Boulders

Unakite

I'm just going to let you guys know: I'm not going to write out the fight scenes. Nope. Not happening. There will be a few exceptions, (like, one of team 7) but not all of them. No.

Enjoy!

▪▪▪

Toph yawned as she walked along inside the tower.

Ground floor. From the second story up it was all wood. But the first floor was stone and metal.

Toph likey stone and metal floors.

The stream of beat up mini ninja teams had slowed almost to a stop, and she had yet to see Flowers, Sunshine, or Broody Boy. It was almost enough to be worrying.

Toph reminded herself that she had taught Sakura herself, and there was no way any of her students would fail to pass a test. If they did, there would be Wang Shi Tong to deal with.

Especially Sakura.

Toph sensed a single genin up ahead, walking aimlessly with one hand on the wall. She smoothly ducked down a side hallway and waited until the ninja had passed before continuing on her way.

Sakura and co. would be there soon.

They would.

▪▪▪

Sakura sneezed.

Sauske started, then glanced back at her before hurrying on and pretending nothing had happened.

He'd been especially jumpy around her ever since she'd collapsed from chakra exhaustion and he'd had to take care of her and Naruto on his own.

From what she could glean from his Sauske speak, he'd been attacked by a genin team who had intended to kill him. Everything had been going well and dandy.... until something involving her had happened.

Sauske said he had managed to force them into giving up their scroll, then clubbed them over the head and exited with his teammates post haste.

Nothing more than that.

And she had no memory of the event, so she couldn't correct him.

So. They still needed a heaven scroll.

Which was why they were following Kabuto closer to the tower.

"Are you sure this will work?" Sakura asked from the back of the pack. Kabuto looked back at her, then explained the schematics of his plan. After he finished he turned back to the front with Sauske.

Sakura tried to exchange a wry look with Naruto, but the usually chipper ninja was being unusually quiet. He kept glancing at them and then looking away.

Was he all right?

They passed a huge, creepy dead centipede with kunai and shurikan buried in its head, and Sakura shivered. She instinctively dug her toes into the dirt.

She had lost her shoes after she had taken them off and they were attacked by the giant snake. She was pretty sure that they were buried under rubble somewhere.

They continued. Sakura glared at the stupid tower peeping out of the forest, not looking all that distant but never getting any closer.

She sidled over to Naruto rather nonchalantly. "You good?"

He shrugged. "I'm fine."

Sakura waited, but  nothing followed.

Oookay, not all right. "Is this about Orochimaru?"