Shinobi Isekai!

Female Bonding

Sakura stared up at the older genin, heart hammering in her chest. Naruto had been this close to opening their scroll when the silver haired man grabbed his wrist, appearing out of nowhere. After their fight with the Oto nin, she'd kept her guard up—their obsession with Sasuke rivaled her own and it wasn't ok—but he managed to pop up completely undetected. Naruto fell over onto his butt and grimaced as Sasuke ran over to them.

"What are you doing?" Kabuto demanded. "Don't you remember the rules?"

Sakura watched as Sasuke looked from Kabuto to Naruto and the scroll. His dark eyes were filled with exasperation as he shook his head, sighing heavily through his mask, the black fabric torn from combat with Zaku and revealing a tantalizing extra inch of skin.

"I can't take my eyes off you two for a second, can I?"

Naruto braced his hands behind his head, not the least bit apologetic. "With a view like this, why would you want to?"

Sasuke looked away sharply and Sakura smacked the goofy blond on the shoulder. "Stupid, go put your clothes on!"

He grumbled and trudged over to the pile of clothes, discarded so he could fish without getting get them wet.

Hanako's cute little dog came running out of the bushes, her long haired ears pinned back in annoyance.

"Where's Hana?"

Tch. Sasuke's normally even voice was thick with concern. Sakura looked around for the younger kunoichi, but there was no sign of her.

Kabuto ducked his head sheepishly. "Ah, about that. We were separated. We followed her trail to a cliff down river, but it cut off there. Momiji and I decided to continue looking for her while Yoroi and two other dogs head to the tower and wait just in case she heads there."

Oh? She was out there alone?

The idea that the girl who'd monopolized Sasuke's attention might not make it to the next round of the exam was exhilarating. She was always so perfect—so smart, so talented, so little and cute, ugh—that kind of failure would surely knock her down a peg or two.

"Don't worry, teme," Naruto drawled, draping an arm around Sasuke's shoulders with a smile. "Hana-chan's super strong, believe it!"

Sasuke's expression softened a little. "Hn."

Hmmph, clearly not strong enough not to be separated from her teammates. It was about time she got what she deserved, shannaro!

"Oh? So, this is why my ears were burning."

Everyone turned around in shock. There, leaning heavily against a tree, was Hanako Hatake. Sakura's mood soured instantly, but she took a grim sort of satisfaction from the other girl's disheveled state. She looked like something swallowed her.

She stumbled over to them, two brown puppies running amok beneath her feet. One of them yelped as she tripped over it, and Kabuto reached out to catch her.

"Thank the gods you're alright," he said with a kind smile. "We were worried."

She scoffed into his chest. "Uhuh, sure you were."

Uh, rude much?

"Wow, Hanako. That's no way to talk to your teammate after he came all this way looking for you."

Sakura didn't flinch when Hanako leveled her too black eyes on her, expression tired and devoid of emotion.

"He would have been here, anyway." She pushed him away from her, falling to her knees beside the fire Sasuke had set. "Some things can't be changed."