"Hey, Kid, where's Sakura?"

Naruto stopped trying to gather chakra and looked at his temporary sensei that replaced Ebisu, Konohamaru's private tutor and apparent 'Master of the Ninjutsu Arts'. "Eh? Sakura-chan?"

Jiraiya grinned. "So you do know her!"

The blonde smiled and scratched the back of his head. "Of course, —ttebayo! She's my teammate! Sakura-chan is super oblivious to everything, dattebayo, like Teme's huge crush on her!"

"Teme?" Jiraiya repeated, an eyebrow raised.

Naruto nodded vigorously. "Yeah. Sasuke. Anyways, she's kinda weird but crazy smart, and she may or may not be even cooler than ramen! I'm not sure, though. If I asked Teme, he would say Sakura-chan, and he has a biased opinion, —dattebayo. And I can't ask Kakashi-sensei, because he doesn't like Sakura-chan in general."

The toad sage frowned. "Is that so."

"Yep." Naruto sat down again and closed his eyes. "Pervy-Sage, dattebayo, it feels like my chakra is blocked...it didn't feel this way before the exams."

"Naruto," Jiraiya said cautiously, "this may sound weird, but take your shirt off." He could ask more about Sakura later.

"What the hell, —ttebayo?!"

:::

Sakura sat in the empty fields, alone. For three days now, she had gone under a highly suggested, intensive training trip by herself to 'be one with nature', as the scroll given to her read. She decided to focus all her time and energy devoted on mastering one jutsu that would be effective against Temari, a strong wind-user.

I have the advantage, for I have knowledge of Temari of Sunagakure's skill set, but she has none of mine. I will win my match. However, according to past experiences, I should not be overconfident. One of the rules in the Shinobi Code of Conduct is, "A shinobi must prepare before it is too late to." I must be prepared for any possibility that may occur, whether it be the duel in which I will fight Temari, or the invasion.

After she was done thinking, Sakura ate a rice ball she had made earlier and then continued meditating, slowly increasing the capacitive amount in her chakra reserves.

One week, one day, five hours, eleven minutes and nineteen seconds until the day of my fight.

:::

To not-so-dear Sasuke Uchiha,

It is I, Sakura. I decided to leave when you did not wake up after thirty minutes and forty-nine seconds, to train by myself.

It seems Kakashi is truly an incompetent sensei, seeing how you and Ramen-boy have a sensei to teach you, while I do not have one. Perhaps I will fail in my fight against Temari of the Sand. However, the probability is low.

Farewell until the Chūnin Exam duels.       
             
                                                                      —Sakura

Sasuke scowled at the chicken scratch handwriting belonging to his teammate as he read it for the hundredth time. If he thought Naruto's was bad, he would have been straight-up terrified of Sakura's.

Nowadays, it seemed like he always had a permanent scowl on his since the Forest of Death genjutsu. After not seeing anyone other than Kakashi for two weeks, and not seeing his other team members was something he would never admit he missed. Being alone did make him reevaluate what his priorities were. Itachi would always be his top priority, but it didn't hurt to have acquaintances along the way.

It sounded like Naruto was training with someone, at least. Sakura, of course, was not set up with a sensei by Kakashi. Sasuke's brows furrowed as he reread the part about him being an 'incompetent sensei'. What would she do the entire month? Would she train all by herself? But most of all, would she be okay against the Suna girl?

Sakura will be fine, he chided himself. I should be worried about her improving while all I've learned to do is turn my hands charcoal-black from failed Chidori's. And Dobe, too. I wonder what he'll learn.

:::

"Wha—WOAH! WHY'D YOU PUSH ME, DATTEBAYOOO!"

Jiraiya peered over the edge of the steep canyon as he watched the blonde plummet to his death. "You can do it, Kid," he called down, then went over to the small pool of water to cool down for a short while. The seal on him from Orochimaru was restricting the chakra flow of the Kyūbi, so now he should be fine. I think.

I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die—! Naruto shook his head and gritted his teeth. Think, think, think! What would Teme or Sakura-chan do?!

Naruto made a face and thought of what the apathetic girl would say:

"It is your fault if you are incompetent enough to be put in a situation you can not get out of. Rule #3 of the Shinobi Code states: 'A shinobi must hone their reflexes, for they often react without you realizing it.'"

"Hm...that's not it..." The blonde tapped his chin as he thought. "Rule #13 of the Shinobi Code states: 'Hesitation is death.'" Naruto placed a fist into his open hand. "Yeah, that's what she would say! Hesitation is death, —ttebayo!" He snickered. "And Teme would probably agree with her—WOAH! HESITATION IS DEATH!"

Hey, you idiot, you're going to get the both of us killed.

"Wh-who is that?!"

Why are you yelling when it's only the two of us?

Suddenly, Naruto found himself in something that seemed to be the infrastructure of a sewer. Underneath his feet was about a door of water he would've sunk through, had it not been for the chakra technique he learned from Pervy-Sage. "Wow..." He looked around, amazed at what he could see when he finally turned fully and saw a prison-like area at the end if the short hall. Slowly, he walked towards it. As he got closer, he noticed a large paper seal of the outside where a lock would typically be.

Yes, that's right...come closer.

When Naruto was ten feet away, he stopped. He squinted, trying to look at what was in— "Are you...the Kyūbi?" The blonde could feel his jaw drop when the largest animal he'd ever seen made its way into the light.

Abruptly, a humongous set of pointy teeth appeared. The smallest was the size of Jiraiya, who was over six feet tall.

What does it look like, Kit? I have an idiot as a host. Also, if you don't do anything, you'll die, and I'll be stuck with you until who knows when.

"I don't know how to make a summon large enough to save me, dattebayo!"

Would you stop with the stupid catchphrase? Anyway, that's not my problem. It's all your fault if you die.

"H-hey, wait! You're made of chakra, right?" Red eyes stared back at him, not responding. Then, they closed. "You can lend me some! Just like that one mission gone wrong!"

Oh? One eye peeked open. Why would I want to help you?

"Uh...'cause you have to pay rent for staying in my body, dattebayo! That's why!"

Then, the Kyūbi chuckled, the vibrations making ripples in the water, distorting the reflections below. You're a strange human. But sure, why not? After all, if you die, I do too. Technically.

"Alright! We should hurry if I'm gonna live, —ttebayo!"

Right, right...

:::

Jiraiya frowned when he didn't see anything appear. "I wonder if the kid wasn't as good as I thought," he muttered, then scratched the back of his head, detangling his long, white, spiky hair. "But, I guess Kushina was full of surprises." He chuckled to himself, not at all surprised when, suddenly, a large cloud of air spilled out from the canyon. Then, a few moments later, a large red frog jumped out with only one leap.

"Gamabunta? He really channeled the Kyūbi for this one." He whistled, then flinched when he heard the large toad chuckle and then bellow his name. "I should've know that brat would sell me out," he mumbled, then stood to greet his old friend. His second worst fear was coming true: Naruto and Gamabunta were getting along.

Sakura will be preparing only one jutsu for her fight...it has to be pretty good, then. Any guesses on what it will be?

Next chapter may or may not be the fights. If not, the next one after that will.