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Chapter Text

“When does a ninja strike?” 

“A ninja waits until the time is right: when the enemy sleeps and drops his guard; when his weapons lie forgotten in the stillness of the night. That is the moment for a ninja to strike.” Sakura recites the password perfectly, as expected. 

Sasuke nods, but doesn’t slip his kunai back into his holster. Less than an hour into the exam, and we’ve been attacked twice. We can’t let our guard down, not for a second. 

“Sakura-chan, are you alright?” Naruto frets, voice reaching well beyond what’s necessary. 

“I’m okay,” Sakura answers. She looks around nervously. “What was the source of that powerful gust?”

“It had to be a jutsu,” Naruto points out unnecessarily. 

“Whoever it was, they’re not here now. Let’s keep moving,” Sasuke orders. Sakura obediently falls into step behind him. 

“What next, Sasuke-kun?” 

“We keep searching for another team,” Sasuke answers. It’s dim beneath the canopy of the forest, the old-growth blocking out too much of the sky overhead for Sasuke to determine the position of the sun. Still, they have a few hours of daylight left, plenty of time to scope out their competition. 

Sasuke leads them through the Forest of Death, Naruto alternating between pestering him and checking on Sakura, who endures his prodding. Walking in relative silence (which is about as quiet as it ever got with the dope), they journey deeper into the forest for another hour or so before Sasuke reaches out an arm, stopping them in their tracks. 

“What is it?” Naruto asks. 

Sasuke juts his chin to the wire, barely visible in the dimness. Tucking his hands into his pockets, he calls out. 

“Come out. We know you’re here.”

Three Kusa ninja leap from their hiding places. They’re older, fifteen or so if Sasuke had to guess. It was unlikely this was their first time taking the exam. All that means is that they’re weak. 

“Impressive. Now, why don’t you hand over your scroll, and we’ll be on our way?” The one in the middle proposes. 

Sasuke scoffs, not impressed in the least. 

“Grrr. Why don’t YOU hand over yours!” Naruto snarls, rising to the bait. Sasuke has to refrain from rolling his eyes.

“The middle one is mine,” He tells Naruto. As the leader of the group, he was likely the strongest. You better make this worth my time. 

It’s not a difficult fight, all things considered. The umbrella raining sebon is a nasty trick, but it doesn’t hold a candle to the speed and precision of Haku, back in Wave. Sasuke incinerates the umbrella with a fireball before rushing his opponent. His taijutsu skills are laughable. Sasuke doesn’t need to use his Sharingan to predict his opponent’s moves, not with the way he so clearly choreographs them. Naruto finishes his fight with similar ease, and the two unconscious ninja are restrained. 

“Where’s the third one?” Naruto asks. 

Shit, I lost track of them. Sasuke scans the area, but he can’t sense any other chakra signatures. That didn’t mean they couldn’t be nearby, lying in wait. 

Naruto scratches his head. “Did he run away…?” 

Sasuke looks over to Sakura, who’d stayed in the periphery for the duration of the fight, but she shakes her head. 

“I didn’t see him retreat,” She answers. 

Sasuke frowns, but says nothing. He searches the bodies of the unconscious Kusa ninja, finding nothing. 

“The third must’ve run off with the scroll,” He decides. 

“Damn coward,” Naruto huffs.

Sakura says nothing, arms linked behind her back, and a placid expression on her face. 

“He has to have left some trace for us to follow,” Sasuke says, “Keep an eye out for anything that might give us a clue as to where he went.” 

Sakura and Naruto nod, Naruto taking to the trees while Sakura examines the nearby bushes for signs of a hasty retreat. Sasuke himself studies the ground for signs of disturbed dirt. Their search is fruitless. The three of them reconvene, Naruto wrinkling his nose in a way that makes Sasuke want to flick him. He refrains from such childish impulses, stuffing his hands into his pockets. 

“He got away,” Sasuke huffs. He looks at the canopy. It’s gotten darker. “We should find a spot to make camp for the night.” 

“You must be tired, huh, Sakura-chan?” Naruto offers. 

She smiles sheepishly, “A little. What should we do about them?” 

“Leave ‘em,” Sasuke grunts. No sense carrying around dead weight. 

They leave the battleground, Naruto looking unusually pensive. 

“Sakura-chan, er…you sure you’re alright?” He prods, shoulders hunching a little, like he was preparing himself for a punch. 

Sakura looks at him quizzically. “Is something a matter? I’m fine, Naruto.”

“Well, it’s just…” He trails off. Sakura stares at him, unblinking. 

“Never mind…” 

Sakura raises an eyebrow at the blonde, but doesn’t press further. 

Sakura-chan smells of blood. At first, Naruto is worried she’s hurt, but seeing no signs of injury on his teammate, he realizes the metallic scent could be for other reasons. Unsure of how to proceed, Naruto decides to leave it be. Sakura-chan can be sensitive about these kinds of things, and while Naruto doesn’t exactly get it, he knows that if he riles her up, he can expect a smack upside the head. 

Eager to avoid her wrath, Naruto lets it go. 

When the Kusa ninja regain consciousness, they make quick work of escaping their bonds. Unlike the Leaf ninja who so soundly defeated them, these genin have a much easier time finding their teammate. 

“Those bastards,” One hisses, clenching his fist. 

The other kneels, grimly closing the unseeing eyes of his teammate. Mouthing a silent apology, he reaches for his bandages. They may have been too late to help him, but at the very least, they can do what they can to preserve the body for a proper burial. The slit in their teammate’s throat is thin, but deep enough to reach bone. 

“Just a sec,” The other replies, taking their teammate’s weapons pouch. He pauses, frowning. 

Before one can ask the other what the matter is, he pulls out their earthscroll, left untouched.

Chapter Text

Sakura screams, but she can’t make the sound out with the wind rushing past her ears. Her stomach leaps to her throat, her head spinning as the body of a tree rushes up to meet her. Shielding her face from the worst, Sakura collides with smaller branches, bark scraping her skin, and leaves tangling in her hair. She lands hard , breath knocked from her lungs, and body voicing its protest as she clumsily tumbles to a halt. 

“Ack-” She gasps for air, knees and hands and feet stinging from impact. It hurts! 

Sakura forces herself to her feet, stomach swooping as she sees just how high up she is; more than halfway to the treetops . A fall from this height would smash me like an egg. She steps closer to the trunk, less upset about the rough landing. 

“Sasuke-kun?” She calls. “Naruto?” No response. I’m alone. Sakura tries not to let the realization frighten her. It’s okay. We have a plan for situations like this. I memorized the password. All I need to do is find them. They can’t be that far. Then again, the force required to toss her this high up could have easily sent them flying as much as a kilometer away. Worrying her lip between her teeth, Sakura begins her search. With luck, Naruto would be loud enough to help her find her way. 

The forest is loud . Insects buzz furiously while prey animals scurry cautiously across the trees. Below her, a large boar trudges through the undergrowth, hooves splintering stray twigs and snout sniffing furiously. In the distance, Sakura makes out the muted clashes of metal on metal. Could that be her boys? 

That jutsu was intended to separate us. Divide and conquer, a classic shinobi strategy. She worries her lip once more. Anyone capable of such a powerful jutsu isn’t to be taken lightly. Sasuke-kun’s fire ninjutsu will give him an edge, but I’m not sure how Naruto would fare. Ranged attacks such as those would be a challenge for close-range combatants. At least Naruto can overwhelm them with sheer numbers. Me on the other hand… 

She needed to find her team. 

Sakura leaps onto another branch, closer to the sounds of combat. Beneath her, the boar raises its head, suddenly plowing through the underbrush at breakneck speeds. It makes Sakura jump despite being well out of reach of the massive beast. 

“Get a hold of yourself,” Sakura mutters, running a hand through her hair. 

As the boar grows further and further away, the sound of snapping branches and crunched leaves grows fainter until it falls silent. Sakura leaps onto another branch. If they were lucky, the enemy team would have an earth scroll, and they could head right to the tower at the heart of the forest. Sakura leaps again, landing on a slightly lower branch. She takes a moment to catch her breath, only to yelp as something tangles in her hair. She stumbles back, batting away at the flying insect buzzing uncomfortably close to her ear. 

An insect that, inadvertently, saves her life. 

The wood where she once stood splinters with an awful crack as a monstrous creature sinks its fangs into the branch, tearing it in two. Sakura yelps, leaping back. 

Gargantuan. How do snakes even get that big!? Sakura pulls out a kunai with trembling fingers. Not much help against a beast with teeth the size of her arm! Sakura bolts, leaping through the trees as fast as her feet will carry her. 

“ Sasuke-kun! Naruto!” She screams, forgoing any subtlety. The snake, far too agile for its size, launches itself at her again. Sakura dodges, but only barely, digging her kunai as deep into its scales as she can, but she does not draw so much as a drop of blood. 

Its scales are too tough! She runs. It is all she can do against a monster like that. 

I can’t keep this up forever, Sakura thinks despairingly. None of her training or previous missions prepared her for anything like this. The snake crashes into the branch she’s on, sending her into a free fall toward the ground below. Sakura turns around to see its mouth stretched wide, ready to swallow her whole. 

Screaming, Sakura flings a kunai with an explosive tag into the maw of the beast. The detonation rings in her ears, the smoke making her eyes water and mouth dry. She’s incredibly thirsty. With seconds before impact, Sakura twists, tucking into a roll to minimize impact. It still hurts, but adrenaline gives her speed, and she’s back to leaping through the foliage. 

The sounds of battle are closer; Sakura can just faintly make it out over the groan of wood and the sharp hiss of the serpent. 

Close, too close!!! Sakura has to fight to keep herself from hyperventilating, knowing it will only wear her down faster. Almost there-

Sakura pushes herself off a tree trunk and right into the thick of another battle. But it’s not her teammates. Sakura only has a moment to register the other genin’s bug-eyed expression before she crashes into him. They collapse in a tangle of limbs and dirt. Sakura tries to free herself from the other genin, but in his haste to do the same, they only end up entangled further. Sakura ends up elbowing him in the gut before she’s finally able to get to her feet. 

“Mineta!” One of his teammates tries to warn him, but it’s too late. Sakura whips around just as two sandaled feet vanish down that dreadful gaping maw, chilling her to the bone. 

That could have been me. Sakura stumbles back. It would have been me. Sakura wishes she hadn’t heard the genin’s name. 

Mineta’s teammates rush the snake, screaming for the beast to give him back. In her periphery, Sakura faintly registers the other team retreating, and knows she should be doing the same. But all she can do is watch the futile attempt to rescue a teammate who was already too far gone. A girl digs her tanto into the overgrown serpent’s eye. It thrashes, sending her flying. The other uses his bo staff to hold the monster’s mouth open as he attempts to reach for his teammate. Sakura knows the staff will break even before the first ghastly crack. She screams at the other genin, warning him the weapon won’t hold, the wood splinters, the creature’s mouth closing like a coffin’s lid. 

It flicks its tongue, tasting the air, and Sakura knows the hunt for her has resumed. Tears cloud her vision as the beast gives chase once more. Sakura runs as fast as her trembling body will take her, but she’s losing speed. She can’t keep running. She needs to fight. She needs to live . 

Sakura substitutes herself for a log, narrowly avoiding being impaled by a colossal fang. Sakura fishes out another explosive tag. She might not be able to damage the scales, but she could take out the other eye. Blinding it won’t be enough. Snakes rely on smell more than sight. 

Sakura digs into her pouch, fumbling for what had to be one of the last things she expected to save her life. The day before the exam, her favorite makeup store released a new perfume. Lured in with promises of irresistibility and the dream of finally wooing Sasuke-kun, she’d bought it. Once a silly whim, now her lifeline. Sakura wraps an explosive tag around the bottle, sending a silent prayer to the heavens. 

She goes for the blind side. The tanto protrudes from the now useless eye. Sakura leaps onto it, using her bodyweight to push it deeper. The hilt digs painfully into the soles of her feet, but the threat to survival grants her tolerance to any pain. Clinging to the thrashing beast, Sakura claws at its head, channeling chakra to her feet and hands. It can’t take more than a handful of seconds to hoist herself onto the head, but to her tired limbs, it feels like a lifetime.

Using all her strength, Sakura hoists herself to the nearest nostril. Shoves the perfume bottle inside. One hand isn’t enough to keep her hold. Sakura lets herself fall, forming her hands into the necessary seal. The shockwave slams her to the ground. 

Sakura only knows pain. She can’t breathe. Can’t see. Can’t hear anything other than the ringing in her ears. Her muscles scream in agony. Her joints throb in protest. Smoke clears. Sakura slowly remembers how to breathe. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Repeat until you can remember what it’s like to be human again. 

It takes everything to pull herself to her feet. She’s so tired. She wants her team. 

The serpent’s nostrils are blown wide open. Its mouth hangs open lopsidely. But it’s still alive. It still wants to swallow her whole. Its movements are off-kilter. Sluggish enough to telegraph its movements. Even then, it’s barely enough for Sakura to avoid its attacks. Three shrinuken fly from her hand. Two lodge uselessly in the scales, but one finds its mark, sinking into the goo of the eye. 

Almost. Sakura sways. Her body is at its limit, but she must push it further. Stillness is death. I need to move. I need to survive. 

She has four explosive tags left. Eleven shrinuken. Three kunai. A few drops of chakra. 

The hulking serpent sways. Sakura’s nose stings from the explosive power, but she thinks she catches the faintest stench of ozone. The belly of the beast bulges, then bursts. Static makes her hair stand on end. 

Sakura gapes in shock as Mineta, the genin who’d been swallowed, emerges from the carnage. His body is covered in burns. One hand weakly grabs at the cavity in his torso. He’s covered in viscera, so much so that Sakura does not know how much of it is the slain beast’s or his. He sinks to his knees. 

Sakura staggers over to the fallen genin. There’s so much blood. Sakura cannot do anything for him. Nothing except watch. 

His eyes are clouded and unfocused. Dimly, he registers her knee beside him. He tries to speak, but it only comes out as a wet gurgle. Still, Sakura can read lips well enough to make out a single word. You. 

Me. This is all because of me. 

Sakura dry heaves as her stomach does its best to crawl out of her throat. It’s too much. It’s all too much. 

She’s too tired to dig a shallow grave, but figures that Kusakagure would only have to dig him back up anyway when they came to retrieve the body. Still, Sakura uses her pastel pink handkerchief to clean the worst of the grime from his face. Uses the deceased’s bandages to cover the gaping hole in his chest. Sakura digs in the pouch for more bandages. It’s not enough, but what she finds has her nauseous all over again. A heaven scroll, untouched amidst all the carnage.