3rd Person Pov
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The second Naruto was back with his team he was tackled in a hug by akumi and sakura. Sasuke of course "hmphed" and was exempt from the hug fest.

The names began flashing again and kankuro's name was blinking.

Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto quickly recognized who it was while kankuro and Misumi walked down in the arena.

"I guess now we will see what that guy is made of." Sasuke grumbled. "You know him?" Akumi asked and they nodded.

"We nearly got into a fight with him a couple of days ago. He threatened to beat up konohamaru." Sakura stated earning a slight glare from Naruto for telling akumi they nearly got in a fight.

Akumi pursed her lips. "Hmm I see, so he tried to hurt you guys."Akumi mumbled making sure to remember the face and name.

"It was settled don't worry about it akumi-nee." Naruto stated and she snickered.

They all watched the fight. Kankuro made quick do with his opponent from trickinghim from the start. The poor guy was killed and the match was called.

The sign began flashing names again and Sasuke's name blinked along with Yoroi Akado.

"You sure you can handle it?" Sakura asked concerned and he waved her off. "I'm fine." He grumbled as he jumped down.

Akumi quickly glanced at sakura. "Spill what happened. Is it that mark that caused his body to gain those tattoos that worries you?" Akumi asked and sakura nodded.

"When you guys were passed out. A snake managed to bite Sasuke. It bit the side of his neck and disappeared into the wild. At first I thought he was going to die but he didn't." Sakura mumbled clutching her fist.

"What ever it is, it's not good. I think it has something to do with the grass ninja. They summoned snakes." Sakura stated and akumi glanced at naruto. "We should tell kakashi sensei." She stated and the other two nodded. "If I'm not allowed to carry my burdens myself then neither is he." Akumi stated and they fist bumped.

"Yeah because we are team seven and we endure together." Naruto smiled.

Sasuke was losing his battle against the nin, his chakra was unbalanced and the ninja took advantage by stealing Sasuke's chakra.

"Sasuke, kick his ass!" Naruto yelled as Sasuke switched to taijutsu to fight. Akumi bit her lip as Sasuke tried to find an opening.

"I hope he wins." Sakura grumbled while Ino screamed her undying love for him.

Sasuke barely was able to win his fight and nearly collapsed at the end. Akumi had snuck off to tell kakashi about the mark, much to her surprise he already knew and told her not to worry. She couldn't help but feel unsure about his response but decided to leave it in his hands.

"He won right?" Akumi asked her team and they nodded.

"Yeah it's Shinos turn and that guy who's arm you cut." Sakura replied. "Hmm well let's watch then." Akumi grumbled.

"What did kakashi say?" Naruto asked and She sighed. " he already knew. I asked him what would happen but he told me everything was fine. I don't think he was telling the truth, I could see it in his eyes. He was worried." Akumi mumbled looking down.

The fighting in the ring went by fast, Shino won and the board was going through names again.

Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka.

"Once friends and now rivals fighting it out, show her that your team seven." Akumi gave sakura a smirk.

"Of course I will." Sakura smirked back and jumped off the rail.

"Well well billboard brow, don't think I'll go easy on you because we were once classmates." Ino snickered as she flipped her long blonde hair.

"Well don't think I'm still the weak girl I once was. I've gotten stronger." Sakura snapped back as she waited for the go sign.

"Hajime." Hayate coughed out.
Ino and Sakura launched themselves at each other.

Sakura quickly kicked Ino's midsection making Ino duck down and try to sweep sakuras feet.

Sakura managed to step back managing to dodge.

Ino followed up and tried to punch Sakura.

'Left jab, right jab, left hook, right hook, chop kick.' Sakura mumbled to herself as she dodged Ino's barrage of attacks.

She ducked down and tried to upper cut Ino with her right arm making ino block.

Sakura tried to attack Ino's unguarded right side with quick jabs in the ribs. Ino side stepped to dodge.

She was about to jab Sakura in the face when she pulled her punch back.

Ino's gaze soften for a second for a moment she could only see her former best friend, the  small shy flower bud that followed her around and always went to her for advice and protection.

Instead of the sound of her fist hitting Sakura's unguarded face, the only thing heard in the ring was Ino hitting Sakura with an open palm.

The entire arena was silent. Sakura's eyes narrowed as she pulled back.

"Ino!" She hissed. Ino's eyes widen as she realized what she had done. She opened her mouth to retort but didn't say anything.

"You still think of me as a unblossemed bud, huh is that it!" She yelled.

Sakura wrapped her headband around her forehead. "Fight me as an equal Ino." She stated as she pulled out her kunia. Ino narrowed her eyes. "You have nerve sakura." She snickered as she wrapped her headband around her forehead.

They both ran towards each other with a battle cry. They attacked each other fiercely. Sakura kicked Ino' s chest forcing her back.

Ino hissed as she quickly caught herself and ducked down she tried to slash sakura with an uppercut but missed.

"Dammit, I'll show you that I'm better. Just cause you cut your hair doesn't mean anything!" Ino snapped as she cut her hair and threw it in the air.

Sakura stepped back eyeing Ino suspiciously.

Ino threw her kunai making sakura dodge. "I'll get you." Ino hissed making her clan hand sign.

Sakura smirked. "Ino you know you can't do that move without back up."

Sakura moved out of the way thinking she'd won the match when she suddenly couldn't move.

"Too late sakura." Ino smirked and
Did the signs again to use the mind transfer jutsu.

Akumi frowned, that Yamanaka jutsu was very similar to their kekkei genkai.

Sakuras body froze. "You loose pinky." Sakura smirked as she was about to lift her hand to quit.

"Sakura don't let Ino win, you've trained so much you can't loose now!" Naruto yelled as he gripped onto the railing. "Don't let her win Sakura!" Akumi cheered for her friend as well.

Sakura trembled for a second her body tensing as she slowly lifted her hand. "I for- gahh!" Sakura screamed and Ino was sent back to her body.

Sakura gasped for air. "Beat that Ino!" She gasped as she stepped back.

"My turn!" She gasped as she concentrated her chakra. "Sakura style!" Small slips of paper flew across the arena. Ino' s eyes widen as sakura smirked.

"Petal bombs!" She yelled as she made a ram sign.

Ino screamed as she was surrounded by explosions, she was knocked unconscious and sakura let out a sigh.

She was barely holding up fron Ino' s jutsu. "Winner, Sakura Haruno." Hayate called out and she smirked holding a fist up in victory.

She stumbled towards Ino and gently opened a small had of healing ointment and spread some on her once best friends burn marks.

"Good fight Ino-chan." Sakura smiled as she pulled away. "You did it sakura chan!" Naruto smiled

"Get up here." Akumi smiled proudly at her teammate. Sakura smiled widely and quickly ran up the side of the arena. Naruto and akumi grabbed her hand and pulled her into a hug.

"We knew you had it in you." Naruto cheered.

"Man I can't believe we are all going to pass." Naruto grinned happily.

"You don't know that I have yet to battle." Akumi stated and sakura snorted. "If I passed you most certainly will too, we can't put down team seven strongest member." Sakura smiled.

Akumi smiled lightly. "Let me treat your wounds one last time before your match." Sakura stated as Shikamaru and a sound shinobi jumped into the rink after their name flashed on the board.

Akumi nodded, the three of them walked to a more secluded area where akumi unwrapped her bandages. Naruto kept a look out for any peepers while sakura applied ointment and used the mystic palm healing technique to promote cell growth and mitosis.

Sakura still didn't have much of the healing techniques down but with the little she did have she worked hard to help ease Akumi's pain and movement.

"Who's fighting?" Akumi asked and Naruto grunted. "Its the Tenten girl from Gai-sensei's team and the sand village girl Temari." He mumbled.

"Temari seems to be like a wind style type and she's not letting any of Tenten's weapons reach her." He stated as he began calling out all the attacks that were being launched so they could keep up with the contestants while simultaneously healing Akumi.

Sakura was careful when she wrapped Akumi's back. "Whoever you fight don't let the get behind you, it would be bad if they tried to use you're back as your weak point." She stated and Akumi smirked. "I didn't falter much with the grass ninja sunk her claws on my back while it was still raw, I'll handle it." she stood up and fixed her clothing. 

Akumi looked at the flashing board as her name was blinking alongside another name Hoki.

The ninja was of the village hidden in the waterfall and his team had barely passed the second exam. His other two teammates had dropped out of the preliminaries. He had curly brown hair and black colored eyes. Akumi was quick to jump down in the arena and softly land infront of her opponent.

In a way she felt calmer, knowing that her brother and teammates were out of harms way and that it was a one on one battle gave her a sense of relief.

On contrary to her usual antics since joining team seven, she always used to be calculating in her every movement being that she was considered a genius ever since she was a child. But with the pressure of having her brother near her and his exposure to the ninja world it had driven her to the edge and caused her to make rash unnecessary decisions that had nearly jeopardized her own life.

Hayate coughed and wheezed. "Hajime!" 

The Waterfall ninja quickly threw kunai at Akumi side stepped and grabbed the handle as it was going past her. She stuck paper bombs on them and sent them back.

The crowd watched in anticipation as they circled each other. "Stay still brat." Hoki snapped as he quickly tried to attack her but she blocked everything he threw at her. He tried to kick her feet and throw her balance off but that quickly proved to be useless.

"She's good." Ino pipped in as she watched Akumi toy with her opponent. "Yeah, but that my sister for you the strongest of team seven!" Naruto smiled making Ino frown. "Yeah, right I bet sasuke-kun is much stronger." Ino huffed as she crossed her arms being carfeul not to agitate her small burns.

"You're wrong about that."Lee stated as he watched Akumi's fight. "Out of all of the Konoha Genin here she's the strongest. Back before your class graduated she was sent on a mission with us. It was a C rank and we were ambushed. Had it not been for her and Gai-Sensei I don't think we would've made it." he stated.

"Heh. but what does that have to do with sasuke-kun being stronger than her." Ino complained. "Ino, we spar together and Sasuke has yet to beat her besides, she's strong." Sakura reaffirmed.

"Yeah, because my Nee-chan never looses." Naruto smiled as he leaned on the railing. "C'mon nee-chan stop playing around and beat him up already!" Naruto yelled and akumi smiled slightly.

Akumi was holding back for multiple reasons. First, she didn't want to use all her techniques yet nor reveal them, Second her injury was still sore and she had to be careful. 

"Take me seriously brat." Hoki yelled as he dashed forward he knew that she wasn't even trying that hard being that she had yet to go on the offense. Akumi saw the sudden agitation as an opening.

With her kunai she knocked his out of his hand and tripped him. She used his momentum to grab his wrist a flip him over shoulder. She placed her foot on his back and grabbed a fistful of his hair with her left hand and held a kunai to his neck with her right hand. " Forfeit or i'll kill you." she spoke in a low deadly voice. 

The ninja gritted his teeth. "Fuck you stupid bitch." He spat out and tried to yank himself free but her grip was to tight. She slid her kunai along the left side of his jaw, he screamed as she did began cutting him and digging her heel on his back. "Forfeit." she stated loudly as he gasped for air.

"I-I fo-AHHH I Forfeit!!!!" he screamed as she sliced more of his jaw all the way to his chin. She dropped him and let out a sigh. usually she would've slit his throat but she already knew everyone was afraid of her. "I knew you could do it, akumi! Team sevens ace wins again!" Sakura cheered alongside Naruto.

Akumi didn't smile or anything as she kept a stotic face but internally smiled.

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Hope you like it

rosymalik