Maybe

rivals from Suna

Sakura didn't know what to think.

On one hand, she was happy, the head of the hospital had agreed to teach her, but... the looks of pity she had received from the staff when she asked for the woman made her wary.

And, now that she had actually met her, Sakura understood.

Her training was going to be hell, she knew it.

What doesn't break you makes you stronger, I guess...

She continued walking, lost in her thoughts, when she heard a blood curling scream.

Kaito?!

No, you idiot, he's dead!... Then who?

Sakura ran in the direction of the scream.

Yellow eyes, blood, sake...

Arriving at the scene, her blood turned cold.

Three ninja, Suna shinobi, probably here for the chunin exams?
Fan, puppet, sand.

One of the tree ninjas was holding a small boy by the collar, next to him was  a girl with grayish blond hair in four pigtails and a redhead with blood thirsty chakra.

"Kankuro" the redhead began
"you're dishonoring our village, put the boy down."

Sakura shivered, his chakra.... it's evil!... Like the one Naruto had during the attack on the bridge... That's not human chakra, then... what is it?

Sakura frowned in thought, but decided it was a mystery for another time, that Suna-nin was dangerous, and he was there now.

"Of-of course Gaara" the boy with cat ears and make-up stuttered, releasing the kid that ran back to Naruto.

Love obssessed boy's name is Gaara, Cat fetisch guy's Kankuro...

"And, you, Temari" Gaara added, glaring at the Suna kunoichi "you could've stopped him."

wind loving girl is Temari, ok!

"If you do that again, I'll kill you"
The redhead's voice was cold, what he said didn't sound like a threat, it was more of a... warning?   Sakura didn't know, but from his teamates's  reactions, she knew he wouldn't hesitate to do it.

The three ninja started leaving when Naruto called out after them:

"Hey, who are you! You're not from Konoha, what are ya' doing here?"

Sakura repressed the urge to facepalm.

"What, you don't know?" The blond kunoichi taunted, "we're here for the chunnin exams, something you probably don't know the meaning of."

Naruto frowned, and Sakura got the distinct impression the boy knew he had been insulted but didn't know how.

"Huh? What are the chunnin exams?"

This time, Sakura did facepalm.

Up from the tree,where apparently he had watched the whole thing, Sasuke asked:

"What's your name?"

The blond kunoichi stopped laughing and a small blush appeared on her cheeks.

"me?"

Sakura, strangely, felt indifferent.
She didn't really care if this girl, like thousand others, had a crush on Sasuke.

Sakura, these past few days, felt indiffrerent about quite a lot of things.

"No" Sasuke replied  "the red head with the gourd"

Sakura and the other two ninja from Suna froze, looking expectently at said boy.

"I'm Sabaku no Gaara"

The pink haired girl let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"And you are?"

"Sasuke. Uchiha Sasuke."

"Hey! Hey! I bet you're burning to know what my name is huh!?"
Naruto yelled after the Sand gennin who had already begun walking away.

"No."

Naruto fell down, crying.

"Why doesn't anyone wants to know my name??"

Sakura sighed and decided it was time she get going. The danger was gone, and she had chores to do.

::::

"I recommended you to the chunin exam."

Kakashi giggled at his students faces.

"Don't worry, it's not compulsary, if you don't want to go you dn't have to."

Sakura gave him a blank look.
As if.
The pink haired girl was not stupid, and she knew that if there weren't all three members the team wouldn't be allowed to pass.

"Anyway, if you want to participate, go at the Academy on Wednesday. Don't be late!"

The jonin gave them his signature eye-smile before dispapearing in a swirl of leaves.

"WHAT!!!"   Naruto exclaimed, "But sensei..."

"What's the matter dobe?" Sasuke taunted "Scared you'll fail?"

"HEY!  I'm gonna become the best Hokage Konoha has ever seen, dattebayo! A little test like that isn't what's gonna stop me, believe it!"

Sakura just sighed.

"If we want to take the exam we have to prepare ourselves!" the girl declared.
She didn't really know if she wanted to take it... The exams were dangerous, and people died. Sakura didn't want to see anyone die again. Not if she could help it.

On the other hand, she knew that her teamates would never forgive her if she decided to back down.
The boys wanted to go, Kakashi had faith in them, maybe, and Sakura was not naïve enough to think being a ninja was all cupcakes and rainbows.

They needed to get stronger and what better opportunity than these exams?

"We have two days until the exam starts" She continued "We should use this time wisely."

"You're right Sakura-chan! I'm gonna train my super powerful new jutsu!"  Naruto shouted
"It's super powerful and everything dattebayo!"

Sakura doubted the blond boy really knew such a jutsu, but she smiled nontheless, amused at her teamates antics.

"I'm sure you do Naruto."

After biding her friends goodbye, Sakura began to plan.

If the Suna shinobi they had encountered were participating in the exams, who knew who else would?

Yes, Sasuke had awaken the sharingan, and yes, Naruto was strong, stronger than she had first thought.
But... Sakura had a bad feeling about the exam. A bad, bad feeling.

She rolled her eyes. Of course there were going to have strong opponents. That didn't mean she'd back down. That she'd run away like a coward.

(cowardcowardcowardcoward)

Hopefully, the first part wouldn't require too much fighting and they'd have sometime in between the different parts.

This exam was dangerous, Sakura acknowledged that, but that only meant one thing..

I'm gonna have to train like fucking hell, Shannaro!!!