Hoshigaki

A Seed in Spring

A month was all they had to prepare. For Shino and the other winners, in the very least.

Sakura drummed her fingers against her elbow for a few beats before she and Shino moved towards the hallway of the infirmary. Kurenai excused herself mere moments ago to attend the next briefing for the Hokage, but the slight nod and assuring smile she'd parted with meant they'd have a lot to talk about once they were all in the clear.

As they walked, Shino murmured faintly about the snake that hung around the balcony, eyeing the fights—picking out his next meal and conversing inaudibly with some black-haired lackey that wore a white shirt under his flak jacket and a faded yellow bandana looped around his neck. Looked a bit like an emperor penguin in that get up, he supposed, but whoever it was paid far too much attention to her fight as opposed to the rest.

Sakura narrowed her eyes. A snake and a penguin with nothing better to do; she shouldn't be surprised. Orochimaru and all those like him never settled. Were never satisfied. Insatiable.

"They'd left as soon as Hayate-san called the end of the last match," Shino confirmed softly. "Why? To avoid speculation is the most likely reason. My insects can no longer trace them."

They turned a corner. A handful of genin scattered this wing of the tower, all of them with a teammate or two set up in the five new rooms that had been converted to extra infirmary rooms. Weaving easily through the string of bodies in the hall, they slipped into the fourth exam room and approached the cot closest to the door.

Akamaru immediately lifted his head and swished his tail in greeting. It was the happiest they'd seen him in days, and he butted against both Sakura's and Shino's sides until they graced him with solid head pats.

Kiba grinned despite the bruise that was starting to form on his cheek, and Sakura flicked his nose for the trouble. "Please refrain from moving your face like that. Has a medic already taken a look at your injuries?"

"A buncha' bruises, hairline fracture in my right arm, nasal irritation from the pepper bomb," he listed with a pout. Shino's hand glowed faintly as he held it against his friend's face. "Nothin' too bad. I'll be good in like an hour or somethin'. What'd we miss?"

"Just Hayate-san's closing words and that the final line-up will be announced in the coming week," she replied. Beside her, Shino bent to take a closer look at the bandaged arm. Akamaru carefully padded up the sheets to watch. "Snake's gone since there's no more rats to feed on. Penguin went with him."

"Penguin?"

"Don't know what kind, though I've been told it's close enough to a reptile."

Kiba settled against his pillow, a thoughtful look crossing his face. As Sakura folded her arms and leaned against the wall behind her, she couldn't help the discomforting feeling that came with the end of the second part of the exams. Eight competitors were left: three from the same Suna team, four rookies from Konoha, and one Konoha genin that actually held a year of experience under his belt. One of Maito Gai's.

She expected more of a diverse group of finalists, but with the attendance of two jinchuuriki and several new generation clan children, she understood the general turn out. An Uchiha, a Hyuuga, a Nara—

She pushed herself off the wall and peered at the door. It meets her stare blankly, and does so for a spare handful of moments before she answers the questioning looks from her team.

"I'll be right back," she said. Just as she passed through the open door, she caught sight of Shino's mild shrug and Kiba throwing his hands up in exasperation.

Sakura appraised both ends of the hallway before deciding on left, then making another left, then a right until she was back at the entrance of the arena. Most of everyone had gone by now, even the Hokage and his subordinates, but there was a lone silhouette inside staring up at the ram steal statue with his hands in his pockets and a puppet hanging from his back.