Chapter 4
Sakura, with her teammates standing on either side of her, think about her team's scroll: the Heaven scroll. They're searching for an Earth scroll. However, she told her team they have an Earth scroll. It's a part of her strategy. Not only do they believe their scroll is the Earth scroll, she handed a fake Earth scroll to Kiba. She hates deceiving him, but it's a necessary evil. Speaking of Kiba…
"Kiba, you're from the Inuzuka clan, right?" Sakura asks.
"Um… yes! I-I am. Why do you ask?" the shy boy inquires.
"Well, Inuzuka are known for having dogs. Why don't you have one? You're a shinobi after all," Sakura asks. Being born as a civilian, she never understood shinobi affairs. Even when she was promoted to Chūnin and was mentored under Tsunade, it still confused her.
"Oh, um, no. You see, my clan doesn't… I mean, my family. I am… My clan and I… er," he stutters and stumbles over his words, trying to find the words he wants.
"Do you not get along with your clan?"
"Sort of…," Kiba whispers as if it's painful to admit.
Sakura wonders why. Why doesn't his clan like him? Why would they dislike him so much that he'd be practically disowned? Wasn't he the clan heir or in the main family at least?
"You may enter and begin the exams as soon as the gate opens. Does everybody remember the rules because I refuse to repeat? You should listen to directions the first time," Anko says way too seriously for Sakura's liking. In her own world, Anko had been more crazy and fun. It's so weird. It throws her off so much.
There's a countdown. Then, the gates open, and everybody runs in. Half a mile in, they stop to plan. Sakura starts, "Okay, we're a tracking team. Let's use that to our advantage. It's our best bet."
"What's our plan?" Kiba asks, and Sakura begins to explain what she has in mind.
* * *
They're hiding. They had the misfortune of coming across the Sand Siblings. And at this time Temari, who is the Gaara of this world, is mentally unstable because of her Bijū. Sakura doesn't know if this is coincidence or if the Squad 8 of her universe also saw this.
Temari already has her victims -- some unfortunate Rain-nin -- caught in some sand. Sakura knows this move. This is what almost caused Lee to have to give up being a shinobi. Thank goodness they had found Lady Tsunade. She saved him. Who would Lady Tsunade be in this world? And who would be Lady Tsunade?
The ninja are dead in moments. Barely a minute passes before sand travels towards them and Sakura sucks in a breath. The sand grabs the cork to Temari's gourd. And Sakura has never been more thankful. The Jinchuriki hasn't been sympathized with yet.
"Temari, do you think they'll be proud of me? I mean, us. For being the first to make it," Kankuro asks with a bright smile as if he's proud of himself.
"Shut up," Temari says as she walks away, crossing her arms.
"Uh, yeah, um, be quiet, Kankuro. We don't want to upset her," Gaara says with an almost panicked voice. "W-we should go to the tower now though! We have both of the scrolls now, see?"
Gaara holds up their scroll, and the newly retrieved scroll from the ninja. Sakura watches her teammates to make sure try don't do anything stupid. Shino can make bad decisions sometimes if he thinks he can take someone on by their first impression. The Sand Siblings leave, and as soon as she's sure they won't be able to sense or hear them, she stands up and breathes.
"Come on, guys. Let's hurry up and find a scroll. If it's the same as we have, give it to me. Something is better than nothing, right?" Sakura suggests.
"What's the plan, Sakura?" Shino asks, finally being serious and not going on a rant about how he pulls the entire team's weight.
"Remember yesterday when I told you the backup plan. I'm going to have to do that thing," Sakura says before looking around. She's not sure how long she will have.
She sucks in a deep breath, focuses chakra, and let her breath out with mighty yell as she smashes her fist into a tree.
The wood cracks violently and the entire tree falls down. Now for phase two. "Do you guys remember the plan?" Sakura asks.
Shino nods and is clearly biting his lip to keep from being too loud. Kiba just responds with a quiet, "I-I do."
Then, they hide and wait. After a few hours, a team finally appears. Sakura signs to her teammates.
"We know your there," a person in the trio calls out. Sakura isn't sure if he's bluffing, but she won't go out yet.
"One in the bushes, two in the trees, there are signs that someone has been here a while ago, and everyone heard that sound -- the tree. I don't know what you're playing at, but I'm willing to negotiate," the guy says.
Negotiate. This guy really wants to talk. She hops down, and her squad follows suit. She asks, "What's your deal? I need to know all the details."
"I'll tell you this. Our goal isn't to 'win' the Chūnin Exams. We come to sabotage others. What scroll do you have? I'll swap you with the same scroll. How's it sound?" he asks.
"Do you think we're stupid? No way are going to do that! That's pointless. We're not going to associate with this guy, right, Sakura?" Shino rants.
"Hm… give them the scroll. I see no harm in it. We'll swap. Deal?" Sakura contradicts Shino.
Kiba, trusting Sakura, tosses their Earth scroll to the other guy who tosses his own Earth scroll back to Kiba. Then, the guy and his team walk away. Sakura takes the scroll and says, "We just have one last place to go. Kiba, do you think you could use your sense of smell to track Sasuke?"
"Um, well, I'd need something of his. You know, like--"
"Like this?" Sakura cuts him off with a smile, hoping she didn't offend him too much. She holds in her hand a sock she had… acquired from the boy's apartment.
"That'll be fine," Kiba responds.
* * *
Hinata is hiding in a tree trunk, caring for her teammates who had gotten themselves hurt. They had fallen unconscious. Sai was targeted it seems. She had tried to help. She really did, but she only got in his way. And Sasuke, as annoying as he can be, really saved Sai and her.
That weird guy was scary and creepy, and she doesn't want to ever see him again. Hinata looks to Sai who the guy had put some of… seal on. She hears a noise and jerks to alertness. Squad 8 steps out from the shadows. Sakura runs to her, quickly giving her a hug. Then, she helps Hinata up.
"I have no time to explain. Take this scroll while I heal your teammates," Sakura quickly says as she starts healing Sai first. She checks for anything unusual.
And just as she suspected, just as she feared, Sai has a mark on him. From the seal, even though she hadn't known him that well, she knows it was Jiraiya. Jiraiya is this world's Orochimaru. But why would he want Sai? Does he have a kekkei genkai that interests him like the case had been with Sasuke and Orochimaru?
Or maybe that's not the case at all? Sometimes, things are impossible to tell. She really wants to scream. Sakura continues to try to heal Sai, but he just won't wake up. She knows he's not dead. He just doesn't want to wake up. Or could he be having a nightmare.
"Sai isn't feeling well."
"Did you hear what his brother did?"
What was that? Where is that coning from? She doesn't understand. She doesn't understand! She wants to understand! Why won't somebody just tell her?
"Somebody just…"
"What, Sakura? Is something the matter?" Hinata asks. "I-I…"
"Nothing. Everything's alright. I think he-" Sai blinks his eyes open.
"He's waking up?" Sakura asks, confused by the turn of events. "Ugh. Whatever. We all have to go now. And whatever you do, you can't trust Shizune. Come on, guys."
Then, Sakura, Shino, and Kiba run off, leaving a confused Sai, a worried Hinata, and an unconscious Sasuke.