Naruto Shippuden: The Legendary Team

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Meanwhile, in a room in the Tower...

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"I'm surprised you all recommended your young genin teams for the Chūnin Exams," Kushina said as she looked at Asuma, Kurenai, Gai, and Kakashi. "It still baffles me. Aren't they still... inexperienced?"

Kurenai smiled. "You can say that, but Kiba, Hinata, and Shino have grown a lot during these long months. They haven't been genin for a year, but I can clearly see the potential in them. They don't flinch during minor battles, and they work well together. Also, the Hyūga Clan approved of me entering Hinata into the Exams, especially because she's close to manifesting the Byakugan at her young age, just like Neji." Her bright expression displayed how proud she was of her female student. "She's been training like she has goals of her own, although she can be hesitant to fight at times."

Kushina's eyes went wide. "Really? That's great!"

Asuma chuckled. "My kids are the same. This generation is really talented, Kushina-san. Shikamaru is a genius, Ino can use her Mind Control technique flawlessly, and Chouji may be gentle, but he's determined to protect his teammates whenever the time comes."

"The same can be said for my youthful students!" Gai exclaimed proudly. "Neji has already awakened his Byakugan at a young age, Tenten is great at bukijutsu and is promising in fūinjutsu, and Lee is becoming stronger each day!"

Kushina turned to the last member, smiling softly. "What about you, Kakashi-kun?"

Kakashi shrugged. "Naruto's a prodigy as well as Sasuke. Sakura has the potential to be a strong kunoichi and she has goals of her own. I entered them into the Chūnin Exams mainly for the experience. They know better than to die here, so if they're ever in a pinch, they'll disqualify themselves before danger comes. It doesn't matter if they pass or not."

Asuma, Kurenai, and Gai nodded their heads in agreement. "It's the reason why we sent our teams as well. This experience will be good for them and it'll expose them to the shinobi world early on."

"So, there are no psychological problems or anything like that?"

Kurenai shook her head. "I monitor my young students closely, and I haven't seen any signs of instability as of now. If these exams affect their psyche, I will recommend ninja therapy and counseling."

"Spoken like a true jōnin teacher." Kushina sighed, slumping into the chair. "Maaan, I wish I had a team of my own, too! They'd be so cute!"

"Careful," Kakashi said lightly. "Naruto will get jealous if he hears you say that."

Kushina grinned at him slyly. "Exactly why it's fun to tease him," she said mischievously.

• • •

"That was an explosion!" Tenten exclaimed, shielding her eyes from the flying debris coming at them.

"It's Naruto!" Neji said, covering his face with his arms. "Such power...!"

"What?" Tenten gasped. "That little prankster?"

Neji frowned as the impact died down, retracting his arms back to their positions at his sides. "It's no surprise to me," he said, narrowing his eyes. "He's the Hokage's son, after all."

"Can you see Lee?" she asked. "He went ahead of us to get to Sakura."

"He's too far away now," said Neji, shaking his head. "I can't see Sakura anymore, either."

Tenten looked at her teammate. Hyūga Neji was of the branch family, but he was considered a very talented prodigy of the clan. Even Hyūga Hanabi of the main branch only held second place to him. That was because Hanabi had awakened her Byakugan at such an early age, something that everyone found amazing for the reason that the Byakugan was usually awakened at 11 years old. Even the black sheep of the family, Hyūga Hinata, was on the way to awakening the powerful dōjutsu.

Or perhaps she had already achieved it.

Tenten was an ordinary shinobi from an ordinary family, but she worked hard to get where she was, and it made her proud to be able to be in a team with the famed Hyūga Neji. Not only was he worthy of his prodigy status, but he was also open to cooperation and teamwork whenever it was necessary, especially if he considered his teammate capable. Tenten was honored to be his sparring partner for she admired him and his skills a lot.

It was why she believed Neji, if he took it seriously enough, could very well beat most of their former classmates.

"Turn off your Byakugan for a while and let your eyes rest," Tenten told him. "You said Naruto's near, right? Let's go over to him first."

Neji looked at her, then nodded slowly. "You're right. I shouldn't overuse it at this crucial moment."

The two of them went on their way towards the direction where the explosion came from.

• • •

Sakura stared at the girl kneeling on the ground before her. For a moment, she could not recognize her. She was not even aware of where she currently was and what she was supposed to be doing.

But then the memories came to her with such clarity, such succession. The flashbacks came at her so hard that she stumbled to the ground, clutching her head in agony. The trigger had been effective, but it was too overwhelming.

'Oh god... I can't think straight...!' Sakura bit her lip from crying out. 'There's too many...!'

When the pressure on the earth subsided, Yuka immediately took that opportunity to crawl backwards, far away from her opponent.

'This isn't what Kyo, Hatori, and I were prepared for!' she thought to herself in alarm, allowing her emotionless mask to slip from her face. 'The master told us... He told us...! He wouldn't lie to us!'

Yuka hastily opened her ninja pouch and threw the scroll they didn't need at the ground before Sakura, who was still clutching her head. 'There's no time. I have to get my teammates and leave here before she gets a hold of herself! If she's anything like my master described, it's like a death wish if I come after her now! I have to flee!'

Hoping that the scroll she threw would be enough for Sakura to not chase after her, Yuka made a move to run away.

But before she could, a cold, cold voice stopped her in place.

"Hold it right there."

Yuka couldn't help it. She stopped. She could practically feel the chakra waves slowly coming her way, indicating Sakura's full power. 'So that's why her reserves were so low,' Yuka thought to herself in realization. 'She's been unconsciously channeling chakra to that seal as if it were second nature! It's why she couldn't focus as much in our battle!'

Yuka felt dread slowly seeping into her gut. The Byakugō seal was a very powerful ability, and it could very well crush her if she didn't move her feet right now. She had to escape!

Yuka ignored Sakura's words and bolted it out of there, trying to sense Kyo and Hatori's chakra signatures. 'They're nowhere nearby, but if I use the soldier pill I brought with me—'

"I said, hold it right there, shannaro!"

In an instant, Sakura focused chakra into her fist and punched the ground with such force that the earth shattered into crevices beneath her, and the huge cracks were large enough to reach Yuka's position, causing the latter to stumble in place.

"How dare you..." Sakura drawled dangerously, her Yin seal seeming to glow in the darkness as her hair blew away along with the force of the wind. "...try to kill me and my teammates!"

Yuka gritted her teeth. 'No... I won't die here!'

'I'll have to restrain her long enough for me to get away. Think, Yuka!'

"Aaaargh!" Yuka suddenly screamed, clawing at the side of her neck. A familiar symbol appeared on the skin, causing black marks to spread all over her body. Yuka yelled in pain, in agony.

Sakura stopped in her tracks, her expression disbelieving. Her mind still in a fragile state, she could not register what was happening.

'That mark... where have I seen it before...?'

Frozen in shock, Sakura could only watch as Yuka seemed to transform right before her very eyes. The young girl's skin morphed into a rough texture, her eyes dimming into pools of black. Wings protruded from her back, cutting off her scream as it turned into a choked whimper instead. Horror bubbled in Sakura's c.h.e.s.t as she watched Yuka's teeth slowly baring into real fangs.

'What is she...?!'

Yuka's pained cries suddenly stopped. In a slow, arduous motion, she turned to Sakura, her eerie black eyes seemingly appraising her. Sakura realized in an instant that Yuka, or whatever she was now, was regarding her ferociously as an opponent. Fear bubbled in her c.h.e.s.t and strangled her like a chokehold; she often got scared easily, especially when Naruto used to tell those ghost stories by the campfire...

...but wasn't she too old to get scared of monsters now?

Wait... too old? Wasn't she just a child—

While her thoughts took an erratic turn, Yuka had already made her move. With an angry snarl, she grazed Sakura's arm with her pointed claws, successfully drawing blood. Sakura gasped in pain, clutching the affected body part like a lifeline.

But she didn't stop there. Yuka used her wings to fly rapidly towards her, and when she reached Sakura's c.h.e.s.t, she punched so greatly that she caused the younger girl to smash against a tree due to the impact.

Yuka felt nothing. There was only bloodl.u.s.t, only a cloud of anger and l.u.s.t for revenge hazing her mind. The opponent before her was not a small girl, not a fellow ninja, and not even a person. She was merely prey that was about to get eaten.

Unfortunately, for her, Sakura had no intention of becoming prey.

"SHANNARO!" Sakura was before her in a flash of footsteps, her right arm drawn back into a position of offense. With a growl, she punched Yuka's jawline, a crack resounding in the air as the latter crashed into a nearby bush. Sakura's chakra-enhanced feet took her to her opponent in just a few seconds, aiming yet again for another punch. This time, Yuka tried to retaliate by crossing her arms before her face in a defensive attempt, but Sakura speedily counterattacked by grabbing her hair and throwing her to the ground.

"Agh!" A pained cry shot from Yuka's lips as her back met the hard ground. Granted a momentary lapse of sanity, she stared right into the eyes of her opponent, the moon once again illuminating the girl's features.

'So this is... her power...'

Sakura's green eyes seemed to be glowing in the darkness. She drew her hand back once more.

"This is for trying to kill me!" she growled before landing a hard punch to her enemy's gut, causing the ground below her to crack and explode into fissures.

Yuka's scream echoed throughout the forest.

• • •

Lee knew he was fast for his age. He had been practicing a lot every day, especially for this exam, so even with the weights, he had natural power and easy control of his legs. He could run faster than anyone in his class if he took it seriously.

So when Sasuke bolted out of the scene like lightning, Lee suddenly stopped running, his jaw dropping in a rare moment of surprise at the unexpected agility Sasuke had. He hadn't known the boy to be so fast, and skilled with the Shunshin, too!

When the two of them heard the scream, Sasuke had already gone ahead without a word, without an ounce of hesitation.

Suddenly, Lee's heart sank. Suddenly, he felt small and inferior. Suddenly, he wasn't so confident that he could save Sakura anymore.

Suddenly, it was like he knew... that Sasuke was powerful enough to save her alone.

Lee stared into space for a few moments, contemplating and battling with himself in his mind. How silly of him to be debating like this! A person's life was possibly in danger, and here he was being all whiny just because Sasuke displayed a surprising amount of skill that seemed superior to his! He had to be m.a.t.u.r.e and accept that everything, and everyone, he encountered in life was a challenge, and that every day he would prove himself that he would still become a great ninja even though he could not use ninjutsu or genjutsu.

That was what Gai taught him.

With a huff, Lee sprinted towards the direction where he heard the scream. Sakura-san, please be okay! he hoped to himself, racing through the trees and stray branches. He ignored the thorny bushes prickling at his clothes, ignored the cold sweat dripping down his brow, ignored the faint sounds of someone fighting nearby.

And when he reached the scene, he stopped short. It was so dark now, and the only bit of illumination he could make out was the lone moonlight seeping into different parts of the forest. He could see a figure standing not too far away, holding someone in their arms.

It was Sasuke, and Lee had to blink multiple times to register the unusual expression on the boy's face. It was as if Sasuke looked so shocked, relieved, scared, and exhausted at the same time. And his features were so soft, so vulnerable, as he gazed at the sleeping face of his female teammate, that Lee suddenly felt that he was intruding into something private. Averting his eyes, Lee swallowed the words wanting to inquire about Sakura's condition. He had come here to help her out, after all, and that was his only goal. When that was done, they were enemies again.

But would they still be? What had his team decided on again?

They did say they could ally, right?

Lee lifted his gaze and saw Sasuke approaching his way.

"U—Um..." Lee stammered nervously. "Is Sakura-san gonna be okay?"

At his words, Sasuke paused in his movements, coming to a stop directly beside Lee. He slightly craned his head towards the latter, his eyes having a steely gaze to them.

"...She'll be fine," he said quietly. "You should go. The exam is still ongoing."

When Sasuke took a step forward, Lee turned to him, his expression steadily becoming resolute.

"Sasuke-kun," he said, "let's team up!"

"No thanks," Sasuke responded curtly, not even making an attempt to break his stride.

Undeterred, Lee plowed on. "It's a good plan if you think about it!" he said. "We can find our scrolls together, and we'll show each other ours, too! We don't have to fight, do we?"

Sasuke kept on walking, but his pace considerably slowed, as if he was actually considering this plan. "And how would I know that you and your team won't betray us?" he asked, clear mistrust lacing his words.

"We won't! I swear, on my word!" Lee promised, pounding his fist on his c.h.e.s.t determinedly. "A man doesn't go back on a promise!"

This time, Sasuke stopped walking. Sakura was still limp in his arms, her eyes shut as if she was experiencing a wearisome dream. His gaze rested on her face, on the youthful features she currently possessed. It was as if he hadn't gone back in time and he was actually seven years old again, and he wasn't burdened with the goal of saving the world all over again. He watched her take a few quiet, shallow pants, then resume back to her normal breathing.

He knew it would only be a matter of time before she woke up again, and by that time…

…she would be back to the Sakura he knew.

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Earlier…

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Sakura screamed as she fell to her knees, her mind completely disoriented from reality. 'What is this? I can't think straight again!'

'My memories… they're all mixed up!'

With shaky hands, she stared at her fists. They were completely bruise-free even after obliterating the ground multiple times.

'Such power… is this really mine? I can't believe this…!'

Her mind simply overloading, Sakura's eyes rolled to the back of her head, her body swaying as it began to fall towards the lumpy ground.

Familiar hands suddenly wrapped themselves around her, cradling her tightly to a c.h.e.s.t.

"…Sakura." Sasuke's voice drifted into her ears. Funny, he sounded panicked. "Sakura, open your eyes. Are you all right?!"

Sakura wanted to answer him, but she couldn't. Her mouth wouldn't open, and her eyelids felt too heavy. She was exhausted. She wanted to sleep.

But something slipped through the recesses of her mind. A memory, so slippery, yet she caught it in her hands before it drifted away into her deepest subconscious.

"Sasuke-kun…" Her voice came out weak yet somber.

"…What is it?" He sounded hesitant, almost like he was afraid of what she might say.

"Please…" She reached towards him in a weak attempt. Sasuke deftly caught her wrist and laid it on her stomach, not wanting her to exert herself.

But Sakura looked hurt, and her half-lidded eyes were welling up with tears.

"Please… don't leave the village again, Sasuke-kun…"

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Sasuke's lips stretched into a thin line.

"All right," he said, his voice so quiet that Lee could barely hear him. "I accept your offer."

• • •

Naruto knelt before Kyo's unconscious body, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. 'I think I went a little overboard there…' He chuckled nervously. 'But it's been a long time since I got really excited for a battle…'

Naruto sighed, his mind going deep in thought. 'Who is this guy, anyway?' he wondered. 'How come he knows a lot of techniques? I'm pretty sure a few of those were Chūnin-level jutsu!'

Before he could ponder on it more, he sensed his teammates' chakra signatures coming his way, and he instantly stood up, alert.

'This is…' He ran over to them as fast as he could, his palms sweating. "Sasuke!" he yelled.

When Sasuke came into view, he was sporting a small scowl on his face. "Keep it down," he reprimanded. "Do you want the enemies to know where we are?"

But Naruto wasn't listening to him. Instead, his attention zeroed in on Sakura's sleeping state, encased in Sasuke's arms. He felt like something stabbed him in the gut when he saw the strangle marks on her neck.

'Who the hell did that to her?' he thought, his anger rising. He turned to Sasuke, his expression dead serious. "What happened?" he demanded.

"By the time I came to her aid, she was close to fainting," Sasuke responded, his gaze averted. "The enemy was on the ground, defeated."

Naruto stared at him incredulously. "So she defeated that girl? Whew… as I thought," he said, a twinge of pride in his voice, "Sakura-chan is really strong!"

"Naruto," Sasuke said, laying Sakura on the ground as gently as he could. "There's something I have to tell you."

Naruto looked at him. "What?"

"But not now," Sasuke said quietly. "We've got company."

"What? Who…" When Lee came into sight, Naruto's eyes bulged. "Bushy brows?! What are you doing here?" His eyes narrowed. "Wait, you wanna fight? Bring it on, then! I won't hold back, you hear—"

"He's our ally now," Sasuke deadpanned.

Naruto stopped in the middle of his speech, his head whipping towards Sasuke. "Eeeeh?!"

"That's right, Naruto-kun," Lee confirmed proudly. "As of now, Team 9 will be your ally! We will finish this race together!"

"Say what?!" Naruto was still staring at Sasuke, his eyes wide in shock. "What's going on?!"

Sasuke, by now tired of all the conversations he'd been having, let out a sigh. "Long story," he said in a clipped tone.

"Let me explain, Naruto-kun," Lee offered. "My team and I proposed a winning strategy to finish this race as quickly as we can! By allying ourselves with each other, we can eliminate more teams and find more scrolls, therefore the possibility of finding each of our scrolls is higher than fighting alone!"

"Ooohhh!" Naruto exclaimed with sparkles in his eyes. "Bushy brows! You're a genius!"

Lee huffed proudly. "This is the power of youth and friendship!"

"So cool!"

Sasuke had taken a small towel out of his ninja pouch and placed it behind Sakura's head, letting it serve as a makeshift pillow. He sighed once more at the antics the two morons in front of him were having.

'I'm surrounded by idiots...'

• • •

"Oh?" Kushina said, eyeing the surveillance TV that was monitoring the entrance of the tower. "Looks like we have our very first winner."

Minato came up beside her, placing one hand on his hip. "That's quite unexpected," he remarked.

"And from a new village, too," Kurenai said.

Asuma pursed his lips. "Sound Village?"

"We don't have much information about that village yet, but it seems to have promising young ninja," said Kushina, folding her arms across her c.h.e.s.t.

Minato's expression was unreadable. "When I met the ruler," he began, "he was quite polite, and he was also willing to send a team to our village despite crossing foreign territory. However, just in case, I sent a few ANBU to gather information about their village and the residents there."

Kushina turned to him. "And?"

"They have yet to send a message to me," Minato responded. "Though it's too soon to be alarmed just yet. Otogakure is miles away, after all. If they do not send word to me by nightfall, I'll have to send reinforcements."

The jōnins' expressions turned tight at the implication.

"Minato, if—" Kushina began.

Minato shook his head. "It's not yet the time." His eyes turned back to the monitor, his gaze resting on the three young genin exploring the Tower, their expressions flat and seemingly uncaring. "We'll have to observe them for now."

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