend his teacher, the man is moving to prove his point.
Sora crosses her arms and turns around. Suddenly, Guy appears in front of her and the rest of Team 7 turn back in surprise.
"Woh, as expected of you," Guy tells her and then says to all of them. "One thing though, I'm stronger than Kakashi."
Team 7 doubts this as Guy bids farewell to his pupil and disperses with his turtle.
Rock Lee turns to Sasuke and announces that he's lied about being the strongest Konoha genin and that the person he's actually trying to defeat is on his team.
While Sasuke glares after him, Sora's interest is peaked. So, the pale-eyed boy. The Hyuga.
"Ha!" Naruto begins. "So, the Uchiha clan isn't all that after all."
Sasuke turns his glare at him, "Shut up. I'll knock him flat next time."
"Ha! That from someone who just got whipped," Naruto says indifferently and then he frowns. "You saw it, right? That guy's hand... That Bushy-Brow probably did a heck of a lot of special training. Day after day... more than you have... That's all it is."
Sora smiles at the blonde-haired boy who's done a great job at expressing his way of easing Sasuke's worries. She nods in agreement, "Exactly."
Sasuke clenches his fist and smirks, "It's starting to get interesting... the Chunin Exams!"
Naruto grins, "Yeah!"
Sora walks over to each boy and pokes their foreheads with fingers that emit a green glow. Once Sora lifts her fingers from their foreheads, their bruises are gone and they're no longer hurt.
"Woah, I feel great, dattebayo!" Naruto jumps up and down. "Thanks, Sora!"
"Wow," Sakura's eyes shine with interest. "How'd you do that?"
"I learned. I'll teach you one day," Sora says lightly. "We don't have time right now, it's almost time for registration."
Sasuke stands up a little straighter and seems to be in a much better mood, "Let's go, Sora, Naruto, Sakura!"
Sora barely smiles as she follows her three teammates. Yeah, these three are definitely my priority.