Forsaken {Book 1}

XXVIII: Water Balloons and Naruto Don't Go Together

Sakura jumped from tree to tree with multiple thoughts running through her head.

'Was I too sudden?  Does Sasuke not like me like that?  Will it be awkward the next time we see each other?'

She shook her head and stopped, putting her hand against the tree and looking over the skyline in the direction she was going.  Figuring it wouldn't hurt to travel for another hour or so, Sakura continued to jump. 

Finally deciding to stop for the night, Sakura set up her tent and laid down in it.  She stared at the ceiling of the tent while thinking, before she finally fell asleep.

$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&

After three days of travel, Sakura had finally reached the area she was searching for. 

Kinda.

Sakura didn't know exactly where she was supposed to go.  All she knew is that Sasori lived somewhere outside of the Sand Village. 

"That's helpful." She mumbled bitterly.  "There's a lot of area outside of the Sand Village, it'll take me forever to search it all." She said sarcastically, then sweatdropped over her pessimism. Sasori knew she was coming, so she expected him to make his living spot at least a little bit noticeable.  Then again she had to remember that she was a civilian child.  She didn't have the sharingan of the to help her find anything suspicious.  That was what made the test so much harder. 

Sakura walked along the sand furrowing her eyebrows.  She noticed nothing suspicious.  Then she finally realized, how would she know what would be suspicious.  She didn't live here.  She travel this area every day.  She's only been here twice, and that was for missions.  All she really knew about this place is what she learned from the books.

So after an hour of searching Sakura grew frustrated enough to the point where she screamed at the sky. Then as if answering her prayers what seemed to be a broken puppet arm, appeared in the distance.

"No, no, no!" Sakura mumbled as she approached, but kept her distance. "Ugh! It's too obvious. It's bound to be a trap, but it's the only thing around here." She groaned. Putting her hand against her head, Sakura sighed. "Alright, I don't see any other options. Take this or risk not finding anything. Just think of it as a bet. I'll take my chances."

$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&

"So when are we going to start training?" Naruto asked Jiraiya excitedly.

"After I get some rest." The Sannin replied.

"What? But we haven't even been traveling for four hours yet! Even I'm not tired." Naruto claimed. 

"You want to start training?  Alright then, here take this." Jiraiya put a water balloon in his hand.  "Burst the ballon with your chakra."

"Eh?"

$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&

When Sakura pulled up the wooden arm an entire puppet body came up as well.  Sakura dropped the arm and jumped, just in time to avoid the needle that came out of the puppet's mouth.  The puppet then fell to the ground.  Sakura kept an eye on the limp puppet as she continued to look around the area.  There was nothing else out in the open, but Sakura had a feeling that there was a trap waiting to be activated.  She picked up the puppet again, and threw it ahead of her.  Nothing happened at first.  But after a couple seconds, weapons fired themselves at the puppet.  They came from all directions, Sakura noticed.

So she knew where some traps were, but where is Sasori's house.  She saw no sign of it being in the distance in front of her, she knows she didn't pass it so it wasn't behind her.  Looking over, she didn't any sign of it on her right, or her left.  Which left her one option.  Below.  She furrowed her brows, how could she get down there.  The only way she could think of was to destroy the ground beneath, but she wasn't that strong.  Maybe she could find an entrance of some sort. 

With a groan she walked towards the traps she activated with the puppet body, one thought in her head. 

'This test is going to kill me.'

$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$

So after a couple explanations, a few water balloons thrown, and a hit on the head from Tsunade, Naruto finally understood what he was supposed to do.  Sasuke almost laughed at that.  Naruto was too excited to began training, whereas Sasuke and Orochimaru both agreed to begin when they both got settled.  Naruto seemed to have trouble trying to get the water balloon to pop.  Sasuke would've insulted it for him, but he thought different of it for two reasons.  One, Naruto might throw the water balloon at him, again.  Two, Tsunade packs a mean punch.  Sadly, he learned the second reason the hard way.  It reminded him or Sakura's punches, both of them hurt. 

"Pervy Sage!" Naruto shouted.

"What?" Jiraiya shouted back.

"Shut up!" Tsunade yelled hitting them both on the head.  "If you're going to talk to each other then talk.  DON'T YELL!" She glared at both of them.  Sasuke and Orochimaru shared a look.  Sasuke sighed.

'This is going to be a long trip.'

$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&

"I'm such an idiot!" Sakura scolded herself.  Putting her hands together she made a hand sign and then mumbled, "Kai."  To her right the sand moved to open up an entrance, and the same thing happened on her left.  Looking at it she groaned.  "Great, one's a trap and one isn't." She mumbled bitterly.  "Or wait, both of them are traps.  Great."

$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$

A/N: Sakura's getting frustrated, Sasuke's getting annoyed, and Naruto's getting hungry.

I fixed my mistake from the last chapter with the dates.  (-_-')