The audience roared in the arena. It was eight o'clock in the morning, and most participants were already standing in the middle of the battle field. They all looked at each other, noting that there were only two missing: Sasuke and Dosu.

Genma Shiranui looked at the participants with a frown while biting a toothpick. The Hokage had made him the new proctor of the test when they found Gekko's body a couple of nights earlier. Not only his, but Dosu's body was also found all crushed in the middle of the streets. Poor guy, he must've had a horrible death. "Listen you brats, there has been a change in the alignments," Genma announced, his tired eyes skimmed through each of the contestants. "You will have the same opponents, however, none of you will fight twice. One of the candidates has been incapacitated. I'm not telling you who, figure it out yourselves."

"It's not Sasuke, is it?" Naruto asked Shikamaru, who was standing beside him in the line of participants.

"I don't think so, it must be the one from the Sound. I haven't seen either of them in a while. And none of them is here." Naruto nodded at Shikamaru's words and looked at the entrance gate.

"Where's Sasuke, though, he should be here by now."

* * *

Hanako looked at Sasuke and smiled. "You have improved." Sasuke blinked a couple of times before looking around him. The grounds were intact, except for the marks he and Kakashi had made during training.

"What did just happen?" he asked confused, he was sure he had been fighting Hanako just moments ago.

"Hanako used a Genjutsu on you to measure your abilities," Kakashi explained, snapping his book shut. He had been reading while Hanako tested the Genin. "Did you seriously think we would let you waste chakra before your fight?"

"Even with all the chakra in the world, I don't think it's possible for him to defeat Gaara," Hanako shrugged.

Sasuke glared at her. "Well, thanks for the vote of confidence."

Hanako chuckled and patted Sasuke on his head. "Just be careful, okay?"

"Should we get going, then? I'm worried they skip Sasuke's fight and declare Gaara the winner by default." Kakashi looked at the girl and raised an eyebrow.

"Come on," Hanako rolled her eyes. "I'm pretty sure the Feudal Lords are here to watch Sasuke's match, they wouldn't let the proctor skip it. They probably switched it to last." Hanako smirked. "Besides, they know Orochimaru wouldn't like it either, so they will definitely not take such a risk."

Kakashi frowned. "I guess you have a point there. Well then, let's go."

"You guys go ahead," Hanako hurried to say before Kakashi and Sasuke left. "There's something I have to do first." Kakashi shrugged. "Suit yourself," he said.

* * *

Hanako walked slowly in one of the training arenas. That was probably the last day she could roam around freely in the village, and she wanted to take the most of it.

"Did you actually think I was going to leave you alone?" When Hanako heard Kai's voice, she rolled her eyes.

"Stop following me, Kai."

Kai shook his head, "No way. I came to Konoha so we could be together again, and now you're telling me to leave?" he asks. "That's not going to happen, right Miyu?"

"Like hell it will," Miyu appeared from behind a tree with Doku right by her side. "We were productive this past month actually," Miyu smirked, which made Hanako frown. "We brought someone you might want to see. She has been asking for you." Hanako had an idea of who it was, but she was afraid of how she would react.

"Hana-chan..." Hanako heard Yuu's voice and immediately felt tears building in her eyes. She walked out from behind of one of the trees around them.

"Yuu..." The now thirteen-year-old girl threw herself towards Hanako and hugged her tightly.

"Why did you want to leave us?" Yuu was crying. "Why aren't we enough for you?" Hanako pulled away from the embrace and looked at Yuu's bright blue irises.

Hanako's eyes softened. "Yuu..."

Yuu pulled away and turned her back to her. "You're an idiot, Hana-chan." Yuu crossed her arms in front of her chest. "You think you can do everything on your own. But in the end of the day, you are going to realize you need us."

Hanako's eyes widened in surprise. Kai looked at Hanako with a smile. "You cannot convince us to forget about you. Like Yuu said, you need us, and you mean a lot to us."

"To us? Or to you?" Yuu snapped at Kai, looking at him with a mischievous smile. "Haven't you confessed yet? You gotta try again, Kai. I heard she's single."

Hanako could feel her cheeks hot and she looked away. "I am not..."

Miyu sighed tiredly. "Stop shipping them together, Yuu. It's not going to happen."

"Why won't it?!" Kai pursed his lips.

Hanako sighed. "You guys are terrible," she muttered.

"You wouldn't make a nice couple!" Miyu continued.

"You don't know that!" Kai retorted.

"She is just jealous because she likes you," Yuu shrugged. Kai and Miyu stopped their argument and looked at Yuu with incredulous eyes. Hanako looked at Yuu and she looked back, they laughed.

"Anyway, I have to go," Hanako said.

Yuu snapped at the Uchiha. "Not again!"

"The Chunnin Exams just started," Hanako rolled her eyes. "I have to be there. Wanna come?" Yuu's eyes shone.

"We are going to watch people fight to death? Count me in!"

Hanako laughed. That was one of the reasons she adored Yuu. "I'll meet you in the arena." And she disappeared.

* * *

ANBU were scattered among the bleachers in the Chunnin Arena. When Kakashi finally arrived, it was already time for Sasuke's match against Gaara. He stood in the center of the bleachers and counted the ANBU present in the place.

"Twenty-five," Kakashi was surprised when a female voice muttered to him. She was wearing an ANBU brown cloak and a mask, but if she was talking to him, she wasn't an ANBU. "There are twenty-five ANBU in here, and most of them aren't ANBU."

Kakashi finally recognized the voice. "Hanako?" he hissed in a low volume.

"Shh! Don't blow up my cover," she hissed back.

"Why are you dressed in official uniform? Pretending to be a black-ops is a crime."

"I think I've made enough of those to care," Hanako rolled her eyes under her ceramic mask. She was tired of wearing it, she only felt like crashing it against the hard ground. Hanako couldn't understand how ANBU wore that thing. "Like I said, most ANBU aren't ANBU. They're undercover. Who they are, though, I don't know."

"What if the ANBU find you?"

"They won't."

"How can you be so sure?" Kakashi raised an eyebrow.

"I have an alibi." Hanako shrugged. "There's a clone."

"I think the ANBU can see through shadow clones."

"Not if I am the clone." Hanako looked at Kakashi for a moment before returning her attention to the match that was about to begin. "And I have been here for a while now. They won't be able to tell."

"I see..." Kakashi looked around and stood right beside Hanako. He took her hand under her brown cloak. Hanako looked at him sideways with a brow raised behind her mask.

"You are seriously going to blow my cover," she muttered lowly, so no one else could hear her.

"People wouldn't find it weird if I were dating an ANBU," he shrugged, looking at the girl with a smirk hidden under his mask.

"But they already know you're dating me," Hanako said but immediately regretted it. Kakashi smirked wider.

"Are we?" he asked with an eyebrow raised. "Dating, I mean..."

"No."

"Then why did you mention it?"

Hanako took a deep a breath, and exhaled slowly. "It was a mistake. Clones make mistakes."

Sasuke was making a good job fighting Gaara. He had improved a lot his speed and Taijutsu, and right now he had Gaara on the defensive. "Do you have feelings for me?" Kakashi suddenly asked.

Hanako looked at Kakashi before looking at the ground. "...No." She pulled her hand away.

Kakashi leaned closer to her ear. "You took too long to answer. Makes me think you're lying." Hanako didn't say anything. Kakashi smiled and pulled away from Hanako. He then walked towards Gai, who was also there with a hurt Lee. He had a cask around his broken leg, and walked with the aid of crutches. Hanako looked at Kakashi. He didn't even glance at her.

Did she have feelings for Kakashi? No, that couldn't be. She loved Itachi, but who said she couldn't have feelings for both? The problem was that she could only pick one. And she thought that choice was more than clear.

When she returned her attention to the match, Hanako noticed that Gaara had hid himself inside a sphere made of his sand. Sasuke was standing over one of the walls with lightning in his hand. Hanako frowned. There was lightning in his hand.

"Kakashi, I never thought you would teach your student that technique of yours." Hanako looked sideways at Gai, who seemed focused on Sasuke.

"Well, you taught your student about the Eight Gates, why shouldn't I teach mine some secrets?" Kakashi retorted. Gai only smirked.

"It's not the same."

"What is that jutsu, Kakashi-sensei?" Hanako looked a few rows in front of her, Sakura was sitting there with her friend Ino.

Chidori, Hanako thought grimly. Sasuke knowing a jutsu like that could turn out dangerous. Especially if he decided to use it against his brother.

Gaara's scream in agony brought Hanako back to reality. The sand around him melt down to reveal that Gaara was bleeding. Sasuke was holding his hand in pain. Hanako clicked her tongue and cursed herself for zoning out again. She had lost track of time again. Just like everyone else had. Hanako looked around and her eyes widened when she noticed that everyone was sound asleep, except for Gai, Kakashi and Sakura.

"Genjutsu?" she asked. Kakashi stood again right beside her.

"We are under attack," he said.

"Well, yeah. I can see that," Hanako hushed looking around for the ANBU. They had scattered. In a moment, a line of Sound Shinobi stood in front of them. Hanako narrowed her eyes. The Sound ninja were probably the undercover ANBU. That meant the rest of Orochimaru's subordinates were posing as either civilians or more ANBU.

"Can I leave them to you? I need to look for Kabuto." Hanako looked back at the Jounin, her Sharingan shone brightly through the holes of her mask.

"Go." Kakashi nodded. "Don't worry, we'll take care of them."

Hanako nodded and disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Kabuto was probably also dressed in ANBU clothes, so that's what she would look for. The real Hanako was sitting on the bleachers with the Genso, also wearing ANBU clothes she had recently stole. Genso were wearing their normal clothes, looking like regular Shinobi. Although, none of them wore village protectors. "I need you guys to search the woods for Sound Shinobi," Hanako said.

"What will you do?" Miyu asked.

"I have long chat with Kabuto planned." They all smirked at her. None of them like him, but knew how much Hanako despised him.

The Sand siblings took Gaara away from the Arena and Sasuke followed after them. Hanako frowned when she noticed. "Stupid reckless Uchiha," she muttered.

"Do you want me to follow him?" Kai asked.

"No, let him handle it." Hanako jumped from the bleachers and landed on the fence. She observed Kai and the others jump over the fence, scattering around the forest. Suddenly, she caught a glimpse of a brown cloak jumping over the fence the other way. Kabuto.

A smirk took over her lips as she moved to follow him.

* * *

Hanako had been running after Kabuto for almost ten minutes. They were getting too far away from the village's town and were now approaching the outskirts. Hanako knew that she had to stop Kabuto before he got anywhere past the border. Hanako looked in her pouch for explosive tags and pulled out a bunch. She tied them to the kunai and launched them towards Kabuto. He dodged them professionally but they exploded, forcing him to cover himself as he flew through the air. When Kabuto landed on the ground, Hanako was already waiting for him.

"Looks like my cover was blown," Kabuto looked at Hanako through the holes of his mask. However, he didn't know it was her, he only saw an ANBU mask staring right back at him. Kabuto took his mask off and looked at Hanako with a wide smirk. He stood, turning his back to her. "How did you know I wasn't an ANBU?"

Hanako took her mask off. Kabuto still had his back to her. "Because I'm not an ANBU myself either." At the sound of her voice, Kabuto looked at her from over his shoulder. He frowned.

"Hanako Uchiha, I see the poison never killed you," he commented, turning his body towards her.

Hanako smirked. "You actually hoped for it, didn't you?" She shrugged. "Too bad it was not meant to be."

"What do you want?" Kabuto asked, his frown only becoming deeper. "Why would you betray Orochimaru-sama after everything he has done for you?"

Hanako burst out laughing. "Stop right there," she raised her hand as she grabbed her stomach and hunched over in a fit of laughter. After a few moments, she took a deep breath and finally calmed down. "I'm sorry, was that a joke?" Kabuto narrowed his eyes. "Oh wait, don't answer." Hanako shook her head and straightened back up. She looked at him and smiled widely at his notorious frustration. "You think I was loyal to him? Seriously, Kabuto? I honestly thought you were smarter than that."

"I thought the same about you, Hanako-san," he muttered through gritted teeth. Hanako could see that he moved his hand behind his back, probably to hide his chakra scalpel.

The Uchiha arched a brow. "Kabuto," she started to say, "do you actually think you can defeat me?"

"Why couldn't I?" he retorted.

"Because you're weak," Hanako smirked. "At least compared to me."

Kabuto only smirked back and lounged himself towards her. Hanako raised her hand and caught his wrist. His hand, surrounded with chakra, was left a few inches from her face. Hanako grabbed his arm firmly, and with a flick of her wrist he broke the bone. Kabuto screamed in pain, and backed away when Hanako let go of him. The Uchiha, in a moment, kicked him on his stomach and sent him flying towards the bark of a tree. Kabuto's body crashed against the wood, leaving it cracked. He fell onto the ground and grasped his broken arm. A light green chakra surrounded his other hand, as he healed the broken bone. Hanako slowly walked towards him and grabbed his neck, forcing him back onto his feet.

"Now, listen to me, you little skunk." Hanako neared close enough to mutter right next to his ear. "Next time I won't be so lenient." Hanako let go of Kabuto, and he fell onto his knees.

Kabuto chuckled lowly, gaining Hanako's attention. "You must be really confident to think you're still going to win if there is a next time." Hanako smiled and kneeled in front of Kabuto.

"Do you know what I like of you? One of the little things I actually like of you..." Hanako asked, looking at Kabuto with curious eyes. Kabuto met her eyes, he looked right into her Sharingan. He strangely knew that Hanako didn't intend to use any Genjutsu on him. Besides, he was curious to know what Hanako was going to say. "You are so damn persistent. You just never give up." Hanako pressed her lips together and lifted her shoulders. "That's admirable."

"Would you say it's admirable when I finally get what I want and you don't?" Kabuto hissed, smiling deviously.

Hanako sighed and closed her eyes. "I could kill you right now." She opened her eyes again, pitch black. "But I won't do that, do you know why?" Kabuto's smile was wiped out from his face. "Because I need you to do something for me." Kabuto became more suspicious of her. Hanako continued, "I am about to do something really bad to some really dangerous people. They will be furious."

"So? How does that concern me?" Kabuto asked with a frown. Hanako smiled.

"Let's say I did betray you, like you said. Although, to betray I have to be loyal first, which I wasn't," Hanako started saying. She stood up and started pacing in front of Kabuto. "Likewise, apparently a fair amount of years ago I swore loyalty to an organization I want to obliterate, do you follow?"

"Akatsuki?" Kabuto narrowed his eyes.

Hanako clapped her hands. "Bravo! Hey, you are smart, I'll give you that." She chuckled. "Yes, they are after me. And they have something I need, but they will only give it to me if I give them something in exchange..."

"Which is...?"

"Orochimaru's dead body."

Kabuto looked at her with wide eyes, before the surprise turned into amusement. "You wouldn't be able to kill Orochimaru-sama. You might be powerful Hanako-san, but not that much."

Hanako chuckled. "I won't kill Orochimaru just because I figure he might be useful to me in the near future." Hanako pulled out a kunai from her pouch and made a cut in her finger. A trickle of blood fell down her finger into her open palm. "However, I need something else to make that exchange, something that might interest the Akatsuki more than Orochimaru."

"And you think I know that?" Kabuto raised an eyebrow.

Hanako looked sideways at him. "You behold the information of all of Orochimaru's doings, you are what we call a 'master hand'. You know what Orochimaru knows and that's quite enough for me." Kabuto silently listened to her. "There is only one thing that might interest the Akatsuki more than that filthy snake, and we both know what that is." Kabuto just stared at her, not saying anything. "Come on, Kabuto-kun. You worked as a spy for them, you perfectly know what I mean," she winked.

"A Jinchuuriki..."

"Wow, you are really getting the hang of it. Good job!" Hanako fake-celebrated, waving her hands in the air before dropping them and turning serious again. She still held the kunai in her hand. "I know you have the information of most vessels. Hand it over, and I'll let the snake live."

Kabuto laughed. "You cannot—"

"Shh..." Hanako placed a finger on her lips. "Don't say anything else. Maybe I can't kill him alone, but he's fighting the Hokage right now, isn't he? The Third plus me...It would be tough even for someone like Orochimaru." Hanako shook her head. "You wouldn't do something like that to him. Would you?"

Kabuto looked up at her and pursed his lips. "What will you do with that information?"

Hanako smirked. "That exceeds our agreement." Kabuto took a deep breath. "Give me that information, Kabuto, starting with the little redhead that carries the Ichibi." Kabuto clenched his healthy hand into a fist. He didn't say anything.

"Tick-tock, I don't have all day..." Hanako blinked a couple times. Kabuto remained silent. Minutes went by and they just stared at each other.

Hanako finally sighed, turning away. "Alright, if that's how you wanna play it, be my guest." Hanako started to walk away. "I've got a thousand ways planned on how to kill that snake. Might as well start trying until one of them works."

"Wait," Kabuto said and Hanako stopped in her steps. Her lips curled up into a victorious smile. "I have the information you want. I'll give it to you, if you don't interfere with our plans anymore." Hanako turned to face Kabuto.

"Sounds good to me."

"Which means, you must not interfere between Orochimaru and whatever he has planned to do with Sasuke-kun." Hanako smiled.

"I will not interfere between Orochimaru and whatever he has planned to do with Sasuke," Hanako repeated his words with a confident smile. Kabuto was confused, he didn't think it would be so easy to get her to agree.

"Come meet me in the hideout at the north when this is over. I'll give it to you there," he said.

"I need a guarantee. How am I supposed to know you'll be there?" Hanako raised an eyebrow, her smirk never leaving her face.

"We will be there."

Hanako narrowed her eyes. "You have two days. If you are not there, I will hunt you down, kill you, and deliver your corpses to the Akatsuki." Hanako's voice was so grave, not even Naruto would have missed the threat in it.

"Where is my guarantee that you won't kill us once you know what you need to know?" Kabuto asked. Hanako approached Kabuto and crouched in front of him. She lifted her bloody hand towards him, the wound was healed but the blood remained. She said, "Lick my blood and swallow it."

Kabuto looked at her strangely, but licked the red liquid and swallowed. At the moment he did, an excruciating pain flowed in his body. The bone in his arm snapped back into a single piece and every wound in his body healed miraculously. Kabuto moved his arm, it was healed as if it had never been broken. The guy looked at the Uchiha with surprise. Hanako only smirked and straightened back up.

"If I intended to kill you, I wouldn't have healed you," she said. "Now, if you would excuse me, I have to make sure Gaara doesn't kill Sasuke." After that, Hanako disappeared in flames. Kabuto relaxed and leaned against the tree. All pain was gone. This time, he really was afraid of the Uchiha, if she could do something like that, who knew what else she could do.