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chapter nineteen

We take a break from my normally depressing content to bring you a lighthearted chapter that will hopefully make you smile before things get really dark XD. This chapter will most likely be posted WITH the one after it so you can get like a shot of happy, then hardcore stuff.

Mentally prepare for the Chunin Exams arc, ladies and gents!

- Silverwolf735 <3

"The future doesn't belong to the lighthearted. It belongs to the brave."

- Ronald Reagan

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During the month between the Chunin exam finals and the preliminaries that they'd already completed, the kids completed Kakashi's harshest training regimens. Eventually, Naruto started training with his dad, too. They didn't have Lord Jiraiya, much to Naruto's chagrin, because he was busy working on an infiltration mission in a rogue nation a couple countries away, trying to find out everything he could about the Akatsuki. They were still quiet, but there were whispers that they'd be moving soon, and Minato wanted to know all he could about the organization before it turned into a big problem.

Naruto tried not to freak out about the idea of Jiraiya going places alone. He survived for fifty years, why worry?

But Naruto was anxiety filled anyway. Because even though his godfather came rarely for visits, as he was so focused on fulfilling his task and catching Orochimaru, their bond was exactly the same as it had been when he died. Naruto didn't know what he'd do if Nagato got to Jiraiya again.

Unfortunately during the time between the exams, there were a lot of memories stirred up. For example, Kakashi and Sasuke often pretended to slip off to do some private working to keep Fugaku and Itachi off their tails. After training, though, all four of them would sit beneath the trees of Konoha and stare off at the village, each one reliving everything from their past life.

Sakura and Naruto were as close as siblings could be. In every way, Naruto and Sasuke were brothers, and Sakura was just as much his sister. When she cried at night, he knew, and went over to her house to check on her. That was how close they were. It had somehow gotten worse when the exams started, because that was when Orochimaru had attacked their teammate. She always woke up with a blood curdling scream, Sasuke's name on her lips and tears streaming down her face.

Sakura always said she regretted how she treated him when they were younger, because she could've had an amazing friend when she needed him. Naruto just laughed. Her past thoughts of him didn't matter anymore, because they both had changed. They had evolved into siblings. Naruto never held grudges anyway.

Naruto's love for Sakura had transformed into the love it is when he was sixteen in his past life. The two of them were far too much alike to be compatible, and he was happy he realized that a long time ago. Now he rarely even thought about how he used to think of her, because by now she was just his sister. That was the reason both of them were so drawn to Sasuke and Kakashi. Their calm temperaments completed the team. Now they were closer than ever- Naruto knew Sakura's deepest, darkest secrets, and likewise.

Naruto could bypass all of the traps on Sakura's house and window when he needed to. He slid open her window and slipped in. He shut it behind him softly when he saw her curled into a tight ball on her mattress, rejecting her blankets and pillows. Naruto sighed, removed his shoes, and joined her in the bed. He straightened the covers, and adjusted Sakura's head so she was laying on a pillow beside him. She was probably aware of his presence by now, but her eyes were shut tight. Naruto sighed more in pity, before curling around Sakura, determined to keep the nightmares away from her.