Cherry Blossoms and Chakra Strings:A Challenge
A Challenge
The streets of Konoha were alive in a way that only happened during festivals or the crowning of a new Hokage. The village was a sensory overlord of colors, voices, and bodies, a hum of collective excitement and anticipation echoing through the cobblestone. Everyone was excited, and Team 3 wasn't an exception.
Sakura walked with her team, shoulders brushing against her teammates’ as they navigated the packed streets. Her mind was only half on the path, the other half much more interested in the sights around them. She’d never seen her own village so alive; it was almost unrecognizable. So many new faces…
“Look at them,” Sakura muttered, watching a group of Kumo nin laughing loudly outside a tea house. “It’s like everyone in the whole world decided to come to Konoha today.”
“Well yeah, it’s the biggest Chunin Exams since… well, ever,” Tsu pointed out, elbowing Sakura playfully. “Think of the business your parents are getting. They’re probably swimming in ryo.”
Sakura’s parents had indeed set up a stall in the market, capitalizing on the influx of visitors to sell their wares. Hanami had been conscripted to help out, though Sakura imagined the girl had been more than happy to assist.
“Hanami is supposed to be helping out,” Sakura said, her brow furrowing slightly as she pictured her younger sister surrounded by strangers.
Tsu snorted, scratching Tadao behind the ears. The ninkin was sitting snugly inside of her jacket despite his ever increasing size, bulging the fabric in a way that was almost comical. It was better than him running around and getting stepped on. Or, as Sakura imagined was more likely, stealing snacks from whatever unlucky civilian he ran across.
“Do you think she’ll be overwhelmed?” Hikari asked, concern flitting through their pale eyes.
Sakura shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips. “She’ll probably help out a lot, believe it or not. She’s really serious about the whole merchant thing.”
“As serious as you and the whole puppet thing?” Tsu asked, her tone teasing but curious as they stepped around another civilian family. The group was clearly visiting from some far-off country, their clothing distinct and their eyes wide with interest in just about everything around them.
Sakura watched them pass, a memory surfacing of when she used to look at the world with that same wide-eyed wonder and excitement, back when she still rode the caravan with her parents. That was before she realized that the destinations rarely outweighed the journey taken to them. She much preferred only traveling for missions these days.
“Honestly… probably,” Sakura replied, making both of her teammates blink in surprise.
Tsu barked out a laugh. It was loud enough to startle the family they had just passed, but the Inuzuka didn’t seem to care. “Damn, seriously? That’s pretty impressive. Guess when your family gets an idea in their head, it’s pretty hard to get them away from it, huh?”
“You have no idea,” Sakura chuckled.
They had until noon until the exam started, which meant they still had a few hours of spare time. Mostly, Team 3 was just walking around the village taking in the sights, but the crowd was starting to wear on them. The press of bodies, the noise, not to mention the added heat on an already humid day, was a little much.
Eventually, they found themselves drifting toward a quiet street near a mostly residential area, a place people wouldn’t come unless they had a reason to. It was actually somewhat close to Sakura’s house, and the pinkette mentally debated just going there instead, but decided it wasn’t worth the trip. Besides, it was a nice day, all things considered.
She sighed as she took a seat on a bench beside her teammates near a small river running through the street. The water trickled softly, a tranquil contrast to the roar of the market district.
Sakura closed her eyes softly, careful not to disturb the face paint that she had carefully applied earlier that morning. Her new accessory was mostly centered around the top of her face, shadowing her eyes and sliding down her cheeks like claws. According to Tsu, it gave her an intense, animalistic look.
Though I guess she’d know best, Sakura thought as she lounged back on the bench. Hikari was occupying themself with sharpening a kunai, the rhythmic sounds of the whetstone oddly soothing against the backdrop of the distant noise. Tsu was sitting cross-legged on the grass, feeding the ninken treats from her pocket and keeping an eye on a bird roosting in a nearby tree, just in case.
Figuring that she should keep herself busy as well, Sakura pulled out a small, leather-bound notebook. It wasn’t hers – or well, technically it was; Anko had given it to her as a reward for almost finishing her homework. It contained a list of some very interesting poisons, clearly the woman’s own work.
Sakura had studied it extensively, adding what she could to her own arsenal and cataloging what she couldn’t, and by now she could probably recite it page by page in her sleep – but it was good to test herself every once in a while.
She made it about halfway through her notes, her lips silently moving through the complex names of various plants and animals, before the quiet was interrupted by the pattering of small footsteps and a happy, familiar voice.
“Onee-chan!”
Sakura looked up, and a smile instantly crossed her face as she caught sight of her little sister. Hanami was running down the street towards her, a bright smile lighting up her features, the long sleeves of her kimono flapping behind her like wings. The girl was accompanied by their father, who was lagging behind a great deal, unable to keep up with his little girl’s perpetual excitement.
Sakura stood and stepped forwards just in time to catch her little sister as she launched herself at her. Jade eyes looked up at her earnestly, and Hanami’s smile glinted in the light as she regarded the genin.
“Are you a Chunin yet?”
Sakura laughed, the sound light and easy as she set her sister back on her feet. “Not yet, Hanami. The exams haven’t even started yet. It’ll be a few days before that happens.”
“Oh,” Hanami said, seeming surprised, but the expression was quickly wiped away under a tidal wave of childish excitement. She grabbed Sakura’s hand, bouncing on the balls of her feet. “Guess what? I’ve been helping Tou-chan and Kaa-chan sell all sorts of stuff! We already made a ton of money and they said I get to keep some of it!”
Kizashi finally caught up to them, slightly breathless yet grinning widely. He laughed, the sound booming slightly in the quiet street, and reached out to ruffle Sakura’s hair.
“It’s only fair,” he said, beaming at his youngest daughter. “Hanami here has some pretty ruthless business practices. Half of our customers wouldn’t have even approached our little stall if she wasn’t there.”
Sakura looked at her sister curiously. Hanami just smile, rocking back on her heels, the very picture of innocence. Sakura set her down, amused by the thought of her little sister strong-arming tourists into buying overpriced souvenirs.
“What are you doing over here, anyway?” Sakura asked, looking between her father and sister. “I thought you said you stocked up for weeks.”
“We did!” Kizashi wiped a sheen of sweat from his forehead. “We closed the stall for a little while so we could resupply. We’ve made more than enough money to take a little break and grab some more of our big ticket items. You know how it goes with tourists like these; they all want something to remember the trip by.”
“That’s true,” Sakura said with a small smile, glancing back toward the main road where the noise still drifted faintly to them. She looked back at her dad, her expression curious, “Are you going to be watching the exams?”
“Of courss we are!” Kizashi beamed, his chest puffing out with pride. “There’s no way I’m going to let my daughter show off without me there to see it. Your mother is saving seats right now.”
Sakura grinned brightly at the idea of her family cheering her on from the stands. “Good. You guys better be there, because I plan on winning the whole thing.”
“That’s my girl!” Kizashi laughed, patting her firmly on the shoulder. He stepped back, outting a hand on Hanami’s shoulder. “We’d better get back to the stall before your mother decides I’ve slacked off enough and decides to come get me. Good luck, sweetie.”
The two departed with a wave, and Sakura watched them go with a fond smile lingering on her face.
A hand landed gently on her shoulder, pulling her from her thoughts. Sakura looked over to find Hikari standing there, looking down at her with a small smile before nodding down the street.
“It’s almost noon,” Hikari pointed out. “We should get a move on.”
Sakura nodded, her expression shifting from the relaxed sister back to the focused kunoichi she needed to be for the exam. “Right. Let’s go.”
They gathered their gear quickly and headed back down the main road towards the Academy where the first stage of the exams were being held.
As they drew close, the atmosphere shifted abruptly. Where before there were a couple of civilians lingering around on the street – both those from inside the village and those visiting – now it seemed that only other ninja were gathered around them, all heading in the same direction, and all carrying that same tension, the excitement for the upcoming challenge.
Their journey didn’t last much longer, and Team 3 paused as they heard a rancorous shouting coming from nearby. The noise cut through the ambient hum of the crowd around them, drawing their attention to a street a little off of the main road.
Tsu’s ear twitched, and she tilted her head, her brows furrowing. “Is that…?”
Sakura nodded, recognizing the voice instantly. “Yeah, that’s Naruto. Come on, let’s go see what’s going on.”
They headed over towards the commotion, the crowd parting warily around them as they approached the source of the disturbance. They came across a curious sight. Naruto and the rest of Team 7 were squaring off against another group of clearly foreign ninja.
There were three of them. A girl with blonde hair and a large fan strapped to her back, a boy in a black suit with what looked like cat ears and a massive bundle of cloth stuck to his back, and a redhead with the largest gourd Sakura had ever seen who was sitting in a nearby tree, watching the interaction with lazy, disinterested eyes.
Sakura’s eyes immediately honed in on the bundle attached to the boy’s back, widening with recognition as she spotted the puff of fake hair sticking out of the top. Her eyes darted to the hitai-ate on his forehead.
“Suna,” she murmured, the pieces falling into place. The bundle, the face paint -- it was textbook puppeteer work. Could it be?
“That boy,” Hikari said, their voice low as their eyes locked onto the small kid being shielded by Naruto. “Isn’t that Lord Third’s grandson?”
“Holy shit, it is,” Tsu said, staring at the little runt as he sniffled behind Naruto’s leg. She scratched her cheek, looking between the hostile foreign nin and her teammates. “Should we step in before things get out of hand?”
Hikari’s pale eyes narrowed slightly, their posture shifting with tension as Naruro's shouting reached a fever pitch. “Too late.”
As if on cue, the boy in the black suit reacted negatively to something Naruto said. With a growl of irritation, he gripped the straps of the massive bundle on his back and yanked it off, slamming it onto the ground in front of him with a heavy thunk that cracked the pavement.
The blonde girl with the fan stared at him in shock. “Kankuro, you can’t be serious. Here?”
“I’m just gonna teach the brats a quick lesson, Temari,” Kankuro replied with a sneer, his knuckles white as he gripped the top of the bundle. “They need to learn to respect their superiors.”
The bandages began to slowly unravel, slipping away from the bundle, and. Sakura’s eyes narrowed as she caught sight of the carved, wooden head of a puppet. She stepped in front of her team, making her way towards the confrontation with purpose, eager to stop this before it got to out of hand.
Tsu noticed her teammate’s shift in demeanor and sighed, shaking her head. “Welp, guess we’re doing this.”
~~~
Kankuro sneered at the genin in front of him, utterly incensed at the lack of respect spewing from the brats’ mouths. He’d been itching for a fight since they crossed the border, and these treehuggers were asking for it. He’d knock them around a bit with Karasu and maybe edge out another group from the exams while he was at it.
Suddenly, before anyone had time to react, a dozen miniscule chakra threads shot from behind the blonde one and wrapped around his puppet, constricting the bandages around it. The wooden limbs jerked as the invisible strings tightened, locking the mechanism in place before he could even fully unveil his weapon.
Kankuro’s eyes widened, snapping to the glowing strings wrapped around his puppet. “What the hell?”
A voice drifted from behind the group, smooth but edged with steel. “You guys should really practice better diplomatic relations. I mean, Naruto I can understand, but you too, Sasuke? Ami?”
Sakura stepped around Team 7, her fingers moving with with dexterity as her threads wound even tighter around the sealed puppet. Her green eyes were locked on the Kankuro, analyzing his grip, his stance, and the way his muscles tensed in confusion.
Kankuro yanked on the bundle, trying to pull it back, but Sakura held it firm, not giving a single inch in their little game of tug-of-war.
“Let go!” he snarled, chakra flaring as he tried to overwhelm the foreign threads holding his puppet in a vice grip.
Sakura stood her ground, her eyes narrowing as he fought against her. “I don’t think so. You’re in a village full of civilians and allied shinobi, and the first thing you do is try to start a street fight? That’s not exactly a great way to represent Sunagakure.”
The tension in the street ratcheted up a notch. Kankuro’s face twisted in frustration, his hands clenching into white-knuckled fists as he yanked uselessly against the invisible wires holding his puppet captive. Behind him, the girl with the fan stepped forward, her hand hovering over the giant weapon on her back as the rest of Team 3 stepped up to join their comrade.
“Who are you?” Temari demanded, seeming one errant twitch away from pulling out her weapon. Sakura, deciding her message had been properly delivered, let go of Kankuro’s puppet, rendering it back under his control as she let her hands drop back to her sides.
“Someone who thinks it’s probably not a good idea to threaten the Hokage’s grandson,” she said, nodding towards the kid who’d finally stopped sniffling and was staring at them all with wide eyes.
The Suna genin paled, their eyes darting to the little boy in shock. Konohamaru stuck his tongue out at them from behind the safety of Naruto’s leg, and Temari took a step back, looking between Team 7 and 3 with newfound caution.
Kankuro took Sakura in, his eyes sweeping over her bright pink hair and sharp green eyes, before drifting down to the scroll on her hip. His eyes narrowed as the pieces clicked into place.
“That’s her,” Kankuro growled, ignoring the Konoha genin entirely to focus his glare on Sakura. “The one Lady Chiyo was talking about.”
Temari blinked, looking between Sakura and her brother with evident shock. “Her? Are you sure?”
Sakura felt a distinct rush of pride at the shock on the Suna kunoichi’s face. She preened internally, standing a little straighter. It made sense that her sensei would mention her to people, even if she knew the woman likely complained more than she praised. Still, any mention was better than none. It was proof that the woman was thinking about her.
Kankuro’s nostrils flared, his lip curling in distaste. “Yeah, that’s her. Who else in this village would know how to use chakra threads like that?”
Sakura tilted her head, affecting an air of casual indifference she didn't entirely feel. Her fingers twitched, ready to summon Teashi if he decided to retaliate. “It’s not exactly hard to learn if you know what you’re doing."
“That’s the whole point, nobody else would know what they’re doing,” Kankuro snapped, his grip tightening on the bandages of his bundle. He looked like he was itching for a fight, his pride clearly wounded by being restrained so easily.
He grabbed his puppet and everyone tense but quickly relaxed as he simply hoisted the heavy object back onto his back. He didn’t look happy about it, though. He narrowed his eyes at Sakura, staring her down for a long, uncomfortable moment.
Sakura's hand slowly drifted down to the scroll on her hip where Teashi was sealed, just in case he decided to try his luck again. He caught the movement, and his sneer grew.
“It’s in there, huh?” he asked.
Sakura's fingers lightly pressing against the edge of the scroll as they stared each other down. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
Kankuro scoffed, “Lady Chiyo taking a student outside of the village is one of the greatest disgraces to the Puppet Corps since Akasuna no Sasori.” He glared at her harshly, his posture aggressive. “I’m looking forward to crushing you in the exams and showing everyone what a mistake it was to teach an outsider our secrets.”
Sakura didn’t flinch under his glare, keeping calm and offering a small, confident smirk. “I’m looking forward to seeing you try.”
The air between them crackled with tension, the promise of a future duel hanging heavy in the humid afternoon air. Just as Kankuro opened his mouth to retort, a familiar voice cut through the standoff, laced with an amusement that set Sakura on edge.
"Oh wow! It's only been a day and you're already getting into fights? I knew I liked you for a reason, Sakura."
They all turned to look up at a nearby building, and instantly, every member of Team 3 was set back on edge.
Because there, leaning casually over the railing, her long dark hair spilling over her shoulders and purple eyes gleaming as she smiled down at them with intense interest, was a Kumo nin that was all too familiar to them.
Sasuke stepped up, his hand hovering over his weapon pouch as he glared at the newcomer. “Who is that?”
Tsu didn’t take her eyes off the woman, a low growl rumbling in her throat. “Trouble.”
“Aw, don't be like that!” The Kumo nin hopped down from the rooftop, landing in a crouch just in front of them. She straightened up, dusting off her hands, her grin widening as she took in the group of assembled genin, “I missed you guys pretty bad! It’s not every day people my age manage to almost kill me. I’m a pretty big deal, ya know?”
To Sakura’s surprise, the Suna group seemed just as wary of the Kumo kunoichi as Team 3 was. Kankuro shifted uncomfortably, his hand hovering near his puppet again, while Temari took a step back, her knuckles white as she gripped the strap of her fan.
The redhead in the tree, however, merely shifted his gaze. His heavy-lidded eyes locked onto the girl, and for the first time, a flicker of something other than boredom crossed his face.
The girl’s violet eyes gleamed with delight as she took a step forward, but to everyone's surprise, she completely ignored the Konoha genin her focus narrowing entirely on the trio from Suna.
“Temari, Kankuro…” The names rolled off her tongue in a drawl, eliciting more flinches, before her gaze slid upward, locking onto the boy in the tree. Her smile widened as their eyes met. “Gaara.”
“Amane,” the aforementioned boy replied, his voice laced with recognition and a strange amount of warmth for the deadly look plastered on his face. “It's been a long time.”
"Bah, only a couple years!" Amane waved her hand, looking for all the world like she was just another girl instead of one of the most deadly foes Sakura and her team had ever faced.
The Sand siblings looked uncomfortable, glancing between their little brother and the Kumo nin with open wariness. Sakura got the impression that this wasn't the first time these groups had met. And clearly, the Kumo ninjas left the same impression on them as she had on team 3.
Amane's gaze slid away from Gaara, looking back towards Salura's team, ignoring Team 7 entirely. Zhe took a step closer, her gaze landing on Sakura specifically.
“You guys are planning to enter the tournament, right?” she asked, her voice low and expectant.
Sakura blinked, staring at her warily. “Uh… yeah?”
“Good,” Amane said, her smile growing into a wide grin. She leaned in, her eyes sparkling with interest as she regarded Sakura. “This is gonna be a good one. So many villages and their Kage, not to mention the Daimyo…” she trailed off, her lips twisting into a strange smile. “We have to put on a good show, right? That's the only way the message will stick.”
Sakura frowned, confused by the statement. “Message?”
Amane just giggled, the sound echoing through the street. She stared at Sakura, her grin growing just a little too wide. “You'll get it eventually. For now, focus on making it to the finals. That's always the tournament, right?”
Sakura stared at her, confusion mounting as the Kumo nin leaned closer, her purple eyes glinting with intensity, “I want to fight you again. And this time, I won't just burn your poison out. I don't want things to end so quickly.”
Sakura could feel her team tensing around her, ready to defend her if it came down to it, but Sakura couldn't take her eyes off Amane, thr prospect of what she just said ringing in her head. The girl was dangerous, but the idea of someone holding back on a fight against her… didn't sit right.
She frowned, shifting on her heels. “Do I look like I need a handicap?”
Amane blinked, tilting her head before she laughed loudly. “Alright then. No handicaps!” she agreed, her grin turning dangerous. “It'll be a no holds barred battle! Just make sure that you make it to the finals, alright? I'd hate to see your team get kicked out first round.”
“Maybe you should take your own advice,” Tsu said, her hackles still up as she glared at the girl. “Your team still have at least one round of tests to get through, so don't go spouting shit like you've ready made it.”
Amane laughed again, her hands resting on her hips. “Team? I don't have one of those.”
“What?” Hikari asked, seeming startled, “The Chunin Exams are team based. You are required to have three people to sign up.”
Amane shrugged. “I guess I'm a special case.”
“How special could you be?” Sasuke asked with a sneer.
Amane smiled secretly, turning to eye the Uchiha who she had thus far ignored. “Pretty special.
The Konoha nin stared at her incredulously. Was someone actually arrogant enough to try to take on the Chunin exams on their own? In an exam this big, no less? Amane was strong, but she wasn't that strong. Why did Kumo let her come alone?
The questions were stacking up, but the girl in front of them didn't seem willing to explain.
“I'll see you guys out there,” Amane said with a grin and a wave. She turned back to Gaara, bowing her head slightly. “We’ll catch up later, okay, Gaara?”
The redhead inclined his head and Amane saluted before her form suddenly wavered and then splashed to the ground in a puddle of water, revealing that they had been speaking to a clone all along.
As she disappeared, Gaara finally pushed off of the tree, drawing eyes towards him. “Temari, Kankuro. We're leaving.”
“Y-yeah, alright.” Temari said, her face pale as she glanced back to where Amane had disappeared. Kankuro lingered a moment longer, staring at Sakura intently, before he too turned around and followed after his teammate.
Team 3 and Team 7 were left alone in the middle of the street, a feeling of disquiet spreading between them all. Sakura exchanged glances with her teammates, all of them thinking the same thing. This exam had just become a lot harder.
“Who was that?” Ami asked, looking extremely uncomfortable. “She was… weird."
It seemed like the girl wanted to say something else but stopped herself. Sakura had a feeling she had been more than just a little disturbed by the encounter. And she hadn't even been the one holding all of the Kumo kunoichi’s attention!
“We don't know,” Tsu admitted, her voice gruff. “We fought her before. She kicked all of our asses at the same time.”
The admission clearly shocked Team – even Sasuke’s normally unflappable expression gave way to surprise at her words.
Naruto's mouth dropped in disbelief, “Woah, seriously? At the same time?”
“Yeah. Sensei stopped the fight, but if it continued, I don't think we would have won,” Hikari said, their eyes narrowed and brow furrowed. “She shrugged off Salura's poison like it was nothing.”
“Burned it off, apparently,” Sakura grumbled. “Whatever that means.”
She stared down the street, eyes narrowed. The girl said that she'd see them in the exams, but Sakura had been hoping that future would never come to pass. Guess that was too much to wish for.
Still, it didn't change anything. Amane was just one powerful opponent in an exam full of many. Sakura planned to show off her skills regardless.
“Come on, let's get to the testing room. I don't want to be disqualified for being late.”