"You two make a start towards the tower. Sasuke and I are going to be a little slower, I have to help him walk" Sakura said to Kabuto and Naruto.
"Okay Sakura-chan! Are you sure you don't need help carrying the teme? He's kind of heavy!" Naruto taunted.
"Shut up dobe" Sasuke said, glaring at his teammate.
"I'll be fine Naruto; just don't get us into any more trouble alright?" Sakura teased. Kabuto chuckled as the blond boy pouted and whined. Both headed off in the direction of the tower.
"Come on Sasuke, we don't want to fall too far behind" Sakura said as she helped the Uchiha boy to his feet.
Throwing her left arm around his neck she supported his weight, Sasuke wrapped his right arm around her waist causing Sakura to stiffen and a little heat rise to her cheeks.
"Hn, this is a good position. Comfortable, let's go" Sasuke said and both ninja began to walk slowly after Kabuto and Naruto.
"I have my suspicions about Kabuto, there is something that I can't pinpoint about him but I don't trust him" Sasuke said, moving his lips right next to Sakura's ear and whispering to her so as not to be heard by their companions a few steps ahead.
Shocked and somewhat thrilled at his actions Sakura's legs nearly gave out underneath her, but she pulled herself together and absorbed what Sasuke had said.
She too had felt the same notion towards Kabuto; the pieces didn't seem to fit. How he just happened to come upon Naruto minutes before he opened the Heaven Scroll. Saving their teammate and making Team 7 indebted to him, then helping them effectively obtain the Earth Scroll. What exactly was his game in helping them? Within these exams everyone was to be regarded with suspicion outside teammates and Kabuto was no different. His motives were definitely questionable.
"I agree. I'm suspicious about him as well, his motives are questionable and I wonder what his game is by giving us all the assistance and making us feel indebted towards him" Sakura whispered back into Sasuke's ear, her breath sending tingles up his spine which Sasuke tried and failed to ignore.
We're on the same page that's a nice change, Sakura thought as she smirked triumphantly.
She's good. I'm glad she suspects him as much as I do, Sasuke mused as they continued their slow journey to the tower.
"We're here at last!" Naruto exclaimed happily as Team 7 and Kabuto climbed the stairs at the bottom level of the tower.
Sakura observed that there was a large door in front of them; she figured that was the entry point. She and Sasuke made it up the last few stairs shakily, it had been exhausting supporting his weight and her own through the forest making sure they did not trigger any traps plus keeping her chakra senses sharp.
"Kabuto! There you are!" A voice called out.
Team 7 turned around to see two ninja walking towards Kabuto. Those must be his teammates, at least he wasn't lying about that, Sasuke thought.
"You're late!" One of Kabuto's teammates said as they came to stand with the silver haired ninja.
"Ah yes, sorry about that. You see I got a little side-tracked" Kabuto said, referring to Team 7.
"It's a good thing you did! It's only thanks to you that we got the scrolls!" Naruto piped up.
"Not really, you did most of it on your own. Especially you Naruto, it was very impressive!" Kabuto said kindly and Naruto grinned.
Sasuke and Sakura exchanged glances which didn't go unnoticed by Kabuto. He simply adjusted his glasses and turned to address all of Team 7.
"Well this is the door we go through; yours appears to be the one just next to us. I guess this is so long, and good luck to us both" Kabuto smiled.
"Right!" Naruto said and both teams opened their separate doors and went inside.
"A good harvest?"
"Yes, I learnt a lot about them during the second exam and focused on him as you requested. I recorded the data. You want it?" Kabuto replied and held out one of his ninja data cards.
"Of course I do"
"Your curiosity is insatiable Lord Orochimaru" Kabuto smirked as he handed over the card.
"You're a Sound Village spy which means you see things others do not. It is natural that your opinion would interest me" Orochimaru replied and examined the card with interest.
"But that matters little, whatever it is that I think you'll make the final decision. Isn't that always the way?" Kabuto asked with an edge in his tone.
"You're a cagey one Kabuto, I like that. Good work" Orochimaru said and disappeared into thin air taking the card with him.
"What's the deal? Where is everybody?" Naruto asked and his voice echoed around the empty room.
"Hn, thank you Sakura. I can manage myself now" Sasuke said as he removed himself from Sakura's support immediately missing the warmth and closeness of their situation.
Again, you shouldn't be thinking like that! Togetherness time is over, you need to stay alert and prepare yourself for what's coming next in these exams, Sasuke thought and put some distance between himself and his female teammate.
Sakura nodded at Sasuke's request and ignored the stab of pain as she watched him put distance between them. Inner seemed to be giving off a strong vibe of annoyance at the loss of Sasuke's closeness but chose not to voice it which confused Sakura to no end.
"Great, so what happens now" Sasuke asked as he looked around the empty room.
"It's probably got something to do with that" Sakura said and pointed to the writing on the wall.
"Uh, so?" Naruto ventured, staring in confusion at the writing and Sakura sighed.
"If qualities of Heaven are your desire, acquire wisdom to take your mind higher. If earthly qualities are what you lack, train your body and prepare to attack. When Heaven and Earth are opened together, the pair less path will become righteous forever! This something is the secret way that guides us from this place today" Sakura read quickly.
"This what? Or is that a secret too?" Naruto asked, more confused than ever.
"There's a word missing where I said 'something'. It's clearly referring to the scrolls. From what I can see, we're supposed to open and read the Heaven and Earth Scrolls now" Sakura explained and reached into her concealed pocket and brought out the scrolls.
"Who wants to open the other one?" Sakura asked.
"I'll do it" Naruto said and took the Earth scroll from his teammate.
Slowly both ninja unfurled the scrolls and began to examine their contents.
"Huh what is this?" Naruto asked, turning his upside down.
"It looks like a man, or a person" Sasuke observed from over Sakura's shoulder.
The middle part of the Earth scroll began to bubble up and smoke began to billow out. Team 7 stared wide eyed.
"These scrolls! The writings and pictures are for a summoning jutsu. We need to throw them away right now!" Sakura instructed and hurled her scroll into the air, Naruto quickly did the same.
What is it now? Another fight with a summoned enemy? We're in no position to battle again!, Sakura thought as the smoke began to clear and revealed a mysterious shadowy figure.
"What it's you!?" Sasuke said, shocked. Team 7 was standing face to face with their old academy teacher Iruka.
"Hey, long time no see huh?" Iruka smirked.
"Iruka-sensei?" Sakura asked in confusion.
"Looks like you've all been through a lot during this test" Iruka observed.
"What's the deal, why are you here with a summoning jutsu?" Naruto asked.
"At the end of the second exam, we Chunin are the ones instructed to welcome the test takers back. Guess I got lucky to be given you guys huh?" Iruka said happily and took out a pocket watch.
"Wow, you three made it just in time. So here goes then; congratulations you passed the second exam! Since you've all passed I'd love to treat you to some ramen but I – hey!" he exclaimed as Naruto raced forward and latched himself onto Iruka.
"Ramen! Really! That is so cool! So cool! I haven't had ramen in four days!" Naruto yelled happily, hugging his old sensei.
"Naruto!" Iruka began to chastise but the blond boy kept on going.
"Ah ramen is going to be so cool Iruka-sensei especially if you're paying but especially because we've been eating nothing but bugs and plants and I'm going to eat every noodle every made!" Naruto ranted excitedly.
Sakura and Sasuke dropped to their knees simultaneously. They were exhausted and finally had a chance to rest but Naruto seemed to draw from this constant reserve of energy. Both his teammates marvelled at how he could just keep going.
"I see it now. What would you have done to us Iruka sensei if we had looked at the scrolls in the middle of the exam Iruka-sensei?" Sakura asked when Naruto had finally calmed down.
"Sharp as always huh Sakura?" Iruka said and stooped over to pick up one of the scrolls.
"Part of this exam was to see how well you could complete a difficult mission to the end, put simply you knew that opening the scrolls was against the mission. If you had tried to open one we were ordered to knock you unconscious" the Chunin explained.
"It was a good thing you didn't open yours then huh Naruto?" Sasuke asked arrogantly.
You're telling me! Thank you Kabuto I owe you one!, the blond boy thought as he wiped his forehead in relief.
"Sensei, I have a question. What does the parchment on the wall mean? One part is eaten away, we couldn't understand it" Sakura questioned her former sensei.
"Oh please! Like any of that matters! We passed didn't we!?" Naruto all but screamed in Sakura's ear and the latter had to resist the urge to knock him down a peg or two.
"Actually Naruto explaining that is another one of my required duties. They're instructions Lord Hokage wrote for all Chunin" Iruka said and turned to face the parchment. All of Team 7 looked on in interest.
"Heaven stands for mind and Earth for body. If your weakness lies in your intellect then you have to work hard to learn all the information and skills required. This I feel applies to you Naruto. But if you physically aren't strong you need to work hard every day so your physical strength increases. Wouldn't you say so Sakura?" Iruka said, being oblivious to Sakura's training and changes.
But before Sakura had time to response Sasuke cut in.
"Actually sensei, Sakura's physical strength has increased. Her stamina is good and she can hold her own in a fight. She works hard and it's become more obvious over these past four days" he said and Sakura shot him a grateful smile.
"That is wonderful to hear Sakura! Good for you!" Iruka said a little hurriedly and Sakura frowned at this.
Again with the legitimacy of the compliments about my development, why is it always rushed over and yet Sasuke or Naruto's achievements would be discussed at length, Sakura thought and her annoyance returned.
She was glad Sasuke had said something about her abilities, it showed he had finally come to recognise her performance on the battlefield. She wondered if it were her who had spoken to Iruka about her achievements, would it have been taken seriously.
"So if your mind and body are working together as one, then even a dangerous mission can become an easy one. The part with the missing letter is meant for all of you to fill in. The character on the scroll is for person, a reference to you Chunin. These five days of survival were to test your abilities as Chunin and you all did wonderfully" Iruka said happily.
Team 7 sat in science and Iruka scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"Well that was it that was all I had to tell you" he said.
"Right!" Naruto replied determinedly and saluted his sensei who nodded but his face changed quickly.
"One more thing, for the third exam don't push too hard. Especially you Naruto I-" Iruka began to say seriously but the blond boy cut him off.
"Sensei when I got this headband I stopped being a student, so you don't need to worry about me at all. Right now I'm a ninja too, we all are" Naruto said gesturing to his teammates.
"Right you are Naruto. You have all grown a lot and stand before me as fully capable ninja. I wish you luck as you proceed into the third exam. Come with me" Iruka said in a more business like tone and walked to the end of the room where another door stood.
"This will take us to the central part of the tower where the third exams will take place" Iruka said and opened the door.
Sasuke, Sakura and Naruto got up and followed their former sensei into the third and final part of the Chunin exam.
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