The Turning Point

Chunin Exams Part 4

Team 7 stood in shock facing a large room filled to the brim with ninja from all different villages across the Five Great Shinobi Countries. Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the group of ninja, most look many years older than himself and his teammates. Sakura and Naruto did little to hide their shocked and somewhat fearful expressions.

"I had no idea there'd be so much competition" Sakura thought to herself as her eyes drifted from one menacing looking face to the next. The silent reverie of the teens was interrupted by the sound of hurried footsteps.

"SASUKE WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" A voice called out.

Sakura turned to see Ino Yamanaka engulf Sasuke in a back hug; her cheeks stained a pretty pink. Sasuke immediately stiffened and turned his head to glare at the loud blonde girl who had her arms wrapped around his neck lovingly. The Yamanaka fan-girl of course, the only one equalled to Sakura in loudness and annoyingness.

But Sasuke no longer considered Sakura loud or annoying; in fact he didn't exactly know where he stood with his female teammate. However he did know that too much time spent around the pink haired girl caused him troublesome thoughts and feelings.

Glancing at his teammate Sasuke once again encountered these troublesome thoughts as he observed that Sakura looked none too happy with the Yamanaka girl on his back. The same emotion Sasuke felt when Sakura rejected the bushy brow kid flared up again, approving of Sakura's facial expression and Sasuke allowed a small smirk to grace his features.

She was clearly put out by the Yamanaka girl's attentions towards him, could it be she was jealous? Sasuke's smirk grew wider at the thought of this but it was soon diminished as Ino spoke yet again

"Boy you have no how much I was hoping you'd show up here! I've missed those brooding good looks of yours" Ino exclaimed as she clung to Sasuke tighter.

Sakura watched the interaction, deadpanned and attempting to control the jealous fury rising within her. She clenched her fists in an attempt to control her emotions. She wasn't supposed to be feeling this way anymore, Sasuke was just her teammate… right?

Upon hearing the comment made about Sasuke's 'brooding good looks' Sakura let out a slight hissing sound which quickly drew Ino's attention.

"Well well Miss Forehead. See you've had a makeover, another useless attempt to win Sasuke's heart no doubt. You've still got those frown lines on your billboard brow I see" Ino jeered and Sakura glared.

"Shut up Ino and get off my teammate" Sakura said in an annoyed voice. Ino simply stuck her tongue out at her rival.

Sasuke shook Ino off his back (much to her disappointment), still wearing the same self-satisfied smirk. He was met with an annoyed questioning glance from Sakura to which he shrugged his shoulders and re-adopted his emotionless expression.

"Oh it's you guys, I knew this thing was going to be a drag but I didn't know it'd be this lame" Shikamaru said, approaching the group along with Choji who was stuffing handfuls of potato chips in his mouth.

"So all three stooges are here" Naruto teased and Shikamaru looked up angrily.

"You know what pipsqueak! Ah forget it, you're a waste of time" Shikamaru replied, the lazy side of him kicking in.

"Hmph that Shikamaru Nara is one of the whiniest and laziest guys in the academy and Choji Akimichi though it's more like Akimunchy, I think he'd eat his own head if he could!" Naruto thought.

"Well, well what do you know? Looks like the whole gang's back together again" Kiba called out, walking across the room with his teammates Hinata Hyuga and Shino in tow. His dog Akamaru resting on his head.