The forest was quiet in the early morning. Serene almost. Hard thing to say about the Forest of Death, but as long as nothing was trying to kill them, they considered the place harmonious enough.
Mist hung low between the trees, and the sky was just beginning to lighten. Team 7 and Team 11 had decided not to move during the night. After everything that happened, no one had the energy left to push forward. Even Sukuna preferred resting up over marching ahead nonsensically. He needed time to figure out the right vows to establish his new curse seal anyways. A harder task than he previously anticipated since the mixture of both energies was a lot more chaotic than he imagined them to be.
'A Cursed Sage…'
That was what he was calling it. Both words didn't go together well, and that was exactly how the states of both energies were. So they decided to rest.
They would head to the central tower once the sun fully rose the next day. That was decided yesterday evening. Today was the day of departure, as soon as the sun rose they would leave.
Kiyomi had already secured the Heaven Scroll they needed. By coincidence, Team 7 required an Earth Scroll—exactly what Team 11 had taken from the Hidden Grass team Karin defeated earlier. Without hesitation, they handed it over. At this point, calling both teams sibling teams wouldn't be wrong. No one minded handing over the scroll.
"We'll settle it later," Sukuna had said with a shrug. "Just make sure we all pass."
Guard duty had been split carefully then.
Naruto and Karin took the first shift. They still had enough chakra and stubborn energy to stay awake. Uzumaki were built different that way.
Then Sasuke and Kiyomi took over, silent and alert through the deepest hours of the night. Another reason was because of their Sharingan. Besides a Hyuga, an Uchiha would be the next best person to stay on guard in the dark of night.
Now it was the final shift.
Naturally, Sukuna and Sakura took over.
It was almost morning.
Sukuna sat against a tree, arms resting on his knees. He didn't look tired anymore—not injured, not weak—completely refreshed after a good night's rest. The curse seal had pushed him far beyond his limit the day before. His brain almost felt like it fried itself. He certainly had to train himself in this aspect. Train his brain to take more load.
Sakura stood a few steps away, watching the horizon. She had been quiet for most of the night. However, the restlessness inside her was evident like the rising sun on the horizon.
"If you wanna say something, this might be the best time. Those guys will wake up soon." Sukuna said, not even looking at her, but that caught her off guard.
She pursed her lips and then she finally spoke. For once, she didn't look like his loud, stubborn little sister. She looked small.
"I want to get stronger."
He didn't respond immediately. Just blinked and looked back at her.
"I was useless," she continued, voice trembling slightly. "If something had happened to you… I couldn't have done anything. I was just standing there." Her eyes were moistened as she spoke.
Her fists clenched as she slowly walked up to him and sat down beside him. Hands wrapping around his arm, head digging into it, as the girl clung tightly to him for a second.
"I was scared," she admitted. "I thought you'd die…"
Sukuna suppressed the hundred ways he had to tease her for once. He understood that feeling very well. Weakness, he himself never faced it, however he fought against that feeling ever since he came to this world. There were many who were stronger in this world than him. He felt like a weakling ever since he started comparing himself to them and then tried to catch up.
"You're already strong, silly. You are keeping up with those two annoying brats, that's strong enough," he said calmly as the boy slowly stroked the girl's pink hair, a shade a bit lighter than his own.
"I wasn't," she insisted. "So train me. I don't care how hard it is. I don't care what it takes. Just… make me stronger. I don't wanna leave you behind ever again."
Sukuna leaned his head back against the tree. Sighing…
How would he explain she was already miles better than what could have been. As he himself wasn't sure how to train her further.
He wasn't the best teacher for her. His fighting style and instinct, everything revolved around his technique. However…
He knew someone who could help her properly. And it happened to be that the person asked him to run by her office one of these days. Perhaps it's time to make good on that promise huh…
But that could wait.
"…Fine," he said after a moment. "I'll arrange something. But you'll regret asking."
Sakura gave a small, determined nod. "I won't."
Sukuna nodded and then suddenly recalled something and almost facepalmed. He quickly reached into his pack. And took out a package.
"I almost forgot."
He pulled out a pair of metal gloves—sleek, reinforced around the knuckles.
"I had Tenten make these," he said, tossing one pair to her.
Sakura caught them. "Gloves?"
"Wait~ you mean that girl from Team 9?"
Sukuna nodded. "They're made from the special metal," he explained.
Sakura blinked. "Special?"
Before he could say more—
Leaves rustled.
Three figures stepped into the clearing.
They were wearing Hidden Sound headbands.
Dosu, Zaku, and Kin. Sukuna of course knew them from the anime, Sakura on the other hand had no idea.
"Well, well," Dosu said calmly, adjusting the metal device on his arm. "What a convenient find."
Zaku smirked. "Only two of them are awake."
Kin tilted her head. "And one's a girl."
Sukuna didn't move from his tree. He didn't even look bothered. If anything, he looked amused. "You guys want something?"
"A scroll," Dosu replied. "I wouldn't mind a little time with that girl either…"
Sakura's eyes from further away narrowed, earlier softness vanishing in an instant.
"Oh… alone time with her…" Sukuna stood slowly, lips curling.
Then he looked at Sakura. "Sure…"
Sakura blinked. "What?" She almost sounded flabbergasted.
"You wanna get stronger don't you, go for it."
"All three?" she asked.
He nodded once. "All three."
The Sound trio laughed.
"Is he serious?" Zaku scoffed.
Kin smirked. "Guess we'll break her first."
Sakura slid the gloves on.
They fit perfectly.
Her heartbeat pounded—but this time, not from fear.
From resolve.
She stepped forward.
"Show them hell," Sukuna said lazily from behind her.
Sakura seemed to grumble something under her breath, something about, 'You better not be doing this cause you are just lazy, tell me how to get stronger after this.'
Zaku attacked first, blasting compressed air from the tubes in his arms.
Sakura moved.
She vanished from where she stood.
Zaku's eyes widened. 'That speed…'
She reappeared in front of him in a blur of speed that none of them expected. Her speed was similar to Lee with her already strong body and years of training. Not something others expected seeing her harmless appearance.
Her fist drove into his stomach.
"CHAAAAAAAA"
CRACK.
A violent discharge of lightning exploded from the glove on impact.
Zaku's scream cut off instantly as electricity surged through his body. He flew backward, slamming into a tree and collapsing unconscious.
Silence.
Kin's eyes widened. "What—?!"
Sakura stared at her own hand in shock. "That was…"
She felt the tingling feeling in her hands and gaped. That was lightning chakra. But how, she just infused her punch with chakra. She doesn't even know lightning chakra.
"Focus," Sukuna called calmly.
Dosu lunged, sound waves blasting from his arm device toward Sakura's inner ear.
She leapt sideways, barely avoiding the direct hit. The shockwave shattered the tree behind her.
He was fast.
But she was faster.
Anger burned inside her—not at them.
At herself.
She rushed him head-on.
Dosu attempted to counter with another sound burst, but Sakura ducked under it and drove her fist into his chest.
Lightning erupted again—brighter this time.
Dosu's body convulsed violently before dropping limp to the ground.
Kin was the only one left.
In canon, Kin alone had defeated Sakura easily.
But this was not that Sakura.
Kin threw senbon tied to strings, trying to trap her.
Sakura yanked one string, pulling Kin off balance. In an instant, she closed the distance.
Kin swung desperately.
Sakura caught her wrist.
"Don't," Sakura said quietly.
Her punch landed.
The lightning discharge was explosive.
Kin collapsed instantly.
The forest fell silent again.
Sakura remained there for a second or two, looking at her own fist, the lingering lightning energy in her gloves and then at the fallen figures of the three Hidden Sound ninja.
She went ahead and grabbed Kin by the hair and tugged her head up to see whether she was really knocked out or acting. She was indeed out.
She looked back at Sukuna.
"…They are for me, really!" Sakura asked again, what if he was teasing her again. These gloves were incredible. That was one punch for a genin. She couldn't even believe it.
"Why, you don't like it? If not then give them back, I'll give them to Tenten."
Sakura immediately hid the gloves behind her. "Don't even think about it, you gave it to me, they are mine now. No take backs." She stuck out her tongue to show he wasn't getting them back.
Teasing or not, she wasn't giving them back. They were perfect for her.
"Relax, I got my own set. Made them for the Chunin Exam specially." Sukuna waved his hand nonchalantly.
The gloves were made out of the extra fangs he cut out from the Kiba blades. Each sword had two such fangs.
He had Tenten make gloves for both himself and Sakura out of them since the metal retained the ability to convert pure chakra to lightning.
xXx
A/N : Oh, a bit of sibling back and forth and finally reveal what he had Tenten made. Good use of that metal right. Since Sukuna himself wasn't planning on using Kenjutsu or his technique in Chunin exams for obvious reasons. This was a better option to give him an ace.
Please tell me if you find any mistakes, I'm currently traveling and don't have time to edit chapter properly. I'll fix mistakes asap.
Also stones guys. Stones.
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